This is the time of the year I like to hop in my car and head north to go Steelheading. Planning the trip from afar can be daunting. I am going to share a few tools I use to plan my trip. Information is key in this game. It looks like there is a window.
Captain Steve Santucci Reports on 12.5.2019
Jim Stimson Reports on 12.5.2019
I made a quick overnight trip to Pyramid Lake which was a fun change of pace. And, the fish Gods were kind….
Winter has arrived in the Sierra with more snow expected this weekend. I would avoid the temptation to drive up the Upper Owens road for fishing once the storm systems exit the area. Park near the bridge and slog up the road to gain access to the river. Unless of course you enjoy getting buried in deep snow and mud. Just sayin’….The fishing is solid, not great numbers of trout, but the fish that are actively feeding are large and fat. Enjoy!
The East Walker is dribbling along at 20 cfs. Until the river flows pick up, I recommend giving this fishery a rest…..
The river has dropped considerably thru the canyon and is at 40 cfs. Try patterns like zebra midges and small mayflies. Dry droppers work really well at these flows. May stealth be your guide as the river is not only low, but gin clear. Keep a low profile… if you can spot fish in the river, they can certainly see your movements.
The road to Devil’s Postpone is closed for the season.
The creek is flowing through the canyon at roughly 50 cfs. Target your casts to the feeding lanes between the weeds and rocks, plus the overhanging grasses along the margins. You may not see fish, but they are there. Try a dry-dropper setup with a caddis above and a midge or small mayfly below. Hot Creek is always a fun place to fish especially now that the crowds have gone home.
Just a reminder, the Upper Owens is closed for the season BELOW the bridge to the reservoir. The flows are 111 cfs but these are readings taken high in the river system. Once Hot Creek dumps into the mid-section the flows are closer to over 160 cfs. More and more trout are pushing up into the river system from the reservoir. There are some really nice fish to be had with SJ worms, small baetis, and balanced leeches. Work the deeper buckets relentlessly…. they are in there. And beware of the new snow as it will impact the driving approach (see above).
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has finally lowered their flushing flows through the Gorge and below Pleasant Valley Reservoir. The river is running steady at roughly 152 cfs and is fishing well with all of the traditional patterns; PT’s, Hare’s Ears, midges, caddis worms…. got out there!
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Rick Cox Reports on 12.3.2019
The recent storms have not prevented our Wild Waters guides from getting out on our nearby rivers and finding fish. The Upper Sac has got snow on it from Ney Springs down to Shasta Lake. Access is more difficult but if you are willing to put in the effort you will not only find some hungry fish loading themselves up for the long winter but a completely different landscape that will take your breathe away. With another big storm forecast later this week (3-4 inches rain) the river will probably blow out which isn’t unusual for the winter. Once it settles though your window of opportunity is there so jump on it for some fun with some big fish ready to play. The Klamath remains solid with flows up top around 1000 cfs. Even with the forecast storms this section will not blow out and is a solid option for you steelhead junkies. We have been seeing a very consistent Fall run of steelies and the rain will continue to help tickle these fish to continue their charge up river. The Lower Sac has been money for us this Fall and continues as such. This has been one of the best years for big rainbows on this river and our clients have been smiley all day long. This amazing fishery just continues to get better and better. If you want it all to yourself and beat the crowds that are normally there Winter is an excellent time for solitude on this big river.
We are looking forward to getting over to the coast soon, the December’s storms are forecast to continue for the next 2 weeks at least, a perfect setup for the elusive beast we live for to start their migration upstream. We are booking trips from the Eel River north into southern Oregon so if you are dreaming of steelhead on these special rivers give us a shout, we have a number of excellent coastal guides at the ready.
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Jim Stimson Reports on 11.27.2019
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Winter has arrived in the Sierra. The ski area is reporting several feet of new snow! Even the Owens Valley is reporting several inches of snow. I would avoid the temptation to drive up the Upper Owens road for fishing once the storm systems exit the area. Park near the bridge and slog up the road to gain access to the river. Unless of course you enjoy getting buried in deep snow and mud. Just sayin’….The fishing is solid, not great numbers of trout, but the fish that are actively feeding are large and fat. Enjoy!
The East Walker is dribbling along at 20 cfs. Until the river flows pick up, I recommend giving this fishery a rest…..
The river has dropped considerably thru the canyon and is at 33 cfs. Try patterns like zebra midges and small mayflies. Dry droppers work really well at these flows.
The road to Devil’s Postpone is closed for the season.
The creek is flowing through the canyon at roughly 48 cfs. Target your casts to the feeding lanes between the weeds and rocks, plus the overhanging grasses along the margins. You may not see fish, but they are there. Try a dry-dropper setup with a caddis above and a midge or small mayfly below. Hot Creek is always a fun place to fish especially now that the crowds have gone home.
Just a reminder, the Upper Owens is closed for the season BELOW the bridge to the reservoir. The flows are 111 cfs but these are readings taken high in the river system. Once Hot Creek dumps into the mid-section the flows are closer to over 160 cfs. More and more trout are pushing up into the river system from the reservoir. There are some really nice fish to be had with SJ worms, small baetis, and balanced leeches. Work the deeper buckets relentlessly…. they are in there. And beware of the new snow as it will impact the driving approach (see above).
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has finally lowered their flushing flows through the Gorge and below Pleasant Valley Reservoir. The river is running steady at roughly 148 cfs and is fishing well with all of the traditional patterns; PT’s, Hare’s Ears, midges, caddis worms…. got out there!
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Captain Steve Santucci Reports on 11.27.2019
Delta Striper fishing is improving as new fish are moving in. Fishing was really good on Tuesday . We caught good numbers of hungry Stripers. December is a great time to fish as the fish are trying to eat as much as they can to prepare for the cold of the coming New Year. Give it a try if you can break away.
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Matt Gilligan Koles Reports on 11.24.2019
Looks like we’re gonna have a winter after all.
Big changes in the weather. We went from t’shirts to jackets in one day, and looking like it’s staying that way through December. Good. Decent snow this week. Too early to tell after next week, but if you’re looking at the weather models, or model riding, looking real good for Tahoe all of December.
So, what’s that mean for fishing? Good actually. Gets rid of the stagnant low clear water conditions we have right now on the Ca side. Flushes the pipes so to speak, especially if we get rain and snow mix. Kinda like steelheading. Rain comes and brings the fish in. Kinda like that on the Truckee too. Of course these fish are always in the river.
In Nevada on the Truckee River it will be good as well. Has been good, will be good. It is always better down lower on the river in winter. It’s warmer. Streamer time for me in winter.
This is when the bigger fish get caught. Mainly through the winter and spring. Especially coming off the backs of storms, when the water is clearing and dropping. Most especially coming off the backs of those big AR’s when we get them.
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Captain Bryce Tedford Reports on 12.2.2019
Fall Striper fishing is starting to wind down on the CA Delta. We have had some solid days with some challenging days mixed in but overall a good season has been had with some great guests. As the season begins to wind down I am thankful for amazing guests & look forward to another good season in Spring of 2020. We still have a few weeks left in 2019 but the weather has changed, rain has arrived & you better be in a hearty fishing mood. In a few weeks I will shut down for the month of Jan. & get rolling again come February 2020. The Stripers we are finding have been feeding on Threadfin Shad 2-6” long. I like to use various Chartreuse/white combinations with/without rattles. Size of the fly depends on the bait in area but definitely try larger & smaller flies in a given area. Large Stripers can be found here & there if you are willing to work for them & go hunt. For large Striper hunting I like Intermediate, type 3 & type 6 sinking lines with large Steve Adachi rattle style Clouser flies in various colors.
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Captain Hogan Brown Reports on 11.26.2019
Valley River Striper Fishing - The last week valley striper fishing has been good. The rivers are incredibly low with the indian summer and NO RAIN so that changes the game a bit but the fish are feeding. With weather showing up this week things will change but the rivers and tribs are so low and dry that I can't imagine much will change with regards to clarity or flow. If anything the cloud cover and maybe a slight change in flow and clarity will help the fishing out.
Valley/Foothill Reservoir Bass Fishing - The winter reservoir fishing is starting to pick up on the valley and foothills lakes/reservoirs and should really get going with the weather moving in this week. Fishing the last week on the float'n fly and streamers on sinking lines was decent. Water temps still need to cool down for the bait to come up in the water column and the bass to go on the feed all day. This fishery is an amazing winter fishery and stays in shape when every river in the state is blown out. Many fly anglers are unfamiliar with these fisheries and the fact that they are world class spotted bass fisheries where world record spotted bass have been caught over the last few years.
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Richard Loft Reports on 11.21.2019
Hey Everyone Flows have been supper low at 51cfs then up to 82cfs then back down jumping back up to 140 and up again to 180cfs Well A common belief I have heard so many times before is these type of fluctuations negativly effect the fishing. Funny Thing is fishing has been Really Good lately and it goes with my personal experience on Putah Creek and other rivers like the Little Truckee. It is my belief that first I need to just adjust my Tactics before I leave a run I happen to be fishing, Changing my weight is one of the first things then moving on to flys, Then leader length, I might spend two hours without a fish before moving on to another run if I like my drift and like the scenery Other times I may move on right away due to conditions not being favorable such as super heavy hydraulics or glare on the water making it difficult to see my indicator or I may just go to a larger indicator but I will most often find another spot if glare makes it too difficult to see my indicator because there are too many other options
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I don't know if anyone else has noticed but I am seeing a lot more fish actively feeding on really small Emergers maybe Tricos or something I don't know for sure they seem to be very small maybe size #22 I am seeing mostly small fish on the drys but I have heard of much larger fish in the 20 in range and I landed a little13in on a #14 Elk Hair Caddis
Finally I want to mention that I am bringing my 10.6 4 wt Echo Shadow II it first it was just a pain getting the leader just right then it was to long or short but after a year of working with it off and on I seem to be getting better results picking up fish my Indicator rig misses so consider looking at getting one of the rods out there
Here is a few of I would recommend
Any of the Echo series I have the Echo Shadow II 10.6 4wt But any of these other rods will do the trick the idea is to get more reach so just ask any of the gang at the LCO shop and I am sure you will find one that will do here are a few more but at the end of the day any one of these will do Just ask a staff person for a peak : A Sage ESN or one of the Clearwater series . The rod gives you the reach and the fly punches you through
As for flys I have been using the Tungston Beadhead fly and have been getting some super nice fish
Heres a few flys have used for high sticking on Putah don't worry about the fly as much as getting the one your using on the bottom with a good presentation you need to get some penetration on and get through to fish holding on the bottom
I have been using the
#18 BH Perdigon Zibra Rider
#16 BH Perdigon Dilated Pupil
#14 BH Perdigon Carrot Stix
and a few more for good messure are :
#18 BH Perdigon Peanut
# 18 BH Perdigon Kilowatt
There are many to choose from don't get stuck on having the perfect fly just get some fly and get on the water and see what clicks and go from there
