Fishing the Lower Deschutes!

While in Bend, the folks at the fly shops were raving about the “salmonfly hatch” on the Lower Deschutes River.  Supposedly a fly fishing event that’s known by serious fishermen al over the US, this usually occurs around May 20th of each year.  These massive bugs come out and breed in massive quantities to produce a week or so of “spectacular” fishing.

So, off I go to Maupin, OR in search of this great experience.  The River was certainly beautiful, and seems to be a terrific rafting venue for those just wanting some fun, as well as a great float for fishing.  I caught this unlucky group “trapped” in a reverse eddy.  After watching them struggle for about 10 minutes to break free, they quit paddling, I guess waiting for another boat to come along and pull them out with a rope.

The areas I fished were from just down below (north, remember) the town and mostly about 3 miles up river from the town.  I stayed at a beautiful BLM Harpham campground right on the River, which was supposedly one of the better fishing spots on the River.

Well, after “pounding water” for 2-1/2 days in this area, and coming up with only a couple of tiny fish landed, I began to wonder what the heck happened???  So, after talking to several “experienced” fishermen who had grown up fishing this river, they were just as perplexed as I.  In fact the largest number of trout I heard anyone catch over the 2-3 days was three – and they were unusually small!

Discussing the situation with a couple of guides in town, I learned that the “hatch” had taken place here a couple of weeks earlier than normal.  They recommended moving “up river” (follow the bugs) to an area known as South Junction.

Cresting the high ridge above the South Junction, I can see the mighty Deschutes way below – a pretty sight, indeed!

Anxiously, I get on the water that afternoon, excited because here I’m actually seeing hundreds of the very critters that are supposedly responsible for the “big bite”.  

But, to my surprise, same story here – another couple of days produced a couple of “hookups” which resulted in a “pull-off” and a broken leader.  At least the two fish I had on did feel like good ones, so I got a bit of fun battling each for a few seconds.

So, after fishing hard – and I mean that, between the steep banks overgrown with thick vegetation, and the dangerously strong current to fight once down in the water, my knees & legs were pretty shot at the end of each day.

I did have enough time (and space) to set up a good ham antenna and get on the radio, but that’s another posts for my ham friends…

Just being out there surrounded by all this beauty was a wonderful experience!

Bend Oregon Breweries

 

Since my Son, Mark has gotten me interested in craft beers, I realized that Bend is one of “THE” places for fine brewing.  With a limited amount of time, and a limited ability to consume mass quantities of brews, I followed the local’s advice and visited the three most popular.

Deschutes – BIG!

Just walking up to this massive block square enterprise made me realize just how popular the craft beers have become.  Producing over a quarter million barrels each year, Deschutes ranks 5th among craft brewers in the US.

Walking along the front of the building, I get a look into the “barrel aging” section, which Deschutes is known for producing some of the best wine & whiskey barrel aged beers in the world.  These are usually reserved for the darker beers, stouts, porters and the like and are generally brewed once a year as a special run.

Inside at the tap room, I sign up for the 2PM tour, which includes four 4oz free tastings, along with any number of “sips” of others you’d like to try.  With 30 minutes to wait for the tour, I get to sample a few of the best!

Although the tour took about 50 minutes, and went through a fairly detailed description of the entire process, I won’t go on about all the details.  There’s plenty of information about making beer on the internet, so if you want to learn more look there.  Mark is really enjoying making his own brews, they are very good, and his friends appreciate the effort.

So, here’s a short synopsis of the pictures I took, walking through the plant from front end (wort making) all the way to the bottling plant.

On the way out there was a long hall of numerous pieces of local artwork, carefully chosen from many submissions each year for the “Jubilation” brew.  The wining artwork becomes the label art for that year. 

Over the years, Deschutes has won many awards, here is one of several display cases full of medals & awards.

So, next on the “crawl” was 10Barrel, which I had gotten several “must taste” reports on, but to my surprise the 4 beers I tasted were just flat & weak, they did nothing to make me want to linger and try any more!

Last, on to CRUX, by far the most interesting and unique of the three.  Founded and owned by two couples that wanted “excellent beer in an enjoyable atmosphere” it’s exactly what they’ve created.  From the open floorplan that allows tasters to “see the action”, to a great kitchen with wonderful low cost food, to the outdoor family picnic and gaming area this place is a hit! I would highly recommend a stop if you’re ever through Bend

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Deschutes River Discovery & Walk

Before heading into Bend, I had spent the night at a “snowpark” on Hwy 97.  These area areas where a huge parking lot is available at the intersection of snowmobile & cross country ski trails. 

They can be used for overnite stays without fees and have picnic areas and restrooms.  I was surprised to see frost for the first time when I awoke this morning.

South of bend, I saw a sign about “Deschutes River Access” and since I knew I would be fishing it sooner or later, stopped to investigate.  First thing I noticed was a large sign outlining canoe & float trails through the area, with appropriate take-outs & put-ins that avoid the few rapids that are along this area. (Upper Deschutes). As luck would have it another sign stated that fishing wasn’t open yet.

The trail looked nice and appeared to be a local favorite.  Since I have been trying to walk at least 3 miles a day, off I went downriver.  The crossing at an old log jam proved an interesting area for birding, with many insects moving down near the water.

You just never know quite what to expect when you stop somewhere, but this indeed turned out to be a beautiful walk along what’s got to be one of the prettiest rivers in America!

I walked to a nice falls area, and just enjoyed the water and sounds. 

As I returned back across the bridge at the log jam, I thought to myself: “What a great way to start a morning!”