Fishing for the Greater Good

Several times a year, Joel and I have an opportunity to raffle off hosted trips that benefit greater good projects. One of those exciting nonprofits is the Fly Fishing Collaborative, and currently, their efforts are to raise funds for a project on the Warm Springs Reservation here in Oregon. Last fall, the generous raffle winner was Suzie Peachin, a local Portlander who absolutely loves to fish and comes from an impressive fishing family; in fact, her Mom is still chasing Tarpon and Sailfish at 84 years old! Goals!

Suzie was excited to get together with us on the elusive Metolius and learn specific access spots that meet her fishing needs, so that was the day's directive. Our drive over the mountain on Monday morning greeted us with light winter conditions, including rain and snowflakes, but as we rolled into Camp Sherman, we found unforecasted, bluebird clear skies. Joel has been fishing in the Metolius since he was seven years old, and like Suzie, his family has an extensive fishing history, his being six generations deep into Oregon Waters. We were all hoping for a bit more cloud cover to make the day more interesting, but as anglers we know, you can’t learn anything or wet a line if you don’t GO!

If there’s anything to remember when fishing this particular river, it’s to take the time and fish with your eyes, and not your boots. Wait for the hatch; look for rising fish and target them specifically. And, unless you’re willing, ready, and able to take a long hike, we can guarantee your fishing day will be all the more challenging on an already technical river. Fluorocarbon, light tippet, and various mayflies and Caddis are highly recommended.

Suzie was a trooper with difficult conditions and no hatches to show us more of what the fish were honing in on. We highlighted a half dozen favorite spots on our river map for her to reference in the future. We enjoyed hot Panini’s on Joel’s homemade sourdough bread; a tip of our hat to his grandmother Becky, as her sourdough starter helped fill our bellies this beautiful afternoon. We were visited by a super cute chipmunk who requested nibbles of cheese and a Triscuit or two before we packed up and made our way home.

Mark your calendars to head to the Met for its world-famous Green Drake Hatch that usually appears mid to late May and Peaks early June. The area is also fantastic for hiking, biking, birdwatching, and camping. Being relatively close to Sisters, it also allows non-fishing family members to bug out, if you will, on their own for a little Shopping spree while you get a chance to fish. Hatches come off later in the afternoon, so if you’re headed over for the day, don’t feel as though you have to be at Riverside at the crack of dawn.

Fly Fishing Collaborative has generated many exciting opportunities to support communities throughout the world and locally with hydroponics that help create more sustainable means of living and help keep children out of sex trafficking. If you’re not familiar with this outstanding nonprofit, please take the time to check them out.

We can’t always control the hatch or the fishing outcome, but we can do our best to “Fish well, & do good”! Thank you, Suzie, for your support and for spending the day with us on the beautiful Metolius
River.