McCloud River Fly Fishing Report

Riley Renick of Wild Waters Fly Fishing reports on September 9th, 2026

Fishing was a bit funky this weekend. We've had some unusual weather for this time of year — a big storm followed by unusually cold temperatures. I even saw the dogwoods starting to bloom again. Weird.

The river came up quite a bit after the storms. Saturday's bite was tough--it felt like the trout were as confused as the dogwoods. By Sunday, things felt more normal for this time of year. The cookie-cutter fish were coming on typical dry-dropper setups, and the big browns are still around in the longer runs. This one below measured in at the 24" mark and ate a Rubber Legs.

I think the Rubber Legs has probably caught more of these fish than every other fly combined. There's something special about hitting that two-foot mark on these migratory browns--the 20–23.5" ones are fairly common--but that last half inch is a real challenge. Great to see so many of these browns around again this year.

Looking ahead, we're back into the normal temperature range for this time of year, and fishing should stay good and improve as temperatures cool.

We're also starting to switch gears to steelhead on the Klamath, Trinity, and Rogue. We've got guides on both the Trinity and Rogue this week, and we'll be starting on the Klamath in early October--so stay tuned for that report.

Remaining availability is limited--just a couple of weekdays in October and a few dates in the first half of November. If you're still thinking about a fall day, waiting for the report will put you behind the 8-ball. 

Cheers,

Riley Renick

Wild Waters Fly Fishing

530-288-6052