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Actually, the Deschutes is quite a bit different than the Klickitat. The Klickitat comes off the glaciers of Mt. Adams and the Goat Rocks. As Jim can probably remember, you better get your steelheading in by midday because of the silt. The Deschutes is pretty much a tailwater fishery. The more fair comparison to the Klick would be the Hood River.
But, there are more resident bows than Jim leads on. Especially above Leidl Bridge. We used to catch them on streamers and spoons. The Klick does have a major stonefly population and I've had limited luck fishing the dries. And the whitefish... don't believe anybody if they tell you a whitefish's mouth is too small for a #6 stonefly nymph. They've only caught the scrawny ones on the west side of the mtns.
Now, the Little Klick definitely has resident bows and they resemble the Deschutes redsides. In fact, I would bet that they are of similar breed. They occur mostly above a major falls that makes steelhead passage impossible. They are a hardy fish that go mostly unnoticed (thank God) because WDFW manages it as a put and take fishery. Thanks to multiple spring creeks, below Goldendale, the Little Klick manages to keep a fair amount of water even during common drought times. I only know this because I grew up in Goldendale and fished the Little Klick more than anyone alive between 1978 and 1986. That little river taught me how to catch its best fish. You won't find me on this side of the arguement very often, but private ownership is the savior of this little river. More public land on the Little Klick would definetly hurt its redsides.
Anyway, I'll stop. Don't go to the Klick thinking Deschutes. It is every bit as good a steelhead river, but not as good in the trout department.
Stacy :COOK
But, there are more resident bows than Jim leads on. Especially above Leidl Bridge. We used to catch them on streamers and spoons. The Klick does have a major stonefly population and I've had limited luck fishing the dries. And the whitefish... don't believe anybody if they tell you a whitefish's mouth is too small for a #6 stonefly nymph. They've only caught the scrawny ones on the west side of the mtns.
Now, the Little Klick definitely has resident bows and they resemble the Deschutes redsides. In fact, I would bet that they are of similar breed. They occur mostly above a major falls that makes steelhead passage impossible. They are a hardy fish that go mostly unnoticed (thank God) because WDFW manages it as a put and take fishery. Thanks to multiple spring creeks, below Goldendale, the Little Klick manages to keep a fair amount of water even during common drought times. I only know this because I grew up in Goldendale and fished the Little Klick more than anyone alive between 1978 and 1986. That little river taught me how to catch its best fish. You won't find me on this side of the arguement very often, but private ownership is the savior of this little river. More public land on the Little Klick would definetly hurt its redsides.
Anyway, I'll stop. Don't go to the Klick thinking Deschutes. It is every bit as good a steelhead river, but not as good in the trout department.
Stacy :COOK
