The Day stretch has been good for trout and my guides are getting down there a lot. Evenings are always the best if your looking to try and fool some trout on top. Small black and tan caddis with a wet fly dropper fished close to shore and under the trees is a good start. Nymphing is our bread and butter when it comes to lower Deschutes redsides, both traditional indicator and euro style techniques are viable. The top bug should either be a stonefly variation or a bigger mayfly above a small caddis, mayfly or midge dropper. Use a couple of split shot to carry the bugs down into the zone quicker.
Steelhead are in the whole river now but numbers worth targeting will still be on the lower stretches. Nymphing for trout has picked up a couple of fish already this year and some of my guides are fishing some bigger stone patterns in the heads and tails of pools and runs just in case one decides to take a chance. I swung the day stretch last weekend and caught countless trout on small intruder patterns just below the surface, although not what I was targeting a tight line grab gets your heart going no matter how big the fish turns out to be. As of today the white river was still in bad shape. I heard a foot of visibility is the best you can hope for in the lower canyon. The white could clear by tomorrow, it could clear in a couple weeks, keep your eye on the weather and we will all hope for the best.
Suggested Dries: Tan X-Caddis #14-18, Tan Cutter’s Caddis #14-18, Tan Foam Bodied Caddis #14-18, Tan Henry’s Fork Caddis #16-18, Edible Emerger #14-18 Tilt Wing PMD #16-18, Hackle Stacker PMD #16-18, Parachute Adams #16-18, Purple Haze #16-18
Suggested Nymphs: Jigged CDC PT #14-16, Duracell Jig #16-18, Bullet Quill #16-18, Jigged Hare’s Ear #14-16, Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear #14-18, Tan Sparkle Pupa #14-18, Nitro Caddis Pupa #14-18, Holy Grail HE #14-16, HE or PT Soft Hackle #14-18, Black or Red Two Bit Hooker #16-20, Brown Micro Mayfly #18-20, Black or Red Copper John #14-18, Olive or HE Anato-May #14-20, BH Pheasant Tail #14-18, Black or Red Zebra Midge #16-20, WD50 #16-20, Pearl or Black Rainbow Warrior #16-20
Suggested Steelhead Flies: Green Butt Skunk, Mack Canyon, Lady