Floating the Deschutes in April-May

[Riverteeth]

Folks,

Just wanted to "pick your brains" about a possible float I am thinking of doing. I've done the upper river above Maupin, but am thinking of a float lower down. Would be sometime in the next 1-3 weeks, say float the reach from Buckhollow down to Mack's Canyon. Would camp on the river for a couple of nights.

Other than feeling like having "a train driving through your tent at night", anything I need to be concerned about camping on the non-road side?
What kind of patterns/fishing areas should I be targeting? nymph only, or will there be any dry fly action?
Crowds should be pretty thin, right?
Much powerboat use in that reach during this time of year?
Any shuttle service you would reccomend?Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!

[cphatts]

I've never camped on that side of the road in that section so I can't offer any advice on that, but as for the fishing.....

In the next 1-3 weeks the March Browns and BWOs will thin out significantly, so caddis might be your best best for dries until the trout get keyed on the salmonflies, which wont be for at least a month on that stretch of river. If you want to nymph, the salmonfly/stonefly nymphs will start to become very active on the river bottom in the next few weeks so they might be a good option along with the standard nymphs such as copper johns, hares ears, green rock worms, caddis pupae, etc. Do not fish gravely areas, especially near islands, as many trout will be spawning. If you fish in the deeper faster runs and back eddys you can avoid most spawners. Also, salmon and steelhead smolts will be abundant so please be careful. Whenever I encounter a pod of smolts I usually move on to different water.

I wouldn't count on the crowds being thin, it will probably just depend on the weather. There is no powerboat use allowed above Macks Canyon, but you will likely have plenty of company with other drifters and bank anglers. I was out there two weeks ago and there were a decent amount of people on the water, considering it was a cold and rainy April weekend. I don't have any info on shuttles but I'm sure one of the other guys can help out with that.

Have a good trip!

[mgdfly]

Lots of private property on the West side and a good deal of very steep banks where it's public, and much is not well marked. Usually a lot of small cream caddis, dark BWOs,and a few small dark brown/black Stones. A lot of the larger fish are either spawning or just finishing, and many are still in the Tribs. If nothing is going on on the surface, a size 8 or 10 dark wgt. Stonefly nymph with a #14 peacock soft hackle dropper will always catch plenty of fish. Tight Lines

[Two Fister]

From the BLM website:

"Jetboating is allowed from the mouth of the Deschutes River (at its confluence with the Columbia River) to Macks Canyon year-round (except for non-jetboat weekends between June and September) and from Macks Canyon to Sherars Falls from October 1st to June 15th. "

There could be some jetboats on that stretch, but usually not too many. If springers start to stream into the river that could change a bit, but probably not too much.

Like the others have said, the better camping sites are probably on the east (road) side of the river. The railroad grade is very close to the river along a lot of that stretch and there are some private land issues. I also like to camp on the road side so that I can repeat a productive float. There used to be a lot more boat ramps which made for some great short floats, but the BLM decommissioned them. Never have understood that.
TF

[Slow and Low]

I never camp on the east side of the road and do that float a lot. Fishing is better from the west side and there are deffinately less anglers. I'm sure that there is some private property but I do not think there are any issues with it from buckhollow to heritage. All the private propery issues are from Maupin South. The only real rapids between Sherars and Mack's are located between Buckhollow and pine tree. Something to consider. Wreck Rapids is a good one and can sink boats.

I used Ed and carey conner, deschutes river shuttles. They have a website. They do a great job.

[Riverteeth]

Thanks for the info. I've floated plenty of Class III-IV water, so I feel comfortable going through Wreck and Trestle Hole rapids (as long as I scout). But I would like some input in which is the best vantage point to scout both of them. If any of you have experience, I would love to hear about it.

[Two Fister]

Fishing is better from the west side and there are deffinately less anglers.

I hear ya S & L. I didn't say that I didn't fish the west side. :) I just am getting too damn lazy to pack my gear into the boat when I can pull into Rattlesnake, throw gear out of the truck and be done. I used to love to do the Jones to Rattlesnake float, but both of those rough ramps are gone. The one at Rattlesnake needed to go as it was really wrecking the bank, but the one at Jones seemed like a great spot for a ramp. Now it's all day floats with no opportunity to do short floats if the river is crowded. It just congests anglers into the same water as they have to float all day if they plan on fishing.

[Slow and Low]

Thanks for the info. I've floated plenty of Class III-IV water, so I feel comfortable going through Wreck and Trestle Hole rapids (as long as I scout). But I would like some input in which is the best vantage point to scout both of them. If any of you have experience, I would love to hear about it.

The first trestle is no big deal. the river splits and the left has the bigger water, the right is very skinny. I run the left channel, the appraoch is slow so you can get a good look at it. There's a big hole in the middle which I aim for for sheer fun. above the second trestle there is a huge hole behind a ginormouse rock, I pull left sooner rather than later. You can scout wreck from the road. I shoot it straight down the tongue and shove like crazy. Don't slow your boat down once you enter since there is a nasty current pushing everything into the left ledge. If you get pushed left in the wreck you will go into a spin. Just stay center and shove hard on the oars.

That's my .02, I got in toruble in the wreck once when I was a newby so it has a special place in my heart. Have fun.

View coming inot wreck

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/deschutes_2005_042.jpg

View looking back at wreck.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/deschutes_2005_035.jpg

[salmonslug]

Sam, nice shot heading into Wreck-- I think my adrenaline's ramped up a bit.

[Slow and Low]

Sam, nice shot heading into Wreck-- I think my adrenaline's ramped up a bit.

My pleasure. I always get up for that one, heck I get up for all of them.

[Two Fister]

My pleasure. I always get up for that one, heck I get up for all of them.


Got a friend that got sucked through Wreck in his float tube way back when. Just barely managed to hang on after dropping the right shelf. He was trying to get to shore to skirt it when it dragged him back in. There's a nice old school sage and Ari Hart reel somewhere on the bottom after that trip through the washing machine.

What I love about the trestle run is that a lot of the Deschutes used to look a lot more like that before they started building the railroads; straight cliffs into deep slots. Must have been even more spectacular!

TF

[Mad Mikey]

Slow and Low pretty much nailed it, can't add much to his advice.

above the second trestle there is a huge hole behind a ginormouse rock

And it sneaks up on you if you don't know it's there. I ran it blind the first time in a raft and almost nailed that rock.

[Slow and Low]

Slow and Low pretty much nailed it, can't add much to his advice.



And it sneaks up on you if you don't know it's there. I ran it blind the first time in a raft and almost nailed that rock.

My first time I kissed the cusion with the front of my old clacker. Luckily it pushed me off. Definately a sneaker.