Evan Praskin Reports on 10.6.20

Hey my salty surf charging fanatics! Fresh report from the Monterey Bay Area. The mass of salty bass have definitely made their way north from MB to SF Bay, though we always have some lingering around because let’s face it, our water is beautiful!

We have been getting out all over this past week catching halibut and Stripers toward SF and handfuls of perch down in MB. Plenty of action to be had this time of year and now is the time to connect with some of our awesome local surf species. As we climb further into winter, the perch should become more frequent and larger fish will start showing up(MB area). If your closer to SF bay you have great fishing all the way until thanksgiving, so dust off those rods, tie on your favorite Adachi clouser, and go get em. We’ll see you on the beach!

Photo by: Dominic Anthony Bruno

Chuck Ragan Reports on 9.27.20

Our Central Valley Rivers are continuing to produce great days for clients on the hunt for a Striper on the fly. Waters have been in the early 60’s and aside from some of the Smokey days we’ve had recently it’s been rather pleasant weather and conditions out there.  Steve Adachi style clousers are the ticket as usual along with persistence and endless focus. Fish hard, take care and revive the big girls and please be safe out there! Angler Tim Buys with a solid 24lb and change specimen that put up one heck of a fight.

Jim Stimson Reports on 9.30.20

Thank you firefighters! 

The Inyo National Forest remains closed until a revaluation of conditions occurs on October 8th, hence, any fishing on USFS land is prohibited. This goes for any activity: fishing, hiking, biking, sight seeing, etc….Until the extreme fire conditions (heat, wind, drought, not enough fire fighting personnel) disappear, expect and respect the temporary closures. This means no campfires, no campfires, no campfires! Each day is a nail biter with local residents poised and ready to evacuate as the Creek Fire burns out of control just 15 miles from Mammoth Lakes. Mono and Inyo Counties are requiring the use of face masks with the pandemic. Please respect local businesses, each other, and be good stewards of the land. Thank you!

East Walker

The flows are in the low sixties along with the water temperatures. The fishing now is tough. The Bridgeport Reservoir is very low from the drought winter and is kicking a lot of mud and algae into the river, meaning, the water is off color. The bigger fish are hunkered down and tight lipped. There are trout to be had but it is a grind-a-thon. Keep in mind it is fun being on the water and whiling away the hours. The fishing will eventually improve!

West Walker

I believe the West Walker has reopened (it flows thru a different National Forest). That said, having recently driven thru the canyon the conditions are low, boney, and clear. Seek out the deeper, longer runs and go into stealth mode as the water is gin clear. Walk quietly as you approach the river, maintain a low profile, use a longer rod, and wear some camo. Think invisible.

San Joaquin

Closed

Hot Creek

Closed

Upper Owens River

Well heh! Looky here! There is something that is actually open, flowing, and has trout. 

The flows sit at about 60 cfs high in the river system. Once Hot Creek dumps into the mid-section the flows are closer to 90 cfs. There are some big fish beginning their journey back into the river system from the reservoir. Be patient and persistent….. dredge those deeper, slower buckets and you may get rewarded with a bruiser. You can get some top water action with elk haired caddis and tricos, but generally for smaller trout. I have had the best success nymphing with small pheasant tail or a soft hackled flies. 

Lower Owens River

The river is raging along at roughly 438 cfs. Beware of the high water levels, do not even think about wading across the river unless you enjoy swimming down the Owens Valley.

Get out there! You cannot catch fish if your line isn’t in the water. Stay safe!

AC Fly Fishing Reports on 9.20.20

Lower Sacramento River 

The Lower Sac - As many of you know, Fall is one of our favorite times of year to fish the Lower Sacramento River. We've had a very productive season on the "trout factory" and we are looking forward to a great upcoming Fall season.   

October and November is one of the most desirable seasons to be on the river.

The Egg bite is coming..

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the "Egg Bite" - It is an event that we experience almost every year in October and November on the Valley Rivers of Northern California. This event is most famous on the Redding to Red Bluff stretches of the Lower Sacramento River. As anglers and guides - we hit the river each day and seek out these specific sections that the Salmon are spawning in. We are targeting the Rainbow trout (and Steelhead) that are tucked in behind the salmon, ferociously devouring Salmon eggs as they get kicked loose from the gravel beds. We are fishing both egg imitations and bugs. As the Salmon "dig" their nests in the gravel beds - they kick out a lot of bugs and eggs from the river bottom, creating a feeding frenzy. Actively spawning Salmon are known to get the attention of some of the biggest trout in the river.

Fall Fishing Outlook:
CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is projecting a big return of Fall Run Chinook Salmon this year..  nearly 500,000 adult spawning fish are projected to make it back to the system this year. This is great news for our Fall trout season. As many of you know, an abundance of Spawning Salmon can contribute to some excellent Fall fishing and obese rainbow trout.. The famous "egg bite" usually begins in late September and runs through November. As Fall is one of our more popular seasons - you might want to consider setting up your Fall fishing dates soon before our guide availability gets thin.  

Fall River:

The Fall River has been excellent this Summer and has handed many of our guests memorable days on this big Spring Creek. Do not expect the fishing to slow down until the season closes in November. 

For those looking for a smaller venue and walk and wade option this Fall, The McCloud River, Pit River and Upper Sacramento River offer a great change of pace. All 3 of these rivers are great options during our Fall season. Inquire for more details. 

Capt. Bryce Tedford Reports on 9.19.20

We are just seeing the first hints of Fall on the Delta & change is in the air! This is an interesting time on the Delta where it can be tough to decide what to do; Stripers, Largemouth & Smallmouth are all on the table right now.

That said, as the water cools the Largemouth & Smallmouth Topwater will begin to taper off & the Stripers will ramp up into Fall. October through December is prime Striper time & I am excited to finish out the year strong. I still have some prime Striper dates available Oct.-Dec but dates won’t last long so book your adventure soon!

Capt. Steve Santucci Reports on 9.19.20

Delta  Striper fishing is just getting underway.  Water temps have been steady around the 70 degree mark a were starting to see  some low wind days. Fish   are scattered  thru out the whole system.  It's time to plan a few outings as we are about a week away from October.

Ben Engle Reports 9.18.2020

STRIPERS ARE BACK IN THE BAY!!! 

Join Us for a Surf Clinic

Fishing has been picking up the last month in the bay.  From as far north as San Pablo bay to the south bay more and more people are hooking into striped bass, halibut, and in some cases closer to the gate even surf perch.  For most of you Crissy field is the best option as far as either honing your skills in an area with some fish around.  Whether you are just learning the cast or a skilled caster Crissy Field is a great option right in our backyard!

As far as tides go I tend to like the hour before and the hour after BOTH low and high tide.  Keep in mind that the wind in the mornings and the evenings is significantly less. Any time you have less wind out there casting is always a little more "Fun". For the next couple of days and into next week our mornings are looking pretty prime.  Low tide at first light tomorrow and similar times through the weekend should add up to some fish

What you'll need to be successful out there:

Rod: any 5-8 wt rod (Switch or Single Hand)

most of the fish we find off crissy tend to be in the "schoolie" size and come in between 16 and 24 inches.  While these fish pack a punch crissy can be a great option for either throwing your traditional 8wt or even lining down to a rod that makes the smaller fish a little more fun (like a 9' 6wt or even 9' 5 wt) Hit us up at the shop if you have any questions about converting one of your favorite trout rods into a potential surf stick!

Lines: Intermediate Sink (1-2 ips )or Type 3(3-4ips)

Either of these 2 lines will work but i prefer the type 3 for most days out at crissy.  The intermediate line allows you to play with the fly a little more through the retrieve with longer pauses through your retrieve due to the slower sink rate. Conversely you can throw a faster sink line out there (like a type 6 which is 6-7 ips) if you want to get deeper but make sure you are stripping quickly as you will definitely bump bottom on some areas of the beach. Learn more about fly lines for fishing the the surf. 

Leader: Wingspan (4-6feet) of 20-25lb fluorocarbon 

Flies: Adachi Clousers!!!

There are tons of flies on the market but as a fly tyer myself, I can say there are few I buy, but i buy Adachi Clousers.  As far as lifespan of a fly nothing compares to these three step epoxy coated beasts.  And they fish better than anything.  Grab a couple of both the size 2's and the 1/0's for the bay. Shop Flies