Lower Yuba Fly Fishing Report

Jon Baiocchi / Baiocchi’s Troutfitters reports on 11.5.2015

Since I’m unable to launch my boat at Lake Davis, trip numbers have been down. Like any creature of the wild I adjust, and I have been putting in many trips on the Lower Yuba River. Flows have been hovering around 680 cubes which are ideal for the walk and wade angler. Angling pressure is very low, in fact last Saturday my guest and I were the only ones in the water at the Hammon Grove area. We’ve been so fortunate to have massive tiny blue wing olive hatches with big pods of rising fish, last Saturday the hatch lasted for four hours, it was absolutely incredible! We have not been getting any real big fish, but if you’re in tune with the Lower Yuba, you know how hard these trout fight for their size. There are way more salmon in the system compared to weeks earlier. If you’re walking and wading make sure you stay clear of active salmon redds. Walk well around the upstream side of them, if you’re unsure what a red looks like picture a very clean dug out pit of cobbles and gravel.

Effective rigs while nymphing have been a Jimmy Legs stone with a pegged bead dropper. For dry flies during the Pseudocleon hatch, the loop wing parachute #18 - 20 is money. You may have to drop down to 5x if you are getting refusals. Fly first downstream presentations are a must to be effective. We are about two months away from the legendary Skwala stonefly hatch to begin which provides the ultimate game for the dry fly enthusiast, I personally cannot wait until the magic begins. Good luck, and see you on the water. Jon Baiocchi