Smoke? Nope. Trout? Yep. Steelhead? Perhaps.

Stepped out of the house this morning to a nice crisp temperature for the first time in a while. It was almost "chilly" and a nice change from the hot weather we have been having. Driving to work, I heard the reporters on OPB mention that Central Oregon was quite smoky - which may be true down by Bend but is certainly not the case in Maupin. We have clear skies, not a whiff of smoke, and all of the fires that were once burning here have been snuffed out. 

Of course winds can change and smoke could blow in from any of the big fires still burning in Oregon, but things are very clear on the Deschutes for now. Our current AQI (Air Quality Index) is 15 (practically gin clear) and you can check in with this map to see what the air quality is in various regions around the state:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.7785841,-122.117665,8z/data=!5m1!1e9?entry=ttu

The trout fishing is good out there but the best fishing is on the margins of the day and whenever we get a good cloudy day. The heat of the day with bright blazing sun will require some deep nymphing for the very best fishing. In the early mornings and in the evenings, the trout will eat spent/dead caddis, low profile caddis patterns, and aquatic moth patterns. If you are lucky enough to be on the water when there is a bit of overcast, then you will want to have a few PMD mayfly patterns at the ready. 

When it comes to deep nymphing, you should be fishing tungsten-bead nymphs on 5X or smaller fluorocarbon. Euro nymphing set ups work great out here in the deep slots where trout will be hunkered down. The Euro set up allows you to get the flies down and keep them in the feeding lane without drag.

Now, onto steelhead, There have been more and more people coming to the river to try their luck at hooking a steelhead. There are a few being hooked here are there, and that is really all you can hope for when steelhead fishing - for a shot at hooking one steelhead on your trip. The water temperatures are only going to climb higher as we head into August. Please keep an eye on water temps when fishing and consider not fishing in the late afternoon when you see water temps climb over 66 degrees. Water temps of 67, 68 and higher are lethal to steelhead as you fight them and they expend all of their energy. They are already stressed out by trying to exist in these temperatures, and they need to be given a break on hot afternoons. Buy a thermometer and be a good steward of the river. 

Water temps are getting up to 68 and 69 degrees down at the mouth of the Deschutes every afternoon between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. Water temps in Maupin are up to about 63 degrees in late afternoon, which means that there is relief for steelhead the more quickly they swim upriver. This also means that steelhead have very little incentive to hang out in the lower river when temps are getting so high. So, it won't be long before the steelhead are spread out all the way up into Maupin. 

The skies are clear here and the air quality is lovely. If you are choking on smoke in Bend, escape to Maupin for a smoke-free weekend!

We will see you on the water!