Avid fly fisherman Warren Snyder, of Redmond, said the Metolius River bull trout are considered the mountain lion of the stream — the fish that won’t be reeled in without a fight.

“They’re a wonderful species,” Snyder said. “But they are protected, so as soon as you catch them, it’s vital to get them back into the (river) system.”

Snyder spoke to a crowd of about 40 people at the Orvis store in Bend. The store offers free seminars nearly every Saturday on topics ranging from how to train hunting dogs to basic knot tying. Snyder’s task Saturday afternoon was to give the crowd insider tips on the Metolius River’s elusive fish, from what time of year is best to catch them to what type of fly to use.

The swift, clean Metolius River has about 100 fish per mile, Snyder said. That compares with about 1,000 fish per mile in the Deschutes River.

“There will be days where you’ll see big bulls, and they won’t have anything to do with you,” he said. “Remember, they call it fishing, not catching.”

Keith Sime, 75, of Sunriver, has been fishing all his life. But until he attended Snyder’s seminar, he had no idea how big the bull trout get in the Metolius. Next fall, he said, he will be out fishing the river with his son.

“What’s the best time of day to go?” Sime asked Snyder.

Snyder said he used to wake up with the sun, but found the fish get active later, from about 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Wendy Navarro, 38, of Bend, started fishing three years ago. She was interested to find out the types of flies Snyder uses.

Snyder, who makes his own flies, said the point is to lure the fish in using a fly that looks like a crippled rainbow trout or kokanee.

“You want to make it look like a rainbow that isn’t going to make it too far, so the bull will come in and hammer it,” said Snyder, who has caught bull trout weighing 12 to 14 pounds.

Snyder shared a few other tips with the crowd, including the use of a heavyweight rod when going after bull trout.

Bob Hammond, 59, of Bend, asked Snyder which type of water is best for finding the bull trout.

“The water I like to fish in is nice riffle water that then drops into a pool and has tailwater going out,” he said.

And, Snyder said, some of the best places to look for the bull trout are under submerged logs or any structure where the large fish could be looking for prey.

But, the most important thing to do, he said, is to just get outside.

“The Metolius is such a beautiful place. Even if you’re not fly-fishing, take the dog, go for a hike and explore,” he said.

“My biggest piece of advice? Explore the Metolius; it’s really a unique place,” he said.

On the Web

For information about classes at the Orvis store in Bend, go to www.orvis.com/ intro.aspx? subject=3715