Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana

Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

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Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Fishing with my Nephew: Fifth Annual Trip

Martinlf has attached these 11 pictures to this report. The message is below.

Our Exceptional Guides, Elke and Alysia Littleleaf

Marv, with Shane, Elke and Alysia's son. And a beautiful rainbow trout.

Marvin's Bull Trout--yes it took a dry fly.

My biggest Redband--See the bright red gill plate?

Another Deschutes Redband at Mecca Cliffs. The hike down was treacherous, but the fishing was excellent!

A gorgeous stream full of eager little rainbows.

And salmonfly. Huge bugs. One night returning to the hotel, I got my chest pack to organize some stuff. In the elevator I felt something on my hand and looked down to find four salmonflies that had hitched a ride. They were all over us as we made our way through the brush to fish under the trees and bushed that were thick with them.

Report at a Glance

General Region	Oregon
Specific Location	Deschutes and Crooked River
Dates Fished	May 22-May 25
Time of Day	Sunrise to sundown most days
Fish Caught	Redbands and Rainbows--and a Bull Trout!
Conditions & Hatches	Salmonflies, golden stoneflies, caddis

Details and Discussion

Martinlf

Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047

Martinlf on Jun 8, 2018June 8th, 2018, 8:33 am EDT

My nephew Marvin and I fished the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers in Oregon. For the Deschutes, it was big bugs and fish; for the Crooked, caddis and small rainbows. The Deschutes has a strain of rainbows called Redbands. They are known for their size and tenacity. The landscapes were gorgeous and we had Native American guides two days who were exceptional.

"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

RleeP
NW PA - Pennsylvania's Glacial Pothole Wonderland

Posts: 398

RleeP on Jun 8, 2018June 8th, 2018, 9:29 am EDT

Great stuff, Louis.. Brought back some nice memories. We had friends who had a horse ranch near Alfalfa about halfway between Redmond and the BLM section of the Crooked below Bowman Dam. We went out to see them just about every year from 1997 to 2006 or so. Actually, when I remarried in 1997, we honeymooned for two weeks at the SunRiver resort about 25 miles south of Bend and fished every day.

I had many great days on the big river at Mecca Flats and also spent a lot of time on the public section of the Crooked. Back then, the biologists said that the Crooked was carrying around 8,000 redsides/mile. But only about 5 of them were over 12"..:) Didn't matter to me. I loved it just the way it was.

If you go back, you owe yourself some time on the Metolius. Tough fish (at least for me..), but probably the most beautiful trout stream I've ever fished.

I'm glad you enjoyed it and did well...

Martinlf

Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047

Martinlf on Jun 8, 2018June 8th, 2018, 3:53 pm EDT

Lee, I'll almost certainly go back. Marvin now lives in Estacada, at the foot of Mt. Hood, about 2 hours from the Deschutes. We almost went to the Metolius, but ran out of time. But we're making plans to hit it in the future. This is likely the first of many trips to Oregon for me. Glad the description and photos warmed your heart. We had a marvelous time, and the country was breathtaking. We actually based in Redmond, eating at the Shari's there early in the morning and late night when returning. Great Marionberry pie.

"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

Wbranch

York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635

Wbranch on Jun 9, 2018June 9th, 2018, 9:54 am EDT

Hi Louis,

It sounds like you had a fun trip. I have been Facebook friends with Elke for at least two years. Is he really as tall as he looks in many of his pictures? He looks like the kind of guy not to infringe on his rising trout.

Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

Martinlf

Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047

Martinlf on Jun 9, 2018June 9th, 2018, 4:31 pm EDT

Yes, Matt, he's that tall. And Alysia is tiny. They were a great team.

"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell