The Power of Social Media – Plus fishing the Metolius

The army of people who are conservation minded anglers on Social Media is astounding to me at times. I am often asked, “Why do you waste your time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?” “It seems like such a waste of effort” they say. “People don’t really act on anything you put out there, do they?” I bet there have been people like this every time a new communication technology has been developed.

The answer to me comes from your kind words and the actions that you take.

To keep this brief, I want to share some great data that I received concerning the recent “Simplification” of the ODFW regulations for 2016. I was informed that there were nearly 450 letters to the ODFW Commission regarding the various proposals. Do I think the posts I make have an impact? Yes. I WILL NOT TAKE ALL THE CREDIT!!! THERE WERE A LOT OF LIKE MINDED PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!

So for all of you who took part and either called or wrote letters THANK YOU!!!!

Here’s what the final look of the upcoming rule changes: https://troutbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ODFW-regulations-Sept.2015.pdf

On a side note, for those of you who had particular interest in the Metolious, I can tell you that there is some great new and exciting things soon to be broadcast from out that way. I’ve been sworn to secrecy as of this writing, but I am really excited about sharing new information soon.

One last thing, I was recently up there and had a chance to fish the Met for a bit. This area is one of the most beautiful areas you can visit in Central Oregon. Many say when they fish the Met, “It was a beautiful hike.” Which in most cases means they didn’t catch any fish. Well, whether or not you catch fish on the river, you cannot escape it’s beauty.

I for one seem to have on and off again luck there for the most part. It’s not from a lack of trying, I can tell you that much. Even those I know who have been fishing it for decades have told me that they still have days without touching a fish. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, it jus means it wasn’t your day.

This time of year is special because there is a Green Drake hatch that can make all the difference in your experience out there. Luckily, I have good friends who are always willing to share the information when a particular hatch has been working well out there.

As you can see from my Souplefly hat, I took a variety of that pattern out over the weekend and had a blast. One of the things you have to be prepared to do on the Metolius is be prepared to switch on a dime when the hatch comes on. The old saying of “Match The Hatch” means more on this river than probably any I have ever fished.

The hatches can be brief, so bringing a couple different rods set up for the different conditions is the key in my opinion. This time I brought out a couple rods rigged differently for the conditions. I brought out my Echo Glass rigged up for dries with about 12 feet of 5x and my Orvis rigged up with the same. Depending on the wind, I was going to be prepared for some long casts with light presentation.

After finding the hatch and fishing it for about 2 hours, I found myself sitting on the bank beaming with pride that I had landed 6 fish and only missed out on about 4. The sizes of the fish ranged between 8-14″ on the ones landed, and I can only speculate on the ones I missed. Being a true fisherman, I would love to say they were in the 18 inch range, but c’mon you never know until you get them to hand.

On the way out I was reminded of all the great work going on to protect this beautiful river and system. From locals who care for it only a daily basis, to groups like Trout Unlimited locally who have taken on the task of maintaining its trail systems while still offering great access for fishing. This place brings these qualities out in each and every person who strolls, hikes, runs and fishes along it’s banks. Take the time to do the same for your homewaters, you won’t be alone in your efforts.