John Hazel, owner of Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, fills a customer’s order for hand-tied fishing flies. “It’s grasshopper season,” he said as he collected a few of the lifelike flies. He has the biggest collection of fishing fly styles in the Northwest.
John Hazel, owner of Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, fills a customer’s order for hand-tied fishing flies. “It’s grasshopper season,” he said as he collected a few of the lifelike flies. He has the biggest collection of fishing fly styles in the Northwest.
Mark B. Gibson photo
Colorful fishing flies are framed at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop.
The opening of steelhead fishing on the Deschutes River last week was much anticipated in the city of Maupin. “The whole town of Maupin is excited,” said John Hazel, owner of Deschutes Angler Fly Shop, in anticipation of the opening. “I would expect a good number of fishermen. We are one of the best steelhead rivers in Oregon,” he explained.
The entire city benefits with the return of the fish, and the anglers who seek them, Hazel noted. The steelhead fishery will draw fisherman into town late summer into the fall, if enough fish are counted crossing over Bonneville dam to keep the season open.
Last year the angling season for summer steelhead, which work their way from the ocean up the Columbia River and into the Deschutes River every summer, was curtailed in mid-August due to low numbers of returning adults.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff have been closely monitoring unmarked steelhead returns to Bonneville Dam starting on July 1, according to the agency. Early returns of A-run steelhead are sufficient to warrant re-opening the Deschutes River to angling on Aug. 15.
“We needed to surpass 9,900 unmarked steelhead over Bonneville Dam during the month of July to open the fishery on Aug. 15 and get above conservation concern levels,” said Jason Seals, ODFW Deschutes district fish biologist. “Thankfully, we have seen some recovery from last year’s low returns.
“We are still expecting modest returns based on our run projections to the Deschutes but within abundance levels that the fishery won’t have population impacts,” he continued.
ODFW managers in the Deschutes will continue to monitor the run until the end of August to make sure the run does not return to critical conservations levels, as seen in 2021. At current return rates of unmarked steelhead to Bonneville Dam, it is unlikely restrictions will be re-enacted but anglers should always check the Fishing Report for their zone for the latest regulations.
For Hazel, who outfits fisherman year round, the steelhead returns are good news. “The numbers look promising, with a better return than we have had in the last four or five years,” he said. “We’re anxious to go out and fish for steelhead again.” Most of the river is “catch and release,” reducing the impact of fishing on the species. “People want the experience of fishing for them, we catch and release everything,” said Hazel, who works as a guide on the river in addition to running his shop.
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