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