Stonefly hatches are in full swarm on the Deschutes River in Oregon.
Grab your chubby and try your luck.
If fished enough, any fly will catch them when the trout are stupid on the big bugs. However the chubby does out perform according to my records. Everyone has their twist or adjustment to the stock chubby. I have mine, its natural. Get your markers and best foam scissors. Cuz you won’t need um. Other than a slight touch up on the body and wing of stock chubbys with a permanent marker; I rarely modify my chubby. You can trim the wing a bit to get it sized to please. The fly is offered in size 6-12 in a variety of styles.
I have added an additional twist or tactic to fishing the chubby I will respectively call the Bob and Chubby.
Some of the finer details of this technique will be revealed in this post. They will change how the Deschutes River is fished forever. So I am hesitant to divulge.
Stonefly chubbiness
The Bob and Chubby brings it to the next level. Not everyone is ready for it though. There is no turning back!
Chubby buried barb deep
Deschutes Canyon evening
How you ask? Oh the secrets. On the Bob of course. Bob and Chubby.
Bob meet Chubby
I swear this technique is in one of Outdoor Life’s 100 Best Fishing and Hunting Tips articles. That is my kind of thing. Old school all the way. You can tech it out with a dropper or upgrade to a custom leader. I usually just huck it! On mainline 4-6lb Pline. Braid floats so I have toyed with and braid mainline and mono leader.
Using proven subsurface jig and Bob techniques for steelhead on the same river. I have grown confident in the Bob combos. I have been fishing like this for years, or should say experimenting with fishing and re-fishing my trout spots with spinning gear. The Deschutes brought forth an interesting situation. Big water, lots of bank cover, lots of bugs, and lots of trout. I quickly revisited the Bob combos and eventually stumbled onto the chubby.
Oh My!
Self photo—-freshly chubbed
I had the pleasure to fish with an old friend during the bug frenzy. Russ Mitchel former junior varsity All Pro center for the Redmond State Sasquatch knows his way around the trout scene on the Deschutes. He has done some fishing over the past few years and knows his way around the flotant bottle as well. He was a quick convert to the Bob and Chubby in the warm afternoon gusts. “We wouldn’t be fishing in the wind right now” I blurted. “The Bob and Chubby keep you fishing longer in the wind” “Agreed!” Russ replied.
Strikes are violent and hook ups about 50% over the long haul. Lots of action is the key. I had two solid takes from nice fish at the boat ramp hole at 12 noon. Two slobs right off the bat would have put me ahead and in running for the trophy and prize purse for the days competition.
The Bob and Chubby opens up a lot more of the river. Russ is firm believer.
Mitchel–Pleasure in the jungle
Every year I tell myself I will get out for the salmon fly hatch a little early this season and fish a bit lower down like Mack’s or something. I never seem to. Next year I guess. Bob and Chubby love to travel.
I just want to fish. Period
Deschutes evening chubby
Living the good life – Self guided
