Earlier this Summer the “ Substation Fire” spread to the lower Deschutes River and burned a significant area along the river. You can read more about it in this article from the Oregonian. I had the chance to fish the river in August and saw the devastation first hand. Although the area was scorched, there are signs of life all along the river. Small patches of green dot the charred landscape, pheasants, deer, wild turkeys and even porcupines can be seen up and down the river, and the fishing is as good as ever. In two days on the Deschutes we caught wild and hatchery Steelhead, wild Chinook salmon, Reside trout, Smallmouth bass and even a couple of sucker fish. Here are a few pictures that capture the look of the river. It will be very interesting to see what the river looks like next year.
