So many reasons to go fishing, and so little time

Photo by: Greg Plass

(BIGGS, Ore) — Some fishing trips are planned to put meat in the freezer. Others are put together in order to spend time with family and friends. And some are about the destination and the scenery. So many reasons to go fishing, and so little time….

I spent a few days on The Deschutes this past week, combining most of these motivations into one trip. We camped at the Deschutes River State Recreation Area with some friends, both old and new. Not the most remote place I’ve ever parked my trailer, (right off I-84 and close to the railroad tracks) but how can you go wrong with the Deschutes in your backyard? And even though the train engineer felt it was necessary to interrupt my utopia with his whistle every few hours, it was the hike upstream that held memories for me.

You see, I am not a native Oregonian, although I’m working hard to crowd out my east coast upbringing with these trips throughout our great state. Back in the mid ninety’s, only a few months after moving here, I was brought to this same park by a new friend in order to try for a steelhead. I had heard about these fish, and of course seen pictures and read articles, so I felt prepared.

Well I wasn’t. I was armed with the first trout rod I’d ever purchased, a 9’ 5 weight Scott fly rod. I put on a heavier leader, and swung a black and chartreuse fly (appropriately called an Undertaker) through the water. At a spot above the cable crossing, I worked down to a likely looking pool. Two swings later, I was into what became a terminal case of steelhead-itis. That beautiful buck summer fish showed me how a trout rod was not the weapon to bring to this fight. By the time he was on the bank and photos were taken, my forearms were cramped solid, my knees were shaking, and the smile on my face was permanent. Somewhere in my attic is the picture to prove it. And perched on a shelf in my shop is that Undertaker, faded and dusty but still glowing with the memories of that first tug.

Well, almost 20 years later, I was back to see if I could find that spot. Walking out of camp one evening, I was immediately back to that adventure. It’s amazing how quickly the scenery can change. Late September is a great time on this river, and the steelhead are thick right now. I found anglers working many of the spots I remembered, including my beloved stretch of water where that fish was living. I waded out and swung my fly though some likely drifts, watching as the sun turned the surrounding hills a glowing shade of golden brown. I passed many a smiling angler walking back toward camp with fresh fish on his arm. Fishing from a boat is fun, but for me standing in the water and becoming one with the river is where the true experience is.

There were no fish on the end of my line that evening, but we did land plenty of steelhead over the course of the trip. The Deschutes run fish are sharing space right now with the much larger “B run” steelhead headed for Idaho, and this is a great time to stock the freezer for the coming winter. Many guys were limiting out before 9 in the morning. Bring plenty of corkies and leader, as you’re not doing it right if you’re not losing gear on occasion. Spinners were also working well. Bring some tinfoil and a little lemon and butter as well. After a day on the river, there are few things better than cracking open that foil to the wonderful aroma of steelhead mixed with the sweet scent of Central Oregon juniper.