As September looms, we begin to creep into the meat of the Steelhead run on the Deschutes. The lower canyon, from Macks to Heritage will continue to hold the most fish, but a few fish are being found in the runs around Maupin. Water temperatures have dropped off a bit leaving the fish pretty feisty. Had a spectacular fish take a Muddler a couple mornings ago, and fellow guide, Hickman, has also managed a few top water enthusiasts on his end. Midday will reward the devout angler, but most effectively, with some enticing, deeply-swung patterns. Black and Blue Tubes has been my go to this past week. Don’t let the sun burn up the confidence. These critters can be as unpredictable as the path of a tornado.
Presently, the river from Trout Creek down to Harpham Flat is closed to all passage due to wildfire. Had the pleasure of fishing with Roger Bachman yesterday and was dismayed to hear that his 100 year old cabin above the Locked Gate was lost in the blaze. Roger has worked for decades to preserve healthy watersheds and our feelings are with him in his loss.
Trout fishing is off the hook early mornings and late evenings. Let your eyes scan the banks and gentle seams. Heads can often be found plucking spent caddis in the mornings and adults in the evenings. The rest of the day should be spent drifting and swinging nymphs in the pockets and riffles.
The Hood and Klickitat Rivers are presently fishable but they will likely blow from the heat of the last couple of days. In silty conditions, it really helps to know the exact hold and fish it hard, again and again, with larger profiled patterns. Dropping your bugs down in the water column will help them see their prey.
Talking with Greg Darling, our resident Columbia River Bass Guide, I’ve learned that the big fish are again starting to show their faces. He has reported success on some really wild, top-water patterns as well as sunk patterns in up to 20 ft of water. If you got a feeling that they are there but will not take, switch up the patterns and retrieve. They can be fickle. If they are not on the shallow flats, then look for gradual shelves nearby. Large boulders and sunken trees also make for fine habitat.
Lost and Lawrence Lakes are presently offering up good trout fishing in a beautiful setting. Callibaetis, Midges, and Caddis are the norm in all their life-stages. Small Whooley Buggers on a mixed retrieve is also a fine menu item. We should also start to see a few Hex Mayflies on Lost lake in the next few weeks.
Have a good time…
