The Mrs.

I have managed to entice a couple of those famous Metolius River bull trout into the net this season. This fish, a 25 incher, caught in mid March of 06, took a #12 Prince Nymph. Yeah - nymphing's the game out there. Bull trout will readily take streamers and even dries, but we are dialed in on the nymphing and consistently see fish that range over - sometimes well over - 20 inches. Unfortunately I have flown solo on most of my Metolius days this year, and without a camera. But there are a few more weeks left before the fish start heading back down to the reservoir for the summer, and hopefully I'll get back out for one last hurrah. Pound for pound, bull trout put up just as good a fight as any fish I've played, including sturgeon and bill fish. But the real gems of the Metolius River are the native Redside bows. These little beauties are always welcome, even when targeting the larger bull trout. It is spectacular to see these natives in their natural environment. I love this river. I love getting out of the car and smelling the air at 6:30 am. I love and crave the pristine peace I find among the towering Ponderosa and fir. I value the sound of the river, the sight of my own breath in the cold, the solitude, and the sound of my drag screaming like a banshee outta heck, while my backing peels off the reel at mach 7. Life is good.
My buddies and I refer to the river as "The Mrs." Reason being if you spend quality time with her and treat her right, she'll be ever so good to you. But the minute you neglect her, the skunk is on. Tight lines!