Muskrat River Ramble

The Crooked River is a high desert stream that meanders through the high desert plateau and canyons of Eastern Oregon. In its heyday it used to harbor large numbers of 2- to 6-pound rainbow trout with some over 10 pounds. Unfortunately, inadequate regulations, constant fishing pressure and poaching took its toll. Today, the average fish is 8 to 12 inches. Those early years, however, are still vivid in my mind, and one trip in particular still makes me smile.

My fishing partner Rob and I were fishing one of our favorite haunts called the Chukar Hole. As we worked downstream my line suddenly stopped. Thinking that I was snagged I lifted the rod to free it, but then more line began to scream off the reel. I knew it had to be large because it was heavy and never jumped as I continued to stumble after it. Rob rushed down with the net and yelled, “Doug, it’s huge! Hang on to him.” The only chance to land it was the large pool below, so I kept the pressure on and walked it down. Finally, it stopped when it reached the pool and I said with urgency, “Get him Rob. I don’t want to lose it!”  Suddenly, as he began to net it, he started laughing and said,

“You won’t believe this Doug.”                 

“Believe what,” I shouted.

“It’s not a fish!”

“What?” 
“It’s a 5-pound muskrat!” 

Although this was a frustrating conclusion, we both agreed that hooking a real muskrat with a muskrat fly was a unique accomplishment. 

How to tie the Muskrat Fly:    
                                            

Materials:

Hook:    Mustad No. 9672, Size 8

Thread: 3/0 Monocord
Tail:      Small bunch of muskrat fur with guard hairs

Body:    Dubbed muskrat 

Wing:    Muskrat underfur with guard hairs

Head:    Black ostrich or mohair.

1. Tie in the tail with the guard hairs extended backward and then spin some muskrat fur on the thread between the hook and bobbin. 

2. Dub the body forward 1/3 and tie in another small bunch of muskrat on top of the hook with the guard hairs pointed backward.

3. Dub a second bunch of muskrat forward 1/3 and tie in another clump of muskrat on top of the hook with the guard hairs extended backward.

4. Spin in 2 black ostrich herls and tie the head off.

A Fluttering Stone or an Impostor?

Adult Salmon Fly

Fluttering Stonefly

The Deschutes River has a variety of water types that harbor the famous Redside trout. It is also enriched with a diversified riparian zone which consists mostly of sage, tall grasses, willows, alder trees and pine trees. Many fish live under or close to this protective canopy and it also gives fish access to a variety of food sources that live in their domain, float through it or inadvertently fall into it. These areas also give the fly fisher good cover from which to make effective casts to an unsuspecting trout. It is almost a setup deal!

I located a place to fish that had these types of surroundings, and I was armed with my favorite stonefly imitation, the Fluttering Stone. I stripped out some line and waited for a rise. The faster current above had blended into a gentle riffle that was broken-down by numerous large boulders. Suddenly, a nice fish rose about 15 feet out and above my position. I quickly stripped out my line and cast about 6 feet above the riser. The fly passed over its holding water without a take. As I paused and waited for another rise, I felt something crawling on my neck. Thinking that it was just a stonefly, I held my position, hoping for action. Suddenly, the fish rose and as I started to cast, I felt a sudden pain on my neck and quickly swatted off a large spider. This experience didn’t deter me from fishing these locations again, but before I entered I always shook the brush and branches to dislodge or ward off any creepy crawlers.

Sometimes you have to have a stubborn attitude and put up with some nagging inconveniences to catch fish. Such is the case in Eastern Oregon where there are many types of noxious weeds and critters that you may have to deal with—a variety of insects, weird bugs, snakes, and even plants like poison oak and tansy ragwort.  In order to survive, you have to try to live and fish in harmony with them or find a less intimidating outdoor activity. 

The Perfect Imitation

Stew's Black Midge

Materials:
Hook:    Mustad 94840, Sizes 16-18
Thread: 6/0 Monocord
Body:    Black Poly Yarn
Hackle:  Black
Wing:     White feather fibers or ostrich herl


On a late spring afternoon, my friend Jim Colantino and I were fishing a high desert lake that held large Rainbow Trout. It wasn’t the warm, comfortable day that we had planned on. A blustery cold wind and a drizzle of rain periodically strafed the surface and dampened our hopes of hooking some nice fish. However, there were some windows of opportunity.

Lulls in the wind and rain calmed the surface which soon generated a good hatch of size 16 black midges. A few nice trout began to cruise the surface and randomly inhale the hapless insects. We didn’t waste any time in presenting our imitation—Stew’s Black Midge. It was a fly that I had developed at Jim’s request the season before and it quickly proved its worth. Numerous and sizeable fish were quickly hooked and released, when another problem began to develop. We had some unwanted competition—Barn Swallows. 

From the start it was an unfair game.  As soon as the elements abated the fish began to rise for the midges, and unfortunately the swallows began to dive and take the hapless midges as well. Then, as we began to cast, our adversaries began to attack our fragile imitations in midair. Just as our midge landed on the surface, the cagey birds would attempt to snatch it. To avoid hooking them, we had to pull it away. We eventually managed to catch several decent trout, but it was a frustrating experience and in the end the birds won the battle. Jim and I mutually agreed that sometimes perfect imitations can be too perfect, so we reeled in and chalked it up to experience. 

Below are illustrations of the developmental stages of a midge. 

                     Larva                        Pupa                       Adult