Northwest Fishing Magazine July 2025 Volume 4 Issue 9 - Flipbook - Page 8
It was a windier day
than we had hoped for,
but the waves were not
white-topped, and we
had a 40-horse Merc and
a trolling motor to fight
the wind with. It was my
first trip to Ochoco for the
season, but my dad had
been fishing it since March
and knew right where we
wanted to start. It didn't
hurt that the wind was
blowing us that way, too.
and was watching tweety
birds while we unlimbered
the fly rods. I tried to keep
her from tangling in the
expensive tackle. Once
she got so excited, she
jumped into the lake. After
she realized this was just
supposed to be a pleasure
trip for her, she settled
down and was just irritated
for the rest of the day.
A big trout took my fly on
the first pass but was able
We started at the top of the to throw the hook after a
lake where the creeks come brief battle. Dad was also
using a rust-colored fly, and
in, around the flooded
our friend Keith Gran, flywillows.
fishing for the first time in
For my main rod, I had
his misspent life, was using
selected a rust-colored,
a fly called the Autumn
sparsely tied mohair leech
Splendor, which might have
and was using a floating
reminded Keith of someone
line with a 4X tippet.
he used to know because
My young dog Pepper
he kept whispering to it,
was with me for her first
saying her name.
time fishing. She thought
Whatever he was
she was expected to work
whispering to the Autumn
Splendor was working
because soon he hooked
and landed a trout. And
then caught another.
For my part, I began
catching bass. And dad,
running the trolling motor
and a 4-weight rod, began
catching bass too, and a
crappie.
OCHOCO AT FULL POOL
After three winters of
better-than-average
snowpack, a lot of central
Oregon waters that were
very low, even dry in some
cases, are back and better
than ever. Ochoco Reservoir
has always been a bit of a
local's secret. It is only six
miles outside of Prineville,
and when conditions are
good, the trout grow fat,
putting on an inch a month.
Better yet, this reservoir has
good wintering conditions,
meaning that holdover
trout are common, going
16 to 17 inches in late spring
and early summer.
