Idaho Fish Report

As usual we will start on the Metolius, just down the road from the shop. It’s complicated. I like to call the Metolius Mystery Creek sometimes, because it is so full of surprises, and full of things we will never fully understand.

First of all, since the river is easily divided up in to 3 distinct sections: The Upper from the Headwaters to Gorge, the Middle from Gorge to Bridge 99 and the Lower from Bridge 99 down. 

The Upper may be the most consistent for morning and afternoon fishing. The Middle more late afternoon and evening and the Lower about the same as the middle with some added pizazz for nymphing water and stoneflies.

In the Upper there are Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, PMD, Mahogany Duns, some BWO and quite a few Caddis. Ants and Hoppers have a time and a place up there too.

On the Middle, it is slow from about noon or a little before to about 3 or 4. At 3 or 4 you’ll see a good emergence of yellowish-tan micro caddis. 

You’ll see some mixed PMD’s, BWO’s and a larger Olive mayfly called an Ameletus that is matched with a #14 Olive Haze or Olive Stacker Dun. In the evening October Caddis Pupa are becoming important and at dusk Rusty Spinners are the ticket. 

On the Lower river it is everything listed above from both the middle and upper and add some salmon flies which match the sporadic Salmonflies and Willow Flies that hatch in late August into September are already beginning below Bridge 99.

Bull Trout fishing is good on big streamers and we’ve seen some huge ones caught lately.