Metolius Bamboo Fly Rod 7'6" 5-wt Medium | Payne 101 Taper

The 5-weight for technical spring creek water.

The Metolius is one of the coldest, clearest rivers in the Pacific Northwest - a spring creek that comes out of the ground already cold, running through ponderosa pine flats with wild rainbow trout that have seen enough anglers to be selective. It's not beginner water, and the rod that fishes it well isn't a beginner rod.

At 7'6" in a 5-weight with medium action, the Metolius sits between the Henrys Fork's deliberate pace and the Rogue's quicker stroke. It has the length to reach without crowding a fish and the softness to present a dry fly the way spring creek trout require.

The Payne 101 Taper

Jim Payne built the 101 as a 5-weight counterpart to the 100 - longer, heavier line, the same philosophy. Where the 100 covers 4-weight water with authority, the 101 brings Payne's precision to the 5-weight category: a smooth, progressive medium action that loads fully before it fires and rewards an angler who lets it work.

It's not the fastest rod in the lineup and it's not trying to be. On water where accuracy matters more than distance and presentation matters more than power, the Payne 101 does exactly what you want it to do.

Built the Way a Bamboo Rod Should Be

The Metolius is hand-planed to the standard that has defined Headwaters rods since 2002.

The fittings: A finely knurled double-locking downlocking reel seat with stabilized burled maple insert. Ultra-fine cork grip. Red agate stripping guide. Hard chrome guides wrapped in deep burgundy thread with a narrow black tip.

The tube: Cordura rod tube with rod sock included.

Choose Your Version

The Favorite | $400 - Single-tip version for the angler who wants to get on the water first. Same rod, same fittings, same hand-planed cane. Clear upgrade path to the Deluxe when you're ready. 

The Deluxe | $600 - Two tips, two sections of extra security. The complete rod as it was meant to be fished. 

The Outfit | $895 - Everything you need to step onto the water. The Metolius Deluxe paired with a Clark Fork 3.0 fly reel, weight-forward fly line, backing, leader, tippet, and a selection of flies. 

Specifications

• Action: Medium
• Length: 7'6"
• Line weight: 5-weight
• Pieces: 2 (Deluxe and Outfit include extra tip)
• Taper: Payne 101
• Reel seat: Downlocking, double-locking knurled nut, stabilized burled maple insert
• Grip: Ultra-fine cork
• Stripping guide: Red agate
• Guide wrap: Deep burgundy with black tip
• Tube: Cordura with rod sock

No Risk. Our Promise.

Fish it for 30 days. If it's not the rod you hoped it would be, send it back for a full refund, no questions asked. The lifetime warranty covers the original owner for as long as you fish it.