Artificial Intelligence Fishing Report

Just for fun, I typed into Chat GPT: Write a fishing report for the Deschutes River.

Based on my observations that more and more people are buying flies and gear online and and the no longer seem to need the services that a small riverside fly shop can offer. 

Here is the artificial intelligence report with blue writing to signify the problems I have with using this type of "intelligence":

Deschutes River Fishing Report - August 2024

Overview: The Deschutes River continues to offer anglers a rewarding experience this summer, with consistent fishing conditions and diverse opportunities. Whether you're targeting trout, steelhead, or other species, the river's health and biodiversity are in excellent shape.

My analysis of this first paragraph: two sentences that tell us pretty much nothing.  The river's health isn't necessarily excellent - but they probably got that sentence from the propaganda that PGE spews on their website.

Trout Fishing:

• Location: The upper and middle sections of the river are seeing the most action. Areas around Bend and Maupin have been particularly productive.
• Techniques: Dry flies and nymphs are proving effective. Try using patterns like Pale Morning Duns (PMDs), Green Drakes, and Caddis for dry flies. For nymphing, Stonefly nymphs and Hare's Ears are reliable choices.
• Hatch Activity: PMD hatches are strong in the mornings, with Caddis activity picking up in the late afternoon and evening.
• Tips: Focus on slower, deeper pools during the heat of the day, and target faster riffles and runs in the cooler morning and evening hours.

Other than the location being extremely vague, the main body here is fairly accurate (minus the Green Drakes). The AI must crawl a bunch of fishing reports online and they are bound to hit on two of the hatches (PMDs and Caddis) and they are correct in pointing out good times to fish (morning and evening) though this is pretty universal when it comes to fishing.

Steelhead Fishing:

• Location: The lower Deschutes, particularly below the Madras area, is where steelhead action has been most promising.
• Techniques: Swinging streamers and using indicator rigs with egg patterns are effective. Consider using larger, more vivid colors as the steelhead are starting to get more active.
• Run Timing: Steelhead runs are beginning to peak, so timing your trips around early mornings or late evenings can increase your chances.

Here is an interesting analysis of the steelhead fishing! The location of steelhead is spot on the action below Madras has been "most promising" because the Deschutes is completely dammed in Madras and this effectively negates all steelhead possibilities elsewhere in the Deschutes drainage (other than a couple of trucked hatchery PGE steelhead dying in the polluted and hot Crooked River). Steelhead fishing is certainly is "most promising" below the Madras area and particularly below the three dam complex.

Techniques are a bit off - I mean, yeah, you can swing or nymph. Indicators and eggs won't cover a lot of water - this technique is better suited to a smaller drainage - but some people do that on the Deschutes, I guess. I am not sure what it means to use a "larger, more vivid color" due to steelhead "starting to get more active" - pretty vague. No pattern recommendations?

The run timing is also a bit off. The peak of the steelhead run happens at the end of next month (at least that is historically when the peak number of fish cross the Bonneville dam). Yes, mornings and evening are the best time - but that is true if you are fishing for Walleye in Minnesota, or Mahseer in India. 

Water Conditions:

• Flow: Flows are stable and optimal for fishing, currently around 1,500 cfs. This level offers good wading conditions and excellent drift for nymphing.
• Temperature: Water temperatures are ranging from 55°F to 65°F. This is ideal for trout and steelhead, with cooler mornings and evenings providing a nice respite from the summer heat.

Flows are completely wrong. We would be in real trouble if Deschutes flows were that low. The current flow out of the Madras dam is 3770 CFS which is a little bit lower than average. Not sure where the 1500CFS figure came from... Good wading? On the Deschutes? HA! The water temps are fairly accurate, but that is data that we have access to at our fingertips. 

Other Notes:

• Catch and Release: As always, practicing catch and release helps maintain the health of the fish populations. Handle fish gently and keep them in the water as much as possible.
• Regulations: Ensure you're up-to-date with local regulations as they can change frequently. Special regulations may apply to different sections of the river, especially concerning steelhead and native species.

Enjoy your time on the Deschutes River and tight lines!

Okay, the ending of this vague report is the only good thing about it. I like that AI promotes catch and release (along with good fish handling technique) and that AI reminds people to check the regulations.

So, this is likely what fishing reports will be like for future anglers once fly shops have gone by the wayside. Not too much insight, no fly recommendations, lots of insect hatches and specific fly patterns are left out of the report. There is no local insight on the how busy the river is, what the water clarity is, what flies have been working for us and for others who are stopping by the shop, nor is there anything interesting to read in the entire report. 

If you don't support your local fly shop, then you really can't expect to have great river information in the future. We have had our fingers on the pulse of the Deschutes almost daily for the past 47 years. I have written fresh reports weekly for about 23 of those years - never have I reposted an old report because fishing reports are not made up of vague information that can be recycled from one year to the next. If river conditions are poor, I will report that information (even though it will hurt my business). If fishing is tough, I will dig deep into my bag of tricks to give my customers a way to eke out a few trout during the dog days of summer or the doldrums of winter. 

Next time you want to know the condition of the White River - you can type that question into Chat GPT. Here is what I got just now: