It Has Begun!

Well it’s the report everyone has been waiting for: the big bugs are here! It is still on the early side but fish are looking up more and more each day.

I just got off a 5 day float trip on the upper and got a good read on the hatch from Warm Springs to Maupin. It started slow fishing dries on the first couple days but as we made our way further into the canyon the fish became more and more willing to come to the surface. In the upper reaches where the big bugs are less prevalent the dry dropper fishing was good, and fish are still taking advantage of caddis and mayflies.

With it being early in the hatch you probably won’t get them at every overhanging tree you throw a fly under. However with each day they will get more and more keyed in to the bugs. If you are dead set on fishing dries, cover a lot of water and your efforts will be rewarded.

There is a healthy mix of Golden Stones, Salmon Flies, and Yellow Sallies below the falls. From what I saw, the upper river is yet to see decent numbers of Yellow Sallies. This can all change over the next week, so make sure you are prepared with a wide range of sizes and colors in your favorite stonefly patterns.

This hatch can be a tough one at times. If you hit it right, you will find fish smacking dries all day—but it doesn’t mean it will be like that every day. If you are out here for a couple days, try fishing at different times each day to get a read on the fish. Some days the fish will eat so heavily that the following day they may not be as willing to take dries. Other times they have been so pressured in a spot they may turn their nose up at the first couple offerings. Changing flies a couple times on a trout that refuses your fly can usually get that fish to eat.

The fish tend to become more keyed in on the big bugs as the day progresses and the warm temps get the bugs flying. If you aren’t finding fish willing to come to the surface then try a dry dropper with a stonefly dry. This is a great way to keep the action happening while still keeping a pulse on when the fish want dries.

When fishing this hatch you can find a lot of productivity along grass lines if the sun angle is right, but your best productivity for fishing the hatch will be in areas that are shaded. These fish are more willing to eat dries under the cover of an overhanging tree. If the tree is hanging too low and you can’t turn a traditional cast over under the branches then a bow-and-arrow cast can be an exciting up close and personal dry fly eat. Check out this video of Tim Rajeff talking about close quarters fishing on the Deschutes to up your game! Tims Tips - The Bow and Arrow Cast.

Good luck out there to everyone fishing the hatch. I’ll see you on the water!