There are no secret hatches on the Deschutes; you will find most, if not all of the same insects on many western rivers. With the exception of the bigger bugs, such as the Giant Salmonfly, Golden Stonefly, and October Caddis, you'll catch redsides on what you would normally carry for western trout. The Lower Deschutes offers 100 miles of possibilities, with many different types of water and underwater terrain, hosting a wide variety of insects.

For instance, although there are dozens of species of caddis in the Deschutes, it's possible to match the hatch with a basic assortment. Bear in mind that even though a particular caddis may prevail in one area, say a riffle with a cobblestone bottom, another caddis may be prevalent in a slow run bordered by reeds and grass. Also, as the season marches on, each species reaches for the sky in its own time.

A standard assortment of Western trout flies will work well on the Deschutes through most of the summer. Caddis imitations #12-#18 and mayfly imitations #14-#20 in a variety of colors will match most hatches. In the early summer, you'll need bigger patterns to match the salmonfly and golden stonefly hatches.

Instead of worrying about a specific hatch, go with #12-20 caddis and mayflies in tan, cream, gray, and olive tones to match nymph, emerger, and adult stages. Toss in a few #10 Slate-Wing Olive duns in grayish-olive and spinners in brownish-rust, and some midge pupa and adults in #12-20.

Perhaps the only time on the year a standard selection of mayfly and caddis imitations won't suffice is in late May and early June when the Salmonflies are hatches. You'll need some big dry flies at this time, and below you'll find the recipes for three of my favorites. These three patterns will also work during the golden stonefly hatch, which comes hard on the heels of the Salmonflies.

Orange Stimulator Originated By: Randall Kaufmann
	HOOK: Tiemco 200RBL, #6-#8. THREAD: Fluorescent fire orange 6/0. TAIL: Short elk hair. RIB: Fine gold wire, counterwrapped. ABDOMEN: Fluorescent fire orange Antron and palmered furnace hackle. THORAX: Amber goat dubbing and palmered grizzly hackle. WING: Elk hair.

This color scheme works well for October Caddis, Golden Stoneflies, and Giant Salmonflies. The Stimulator is also effective tied in other colors like black, gold (and gold with rubber legs), green, peacock, tan, royal, and yellow.

Jughead Originated By: Pat Barnes
	HOOK: Tiemco 5262, #6-#8. THREAD: Orange 6/0. TAIL: Short elk hair. RIB: Palmered brown or furnace hackle, trimmed. BODY: Orange yarn. WING: Elk. HEAD: Spun deer or antelope, trimmed.

Pat Barnes originated the Jughead more than 25 years ago when she and her husband ran Barnes Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana. With its Muddler-style head, the Jughead floats well, even after nailing a fish or two. Trout respond with gusto to this low slung fly, partly because they can see the body clearly. The original recipe called for a head of antelope hair, but deer seems to work just as well. Use a gold-brown body for the Golden Stonefly; rusty orange for October Caddis.

Clark's Stonefly Originated By: Lee Clark
	HOOK: Tiemco 5262, #6-#8. THREAD: Orange 6/0. BODY: Flat gold tinsel. UNDERWING: Poly-yarn. WING: Deer or elk hair over orange sparkle yarn. HACKLE: Brown. HEAD: Orange Thread.

Clark's Stonefly was developed by Lee Clark of St. Helens, Oregon, specifically for the stonefly hatch on the Deschutes. The tinsel body reflects the yarn color in the wing, and the reflected twinkle of light and color has fooled many trout--even trout jaded from heavy angling pressure. The sparsely dressed body is also easier to cast than many other stonefly patterns. Use gold yarn in the wing for a Golden Stonefly; rusty orange for an October Caddis.