Here are some of the flies that we plan on taking out on our adventures during the month of August Andrew Deschutes Madness I ho...
Here are some of the flies that we plan on taking out on our adventures during the month of August
Andrew
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| Deschutes Madness |
I hope to participate in my annual float trip with my dog for his birthday. He'll be 12 in August, and I have been taking him to the Cowlitz River over the past few years, as it is an easy trip for him with a plush campground and plenty of shade. Fishing in August around here is definitely hit and miss. We have to rely on steelhead actually showing up, as well as water temps to be low enough for the fish to respond.
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| Silver Hilton |
The Cowlitz is one of those places that will usually have cold water and fish all year, and it usually produces a fish or two. For my trip I will be swinging some more traditional dry line steelhead patterns. I usually don't mess with sink tips or nymphs during the summer time, so if they aren't moving up for my fly, it is at least a gorgeous place to relax with my pup.
My favorites include:
Silver Hilton
Green Butt Skunk Spey
Deschutes Madness
Coal Car
Freight Train
I fish them on a Scandi line with a long leader and really take my time when I get to a run that I know holds fish. Good luck out there in August!
-Andrew
Joe
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| Pultz Popper |
August is the time to head out to the John Day River to catch a billion little smallmouth bass, lots of bass thumb out there in that canyon. I can wet wade in a river that feels like bath water, and go swimmin in between catching fish. I'll be fishing
woolly buggers in olive, brown, and white. Really they will hit anything you attach to end of that line. I'll play around with some top water patterns like
Bass Poppers in Canary Tiger, or the
Pultz Poppers in a variety of colors but will try out Chartreuse first because that was my favorite liquor to work with while bar-tending.
Cheers and fish on!
Ben
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| Light Out |
The weather forecast is finally giving us a couple of cool nights coming up this weekend. After a few weeks of 90 degree to 100 degree weather, this is a big relief. I am hoping this will clear up the Klickitat River for a few days, enough to swing some flies, or throw a nymph rig. I will be using some flies I tied myself, along with some flies from the shop.
Purple Green Butt
Unconditional
Fighting Gravity
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| Unconditional |
Steelhead Muddler
Light Out
If the water is dirty I might throw a
Foxee Dog or
Homeless Spey as Andrew said, Scandi lines are key right now, so nothing too heavy.
For nymphs, it is fairly straight forward; a shiny stone pattern or big caddis pupa, and a trout bead. For stones I personally like bigger (size 4-6) black ones, and caddis I like bigger (size 6-8) orange or chartreuse ones. I like 10mm-12mm beads, and this time of year orange and pink seem to be the ticket.
Rob
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| Flashbugger-Beadhead |
August can be a challenging month for fly fishers. Water is often low and warm with dwindling hatches. In the Rocky Mountains however, the fish still have to eat. Big browns on the rivers like the Madison turn nocturnal and carnivorous. Starting early in the morning and stripping streamers is my choice. There are lots of great streamer options but I like the
Flashbugger beadhead. Afternoon dry fly fishing can be good too with rainbows responding to attractors like the
Royal Wulff or terrestrials like
hoppers,
ants and
beetles.
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| White Popper |
If i can't make it to Montana I have the Columbia river in my back yard and August is the best time of year for top water action on smallmouth bass. As the American shad fry start their migration to the ocean the bass gorge on them. If the wind is blowing
baitfish patterns are great but when it's calm the smallmouth will take top water flies like the
white popper. Foam poppers are easier to use but it deer hair bugs usually bring up the bigger fish.
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| Bomber |
If we get some cool weather to clear up the glacial run off in the Klickitat, I'll be there early mornings and late evenings skating flies for summer steelhead.
Muddlers and
Bombers tied on with a riffle hitch adds a visual aspect to my steelhead swinging. It also teaches me how the current is interacting with my line and causing drag letting me know what to do on my next cast to create a better presentation.
Cameron
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| Starlight Leech |
Historically August is all about the Deschutes for me. The last couple of years have been challenging to say the least. Steelhead numbers have been horrible, and the water has been ridiculously warm. This year we have had the added issue of several wildfires in the Deschutes canyon. If you're fishing for steelhead, one thing you must maintain is hope; lower temperatures are coming! This should help the latest wildfire get put out before it reaches the Deschutes, and simultaneously reduce evening water temperatures. While swinging, I keep it pretty simple with
Green Butt Skunk,
Steelhead Muddler or
Freight Train. If I want to nymph some faster water I use the
Steelie Golden Stone with a
BH Circus Caddis. If I want weighted streamers I like the
Starlight Leech.
