Trip Details
Trip #1 - One Day - Warm Springs to Trout Creek
This is our most popular day trip for Trout and for Steelhead. We meet in Madras, Oregon. We leave your vehicle at the Madras Safeway and hop in my truck to drive to the put in at Warm Springs (where HWY 26 crosses the Deschutes River -11 miles). Usual put in/take out times vary with different outfitters. No matter what the season we'll put in whenever you want and fish till dark or whenever you need to get off the water. I have my truck shuttled to the take out at Trout Creek where we drive back up to Madras to get you back to your vehicle. Allow 1 hour drive time from take out to Madras. We barbeque up a hearty lunch late in the afternoon so bring snacks to hold you over till then. Soft drinks and water are provided. You're welcome to bring any beverages you like. We have a day cooler on board. A dry bag is provided for your extra clothing like layers, shells etc. We cast "5 weights" the most with 4X tippet for Trout and 7-8 weights with 0X-2X leaders and tippet for our ocean returning friends. Don't forget, all flies, leaders and tippet are included with your trip! As well as complimentary use of Sage and Custom Built Rods!
Trip #2 - Two Day - Trout Creek to Harpham Flat
This is a special trip that is recomended for those that want to experience the Deschutes River but don't have the time for a longer trip. We'll get our lines wet in only the choice spots as we show what a multi-day trip is all about. Our goal with this trip option is to expose you to the beautiful river we guide while spending quality time floating, camping and a limited fishing while covering 33 miles in two days in our comfortable drift boats. You can bet we'll be fishing the "hot spots" as we make our way down river. There will be exciting whitewater and calm sections too. We'll put in as early as you can meet us and take out late the next day. Soft drinks and water are provided. Meals begin with lunch on day one and end with lunch on second day. You're welcome to bring any beverages you like. A $60.00 shuttle fee is added to this trip to shuttle your vehicle from the put in to the take out. We cast "5 weights" the most with 3X-4X tippet for Trout and 7-8 weights with 0X-2X leaders and tippet for our ocean returning friends. Don't forget, all flies, leaders and tippet are included with your trip! As well as complimentary use of Sage and Custom Built Rods!
Trip #3 - Three to Five Day - Trout Creek to Harpham Flat
Our #1 recommended multi day trip. You can choose a 3, 4 or 5 day option. We float 33 miles so a four day trip offers the best balance between float time, fishing time and time in camp. This is the epic portion of the Deschutes. This stretch has everything this river has to offer. Every type of water you could imagine, unbelievable wading opportunities and a variety of hatches that can offer something different around the next "Rainbow Bend". We really love to guide this section and we know it well (Over 150 trips since 1993) This is where we found the name of our guide service "Rainbow Bend". A $60.00 shuttle fee is added to this trip to shuttle your vehicle from the put in to the take out. We try to put in is as early as you can get there. Meals begin with lunch on day one and end with lunch on last day. Take out on last day is usually around 2:00PM - 3:00PM so you can make it back to civilization for dinner.
What you'll need on every trip:
Waders & Boots - We wade to all our fish on the Deschutes. Bring your own or new this year we have rental waders and boots. Costs are $20.00 pp per day on one day trips and $15.00 pp per day on multi day trips. We'll confirm sizes when reserving your trip. You'll need to purchase your Oregon fishing license. You'll also need a BLM Boaters Pass on all trips and a Warm Springs Tribal Permit on Trips #1 ,#2 and #3 up to Oct. 31st. We'll be glad to process your BLM Boaters Passes and Tribal permits for you upon reservation.
What we'll provide:
Full barbeque lunches on all trips with unlimited soft drinks and water. Dinners & breakfasts starting and ending with lunch on overnight trips. All flies, leaders, tippet, strike indicators and Top quality custom built rods. ( 5 wts - 9' dry fly trout, 9'6" strike indicator trout, 12'6" spey for trout) ( 7 wts - 10' single hand, 13'-14' spey ) All rigged with top of the line Ross & Sage Reels and the best line ( Rio or S/A ) to enhance your casting.
Trip #4 - One Day - Pine Tree to Macks Canyon
Although the water from Warm Springs 45 miles downstream to Maupin is our "Home Water" we also guide Steelhead in the Lower section of the Deschutes below Maupin all the way to the Columbia. There is day trip that starts in mid-July and continues into early September that puts us into the "runs" as the big boys make their way upstream. We float 14 miles in mostly flat water with lots of wading opportunities. The "swinging" - one or two handed and the "nymphing" are both productive techniques in this stretch of the Deschutes. It's a long day with a long drive to a remote part of Oregon (about 105 miles from Bend to the put in), but worth it. Last season ('08)we saw 50% native and 50% hatchery fish with high counts on the swing.
This season ('09) we saw record numbers of fish. ( let the FUN begin!! ) We choose to only guide this section during the steelhead runs. Call for current condidtions as sometimes the White River ( upstream in Maupin ) turns this section off color.
Trip #5 - Three to Five Day - Macks Canyon to Heritage Landing
This float is the best way to see some early season bend in your rod, I mean BIG bend in your rod as you target the steelhead runs as they make their way up the Deschutes. Fish on the Fly success is why we drive to such a remote spot of Oregon to go fishing. We put in at Macks Canyon (20 miles down river from Maupin) and have your vehicle shuttled to the take out at Heritage Landing ( where the Deschutes and the Columbia River meet on I-84) For our Summer run of Steelhead we use 7 weights with 0X-2X tippet. We provide One and two handed "swinging" set ups and one "nymphing " set up per person on each Steelhead trip). Had a guest this year that had never used a spey rod but wanted to learn. He stated he didn't want to take time out of his fishing day for casting instruction. When I explained to him I can have him going in a few minutes he decided to try. He never set the rod down the rest of the trip!!
Gratuities are not included in trip prices. When folks ask what is an appropriate amount for a gratuity my response is " it's the same in guiding as in any service industry" - Gratuities generally start at 15% of the cost of the trip, per person. Don't forget, all flies, leaders and tippet are included with your trip! Complimentary use of our Sage and custom hand built rods are always on board for your use, even if you bring your own.
All trips are float trips on an oar powered drift boat. On all sections of the Deschutes we are required to step off the boat and wade to our fish. No fishing is allowed from any floating device on the entire length of the Lower Deschutes River.
All trout are native and are carefully released. Some steelhead are native and are also carefully released.
All guests are encouraged to bring any gear they have (rods, flies, etc.) We'll always be glad to substitute what you don't have at no extra charge. We carry single handed rods and spey rods for trout and steelhead. Two handed rods ( Spey ) take no time at all to master with our experience in teaching. Don't feel as though spey instruction will take away from your time fishing, it doesn't. In fact pretty much every quest I taught to spey cast picked it up right away and never set the rod down again the rest of their trip.
See our reservation page for reservation details.
All guests are required to wear a provided personal flotation device through class three or greater whitewater.
All guests are required to sign a liability release waiver before each trip. Release Waver
On all multidaytrips personal vehicle shuttle fee of $60.00 is added to trip cost.
This is a link to our Deschutes River Equipment List. Our recommendations for camping gear, clothing, personal items, etc. come from many years of experience in hopes of making your trip more comfortable.
Staying in Maupin? We recommend: www.imperialrivercompany.com
Looking for lodging in Madras? We recommend: http://www.innatcrosskeysstation.com/
Our goal is that at the end of each trip you say first and foremost that you had a great time, next that you learned a lot and finally, you caught some fish too!
Welcome aboard!
