The Metolius River in February is a noticeable transition time for the river. It was always the time we can count on more daylight, but also see an improvement in the fishing. I think a lot of this has to do with the maturity of the insects and that they are bigger, and now going to be in a biological drift more frequently to disperse themselves for upcoming spring hatches, and to find more food and habitat now they are big kids. So many important things are in this cycle now; Stonefly nymphs, Caddis Larva, Mayflies of all stripes. Even Green Drake nymphs are maturing, and to think we are only 10 or 11 weeks from the 1st emergence of the D. Grandis! Wow. Other things in the drift will include Kokanee Fry, Scuds, Midge Larva and Pupa and Caddis Pupa for October Caddis, Silver Stripe Sedge, Snow Sedge and Rhyacophila caddis in a #14-16 which is the reason the Tan & Olive Fat Ass Caddis have such a good game on the Met now.
There have been some nice afternoon BWO hatches so get a 12′ 6x Suppleflex Leader tied on your 4 weight rod and some 6x tippet and get on that hatch with emergers and cripples.
If you run into the midge hatch in an eddy, you need some 7x too. On the other side of that dry fly coin is prospecting with a big orange dry fly like a Stimulator or Foam Elk Hair Caddis. Even skitter those a bit to mimic the egg laying behavior that brings them back to the river to create the next generations. Don’t overdo the skitter or twitch, but add it sparingly to your presentation on the big flies mimicking caddis and stones. Let me ask you this, how many times have you mended a fly and right afterwards the fly gets eaten? That’s what I am talking about! This is a 4x game most likely.
From watching a few instagram accounts I have seen some damn fine Bull Trout landed over the last 7 to 10 days. WHOA. I also respect the heck out of the posters of this content for there handling of the fish in the net, and quick out of the net lifts for the shot, if even done at all. I see a lot of respect for the fish from the people I follow.
Form a BT perspective, would your choice be an 8 weight and a sink tip and swinging or stripping an articulated streamer, or a 10′ 6 or 7 weight and nymphing a Jig Streamer? I love that swing an awful lot, but the indicator is likely the more effective presentation for now.