Lots to Love on the Metolius!

Metolius River - Metolius Springs, OR (Jefferson County)


by The Fly Fishers Place
10-25-2024
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If you enjoy the Upper Metolius you have 7 days to enjoy the river from Allingham Bridge to the Headwaters. We love this water for a lot of reasons, foremost the smaller size and usual abundance of fish makes it a little easier than some of the other areas of the big spring creek. Up high, it is intimate, and easy to wade generally, and fish are in spots that look like they ought to hold a trout. Hatches on the upper river from the headwaters to Gorge CG have been good, with a lot of mayflies and a good number of caddis. Look for Mahogany Duns #16, PMD’s #16, Cinygmula #16, Blue Wing Olives #18-20 and some October Caddis #8-10, Tan Caddis #14-16 and Grey Caddis #12-16. 
Below Allingham Bridge is open all year and of course it is our favorite water to enjoy all the winter. 
All of these hatches will extend down river in the canyon, the hatchery area and around Bridge 99 too. 
I had a weird week that ended my lake guiding season with a dud. Monday, too much wind and snow, Tuesday, despite the perfect conditions my client cancelled due to a business trip (lame M, haha) and Wednesday was again way too cold and windy to be in the boat all day. I did take advantage of having Tuesday off and headed to the river where I was lucky enough to have the dolly hole to myself and about 2 hours of really good dry fly action! BWO Film Critics and a PMD Softie (a floating soft hackled PMD emerger), PMD Captive Dun (it is a dead ringer for a floating nymph in the process of emergence and tied by the immensely talented Rene Harrop). You might notice mention of 2 patterns I don’t normally talk about…. This was precipitated by the observed trout behavior which was 100% eating emergers coming up through the film, but not through the film. The way the trout were rising to them, and rolling under the film, sometimes turning slightly on their sides as they ate the emerger. It was stunning to watch. And fun to play the game together. Did you know that when a trout takes an insect on the surface it (usually) leaves bubbles as a tell tale sign of surface feeding. 
Everyday will be different, and it’s smart to be ready with the right flies for where the fish choose to feed. Sparkle Duns, Parachutes, Comparaduns, Quill Gordon and still some Rusty Spinner action late afternoon. 
Don’t forget Orange Rubber Legged Stimulators for Oct Caddis. Also Corn Fed Caddis, Amber Iris Caddis, Edible Emereger, Weiss’s Caddis, and X Caddis to match Tan #14-16 and Grey #12-16. 
Of course the nymphing remains excellent and Eggs stay on the list for being so so so important as we end the Kokanee spawn season. 
Golden Stones, Peacock Stones, TJ Hooker, 2 Bit hooker, Caddis Pupa, Soft Hackle PT, Perdigons and Euro Jig Streamers. The Bull Trout have been very susceptible to those smaller Jig Streamers, but also to bigger and heavier articulated streamers. When you choose the big stuff, bring an 8 weight for the fly and for the fish.




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