Wander the West

Fishing for Redsides on the Deschutes River

	20 Inch Redside

July 2006

Redsides is the local name for the unique strain of rainbow trout in the middle section of the world famous Deschutes River. These sport fish are known for their larger than usual size and the tremendous fight the put up when hooked.

I recently had the opportunity to join my father and a good friend on a guided one day fishing trip for these legendary fish. My father and I shared a drift boat and our guide was Merril Hummer with Numb-Butt Fly Company. Merril brought with him 40+ years of fishing experience, much of it on the Deschutes River. It was a Saturday in early July, and the stretch of river between Warm Springs and Troutcreek was full of fisherman. Fortunately some of the better spots were open to us and we were able to fish mostly alone.

Merril took a few minutes to show us a few tips on nymphing, which turned out to be the only type of fishing that we did all day. This involves using midges and pupas and dead drifting them along the bottom of the river. A strike indicator placed along the leader gives the signal of a fish taking the fly. On his second demonstration cast he hooked a nice 14” redside. He graciously passed it off to my father to play and land. This was an indicator of how the day was to go for us because between the two of us, my dad and I caught somewhere around 25 fish ranging in size from 4” to 20”. Most were around 12-14”.

The fishing is rivaled only by the beauty of the countryside as you drift quietly from fishing hole to fishing hole. It’s the combination of the two that makes this trip unforgettable. If you are a fisherman, take a trip to the Deschutes and fish for the redsides. If it is your first time use a guide. If you use a guide, you probably can’t do better than Merrill with Numb-Butt.

Fishing for Redsides on The Deschutes River Gallery

- Eric Davis