We continue to have good times on the Lower Deschutes. It’s definitely not a year to expect many Steelhead down there but trout fishing has been pretty darn good overall. Nymphing will produce solid numbers of fish, and we’ve been picking up some really nice trout swinging dark colored Ho Boh Speys and small Intruders. The last time I was down we did see a decent little BWO hatch in the early afternoon, and there were a decent number of fish coming to the surface through most of the warmer hours of the day. It’s hard to say for sure, but they appeared to be eating pretty tiny BWO or Midge emergers, and while we didn’t spend any time trying to bring one to the surface I wouldn’t be surprised if an afternoon of fishing small BWO dries and emergers brought a couple fish to hand. It’s still fun to get out and throw a Spey rod around down there and of course there is always the possibility of hooking into a Steelhead. We haven’t seen many fish but big, aggressive trout certainly hit plenty hard and provide a little excitement during a day of swinging.
Suggested Dries: Sparkle Dun BWO #18-22, Purple Haze #18-22, Hackle Stacker BWO #18-22, Nunya’s Midge #18-22, Tan or Black Elk Hair Caddis #16-20
Suggested Nymphs: Brown or Black Jimmy Legs #8-12, Deep October Pupa #8-10, Jigged Tungsten Hare’s Ear #14-16, JIgged CDC Pheasant Tail #14-16, Jigged Prince Nymph #14-16, Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear #14-18, Olive or Hare’s Ear Anato-May #14-18, Black or Red Two Bit Hooker #16-18, Soft Hackle PT #16-18, Olive Soft Hackle #16-20, Black Super Sinker #16-18, Black or Red Lightning Bug #14-18