In the Metolius River you can legally target Bull Trout, but this river for the most part is Fly Fishing only, with barbless hooks, and Catch and Release only for all species!!! I was wondering if there are any other streams where you can legally target these Big Boys? They are listed as Threatened under the ESA so you got to handle these fish carefully, not just because of their listing but their teeth as well which can easily draw blood.
We fish for these guys with our Steel head gear. That means 8wt. rods and 8-15lb Maxima. They can really test the lighter leaders as a friend weighed one out at over 14lbs.
That’s a lot of bull (trout)! What size flies do you normally use to catch those critters? Do you get aggressive with your presentation? Seems like these fish like to attack smaller fish that are being reeled in, and are attracted to the struggle and flash? Nice fish all around!
Believe it or not… this time of year they were taking either large stones and Octo Caddis nymphs and even#16 PTs or 16 whatever, on the drop. We swing big leachy stuff and that works really well when the Koks are in spawning and die. It can also pissem off to induce a strike when they aren’t. The key is to get it down and right in front of them. The Metolius is so clear we sight fish for them and we’ve seen pods up to 30 or so, but that doesn’t mean they will take, ANYTHING! Seems like before noon is best for them, if no dice, the Met. has some really healthy bows too, but they have Ph.D’s.
But, the damnedest thing happened last time I was out there, they were coming up! For what ??? Who knows, grabbed the 4wt. with 5x and threw a few dries but that would have been a short fight, and would have been quickly busted off. But to see these fish rise, not once but four times is quite amazing. It’s like a video I saw of Steelhead smacking a dead-drift dry, just crazy, would have loved to have seen either happen in real life, best if it happened to me. We even spotted one that had to have gone 13 to 14lbs. but he gave us the bird …l… and then we got blown off the river by the nastiness we’ve been getting over here.
But here’s a pic of some recent blow-down that has become more common here as of late. Should create some new good fish habitat.
Cheers
-Jake
We even spotted one that had to have gone 13 to 14lbs. but he gave us the bird 