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FLY FISHING WITH A PASSION FOR TRIBAL HERITAGE |
"Experience our people's sacred tradition"
Spin The Handle is a flyfishing guide service owned and operated by Matt Mendes on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. We specialize in connecting with trout and steelhead within our ancestral fishing grounds on and off reservation land.
Spin the Handle offers both drift boat and road access fishing tours on over 20 miles of private water on Oregon’s famous Deschutes River. We have exclusive rights to fish the Warm Springs Indian Reservation side of this amazing fishery. This portion of the river is closed to all non-tribal members, and reserved exclusively for our guests. Our native Redside trout are available year round. The well known Deschutes Steelhead usually arrive here by September and provide explosive action until the end of December.
Due to the light pressure, the dry fly is our favored method of fishing for these resident rainbow trout. Sub-surface presentations are rarely necessary, and the dry fly finds willing fish of 12 to 18 inches, with a few pushing the 20 inch mark. These thick fish are strong and know how to use the powerful flow of the Deschutes River to their advantage. Early season is known for March Browns, and other early emerging mayflies. The Salmonfly hatch is a great time to fish with us to avoid the usual crowds of anglers, but that is only the begining.
As our most famous hatch dwindles into obscurity, various hatches of caddis and mayflies keep these trout looking up. Late July and August provide steady caddis hatches, with occasional may fly hatches as well, and fishing usually holds up well into October when most anglers choose to focus on Steelhead. Deschutes Steelhead begin to arrive "here" in early September, with fishable numbers usually present by mid-month. These fish average 6-9 lbs with enough two-salt fish at 10-12 lbs to make things interesting.
Every year also produces fish into the mid-teens for our lucky anglers and the pictures are enough to silence those who might doubt the presence of these large fish. As in trout season, the lack of pressure allows us to use floating lines, and often surface presentations for these great fish, at least until cold water drives most anglers to opt for sink-tips and larger offerings. For the dedicated purist, dry lines will often produce into late November. The numbers of fish increase up here late into the winter season and at this time big flies and heavy tips often reward the effort of fishing in this manner.
Due to the light pressure, the dry fly is our favored method of fishing for these resident rainbow trout. Sub-surface presentations are rarely necessary, and the dry fly finds willing fish of 12 to 18 inches, with a few pushing the 20 inch mark. These thick fish are strong and know how to use the powerful flow of the Deschutes River to their advantage. Early season is known for March Browns, and other early emerging mayflies. The Salmonfly hatch is a great time to fish with us to avoid the usual crowds of anglers, but that is only the begining.
As our most famous hatch dwindles into obscurity, various hatches of caddis and mayflies keep these trout looking up. Late July and August provide steady caddis hatches, with occasional may fly hatches as well, and fishing usually holds up well into October when most anglers choose to focus on Steelhead. Deschutes Steelhead begin to arrive "here" in early September, with fishable numbers usually present by mid-month. These fish average 6-9 lbs with enough two-salt fish at 10-12 lbs to make things interesting.
Every year also produces fish into the mid-teens for our lucky anglers and the pictures are enough to silence those who might doubt the presence of these large fish. As in trout season, the lack of pressure allows us to use floating lines, and often surface presentations for these great fish, at least until cold water drives most anglers to opt for sink-tips and larger offerings. For the dedicated purist, dry lines will often produce into late November. The numbers of fish increase up here late into the winter season and at this time big flies and heavy tips often reward the effort of fishing in this manner.
Matt Mendes
Owner / Head Guide
- Bio: Matt has a spiritual passion for flyfishing. His preferred method of fishing is swinging a tight line. Matt is known for his dedication to stewardship, attention to detail, customer service skills and his patience. Full of enthusiasm and an infectious positive energy, he has a burning passion inside and out for fishing. He has an incredible work ethic and it shows immediately. Matt is a man on a mission with one thing on his mind, landing fish. When it comes to guiding, Mendes dials you in and put's you on fish. Plain and simple.. His dedication and teaching's of how to fish tight lines for steelhead or his various methods of trout fishing has rubbed off on many anglers over the years. "There's nothing better than sticking a steelhead on the tight line grab, feeling the head shakes pulsate through the cork of your spey rod". You will absolutely take new fishing techniques home with you after a day on the water with Mendes. Not only is it a peaceful and fun experience it's an education in fly fishing. He loves to teach people in all aspects of fly fishing and watch them progress. "Creating Monsters" as he modestly put's it.
- Growing up in a small suburb in Central California, it was time for his family to reset and relocate to beautiful Central Oregon. The Warm Springs Indian Reservation to be exact. There he had met his Grandfather "Al Bagley" for the first time. He would soon learn that his grandfather was an established and well known fishing guide, a pioneer of sorts, on the lower Deschutes River. Al started his business in 1996 and decided to retire after a 20 year succession in 2016 at the rightful age of 73.
- In the mean time, Matt started his apprenticeship for his Grandfather. After 2 years of shuttle driving, scrubbing drift boat's and doing odds and ends, he made up his mind about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He pursued his career in the fly fishing industry. Matt started guiding in 2005, spending his summer vacation's and weekend's behind the sticks floating the Deschutes. He has put in 10 years with "Riverbend Guide Service" and countless hours on the Deschutes River fishing for Trout and Steelhead creating lasting impression's with clients. By 2011 he was running 95% of the operations and averaging 200 days a year guiding on reservation waters. He has made quite the reputation for himself. In 2016 he started up his own company "Spin The Handle". If you want to get into steelhead on a swung fly in Central Oregon or want to learn how to fly fish, you get ahold of Matt Mendes in Warm Springs.
- The Warm Springs Indian Reservation is where he pays homage. He has a major respect for tribal people and tribal natural resources. "We are blessed to have such rich natural resources on the reservation. It is our duty as tribal members not to take advantage of these blessings or take them for granted. As tribal members we need to respect mother earth and pick up after our selves so the next generation can enjoy them too". He encourages his clients to keep the lands as pristine and natural as possible. He is a steward of the Deschutes River and lives a eco-friendly lifestyle. Conservation is personal and key element to his company.
- The tribal side of the Deschutes River is his sanctuary and what he calls his "playground". Matt is an enrolled tribal member and an active member of the community.
- Matt is Warmsprings/Wasco/Modoc/Washoe/Pitt River native on his mothers side. His Grandfather is full blooded Native American. His father is full blooded Portuguese and his family originate from the Azores islands. His passions besides fly fishing range from upland bird hunting to archery hunting elk and deer.