The Metolius River is going to be a great choice this week, whether we are heading out to fish for Bull Trout on streamers, or nymph for anything with fins, or chase afternoon hatches there is a lot going on still on this wonderful river.
Kokanee are still around but the spawn is coming to a close and the fish are definitely dying after the spawn. Eggs remain an important protein for all the fish that congregate below the spawning beds the little salmon use. Also, when fish are digging redds they kick out midges, caddis, stoneflies and mayfly nymphs that get washed down the current to the delight of trout and whitefish below. This is an example of catastrophic drift! The bugs didn’t choose to get washed down, an event chose it for them and they are vulnerable here. Biologic drift is when the same larvae mentioned above move voluntarily to get to new habitat. This occurs frequently, although slows some in the next couple of months as a lot of the nymphs that will hatch next spring and summer are in early instar phases (very small and immature) and as they mature later in the winter they get bigger and need to find new grounds to call home.
Over the next months flies that will be extra important are Eggs, Jig 20 Inchers #10, Golden Stones #6-12, Zebra Midges #18-24, Caddis Pupa including October Caddis #8-10, Tan #14-16 and Olive #14-16, Micro Mayflies and 2 Bit Hookers that look like Baetis nymphs #18-22. It’s always good to use Perdigons, Walt’s Worms, Pheasant Tails, Duracell’s, CDC Guide Hares Ear and Blue Prince Nymphs.
Hatches that are most important now are Blue Wing Olives #18-20, and PMD’s #16. Watch for Cinygmula which is another yellow mayfly hatch that overlaps the PMD’s at this time of year. I also think it’s very likely to run into some Mahogany Duns this week. Add a Quill Gordon or Upright Parachute Rusty #16 to match them. A Purple Comparadun is favorite of mine on the river and a #16-18 or 20 is one I’ll frequently tie on to match a ton of hatches now and throughout the year.
The Golden Stones and smaller Olive Stones are about kaput, but a Clark’s Stone is also a good fly to match October Caddis adults for the next few months, and those little stones can show up at the darnedest times too. Never count them out until it gets really wintery.
Add some Griffiths Gnats and Midge Emergers to the box in #20-22. These can be especially good in the eddies, and in the pool below Allingham Bridge now and for the next 4 or 5 winter weather months.
Don’t forget streamer fishing! You can fish Euro streamers on a tightline set up with your Euro Rod, or the big stuff on an 8 wt.