July is caddis time on the Lower Deschutes. As usual, evenings have been best, but fish are looking up throughout the day if you know where to look. Low-riding dry flies like the Outrigger Caddis and X-Caddis are accounting for far more trout than more traditional, heavily hackled dries like Elk Hairs. Sometimes it may take 2 or 3 fly changes and an immaculate drift to get one of those picky bank feeders to eat. Backeddies are full of feeding trout. Fish your favorite eddy right before dark and be prepared for some great dry fly fun. PMD/PED spinners and duns are also causing some selective feeding. Nymphing continues to be productive in the riffles.
It is time to dust off the Spey rod! Steelhead are poking into the lower reaches of the river. July steelheading can be somewhat unpredictable. But the only way to hook a fish is to get a line wet. With some persistence, floating lines in the mornings and evenings and sink tips with leeches during the day will get you tight to a fish.
