Lake In The Dunes

Summer Lake Extravaganza!

October 8, 2012 By Scott Haugen

The year was 1952, the first time my dad, Jerry Haugen hunted waterfowl at Summer Lake at the age of 12.  In 1976 I hunted Summer Lake for the first time, at age 12.  This past weekend, Braxton, our oldest son, hunted Summer Lake for the first time, also at age 12.
As with many Oregon waterfowlers, Summer Lake is a special place that runs deep within our hunting culture.  The sounds, sights and flurry of distant gunshots that erupt throughout the valley the moment legal shooting light hits on opening morning is something that has to be experienced to be appreciated.
On this trip we joined up with area guide and owner of Lake In The Dunes, Russ Scott (www.lakeinthedunes.com).  Russ owns and manages several hundred acres just north of Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge. I first discovered the fishing on this wonderful property in 1986.  Then it was a flat, dry, sandy desert pocked with a few lakes created by artesian wells, stuffed full of monster rainbow trout.  Since Russ acquired the property, he’s taken it to a whole new level.
 Today, multiple lakes course through the property and are still home to big rainbows.  Willows and Russian Olives now dominate the landscape, as do tall grasses and rushes, creating ideal habitat for all sorts of wildlife.  The quaint cabin that sits on the property is perfect, as is the welcoming atmosphere Russ and his wife, Tonimarie, have created.
Dad, Braxton and I arrived a day early, enjoying a warmup round of trap shooting at the 13 station course running throughout the desert.  After a quick lunch we were hunting the pheasant preserve.  Pheasant hunting has greatly declined throughout Oregon, and preserves like this create opportunities that no longer exist in many place.  Though I’ve only hunted on a few preserves, this was the best setup I’d ever seen.  Dense habitat and varied terrain made the hunt exciting, and proved to be the perfect warmup for the next day’s waterfowl opener.
The next morning we were wading through rushes and setting decoys, the silhouettes of ducks buzzing overhead like mosquitos.  Thirty minutes before shooting light we were ready, hunkered in cover, watching ducks spill into the decoys, their intense calling and whistling wings breaking the calm, still morning.  Braxton was loving it.

The moment shooting light hit, barrels were ablaze.  Hagan, the yellow lab, worked harder than any dog I’d seen, retrieving 28 ducks in just under 90 minutes (Russ was behind a gun on this hunt..we couldn’t leave him out on opening day!).  When it was over, a solemn feeling hit.  Years of anticipation for Braxton’s first duck hunt had come to a quick close.  “Dad, we’ve been on some great hunts,” Braxton noted.  “You know I like deer hunting, and loved hunting in Africa, right?  But this was my favorite hunt of all.  Can we do it again?”
Braxton’s statement and sincere smile was one of the highlights of my life.  While Dad and I relived decades of memories on this hunt, Braxton became infatuated with waterfowl hunting.  The great part, we were fortunate to capture all the action on film for an episode of Trijicon’s The Hunt, which will air July, 2013.
You can bet we’ll return to this magical place now that the fourth generation of Haugen’s has fallen in love with it.

Pheasant Hunting Oregon

August 1st - March 31st

Group Memeberships Split the membership with
1-6 hunters per day

60 birds included
Fly Fishing Included
Duck hunting (during season) included
Cabin stay included on two day trips with minimum of 40 birds released
Memberships are unguided.
Include a guide for $175 per day.  Guide includes instruction, dogs and bird cleaning.       
Membership must used in 1-3 days throughout season.
Minimum of 20 birds released per day; additional birds are $20.00 per bird used within your 3 days

Membership cost is $2,500

Available dates will be on a first come first serve biases.
Must pick one or more dates at time of payment, and must give 2 week notice when choosing other dates.
Membership fees are non-refundable and paid up front
Left over birds are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Fly Fishing Central Oregon

 Summer fly fishing in Central Oregon can be some of the best around. As a guide for the Central Oregon area I am lucky enough to be able to see so many different types of hatches on so many different types of water.  From salmon flies, pmd's, green drakes, blue wings and caddis on the rivers to fishing midges, damsels, callibeatis and trestrial patterns on the lakes Central Oregon has it all!    

I enjoy the bugs as much as the fishing more often than not.  It is just amazing to me that  fish can survive on such a small thing as an insect. Hatches are what we look for as a fly fisher.  If we match the hatch we catch fish!
When I take someone new to the sport they tend to look at me as if I've lost my mind when I spot the first few bugs of a hatch. Typically they have no clue what's going on and what they could be in store for. 



 As soon as I see that first fish nose show it's self they really think I've lost my mind.  I frantically start picking through the box's and re rigging rods, while trying to explain what bugs are hatching and how we are going to fish dry flies on the surface. Meanwhile they just stand there scratching their heads wondering why we are going to be fishing on top of the water when the morning lesson just sunk in that 80% of a trouts diet is subsurface and they still don't see those size 18 mayflies being sucked down by that fish down river 40 yards!!

Eventually they get it and a new passion is found. To them it might be that big fish of the day or the dozen of near misses and encouraging refusals. What ever it was a new fly fisher was born.
For me it was the bugs.  They showed up just like clock work, lived their short life and the cycle was started all over again.

Happy Fishing!!

Central Oregon Fly Fishing - Fly Fishing Equipment - Guided Fly Fishing

Central Oregon Fly Fishing - Fly Fishing Equipment - Guided Fly Fishing

Grindstone Lakes

Why I fish

 People ask me why I love to fish. Well, there are lots of reasons.
I think it is that sometimes there are just those fish that never fully show themselves. Just a splash is all I will get if I'm lucky! The line goes slack and then I'm left with an empty pit in my stomach. For the rest of the day I find repeating thoughts in my head of......  Was it the one? What the heck did I do wrong? It sure felt big?  Or, WOW that fish schooled me! 














These are the moments that keep me coming back. Always searching for that one that got away.
This is why I fish.

Oregon Sage Rat Hunting Tips

 Sage Rat season is here!!! The Spring weather is finally showing us few nice days and we are being rewarded with a target rich environment this year.

As Kids most of us can remember heading out to the desert with our Families to try out our first pellet gun or .22.  We had finally graduated from pop cans and paper to actual moving targets.

Now that we are adults, helping our local farmers out with varmit control still brings the same joy that we found in our youth.

Today though, the days of leaning on a wheel line or fence post with open sights are behind us. The technology that is available to us today makes us much more effective at controlling the population out there.

Being an Outfitter I have had the opportunity to view many different styles of shooting in past 5 years. I've learned a lot about the sport and just wanted to share a few things that will make your next Sage Rat Shoot much more enjoyable.    

1. A .17 caliber  is the new .22 If you haven't tried one yet go get one!! :-)

2. Don't go cheap on optics for your guns!! A good scope makes all the difference when trying to shoot a target that is the size of a tennis ball.

3. Try to get elevated! If you don't have a platform in the back of a truck.  Or you just can't drive in a field because the land owner doesn't want you to.  The next best thing is a standing shooting stick.  The few feet you gain, opens up so many more targets.


 4.  Take a good lunch and lots of water!!
Staying well fed and hydrated will help looking through a scope all day long.

5. Find an area that doesn't poison there fields. Or an area that hasn't been plowed for a few years.

6. Going with an outfitter takes out all the leg work that is takes to find the ideal place, ideal gear, providing a great lunch and will try they will do their best to make sure that the limited time you have off from work will be as productive and fun as possible!! www.lakeinthedunes.com

 I hope you all have great shooting this season.  Remember, don't wait till the grass is to tall to see, the time is now!! Have Fun!!!