One of the perks to living in Central Oregon is that fishing is always ‘in season’. Anytime the sun shines we can find a stream to fish and that’s just what we did this week.
A part of these expeditions is a fly shop visit. There are purchases made, but more often it’s to ask for a good fly choice. The Deschutes Angler in Maupin is a regular stop. For starters the selection of tying materials dwarfs anything available in the Bend area. In the end, their understanding of Lower Deschutes fishing saves hours of trial and error … mostly error.
Winter fishing starts with a change to the vest fly box. Warm weather was tufts of floaty feathers and fur. As cold days settle in these lures get set aside for spiked, leggy imitations of aquatic invertebrates. We fish mostly weighted hooks and minimal dressings designed to get down in the water column at the active feeding level.
This week we made the drive to Maupin and the Lower Deschutes. We enjoyed a mild sunny day along the river. The canyon was still in winter colors with only a smattering of green along the river’s edge. Fishing this river is always a challenge. Warmed by the afternoon sun, and with no harsh winter wind, standing knee deep and casting a line was enough.
Unlike the lower river, this stretch of water meanders through flat pine forest and grassy marsh land. There are lots of open meadows, but there is also a hatchwork of deadfall. The paths that lie either bank are an obstacle course of weathered logs. In places the downfall resembles jacksticks. This makes it a bit more difficult for old legs to navigate, but only to the point of slowing us down a bit … Tip finds the steeple chase an extra bit of fun.
