Heading to Idaho

Tying with foam is fun...

I'm headed to northern Idaho to chase Cutthroats this week.  My good friend Shawn Visintainer from the Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane agreed to show me one of his favorite rivers.  After a few evenings at the vise, here's my arsenal of foam... Shawn tells me they've been finding 50 to 60 fish a day on dries!  Stay tuned for photos.

-Tom Larimer

The Trout Fishing Is Good

Mmmmm... Yellow Sally

The trout fishing on the Deschutes is as good as it gets.  We've been having some great fishing in the mornings and early afternoons.  The river has been slowing down around 2:00 pm, then picking back up around 4:00 pm.  While the dry fly fishing has been a little slow, we've been having huge days dead drifting small pheasant tails, midge and caddis pupa.  If we have found fish on top, it's been a yellow sally or caddis game.  However, the fish are starting to key in on terrestrials like grasshoppers and ants.  Windy afternoons can generate some great dry fly fishing this time of the year.  Most anglers on the Deschutes don't consider fishing grasshoppers... That's because there isn't a large population of bugs from Mack's Canyon up river.  However, the lower river offers some fantastic terrestrial fishing.

-Tom Larimer

Back on the Lower Deschutes

The Lower Deschutes is finally low enough to safely navigate with our jet boats.  Guide Mike Duffy and I headed up the creek today to check things out.  The river is still high but in great shape.  We didn't fish much but did manage to hook a few trout in the spots we fished.  It was great to see the lower river again!

-Tom Larimer

Deschutes River Trout Fishing Report

Just when you thought the Deschutes River was going to finally settle down, the flows jumped from the mid 6000 cfs range back into the 7080 cfs.  Such is life on the Deschutes this spring... Oh wait, it's mid June.

Despite the big water, the fishing has remained pretty damn good.  Lot's of bugs!  We've been having some good hatches of PMD's, PED's, caddis and yellow sallies.  The fish are still taking golden stoneflies though the hatch is pretty much done.  On days the fish aren't willing to rise to dry flies, we've had great success fishing tan caddis pupas and yellow sally nymphs.

Good Luck!
-Tom Larimer

For the Love of Bugs...

Deschutes Stonefly Hatch Is Still Rolling...

The big bugs are still out on the Deschutes River in the Maupin area.  The colder than normal weather has strung out the hatch and great dry fly fishing with stoneflies is still happening!

-TL

The bugs you're looking for.

The bugs you need...

Deschutes River Green Drake Hatch

Every year, on the tail end of the salmon fly hatch, the green drake mayflies start popping.  The hatch usually lasts for only a few days... Of you hit it right, it will be a day of dry fly fishing you'll never forget.  If you're headed out to the river in the next couple of weeks, I'd have a few of these bugs in your fly box.  You can't miss the hatch when it happens.  Just look for the massive mayflies that look like black hawk helicopters.

-Tom Larimer

Parachute Green Drake... Yum.

Deschutes Trout Fishing Is Ramped Up!

Here's a few photos from a guide trip last week on the Deschutes.  The golden stoneflies and salmon flies were in the bushes but cold weather kept the trout from really keying in on them.  Despite the lack of surface activity, we had a great day of fishing dead drifting nymphs.  

-Tom Larimer

Deschutes River Trout Fishing Report

Just got off the Deschutes after an amazing day of trout fishing.  All I can say is wow...  At one point I was watching my client fish and started counting all of the different bugs on the water.  Within about thirty seconds I observed golden stoneflies, salmon flies, yellow sallies, pale morning duns, huge pale evening duns, caddis, and one green drake.  It was a smorgasbord of trout food!  We had a great day of Deschutes dry fly fishing with perfect conditions and happy trout.

-Tom Larimer

Three Great Stoneflies for Deschutes Trout

Here's three best stonefly dry flies for Deschutes River trout.  The Norm Woods Special is a classic Deschutes dry fly designed by legendary guide Norm Woods.  It doesn't look like much but the trout crush it.  The secret to the fly's success is that it sits low in the water like a real stonefly. My Golden Stone is my favorite of the group.  Like the Norm Woods, it sits low in the water but tends to work better in heavy water.  The Chubby Chernobyl is a highly visable fly perfect for low light conditions or heavy water.

Happy fishing!
-Tom Larimer

Larimer's Golden Stone

Norm Woods Special

Chubby Chernobyl

Deschutes Stoneflies Hatching

Larimer Outfitters' guide Joe Ringo took these killer photos of Deschutes River Stoneflies and Salmon Flies in there adult life cycle.  With cooler weather in the forecast, focus your efforts fishing the big bugs in the afternoons and evenings.  The trout will look up even if you don't see a ton of bugs on the water.

Good luck!
-TL

Deschutes River Salmon Fly emerging from it's shuck.

Deschutes River Golden Stonefly moments after emergence.

Deschutes River -Sweet stonefly love.

Deschutes River Trout Fishing Report

Klye's Bead Head Yellow Sally -Image: The Fly Fishing Shop

Trout fishing on the Deschutes River is ramping up despite the high water.  I guided the Maupin area the past couple of days and was surprised how good the fishing was with 8500 cfs rolling down the river.  The wind blew like hell out of the northeast and we even had some good rain showers but the fish didn't seam to mind.  Although we saw tons of golden stoneflies in the bushes, we found all of our fish nymphing.  Kyles Bead Head Yellow Sally was by far the preferred nymph (available at The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches, Oregon).  We also found some nice fish on my Copper Back Yellow Sally.  We should have some good dry fly fishing with the big bugs when the weather warms up but I would definitely have these nymphs in your box if you're headed out to the Deschutes.

Good Luck!
-Tom Larimer

High Water Attitude on the Deschutes

This wonderful spring we're having here in the Northwest has continued to keep the flows on the Deschutes high.  At the moment, the big girl is running at 8110cfs... We should be around 6000cfs for this time of the year.  Given the forecast for the next few days, I don't expect the river to come down anytime soon.  So, you can sit on your hands and bitch about it, or, you can adapt.

The first thing you need to do is get in the right mind-set.  It's easy to get discouraged in high dirty water.  Keep in mind though, the trout don't stop eating just because the river is high.

The next thing through your head should be to forget everything you know about the Deschutes and look at it as a brand new river.  Many of your "old faithful" spots simply won't fish the same way they do when the river is at normal flows.  Look for soft water behind breaks and riffles.  The trout won't sit in raging water this time of the year.  I'm talking about water that usually is dry land.  As long as it has a rock bottom, soft water and provides the fish with consistent bugs the fish will live there.  The river has been high for a while now and the trout have adapted to it.

Finally, be thinking about fly selection.  The stoneflies are still happening!  While you may not find epic dry fly fishing, the fish will still look up.  Try fishing an attractor nymph below your stonefly dry, especially in the afternoons and evenings.  If that isn't happening, nymphing with stonefly nymphs and a dropper is the way to go.

You need to fish slow in high water... Pick the spots apart like a surgeon.  Change flies, and play with the distance between your indicator and flies.  Be persistent and good things will happen.

Good luck!
-Tom Larimer

One Big-Ass Deschutes Trout

Larimer Outfitters' client Jim Greenleaf found this beautiful Deschutes River trout on a recent guide trip. Nicely done Jim!

Don't Walk Through The Fish!

The Deschutes River is primed for the fabled Stonefly Hatch.  We been finding some great trout nosing around in the shallows eating stonefly nymphs.  This beauty ate the fly in only eight inches of water!  With high water this year, the fish feel very comfortable pulling up into the shallows in the late afternoon and evening.  Don’t make the mistake of walking through them! 

When the fish are up shallow, try fishing a lightly weighted stonefly with no added weight on the leader.  Your strike indicator should be Poly yarn to avoid spooking the fish.  A plastic or foam indicator makes too much of a disturbance when it hits the water for shallow water fishing.  Your indicator should be only a couple of feet above your fly for this scenario.  Fish the heads of riffles and focus your attck on the seams coming off boulders.  You’ll be surprised how shallow these early hatch fish will be.  Good luck!

-Larimer Outfitters Staff

Five Great Deschutes River Trout Shots

Deschutes Stonefly Hatch Open Dates

If you’re looking to get on the water in the next couple of weeks for the famous Deschutes Stonefly hatch, we have a few open dates for float trips with legendary trout guide Mike Duffy…

May 15, 16, 17, 21, 23, 29 and 30 should all be great days to hit the hatch!

We also have walk-in trips in the Maupin area with Joe Ringo.

To book your trip, please call Duffy directly as I will be out of town giving some Spey classes in the Midwest.  He can be reached at 307-413-3559.

Thanks!

-Tom Larimer

Deschutes River Stoneflies Are Here!

Dinner is served...

I saw the first Golden Stonefly on the Deschutes River a few days ago!  The trout were keyed into the nymphs mega!  Every big fish we caught yesterday was on golden stonefly nymphs.  It's on like donkey kong!

-Tom Larimer

Deschutes Stonefly Hatch Technique

Let her ride!

We all love to see big Deschutes River trout eat our stonefly dries on the surface.  However, often times trout will take adults that have been sucked below the surface as well.  When you’re fishing a stonefly dry and the current pulls it under, let it!  Most folks will immediately pull their fly out of the water and make another cast.  Let it marinade!  You can pick up a ton of bonus fish by tight lining a submerged adult.  If the wind is howling and the dry fly fishing is tough, try nymph fishing a Norm Woods Special under a strike indicator.  You’ll need to fish a couple of split shot on your leader to get the fly down in the water column.  It’s a deadly technique for those days the fish just won’t come to the surface.

-TL

Five Reasons To Hire A Trout Guide

1. Guides narrow the focus of the day... You'll learn how to find productive water.

2. A good trout guide will test your skills and make you a better angler and a better caster.

3. Having someone else pack the lunch, row the boat and tie on the flies pretty much rules.

4. Understanding entomology is critical, a good trout guide will share their knowledge of bugs.

5. Learn how to adapt... Rivers change and an experienced guide changes with it.  Pay attention and ask questions, you'll be amazed by the shit that goes through their heads while on the water.