A great season finished
It’s a wrap for the 2024 season! I know it’s been a while since posting a fishing report and I do apologize for those who have been waiting for one. During the hustle and bustle of steelhead season it can be hard to find time to sit down and write a report. If you ever have a question about river conditions or hatches don’t hesitate to give me a text or call.
River Conditions -
Flows coming out of the dam right now are currently sitting at 4,180 cfs and flows at the mouth of the river are sitting at 4,820 cfs. Flows have been slightly rising and falling lately. Low lying foothills have become saturated with fall rains, and intermittent snow flurries that are quickly melting have contributed to the less than predictable flows. Temps coming out of the dam are currently 48.5 degrees and the temps at the mouth are 44.6 degrees. The river is definitely cooling a bit as it travels through the canyon, but overall we have great temps for both trout and steelhead fishing.
What’s Happening With Trout -
Trout fishing has been pretty consistent with the exception of a few days where fish have shut down due to flow changes. If you are a diehard like me and the cold weather doesn’t deter you from fishing, I would recommend checking the flows before coming out. If the flow has changed drastically overnight that may put a damper on the trout feeding activity.
Size 18 and 20 midge pupa, size 18 and 20 pheasant tails, egg patterns, and worms are some of my favorite flies for targeting trout in the winter. A myriad of other small nymphs will work as well. Personally I prefer not to fish large stonefly nymphs but they will work. The stonefly can be a great way to add weight without lead when fishing a traditional indicator nymphing rig.
Fish have moved out of the fast-paced pocket water and are schooling up in slow- to mid-paced water. This means you should focus on the back ends of riffles, inside edges of current seams, and slower moving back-eddies. Once you find fish be sure to slow down and work that area thoroughly as it is likely there is more than one fish holding in that zone. Traditional nymphing rigs and European nymphing rigs are both great options.
The Blue Wing Olive hatches can be a ton of fun this time of year for those wishing to fish a dry fly. If it starts to rain or snow mid-day and you are thinking of going home, don’t! It can be a bit rough fishing in the rain during the winter but, the best BWO hatches I have encountered have been on some of the roughest days. I usually don’t fish a dry until I have spotted fish working. Keep an eye out for noses and fins just slightly breaking the surface. The takes will be more of a sip as compared to the big splashy takes you see with summer Caddis. Focusing on fishing riffles mid-day will increase your likelihood of seeing this hatch, as the highest density of BWOs will come off in more broken water.
Streamer fishing can be productive in the winter as well. I like to slow strip smaller patterns through eddies and softer water with a light sinking tip. Another great option is jigging streamer patterns on a Euro rod. This method will allow you to animate the fly more while still keeping it in the strike zone. As always, try flashy flies on sunny days and muted darker flies on the overcast days. Olive is still my primary color when it comes to my Deschutes streamers.
What’s Happening With Steelhead -
It’s getting down to the wire when it comes to steelhead fishing here. Fish can still be taken on floating lines, but you will probably find more consistent action on the swing if you switch to a sink tip and slightly larger fly. 10ft of T-11 should do the trick without snagging constantly. I will continue to swing for the remainder of this month, however I stop targeting steelhead on the first of the year. They will still eat swung flies in January, but it becomes less consistent and I prefer to let them rest up in preparation for spawning. There are much brighter, feistier fish on the west side rivers as the winter runs ramp up.
Flies That Are Working -
CDC Comparadun BWO Size 16 and 18
Hi Vis Parachute BWO Size 16 and 18
Silver Bead Green Glo Brite Perdigon in Size 16 and 18
Silver Bead Blue Glo Brite Perdigon in Size 16 and 18
Silver Bead Roza’s Green Tag Jig Size 16
Pink Bead Tasmanian Devil Size 16
Pink Bead Hares Ear Size 16 and 18
Copper Bead Quilldigon Size 16
Egan’s Frenchie Size 18, and 20
Devin’s Egg Taco Size 14 and 16
Tungsten San Juan Worm size 14
Tungsten Zebra Midge in Black and Red Size 18 and 20
Sculpzilla in Natural and Olive Size 4 and 6
Olive Bugger Size 10
Mayers Mini Leech in Black and Olive Size 12
Hoh-Bo Spey in all colors
Stu’s Mini Intruders in all colors
Larger Traditional Steelhead flies in Size 2 and 4
I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to fish with me this year. The 2024 season was a blast. I just finished up my last trip, but I’m already excited to see what 2025 brings. I hope everyone has a great winter filled with fishy adventures. Tight lines and happy fishing!
