The Metolius River gets a mixed review from me this week. Some people are doing well, and others have reported last week they never caught a darn thing. That doesn’t necessarily align with angler skill levels. Fishing is fishing, we take the bad, we take the good, and usually the more you put into your craft, advancing important skills (start with the consistent drag free drift with slack line presentations) and not being stuck in your ways because something worked 3 years ago. These will pay off when the going get’s tough.
I can also tell you from hanging out around this river for 30+ years that July is a time that just kind of feels “off”, and while that doesn’t apply all the time, you may have a good afternoon or you might have a slow one. Usually as we march towards August we turn a corner in the quality of the hatches and catching. Talking to Chester at dinner last night he and I both compared notes of past experiences and agree that an uptick happens in August.
Moving forward to what you should expect: Goldenstone hatches in the Upper River from the Headwaters to the Gorge. Add PMD’s and a fair number of Tan Caddis and some Yellow Sally’s to the dry fly mix, and think about how to fish the cycle of the hatches with the nymphs or pupa or emergers if possible. And hey, when in doubt on the Upper River a Golden Stone Nymph with a Zebra Midge Dropper is hard to beat.
The Middle River and below Bridge 99 is the biggest head scratcher for a lot of us. All of the upriver hatches are here too, but the Golden stoneflies will be in isolated pockets.
Even my friend Chester who fishes here more than anyone I know these days is wondering where in the Hell the evening hatches are! Every few nights or so, it happens like it is supposed to, or we keep our fingers crossed that it will. But if you’ve been on the river after work and are used to seeing a PMD hatch and some Caddis hatching enough to get fish rising from 6 PM to 8 PM or so, and haven’t seen it either, all I can say is you’re in good company.
That was the bad. Things that have been producing more consistent action include streamer fishing for Bull Trout, especially in the early morning, and nymph fishing either Euro Style or Indicator tactics. Tie (or buy) flies to fish the cycles of the hatches. Caddis Pupa in Tan #16, Grey #18, Olive #16, Mayfly nymphs that are brown #16-18 and Olive or Black #18-20, Green Drake Nymphs #10-12-14 (the fall hatch is just about 6 weeks out), Midge Larva and Pupa #18-24 in Black, Brown and Red, Stonefly Nymphs for Goldens, Yellow Sally’s, Little Olive Stones and Salmonflies…..and then there are the Euro Nymphs! Use your skills to pick colors and sizes to match what is in the drift.