Caddisfly Tips and Tactics for the Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer are upon us. The sweltering heat may have many of you thinking of spending quiet evenings indoors, in the comforts of ozone depleting air-conditioned homes (not that there's anything wrong with that, I've got mine turned on full-bore as I write this). Trout aren't much different than us, and they spend the heat-of-the-day in their own version of air-conditioned boxes, near the bottom of the river where the cool water flows.

However, when the sun dips behind the hills and caddisflies do their evening dance, the fish come out to partake in the feast.

Caddisflies represent the most abundant food source for trout in our local streams, and most of the caddis species wait until the hottest part of the year to emerge. July, August and September represent the prime months for caddisfly activity on the Deschutes, Crooked, Metolius and Fall River, all within a 45-minute drive of most workplaces. This means that you can do your eight hours as a productive member of society and still have plenty of time when your shift is up to enjoy some fantastic dry fly fishing.

Caddisflies come in thousands of different colors and sizes, and I've never bothered to pay any attention to the scientific names when hatch-matching. They are easy to imitate, and the venerable old elk hair caddis usually does the job just fine. Carry elk hairs in sizes #14-#18, in tan, olive and brown, and you're probably going to find some fish willing to take them.

Another very good pattern is the x-caddis, which represents an emerging caddisfly that hasn't yet completely emerged from its pupa shuck. Finicky fish are often willing to taste the x-caddis when the elk hair may have just prompted a closer look.

Many anglers equate back-eddies with caddisflies, thus back-eddy fish are often the most difficult to fool. One may not notice at first glance, but riffles come alive on warm evenings with trout finning on caddisflies. Due to breakup of the current, these fish are often more apt to end up attached to the end of your leader. Be patient when you approach and look for rising fish. Whether they are feeding on caddisflies or on the emergers, trout don't normally show too much of themselves.

The best action is often just before dark, when it can be very difficult to see your fly. I've watched countless anglers stand idle while big rainbows took their fly. They didn't know where their fly was at, and the fish sipped it and spat it before they had a chance to react. This type of fishing requires intense concentration and an ability to guess where your fly may be in relation to the end of your fly line and the current's effect on it. You must watch for any rises around your fly line, and this takes much practice to master (I've never had much luck teaching this skill in one evening).

Another trick is to attach a larger, "attractor" fly to your leader, and then tie a length of tippet material off the hook bent to your caddis pattern. When the big fly moves, or goes under, set the hook.

Many anglers miss out on feeding frenzies taking place below the surface where no visual clues are available. Trout feed heavily on the emerging caddis pupas. By fishing an emerging caddis as a point fly off your dry caddis you can cover both bases. In riffles especially, wet-fly tactics can be killers with an emerging caddis imitation. After you've fished through a run with a dry, go back to the top and tie on a caddis pupa. Cast the fly just down from straight across-stream, and let it swing in toward the bank. This is very similar to a wet fly swing used in steelhead fishing, and can yield some exciting takes, because the fly is presented on a tight line.

The last couple of hours of a sweltering day can produce way more fish than dredging through the heat for lazy trout. You can pretty much count on a river full of boiling heads and fins when the sun finally relinquishes its grip on the river.

Fall Chinook on the Lower Deschutes

On August 1, Fall Chinook season opened on the Lower Deschutes River from Sherars Falls downstream to the mouth. This marked only the second time in the past five years that a full-Fall Chinook fishery was permitted on the river. The full season allows fishing seven-days-a-week, and the last of these was in 2000.

Anglers were allowed to fish for fall salmon on a limited basis in 1998 and 1999, when a three-day-a-week season was in effect. Fishing for Fall Chinook was closed in 2001 due to poor fish numbers. The full season this year translates into good projected runs of Fall Chinook.

The most effective method for catching Deschutes Chinook is to fish bait in the water from Sherars Falls downstream to Upper Trestle, a 3-mile stretch of river. This is the only portion of the entire 100-miles where bait is permitted. In this stretch, 90 percent of the fishing takes place on the cliffs right below Sherars Falls. This is "combat fishing" at its best. Hundreds of anglers line up, casting in unison to avoid tangling each-others line.

When a fish is hooked every angler below the lucky rod reels up in a hurry. The turbulent water below the falls is deep and requires a heavy chunk of lead (3-5 ounces) attached to the end of the line. This is quite a spectacle, and I've never partaken in the mayhem as anything more than an amused spectator. One thing is for sure; the guys at the falls hook a bunch of fish and go home with limits.

I've witnessed many fishermen battling Chinook in the deep slots well below Sherars, in the water between Buckhollow and Upper Trestle. A little peace and quiet can be had here, as angling pressure is generally a far cry from the chaos upstream.

Personally, I've never been a bait fisherman, but according to John Zandonatti, an avid Deschutes salmon angler from Sisters, tuna balls, roe balls and sand shrimp are the preferred offerings. "I tie my own roe balls using steelhead eggs and fine mesh netting. I bounce them off the bottom and the fish hammer 'em!" says Zandonatti.

Gear anglers electing not to fish bait have a couple of alternatives. A corky with a piece of yarn attached is a mainstay in the salmon anglers arsenal, and is usually presented underneath a bobber of some kind. Chinook can be had on spoons and spinners as well. #4 Blue Fox spinners in Chartreuse/Silver Red/Silver, or straight brass are effective salmon lures.

Fly anglers rarely target Chinook on the Deschutes. This is primarily due to the difficulty in getting a fly to these fish because of the type of water they prefer to hold in, and the fact that most fly fishers spend fall days concentrating on steelhead runs. This is not to say that the occasional Chinook isn't hooked up on a fly. In fact, there are many salmon caught accidentally while fishing nymphs just off the bottom.

Should you hook into one of these with your trout gear, you're in for an exciting, short battle. I'm convinced that if a fly angler got serious about targeting fall Chinook, a fish or two could be hooked on a swung fly. A heavy sink-tip bouncing a bright orange pattern in a deep run should produce the occasional fish. One would have to work real hard between fish, and with the river full of summer steelhead, it would take an extremely dedicated and patient angler to commit to salmon. A heavy 9 to 10 weight rod would be required to fight Chinook that may break the thirty pound mark.

Fall Chinook season runs until the end of October. Two adult Chinook may be kept per day, or two fin-clipped steelhead, whichever comes first. In addition to an angling license, a harvest card is required to fish for Fall Chinook.

The Salmonfly Bonanza Bringing Anglers

There something about the Salmonfly hatch on the Lower Deschutes that brings anglers from all over the nation flocking to the river in June. While one could argue that the dry fly fishing on the Deschutes is even better in the heat of the summer when caddis dries blanket the water, there's ore to it than just productive fishing.

Americans like things big, and there is no surface fodder for trout bigger than the Salmonfly. At the heart of the Salmonfly experience is the visual thrill of a fat rainbow exploding on a two-inch dry fly. Salmonflies belong to the Stonefly family of aquatic insects. While the Giant Salmonfly is the largest species in this order, Golden Stones are nearly as big, and hatch simultaneously with their giant cousins. Trout sometimes prefer one to the other, so the angler should come prepared with a sampling of patterns representing both insects.

The Stonefly hatch is water temperature dependent, and the Lower portion of the river warms up in the spring earlier than the sections above Maupin. This means that the hatch generally starts at the mouth where the Deschutes enters the Columbia and moves upriver, peaking in the popular Warm Springs- Trout Creek section in early June.

This 9- mile section is usually a zoo at this time, with pressure from both drifting and walk-in anglers. One of the big advantages that anglers have during "The Hatch", is the fact that many big trout move out from their mid-river haunts to intercept the bugs as they fall off the vegetation or fly over the water tob lay their eggs. This means more and bigger fish within the reach of a fly cast. We routinely take some of our biggest fish during the Stonefly hatch for this reason.

Fly tiers have become very inventive concocting new, bizarre patterns to imitate these oversized dry flies. While many of these patterns float higher and catch plenty of fish, the old standby stonefly patterns are the ones I fish most often. Sofa Pillows, Stimulators, and Clark's Stones are all dynamite, and are fairly easy to tie. Of these, the Clark's Stone is really hard to beat, in terms of durability, simplicity, buoyancy, and effectiveness. Orange Clark's Stones in size 4-6 and Golden Clark's in size 6-8 should be all you need. Many Salmonfly patterns are overdressed and bigger than necessary. Many trout get hooked deep during this hatch and a huge size 2 pattern can damage gills and kill the fish upon attempted removal. Takes on stoneflies are usually really aggressive, possibly because the fish are attempting to kill the big bug on impact, much like trout feeding on grasshoppers, "would you like that big thing crawling around in your mouth?"

Anglers can get by with using larger tippets when fishing stones, which will help minimize the number of fish left with a big hook filling their mouth. I've gotten by fishing a tippet as big as 3X and I encourage you to fish the heaviest material possible until you start getting refusals. If stoneflies are properly presented, the first Eagle Crest Resort thing the trout will see is the bug, and will usually take it confidently.

A 9ft. 5 weight is a standard choice on the Deschutes, but you may find a little more power a big advantage in both covering the river and landing the big rainbows. A 9'6" 6 weight is tough to eat, and allows the angler the added distance to catch trout looking for stones out in the main current (they're not always hugging the banks).

When the fish are really keyed in on the big bugs, they will feed on the surface all day long. Warm, sunny days will get the bugs moving around and dropping their eggs on the surface.

A little wind doesn't hurt either, just enough to blow a few more bugs onto the water without impeding the accuracy or distance of fly casts. The migration takes place in the evenings, when clouds of adult stoneflies move upriver to disperse. Warm evenings can really offer some ncredible dry fly opportunities.

If the fish just aren't taking the dries, try nymphing with either golden or black stone nymphs. When the nymphs are migrating toward the banks anglers can do very well with the heavy patterns bounced along the bottom in faster currents. A small dropper fly run off the big nymph will improve your success, try a small pheasant tail, copper john, or caddis pupa.

Winter & Spring on the Middle Deschutes

Things looked bleak for my outing as I gazed down from the canyon rim onto the Middle Deschutes River, inflated from heavy rains. The water was visibly off-color, but I had nothing better to do and it was sure a beautiful day for the first of February. When I reached the river, I watched for awhile for rising fish and for little winter stones, the hatch that had brought me here today. After a fruitless half-hour, I watched a large stonefly fluttering her wings on the surface. The bug floated into a slack pool and a brown trout appeared instantly, slashing the fly off the surface. This was what I had come for, and on my third drift the fish confidently took my imitation. Though the river was near blown-out, I managed to hook a few fish and caught one brown of about 17 inches, a dandy fish for the Middle Deschutes. I saw nary another angler that day, always a bonus.

The little winter stone hatch has gained in popularity over the last few years, and for good reason. The hatch is very consistent and offers some of the best dry fly action of the year at a time when many anglers are feeling the itch. February and March offer many pleasant days (especially this winter), just made for a few hours on the water. The winter stones usually start to hatch mid-morning, and run through the afternoon, weather depending.

Many anglers rely on old standbys such as black elk hair caddis, and black ant patterns. In many cases these patterns will do the trick, but I've found the finicky, old browns to be very selective. Winter stones aren't much for flying, and they constantly beat their wings when at the mercy of the current. These are the two characteristics that I try to imitate in a winter stone pattern, and I've found that a size #14 black bodied, grizzly parachute pattern with a trailing white shuck will fool the selective fish almost every time.

Following (and often coinciding) with the winter stones are the March brown mayflies. March browns are sizeable bugs, and like most mayflies emerge on overcast days. This is perhaps the best single hatch on the Middle and will run through April.

A size #10 adams will take fish, but March browns on the Middle are darker than their counterparts on many other fisheries. Using a darker shade of brown for the body may bring more fish to hand. The Middle Deschutes from Eagle Crest, downstream to Billy Chinook is the best stretch to concentrate your efforts. Access is becoming more and more of a problem on the Middle, as landowners continue to buy up streamside parcels and close out the angling public. Unlocking the secrets to the Middle Deschutes takes time and a good map of the area. There are lots of access points well off the beaten path, especially along the maze of backroads from Crooked River Ranch. Cline Falls, Lower Bridge, and Tetherow Crossing all offer easy public access to the river. Water level is another critical factor that can make or break a fishing trip. At normal winter flows, the river remains fishable in many places.

This year however, with the wacky weather we've had of late, this hasn't been the case. Regardless, my best days over the years of fishing these hatches have always been during the irrigation stock runs in February and March, and after the canals remain open permanently after mid-April.

I prefer a four or five weight rod for the Middle Deschutes. There are some big browns and chunky redbands down there and a lighter rod doesn't always have the punch to throw across the river or pull a heavy fish from the weedbeds that they love to burrow into once hooked. I highly recommend some fluorocarbon tippet in 5x or 6x once the fish have been pressured and are wary of imposters.

The beauty of the Middle Deschutes for Central Oregon anglers is the proximity to town. The river can be reached in a half-hours drive from Bend, and runs right through the western edge of Redmond.

Anyone who can get out of work for an afternoon can enjoy these hatches on the Middle.

The Metolius Waters Rich in Habitat Requirements

Few settings rival the spring-fed Metolius River. Crystal -clear water, old-growth pine forests and abundant wildlife paint a surreal picture, enhanced under a blanket of December snow. Winter is my favorite time to fish this stream, the crowds are less and a certain giant predator is on the prowl.

With the exception of Northern pike, nothing in freshwater rivals the aggressiveness of a bull trout in attack mode. Bull trout (they’re actually a char) are piscivorous (they eat other fish): whitefish, rainbow trout, sculpins, brown trout, other bull trout, they’re all on the menu.

Metolius River bull trout average 3-10 lbs., but they go way up in girth from there. The state record is 23 lbs., and I’d bet that somewhere in the depths of the river swims a leviathan better than 25. Remember though, no Metolius bulls may be kept, so a quick photo is the only trophy you’ll take home with you.

The standard bull trout fly is an oversized bunny leech, usually tied in white. Saltwater flies such as Deceivers tied big and bulky are extremely effective on bull trout. Large articulated versions that swim in the water and cause disturbances in the current drive these predators nuts. The technique for presenting these monstrosities is similar to a wet fly swing, but the fly must be down on the bottom so bring your heavy sink tips and tie weighted flies (no additional weight such as split shot may be used on the Metolius). When the fly gets to the end of the drift, a fast strip-in can sometimes trigger takes.

The leader on the end of the sink-tip should be short to eliminate any belly in the line and keep the fly down. A four- foot section of straight mono in 10-12 lb. will do the trick. Local fly shops carry both saltwater flies and some patterns specifically for Metolius bulls. Bull trout, like any other salmonid, can also be taken on nymphs. While it may be more exhilarating to feel the pull of an aggressive dolly on a streamer, dead-drift presentations are extremely effective.

Bull trout will eat just about any nymph when they’re feeding, but I’ve done best on girdle bugs, golden stone nymphs, and pheasant tails. These flies need to be weighted like the rock of Gibraltar and fished under a yarn strike indicator (the little cork ones won’t float the nymph). Fish a 12-ft. leader in 10-12 lb. test.

Many bull anglers swear by mornings, evenings and overcast days. I’ve caught fish in the rain, snow, sleet, sun and afternoon, so I don’t think it matters much. Bull trout often hang together so if you catch one there’s a good chance you can nail another in the same hole.

Bull trout don’t fight like a steelhead or big rainbow. I’ve never seen a dolly go airborne and rarely have they taken me into backing. Some anglers liken the fight to being hooked onto a log that’s rolling down the river. Dead weight is their advantage and they know how to use it. They go to the deepest water they can find and head shake like a lab playing keep-away. Once in a while though, you’ll find a hot fish that rips line like a barracuda.(Well okay, maybe more like a big brown trout). Bring a rod stout enough to turn a 10 lb.+ fish in 15 feet of water, a seven or eight weight with a stiffer action is perfect.

Look for bulls in deep pools with plenty of structure like logs and boulders. Often you can see these beasts lying in the stream bottom and sight fish to them. Pay extra attention to keep your distance though, while aggressive when fired up, they make their living being elusive and spook easily. Bull fishing is getting ever more popular so arrive early to claim your spot. Getting off the beaten path is good practice and if you find a productive spot by all means, keep a lid on it.