Most fly flingers desire to go with the lightest rod possible, thus magnifying the size and fight of the fish. On calm mornings or evenings, a 9-foot 4-weight is ideal--long enough for good control, yet light enough for full enjoyment of stout redsides. Some feel more comfortable with a 5- or 6-weight, and if the wind comes up, which is common on the Deschutes, these stiffer sticks are needed. A 6-weight is about right for pitching stoneflies, either nymph or adult imitations. High winds, also common in the afternoon, may make a 9- or 10-foot 7-weight rod mandatory.

There is no one perfect rod for the Deschutes River. When fishing the flat water of a Deschutes River backeddy (above) a 4-weight is ideal. The trout are spooky and the flies are often small. When throwing weighted nymphs in the riffles, or fishing large stonefly drys along the bank, you'll need a 5- or 6-weight, and when the wind comes up, you may need up to a 7-weight rod to make a cast.

You'll need at least 50 yards of 20-pound backing for trout fishing on the Deschutes. Chunky redsides over 17 inches will often confiscate your line and zing into the backing. Because the river is rich in aquatic feed, these fish are bulky with muscle, and when they power downstream with the current, you'll need a reel that won't overrun.

Occasionally, astonished anglers will hook a Deschutes steelhead while trout fishing. The battle is sweet, but short because it's almost impossible to contain a steelhead on a trout tippet and fly. But it's nice to know that with 50 yards of backing, you might have a chance.

Big Deschutes redsides are so strong that unless you can discern the size of the fish when it takes your fly, the first run a redside makes may have you convinced it's a steelhead. I remember my #16 Compara-dun disappearing in a mild swirl, immediately followed by the fly line slicing downstream. The fish unwrapped a good chunk of backing before the hook pulled loose. Redside or steelhead, I'll never know, but the thrill was there.

A floating line with a 9-foot 4X leader will work in most scenarios, although you might go with 3X for the big stoneflies, and you'll need to drop to 5X or 6X to fish the flats and back eddies.

I recommend a collapsible wading staff, such as the Folstaf TM for wading the Deschutes, as well as cleated felts on your wading boots. Even with these precautions, you can still get in serious trouble on a river like this, and you should wear SOSPENDERS TM or an inflatable vest for extra security--especially when the water is high in the spring.

Because at times you may feel as if you're being charbroiled in the desert heat, breathable waders are excellent for fishing. However, be sure to wear a wading belt, because if you fall in, unbelted breathables will billow out like an underwater sail, collecting water and making it difficult, if not impossible, to swim to shore.