The Deschutes River is a desert oasis that drains much of the east side of the Cascade Range on its way north to its confluence with the Columbia River. The river below Lake Billy Chinook flows through a massive desert canyon with abundant wildlife, and an exceptional rainbow trout fishery. May and early June are famous for the renowned salmonfly hatch, but it is also a great time to fish with golden stoneflies, green drakes, and PMDs. I was incredibly lucky to get on the trip, as a group of longtime guests had given up their week during prime salmonfly time, and I got to join five other anglers on a 3 night/4 day float through the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Lower Deschutes.
I traveled to Madras, Oregon, where I overnighted at a local hotel before meeting the guides at the Trout Creek put-in, approximately 20 minutes north of Madras. Once at the boat ramp, we were greeted by the Rentons of Renton River Adventures, packed our gear into dry bags, put on our waders, and headed out for a full day of floating and fishing. The float trip would take us from Trout Creek to Harpham Flat.
This trip is so much more than simply a fishing trip. It’s a whitewater adventure, a wilderness immersion, a trip with challenging wading, strong fish, awesome campsites, and a level of comfort most certainly do not expect on a "camping" trip.
During the salmonfly hatch, the larger fish in the system tend to hang out under trees, waiting for insects to fall into the river, so most of the fishing is done by casting under trees and in runs close to the bank. Additionally, the Deschutes is unique in that no fishing is allowed from boats, creating vast sanctuary regions within the river to help sustain a world-class fishery. It’s important to be able to “bow and arrow” cast as well as cast side arm under the trees and bushes to have success. The fishing is done in such close quarters and the drifts are so short that anglers have very little time to get their line under control. Making the cast, getting the line shuttled, and then being ready to set when the fish strikes is a true challenge. The wading is tough, and the fish are really strong and feisty once hooked. In this setting it’s rewarding when it all comes together.
Some cold and windy days made the bugs a bit less active than they normally would be under ideal conditions, but we all had many opportunities and lots of action each day. Raising 10-15 fish per person daily was common, with the largest rainbows pushing 18 inches. Like most good fishing trips, the best fish were often too hot to handle and earned their freedom earlier than our anglers might have liked.
The Renton family runs a tight ship. When fishing with their crew, it is easy to see their passion for the river, its ecology, and the fish. After just a few hours in the boat, it becomes apparent why David and Dillon Renton are some of the most sought-after guides in Oregon. They are safe, casual, great teachers, patient, and kind people whose love for Oregon and the Deschutes River is infectious.
I mainly fished a 6-weight Sage R8 Core, with a 6-weight RIO Bank Robber line. The rod and reel combination was great for turning over larger flies and also fantastic for fishing some of the more standard runs with a hopper dropper or dry fly setup. For fun and out of curiosity, I also fished my six-year-old son's 5-weight Redington Youth Minnow rod with a 6-weight RIO Grand line. Interestingly, it proved a great rod and reel combination for the application. The 8-foot rod was ideal for the tightest spots with very little room for casting. The overweight RIO Grand line put the fly where I needed it with little, or non-existent casting room.
