My Deschutes Initiation (July 2010)

 I have yet to travel to many other rivers other than the ones here in Oregon, but I am not afraid to say that I think the Deschutes is one of the greatest in the country. Not only does it hold quality fish, but the scenery is incredible. Whether I am rafting down it wishing I had my fly rods, or on a fishing trip, the Deschutes never fails to impress. The canyon, the rolling hills, and that train that looks like it’s going to run right through your tent at 2 in the morning because you pitched it too close to the tracks, all add up to something special.

After high school I went down the Deschutes from Warm Springs to Maupin on a fishing trip. I went with my uncles and my cousin. It was a lot of fun. I caught my first Redside on the fly while on that trip. I guess you could say this trip was my initiation, but I’m going to call it my pre-initiation. After this trip I got busy with college and what not, and my dad was still holding out on me with those fly rods in the safe.

Needless to say, when my Uncle Mark called me in June to see if I would be interested in going down the Deschutes in July, I was game. This time I would have my own gear and would actually know how to fly fish.

After work I left for the canyon. While driving I couldn’t help but feel blessed to live in Oregon. This state has a lot to offer, and I got to see a lot of it on my way. Starting in Eugene heading east you get the lush rainforest of old firs and beautiful McKenzie. Then you see Three-Fingered Jack over the pass. After that you’ve got the high desert and big ponderosa pines and not to mention the awesome view of Three Sisters. I was lucky not to run into on coming traffic. Finally, heading down into the canyon you’ve got the desert and barren hills. Let’s just say I have had much worse four hour drives.

I got to camp that evening excited to see everybody, and enjoyed some good food. They got there a day earlier and had some success. Uncle Mark hooked an absolute pig. The steelhead was about 30”.  After some more fishing stories and catching up, oh and a couple Mirror Ponds, I was ready to hit the sack and get ready for the next day.

The alarm went off at 4 a.m. and I wasn’t even tired. I was stoked to get on the river. The light that morning was incredible and it made for a beautiful initial float. In fact the main picture on the blog was taken on that morning. We got to our first spot that was a good one. It had a big riffle with some deep slots. I had a spey rod this trip and was trying to get the hang of it. After working it over for a bit we didn’t catch anything. On to the next spot. The next spot was a great riffle for trout. I had my 7-weight and tied on a couple nymphs. Sure enough I hooked into a nice Redside. The next take was a big surprise. Granted, I was nymphing for trout, but in this riffle there happened to be a steelhead. I set the hook and then realized this was no trout. It took about 15 minutes to land him. It was a nice hatchery steelhead that we were going to throw in the cooler. This guy had other plans though. As my uncle was just about to take the picture, the steelhead had one more wiggle in him and I dropped him in the river. I tried tackling it, but it was too late. He was gone. My uncle and I just stared at each other for a split second, then we started laughing. Oh well! We agreed that next time we would finish him off, then take the picture.

 

Catching that steelhead was fun, but it didn’t compare at all to my first one I caught on the swing. I have to say that swinging for steelhead is the way to go.

The rest of the day was fun, but uneventful. That evening though, was one for the books.

After dinner, I went with my uncle’s stepson Cullen who is an excellent angler and respected guide as well. We headed down river to a famous section that produces a lot of steelhead. I had a spey rod that Cullen was kind enough to let me borrow. A while had passed, and I was finally getting in a little rhythm with the spey. Using a spey rod is a fun way to fish for steelhead. Not long had passed and there it was, the initial grab. FISH ON! I yelled downstream to Cullen and he came up to coach me on this one. This steelhead was different than my first two. It was strong, and very aggressive. It was a native. She took me into my backing twice, and even with the large spey rod she was quite a ride. I landed her and was able to take a picture. She gave quite a fight and it took a long time to revive her. But she swam away with confidence.

That night at camp I was telling my story and everyone kept saying how lucky I was. And I was. Then the train came around the corner and lit up the whole canyon almost to confirm how lucky I really was to be on the Deschutes. Everyone just stopped and watched. It was epic.

The next day was a nice float. No fish. It was one of those days that Mr. Orvis talks about. Being rewarded by the beautiful surroundings, despite not catching any fish. And that’s why I love this sport, and the Deschutes especially.