The Owyhee River is an amazing Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout Fishery!! The “O” is a tailwater fishery who’s irrigation flows (typically late spring to October 6th) average 150-250cfs. The non irrigation flows usually hold steady at 27cfs. The Owyhee River near Adrian, Oregon is located about an hour and fifteen minutes West of the Boise airport. The fish here average 14 to 18 inches, with larger fish common. Some years the water has a slight milky green tint which hides these beauties until they start coming up to feed on the biomass that inhabit its waters. This river is also a low gradient stream that makes the river very wadeable. The often short riffles connect a series of large slow pools where the fish retire to during the time the insects hatching subsides. These pools can also produce their own mud burrowing bug hatches which creates a sight casting scenario that is sure to make memories soon not forgotten.
The consistent hatches on the Owyhee start there emergence early in the spring with Midges, BWO’s and Squallas. Ants can be a surprisingly effective spring pattern also. As the temperatures of summer warm the water Caddis, PMD’s, Callibaetis and more BWO’s fill the air and the trouts stomachs. Some years the summer brings great hopper fishing, massive Trico hatches and large Craneflies. As the summer raps up the dry fly fisherman delight in great Mahogany hatches which is intermixed with the summer hatches which refuse to quit. One year the PMD’s hatched clear into October.
The Fall brings the Brown Trout to their spawning beds. During this time we back off because we understand that they are creating the small fry that will eventually grow up to be the Owyhee Browns who look up for our dry fly offerings.
The famous Owyhee Brown Trout are not the only fish in this river that delight fly fisher. The occasional Rainbow trout also test the tippet of Fly Fisher that come from near and far! When you hook into one of these football shaped bruits you will know immediately as they put on an areal display that rivals any other fish in the river.
If that wasn’t enough to sell you on visiting the Owyhee River it meanders through an amazing high desert canyon. This canyon with its many colorful walls and sweet smelling sage will woo you before you even string up your rod. A hot spring that dumps into the river about 11 miles down stream from the dam is a welcome stop at the end of the day to soak your weary arms and shoulders from the days action.
