The Deschutes River Fall Steelhead Experience

It is hard to find the words to describe the experience of the Deschutes River canyon fall steelhead trip. It's in Oregon's high desert, sage and juniper trees line the hills where basalt cliffs tower and canyons veer through the crags.  This is home to chuckar, quail, bighorn sheep, mule deer and coyote. A National Wild and Scenic cooridor that hosts a bounty of other wildlife along the river too. Beaver, otter, muskrat, mink, varieties of ducks and geese, great horned owls to name a few.  Then there are the big birds; bald eagles and golden eagles which are often seen soaring the basalt cliffs and wind ruffled ridgetops searching for prey.  Whitewater welcomes the prepared here and eats the non-experienced for lunch!  The remoteness of the canyon is part of the adventure where 32 miles of hard to get to water invites your exploration. www.watertimeoutfitters.com

The Deschutes river is an aqua ribbon through this desert landscape and is home to one of the most robust steelhead runs on the lower 48.  Here both wild and hatchery steelhead are seemingly somehow born with-out the abiltiy to resist the swung fly.  These fish average between 6-8 pounds but are often found to 10 pounds.  Each year we land fish in the mid-teens.  One does not simply put the breaks on when fighting a steelhead here.  Mix big water with powerful fish and it's a recipe made for good seeing portions of backing line.  Hang on and enjoy the battle, don't rush it; let that fish run and then coax him back.

Getting ready for Buckskin Mary Rapids.

Wading is required on the Deschutes as regulations do not allow for fishing out of the boat.  The best traction money can buy is well worth it here.

History abounds on the Deschutes.

The Deschutes River railroad has an incredible story starting back in 1908.

On this adventure you can wake up to the smell of coffee and step into a prime steelhead run just feet away from camp.  Fish til dark if you like and allow the glow of the lanterns in the large canvas tents to lure you off the water. Or perhaps it's the smell of hot chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven that welcome you to camp.  The sound of a crackling fire and dinner on the grill are part of the memorable adventure that tingles the senses and creates lasting memories.

As the weather gets colder times around the fire get better!

Campfires are allowed in the canyon after Oct 15th.  

The cool clear waters of the Deschutes are a mecca for salmon and steelhead migrating up the Columbia river.  Many seasons the Deschutes runs 10 degrees cooler than the Columbia river and is a much needed safety zone for salmon and steelhead.  

Big Deschutes river rainbow trout like to eat steelhead flies too!

Fishing the swung fly for fall steelhead

Bull trout on the Deschutes River. 

Wild turkeys in the Deschutes canyon.

Bighorn Sheep on the hills of the Deschutes Canyon

Home away from home on the river.

Come join us for an adventure that words cannot describe; once you see it you will soon know why many of our customers have been fishing this trip with us for nearly 20 years!  Make the most of your water time with Water Time Outfitters.  For more info visit us at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com @robcrandall @sageflyfish #perfectingperformance 

Winter Steelhead Workshop -2016 Schedule

Want to learn how to catch winter steelhead on Oregon Rivers?  Water Time Outfitters offers a special workshop just for you!  These workshops are designed to get walk in fly anglers comfortable with a variety of spots and techniques that will put them into fish on the Oregon's best rivers.

Here is how it works. We start at the crack of 9:00 am at a designated location near the water with coffee and donuts. We’ll review maps that will give you at least a dozen productive steelhead runs that you can drive and walk to, often these are spots we personally fish. With coffee in hand we’ll discuss the maps in detail.

Then when we’ve reached proper caffeine level we’ll grab a bunch of gear and head out to the water.   We will tour the river from the bank bound angler point of view showing you the sweet spots with public access.  On the water we will cover: fishing techniques, fishing strategy, fly selection and more. This is also time to talk about lines, rods and rigging. We’ll have plenty of spey rods and fly lines for you to try out and get a feel for different systems. If you need some basic spey casting lessons there is usually a little time for that as well.

If we actually catch a fish it will be by accident. The purpose of this workshop is to give you the tools you need to find, read, and properly fish good steelhead water the actual fishing will be secondary.

Around 1pm we’ll break for a hungry man’s lunch and then head on to some more spots with steelhead water you’ll want to drool on!

Steelhead Workshop Classes offered in 2016:

January 30th  -Clackamas & Eagle Creek meets at Royal Treatment Fly shop -instructor Rob Crandall

Feb 27th - -Clackamas & Eagle Creek meets at Royal Treatment Fly shop -instructor Rob Crandall

March 19 - Clackamas River meets at Royal Treatment Fly shop- instructor Rob Crandall

Workshop cost is $100 including lunch and is limited to 8 anglers.  Spots fill fast and pre-payment is required to reserve your spot.

Call Rob Crandall to sign up now- for more info 503-704-6449 or to reserve your spot.  Email:  Winter Steelhead Signup Info

From Slow to Amazing - Deschutes Steelhead Experience at Its Best

Fishing had been slow all morning, that said two anglers had several opportunities but did not connect and the other two had 2 fish to hand.  Our final spot loomed ahead as we floated into our lunch run.  Gil had his two anglers spread out and my two joined them.  We were in a favorite spot, one that had delivered before.  A tough few days behind us and we were ready for a hot spot and holding hope that our last one would be it.  That is how it is being a steelhead fly fishing guide; you hope and hope.  Always expecting the best and keep coaching the best casts from your anglers; again hoping when the opportunity does happen-because it will- that they don't yank that fly out of the fish's mouth on the first light tap.

Victor was the first to yell out "FISH ON!" Gil and I immediately stopped our lunch prep- Gil grabbing a net and I grabbing the Nikon D7000.  We ran upriver to see Victor fast into a hot fish that wasn't budging.  This is always fun for me with the camera as I get the opportunity to see Gil at work and get those perspectives that I can't get when I am holding the net.  About ten photos into the battle I heard it from down below-"FISH ON!"  Matt who was just beyond view below bellowed.  I knew we had a few minutes before he would need the net so we focused on Victor's fish thinking it was soon coming to hand.  Not so.  It fought tirelessly and Matt belowed again.  I rushed down to Matt this time grabbing my rubberized net and wading in with Matt.  He had a huge smile on his face as the warm sun glinted off his doubled over spey rod.  Matt's fish was smaller than the one upriver with Gil and we landed them almost simultaneously.  It was then that we looked up to see another outfitter floating by.  Gil told him it had been like this all the way down river- he called b.s.. We did hook a total of 5 fish that lunch time and didn't burn lunch!

Cast, swing, step is an easy formula.  There is really not that much to it- but there is.  Minute details add up to more success or less.  Here is the simple formula we use for success:

• Keep moving- steelhead are not hard to convince to bite- they are hard to find.  You have the job of finding them-this run, the next or the one after that.  Keep Moving! Make an effort to consistently move down river for each cast 5-6 feet.  
• Swing for success- your swing is what catches fish.  Don't get caught up casting over and over...get the right cast and focus on your swing.  Visualize how the fly is moving.  How fast or slow is it bouncing in chop or dropping in slow water.  Manage your line for an even swing speed and catch more fish.
• Don't fish a bad cast.  Multiple casts in one spot are a waste of time.  Unless you see a fish roll or have a steelhead tag your fly and it doesn't stick only make one cast in each spot.
• Don't yank the fly away from the fish.  So often trout anglers get twitchy and upon feeling the first tug of a steelhead take they yank hard.  This simply pulls the fly away from the fish and it rarely ends well.  Steelhead takes are a variety from flat out ON with line peeling off to slow soft tugs that feel like a wet sock just floated onto your line.  Patience at this critical juncture is imperative.  Take a muscle relaxer and respond slowly!

For an amazing river experience connect with a crew who has been working the river for over 20 years.  Visit:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Water Time Classes, Schools and Clinics for 2013

Winter Steelhead Workshop Schedule: 
Get the know how and the where to go info in this one day packed session.  We cover the maps, strategies, fish run timing, water levels and fishing techniques and show you how.  All that and lunch is included too!
$100.  Visit  www.watertimeoutfitters.com  for contact info.

Clackamas/Eagle Creek
Jan 26
Feb 23
Mar 23

Coastal Steelhead Workshop- Trask, Wilson, Kilches
Jan 26
Feb16

Steelhead Boot Camp: Learn all you can about steelhead in this packed weekend of steelhead topics.  Casting, techniques, knots, flies, reading water and much much more!  $925 includes lodging meals and fishing with raft or drift boats on the Wilson, Trask, Kilches or NF Nehalem rivers. 

Free Seminars:
Learn the intricate details of what it takes to be more successful on the water with our Quest for Chrome series of presentations at Royal Treatment Fly Shop in West Linn, OR.  This action packed presentation gives you the tools you need to be more successful on the waters you fish for Steelhead.

Jan 19
Feb 16
Mar 16

Portland Sportsman's Show:
Come visit us at our booth along the fly casting pond Feb 6,7,8,9,10 at the Portland Oloughlin Sportsman's Show.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Portland Show Presentation:
See Rob Crandall at the Oloughlin Sport show give you the details for success on the Steelhead River in the show!  Presentations are 1 hour and will be on Friday, Sat, Sun.