Lower Deschutes Flows Looking Good! For How Long.....?

The lower Deschutes is finally on the drop, but what is going to happen with today's weather? The flows below show you how much better conditions are getting, but only time will tell.....

http://www.wkcc.org/levels/?f=y82

Fishing reports have been ranging from slow to good, and like all fishing it depends on your ability, what the fishing was like when you were there, and some pure luck. Somedays the stonefly hatch gets so good where everyone is catching a lot of trophy rainbow trout all day long. One thing about this time of the year is that the trout need to feed regardless of whether or not we can get out to them. That is the bummer about higher water levels; it makes a difficult time for the angler.

What things you can do for the higher water is to diversify your tactics. Fish slightly larger in some circumstances. I am one who loves to fish a Clark's Stone or a Norm Wood's Special, but in the higher water a fly like a Chubby Chernobyl may be a better bet. A Foam bodies larger pattern may get the fish's attention better in the high water flows. Who knows, it is hard to beat the Clark or Norm though.....Let's not forget about that subsurface form of fishing we call nymphing; it really works well, and when the water is high it can be the answer.....

Norm Wood's Special pinned into this Deschutes Rainbow Trout's Mouth

One thing is that what happens with this next series of weather systems will strongly determine how we fly fishers are going to fare out there with the Deschutes rainbow trout and the famous stonefly hatch.

***Lets hope this storm is a weak one......