Overview
Opening a fly-fishing shop in Bend, Oregon is the culmination of a dream that took shape decades ago as the Cook family traversed the Western United States on family fishing and camping trips. Papa Glen and son Scott spent every spare minute plying rivers throughout the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain ranges. And in each town they would visit the local fly shop. They took copious notes; slowly shaping their vision of what the ultimate fly shop would look and feel like. And thus, Fly and Field Outfitters came to fruition.
Our outfitting operation is second to none. This is a business founded after decades of research. Every person working on our staff has hired guides and outfitters in the past and we all appreciate what makes for a special day on the water with a professional guide. This is not something we take for granted. We fully understand and appreciate what a day with a professional guide means to our clients. Our goal is to create an experience you’ll never forget and want to re-live over and over. So if you’ve always wanted to spend a day fly fishing the Deschutes River, learn Spring Creek Tactics from a pro, catch a giant trout on a beautiful lake, or just take your kid out and catch your first fish on a fly rod, we have guided fishing trips to fulfill any aspiration.
Our goal here at Fly and Field is to create a lasting experience that leaves every client with the feeling that they are a part of our family, whether in the shop or on the water. With years in the making, we at Fly and Field know to surround ourselves with passionate, experienced, and above all, honest folks that truly love what they do. This “family” attitude is entrenched in every aspect of the business. You will hear it in the enthusiasm of the conversations and feel it the moment you walk through the door. So, whether you are a beginning fly fisher, or a veteran angler, you will be made to feel right at home here. We look forward to seeing you at the shop and on the water!
Duration: 4 hours - 8 hours
Whether you’re visiting Bend, a new resident looking to explore, or a long-time “Bendite” interested in being shown your home waters by a professional fly-fishing guide, here at Fly ... moreand Field Outfitters we have a Walk-and-Wade trip for you! All four seasons provide an opportunity to fish our local waters. For families and groups this is an amazing way to be shown parts of Central Oregon you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to, all while fooling our beautiful local trout. For more information about the local fisheries we host on our guided Walk and Wade fly-fishing trips check out theCrooked River, Fall River and the Upper Deschutes River. To learn more about what a Walk-and-Wade guided trip in Oregon is all about, read on!
All of our guided Walk-and-Wade fly fishing trips near Bend, Oregon are all inclusive and we provide the needed equipment. So if you’re traveling and don’t want to lug your gear, we have you covered. All of our expert Oregon fishing guides have rods suited to each fishery. The perfect rod for most Walk-and-Wade trips is an eight-to-nine-foot, four or five weight with medium-fast action. The three rivers mentioned above should be fished with waders and boots. All of our client equipment is suited for these trips; all you have to do is show up! If you have the flies you need, great. . . if not, we have the right bugs at the shop. Our Central Oregon fly-fishing trips epitomize ease and fun, whether it’s just you, a family, a group of friends, corporate outings, you name it. We’ll take care of parties big and small, never exceeding a 4:1 client/guide ratio.
The three rivers that Fly and Field Outfitters offers Walk-and-Wade fly-fishing trips on are all unique, both in regards to the fishing and the scenery. Settings include cool Ponderosa forests, lupine strewn alpine meadows, and dramatic desert canyons. While the Upper Deschutes River has a six-month fishing season, both the Crooked and Fall rivers fish wonderfully all year, including sensational dry fly action on the shortest days of winter! No matter what time of the year you’d like to take a guided Walk-and-Wade fly-fishing trip, every day on the water with us is a fun, educational experience filled with scenery that will take your breath away.
Walk-and-Wade trips usually begin at our shop where we “kit you out” for the day ahead. Meeting times vary throughout the season, but rarely is extreme “dawn patrol” necessary. Once you have everything you need for the day you will follow your guide to the river. A half-day trip includes four solid hours of fishing, with your guide optimizing your approach the entire time. He/she will also supply a cooler with water, Gatorade, soda and ice. If you’d like to bring some beer, we’ll have the cold cooler! Full-day Walk-and-Wade trips include eight hours and a stream-side BBQ lunch.
Duration: 4 hours - 8 hours
The Crooked River, just east of Bend in Central Oregon is one of the finest tail-water fisheries you’ll ever visit. It is a river all us Bend Trout Bums appreciate for its year-‘round ... morefishing opportunities, prolific insect hatches and native Redband rainbow trout. Click Crooked River Fly Fishing to read more about the fishery itself. For more information about guided fly-fishing trips to the Crooked River, read on. Check latest Crooked River Fly-Fishing Report.
The Crooked River is one of the more trout-filled rivers you’ll ever encounter. But they’re not easy to catch. That’s where a guide comes in. With the right flies, precise rigging, proper technique and attention to the most productive water, there are certainly lots of fish to fool. Here at Fly and Field Outfitters we have fly-fishing guides on the Crooked River, Central Oregon more days than not. We are familiar with the hatch schedule, what flies are most effective and which water to focus on. Let us make your day casual and fun. We will pick the flies, set up the rods and help target the fishiest water!
We do both half-day and full-day Walk-and-Wade Guide Trips on the Crooked River, Central Oregon. We can take 1-4 anglers per guide. The half-day is four hours on the water, while a full-day trip is eight hours including a streamside BBQ lunch. And, as with all our guided trips, any and all equipment is included.
A day of guided fly fishing on the Crooked River is a great idea for anglers of all skill levels. If you are experienced, our guides will work with you to refine the exact techniques that have proven most successful. Then we’ll land all your fish for you! If you’ve never touched a fly rod, we will help get you into position to make simple presentations that have been most productive. We specialize in taking beginners to the Crooked River and getting them into fish!
A typical guided fly-fishing trip on the Crooked River begins at our shop in Bend, Oregon around nine in the morning. We will get you fitted in waders, grab some flies, make sure everyone has their license and then head for the river. Our guides have rods that are well-suited to the small river. Once out there your guide will rig up rods while you don waders and boots. We’ll have a brief tutorial session, talking through the intricacies of wading and casting technique, and then fish! For four straight hours we will ply the river, your guide constantly making suggestions and rig changes as necessary. If you’ve booked a full-day, we will break for a lunch of BBQ chicken or steak, fresh green salad, chips and salsa finished off with a cookie! Then back into the river with renewed vigor.
The Deschutes River is our home water. We’re on it more days than not; and every one of those days is special! Fly Fishing on the Deschutes River is easily one of the most iconic and ... moredreamed about destinations in the world. Read on to find out what a Deschutes River day trip with one of our Lower professional fly fishing guides is all about.
First thing’s first, you do not need to be an expert angler to have a great day with a fly fishing guide! We host tons of people down there who’ve never held a fly rod. And you don’t need to own fly fishing equipment. We supply everything. You just show up with a smile and willingness to learn. For us, getting a client who’s never fly fished into their first trout on the Deschutes River is a major rush and one of our favorite things to do.
Your experience with one of our Oregon fishing guides will be an all day adventure. Throughout the day you’ll drift eight miles, stopping to fish and eat lunch. During the summer months we offer either an early-on/early-off or mid-day until dark schedule. What’s important to understand is that every part of the day will be taken care of. From getting you rigged up and putting you on the most productive waters to working on presentations and making sure every aspect of your technique is optimized. We will shop and prepare your food, arrange shuttles and get you back to your car at the end of the day. All you have to do be ready for an epic day – because the Deschutes River canyon is epic in every way!
I am very fortunate to enjoy my life as a professional outdoor photographer. My camera has taken me to many beautiful locations around the world, from the deep canopy forest of New ... moreZealand, to the white sand beaches of Belize, always in search of the next photo opportunity to catch that once in a life time image, or the elusive wild rainbow trout.
When I am not behind the camera, you will probably find me holding a fly rod. I also enjoy working as a fly fishing guide and instructor and spend more than a hundred days a year on the water. With my camera in one hand and fly rod in the other, combining the art of photography and fly fishing is truly my greatest passion and one that continues to burn with every image my camera lens records.
Thank you for your interest in my photography as seen through my camera lens and a glimpse of how I see the world.
One of the toughest aspects of what I do is fighting the urge to put down my cameras and replace with a fly rod. That said, I love the challenge of capturing the excitement and feeling ... moreof being there in the fisherman’s boots. For me, this is similar to how a fisherman feels on those amazing days when every cast brings the anticipation of something special about to happen. Like fishing, shooting involves planning, well-tuned instincts, experience, and yes, sometimes luck too. What’s cool about working with Scott and his crew is they all want to help me get “The Shot” but never lose sight of what we’re really after, which is FUN!
In addition to shooting for fly fishing & bird hunting clients, I also shoot for a variety of other clients in the resorts, tourism, manufacturing, publishing, high tech, and health care industries. Although fly fishing and bird hunting are among my most challenging subjects to shoot, the experience of photographing various subjects are all similar in they are the results of timing, vision, and enjoyment.
I feel that my camera is in charge of my life, and everything I do is documented through it’s eye. It has taken me to the most amazing places, and introduced me to the greatest people. ... morePerhaps that’s why I’ve never fallen into the “specialized photographer” niche, I am more of an eclectic “Jack of all trades”, and I think my style reflects that.
Still the “newb” on the fly rod, I enjoy and savor each day on the water as both a learning experience and a opportunity to capture something new behind the lens. Lately I’ve been enjoying the rush of the rising trout and the natural beauty of Central Oregon fly fishing. It’s going to be a great season!
Bend born and raised, I was always immersed in the outdoor culture and lifestyle as a child and it was only a matter of time until I picked up a fly rod. This journey began when I ... morewas camping up at Little Lava Lake with my family at the headwaters of the beautiful, and infamous, Deschutes. I remember that I was tossing some of my Dad’s old lures and spoons with a small spinning rod into the current, when a fly fisherman waded down through the opposite side of the river. He was bringing fish after fish to the surface and eventually to his hand with a fly, and instantly I was mystified. What could he be doing? Thankfully, he was kind enough to explain some of the workings behind fly fishing to a young squirt like me on the water that day. The fisherman said that he was using an imitation of a natural insect to attract the fish. Mystery solved. That night I tried to create my own fly out of materials I had on hand; a small twig, spare fishing line, a tiny stinger hook, and some duck feathers. Now what I produced was far from a masterpiece, but it got me excited to learn more and be better.
So I actually started fly tying before I began the fishing part of the sport when I was probably 8 or so. Now I tie almost all my own bugs and it is as big a part of the sport for me as being on the water. I love the feeling you get from being able to fool a wild trout, who has honed its instincts for survival, to eat a clump of feathers you made, on a leader you tied, attached to a rod you built. I believe that is one of the greatest possible joys of fly fishing and can only be topped by doing it again. Chasing this high has consumed all of my free time for the better part of the last decade and don’t see any end in sight to this healthy addiction.
While fishing and tying, I must step outside my body and think about how others, even if it is only a trout, behave and act and the motives behind this. It is good practice for real life, and a good distraction to step away from it as well. I cannot even begin to guess the grandeur of places fishing will take me, but I know I will stay along for the ride wherever the trail ends.
“Just don’t touch the reel!” was the first bit of fishing advice my father ever gave me. I was no more than 5 or 6 years old, and the youngest of 4 children. My dad knew all to well ... morehow quickly a 5 year old could turn a perfectly good Mitchell 300 spinning reel into nothing more than a tangled lump of monofilament and metal. “Just back up until the fish is on the bank” he would say. Good advice at the time. It wasn’t long before I was well versed in the function of that Mitchell reel, and the passion for fishing was firmly planted.
Soon after, I was introduced to the fly rod. Not out of want, or even curiosity, but out of necessity. My grandparents were campground hosts on the Metolious River, one of Central Oregon’s most spectacular streams. The Metolious is a fly fishing only river and if I wanted to fish that beautiful stream I had some learning to do. And learn I did. Immediately it became evident that the much more experienced anglers on the river were more than happy to share and teach. I didn’t know most of their names and was surprised at how willing they were to share with me. Nor did I understand why they would want to teach a new kid on their home river how to fly fish. To this day, I swear, I would know very little, if anything, about fly fishing if it were not for the friends, family, and other anglers I have had the pleasure to fish with over the years. Although I did have to figure out on my own that you can’t make waders out of rubber boots, rain pants, and duct tape.
In the mid 80s I thought it would be a fun to take winter term off from college and spend the winter in Sun Valley Idaho…..bad idea, or a really good idea depending ones perspective. Bend was as far back to school as I ever made it and before long found myself rowing gear and guiding clients on the Deschutes River. “We paid for college so you could be a …ah…what is it you do again?” my mother would say with a smile. She knew just how much I enjoyed the life I was living and never encouraged me to change. Thanks Mom! In the late 90s the opportunity to guide the waters of Katmai National Park in Bristol Bay Alaska was presented to me. All I was told of Katmai was that it was beautiful, the fishing was fantastic, and there were a lot of bears: all incredible understatements. What an awesome place! But as unbelievable as Alaska was, I still missed the home waters around Bend.
I wasn’t back in Bend for long when on one of the first warm, sunny spring days of the season, I thought a day on Lava Lake fishing for rainbows sounded good. So I hooked up the boat, grabbed the dog and off to the lake I went. It was gorgeous. The warm spring sun had me thinking, “been 6 years since the skin below my neck has seen the sun, think I’ll get some sun while I catch a trout or two.” Not wanting to offend other anglers with some seriously pale skin, I motored to a quiet corner of the lake, and positioned the boat a good 300 yards from the nearest angler/boat. With a quick look around to make sure it was safe, the shirt came off. Maybe 2 seconds later from across the lake I hear, “Put it back on! Put it back on! You’re scaring the fish!” It was Scott Cook, owner of Fly & Field, with a boat full of clients. Soon after, I was fortunate enough to go to work for Scott and the Cook family. (And I’m pretty sure my “bronze complexion” had nothing to do with it.)
Today, a lot older, maybe a little wiser, I understand why those anglers on the Metolious River were so willing to share their knowledge, time and water – the great satisfaction of sharing a life long passion with others. I am very lucky to spend my days working in a position that allows me to share my lifelong passion for fly fishing in Oregon with the patrons of Fly & Field.
After growing up in the rainy Willamette Valley, I fell in love with Central Oregon on my first visit, and have been here ever since. The initial draw was the mountains and snow, but ... moreabout four years ago my life changed. I had moved into a house which had a gate opening on to the Deschutes River Trail, and my longtime friend who fished left me his spare fly rod. This was in November, so my first few months of fishing consisted of happily wandering around in the snow, freezing my fingers and toes off, and catching a grand total of zero fish.
Then, one day in the late spring, everything changed. I remember my first fish very clearly, a small Rainbow on a brown Elk Hair Caddis. I think it must have changed my brain chemistry, because I haven’t looked back since. Since that day, the pursuit of trout and their anadromous cousins has consumed my life, and I have spent every spare second chasing them all over Oregon. I guess you could say that I fish because I love to. I love small Brookies and Rainbows, I love camping in the rain for days on end in the pursuit of Steelhead, stomping around in the snow looking for Browns, and I love the places it has taken me.
I could not be happier to be part of the awesome family here at Fly and Field, and get to absorb some of their plethora knowledge.
Glenn: People often asked me when I started fly fishing. Well, I got my first fly rod about the same time I got my first baseball glove. I was about 8 years old, but that still isn’t ... morereally the beginning… my first real fly fishing memories are from the late1940s -memories of sitting on the bank of Matilija Creek near Ojai, California. I was about 3 years old and I was tethered to my mom’s belt. See, she was an avid fly fisherwoman. Nothing stood between her and her fly fishing; certainly being a young mother wasn’t an obstacle to her. And she had learned from her dad, my grandfather, who long ago in the early 20’s had owned a fish hatchery on the slope of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California near what would later become the city of Riverside. And that’s how I grew up. If I wasn’t playing baseball, I was fishing. And that makes Scott the 4th generation in a direct line of fly fishers.
Fast forward to our years as young parents and countless family vacations to camping and fishing destinations with our 6 kids which of course included visiting every fly shop along the way. These times often included entertaining ourselves and the kids on long drives with far-fetched dreams of someday having our own family fly shop. That dream got closer than we realized in 1990 when we moved our family to Bend to be closer to the outdoor life we love. As a civil engineer with my own business for 35 years, I have had the freedom to incorporate memorable family fishing time into my schedule. Now, with the kids grown, it’s rewarding beyond measure to watch the little grandkids wader up or hop into a boat and head for the water with a fly rod and a smile! Now we’re talking 5th generation!
Janie: Well, my story is a little different. No camping in my background, much less fishing! And with 6 kids to handle, not all of them wanting to fish with their dad, my ‘fishing’ consisted of playing Go Fish with a dusty deck of cards on some cooler in the shade of some big tree on the banks of some river somewhere in the middle of nowhere entertaining the little ones and feeding them peanut butter and jelly sandwich picnics. But I loved it! We scoured the banks of those rivers looking for treasures -often starting our hunts looking for arrowheads and ending up with a whole collection of beer bottle caps instead! And very pleased with our ‘treasures’! But my fishing time finally came just a few years ago learning from Glenn and Scott and getting mini-impromptu casting lessons from guides. I absolutely love getting out there on the water, whether it’s dry fly fishing off the lava cliffs at East Lake or wading and casting to risers under boughs of overhanging trees on the majestic Deschutes River. Glenn and I also love getting out with the clients on the occasions that we’re baggers, cooking and camping out there. So, you can see, I’ve come a long way, as we all somehow manage to do in life one way or the other. And I count myself blessed to be part of this wonderful life experience as an owner in Fly & Field Outfitters and Guide Service.
Glenn & Janie: Our life has been filled with memorable adventures on the waters of Central Oregon. Now we welcome you to our Fly & Field Family. Join us in the shop or on a fly fishing adventure. We can hardly wait to hear YOUR story!
I moved to Salem, Oregon in 1992 and started fly fishing. It was a mixed bag at first with conventional gear and fly fishing up and down the Oregon coast, Willamette, Sandy, and Santiam ... moreRivers chasing salmon, steelhead and trout. It did not take long for me to drop the spinning reels for some flies. In 2005 after years of camping and fishing Central Oregon I moved to Bend and have been a guide for Fly and Field Outfitters since 2006. My first loves are the Cascade Lakes and especially Crane Prairie Reservoir chasing the infamous “Cranebows.”
My favorite days are spent teaching somebody the joys of fly fishing and watching the smiles on their faces when it all comes together with the perfect presentation rewarded by a rainbow jumping and running. I love swapping stories and sharing the knowledge of years of fishing with the next fishermen.
After a decade of guiding with Fly & Field in Bend, every once in a while someone will ask me if I still like guiding fishing trips. They will ask if I still enjoy instructing ... moreclients. My response is usually followed by a reflective pause…
I love my job even more with every year that passes. There is not an office in the world that is more beautiful than mine, and I relay that in the most humble, appreciative way. Over the last decade the people that I have had the privilege to guide unrelentingly amaze me. I have guided clients from every walk of life and every continent on this beautiful blue marble. I have seen people cry with joy and giggle uncontrollably with happiness. Some clients have turned into lifelong friends, some have turned into colleagues, and some have found a greater appreciation for the sport and the rivers that we have a chance to wade through.
In the last decade I have seen, and been a part of many wonderful experiences. I’ve been lucky enough to watch people catch their first fish, catch their first wild steelhead, and catch their first rock. The rocks don’t fight hard, but man do they put a bend in a rod! I have performed weddings, salvaged sinking boats, and seen bighorn sheep stand tall on rock ledges, just like on the national geographic channel. I have taken clients children on their first fishing trip, and taken my own children on their first fishing trip.
The rivers and streams that we fish and guide have changed and I’m no different. I have changed from being described as so excited to catch fish that I would “giggle like a school girl” into being just as, or more excited about watch others catching fish. Don’t get me wrong, I still really love to catch fish! My clients have taught me as much or more as I have been able to teach them. I have learned valuable lessons, and taught some valuable lessons.
We talk about the experience of the guided trip, and words cannot convey the “real” meaning of the experience that we provide. I love instructing and having fun with those clients that are ready to have an experience that will change the way that they think about the fish, our sport, and the outdoors. I just hope that you too will be ready to let loose and start “giggling like a school girl!”
I am so lucky to have grown up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains just minutes from Lake Tahoe. My pops is a diehard fisherman so I was on the water long before I was actually fishing. ... moreFly fishing however came much later in my life.
I went through all of the phases of a conventional fisherman from tossing night crawlers to hand carving ten-inch stick baits. It started out as just catching fish then to seeing how many I could catch and of course trophy fishing. At this point it wasn’t only about lures and speed. I studied bathymetric models of local lakes, dialed in wind models and really studied the science behind my target species.
I was in college for a couple years and had always wanted to do my own part for 9/11 and the war with the Middle East. I opted to join the Army where I served just over 4 years with a tour in Iraq and a separate tour in Afghanistan each a year long. After my last tour, my time was up and I longed for the remote destinations where I had once found spectacular golden trout and other rare species. For me, it was an evolution where I had wanted to challenge myself to the next level. This is when I discovered fly fishing. I spent the next couple of years chasing trout and other species anywhere I thought might have a remote chance of being fishy. My guiding began on Lake Tahoe dredging the bottom with bait and big lures, hunting giant Lake Trout. But I always wished I was fly fishing. I ended up working with a few great guys on the Truckee River and the now famous and infamous Pyramid Lake in Nevada. After moving to Bend I met the boys at Fly and Field and they took me in just like family. I couldn’t be happier and I can’t wait to share my knowledge and stories with you on the shop and also on the water. Myself and everyone here at FFO will make sure you have the best experience in Central Oregon.
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