Small Water and Big Bugs
April was quite a killer month of trout fishing here on the Lower Deschutes! We had some really warm weather and much lower flows than we typically see in the spring. These lower flows have enabled us to fish a wider variety of trout spots over the course of the month and have slightly accelerated some hatch timings. We already have some stoneflies in the bushes and it’s only a matter of days before the fish really start to key in on them.
River Conditions -
Flows coming out of the dam are currently sitting at 3,780 cfs with temps ranging between 51 to 56 degrees. The stoneflies in the upper river should be hot on the heels of the lower river bugs and hatching with more intensity soon. Flows at the mouth are not too much higher than the flows coming out of the dam due to the lack of runoff and lower snowpack. The Moody gauge is currently sitting at 4,000 cfs and temps are ranging between 53 and 59 degrees. These flows are definitely much lower than we typically see for the spring and it will be interesting to see how our season progresses with about 20% of our snowpack in the mountains.
What’s Happening With Trout -
Although we have had low water it hasn’t negatively impacted our trout fishing for the spring. You will likely find fish sitting a bit farther off the banks and holding on the edges of the drop where the substrate gains a bit of depth. The exception to this is when hatches and cloud cover lure them into the shallow edges to feed on dries. For the first half of April, riffles dominated the trout game and that’s where I spent most of my time targeting the fish that were staged for Mayfly hatches.
Over the last two weeks I have seen a considerable shift of trout population into the pocket water and boulder fields closer to the banks. This is likely the fish following the Stonefly nymphs and staging up for the hatch. This does not mean that you should give up entirely on riffles as I have still had some great sessions fishing them. This just means if you are having trouble finding fish in the riffles it can be advantageous to change your approach and focus on the pocket water for a bit.
Dry dropper is the best way to cover water right now and lends itself well to both the riffles and pocket water. A 2.5 ft dropper with a size 16 or 18 has been doing the trick and a size 12 or 14 chubby to suspend the dropper has been getting the occasional surface eat while providing a low maintenance dry for this setup. If you are seeing a lot of interest in your flies on the surface and wish to fish a single dry we are just in the beginning stages of the stonefly hatch and are seeing a mix of Yellow Sally’s, Golden Stones, and Salmon Flies. These big bugs are hatching throughout most of the system and it’s only a matter of days before we see fish really lock in on the dries and post up behind the trees. In addition to the stoneflies there is a healthy mix of Caddis in different sizes and colors. I have found a size 16 in tan or olive has been sufficient for Caddis imitation. If it’s a cloudy day with a bit of humidity then you will likely see some size 16 and 18 PMD’s, and even a few Size 14 PED’s hatching.
When fishing the stonefly hatch this month it’s important to remember that the big bugs will fly more in the afternoons. If you get out early in the morning and are not finding productivity on the dry just be patient and fish a dropper. I typically start with dry dropper and cut the dropper off by about noon and begin working my flies closer to the trees and grasses. If you are camping in the area, a late evening session along some deeper banks can be magical.
Trout spey and streamer fishing has been pretty consistent on the rougher weather days with smaller olive and tan sculpin bringing some great fish to hand. I also had one day of guiding where I watched close to 20 leeches swim past me in the first spot of the day. After seeing this mass exodus of leeches I tied one on and swung a riffle just downstream from this spot and found some really quality fish capitalizing on this high protein snack!
Flies That Are Working -
Henry’s Fork Foam Stone Size 8, 10, 12, and 14
Assorted Colors of Chubby Chernobyl Size 8, 10, 12, and 14
Silvey’s Chubby Yellow Sally size 14, and 16
Yellow Stimulator Size 14 and 16
Tilt Wing PMD in size 14, 16, 18
Purple Comparadun in size 16, and 18
Parachute Adams in Size 14, 16, and 18
Olsen’s Front End Loader Caddis in Olive and Tan Size 14
Finfetcher Caddis in Tan or Olive Size 14 and 16
Silver Bead Green 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
Pink Bead Green Collared Pheasant Tail Size 16 and 18
Copper Bead Quilldigon Size 16 and 18
Egan’s Frenchie 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
Thanks for tuning in to my fishing report! I hope everyone has a great Stonefly hatch and finds plenty of willing contenders on The Fly Is Right! Don’t be afraid to change your flies towards the end of the hatch as fish become more selective. Tight lines and happy fishing. I’ll see you on the water!
