deschutesflyfish.com

Buckhorn Lake fly fishing for Bass

2009-07-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

The firsts guests to fish Buckhorn Lake in 5 years did so last night. The fishing was as great as heralded. Total bass hooked was in the 50+ range, with over 30 brought to the boat. The best flies where poppers... the fishing was so hot, we caught bass trolling the poppers!! Check out the photos...

Buckhorn Lake is 15 acre lake located 35 minutes from downtown Bend Oregon. The lake is loaded with large mouth bass and a rainbow trout. Bass fishing is best during the warm summer months when the water temperature heat up. The trout fishing happens in the spring and fall.

Solitude and tons of action on the surface make this lake a super fun option for all fly fishers.

Fishing Report - Lower Deschutes

2009-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

We fished the Lower Deschutes every day this past week... here is the skinny on the stone fly hatch:

The fishing from Trout Creek to Maupin was outstanding! The crowd yesterday from Warmsprings to Trout Creek was HUGE, and definitely affected the fish. We had many refusals and I even watched trout refusing naturals. The best patterns yesterday where small golden stones, size 10-12.

The hatch is winding down toward Maupin, though we did see a few Golden stones still flying around, and the the fish where receptive in few spots. Between Trout Creek and North Junction the fish are still eager to eat the big bugs. We had very heavy rain last week and the river was a bit off color, but the fish didn't seem to mind. We had some of our best fishing when the river was a little off color. We did well on bigger patterns that had better silhouettes. During the rain storm we stubbled into one of the best Green Drake hatches I've seen. From 3 pm until almost 5 pm the Drakes where popping. My favorite pattern is the Green Drake Flash Cripple in size 10.

Prediction for the coming week: The caddis hatch is ramping up near Maupin, expect fish to start looking to these smaller sources of food. There are still hoards of stone flies on the bushes from Warmsprings to White Horse. The resent rain will prolong the hatch in this area. Expect to catch fish on the big bushy dry flies for another 10 days or so, especially in the upper stretches.

Bass-o-tastic!

2009-06-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bass fishing is a great alternative to other freshwater species. It has gained popularity in reason years among long rodders... so much so a few brands have designed rods just for bassin'. Resently, Matt and I visited a private lake near the future lodge, to "test" the water. The fishing was out of this world!!! nearly a bass every cast. I'll keep you posted as the fishing options develop.

Reports

2009-06-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the tardiness of these reports... be sure to stayed tuned to our remote feeds on Twitter and Facebook updates.

Fishing is improving on the Lower Deschutes River. The stone fly hatch is in full swing from Warmsprings to Maupin. The best fishing is still closer to Maupin and should remain so for the rest of this week, into next week. There are tons of stones in the grass from Warmsprings to Whitehorse, which means they are still mating. Once they finish it should be on. Some fish have already keyed into them, but the best fishing is still to come.

Here are some photos from our resent adventures:

Here they come...

2009-05-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

The famous stone fly hatch A.K.A. the Salmon fly hatch is happening right now the Deschutes River. It case you haven't heard... it is one of the most famous hatches on any western river. Truly it is an experience everyone should have at some point in their fishing careers.

Deschutes River Report

2009-05-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening we returned to Bend after our first trip on the Lower Deschutes for the season. It was great to get back down there. We lucked out, no one else was on the river, we had the entire 32 miles to ourselves. The fishing was very good in a few spots and o.k. in others. The stone fly nymphs are moving around big time. We even saw a few crawling out of the river and molting. It won't be long before the river is teaming with the big bugs. Wednesday's rain brought on a thick mayfly hatch. BWO's, Mahoganies, and a few PMD's where hatching and the trout where chewing on them.

It was a great trip. Check out the photos.

Fishing Reports from the Road

2009-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Getting daily fishing reports from the guides of Deep Canyon Outfitters at Twitter. Check us out at

http://twitter.com/Deepcanyon

Deschutes River Fishing Report

2009-04-03T09:25:00.001-07:00

FISHING REPORT: LOWER DESCHUTES RIVER

APRIL 3, 2009

Although the times I've been fishing lately hasn't led me to the big D, I just got a great report from a few fellas who floated from Warmsprings to Harpham Flats last weekend (yes they knew fishing is closed along the Reservation, that's why they didn't fish until they floated past the deadline). The wind was wicked, but they hit the skwala hatch perfectly. They said they saw many of the dark bodied, green stone flies on the banks, and did well fishing yellow and olive stimulators.

This hatch is spurratic and not as prevailing as the salmon fly and golden stone fly hatch coming this spring. But, when you hit it, it's great. Skwalas represent the first big fly, surface fishing of the season.

FACT: the male skwala has underdeveloped wings and can not fly. They are small and fast runners. The females are bigger and can fly. When fishing a Skwala, be sure to make it "skitter" on the surface. Rubber legs help give the illusion of movement.

ciao.

Deschutes River Steelhead Fishing

2009-03-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Fly fishing on the North Umpqua

2009-03-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I went fishing on the North Umpqua with fly fishing Guide Dean Finnerty. I had a great time getting to know Dean and laughing with my friend Kurt Brickner. Below is what Dean wrote about the first day we went fishing.

We've had rain, wind, snow, sunshine... you name it, we've had it!

Yesterday we hooked one... and lost one. Today, Deschutes river guide Damien Nurre found a willing fish in our fisrt run. Sorry... no pic of the fish, just one of Damien having a great time on the North with his buddy Curt Brickner. We initally thought this fish Damien is fighting was a TOAD! It turned out it was about an 8 pound buck that wraped him around a mid-stream rock. When the fish finally came around the rock, it had seriously frayed Damien's ten-pound tippet. As you may have guessed by now, yours truely, unaware of the weakened tippet broke him off while landing the fish and before we could get any decent pic's! SORRY! I'm working with Damien and Curt again tommorow. I'll let you know how we do!

Tarpon fishing

2009-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Last spring I traveled to the Yucatan in search of the "Silver Prince"... baby tarpon. The Yucatan has become known for large populations of baby tarpon. Ascension Bay, on the west coast of the Yucatan, is well known as a tarpon fishery, as well as other flats species. But it is also home to many lodges, pangas, tourists, and pressured fish. So to avoid the crowds I went east.
My friend Marco Ruz invited me to experience fishing with him and his guides on the Mayan Yucatan. The stop was Tarpon Cay Lodge. The flats and mangroves guarding the lodge would prove to be as great as Marco claimed. One phrase describes it best... "Tarpon Catching".

I enjoyed the fishing and experience Marco provides so much that I'm going back in 2009. I have selected dates after their winter weather cycle and during the best tides for catching tarpon. Since baby tarpon live deep in the mangroves and feed on the flats, it is important to be on the water during the low tide. Tarpon will be forced from the safety of the mangroves, where we will be waiting, ready to intercept.

A total of 5 anglers will travel with Marco and myself from Cancun, to Tarpon Cay Lodge for six days of fishing for baby tarpon and migratory fish up to 100 pounds. I would like you to be one of them. This is the best baby tarpon experience on the flats. Jose Wejebe (The Spanish Fly) totes Tarpon Cay as the largest population of baby tarpon he has ever seen.

Dates: July 12th - 19th, 2009
General Itinerary:
July 12: Arrival day (Cancun)
July 13-18: Fishing days at Tarpon Cay Lodge
July 19: Departure day (Cancun)

Rate: $3,295/angler (double occupancy room / boat-guide)

Includes: Transportation, meals, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, lodging, and guides.
Not included: Airfare, tackle, flies, leaders, alcohol, and gratuities.

Airfare from Portland to Cancun ranges in price from $350 to $500.

There are 2 spots left. If you would like more information about this trip, please email me at Damien@deschutesflyfish.com

Let's go catch some Tarpon!

Damien

Multi-day float trip

2009-02-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

Guided Trips - Multi Day Trips
Fly Fishing Trips on the Deschutes River Oregon: A Multi-Day fly fishing trip on the Deschutes River is the best way to fully experience the beauty and the superb fly fishing the river has to offer. The trip begins at Trout Creek, where you and our staff will put on for this 32 mile float.

A 2-5 day fly fishing trip, most commonly done in 3 days, is as relaxing as it is exciting. Your only job is to do some fly fishing, eat, sleep, and enjoy yourself! Our staff of highly trained fly fishing guides, will make your time on the Deschutes River one to remember for years to come.

Our "Bagger" will go ahead of you and your guide down the Deschutes River, and have the camp set up and hour d'vours waiting for you when you arrive at our mobile Mecca.

Once at camp, you can choose to do some fly fishing in the prime water around the camp, relax in the beauty of the outdoors, or take a warm shower. A gourmet dinner is served every night while on your multi-day fly fishing trip, by our camp chef. After dinner there is time for drinks, discussing the days catches and enjoying the starry night...that's if you have not retired to the comfortable cot in your tent.

As the sun rises, so will you to find hot coffee brewing, and a warm breakfast on the griddle. Then it's off to the river with your guide for another great day of fly fishing on the Deschutes River.

Many of our clients come back year after year for this multi-day fly fishing trip. It is the favorite fly fishing adventure of many of our large groups. We can accommodate up to 11 guests per trip. All of our camping equipment is state of the art, top of the line. We provide water tight bags to keep your personal items dry, cots so you sleep better than at home, and roomy tents, large enough to have a party in, and all the amenities available for "roughing" it.

This multi-day fly fishing trip is best enjoyed during the stone fly hatch from mid May through June, andthe caddis/pmd hatches from July to September. From August to December we chase summer steelhead.

Our multi-day fly fishing trips are the BEST way to experience fly fishing on the Deschutes River, in Oregon.

Most of our clients choose to spent multi-day fly fishing trips on the Lower Deschutes River.

MULTI-DAY FLOAT RATES

$400 / PERSON / DAY for 2 angler

$375 / PERSON / DAY for 3 or more anglers

PRICE INCLUDES: camping gear: cots, tents, kitchen, rain/sun shelters, tablesand chairs, hot showers, all meals prepared by our 4star chef, non-alcoholic beverages, rental fly fishing equipment, and of course our expert guide staff.

NOT INCLUDED: flies, leaders, Deschutes River boater’s Passes, Tribal permits, fishing licenses, alcoholic beverages, and guide gratuities.

POLICIES
Early season reservations will allow you to secure the dates desired. A 50% deposit is required to secure dates, refundable if cancellation is received no less than thirty (30) days prior to trip date. Trips proceed regardless of weather conditions. We reserve to right to cancel in the event of unsafe conditions or other circumstances beyond our control. If we cancel your trip, your deposit will be refunded or applied to a future date that is mutually acceptable.

This is why we hunt for tarpon...

2009-01-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

Conservation is KING!

2008-10-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the organizations involved.

Steelheading on the Deschutes River - Year 3

2008-10-13T03:09:00.000-07:00

Trout Creek to Harpham Flats

2008-08-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you Jerry Heck, Jim Palmer, Jim Harrer, John Geise for joining Fly and Field Outfitters for a 3 day, 2 night adventure on the Lower Deschutes River. The adventure starts at Trout Creek and finishes at Harpham Flats, just north of Maupin. Jim Harrer captured the experience and has shared with all of us, and now with you.

Enjoy the Movie.

Tight Lines Auction - Deschutes River Conservancy

2008-05-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Join the DRC in honoring the Deschutes River and tributaries by bidding on exclusive fly fishing packages in the Deschutes Basin and destination fly fishing trips to exclusive lodges throughout the world. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs have granted special access to the DRC for pre-arranged fishing trips on the tribal side of the Lower Deschutes for this event.

To Register:
541.382.4077 ext.10
debbie@deschutesriver.org

A Victory for the Deschutes River

2008-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

The neediest stretch of the Deschutes River is in the midst of a remarkable transformation. Because the change is taking place bit by bit, project by project, many people probably haven’t noticed it. But it is happening, and the result will benefit not only fish, but everyone — including tourists — who values the river as an aesthetic and recreational amenity.

Castro Resigns

2008-02-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

With resignation of Fidel Castro as the leader of Cuba, maybe we'll get do some fishing there soon. Rumors have it that Cuba is one of the best fishing locations in the Caribbean. Time will tell. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The Slim Beauty Knot

2008-02-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Slim Beauty knot is a strong, easy-to-learn knot that doesn't require the use of a bimini twist to achieve close to 100% class-tippet-to-shock-tippet connections.

I started using this knot last year in the Yucatan. It is easy and quickly tied in the field. Slim Beauty Knot.

The Upper Deschutes River

2008-01-31T16:22:00.000-08:00

The Deschutes River upstream of Farewell Bend Park was iced over in spots last week. The river can be good to fish in winter, but variable conditions can be tough to predict.

Why the low flow?
The region’s water managers hold back water behind Crane Prairie Dam and Wickiup Dam in the winter to ensure that irrigators will have enough water in the summer.
The flows below Wickiup Reservoir have dropped as low as 25 cubic feet per second this winter, which fish biologists say is a detriment to the redband and brown trout populations.
Low flows become less pronounced as anglers move downstream, although the effects are still noticeable.
For all the drama of the Deschutes River in the winter — the fluctuating flows, the bitter cold, and the occasional icing over (as happened just last week) — there are still those anglers who cannot get enough.

More about the Upper Deschutes River

$4M grant to benefit fish projects

2008-01-19T07:23:00.001-08:00

$4M grant to benefit fish projects
4 Central Oregon groups will split funds to boost salmon, steelhead.

The Deschutes River Conservancy, the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and the Crooked River Watershed Council together received the grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board at the board’s meeting last week. The watershed board is a state agency that distributes grants for conservation projects with funds from the lottery and other sources.

Trout Bums: Bend Oregon Fly Fishing Film Tour

2008-01-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

For the 4th year now, the Trout Bums are coming to Bend, Oregon.

They call themselves the Fish Bums, but their experiences are not always about the fishing.

Sometimes they’re about the curious situations in which they find themselves — such as drinking too much fermented “yak yogurt” and ending up passed out somewhere in the middle of frigid Mongolia.

That’s what happened to Thad Robison while he was filming “Fish Bum I: Mongolia.”

“It’s the nastiest, foulest thing you’ve ever put in your mouth,” Robison says of the potent cocktail. “It is bad. It creeps up on you. The locals knew more than they were telling us. It hit me like a freight train.”

More

Deschutes River Conservancy names new directors to board

2008-01-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Deschutes River Conservancy names new directors to board

Bruce Bischof, Damien Nurre and Jim Mead have joined the Deschutes River Conservancy board of directors.

MORE

Deschutes River: Last Trip

2007-11-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

Our last multi-day on the Lower Deschutes river this season was in mid November. We lucked out with the weather... big time. The weather in November can be variable. One day it can be 50 degrees, the next day snowing. During this trip we got 3 days of 50+ degrees. It made for pleasant fishing and the fish responded accordingly. We recorded our best catch rates of the season, hooking 31, and landing 22! The hot fly was a MOAL leech, black with an orange bead head. We caught fish on traditional wet flies, as well as other leech patterns.

What a great way to end the season.

Damien Nurre