Wallowa Winter Fishing
Happy New Year from the EORO Crew!
by Eastern Oregon River Outfitters, Jan. 8
We want to wish everyone a happy new year! Hopefully you all had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones. We certainly enjoyed the time off to get to catch up with our families and to get some time on the river for ourselves. With 2020 now behind us we are looking forward to what 2021 has in store for us, it is going to be our best year yet!
THIS WEEK’S
TOP STORIES
EORO’s Beautiful December outing on the Wallowa
by Andrew Hasbrook on Jan. 8
With our time off we were able to get out for a day of fishing on the Wallowa river. It was a beautiful day in December and we took advantage of the weather window. With the river low, clear and cold we didn’t quite know what we had in store for us. We were pleasantly surprised with what we found.
Utilizing one of our favorite tactics, the dry dropper, we were able to find some absolutely beautiful rainbows. Like the one pictured above, caught by our cheerful and hard working gear boater Hogan Hernandez. This fish took us for a ride, but with the skilled handling of the fly rod, and the help from both me and Austin, Hogan was able to bring it to hand. We were all very pleased with the size and condition of the trout.
As many of you know the dry dropper tactic can be deadly when fishing the Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers. We have found that the most successful way of utilizing the dry dropper is pairing a large dry fly that floats well, like the Chubby Chernobyl, with a densely weighted dropper. The real game changer for the dry dropper method has been the implementation of the jig nymph with a densely weighted tungsten bead head. Paired with a 3-4’ leader length dropped from the dry fly, this allows us to get to depth when targeting those large rainbows and the water column they often feed in.
This outing confirmed what we already knew, that the Wallowa can be a productive river nearly year round. We are always looking for weather windows that present themselves. When they do it is certainly worth taking advantage and getting out there for a day full of fishing and smiles! Wallowa River Day Trips
Fly of the Month: Jig Prince Nymph
by Andrew Hasbrook on Jan. 8
The Jig Prince Nymph is a favorite when fishing the dry dropper rig. A great example of a tungsten bead head jig style nymph, this is a great attractor that sinks quickly. This was a killer on the float in December. Tied on a size 12 Umpqua U-series barbless shank, paired with a 3/16 oversized bead.
Eastern Oregon River Outfitters,LLC
