Higher up the river???

[AngleThis]

I'm really just a semi clueless transplant, trying to learn about catching fish in these parts. A few good guys to learn from like Pilar helped accelerate my learning curve. I have a boat now, not a sled, an I/O and have learned a lot about the river from Bonneville downstream to the bar, and out to three arch rocks. Even got a few nice big fish over the last year or so [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

But what about above Bonneville, above Drano? I know walleye are up there and I like walleye. I got my breakin to northwest fishing well befoe I had a boat by an avid fly fisherman, who convinced me to spend five bills on a really good big fish fly rod, and showed me the ropes on the lower Deschutes... hooked and lost my first steelhead that first day (lest I would have drowned him after writing me a five hundred dollar check) [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img], and the first fish I landed in these parts, a few days later, was a 19 lb winter native buck out of the Clakamas... After that I was hooked by a doublecluster of stainless steel trebbles.

Anyway, my learning curve is now ripe for a new fishery. So what about the mouth of the Deschutes? Is the Columbia I/O friendly up there? The Descutes gets a whole lot of steelead that are probably in season now, and some big ones on their way to the snake. I have been told the Deschutes the best steeelhead fishery south of Canada, and having had no previous experience fly fishing or steelhead fishing, and having hooked a steelhead the first hour I tried in 1998 when counts were bottomed out, I believe it just may be. Based on that an what I've learned since, lb for lb, steelhead have got to be the most challenging (and fun) fish to catch on the planet.

I suppose I could douwnload some charts and check out the depths, but I'd really rather hear about it from someone who knows. I'd love to be able to boat fish off the mouth, then slide into waders and fly fish for summering over fish in the cool water just above. Anyone done all that? Is it practical? Help me out??

Thanks!
DC

[David Johnson]

Years ago before guideing I used to do just as you said, troll the morning and afternoon and then go fly fishing in the evening up stream.

It's a good fishery.

When fishing outside we would troll Wiggle Warts with all the other boats. This fishery starts late July and goes into October. Not onlly do you get steelhead but in mid August there are chinook too.

Rig your plugs with 1/0 siwash hooks and get yourself a net with soft mesh (a Beckman) so when you have to net a fish you have to release you will not do any damage to it.

One of the draw backs to fishing there are the days the wind blows you off the water.

Good Luck

[dawhunt]

I've always got a guide to take me out when,I wanted to learn a new style or place to fish.I know its a lot of money but if you pay attention you will learn a lot,in this case the money is well spent.
Bob [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[David Johnson]

Also, use no less than 15# line, I prefer 15 or 20# for plugs up there. Too many people loose fish because they are trolling with 10 or 12.

You also have some good walleye fishing up there below John Day Dam and some good bass fishing above the dam in the John Day.