It’s no secret that the American West has experienced one of the warmest winters on record. Minimal snowfall, a nonexistent snowpack, and 70-degree weeks in March might be great for your neighborhood shorts-and-puffy-vest guy, but things are trending in a direction that doesn’t bode well for fish. Regardless, we decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and head to the campground for a little overnight excursion.
We ended up at Lower Bridge Campground on the Metolius River. It’s a solid spot with productive camp water, proximity to the Wizard Falls Hatchery, and easy access to hiking trails. Best of all, the sites were large enough to test out our new toy.
Why We Bought Our Trailer
You heard me right—Kate and I used this weekend trip as an excuse to test out our new 2025 Keystone Bullet. It crams a lot of features into its 20-foot footprint:
- Dual batteries and solar array
- Bathroom with a shower
- 15K BTU A/C
- Instant hot water heater
- Slide-out couch/dinette
- Years of priceless memories
We’re getting married in June 2026 and are planning a spectacular road trip the following September. We wanted a home away from home while we stop in Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes, Banff, and Jasper in Canada. It’s bound to be a trip for the books, with opportunities to cast for cutthroat, bull trout, Dolly Varden, and (hopefully) steelhead. Stay tuned for details as we finalize the itinerary.
Beyond that trip, we also wanted a home base to extend our camping season. Kate works remotely, and we needed somewhere warm and dry to serve as her mobile office while we adventure. The goal is to camp more often—even posting up at local rivers during the week while I commute to work from our little trailer. We’re incredibly excited to welcome this addition to our family.
The Metolius River
I consider the Met to be one of my home waters, and it’s my favorite fishery from winter through early spring. This gin-clear, spring-fed gem originates near Camp Sherman and winds through the forest before reaching Lake Billy Chinook.
The Metolius is diverse, boasting populations of native redband trout, bull trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish, and kokanee. The landscape varies from meadow-lined banks to deep gorges, long riffles, churning rapids, and mellow pools. Thanks to its clean, cold water, the Metolius supports some of the most prolific bug life in Central Oregon—though its fish are famously selective when it comes to dry flies.
I fish the Metolius with several different rods:
- My 9’ 5wt St. Croix Imperial is a great all-around rod and excels at casting dries.
- My 10’10” 4wt Diamondback Ideal Nymph is perfect for working pocket water, getting deep in channels, and making precise casts between logjams with a jig streamer.
- My 9’ 8wt Echo Ion XL is reserved for throwing streamers at bull trout on a sinking line.
- My 11’1” 7wt Fenwick Aetos switch rod is a versatile tool for swinging streamers and casting heavy indicator rigs without backcasting.
Wrapping This One Up
It’s been a whirlwind couple of months, and my time on the water has suffered because of it. My writing schedule has taken a hit as well—apologies for the lack of regular content.
I’m excited for that to change with the addition of our new trailer. We’re planning more impromptu adventures and midweek camping trips close to home. It doesn’t hurt that I can commute from the river—we’re lucky to have so many great fisheries within shouting distance of town.
Cheers to a year of outdoor adventure.
—T
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