The Metolius River has some very interesting news. There are confirmed 61 steelhead that have come up through Lake Billy Chinook and are spread out through the Metolius now. These fish are all tagged, some with Radio Transmitters and other types of tagging. I have seen 4 caught in the last month.

One thing I want to say is, if you do catch one of these special unicorns, keep it wet, don’t pose endlessly with this fish of a lifetime making yourself a hero on social media, but rather slip that hook out, gently hold it over the water if a photo is necessary or just snap a pic in the net and let it swim out of the net under it’s own power when it is revived. IF these fish get their footing in the Metolius which is why hundreds of millions of dollars were spent at the Pelton Dam, we could have a viable steelhead run up the Metolius every year. But if people mishandle the fish and they don’t spawn, well then shame on you for not knowing how to catch to release fish properly. http://www.keepfishwet.org is a good source to learn.

So there’s Jeff’s soapbox rant of the season (so far).

On to fishing shall we? It’s good throughout the Fly Only stretch and below Bridge 99 down to about Candle Creek. March Brown mayflies are hatching below Bridge 99 (with some up to the hatchery too) and a good dose of BWO’s and a smaller mix of Cinygmula and Pale Morning Duns (both Yellow #16 mayflies), plus a number of Grey Caddis #12-16 and Tan Caddis #14-16 to fish the Pupa mostly but possibly enough hatch to get fish keyed on the adult dries too.

The nymph fishing has been very strong with Euro Jigs and Perdigons, Zebra Midges, Rainbow Warriors, Eggs and Stonefly Nymphs. You can fish these under an indicator or with a Euro Nymphing Leader.
If you do the indicator rig add some Loon Deep Soft Weight or Loon Non Lead Shot, and that will put your flies in the zone way longer and you’ll get a slower drift too. It makes a difference that adds fish to the net at the end of the day, where the Euro Rig and a heavy beaded fly (or 2) on a long thin tippet gets down and stays down better than anything which is the advantage in many cases.

Also, bull trout streamer fishing continues to be good, and swinging big stuff on a sink tip is your best chance at a nice Bull now.