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A week to remember!

Bend, Oregon is often touted as a place where you can do anything you can think of, Bike, Run, Climb, Fish, Ski, Hike, Golf….you get the point. No matter what you are into there is something for everyone in Bend and that something is usually done extremely well!

I was fortunate to have one of those weeks when this became more apparent than ever. My week started as a normal ho-hum week struggling to drag myself out of bed after a great weekend and get to the office for a cup of coffee and a quick clean up of the email account. At noon I got the call I was waiting for to get the week on a roll!  James from Wanderlust Tours invited Erin (my fiance) and I to join a group of travelers to paddle around sparks lake under the full moon.  What an amazing experience and one I will not soon forget. Great company, great scenery and great memories!

Tuesday proved to be another difficult morning after the late night on Sparks Lake however I had things to look forward to, namely my first Bend Elks game with a friend who was back in town on a short leave before heading to Iraq.  It was great for Erin and I to see our first Bend Elks game and even better to see our friend before he returned to duty. The night was splendid as the field is backed by one of the best backdrops of any ball park I have been to. Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top and the 3 Sisters provided a scenery you wont find anywhere else.  If you haven’t experienced an Elks game 2 dollar Tuesdays is the night to go with 2 dollar tickets, 2 dollar beers and 2 dollar hot dogs each Tuesday night!

Wednesday was a busy day at work and I wanted nothing more than some piece and quiet and a little time on the bike. I had always heard about the Cog Wild Shuttle but had yet to take it. What a great way to get a ride up the hill and be able to ride 20+ miles back to Bend on some of the best single track anywhere in North America. Thank you COTA for all the great work to keep the trails clean and fun!

Thursday the weather got back into the 90′s and nothing sounded better than getting on the river.  A quick phone call around 4pm got Erin and I on the last Big Eddy Thriller white water rafting trip of the day through Sun Country Tours. Both of us have rafted a lot but never had rafted on our home waters of the mighty Deschutes. It turned out to be just what the doctor order and cooled us down after a hot day.  The fridge was empty so off we went to Munch and Music in Drake Park for some local craft beer and some great live music…I can’t think of a better way to end a day.

Friday was here again and the thought of fly fishing filled my mind. The problem is where do you go with all the possibilities Bend offers? This is when it pays to have a friend who owns a guide/outfitting business and has access to some of the best waters around Bend. Thanks to Damien and Deep Canyon Outfitters in didn’t take us long to decide a night of large mouth bass on the fly was the appropriate choice.

Saturday and Sunday had been in the works for a while as we were to house/dog sit for some friends in their house along the river. My down time had finally arrived! Lazy floats on the Deschutes river, hidden cell phones and the great company of my future wife. We attempted to go off the grid with a cooler full of our favorite beverages, 4 happy dogs and all the recovery time in the world to rest up and get ready do it all again next week in Bend!

Full Moon Canoe Tour on Sparks Lake with Wanderlust Tours!

The high lakes of the Cascades mountain range just west of Bend are amazing on their own. They become brilliant when a full moon climbs in the night sky to crest Mt. Bachelor and illuminates the lakes rendering any artificial light unnecessary.  The added value of a great guide to fill us in on the history of the area made this a trip great for both locals and travelers.

Full moons happen every 30 days on average, giving Bend 3 or 4 full moons throughout the summer.  During these full moon fazes there are 2 or 3 days on either side of the full moon when the moon sheds enough light to illuminate your path as you paddle along. Wanderlust Tours capitalizes on this window by offering a Full Moon Canoe Tour, the sister trip to their very popular Starlight Canoe Tour. On July 27th we visited Sparks Lake which sits just off the west slopes of Mt. Bachelor.

The night started with a fun and relaxing paddle from the boat launch to the south end of Sparks Lake. Our timing was perfect, no doubt the work of a veteran guide as we sailed into the south end of the lake just when the moonlight was beginning to shine over the top of Mt. Bachelor. At one moment it looked as if Mt. Bachelorwas going to erupt in another fiery dance as the moon sat on the peak.  We quickly paddled to the shore where we made a fire, enjoyed hot cocoa and desert as the real magic started to unfold. First the stars started to fade and then before we knew it we had a perfect mirror image of Mt. Bachelor reflecting off of Sparks Lake. We were all found speechless and lost in the shear beauty of the moment.

For me it was a blatant reminder of how lucky I am to call Bend home. For others who were visiting I can safely say their is a return visit to Bend on the calendar in the near future!

For more information on Wanderlust Tours Click Here.

2nd Annual Orvis National Fly-Casting Competition in Bend, Oregon at The Old Mill District

Its that time of year again to start fine tuning your cast and take a chance at winning a piece of the $10,000 in cash and prizes that will be awared on August 13-15 at the 2nd Annual Orvis National Fly-Casting Competition in Bend, Oregon. The competition will be held at the Orvis Casting Course in The Old Mill District to crown the best fly-casters in the country.

The beauty of the Orvis Casting Course and this particular competition is that it favors the average fisherman as much as it does the tournament casters.  Numerous holes on the course demand short technical casts that are typically used when on the water and are more relevant to fishing situations than the practice lawn.

This years competition is going to see an increase in field size and general appeal to the average angler with the addition of a team category and a kids division. The amatuer contest, men’s & women’s pro divisions will be back by popular demand as well. Any time the likes of Steve Rajeff, Henry Mittle, Floyd Dean and Tim Rajeff enter into a fly-casting competition you are sure to have a great competition and plenty of amazing casts. Another great addition to this years competition weekend is the Trout Festival that will showcase some of the latest fly fishing gear, casting clinics by the pros as well as local food and beverage vendors.

If you need a little added incentive to make the pilgrimage to Bend, Oregon in August you should be aware of the massive amounts of Steelhead making there way to the Deschutes River at this very moment. After all, the reason we learn to cast is to get the fly to the fish and this could be your opportunity to pit your skills against the best fly-casters in the world as well as take on the mighty Steelhead of the Pacific Northwest in one weekend!

Click here to learn more about the competition and to sign up.

Sign up to volunteer here and earn up to $150 in Orvis gift cards.

Lower Deschutes Multi-Day Fly Fishing Trips is a MUST for any Fly Rodder

As the water temperature starts to climb to the magical 52 degree mark hungry trout coming off a long winter and big orange salmonflies become the topic of fly anglers throughout Bend.  The optimisim of a new season and lots of time on the water is fueled by the emergence of these large stoneflies as the first major hatch of the year and one that no hungry trout can ignore.

The Lower Deschutes River leaves pelton dam to flow 100+ miles to join forces with the Columbia River.  Massive canyons and steep banks make this section of river nearly impossible to get access to unless a drift boat is utilized, making multi-day float trips one of the best options.  The most popular of these floats starts in Warm Springs and covers 40+ miles over 3 days to the town of Maupin.  The scenery will leave you breathless!

I was fortunate to do this exact trip last year with Damien Nurre, owner & head guide of Deep Canyon Outfitters.  Needless to say it won’t be my last time!  The quality of the fishing, food, beverages and hospitality is something you would expect at a 5-star hotel, not 20 miles from the nearest road.  We ate like kings and caught hungry trout to our hearts content!

If a multi-trip is out of the question a single day fly fishing float trip is availabe from Warm Springs to Trout Creek which covers the first 10-miles of the multi-day trip. This trip will give you a sampling of what the Lower Deschutes can offer, however having done this trip plan on making the multi-trip a must during your next visit to Bend.

For more information on the variety of multi-day and single day fly fishing float trips that Deep Canyon Outfitters offers click here or check out the links below.

Multi-Day Trips

Single Day Options

Fishing Report