Big Bugs and High Water

The drive over this morning had me feeling very anxious. Are we going to float, or are we going back to the lakes? If you know me, you know I love lake fishing almost as much as I love Shad fishing. I wanted to be on the river!

The forecast for the lower Deschutes is for a big bump up which doesn’t bode well for water clarity. We had a team meeting at the Imperial, and everyone decided they’d rather be on the river than in a lake, so we made the decision to go ahead and launch at trout creek. When we got there, it was obvious the water was still up with much more color. I’d say maybe twelve inches of visibility. The one good thing is there are big bugs in the bushes, with some even flying around in the heat of the day. With the high water, focus your efforts close to shore, under the bushes, or in the grass where the Salmon and Stoneflies are staging. So if you’re wondering if you should bring your dry fly rod, yes! But don’t forget your Euro rod or nymphing setup, and again, work the water close in. Fish will be hugging the back for two reasons; it takes the least amount of work to hold position in the softer water, and that's where the food is going to be!

Get your gear together, and make sure you have plenty of MFFRs, because you can’t catch them from the couch.