Nature’s Steakhouse: The Metolius River Green Drake Hatch
While it’s easy to get lost in the madness of May’s many epic hatches, the fun certainly doesn’t stop when the calendar turns to June. In fact, dry fly fishing in Oregon only gets better as spring gives way to early summer. One of our favorite hatches during this upcoming window — and one perhaps beloved even more by fish than angler — is the Metolius River Green Drake (Drunella grandis) hatch.
Western Drakes are a big, finicky subspecies of mayfly that tend to like a combination of cloudy humidity and heat, found only during narrow windows each year — typically June and September. You’ll find both Grey and Green Drakes across a multitude of Oregon streams, and in some surprising places — from the coast to the Clackamas.
These bugs always tend to bring fish to the surface, for the same reason filet mignon brings me to a steakhouse. They’re delicious, at least according to trout. You might be surprised to find that fish have preferred flavor profiles, but they’re really no different than us. Certain meals they eat out of caloric necessity, others because they’re just downright tasty. It doesn’t hurt that drakes are also one of the largest mayflies on the market.
That said, not many Oregon streams have a consistent and prolific hatch of these bugs — the kind of hatch that gets fish keyed in for days or even weeks at a time. Running into Green Drakes is a happy accident in most places, with one notable exception: the mighty Metolius River.
Patterns
From Camp Sherman downstream, the Metolius sees an absolutely epic hatch of these big, beautiful bugs, unmistakable due to their unique, often bright-green hue and the telltale curvature of their thick, heavily ribbed bodies. They have classic, long mayfly tails and windowpane wings, often disproportionately small compared to their massive torsos. Typically, they’re found in sizes 10–14.
On the Metolius, which is designated “fly fishing only” for long sections, you’ll want to come prepared with a wide variety of patterns and sizes in order to both match the hatch and to present something a little different than your peers. Patterns that ride lower in the surface film and require a less risky take from the Metolius River’s spooky wild rainbows and bull trout will typically catch more fish — a Film Critic is a great place to start.
Don’t be afraid to trim materials off your favorite patterns to show the fish something unique, or to get your fly riding lower. The harder it is for you to see your fly, the more likely it is to elicit a take.
Presentation
On the Metolius River, the “right” presentation often comes down to what the fish will and won’t eat. In this extraordinarily clear water, casting upstream to a rising fish is typically going to yield better results than fishing downstream — but there are always exceptions to that rule, especially if you’re casting to a fish on the far side of the river.
If fish are rising to naturals but rejecting your offering outright, they’ve probably seen you, and it’s time to move on to greener pastures with a stealthier approach. Be sure your fly is the first thing these fish see. If your line is leading the way, or you’re suffering from even a minimal amount of drag, it’s game over.
The most critical part of your presentation for this hatch comes down to your leader construction. These fish are both very line and leader shy, and see a lot of novice anglers who spend countless hours teaching the trout exactly what to avoid. 6x tippet is a prerequisite for success here, and you’ll do well to lengthen your leader to at least 12 feet to maximize distance between fly and fly line. It’s a more cumbersome rig to cast, particularly on a short line, but it’s the difference between success and frustration.
Water Type
Look for slower-moving tailouts and buckets just below riffles, or areas where the river funnels and then re-widens. Bugs will also stack up on eddy lines. The fish are not shy about scooping up naturals; they’re confident in their ability to spot the real deal. You’ll see trout rising actively when it’s time to cast Green Drakes on the Metolius, which makes finding the right water a fairly easy proposition.
In my experience, you really want to wait until you see fish rising before trying to target them on Green Drake dries. Casting flies to fish when there are no naturals present can make them even more wary and harder to catch when it’s actually prime time.
Gear
The Metolius River is classic five-weight water, the perfect tool for casting a big, bushy mayfly dry on a long leader. A high-quality four-weight will work, too, but you may encounter fish that give you a problem in the fast current of the Metolius. Personally, I prefer a slower-action rod for a more delicate presentation. This is a great hatch for fishing fiberglass, if you’re a fan.
Outfit your rod with a matching reel, preferably one with a trustworthy drag to protect your light tippet. Use a floating line — weight forward or double taper, whichever you prefer. Weight forward will help you cast heavy flies further, while a double taper will allow for a more delicate presentation. Both have their advantages in this difficult environment.
Remember, it is never hot enough to wet-wade the Metolius — a spring-fed river that maintains water temperatures in the 40s even on summer’s warmest days. Bring your waders, and step carefully: it’s almost always deeper than it looks!
When to Go
The Green Drake hatch typically gets going in early to mid-June, but given this warm spring we’ve had so far it’s a good bet we’ll see these bugs starting in late May. Because Green Drakes are so coveted by trout, this is not a hatch that you have to let peak before it’s worth the trip. In fact, the deeper you get into the hatch, the pickier the fish tend to become. If you’re exceedingly confident in your angling skills, waiting until the peak of the hatch — usually a week or two in mid-June — might work out for you. If you’re still learning, it will pay to be there early.
Mayflies hatch in pulses, and the fish respond in kind. You’ll want to have your rod rigged and ready, because the windows of fast action can be cruelly short. The water will absolutely boil with rises for half an hour, then turn off for an hour, then start all over again. The more time you spend on the water, the easier it will be to predict and target these cycles.
Don't Miss The Deschutes Green Drake Too
Perhaps one of the most surprising locations and timings for this hatch is the Deschutes River, where the Green Drake can come off in the middle of the Salmonfly hatch. If this happens, you had better be equipped with some Green Drakes because every single salmonfly/stonefly pattern you cast will be ignored for the Green Drake. While this blog is primarily about the Metolius, learn to recognize this bug and be ready during salmonfly season to switch things up quickly.
The Green Drake hatch tends to come off in medium- to fast-riffle sections on overcast, humid days, so cloudy days are ideal. The perfect setup is little to no wind, allowing these insects to ride high on the water for longer periods. This is a midday hatch ranging between 2-5 PM if the previously mentioned criteria are met, but the hatch can come off even on bright sunny days closer to dusk.
Don't sleep on this hatch on the Deschutes River because nothing else will matter when the hatch comes off!