What's the situation with stoneflies on the Deschutes?

Stoneflies are aquatic insects of the order Plecoptera. Many species of stoneflies call the Big D' it's home. The most important species to fish and fisherman alike are: "Giant Salmonfly", "Golden Stonefly", and the "Little Yellow Stonefly".

Where should I be fishing these flies?

Don't believe the hype! Most articles and reports tell you focus on fishing tight to the bank and under alders. While these are great places to look for Redside trout on the Deschutes during the hatch, do not discount the deep slow frog water we often ignore as fly fisherman. Back eddies can be a bit more tricky, and the only place where 4X might be needed!

Is there an especially effective tactic to fish them?

It takes two to Tango! Fish two dries in tandem. Use a stiff butt 7 1/2 foot 1, 2 or 3X foot tapered trout leader. Attach the larger "Giant Salmonfly" directly to the leader. Tie a 30 inch 1, 2, 3 X Piece of Fluorocarbon tippet to the hook bend of the Salmonfly such as a Rogue Foam. Attach your 2 second offering, that of a smaller sized Golden Stone imitation to your tippet end.

What time of day should anglers look to target trout on dry stones?

The good news is that trout will take bugs all day long, although fishing around dusk can provide some incredible fishing if the wind is not too strong. A little wind good, lot's of wind bad!

How do I find the hatch?

The Lower Deschutes is a little over 100 Miles long. You'll find the hatch in the lower river usually around mid May. The key for the hatch to start is the water temperature. It must reach at least 52-54 degrees. The water is warmer near the Columbia and cooler near the tailwater of Pelton Dam. You can usually find the hatch around Warm Springs come June 7th. The hatch will last into the last week of June. We will be on the river from May 21st ~ June 24th and will report to the shop on a daily basis. Please note that a cooler than average spring and a record snowpack could prolong the hatch as coolor water tempatures are predicted!

Give me your top 5 tips for fishing this hatch successfully...?

a) Take a black or a brown sharpie to color up the underbodies of your Giant Salmonfly pattern. Most patterns are too orange and fish take notice.

b) Top Ride from Loon has large crystals to effectively dry off your flies when they are soaked. Combined with floatant your fly will be floating high and dry!

c) Trim your bottom-hackles with scissors. Some store bought flies are more reminiscent of a desert tumbleweed and less with an adult stone fly.

d) On patterns tied with Calf Tail for wing material, let the trout eat. Be quicker on the hookset if the pattern has lots of deer/elk hair and foam.

e) The Redsides on the Deschutes are usually not worried about tippet and leader size when keying in on these large bugs. 1-2-3 X is all you need. Worry about your selection of pattern, not the size of your leader and tippet.