Lower Deschutes Steelhead

[oldranger]

After more than a decade of ignoring the lower Deschuted fall fishing I decided to pull our little travel trailer down to Maupin for 3 nights. Day 1: 1 hour of fishing—1 wild steelhead—way too easy! Day 2: 9 hours of fishing—1 14” rainbow. Day 3: 9 hours of fishing—1 wild steelhead. Day 4 (today):2.5 hours fishing—1 hatchery steehead! Yea! I can bring 4 meals for Kathy and me. On the Deschutes all wild fish must be released. So it was important for me to catch a hatchery fish to bring home so Kathy will let me go fishing again!

Second wild steelhead

Sunrise over Maupin

Attempt at selfy with keeper

Hatchery Hen keeper

[rlown]

Selfy sucks, but nice fish..

[gary c.]

Really nice fish and love the sunrise pic.

[maverick]

Selfy sucks, but nice fish..

[robertseeburger]

Wow..that looks great!.. looks like fun.. I have read about fishing on the Deschutes, but never made it up there.
I have heard that it can get crowded though.
Glad you got out after all the fires up there.

[austex]

Mike, Nice fish great times!

[Harlen]

You write:

On the Deschutes all wild fish must be released. So it was important for me to catch a hatchery fish to bring home so Kathy will let me go fishing again!

How does one distinguish between wild and hatchery fish? Sounds like you had a great time, cheers, Ian.

[rlown]

https://fishwithjd.com/2019/11/14/how-t ... steelhead/

[Harlen]

Got it, thanks Russ.

[oldranger]

Another interesting thing about the hatchery fish is that ODFW will collect hatchery fish when they return to the release point and return them downriver so anglers get another chance at them. I’m pretty sure the hatchery fish had been “recycled” as she was not as bright as the two wild fish I caught.