Hops & Hatches: June 2011

Every year, on the fourth Saturday in May -- which falls on the 28th this year -- the headwaters of the Deschutes River become open to fishing. I've always referred to this section as "Blue Hole", although the actual Blue Hole is really only one part of it. This year is the first year that I missed the opener since we found this wonderful piece of river.

Josh and I first discovered this amazing place through our friend T.J. who heard about it while eavesdropping at a local fly shop. Can't thank T.J. enough for that move! We found it pretty easily, and found the big honey hole of Brook Trout after a hike downstream through a trail of downed lodgepole pine. We were awed at how many fish were stacked-up in there. Before even making a cast, it seemed we would just be able to throw a fly in the water and one of these fish would hammer it every time. We quickly realized this was not the case. Not even close, in fact.

I barely remember those first couple visits there. I know I didn't catch fish at first, and I also remember the mosquitoes could be horrendous. Since then, I've caught loads of fish - not only in that Brookie hole, but upstream in the Blue Hole as well.

A monster lives there.

The Blue Hole is more lake-like; better fished from a float tube or boat. It gets pretty deep in spots. I would have to estimate 20-25' at its deepest, but that is a complete guess. The techniques used here are many: woolly buggers or other streamers cast as far as you can throw and stripped in; nymphs on a sinking line or on a floating line under a strike indicator (both close to the banks and out in the depths); and dry flies. When the timing is right and all the stars line up and you hit a good hatch, it can be the absolute best fishing I've ever come across. A few years ago, we took a friend up there who had never even so much as held a fly rod before. The Blue-Winged Olive hatch that day was that of dreams! Our friend hooked a few fish and even landed a couple. I landed at least a dozen big Rainbows that day and missed or lost at least that many more.

As I said, I don't really remember the first trips up there. However, I remember just about every other one like it was yesterday... I remember Josh hooking a monster of a Rainbow in the Brookie hole, and when I tried to land it, the fish swam in towards the bank, the leader crossed my chest and broke off. I felt so bad I went back to the truck to sleep. While I was gone, Josh hooked that same fish again and this time landed it with the help of a couple friendly fly fishermen...

I remember taking my float tube into the "lagoon" just upstream of the Brookie hole and catching a very solid, strong Brookie on a white woolly bugger. It was a great fight! After releasing this fish I got out of my float tube and ran downstream to tell Troy what happened. I gave him my set-up and he jumped into that float tube -- first cast (I believe) hooked a torpedo that ran hard. And then ... gone. Would have loved to see that fish.

When I cast a big olive Woolley as far as I could throw, and hooked and landed a 24" rainbow from my boat. What a fish that was!

The time Drew and I were in my little drift boat and lost an oar that slipped out of its locks during a frantic beginning to a classic BWO hatch. I had to row around for the entire next day with a single oar.