As we march in to the end of the first week of August there is a lot of good things to talk about on the Metolius River. Hatches are getting stronger, with better afternoon and evening PMD emergences, early evening BWO’s, more and more caddis which become massively important in August, Yellow Sally’s anywhere along the river, Golden Stone’s mostly above the Gorge to the Headwaters and some light hatches Salmonflies mixing in more from the Gorge to the Wizard Falls area. Also don’t overlook the importance of midge pupa and adults. I can remember a fish last summer at the Dolly Hole that was rising with a great cadence and we put so many different flies over that darn fish and finally my friend Dean got it on a Griffith’s Gnat.
Dry fly fishing is like a religion on the Metolius and the pilgrimage of great dry fly days is beginning now and continues through the fall.
2 other mayflies to keep an eye open for include Mahogany Duns #16 and a large olive (small drake “like”) mayfly called an Ameletus. They have 2 tails so that’s a good way to know you’re not looking at an early hatch of Flav’s which will hit in about a month.
The Euro Nymph action is incredibly good all over the river.
Bull Trout fishing is good with a lot of fish coming on the typical big streamers we are used to, but also smaller Euro Jig type streamers have been highly effective. I remember when I poo-poo’d the Euro Streamers….Not anymore. These flies are bomber and the techniques to fish with them are highly effective.