Lower Deschutes Trout Opener 4-26-20

Weather/ Mid 70s

Water Temps/ 51

Calm Winds

The river bumped up from 3200 to 4200 over the weekend, I am happy to report the water is now looking as it should for this time the year. We heard a rumor that PGE had been working on their steelhead trap and that required lowering flows for maintenance temporarily. Fishing has been fair during the mornings with the bite picking up throughout the day as water temps warm and subsurface nymph activity increases. That being said adult bug activity has been pretty low so far.  So its mainly a nymph show with a few BWOs still around, we are just starting to see some large mayfly adults like PMDS, March Browns, and Small Caddis starting to pop in the evenings. 

If you find yourself catching steelhead smolt move locations. Rainbows either avoid smolts or cant get to your fly first. You will have a hard time finding those big Redside's around pods of smolt.

Good Nymphs now are SZ 08/06 Stone fly nymphs with some sort of SZ 14/16 F.B Hares Ear, F.B P.Ts, Brassies, Soft Hackles. If your into dredging or Euro Nymphing we just got some hot looking Euro patterns with 3.8 mm Tugsten beads on barbless circle hooks at the Deschutes River Fly Shop and Camp located in Warm Springs. Keep moving around until you find those pods!