Fly Fishing Central & Southeastern Oregon. Harry Teel

Bullet Head Golden Stone

       Humpy

       Whit’s Hopper

       Palomino Midge

       Beadhead Prince Nymph

       Beadhead Pheasant Tail

       Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph

       Brassie

       Kaufmann Stone

       Girdle Bug

       Marabou Damsel Nymph

       Woolly Bugger

       Krystal Bugger

       Muddler Minnow

       Max Canyon

       Redwing Blackbird

       Green Butt Skunk

       Freight Train

       Silver Hilton

       Purple Peril

       Zonker

       Clouser Minnow Deep

       Whitlock’s Deer Hair Popper

      Photos by Pete Chadwell.

      The rugged Crooked River canyon south of Prineville, Oregon. Photo by John Judy.

       Fly Fishing Conditions by the Month

      Here are general fly fishing conditions for central and southeastern Oregon. Use this table to help plan your fly fishing outing or vacation. Water conditions can vary from year to year, as can seasons and regulations, affecting the information I give here. Always consult a fly shop to get the latest information.

      A lone angler searches for steelhead on the Lower Deschutes River. Photo by John Judy.

       Top Oregon Fly Fishing Waters

       Central & Southeastern

       Ana River

      The Ana River offers a unique fly fishing experience in an honest-to-God desert river. It flows through a sand-and-sagebrush open landscape that is genuine Oregon high desert. The river flows from Ana Reservoir and discharges into Summer Lake. The river’s true origins are springs that are now covered by the Ana Reservoir.

      The Ana is only about seven miles long, doesn’t get much pressure, and holds some nice-sized rainbow trout, being stocked with 20,000 fingerling trout each year. The reservoir is stocked annually with catchable trout and every other year with bass fingerlings.

      If you like fly fishing challenges, you’ll like the Ana’s clear water and the need to make good fly presentations. You’ll work for what you get, and at times fishing can be frustrating because you can’t get a fish to rise. I suggest you take the time to walk a quarter mile or so along the banks and determine if you want to wade. Look for insects while you are walking. You’ll find an abundance of midges, mayflies, and terrestrials around the river.

      The Ana River lies east of Highway 31 in the Great Basin near Summer Lake. If you are visiting central Oregon, the Ana is about a two-hour drive from Bend and is a good alternative to some of the area’s more crowded waters.

      An angler stalks trout on the Ana River. Photo by Brian O’Keefe.

       Types of Fish

      Mostly rainbow trout. These fish run from 8 to 16 inches and are great fighters.

       Known Hatches

      Midges, mayflies and terrestrials.

       Equipment to Use

      Rods: 2–5 weight, 7–9 feet in length.

      Reels: Palm drag.

      Lines: Floating, to match rod weight.

      Leaders: 5X to 6X, 9–12 feet in length.

      Wading: