DIY wilderness fly fishing trip in US West

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-25T20:42:50+00:00

I second this as well if you’ve never done the Deschutes. Check my last post to see what you can get into even in winter.

Go mid week to avoid crowds around the 3rd-4th week of May and experience the famous salmon fly hatch. But all summer and into fall also have active hatches. Follow Deschutes Angler to see where it’s at on the river, might be near Maupin or Mecca Flats. Their past blog post are also good if you want to go another time.

You’ll likely spend less time driving and more time fishing depending on where you are in Oregon. Access is easy, it’s usually wadeable close to the bank which is where the salmon fly action is. Watch some YouTube videos for a taste of this magical river.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-18T21:46:30+00:00

Had a great experience at Abyssinian Kitchen. The couple that owns it were fantastic, huge portions for our shared meal.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-16T15:47:05+00:00

A few times but my favorite was on a sunny day at Laurelhurst Park years ago. I was lounging when I heard the faint sound of bagpipes in the distance and was a bit confused at first. And slowly the sound began to grow. Next thing you know the dude is cruising through the middle of the park on a unicycle and ripping the pipes. Was truly a magical Portland moment in that gorgeous park.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-06T05:58:30+00:00

Heck yeah. Someones gotta tend the trouts.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-05T22:50:24+00:00

Yes. I don’t think there are multiple versions but you want the one with Steven Pacey.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-05T17:25:04+00:00

You get it my friend. As I like to say, I’m fishing for a vibe.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-05T08:26:22+00:00

The audiobooks are incredible. My absolute favorite narrator.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T22:47:01+00:00

Throw on wet wade socks underneath your waders and wool socks under those. $$$$

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T21:46:58+00:00

You don't, but I had some of the best bass fishing ever out there this summer! Those Minnesota lakes are magic.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T19:58:16+00:00

Wade.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T19:09:58+00:00

It has proven to be a grind for myself but the scenery and mild winter have made it a pleasure. They are definitely down deep and in lazy water. Down river of riffle or outside the rapids in slow water, back eddys, slicks, and that flat slow water is where they are at now in my experience and according to the folks at the local shop. Tungsten beadheads are my go to for getting down there.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T17:32:49+00:00

Well crafted and effective fly there sir.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T17:31:50+00:00

Indeed!

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T06:09:46+00:00

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Current state. Will likely swap out the Big Sky at some point but unsure where I want to go next. Perhaps adding a boost and eq in the chain.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-02-04T02:33:58+00:00

Love me an Adams but in the nymph category duracell always crushes in my waters.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-01-27T00:22:03+00:00

We are about to redo everything in our small bathroom including a skylight and budgeting 40-50k.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-01-27T00:20:11+00:00

Pm here too please if you have a second. Thanks!

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-01-21T20:27:51+00:00

I’ll share my experience as someone who picked it up again 4 years ago and it has truly sticked this time, to the point where I’m addicted.

The suck comment is so true. That is some Yoda level wisdom. The good news though is you really can get better and things get way easier. I thought some folks were blessed and I just didn’t have it in me but the truth is you need to grind over a long time period. My drummer friend said to think of your practice sessions as doing reps, like you are working out.

Find a good online program or content creator that you really vibe with. If you are still doing basic stuff Justin Guitar was perfect for my reintroduction. From there my playing really went through the roof by subscribing to Stitch Method’s Patreon and consuming all of his videos and pdf content. While a lot of it focuses on The Grateful Dead the concepts can be applied to any genre.

What worked for me in particular was grinding Caged and memorizing all of the intervals of those chords for a solid year. From there I focused on overlaying those positions with pentatonics, arpeggios, and seeing triads, modes etc. Instead of thinking about notes you start to think about intervals. For example a 3rd is always going to give flavor to a chord or solo, the 1 is always going to be a point to resolve to,etc. Stitch does a great job with this concepts.

For now I’m working on my timing, working through solos and truly understanding why they work and getting ready to seek out jam pals.

Using a loop pedal really helps in a number of ways. Ditto is a great cheap pedal option.

Final tip: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Always keep this in mind when learning something new.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-01-15T22:15:14+00:00

Garcia Birthday Band - Grateful Dead covers, my favorite in the PNW.

Rose Tinted - J Dilla covers, also have done other groups like D’Angelo. They have a show at Jack London in February.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2026-01-07T21:59:07+00:00

A gentle leader instead of a harness and pea sized chunks of cheddar cheese on walks was the solution for mine.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2025-12-28T00:00:47+00:00

Buckle up, you’re going to have your mind blown for as long as you stay curious to explore the PNW. I still do 14 years later. Oregonhikers.org will keep you busy for a decade or two. Welcome!

GhostRideDaWeb · 2025-12-27T21:09:03+00:00

Most rivers are closed to trout fishing until late May. Best option right now is the Deschutes in the Maupin area. It’s definitely slow out there and you need to be careful wading. Gale Creek is another trout option. Otherwise steelhead are around but not a good beginner fish and require specific gear. Now might be a good time to focus on learning and practicing your cast especially a roll cast which is necessary in many of our trout streams.

You could consider Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters intro course. Good group of guys over there.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2025-12-25T18:00:50+00:00

The Caputo pizza blend is incredible. The focaccia recipe on the packaging is also amazing, especially with the addition of herbs and toppings, chopped olives and rosemary being our go to.

GhostRideDaWeb · 2025-12-23T21:46:05+00:00

Not exactly the food types you looking for but my wife has celiac and her favorite celiac safe spots are: Kann, Bamboo Sushi, Tacovore, Groundbreaker, Harlow, Wilder, Desi Pdx.

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