The Lower Deschutes is good in the Warm Springs to Trout Creek area. We had some great guide trips and clinics this week. There are some March Browns hatching, as well as BWO’s, increasing PMD’s, plenty of caddis and the 1st Pale Evening Duns of the spring/summer cycle. All of those might result in a dry fly period for you, but will certainly have a lot of game fishing matching nymphs, pupa’s and emergers.
I’d guess we are about 8-12 days away from meaningful Salmonfly hatches. It will start down by Macks Canyon, and work up river. How fast? That’ll depend on the weather, but my dog told me he thinks the hatch is going to hit Mecca on May 13th. How’s that for a scientific statement of fact? I’m kidding of course, but the dog is probably close.
So, fishing big Stonefly nymphs now is the right thing to do.
Lot’s of good reports of trout spey action on leeches and sculpins.