Deschutes River TroutFull Day Guided Fly Fishing Float Trip

The day begins at 7:00 am at Bend Fly Shop. The shop shares a patio with Sparrow Bakery, a great place to grab coffee and a delicious breakfast if you’d like (they have to go options). At the shop you’ll meet your guide and carpool about one hour to the Warm Springs Boat Launch on the Lower Deschutes River. This is where your fly fishing float trip begins. Alternatively you can meet your guide at the Madras Safeway grocery store. From Madras your guide will take you to the river and back to your vehicle at the end of the day. Daily float trips from Maupin, Oregon can also be arranged. We lived in Maupin for ten years and are intimately familiar with that stretch of the Deschutes.

The float from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is about ten miles. We typically fish two anglers per boat and guide, however three anglers per guide can be arranged. The drift boats are used for transportation down river and provide access to both banks as well as many productive islands and gravel bars. There is no serious whitewater in this stretch and the drift boat provides a safe and comfortable ride down river, making this trip appropriate for just about any age level.

All fishing is done on foot. You will need waders and wading boots, although just wading boots and shorts (wet wading) are appropriate during warmer summer weather. Rental waders and/or wading boots are available through Bend Fly Shop.

On the Lower Deschutes you’ll fly fish for native rainbow trout, locally known as redsides, that average 12 to 15 inches and provide great sport on a five weight fly rod. Larger fish are common. Redsides are brutally strong for their size and, once hooked, their initial blitz catches many anglers off guard.

Beginning anglers will find that this trip offers a very well rounded fly fishing experience. We are happy to pass along skills and technique. Our guides are patient teachers and are happy to be on the river with you. Fly rods are available for you to use, and casting and fishing instruction is part of our service.

Experienced anglers will enjoy our guide’s hard charging enthusiasm and bird dog-like knack for finding trout. We are dry fly aficionados and will do what we can to put you on rising fish.

A variety of hatches keep the trout feeding on the surface many days throughout the season. The busiest time of year on the Deschutes is May and June during the salmonfly and golden stonefly hatch. The trout key in on the big clumsy stoneflies and dry fly fishing can be fast and furious. After the stonefly hatch fades for the season caddis flies become the most important item on the dry fly menu. July brings warm sunny weather and consistent dry fly fishing, as the trout must eat a ton of these little insects each day. Throughout the summer and fall the trout continue to feed daily on a smattering of small caddis, mayflies, craneflies, and midges.

When the trout aren’t rising we use several different nymph fishing techniques, including indicator, Euro-style, and dry/dropper, as the trout do much of their feeding subsurface. There are many days where we will opportunistically fish both dry flies and nymphs to capitalize on each good fishing spot as we come to it.

Lunch is provided and served either streamside or right in the boat. We happily accommodate dietary requirements and preferences. Your guide will have plenty of drinking water in the boat. Please bring any special beverages you would like.

You’ll likely hit the take out between 4 and 6 pm. Please let your guide know if you would like to be back in Bend at a certain time. We are happy to accommodate your schedule with an early take out or overall later meet and take out times.