Our Owyhee season is about to wrap up. The fishing over here started off a little tougher with the the fish seeming like they had lock jaw or where on a hunger strike. I guess they changed their minds or got too hungry, because they are cooperating now and fishing has improved. Fishing has been good lately on the Owyhee. Just in time.
We are always excited to get on the water with you and spend time watching you catch fish. That is great and all, but I’m not going to lie, I am looking forward to this trip to the East Coast to chase stripers and other in-shore critters we find. Should be a blast and will be nice to hold a rod for a change.
Once back from that, it is right in to Steelhead on the Deschutes. The numbers still look promising and some good reports. Trout fishing can also be fantastic in the fall as well. Pick your poison. Either way fall on the Deschutes can be fantastic. If you are looking to chase some steelhead of want a fall trout trip, we have limited openings left, better to call real soon.
Thanks again for spending time with us on the water, and we hope to see you soon. If you have any questions abut availability or trip offerings, feel free to call or email. We will get back in touch once we get off the river.
Here is to a great steelhead season! Cheers1
Tight Lines,
Summer Steelhead
We are heading out to the Owyhee in less than a week. The water looks great, and anxiously loading up the fly boxes with hoppers, PMDs and caddis. The Owyhee is a great way to wrap up late summer. Super fun dry fly action for browns. Browns are just built different. Big old mouths, predators. They just love seeing what they can slurp down. Hoppers, beetles, baitfish, maybe throw in a frog or mice for fun, it is all down the old hatch. We love our Rainbows, but having the opportunity to chase browns is a great mix up. They are stunning and talk about photogenic.
We have one slot open for the Owyhee camp, so it is not too late to load up your gear and head on out. Dates available are????
Steelhead numbers on the Deschutes continue to look better than we have seen in a while. Reports trickling in about fish even being caught above Sheras. Typical for this time of year the main action is Mack’s to the mouth. Excited for the fall and the opportunity to chase steelhead, should be a good season. Fall trout fishing is always good, so either way October fishing on the Deschutes is a blast!
For more information or to scoop up the last Owyhee slots of 2024, give a call or email. For updates follow us on Instagram or check the website. See you on the river!
Tight Lines,
Steelhead
We have some good news. Steelhead numbers are looking very good so far. Dam fish counts We are ahead of last year and the ten year average so far. That has us super excited. Chasing steelhead is by far one of our favorite things to do, and it has been a little tougher. Hopefully we keep tracking in this direction. Another word of hope and positive thinking is if you look at low numbers in the 80’s, the fish did rebound and the late 90’s and early 2000’s were really good. So fingers crossed we are working our way back. Just thought we would pass along a ray of hope. If you have dates already on the books, it could be a great season. If you don’t have dates, now would be the time to start locking down plans. We will be back from the Owyhee River latter September and starting to focus on steelhead for the remainder of the season. We can fish for trout as well in the fall and it can be really good as well. But for those looking to target steelhead or do a combo trip, the time is coming quick.
Trout fishing has been really good on the Deschutes and crowds are long gone. Normal summertime action in the Canyon with lots of caddis. There has been days of really fun dry fly and working fish. We have a couple more weeks of summertime Deschutes fishing, so if you are looking for a break or need to get on the water, let us know. From there it is off to the Owyhee. Water levels and the season looks real good. We have few a few open dates in October and November when we return, hopefully the Deschutes will be full of grabby steelhead.
Thanks again for another great summer on the Deschutes! Come see us this fall, could be what we have been waiting for. If you have any questions on trips, availability, or fishing in general shoot us an email or call. We will get in touch once we get off the river. For updates follow us on Instagram or check reports on the website. See you on the river!
Tight lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
John Day
Water levels are dropping quick, and time is running out to float and fish the John Day. Streamers can work great but if you like bass and some serious top water fishing now is the tIme to hit the river. Popper, wiggle worms and chubby chernoble are all good bets. Get there while you can
Summer Time Trout/ Bass
We wait and wait all winter long anticipating the salmon fly and summer in the canyon and it seems like winter lasts forever, and "BAM" before you know it here we are, July is staring us right in the face. The big bugs are long gone and we are seeing caddis, and some PMDs. As much as we love throwing big dries, it is nice to see the crowds go as well and settle in to some of our favorite time of year for chasing trout and having the river basically to ourselves. Fishing and trips in general have been great. How do you not have a good time with friends and family camping in this amazing place? This canyon and sharing it with our guests never gets old.
It is always a roll of the dice these days, but steelhead numbers in general look promising. Yes it is early and it really counts the most that numbers are good or high when HISTORICALLY the bulk of the run shows up, and it is early. A promise of the possibility of good things to come is exciting. Cross your fingers and lets hope that we work our way back to not too long ago and some of the funnest summer steelheading around.
The Owyhee late summer/ early fall trips are not too far away as well. We have limited spots left and this is a fantastic way to wrap up the summer before we focus on steelhead back on the Deschutes. The variety of tactics to chase these browns and rainbows keeps the days interesting. We could be throwing big grass hoppers along the bank, ripping some streamers, of searching with a dry and a drop.
If you have any questions or we can help plan a trip, please reach out. We are busy and it might take a day or two till we get back in service, so bear with us, but we will get in touch with you. For other updates check us out on Instagram or our fishing report on the website. Thanks again and hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Salmon Fly
The Deschutes is in the late innings of the salmon fly hatch, so there is a little time left. Maybe a couple weeks. It has really creeped along and hung in there, which has been great. Just how we like it. The solid dry fly fishing should continue as we are seeing the caddis really ramping up. Some PMDs are showing as well. So make some space in the fly box for those patterns instead of one only stuffed with salmon flies and stones. As the caddis and PMD hatches increase and over lap with the big stones, if you are working a picky late in the salmon fly hatch, “been there, done that” on a chubby Chernobyl fish that is up, working, and snubbing all your big flies, throw the curve ball with a caddis, PMD or often overlooked yellow sally. There have been a very few Green Drakes spotted as well. If you ever hit one of these isolated and often short lived hatches on the Deschutes, you will know and cross your fingers you hit one. Some years it happens or you are in the right place, right time. Other years it seems they just don’t come off very well. It makes a good Green Drake hatch even more special. Make sure to at least have a few Drakes just in case.
We are about ready to slide into the summer caddis routine and pattern, which is great time to be on the Deschutes and the crowds thin out. There are still some slots open for trips, both one day and multi-day camp trips. We are also looking forward to late summer and early fall on the Owyhee, especially after the spring season got so jockeyed around with the ever changing flow that the powers that be at the dam served up for us this spring. Space is limited already on those trips. If you are interested, give a call and we can go over details and open dates. The dry fly fishing, and potential hopper fishing along the banks for nice browns on this small, wade friendly desert river is really a summer time treat.
Opening Day is just arond the corner
Rivers in the spring can be volatile with run off and storms. We get that. The beauty of fishing tail-waters below a dam is consistency. Consistent water temps that improve hatches. Consistent predictable flows to make scheduling trips easy. Well, throw that out the window for the Owyhee this year. Right now she is cranking at 8,100cfs. Yep. you read that correctly. That is 2x the normal-ish Deschutes flow in a river that is a 5x-ish smaller. That puts it in perspective. The folks at the dam that are playing with the buttons say it might be down and fishable in June? But who knows they cranked it up a couple weeks ago. We canceled trips. They dropped it back down, we rescheduled trips and it began to fish. Then they really opened the flood gates. Rollercoaster for sure. Pretty sure she is done for awhile. Turn the page and move on.
Good news, the Deschutes will open top to bottom ( Pelton to Reservation boundary) April 22nd. The section by Maupin is open year round and has been fishing well, but this is the main “ kickoff” to the Deschutes season that we wait for. Early spring trips can be fantastic. If you can’t make the salmon fly hatch, try an early season multi day, or June- July trip. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Quick update, time to unpack the Owyhee camp and get ready for the Deschutes. Contact us for help planning a trip or Central Oregon fishing advice. For updates follow on Insta or the website. See you on the water.
Tight lines,
Owyhee is a Flowing
It’s just on of those years, the Owyhee River has more water flowing down it than we have seen in years. Normally this time of season the river is flowing something around 25cfs, as of today the river is flowing a whopping 8100cfs. All rivers need a good flushing from time to time and that’s what we are getting. This should do nothing but help the Owyhee in the long run. Owyhee Irrigation is guessing river levels may not drop below a 1000cfs until June.
We will keep you updated when we get more info.
Tight Lines
Cory
Deschutes River Anglers
November Deschutes Trout and Steelhead Update
August Update- Owyhee and Deschutes...all good..
Packed up and ready to Head out to the Owyhee. We are excited to be headed east to this cool canyon brown trout playground. On the docket is throwing hoppers, beetles and other “junk” along the banks to tempt that big old alligator mouthed brown out of his liar. Seeing that-inch-wide snout poke up, the hopper disappears and the frothing eruption in skinny water on the hook set is so much fun. If they aren’t playing that game, we have options. Like early morning Trico action, then on to PMD’s and caddis later in the day. Mix in searching with a dry -drop rig or stripping streamers and you pretty much cover all the bases and ways to trout fish. Good times. A few slots open, so if you need a summertime trout fix, we might be able to help you out. We will be over there and love taking advantage of all the time and opportunity we can to have fun with this fishery. We have mixed service at “camp” (a really neat bed and breakfast… roughing it), but we will check in when we can, and happy to help figure a way out to get you on the Owyhee. Expectations are high for another great late summer season over there.
In the meantime, the heat wave that has been blasting us, might have made it miserable to go mow the lawn (why aren’t you fishing anyways?), has made the caddis go bonkers on the Deschutes. Dry fly and head hunting Redsides under the trees with all the caddis has been fantastic. Which is perfect… super-hot out and you get to go wet wade and dry fly fish?!! Can’t think of a better way to spend a ho summer day.
Speaking of the Deschutes, more good news, steelhead numbers are above the 5-year average over Bonneville. ODFW has opened steelhead up for now and will re-evaluate in September. So, we are tracking in the right direction. Fall trips on the “D” for trout can be fantastic, the nymphing can be on fire and dry fly opportunities are present as well. Fall camp trips fill up quick. For more information or to discuss the steelhead opps, give a call.
So far, the summer has been great, little pressure and good, consistent caddis action. For more updates, give us a shout, follow us on Instagram or check on the website for more detailed fishing reports. Come join us on the Owyhee or the Deschutes, we enjoy sharing these special places we call home. Hope to see you on the water.
Tight lines!
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
541.771.2288
Summer time and the living is easy...
Caddis and July summertime fishing is cranking up. Salmon fly season gets the hype for sure, Always the bride. Caddis is the overlooked bride’s maid, but some of the best fishing without the crowds of fisherman. So far, we have had some great trips with the river and the fish pretty much to ourselves. Perfect combo to go headhunting under the trees and back eddies to find unmolested trout slurping away. Super fun, and some of our favorite fishing of the year. Think caddis dries like EC caddis size 16-18, X-caddis, Elk hairs and for eddies some of the low profile spent caddis type dries. Good old Adams in size #18 and #20 is an MVP all the time. PMD’s can be in the mix and there should be a few in your fly box. Dry drop rigs are great searching tools in between dry fly sessions. If you are into the Euro nymph style that has been working too. For us it’s hard not to go purist and go hunt fish with a dry.
There is always a lot going on in Bend and Central Oregon to round out your fishing trip and keep everyone in the family smiling. From amazing restaurants, breweries and all that “town living” can provide a, opposed to camping and being off grid, to concerts, festivals (Brewfest, Farmers Markets, etc. there is always something going on downtown) and outdoor activities. Hundreds of miles of great mountain biking trails and all the infrastructure to support it like bike shops, bike rentals and shuttle services. There are zip lines at the mountain. Horseback riding is offered at a couple of locations. If there is an outdoor activity, there is a place around Bend that offers it. More Information or a lineup of events and music check out- visit Bend
Back to fishing, August can be more of the same, fish can get a little tougher and bus smaller. We’ll be over on the Owyhee for some of that time and into September. Great Trico hatches, PMDs and caddis. Th beauty with that desert tailwater fisheries is we get to do some fun terrestrial fishing. aka throwing junk like big hoppers and beetles at the banks. There is a reason we head over there. If you want to check it out, we have a few slots open. It is a multi-day camp trip. but instead of tents there is options for staying in a really neat Bed and Breakfast. So, we are really roughing it. Give a shout for more details.
Ahh steelhead. So, we are in a holding pattern right now. At the end of the month ODFW will assess the number of fish over the dams and with open it or keep it closed and re-assess in September. Fingers crossed. Whether we get to actively target steelhead or not his coming fall, do not overlook trout on the Deschutes this autumn. It is far from a consolation prize. The fall can be a great time. Cool time of year to be on the canyon, fishing can be fantastic and not a lot of pressure.
That is what we got for now. Caddis +dry fly +headhunting +not a lot of pressure =awesome trips and fishing.
If you have any questions or we can help plan a trip, feel free to contact us. If we don’t respond immediate, we are on the river and once we hit cell service, we’ll track you down to help. For more updates follow us on Instagram. Look forward to sharing the river with you and enjoy your summer and get out there.
Tight Lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
Quick Pit Stop During River Laps- Salmon Fly Update
We have started what feels like the NASCAR circuit of river season…laps down the Deschutes have begun. Quick report while we are back on the grid. This has to be the most exciting and anticipated time of the Deschutes calendar. Every year it happens, it is no mystery or secret, but it never gets old. The Salmon Fly and Golden Stone Fly hatch. It is awesome. It is the most watched, eagerly awaited for report and rumor following time of year around here. Things can ramp up quickly. As word and the hatch spreads eyes are on the calendar hoping days off or planned trips match reports and stars align so you can be there when big bugs are out, fish keyed in and lined up on your favorite banks and behind those magical juicy special trees that hold them every year. Big redsides waiting like pigs at a trough. So fun. Much more exciting reports and headlines that read like a “Star” magazine or other gossip rag. I can see why; big dries and big flies and early season fish is a little more catchy than “we are seeing more caddis and throwing little flies to sippers”. Is the fishing any better on this hatch than any other major one? well... maybe... kind of … depends how you look at it. Those are debates best left to discuss at your favorite watering hole. Bottom line is it is great time and hard to beat and is a special event that most rivers don’t see at the Deschutes’ consistency and proportion. We are lucky.
Salmon flies (throwing golden stones in there when we say that) are just starting to go. Cold weather blips will and did slow things down a bit. With that said spring weather flips on and off like a light switch and warmer weather is helping. More and more bugs showing up. Per usual hatch starts lower in the system and bug numbers and dry fly action will pick up there sooner. It takes time for the bugs to get on the water, trout recognize them again as a steady stream of big calories, move into to prime spots, which can be different than where and what they have been doing and the food sources they have been focused on for the past months.
Tactics right now… still a little of this and a little of that. It is time to watch and take little litmus test readings. The fish will let you know and keep observant. Fish lower and follow hatch up the river or if you are floating expect that maybe first couple days will tough on the dry and don’t get discourage early the trip the trip that they aren’t on the adults/dries yet and focus those energies for lower or float further down to maximize time management. Nymphing can be good. Dy and drop is a great rig- if the fish are eating the dry, they are telling you something. Smash and grab some favorite high rent district banks and trees. If it is a ghost town, shake it off and go back to what was working. Cover lots of ground to maybe find those isolated areas that fish are keyed in a little earlier than the whole river system. It is early in the hatch and not tons of bugs and we are a bit away from all the trout getting the memo.
Good things are happening. The river is on track to do its thing and fishing to really pick up and those super fun peak of salmon fly days we are waiting for are just about here… any day now.
Summer vacation planning and kids getting out of school are right around the corner. We have some slots for caddis mid-June and July. Summer float trips, camping and spending time with friends and family are special memorable times and the Deschutes canyon is an amazing place. Unplug from devices, fish, talk, and immerse yourself in being present and chase some trout.
Want a mix up? We head back to the Owyhee in August and September. Different mode of attack then the Deschutes. We see Tricos over there for early morning little bug, little dry action over pods of sipping browns. It’s fun and feels like real deal technical dry fly match the hatch type game. We also get to throw hoppers and streamers. The wading is much less sporty as well. Worth adding to the bucket list.
Well off to pack cooler and get gear ready. Have fun and hope you can get on the water. If you have any questions feel free to call, or email. For more updates follow us on Instagram. Get on out there, it is getting good.
Tight lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes Anglers
The usual suspects…. Some big dries - Chubbies to cover adult stones/salamonflies and dry drop rigs, some Pheasant Tail/ aka mayfly type nymphs, scattered little dries for BWO’s, a few caddies dries, some big rubber legs aka stonefly nymphs. All bases covered. Time to drop the tailgate let the dogs out and hunt. Try a variety of tactics and see what the trout tell you and adjust accordingly- DRA
Deschutes Fishing Report- April 28th....
Back on the water….. Here is what we saw…
Bent and almost to hand… just a little closer… hope the guide tied those knots well….
Early Season Update
Here is just a quick update. First of all fishing was really good. Some highs and lows throughout the day. Spring time you’ll see that. Fish are used to conseving energy and seem to feed when things are prime, it’s how they make it through the winter. They can shut down metabolism, conserve energy and feed as needed. Calories in for calories out. Nature. it’s efficient. A big secret that isn’t much of a secret is that it is a lot easier to convince a fish to eat a fly when they are activley looking and want to eat, than trying to convince them when they arent in the lanes and are hunkered down in “stand by” screen saver mode. That is a no brainer , and thanks captain obvious, but it explains why early season it can be windows of really good and some slow times. Capitalize on prime times and you can put together a great day when it is all said and done at the takeout putting the boat back on the trailer.
What we saw was this in a nutshell; it was “ok” fishing in the morning, late morning and early afternoon stunk. Late afternoon and afternoon was really good. Blue wing olives and a few March Browns showed at around 2:30 and we where able to have a good day.
Expect similar, March Browns should wind down and not to be counted on. As things heat up and we move into May salmon fly and stone fly nymphs will be more active. Always a good bet to have one of those nymphs in the mix on your set up this time of year. Could start seeing some adults lower in the river ( Maupin) soonish -week or so? Just look at the banks for the beginning of adults or noticing more nymphs crawling along shores, even on your wading boots. That is a pretty good sign the are starting to head the banks to hatch.
Quick report. We are back at it. We’ll keep you posted. For more updates follow us on Instagram, and all that jazz. Most Salmon fly dates are booked, but we have openings during caddis ( June and July) and you can call or email for details. Always happy to help anyway we can. Might be a day or two till we are back in cell service and off the river, but we will get back to you. Enjoy the spring and getting back on the water.
Tight lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
Deschutes Opener... Show time!
Deschutes opens up from Pelton Dam to Reservation boundary this weekend. So Warm Springs to Trout Creek Day float and hike in area and the “ multi day “ Trout Creek to Maupin camp and float zone to make it easy. This is our main operational area on the Deschutes and we are pumped for 2022 and another season of sharing this amazing fishery and incredible canyon with you.
We have been fishing the sections that have been open the last week or so and it has been good. Mornings can be a little slow but, not bad. Bust out nymph rigs traditional indicator set ups and Euro, whatever your into and hit the riffle buckets. Basic Jimmuy legs and good old pheasant tails still work. Boring and nothing new or crazy, but hey. Other small mayfly patterns, Amato mays, or jig style pheasant tail variations under dries are great too. The fish where not overly educated. We did see some decent Blue Wing and March Brown hatches and had some really fun dry fly action in th afternoons and some cloud cover helped. River is running a touch low, nothing crazy. With nice weather mellow winter, MAYBE the stones and salmon flies COULD get going a little early? Keep your eyes peeled soon. Only a couple weeks away.
Beginning of the season can be great, so hope you get a chance to get on out there. If you have any questions or we can help at all, holler. We have a few slots in June and July for multi day camp trips. Now is the time to start lobbying for summer vacation time and plans. For other up to date reports check us out on Instagram.
Tight Lines,
Cory Godell
Owyhee Wrap up... on to the "D"!
Spring time Owyhee did not disappoint. The lighting in the canyon is unreal. What looks like lots of brown/red dirt and rocks blah just glow and changes with the soft spring light. Seeing green up and spring time hit the high desert is awesome. Oh yeah the fishing is super fun too! Skwalas are winding down. Still might find fish keyed or looking. A big dry/drop rig is always a great searching rig and with the Skwalas fresh on the brain a great combo now. As the hatch really dies off there is till good mayfly hatches/nymphing and streamer chucking to be had. As it moves into warmer weather PMDs and caddis will start to show. We will be back to guide over there in August for hoppers/PMD/Caddis/ Tricos. Some availability. The main thing to track this summer for that fishery will be water levels. Winter was mild, snow pack through out the west is not great. Saving grace for the Owyhee it is a tailwater. Even low it could keep temps down a little bit. Fish could move up river to find some thermo relieve. We shall see.
We are a couple weeks away from the Deschutes opening up from Pelton to the Warm Springs boundary. Early season historically nymphs well. Pick your poison Euro or more traditional indicator rig. Having some sort of stone fly in the mix on your set up is wise. Stone and salmon fly nymphs will get active and start working toward the banks soon and have fish keyed in and looking. Spring time Redsides are amazing, Fat, healthy, hard fighting. Just gorgeous and at their prime.
With this unseasonably warm weather things might kick off a little early for the big bugs. Historically it is early May to the end of May. in the meantime, spring also brings BWO, March Browns and some micro caddis. So there is some day to day potential for mid day dry fly besides just staring at indicators. If you start seeing mayflies/hatch look for soft stuff below riffles or th eddies for sippers. Good old Adams in appropriate sizes normally work. A lightly weighted on unweighted pheasant tail drop can be a good addition as well.
We have a few slots open at the very start of the season, and again, this can be a great time. Might not be prime time big bug dry fly, but overall go catch fish can be great. It is a little before the main crowds show up as well. We are pretty much booked solid for May and main hatch. To fish the Salmon fly hatch standard Chubies, Norms, Clarks along the banks and under the tress. We do have some slots for summer time awesome weather caddis action in June/ July, August. Great time for a river trip. It is a great time to visit Central Oregon and put together a great trip. Lots of mountain biking, music, great breweries and food! Plenty to do before and after a river trip for everyone!
We do John Day trips, and bassin’ over there is fun for all ages and abilities. Water level/ lack of snow pack will be more on the radar for getting boats down it than how it will fish. Low and warm just kegs bass up in deeper spots and they keep hitting poppers or subsurface fly presentations.
We are looking forward to another season. If you have any questions or we can help plan a trip and advise with local fisheries than feel free to reach out. 541-771-2288 or email. Check back for more reports and you can follow us on Instagram for updates as well. Hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
Owyhee Fishing Report
Owyhee Update…. Well, it’s great to be back on the water and guiding. Sharing these amazing places and getting to do what we love most, chase fish and watch them eat dries is what makes us tick. Thanks for being “enablers”. It is awesome watching the smiles, sharing the laughs and being a part of your fishing memories. Alright, enough Kumbaya stuff, down to brass tacks and what is going on so far.
Its been fishing pretty good over all. Classic early spring. When the weather is decent or consistent we are seeing some activity on dries like BWO and can play accordingly and find fish up. If it has been colder, windy, and basically more winter then spring, it has been more a nymph ( dry/drop) show. Which can include smaller Chubby type patterns or your Skwala pattern of choice with a dropper consisting of tungsten bead head nymphs ( pheasant tail variations), or bead head jig type nymphs. Streamers can be fun too and a good mix up. Spring time, consistly inconsistent. You wake up and play the hand you’re dealt. It is fun though, you never know what you are going to get, it keeps you thinking and changing tactics and can be great fishing. Sometimes it can be tough too. More days then not we find what we are looking for. The reward is worth it and it sure beats sitting on the couch.
The Skwala hatch is picking up. These are a type of stone fly that hatch in the spring time- pretty much the big deal this time of year and bring out the trout and anglers. Who doesn’t like throwing bigger flies? Understanding the hatch can help dial in how to fish it effectivley. Stoneflies crawl out of the water and emerge on bankside vegetation. This migration and pre hatch event can produce great nymphing opportunities. Look for some softer water, they are crawlers and crappy swimmers. After a winter of midges and little mayflies ( think eating rice cakes all winter) a mass exodus of “Big Macs” is a welcome feast. In a cruel joke of nature, the males are flightless with undeveloped wings and once emerge as adults have to crawl around frantically looking for and swooning the lady Skwalas. Pretty funny Mother Nature, years under water as a nymph and one shot to party before they die and they don’t even get wings. Warmer temps can get the bugs active in their searching to mate and eventual egg laying which makes then more susceptible to end up in the water and in a trouts’ mouth. You will see more trout up, set up in the lanes in looking in these conditions. Those are the dry fly days that lead to giggles and grip n’ grin pics. It is a great time to explore this Eastern Oregon River and the whole reason we start our season over there this time of year.
We will keep you posted. It has been a blast so far. Spring is all booked up, we do have select dates open for when we return to the Owyhee in August for hopper season and more dry fly action. Call sooner than later. Deschutes season is coming quick as well. Limited openings in June, July and August. Salmonfly action in May is all but booked, but call, you never know we MIGHT have a day or can help you find a way to get on the river. We are always excited to talk fishing. Follow us on Instagram for updates as well.
See ya on the water.
Tight lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
Fishing Season Kick Off...Here we go!
Hard to believe it is the end of February already. Especially since it has been 70 degrees out and I’m thinking more about dry flies and solid hatches on the local winter time close to home side project fisheries. That’s right seventy degrees in February. I know winter will rear its head again before “real” spring shows up, but I’ll take a little mid winter heat wave. With all that said, spring and the start of the season is not far off. It’s time to start talking about what is ahead for 2022.
We are less two weeks away from the start of our Owyhee River season. This Eastern Oregon trophy brown trout fishery is the perfect warm up after a long winter. Prolific hatches from blue wing olives, midges and the main draw, the larger skwalas. These flightless stoneflies crawl out and scurry on the water and stream bank vegetation, and big browns slurp em down. Chasing big browns in skinny water chowing down well placed dry flies is a treat. The Owyhee is known for it rugged canyon landscape and plenty of fish that pull the tape between 16-20”+. Dates are incredibly limited and book well in advance. Better to act now if you want to experience this brown trout playground. If we are booked for spring, we might have some open dates in August.
We wrap up on the Owyhee and head back to our main attraction the old Deschutes. May is Salmon flies and Stones. June through the rest of the summer is a mix of PMD’s and caddis. Then we’ll see what happens for steelhead this year. The fall trout is super fun and can be fantastic. So however the steelhead shakes out, the fall is a great time to be here. Salmon fly dates are all but gone. If you are interested in these memory filled multi day camping river trips fill fast. It is truly just a great experience and the canyon is spectactular,
We will take a break and jump to the John Day for some small-mouth fishing. Fun for all abilities and ages. We run these trips Mid-June to Mid-July, depending on snowpack and river levels. A great mix up to the Deschutes and fantastic introduction to fly fishing.
We bounce back and forth from the Deschutes to a late summer- early fall Owyhee season. If you missed the Owyhee in the spring we have some slots later in the season. That is what is in store for us. We hope you can join us and share these amazing places. We have a lot of options and happy to help pick which time and experience that is exactly what you and your group are looking for. We’ll be posting fishing reports here and Instagram to update you on the action. Don't hesitate to contact us, we are always happy to talk fishing. Hope to see you soon.
Tight lines,
Cory Godell
Deschutes River Anglers
corygodell@gmail.com@deschutes_river_anglers
541-771-2288
The Season Is Fast Coming
As I was riding the chair lift, yep living the dream, it hit me how close and fast approaching fishing season is from us! Skiing is fun an all, but it is a filler between fishing seasons. I mean shoot it’s March and the fishing on the Middle Deschutes is picking up pretty well. With that said, it seems like things are slowly getting more normal, thank goodness, at least we won’t miss the bulk of salmon fly season this year!
So the Owyhee, we are pretty much booked for the spring season and look forward to harassing some big browns. Dry fly action on BWOs and Skawalas should be a fun start to the season. For those that missed this, book early. This big brown trout early season playground fills up fast. We do have a few available dates later in the season for hopper season, which is a blast throwing big bugs to the banks.
The Deschutes…. As always the kick off to the season ramps up fast from early season nymphing to the big bug dry fly event that is the salmon fly hatch. Dates are all but full. Caddis and summer time Deschutes trips are awesome and still have dates available.
For years we have gone over and worked on the John Day. We are happy to announce we have picked up a permit and offering trips on this amazing canyon lands small mouth bass fishery. Fun for all ages and abilities, this overnight camping trip is a bucket list destination and the perfect family adventure. June and July is the time, weather is amazing and the trip is unforgettable. Permit application and getting dates is getting a little trickier, if you are interested in this unique desert small mouth fishery, gives us call and lets get your permit an dates locked in.
Here’s to getting back on the river and a great season. Looking forward to sharing the water and these amazing places we call home with you. If you have any questions or we can help plan a tip, give a shout. Always happy to talk fishing.
Seasons just around the corner
With a mild winter so far in most places and winter flying by, it’s about time to start thinking ( if you ever stop) about harassing some trout. First stop on the Deschutes River Anglers tour of trout has us headed to Eastern Oregon and the Owyhee. This awesome Canyon Lands tailwater fishery is a big brown trout playground. Can’t think of a better way to shake off the cabin fever than hitting the Skwala hatch and watching pods of browns slurping like the pigs they are at the trough. To fill in gaps with skwala action we see Blue Wing Olive (BWO) hatches and a dry- drop rig to search when they aren’t up and working. This is truly a fun, unique fishery that should be on the spring “to do “ list… Recommend putting it above the spring lawn landscaping duties… they will be there when you come home from the river. Chores are easier when you can daydream about the fish you just caught.
Before you know it Salmon Flies and golden stones will be going on the Deschutes, think May. Before that, spring on the”D” can be a blast with limited crowds and decent action on BWO and March Brown hatches. Not super consistent or every day, but when they happen fish that haven’t seen a fly in months can be soft pitch and willing targets. What is consistent is it can be some of the best nymphing of the season, especially as we move closet to the big Stone and Salmon flies getting active to migrate to the banks and start their annual invasion.
We are stoked to announce that we have acquired a John Day permit and will be offering multi day trips for small mouth bass on this amazing high desert canyon river. These trips are not only incredibly scenic and relaxing, the fishing is lots of action and great for all ages and abilities. We fish out of the boat here, no wading and slipping and sliding. The weather is normally nice to hot, off river activities such as swimming, and exploring make it an amazing family trip.
We look forward to fishing with you this season. If you have questions regarding trips, dates, or shoot anything fishing…..give us a call or email. We are happy to help. Owyhee and Deschutes Salmon dates are fulling up fast and limited, so if those sound good to you, we recommend contacting us sooner than later. Well here is to a great 2021 and getting back on the water!
Happy New Year
This time of year and THIS CRAZY YEAR in particular, we at Deschutes River Anglers just want to take a minute to thank you for getting out of the house and going with us on the river this year. I think we all need a sense of normalcy, a couple days or nights away from the news and and the oddness of avoiding each other masked up. Fishing and the river have a way of healing and being there when we all need it the most. Have a safe and Happy Holiday season and we look forward to fishing with you next year.