While finding your own rock may be as difficult as finding the fish at times, it is well worth the time and effort to plan a trip for these hard fighting chromers. The steelies will average 5-9 pounds, with Idaho strain fish approaching 20.

Access
Summer Run Steelhead will be found in the Deschutes from the mouth upstream to the Pelton Dam, but the greatest numbers will be from Macks Canyon downstream a mere 26 miles of prime water! However, the lower seven miles from Kloan to the Deschutes River State Park is much better suited for the "day use only" anglers at the park and Heritage Landing access at the mouth. Foot trails (some fisher folks use mountain bikes) skirt the river on both sides and allow excellent access. The farther upstream you are willing to go, the less angler pressure you will find.

Equipment
The Lower Deschutes is a "fly or lure only" fishery, meaning NO bait fishing is allowed. The two most popular methods for the shore bound angler is fly-fishing and spinners - most anglers will use both during the course of the day.

Fly Rods should be seven to nine weight with disk drag reels loaded with floating line and at least 150 yards of backing, more if you can handle the weight of a larger reel. Nine-foot fluorocarbon leaders tapered to 2x are necessary.

Spinning or casting tackle should include an eight to ten foot rod, matched with a reel that can hold 200 yards of 10-14 pound test mono. A longer rod will move more line when setting the hook and keep a lot of line off the water when making long casts.

Lures and Flies
Deschutes River Steelhead will attack most standard and traditional patterns, but seem at times to have a preference to darker ones. Skunks, Purple Peril, Skykomish Sunrise in addition to large stonefly and nymphs should be in your box. Fly patterns are not as important as how well it is presented however, and a good cast that is short will produce better than a bad cast half way across the river. Keep in control of your fly and the drift and you will catch fish.

For the lure tossers, a #4 Mepps spinner in chartreuse is the standard size and color for consistent catches. But bring along #2's and #3's with silver and gold blades as well. Kastmasters and Cleos will produce in the slower sections and Hot Shots with or without planner boards can put you on a great bite at times.

Technique
Traditional floating fly line techniques are perfectly suited for this section of the river. 1/4 down and across wet fly swing as well as greased line methods (they will take dries, drifted or skated) are productive while the sun is still behind the canyon walls.

Begin at the head of a run or pool cast, mend, then do nothing but hold on. Don't strip, shake, wiggle - just let the current swing your fly and line downstream. When the fly is directly below you, keep it there for a moment - you'll be surprised how many steelhead will follow a fly until the very end of the drift before taking it! If nothing happens, take two steps downstream and cast again. Repeat the process until you have covered the length of the run. BE PREPARED for a VIOLENT strike at anytime during the drift. A word of advice: Do not set the hook. Let the steelie grab the fly, turn it's head and begin to move back to it's holding area. Have two or three feet of loose line between your rod hand and the reel and when you feel the strike, let the line free, then put pressure on the fish.

When the sun gets high, either switch to a sink tip and fish the pocket water or pick up a casting or spinning rod and throw spinners. The technique for hardware is identical to that of fishing the fly - 1/4 to 1/2 down stream cast, drift, and pause at the end of the drift.

The Deschutes River is the jewel of Central Oregon. You owe it to yourself to experience all it has to offer. Big Horn Sheep, Cougar and huge Mule Deer can be seen posed picture perfect along the canyon walls. It's breath-taking beauty and world-class fishing will have you begging to return.