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