A few years back, a fishing guide acquaintance of mine led linksters Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara out on Oregon’s Deschutes River for a day of fly fishing. As my friend recounted this special day on the river, it struck me that many golfers I know fly fish…and vice versa. Perhaps it’s the outdoor setting, pitting man against natural obstacles (be they finicky trout or gaping bunkers). Perhaps it’s the similitude of the swinging/casting motion – the fact that the ball/fly goes further when you move smooooooooooothly.
No other corner of the world offers the abundance of fly fishing opportunities and first-rate public golf courses available in central Oregon. There are big trout in streams and alpine lakes, steelhead trout in the famed Deschutes and John Day rivers…and 25 golf courses to choose from, ranging from beginner-friendly to Tiger-challenging. In fact, a recent Golf Digest survey seeking to rank the world’s best golf destinations placed central Oregon 23rd worldwide.
Being an avid fly fisherman and a willing (though high handicap) golfer, I set off last August on a long weekend “fish and chips” odyssey in the greater central Oregon region. There was much more fishing than catching and more than a few lost balls, but the experience, while not exactly relaxing, was certainly refreshing.
Thursday – Black Butte Ranch and the Metolius
Just west of Sisters, Oregon rests the Black Butte Ranch resort and the Big Meadow Golf Course (Tee times, 800-399-2322; Green fees $59-$73).
Three Fingered Jack rises above the tenth green at the Big Meadow Course at Black Butte Ranch.
Designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in 1971, Big Meadow is a classic resort course – challenging from the back tees (at 6,880 yards), but not overly punitive for higher-handicap players (Black Butte also offers the Glaze Meadow course, a more challenging layout). The heavily wooded Big Meadow course offers views of Mount Washington, Three Sisters, and Black Butte. The 14th hole showcases the jagged peak of Three Fingered Jack from an elevated tee, and epitomizes alpine golf.
“When we’re at Black Butte, we usually play as a family,” said Cheryl Fischer of Portland, before banging her drive 175 yards down the left side of the fairway on number 10 at The Meadows. “Though I’ll get up early and play the back nine some days when we’re visiting,” her husband Jim added before cutting the dogleg with a booming drive. Daughters Rachael (10) and Lauren (8) also teed off; the girls were enrolled to participate in a golf clinic the following 3 days – 3 one hour lessons for the reasonable fee of $50 per child.
Coming off the 18th, I jump in the car and retreat a few miles west toward Camp Sherman and the Metolius River. The Metolius is a true spring creek that flows gin clear at a constant (and invigorating) 48 degrees; you can visit the spot where it bubbles up from the base of Black Butte. Renowned for its abundant insect hatches and very particular wild rainbows, the Metolius is also home to voracious bull trout that run to ten pounds and over. These fish are shark-like predators – I’ve seen them pursue and attack a hooked whitefish that measured a good 15”!
Flowing through a forest of lodgepole pines, the Metolius is incredibly beautiful…and can be incredibly frustrating. I stop to fish a familiar pool, where a snag provides some shelter for the fish, and breaks up the stream’s deceivingly fast flow. Fish are dimpling the surface as I wade into the icy waters. The trout seem to be taking Caddis flies, but my Caddis imitations arouse no interest. I switch to a Pale Morning Dun, which is likewise unsuccessful. With light fading, I try a Golden Stone fly, which Jeff Perrin from the Sisters Fly Shop had suggested via his website. As my fly begins to swing near the bottom of the snag, a fish slashes at it – but I jerk the fly away. Though there’s a half hour of light left, I’m freezing, and decide to capitulate.
A paved road parallels the river for nearly 10 miles, so access is fairly easy. You won’t likely catch many trout on the Metolius, but those you do catch will be well-earned. The setting makes it all worthwhile.
Friday – River’s Edge and Fall River
Along the Deschutes River, almost in downtown Bend, the River’s Edge (800-547-3928; Green Fees, $24-$48) course runs up and down a steep hill. Also designed by Robert Muir Graves, River’s Edge has been featured in Golf Digest magazine as one of America’s “Best 25 Courses To Play.” This designation translates, as best as I can tell, to a layout that it is challenging from the back tees, but not overly oppressive for the tyro.
River’s Edge offers intriguing hole designs, nicely manicured grounds, and spectacular vistas. The front nine slope toward the river, and include the signature sixth hole, where your approach shot is played to the left of or over a waterfall, depending on pin placement. The back nine at River’s Edge climb above the clubhouse, offering views of Smith Rock (famous among rock climbers), and far across the valley, the Ochoco Mountain Range. . I am heartened to hit my best drive of the day on hole 12, which features Mount Jefferson as a backdrop. My ball soars 250 yards, rocket-straight. Against the clear sky, it seems like it might almost crest Mount Jeff’s snowline.
After a veggie burger and a few Mirror Pond ales at the Deschutes Brewing Company in downtown Bend, I continue south to Sunriver, my destination for the night. Sunriver is a vacation community. While the notion of any such “community” has always given me pause, I found Sunriver extremely appealing. The resort has taken special pains to be bicycle and kid-friendly. There are numerous activities for children young and old, and the entire development looks out on looming Mount Bachelor. While you never quite forget that you’re in something of a gated community, the natural splendor and easygoing nature of Sunriver staff help you not to care.
After checking in at the Sunriver Lodge, I enquire about the fishing. One of the bellhops is quite a fly fisherman, it turns out, and he draws me several maps on the back of a pamphlet. There are hatchery rainbows (and some large wild browns) in nearby Fall River; there are wild rainbows and browns where the Fall River dumps into the middle section of the Deschutes River; there are big brook trout where the upper Deschutes spills out of Little Lava Lake; and then there are all the Cascade Lakes (most all of which hold healthy trout populations, and a few of which – especially Crane Prairie Reservoir – hold lunkers in the teens.
Feeling somewhat bruised by my fishless late afternoon on the Metolius, I opt for nearby Fall River. There are several pullouts where one can access the river with a little bushwhacking, but I take the lazy man’s route and park at the Hatchery. A ten minute stroll upstream takes me beyond the concrete cisterns of the hatchery, and I’m again taken with the beauty of the stream. Wading a wide shallow pool, I spot an armada of rainbows – not particularly large, but healthy looking, despite what I assume to be their hatchery breeding. I cast a Hare’s Ear nymph on a light leader upstream of the fish and let it drift down to them. A fish takes on the first swing. I play it quickly to hand and release it, 12 inches of crimson and silver. I drift several more casts through the group, hooking two more fish before the armada moves east. I’m ready for a hot tub and cold beer.
Saturday – Crosswater
Sunriver is home of one of the crown jewels of Central Oregon golf, Crosswater (541-593-6196), which was ranked No. 80 in Golf Digest’s 1999 list of America’s “Top 100 Courses”. The course wanders through the wetlands formed by the Deschutes and Little Deschutes rivers, the water that duffers cross up to seven times while playing a round. Significant measures have been taken at Crosswater to maintain sensitive riparian habitat, including the addition of fallen trees to the riverbed to create spawning habitat for resident trout. In fact, the course has earned commendations from the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program for being nature-friendly. Elk, coyote, and osprey are common visitors.
Water is my greatest golf phobia; in my mind, the smallest puddle manifests itself as an ocean, impossible to cross but for the likes of Tiger Woods. Suffice it to say, I part with a few balls in the course of my round, reaching my anticlimax on the 18th hole, which is dubbed Wee Burn – Scottish for “little river”. A strong drive off the tee puts me into the reeds skirting the Little Deschutes – in sight, but out of reach. My second shot is less ambiguous – smack in the center of the river. My third, a line-drive, hits the opposite bank and slowly dribbles into the icy water. The river does not seem little.
After my Crosswater experience, I can’t quite bring myself to visit either river or lake. As Norman Maclean concludes in his classic fly fishing novella A River Runs Through It, “I am haunted by waters.” Though I think Maclean had something different than the hazards of Crosswater in mind.
Planning Your Trip
Getting there: Bend is roughly a 10 hour drive from San Francisco, and a 3.5 hour drive from Portland. Alaska and United both offer air service into Redmond, Oregon, which is 20 miles north of Bend, with prices around $300. .
Where to stay: Greater Bend is awash with accommodations, ranging from budget motels and luxury resorts to rental homes available by the week or month.
Sunriver (www.sunriver-resort.com; 800-737-1034), Black Butte Ranch (www.blackbutteranch.com; 800-452-7455) and Eagle Crest (www.eagle-crest.com; 800- 682-4786) each offer 36 holes of golf and an all-inclusive resort experience with the family in mind. While pricey at first glance, these resorts offer many excellent golf packages that make them quite reasonable. NOTE: to play Crosswater, you must stay at a Sunriver Resort property.
The Riverhouse in Bend and offers a pleasant middle-ground between generic motel and pricey resort (www.riverhouse.com; 800-547-3928).
Phoenix Inn (www.phoenixinn.com; 888-291-4764) in Bend offers comfortable and moderately priced motel suites.
The Golf: There are 25 courses in the greater central Oregon region. For details on all central Oregon courses, call the Central Oregon Visitors Association at 800-800-8334 or visit www.covisitors.com.
Fishing Information/Guides
Metolius River – River is open to catch and release fishing year round below Allingham Bridge. Jeff Perin, proprietor of The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters, can help you decipher the river’s sometimes complex hatches. (541-549-3474, www.flyfishersplace.com.)
Fall River, Upper Deschutes, Cascade Lakes – Peak season is late May-October, though Fall River is open year round. Try the Sunriver Flyshop (541-593-8814; www.sunriverflyshop.com) to see what’s fishing best.
Deschutes River Steelhead: For many, taking a steelhead is the pinnacle of fly fishing excitement. The nearby lower Deschutes River is one of the world’s great steelhead fisheries. Peak season is August through November. Mark Bachmann is an excellent guide— call 800-266-3971 or visit www.flyfishusa.com.
Where to eat: Highway 97, the region’s main artery, has all of your fast-food needs covered. The region supports some top-notch restaurants as well, including the four-star dining room at the Meadows at the Lodge, Sunriver (541-593-3740). The Deschutes Brewing Company (541-382-9242) is a family-friendly 19th hole offering excellent ales and good pub grub.
