Metolius River 7/17/15

Lot’s of good fishing on all the Fly Water. Upper River Golden Stone emergence is still strong, and we have been getting fish up on #14 Tan Caddis, Renegades and #16 PMD’s.
In the Middle River, the Caddis have been spottier but PMD’s have been good. BWO’s are coming on between 4 and 7 most days and Rusty Spinners at Dusk.
Nymphs are hot all over the river. I am loving the Possie Bugger with a Carotene Jig as a dropper.
Good reports this week of Bull Trout being caught from Canyon Creek down to Bridge 99.

The Metolius is in no way effected by ODFW closures. Water is cold, cold cold.

Read this:

While the ODFW emergency closures on some rivers in Oregon is not only big news, it is also responsible and a good thing to do on rivers where Salmon are dying.
That said, people around Bend, Redmond, Prineville and Sisters are not understanding the press releases and misinformation and rumors are running high. My fly shop has received numerous calls and visits from customers concerned they can’t go fishing.
Here is a summary of what is really happening locally on our rivers.
Most of the Central Oregon Rivers we fish are not effected by the ODFW closures that were published yesterday (7/16/15). People are freaking out for no reason!

Water Temperatures and Flows are very safe in the Sisters and Bend area rivers.
Here are temperatures for our local rivers. Keep in mind 65 to 68 degrees is where they recommend you stop fishing for trout.

Here are water temps 7/17/2015:


1)Metolius = 45.9


2)Mckenzie at Vida = 52.9


3)Deschutes at Pelton Dam (Warm Springs) = 54.3


4)Deschutes at Moody Rapid (3/4 mile up from Columbia) =62.8


5)Fall River = 47.


6)Crooked River (Bowman Dam) = 49
Optimal WATER temperatures for trout is 46 to 60.
All of our waters fall into “optimal” except down at the Deschutes mouth where we fish for steelhead, and at under 63 degrees that is still in a safe zone. In fact, the gauge at Moody Rapids shows that area has dropped 11 degrees in the last 9 days and will drop more August 1st as the Dam will be required to release more water from the bottom of the reservoir.
There is so much misinformation circulating about this closure thing I think it is important to inform our friends that fishing Central Oregon is as good as it always is. The water remains cold, and flows are great. 
Come fishing. Book a trip. Go on your own. Whatever. Just don’t get swept away from the hype that is surging through the news right now.

If you have any questions regarding this or would like to gather more information for a follow up we would be happy to assist and answer questions for you.

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