Northwest Reel Life April 2024 Volume 3 Issue 7 - Flipbook - Page 14
locations
fish like a bend
gary lewis
This Central Oregon town is a top destination for anglers from all
over the country, but where do insiders go when they need to wet a
line?
It was a Friday evening in
May and big bugs were
over the water. I could see
them from the highway
- salmonflies and golden
stoneflies, their wings
backlit by the sunset. In
my truck, behind the seat
was a five-weight rod and
I knew I had the right fly,
a Sofa Pillow. I parked,
tiptoed along the bank, and
made a cast close to shore.
When a fish rose to the
fly, I let it turn then lifted
the rod. That fish, a native
redband, was as big around
as a football.
Have you ever seen those
lists of best places to hike,
to live, to fish the top
trout streams in the U.S.?
Chances are, Bend, Oregon,
is on the page. One time
Field & Stream called it "The
In-Place for the Outdoors
Crowd."
Another year Bend made
Outside's list of 16 Best
Places; the Deschutes River
made Wide Open Spaces'
list of the top 18 trout rivers;
Outdoor Life called Bend,
Number 1 among the top
outdoor towns in America.
With all the attention, the
traveling angler might get
the idea it's hard to find a
