10 Tips to Make you a Better Angler
Jon Baiocchi Reports on 3.10.2020
Fishing still remains to be good on the Lower Yuba River, and spring has sprung with more wildflowers out, and new birds returning to the region. The cliff swallows are back, and I saw my first Osprey yesterday circling above the river looking for a vulnerable rainbow to snatch up. Songbirds and warblers are making an appearance as well. I love watching the birds and how they interact with the current conditions for food sources, like the hermit thrush patiently waiting on the cobblestones next to the bank anticipating a Skwala snack. They’re not dumb.
It was nice to see some light and steady rain grace the land this past weekend, just enough to keep the dust down and recharge the green colors of the foothills. We had nearly a half inch of precipitation fall in Nevada City for the last 48 hours. Not nearly enough, but we’ll take. The flows out of Englebright dam remain stable, and Deer creek barely bumped up during the storm so no new color was added to the system. Currently the combined flows are running between 970 and 980 cubes. From Yuba Water Agency’s website “Current snow survey data and long-range forecasts indicate dry conditions. For water conservation purposes, releases from Englebright Reservoir have been decreased to maintain Lower Yuba flows above the required minimum flow of 788 cfs. If weather conditions change, adjustments to flows will be re-evaluated.” Fishing pressure has diminished a little and there were very few anglers out this past weekend compared to the weekends of the past month, yet last Tuesday there were 10 vehicles on the north side of the Hwy 20 Bridge. Go figure, it must be the weather.
As for the aquatics, there is still a ton of Skwalas out, and as I’ve said before I’m seeing more spent adults. When it comes to Skwala activity, it all depends on the warmth of that particular day. Yesterday it was cooler and there were not as many adults running around the cobbles like last Tuesday and Wednesday. I flipped rocks along the shoreline and sure enough I found a little over a dozen in a few minutes as they were seeking shelter and waiting for some solar radiation to heat things up. I’m seeing more March Brown mayflies (Rhithrogena morrisoni) during the middle of the day, the same PMDs (Emphemerella infrequens) too with the pinkish abdomen and the orange thorax. Many factors such as diet or natural selection may influence the coloration of mayfly species. The Yuba river streambed having a slight reddishpink coloration due to the type of algae coating the cobblestones, impart to the nymphs, and in turn the duns a pale pink staining. There are some Pink Alberts (epeoris) in the mix as well and also some BWOs (Baetis) which were more prolific over the weekend with the rain and cloudy conditions. On our float yesterday I saw those rusty PMD spinners near the Aquarium section again around 10am, yet this time nobody was eating them. I’ve also noticed an increase of multiple species of caddis out and have definitely witnessed fish eating them here and there while the females are returning to oviposit on the water’s surface. I have not seen any Brown Duns (Amelitus) in the last week and no new shucks on the rocks, but I’m sure there is still a few around. Yeah, lots of aquatics in the mix for sure with a daily and constant dose of midges that is so prolific within a tailwater system. It’s fascinating when drifting on the river for miles how each riffle and run has different hatches, especially when it comes to the mayflies. It has made me realize that a basic fishing report is kind of obsolete. You got to be there in “real time” to see just what is happening as every hour is different, as well as the day.
There are many new trout/steelhead redds that have been constructed in the last week with visible fish on them. Please do not interfere with them by fishing, and be extra careful while wading around the redds. Though flow regimes and loss of habitat is the main culprit for low populations of trout and steelhead in the river, wading through the redds and crushing eggs and alevins doesn’t help either. Please be aware, and help educate those who are new to fly fishing about spawning beds.
My guests and I are still not nymphing so I will have to recommend those indo rigs from the last report when I drifted with Brian Clemens. Big and little rubber leg stones, baetis nymphs, zebra midges, red copper johns, Hogan’s flies (S&M’s, Red Headed Step Child, Military Mays), and JuJubees. As for dry flies, just carry different emergers and adult mayfly patterns for the species listed above. The Unit Skwala tied in my own personal way is still crushing fish, especially those that see less pressure, or are in the rougher crap water most anglers just walk on by. 11am to 4pm on most days are the magic hours to be head hunting with fly first presentations. Oh, and btw – 5X makes a big difference when it comes to receiving eats on the Skwala dry, but you got to be careful on the hook set or you’ll pop the fly off.
Looks like it will warm up again and dry out heading into Friday where there is a chance of another small storm which will move down from the north this coming weekend. Colder air is the easier part of the forecast, though the exact track of the system and snowfall amounts are harder to evaluate this far out. We should see this system move in Saturday into Sunday. For the fantasy range forecast, the models keep the trough over the West with negative height anomalies over CA through the 3rd week of March. That would keep the door open to more systems dropping into CA from the north/northwest. That could bring us another weather system for early the week of the 16th, and possibly another system later that week into the 24th. No Bid Daddy storms looking ominous on the horizon, but we’ll take any kind of precipitation at this point. So many fisheries and watersheds all over the state are producing right now. Get some while the getting is good! See you among the cobblestones of the Lower Yuba River…
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Jon Baiocchi Reports on 2.6.2020
It’s been pretty good on the Lower Yuba River, but the air temperatures will greatly affect Skwala activity, and also the mayfly hatches. The last two days with the extremely cold north wind really hampered the dry fly fishing. In fact last Monday was the coldest day I can remember on the Yuba River. That north wind cuts right through you and it’s enough to give one an ear ache for days. Here is an example of how the air temperature and wind chill affect Skwala activity. On Saturday, the first of February, I was hosting group #2 from Tri Valley Fly Fishers at Hammon Grove. That day we saw dozens of stoneflies in the willows, on the rocks, and in the drift. We saw many blow ups from the trout eating them as well. This past Monday, I saw one Skwala out, with only a few rise forms. Where do they go? They simply hide out under the cobbles and wait for another day that is warmer. For the mayflies, it’s a different story. They have a 24 hour life cycle, where as a stonefly can live for a month or longer. Cold wind can affect the water temps from coming up a few degrees which is part of the trigger mechanism that mayflies use to hatch. The other aspect is that with a strong wind, the duns are not on the water as long and are simply blown off the surface, much to the trout’s dismay.
The flows have come down and Yuba Water Agency has cut the flows back a little from the lack of precipitation and is currently running at 1,093 cubes – Love it! There’s more to come too, from their website this morning: “Current snow survey data and long-range forecasts indicate dry conditions. For water conservation purposes we will decrease releases from Englebright Reservoir on Tuesday 2/4, Wednesday 2/5 and Thursday 2/6 by 50 cfs per day, from 1,000 cfs to 850 cfs. If weather conditions change we will reevaluate and look at adjustments to flows. Releases from Englebright Reservoir are managed to comply with license flow requirements.” Fishing pressure has been busy especially on the weekends. The lack of fishing etiquette has been disturbing, especially from new guide boats, and new pilots of public boats. We had three boats drift right through a foam line with rising trout that my clients were fishing last Saturday, and they didn’t even acknowledge that we were there. I’ve been in the same situation before where veteran drift boat guides would drift behind us as to not disturb the feeding lane we were fishing in front of us. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again – Communication from those behind the oars goes a long way.
So I’ve been working closely with Brian Clemens on trips where our clients do a day with him in the boat, and then a more instructional day with me on how to best approach the Yuba River on their own as a walk and wade angler. Brian has been doing really well nymphing from the boat. He’s covering the most productive water, with the right flies, and at the right depth – for miles. The best bugs for the indo rig have been Clemens’s Skwala Stone, Clemens’s Bad Ass Baetis, Jimmy Leg Stones, and the worm. The upper river has a little more color to it than down below, so switching to 5X has its advantages when the water is clearer. I’ve been on the upper part of the river a lot, and there is a ton of fish stacked up there right now. According to Brian the top and bottom sections of the Yuba down to Daguerre dam have the biggest amounts of fish in the system, while the middle section is just ok. You know how the Yuba works, the trout can be here today, and somewhere else tomorrow. If you’re not catching – Move!
For me and my trips, it’s all about the afternoons. Hunting selective trout from the bank is so much fun! It’s very challenging and technical, but when you do have some success it’s simply so rewarding. That type of situation is what I live for whether it is me fishing, or my guests. Mayflies start appearing round 1 pm or so, look for the songbirds being active to help guide you. Two PMDs are out, a size 14, and a size 16 that is a little more yellow, and the BWOs in a size 18 as well. Once the fish are keyed in on the mayflies and are looking up, it then becomes Skwala time with the best fishing from 3 to 5pm. You’ll have better results with broken water than the flat calm water. The trout have more time to inspect your fly on the flat calm water. With more fishing pressure on the river you’ll often see the fish take a natural Skwala and refuse your artificial. Try changing patterns and see if they take it, if not, move on and find another fish. I’m totally booked up for February with regular guide trips, workshops, and the Pleasanton Fly Fishing show, but have a few dates open for March as of now. If you really want to learn about the Yuba, I can teach you the ways through Jedi training and mind tricks. See you on the water…
Jon Baiocchi Reports on 1.11.2020
It’s been fun fishing on the Lower Yuba River the past couple of weeks. I really enjoy sharing the rhythms of the river with my guests and improving their skill set. My approach to guiding the Lower Yuba River is so much different as it is from a walk and wade perspective, where deciphering hatches and the clues that Mother Nature provides to usable information for the common fly angler. Reading water, proper presentations, casting, the best access, river history, local flora and fauna, flies, fish handling, the best flows, hook sets, fighting fish, and special leader formulas for every application known. I take pride in my trips, and not once in the last 23 years of guiding have I woke up at 4am and said “I don’t want to go to work today”. I really do love it.
Flows have been stable, right around 1,370 cubes, which is good as the trout can set up some long term homes and feeding lanes. Fishing pressure has increased, and some days are downright silly. I see way too many anglers racing upstream to try and beat the next guy, when they are passing up some really good water. All types of rigs are working right now but if want to play the dry fly game, you can take your time getting to the river ‘cause those heads and rise forms don’t even appear until after 12pm. Effective pattersn for nymph rigs include brown/gold rubber leg stones, red copper johns, Hogan’s S&M and Military May in BWO and PMD colors, and with this week’s weather and rising flows – worms in flesh, pink, and flesh colors. Swing salmon fingerlings and black egg sucking leeches near the head of runs.
So, what’s on the surface menu? BWOs, PMDs, Brown Duns, and Skwala stones. In the last week I’ve been observing more with my guests and helping them identify when a hatch is about to go off (it’s all about the song birds), the different species of mayflies, and trout behavior. The mayfly hatches have been really short, about 20 to 30 minutes, a little longer on cooler moist days as it takes longer for the mayflies to dry their wings from emergence and be able to fly off – Trout like that, they can take their time eating. One key to being more successful is to actually watch what specie of mayfly an individual trout is eating. With 4 different aquatic insects to choose from, it varies. Here is an example; last Sunday my guest and I were fishing multiple foam line/feeding lanes in an area, and there were about eight different fish rising consistently. We were close, like 10 feet away so you could see every detail – To be honest it was incredible! Most of the fish were eating BWOs, but a few ignored them and would only take PMDs. There were Skwalas and a few Brown Duns circulating in a Merry-Go-Round foam patch, and the fish ignored both of them. Just plain weird. Trout behavior never ceases to amaze me. A classic “Masking Hatch” was happening, where other aquatic insects mask what most of the trout are really eating. To complicate matters even more, they can switch to a different preferred food item at any given moment. This is what trout fishing is all about – Solving the ever changing riddle.
Not many Skwalas out yesterday as it was too cold and not a lot of abundant sunshine. They chose to hide out under the cobblestones until a better day. They sure do like it warm. I’m amazed at how many anglers do not see them crawling around or in the drift. But then again you need to be on the water often to pick up the subtle clues and train your eyes to be able to pick up on those particular variances.
When it comes to that, I might as well be an Osprey. I just see the surrounding conditions of such so clearly – it’s all about putting in time on the water, and I’m very fortunate to be able to have those skills, and the time/job to hone them. I want to help other anglers though, and why I created affordable workshops to help increase a fly angler’s skill set. On February 12th I will have a Skwala Workshop on the Lower Yuba River. You’ll learn identification from male to female, habitat for the nymph and the adult, where and when they hatch, plus other rivers that hold good populations of them, emergence behavior, egg laying behavior, trout response to the hatch, recommended equipment, leader formulas, flies, presentations, and a highly informative handout that covers everything within the workshop. $150 per angler, limited to 4. You’ll walk away after the workshop with a clearer understanding of the Skwala hatch, and how to be more successful when plying the water. Shoot me an email if you want in: baiocchistroutfitters@yahoo.com I have other upcoming workshops in the mix, so keep tabs on my blog: https://jonbaiocchiflyfishingnews.blogspot.com/ or on my website’s news page: http://www.baiocchistroutfitters.com/fly-fishing-news/
It looks like we are getting some real precipitation this week, with rain, snow, and below average temperatures. We’ll see what transpires with the flows, and just have to wait and see how much falls from the sky. Feel free to contact me with questions, it’s that time of year when I have a little more time to answer emails (ha ha! up at 3am this morning to do so and get caught up!). Put the resource first, give back, help a newbie, and I’ll see you on the water…
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Jon Baiocchi Reports on 1.2.2020
The Skwala stoners are out, a little early but not by much. I was surprised to see as many shucks as I did over the past two days. They’ve been pre staging in the idle slack water downstream of riffles over the last month. Many of my clients are put back by how small the Skwala stonefly is compared to Goldens, and Pteranarcys. Your flies should be close to the same size for both the nymph and the adult. You can see here a stillborn that started to emerge, than failed. I’m surprised the birds didn’t get this one. It’s good to see the songbirds once again, my old friends are back on their favorite perches waiting to intercept passing aquatics in the breeze. Black Phoebes, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Yellow Throated Warblers, and Townsend’s Solitaire in the mix. If you see birds starting to dart back and forth from their perch, you can anticipate that a hatch is about to go down, while putting yourself in a good run and waiting for the trout to respond. Mother Nature will provide the clues if you stop casting, and observe more. Skwalas are most active during warmer air temps and are in the foam and bubble lines in the afternoon. The majority of the fish are not keyed in on them yet, but they will be. I’m hoping the river does not blow out like this year and continued for months. We had serious game last January on the surface until February came along, and you know the rest of the story – Whooosh! Mating has already started. Stoneflies live a long time for an aquatic bug and can mate several times, unlike a mayfly. I also like to point out how much bigger the female is compared to the males, having two sizes of both nymphs and adults can up your odds. #12 2xl for the male, #10 2xl for the female. Check out my article in the December 2014 issue of California Fly Fisher magazine for the complete details on the Skwala hatch. I really dug deep with the information shared on this one. There have been decent hatches out, nothing profuse but that should change here in the next month. Many different mayflies including the big Brown Dun (Ameletus) #10, BWOs #18, PMDs #14, and Pinkies (Epeorus) #16. Yesterday after noticing the birds eating rapidly from their perches, we put ourselves on a good flat and sure enough we had BWOs coming off and multiple rising fish. Unfortunately, the show was over in 20 minutes. There is also a sprinkling of micro caddis out as well, but mayflies taste better to the wild rainbows. The weather looks to be perfect in the next week with a mix of sun and clouds, plus a chance of light rain on Saturday. It’s all systems go for the Lower Yuba River, and the fishing will only get better once the fish figure out the Skwalas are in the drift during the afternoons – Looking forward to that! See you on the water…
Brian Clemens Reports on Happy New Years Everyone,
Flows: 800 Low Flow, 1900 High Flow
Clarity: Perfect 8-10ft viz hint of green
Fishing: Good to Great
The section above hwy70 is now open
My Available Dates for Feather, Yuba, Lower Sac, American
My Trinity Lower Sac Dates
Jon Baiocchi Reports on 12.11.2019
Finally, the whirlwind of being extremely busy since last early spring has died down and settled into the winter rhythms. The last month has been mostly touring around to fly clubs and speaking, and I must say the Delta Fly Fishers Northern Sierra Stillwater Seminar was SO much fun! I’m hoping more clubs go with that program because of the overload of knowledge shared, and the value to those attending. It’s a win/win for everyone involved!
It’s nice to be back on the water, and during the winter season is when I really get to fish on my own time. Love it. The Lower Yuba River has been fishing well, but the same old story, you got to find where the fish are holding, and put in the work – which at times is not easy unless you have some Intel on specific locations. Boats are getting more numbers than walk and wade anglers due to the simple fact that they can cover more water. Walk and wade anglers have an advantage too, as they can study the runs and riffles longer, and dissect their surroundings for the clues being offered to them by Mother Nature – Bug and trout activity. Fishing pressure has been light. On the trips I made in the last week above the bridge I only saw one other angler, and nobody upstream of Separator Rock. I like that.
The flows…Good for both boats and walk and wade anglers, and currently back down to 1,380 cubes. A few spikes from Deer creek after the recent storms, but nothing alarming, just a good little flushing to add some color to the system. I’ve recorded some unusual flows over the past month on the Lower Yuba River, a few times the flows were totally shut off for a few hours? I don’t get it, even if it was for maintenance, wouldn’t that require input or a special permit from CDF&W without having a F&G code 5937 violation? Who knows…Trout still gotta eat though, that I know.
All types of techniques and rigs are working right now. Bobbers, swinging softies and streamers, tight line nymphing, dry/dropper rigs, and dry flies to rising fish. In the last week I have seen mostly inconsistent hatches, and hopefully we will get into the daily winter “Clockwork” appearances from the PMDs, BWOs, Brown Duns, and soon the Skwala Stonefly. Right now the Skwala nymphs are starting to stage next to the idle water downstream of major riffles. Not many now, but those numbers will be increasing in the next few months. For flies… stones, small dark flashy mayfly nymphs, worms, eggs (texture makes a difference), alevins (Al-uh-vins), even caddis pupa patterns too. Cover water and go somewhere else if you are not catching, but also don’t leave fish to find fish – just figure the riddle out. I’ve hooked into a few toads out there but mostly smaller fish that might as well be F-18’s with the afterburners on – Red hot!
Just a reminder that my first of many workshops will be on 1/11/2020 – The Dry Fly Workshop will cover equipment, flies, rigging, leader construction, techniques, tactics, and informative handouts, plus one on one guiding. Cost is $175. I’ve restructured my workshops to allow for more fishing, and one on one guiding interaction. Limiting the maximum amount of anglers to 4 also immensely helps students receive more in depth instruction. Email me at baiocchistroutfitters@yahoo.
I’m currently packing my fishing gear, snowboarding stuff, and all my tying equipment for an extended stay at Advanced CBC (Cat’s Base Camp) in Colorado. It’s going to be cold, but I’m looking forward to some serious fun and happy times from bent rods, to carving the groomers, and hopefully floating on some freshies. It’s been a great year with lots of good surprises. I can’t thank you all enough for the support you’ve shown to me. Dad would really be proud of me sharing the knowledge… I’m sure he knows. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
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Jon Baiocchi Reports on 10.22.2019
As for the bugs I saw a few different size caddis, BWOs, some really small PMDs, and larger Mahogany duns. I have heard of a few reports of Gray Drakes but I have yet to see one myself and cannot confirm it firsthand. The boys from GuideBox Fly Fishing also told me there is some decent dry fly fishing just before the sun sets, so keep that in mind. All types of rigs are working right know, and sub surface indo set ups are consistently producing the best. With more spawning salmon in the system, EGGS are a must right now and the best bead colors have been mottled natural roe, tangerine dream, and dark peach blood spot. I’ve also got some new innovative coatings with various shades of nail polish that really seem to do well and all I can say is “think outside the box” – Try different coatings the trout have never seen before. So with the indo rig, I’ll start with an egg about 9 inches down from my split shot, then I will trail a #16-18 Hogan’s S&M or Military May in dark olive, brown, or black, 14 to 18 inches below. Rubber legged stones have been picking up a few fish too. Try a dry dropper rig with something bushy on top in yellow or orange trailing a small baetis pattern in the shallower water below major riffles and the side water, you will be surprised. Lastly, solo dry fly, and depending on where you are fishing on the river will dictate what fly you will use for that. Observe more, and look at what type of bug the trout are actually eating and at what stage before making a selection from your box. Every section and riffle from the highway 20 Bridge downstream to Daguerre dam can have totally different hatches, and quantities of them, from prolific to sparse. I want to thank John G. from Diablo Valley Fly Fisherman for organizing another great outing, the Lower Yuba River Dry Fly Workshop. We are planning many more events for the club in 2020. If your club would like to do the same, just contact me at baiocchistroutfitters@yahoo.
