The next morning we met our guides at 7
AM for breakfast, and to make the drive
to the river. I left my bag outside the
breakfast room to put in Nick’s vehicle so
I’d be ready to go to the airport when we
got back because I knew I’d be hustling
to get to my flight on time (…random
comment). On the way down to the river
I learned our guide, Gil Muhleman, had
been guiding the river since he was 18,
now 40, he knows a little bit about it. He
mentioned that a lot more people are
fishing the Deschutes now, like all places,
but the stretch we were doing began at
Trout Creek and included White Horse
Rapids which keeps quite a bit of traffic off
this stretch, he commented, “Thank God
for White Horse Rapids.”
The fishing was much different, very cool,
but a lot different. If you haven’t fished the
Deschutes, you can’t fish from the boat.
So, you fish from the bank and hop spot
to spot. But, the bank is lined with alder
trees. Guess where salmon flies drop off
to fall in the river? Yep, right under the
alder trees. So you can guess where the
fish, and especially the larger fish like to
sit. So, we got out and hiked up the steep
path to the train tracks full of rock scree
and rattle snakes (saw 3 on this trip). Then
we headed down to the water, and under
the limbs of the alder trees Gil told me to
make a “bow cast” up river.
A “BOW CAST?”
I mean, I’ve seen people do that in fishing
shows but I always thought that was kind
of a ridiculous and hopeless method that