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Metolius River - May 26th, 2011
RECORDED:60 °FISHING: Good Trout: Green Drakes have started to appear on the water however because of the cold wet spring they are not showing very strong yet. Hatches are sporadic. This means you may need to fish the dry Drake as an attractor. If I see just a single Drake in the air or on the water I switch immediately to a dry fly and start prospecting. This tactic often brings hard fast hits from seemingly blank water. The trout really do love their Green Drakes.
Over the next few weeks we should see this hatch improve dramatically. Best time to be on the water looking for the Drakes is from 1pm on. I have seen hatches as late as 6pm. You should generally be fishing below Canyon Creek. This hatch is not very abundant in the upper river.
Speaking of upper river: water above the Allingham Bridge comes open this weekend. It has been closed to protect spawning fish. If you get there early it might be fun. You’ll find some well rested fish.
Some other hatches that may provide alternative action are Blue Winged Olives and Pale Morning Duns both size #16. There are also a fair number of Tiny Olive Stones around. These are size #14 or #16. Last but not least in the evening you may see Spring Caddis. These guys are size #12 or #14 kind of an orangish brown in color . They are most active in the evening.
Bull Trout: Fishing for the big boys has been good. These fish are less affected by cooler weather. Both nymphs and streamer seem to be equally affective.
RECORDED:70 °FISHING: Great
Salmonflies are fully hatched out now and the fishing is good. With all the snow melt in the mountains the river is pretty big so your access to some places may be limited. Don’t for a minute think that the higher water slows the fish down from feeding. They’re out there and they won’t pass up a good meal even if the water is a little high and off color. Flows should start dropping slowly through the rest of the hatch.
Some tricks to fishing the Salmonfly hatch: be persistent. For a variety of reasons this hatch has a tendency to turn off and then turn on in very mysterious ways. Have faith. If you try your dry fly for a while and it just doesn’t seem to be working don’t be too quick to switch to nymphing. Sooner or later those dry flies are going to kick in and that’s what you came for isn't it?
Also; concentrate your fishing effort along the banks and edges of the river. Salmonflies aren’t really hatching mid river like a mayfly. They crawl out and emerge on the bank. They become available to fish when they fall back into the water or return for egg laying. This activity is close to shore. That’s where you are going to find the fish.
For a perdiction how long the hatch will last: Salmonflies came a little late this year so I am expecting it to last a little longer on the other end. I think you will have good fishing in the Maupin area (above town) through about the 15th of June. In the Warm Springs area it will probably go until about the 20th of June.
One last thought; In the midst of the Salmonfly hatch you should also be looking for Green Drakes in the early afternoon. This can be red hot. When they appear Drakes often trump Salmonflies; fish will change their feeding preference. Look for this hatch to bring some bonus fun.
