Speaking of the Metolius River, a lot of happy faces for the most part over Spring Break. Our crew and our customers caught fish on a wide variety of techniques, including match the hatch dry fly fishing, nymph fishing (of course) and streamer fishing, both with euro jig streamers and swinging the big meat on an 8 weight.
Hatches have been strongest in this order: BWO #18, Cinygmula #16, Tan or Grey Caddis #14-16, October Caddis #8-10 and some smaller amber caddis I believe are Snow Sedges #12. Not all of these will result in a lot of surface feeding, but will be covered with emerging nymphs and pupa prior to, and during times of the hatch. The Mayfly hatches will/should offer the best chances of noses poking through the film to eat at the surface, but the caddis hatches are most likely to met with a pupa fished as a nymph and occasionally searching good dry fly water with an Elk Hair, Corn Fed or Stimulator.
Also, on the nymph side, Zebra Midges were especially good for folks this past week. Also grab some 2 Bit Hookers, Micro Mayflies, Eggs, Perdigons (especially Jig Napoleon), Green Drakes and Golden Stones.
Don’t forget the upper river from Allingham Bridge to the headwaters is closes until May 22.