I went to the Metolius again yesterday and can report it is just lovely out there (like always).
I expected to see a lot of smoke. There was not.
I expected to see flames up on the ridge. I didn’t.
I thought I’d see areas that burned up on the ridge. I couldn’t see it, even though I know some of it did burn last week.

All said, it seemed as it always seems.
And the fishing the last couple of days has been very good.

The Summer Caddis hatches are starting to be incredible. This is what we’ve been waiting for. I feel they are a little late, maybe because of the heat. Anyway, there are tons of Tannish-Yellow Micro Caddis #20 and bigger Hydropsyche Spotted Sedge #14-16. I did not see any October caddis like I saw a few weeks ago, but September is nearly here and that’s when they typically get going.
While it is too early to say the “hatch” has started, it is cool to know a couple of our good friends have seen Flav’s and Willowflies in the last few days.
PMD, Blue Wing Olive and Mahogany Duns are all important.
I saw the 1st Little Olive Stones last evening. They will explode to become a massive hatch in September.
And Golden Stones are in the air in the upper river in small numbers but enough to make the fish keep looking for our favorite Clark’s Stone pattern.

The good stuff is now and it just get’s better in September and goes on well into October. September Green Drakes are about 2 weeks away if they come off at their normal time. We are ready.

Huge shout out to the Sisters Ranger District and all the Fire Crews that made a bad situation pretty easy to work with coming from the angling community that loves the Metolius River so much.