Solo trip to the dry side...

nice morning drive through the hills...


low light young buck. I've decided to name him G57


how many birds?



things seemed to clear up, unfortunately (or fortunately?)....


All in all, the streamer bite never really materialized even though my two largest of the day came via that method. Caddis were definitely on the menu...

except for this mini-football (one of a couple that came on tiny little mayfly nymphs, the rest came on caddis)

...fishing was quite good up until I decided to call it quits shortly after noon.

Saw something cool on the drive home....hint, not a Bald Eagle.


It was deleting some medium sized rodent.

 

[Wade Rivers]

Randy, you could catch a lot more fish if you didn't stop and take so many great pictures

Just sayin'

 

[Robert Engleheart]

I miss that river…..

 

[Brute]

Nice…

 

[Bruce Baker]

Love pic number 1!

 

[Dave Westburg]

That’s one healthy trout!

 

[clarkman]

Thx!

Went back today with a buddy of mine. Fishing remained very good.

I even managed the famed native trifecta:




Streamer bite never fully materialized, but I managed a half dozen or so throughout the day...nymphing was pretty lights out. microscopic olive hatch started around 10:30 or so but not a ton of fish were looking up. I didn't bother switching over.

started out a little rainy, but my bird friends were ready:


cleared up nicely just before we left...

 

[Pink Nighty]

Thx!

Went back today with a buddy of mine. Fishing remained very good.

I even managed the famed native trifecta:
View attachment 192059
View attachment 192060
View attachment 192061

Streamer bite never fully materialized, but I managed a half dozen or so throughout the day...nymphing was pretty lights out. microscopic olive hatch started around 10:30 or so but not a ton of fish were looking up. I didn't bother switching over.

started out a little rainy, but my bird friends were ready:
View attachment 192065

cleared up nicely just before we left...
View attachment 192066

Zero suckerfish? Kinda hard to call that a trifecta but if you're gonna count rainbows then I guess? We oughta leave this world behind

 

[clarkman]

Zero suckerfish? Kinda hard to call that a trifecta but if you're gonna count rainbows then I guess? We oughta leave this world behind

That's a royal flush

ah, so now native redband rainbows are considered the trash fish? got it...tough to keep up sometimes....

 

[Matt B]

Reminds me of two things…the suckers in that river coming up to the surface, steadily and repeatedly, for some reason only Jah knows. And, swinging for steel there and getting super excited by a sucker hooked in the rear-mouth…took drag and everything.

 

[Porter2]

Piggy piggy RB. Nice!!!! Love that area. It’s like the Yakima on steroids just bulging with beauty and nature.

 

[Pigs]

Just got back from there.

Anyone else feel like the average size of the bows is larger this year? Or maybe I’m just getting better….that can’t be it!

No suckers for me this trip. Only two whities….a few pike minnows

 

[Pigs]

Other random observations..

Less blackspot than I normally see….

Lots of people….not many fishing as per usual

Osprey population is doing well

A few people had campfires. I guess they thought since it rained they were good to go….pretty sure it’s no fires until October

 

[clarkman]

Other random observations..

Less blackspot than I normally see….

Lots of people….not many fishing as per usual

Osprey population is doing well

A few people had campfires. I guess they thought since it rained they were good to go….pretty sure it’s no fires until October


View attachment 192114

Nice fish!

Definitely seemed like less blackspot, but a lot of my nymphed fish did have it. Nearly all of my streamer fish were pretty bright and clean.

Average size seems to be way smaller than pre-tower (Maupin area...I still see quite a few larger size class fish closer to Warm Springs but I rarely fish up there these days). Even the short fat one I got above that probably wasn't even 12". 'Cookie Cutter' for there now means a different size class than it did in the past.

 

[clarkman]

Anyone else feel like the average size of the bows is larger this year? Or maybe I’m just getting better….that can’t be it!

lol, just mentioned above. Not really for me (at least for Maupin area) & I know I'm a far better fisherman than even just 5 years ago & light years better than before the tower went in.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

Other random observations..

Less blackspot than I normally see….

Lots of people….not many fishing as per usual

Osprey population is doing well

A few people had campfires. I guess they thought since it rained they were good to go….pretty sure it’s no fires until October


View attachment 192114

Definitely fire ban in place until October. If they are above the gate there is a good chance they get turned in, and yes the river sheriff does respond.

 

[Pigs]

lol, just mentioned above. Not really for me (at least for Maupin area) & I know I'm a far better fisherman than even just 5 years ago & light years better than before the tower went in.

Yea that stupid water mixing tower has really had a negative affect overall, on the lower D trout population…..just because I’m seeing above average size fish in a section is anecdotal at best.

 

[clarkman]

Yea that stupid water mixing tower has really had a negative affect overall, on the lower D trout population…..just because I’m seeing above average size fish in a section is anecdotal at best.

Are you mostly fishing Maupin area as well?

Don't be alarmed if you see me sneaking around following you to find out where your big fish live....nothing to see here...

I DO know that part of my issue is that I can be such a creature of habit and usually fish my standard spots (especially Tango's Run). I do try to branch out a little bit every time, however.

I will say though, even though I don't feel like the streamer bite ever really took off on Sunday, going 6 for 11 (or 12) on streamers alone is generally pretty good. I probably shoulda really committed to that for more than 35-40% of the time.

 

[Pigs]

Are you mostly fishing Maupin area as well?

Don't be alarmed if you see me sneaking around following you to find out where your big fish live....nothing to see here...

I DO know that part of my issue is that I can be such a creature of habit and usually fish my standard spots (especially Tango's Run). I do try to branch out a little bit every time, however.

I will say though, even though I don't feel like the streamer bite ever really took off on Sunday, going 6 for 11 (or 12) on streamers alone is generally pretty good. I probably shoulda really committed to that for more than 35-40% of the time.

I fish up and down from Maupin, and not much right around town.

The average fish size has definitely gone down since the tower. I’ve just noticed in a couple spots some bigger than average fish then over the last several years.

I remember when I was green as can be….wearing Hodgman neoprenes and fishing a cortland CL with a rimfly reel……went to south junction and absolutely SLAYED big fish on salmon fly dries. That trip ruined me! I’ve never even come close to hitting that hatch like that again. It was so good, and so long ago, some times I wonder if it really happened! Haha

Also, same era, used to just kill it on caddis dries, and soft hackles down below Sherars…..it still happens, but the fishing is not near what it used to be.

 

[Hoofer]

I fish up and down from Maupin, and not much right around town.

The average fish size has definitely gone down since the tower. I’ve just noticed in a couple spots some bigger than average fish then over the last several years.

I remember when I was green as can be….wearing Hodgman neoprenes and fishing a cortland CL with a rimfly reel……went to south junction and absolutely SLAYED big fish on salmon fly dries. That trip ruined me! I’ve never even come close to hitting that hatch like that again. It was so good, and so long ago, some times I wonder if it really happened! Haha

Also, same era, used to just kill it on caddis dries, and soft hackles down below Sherars…..it still happens, but the fishing is not near what it used to be.

The year I dropped out was rainy and I camped at S Junction, mainly drinking, but the sun came out one afternoon and I caught the three biggest trout I’ve ever seen out there. Or at least that’s how I remember it now.