It has become a spiritual journey for me to connect with the Deschutes River each spring and fall. Each spring brings much anticipation for the buy viagra from canada salmon fly hatch and the adrenalin rush of Whitehorse Rapids . However, the spring of 2010 became a special trip. Due to the hands of mother nature: freezing level of 8,000 feet, an early hatch, and rains leaving every stream, and the Deschutes at much higher flows than normal (7,000 cfs!), a change of plans was in order. Our first day on the Deschutes was to be June 9, a Wednesday. The weather forecast was not the best, we elected to “camp” at Sunriver for one night and allow the D to at least drop toward 6,000 cfs. Ken and I headed for Crane Prairie for one day of fishing. Weather on the lake turned out be cool, breezy, and sometimes calm.
We put on the lake at 10:30 am and used our Diamond Lake technique: Buggers with a trailing chironomid behind on a slow troll with intermediate sinking lines behind the boat. We used Thin Mints, and Black leach patterns. The wind came up and the temperature was dropping, I turned to Ken and said “let’s head for the barn”. Ken headed back and saw a flat spot in the water and headed across….WHAM!
This beast of a Crane-bow hit the Thin Mint bugger like a freight train. After a very nervous chase we landed it. It took me about 15 minutes after some pictures, to stop shaking and realize what a special fish and experience this day had become. Ken and I could only hope the Deschutes would bring us both such great fishing the next few days.
LV
What a fish!!
Good god! Beautiful fish!
Wow… nice one. Great report Lou!!