Captain Gregg Holland Reports on September 18th, 2025

The Bay is fishing well now with nice groups of bass passing through on their way to the Delta. The World Series bite is just around the corner, so get out and enjoy this great opportunity. We continue to pound the beaches in the central Bay and working Red Rock, Brothers, Marin Islands in the North Bay.

Solid White, Black or Cappy's Cop Car has been a very consistent fly. Stripping with authority and keeping your energy level high will be huge part of your success. These fish make a living with their lateral lines so pushing water with each strip is critical.

#featherdogoutfitters

Johnny Feaster Reports on September 19th, 2025

Putah Creek

Target Species: Rainbow Trout

Fishing Method: Nymphs with Indicator

Leader Length: 6 to 8 feet

CFS: 300-400

Fishing Overview: Flows have dropped and are holding steady. The water is running clear with cool temps, ideal for active trout. Midges and mayflies are coming off steadily, keeping fish feeding throughout the day. The trout are strong and healthy, sitting in softer seams and tailouts. Responding best to smaller, natural presentations on light tippet. Looking ahead, cooler mornings and shorter days should keep water temps stable and bug activity consistent. Expect the bite to stay solid, especially mid-morning into early afternoon. A patient approach and clean drifts will continue to pay off.

Techniques & Gear:
● Fishing Overview: Right now, euro nymphing with a shorter leader is the most effective approach, giving you tight control for precise drifts. Traditional indicator nymphing is also producing well with smaller, natural flies on light tippet.

● For fly selection: Top patterns this week include Zebra Midges (18–22), Pheasant Tails (16–20), Peaches and Cream (16-18) and Blow Torches (18–20). Keep your drifts clean and deliberate, and you’ll connect with strong, healthy trout.

● Fishing Tips: Dead drift catches fish-presentation is key. Make sure to show some stealth when approaching the runs the fish will be holding more shallow than you may think.

Conservation: Join myself and the Putah Creek Council this Saturday, September 20th, at 8:00 AM at Access 5 for our Putah Creek Cleanup! Help us keep our creek and community beautiful—your participation makes a difference!

Jarrett Coons of Sierra Mountain Trout Guide Reports on September 19th, 2025

The bite is still great on Crowley Lake. The days are comfortable and the mornings are
getting chilly.

Most of the fish are moving north and the bite is still nice and shallow! The
entire North Arm is holding fish but Greenbanks has been the most consistent in 8-13’.
Layton is turning on and Six Bays has been decent if you can be in the right spot on the
right day. Hilton is also holding fish, if you want to fight through all the little bows and cutts they just stocked. They can barely pull the bobber down so if your bobber is twitching or vibrating, it may be these little beasts of the future. Don’t feel bad if you miss them, these little stinkers are hard to hook!!

We still haven't seen a huge hatch of perch fry and have not had many grabs under the
bobber, but they will grab a perch or chub pattern on the strip. I keep telling myself this
will change but it may just be wishful thinking.

But, not to worry because they are crushing the midge, Bobber Down! The bite isn’t super early either 9-11am has been pretty good and afternoons have been great on days the wind is tame.

Flies-
When it comes to the midge it’s all about size, appearance and color. You will want to
have larva and pupa patterns in a variety of color combos. Every day can be a game of
cycling through colors until you find what they want.

Bloodmidge #14-12, Albino Baron #16-18, Black/Red #16-18, Grey/Copper #16-18, Grey/Blk #16-18, Maroon/Copper #16-18, Balanced Perch, Natural, Dark Olive, Chocolate #16-14, Callibaetis Larva #16-18, Damsel Larva #12-14.

Captain Bryce Tedford Reports on Septmeber 18th, 2025

Fall fishing is just starting to roll as water temperatures have been hovering above 70 degrees. With nearly 100 degree days, it’s been a mix of topwater largemouth & a transition into the Fall striper game on the Delta. That said, Fall is just around the corner & the cooler weather coming in will turn my attention towards stripers over the coming weeks. Fall should be a great time on the Delta with fish moving into the system to heavily forage on baitfish, crawfish, bluegill, pike minnow, baby bass, etc.

We will be using 8-9wt rods, heavy sinking lines, 20-25lb leaders & large Clousers to weed out quality fish. 3/0 Steve Adachi style Rattle Clousers are tough to beat when hunting stripers. Various colors work but aquamarine &/or surf brown are tough to beat as well!

Fall season is a wonderful time on the Delta & should not be missed by the striper enthusiast or anyone interested in the adventure of chasing stripers on a fly. My Fall season is all booked up but I have a few remaining dates in Dec. for the persistent angler. I am currently finding solid numbers of 5-15# stripers & it should only improve throughout the Fall! 

Captain Bryce Tedford

 

 

Jarett Coons of Sierra Mountain Trout Guides reports on August 22nd, 2025

Crowley lake

Lake Elev.- 6766.8 Surface Temp. 66+-

It’s a great time to be on Crowley! We’ve made it through the heat of summer and things
should be gradually cooling as we get closer to fall. The lake is fishing great right now
and any day the trout will start to really look to the perch fry. They are showing up, but the trout have not been crushing them yet. There are also a lot of juvenile chubs hanging
close to shore. Trolling a chub and perch fry combo is a great way to get your strip on!
There are still quite a few damsels and Callibaetis hatching.

The lake has been dropping quickly and the bite has moved shallow. We’ve been
hanging in 8-11’, but on occasion have been going out to 18’. Mcgee has been producing fish and the north arm is getting better every day, Hilton has also been holding fish, but has been a little hit or miss. The bite isn’t super early either, 9-11am has been pretty good and afternoons have been great on days the wind is tame.

Flies-
When it comes to the midge it’s all about size, appearance and color. You will want to
have larva and pupa patterns in a variety of color combos. Every day can be a game of
cycling through colors until you find what they want.

Bloodmidge #14-12, Albino Baron #16-18, Black/Red #16-18, Grey/Copper #16-18,
Maroon/Copper #16-18, Balanced Perch, Natural, Dark Olive, Chocolate #16-14, Callibaetis Larva #16-18, Damsel Larva #12-14

Lost Coast Outfitters crew reports on August 19th, 2025

The Trinity and Klamath are in excellent shape and putting out fresh summer steelhead right now. This is the time of year to fish Muddlers and skaters on top and get some chrome to look up. 

It's hot right now, so stick to the low light hours for dry line fishing and get after it with a sink tip when the sun is up. Or, just drink some beer and take a nap until evening. 

Fish are spread out through the system, but the middle to lower ends of both rivers are holding more, fresh and grabby fish. 

To maximize your fun and effectiveness, go with a switch or Spey rod 11'-12'6" in a 5 or 6 weight. Scandi style lines are the most fun way to skate or swing small wet flies and Skagit lines are better for sink tip work.

Single hand rods are in play too and can offer better fly control for skaters. Think 9'6" in a 7 weight with a floating Salmon/Steelhead line for the most optimal setup.

LCO crew reports on August 18th, 2025

Mostly good things to report from da beach. Stripers have returned to Ocean Beach and Pacifica. It seems the water has finally warmed up after the coldest summer in 40 years. The bait had been staying out offshore with the stripers in tow. We've been finding some solid sized fish in the surf lately and we're stoked! The surf perch fishing has been solid all summer. In the last couple weeks, we've seen some of the largest perch of the year 

It's been a windy summer too, and some days have just been a no go out there. HOWEVER! most early mornings have been relatively calm lately, with the breeze picking up late morning. Get out at first light and you've likely have 2-3 blissful hours of fishing. 

The oceanside fishing will remain strong for a few more weeks and then we will transition into full on Bay striper season.

There's a ton of bait in the Bay right now, with anchovies accounting for the largest tonnage. The boats have been doing ok to great depending on conditions. Crissy field has been hit of miss of late, but certainly worth your time and will only get better as we transition into fall mode. Same goes for East Bay and Marin. 

Adachi Clousers in surf brown and chartreuse have accounted for the most fish lately. Fly color is not necessarily critical though. Keep it simple: clear water go with a brighter fly, dirty water go with a darker fly. 

Johnny Feaster reports on August 15th, 2025

Lake Berryessa

Water Temperature: 75-80

Target Species: Bass

Fishing Method: Top water and streamers

Leader Length: 6 to 9 feet

Fishing overview:
With the recent high temperatures, the best opportunities for topwater and streamer action are in the early morning and late evening when the water is cooler and fish are more active. We’re currently not using the float-and-fly method, as conditions aren’t ideal for it. While it’s not a numbers game right now, there’s a real opportunity to connect with some big, quality fish.

Techniques & gear:
Topwater in the early morning and in the late evening seemed to be the best chance at getting one of those major blowups. Throwing a streamer is a preferred method in the later hours of the day. Chartreuse and/or white Clousers by Ryan Williams or Steve Adachi are my go to flies this time of year.

Fishing patterns & tips:
The early morning topwater bite has been very productive. Look for trees. The second drop-off around 8 to 15 feet is a prime spot for streamers. Look for the flats that drop off
when getting into the late morning /afternoon.

Conservation issues:
Golden mussel awareness continues! Golden Mussels have started showing up in California's reservoirs, and local water agencies are taking action. A quarantine is in place to try and slow their spread, with decontamination stations set up at Steel Park and Markley Cove. Please remember to clean your boat thoroughly, especially if you are moving between different bodies of water, like from the Delta to any freshwater lake. It’s crucial to help prevent the spread of these invasive species.

Hot tip:
If you find any land bridges make sure to throw some top water around the ledges!

Putah Creek

Target Species: Rainbow Trout

Fishing Method: Nymphs with Indicator

Leader Length: 7 to 12 feet

CFS: 500-650

Fishing overview: 
With elevated flows across the system, effective weight management is critical. Drop your split shot accordingly to maintain a natural drift and stay in the zone. Fish are still holding, but they’re often pushed to softer edges, inside seams and slower troughs. Increased flows also mean the water can support larger meals, so don’t hesitate to size up your flies—larger stonefly nymphs, worms, and attractors are all in play right now.

Dry fly alert: 
While surface activity is limited, there are still opportunities for the dry fly angler. Look for risers in softer water at the tops of runs and in the tail-outs during lower light periods. Sparse mayfly and caddis activity has been enough to bring a few fish up, so keep a small selection of parachutes, emergers, and CDC patterns on hand in #14–18.

Techniques & gear:
In higher flows, a longer leader paired with increased weight will dramatically improve your ability to get down quickly and maintain a natural presentation. Aim for a leader in the 10–12 ft range, and don’t be afraid to adjust your split shot until you’re ticking bottom. This setup helps keep your flies in the strike zone longer—crucial when fish are pushed deep into slower, more protected holding water.

For fly selection: golden stone flies, hot spot flies, Blow Torch, TJ Hooker, and the caddis green pupa have been my go to flies. All mayflies are working as well. They’re also keying in on anything small and black.

Fishing patterns & tips:

Dead drift catches fish, presentation is key. Make sure to show some stealth when approaching the runs the fish will be holding more shallow then you may think. Don’t be afraid to throw some bigger flies to help present to the fish hanging at the bottom.

Captain Bryce Tedford Reports on August 14th, 2025

August has been a bit of a grind. We've been finding good numbers of smaller fish, but not seeing many of the larger bass I have come to expect this time of year. For me, fishing has been decent, but not great on the CA Delta this summer.

From June 15-September 15 I turn my focus to topwater largemouth & smallmouth bass excursions. These 5hr 1/2 day trips are a great way to get newer anglers into the sport as well as a blast for seasoned veterans who just want to watch largemouth & smallmouth explode on a fly.

Smallmouth fishing has been picking up the last few weeks so I have been chasing both smallmouth & largemouth depending on the day & the guests interest. My remaining summer dates are booked up & I will be turning my attention to stripers come early to mid September. Looking forward to a great fall of striper hunting throughout the Delta!!!