Jon Baiocchi Reports on 10.22.2019

Captain Hogan Brown Reports on 10.23.2019

Striper fishing has been good to bad...Fall can be some of the best fishing of the year if you are fishing on the right day. We see some amazingly large fish caught and at times multiple ones on a given day. That said the fish seem very moody and temperamental during the fall as weather patterns, pressure fronts, air and water temps can fluctuate. Water temps are down in the mid to high 50s and I find that fish in these temps go on the feed for very small windows ... maybe 30-45 minutes throughout the day and some times not every day. That said if you are in the right place at the right time it can be epic. A week ago we caught a 21lbs, 10lbs, 14lbs, and 8lbs fish all in about 30minutes in the same half mile of river then struggled to find fish the rest of the day....definitely not the type of fishing that everyone is into but if you are interested in hunting big stripers in the rivers in shallow water this is the time to do it.  

Ben Engle Reports on 10.17.19

North Coast Beaches

Been seeing decent stripers off a lot of the beaches I've been fishing recently.  The north coast beaches at first light have been extremely productive.  Get out there with a warm cup of coffee for that 6:45 sunrise and you will be rewarded.  Perch have been thick on the coast.  Don't take these small fish for granted.  I really enjoy targeting perch because it's an efficient way to find where groups of fish are located on the beach.  Once you find the perch, the striper are generally right behind them! Fishing a two fly rig using a twisted dropper loop is an extremely efficient way to multiply your hookups and fish a that "searching rig" while learning the topography of our local beaches.

Any time I'm on the coast it's rare that I throw anything less than a T11 sink rate (7-8 inches per second). Its important to fish a fast sinking line to get through that top turmoil of the surf so your flies get down to that strike zone. 

The Bay

The bay has been producing some solid numbers of stripers as well.  Been hearing great reports from the East, South, and North Bay. Fish an intermediate line, as most of these sand flats are shallow, with an Adachi Clouser and if the fish are around they won't be able to resist.

Crissy field has been solid when it's on. Best times I've seen numbers of fish caught have been in the evening.  If you get a falling tide right as the sun sets out there its a great recipe for success. Throw a Type 3 sinking paired with your favorite surf fly and make that commute a little more fun after work.

Steve Santucci Reports on 10.17.19

Delta  Fishing has improved as more fish are entering the system.  You can catch good numbers of three to four pound fish.  We have been catching a few larger fish to add to the mix. 

Jim Stimson Reports on 10.17.18

Mid-October! The autumn colors are in their prime. Once we get a hard frost and some wind, fall will be over. The temperatures are cold now with morning lows in the 20’s. The fish seem to be edgy and charged up for autumn. The fishing is good with large rainbows and browns cruising up the Owens River from the Crowley Reservoir. Stripping leeches and perch fry will get you some major grabs and porkulent trout. Have fun out there!

East Walker

The East Walker is cruising along at 140 cfs and the water temps are dropping with the frigid nights. Game on! There are a potpourri of bugs cruising around but they seem to prefer small mayflies, like sized 22. The river fishes really well at these current flows. 

West Walker

The river has dropped considerably thru the canyon and is at 67 cfs. Try patterns like San Juans or Prince Nymphs, big attractors, and fish the margins. Dry droppers work really well at these flows.

San Joaquin

The road is open and the flows are 38. The shuttle busses are no longer running so you are allowed to drive your own vehicle down into the canyon. You still need to pay an entrance fee for access. I fished down there a couple of weeks ago and the river is really “boney” with crystal clear water. There are lots of nice little browns and rainbows if you scout around. 

Hot Creek

The creek is flowing through the canyon at 51 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.

Upper Owens River

The flows are 114 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 165 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 balanced leeches and punk perch.

Lower Owens River

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is doing a flushing / scouring purge of the Gorge and the lower river, mandated by Fish and Wildlife. The Lower Owens flows have been bumped up to almost 703 cfs. I would avoid these sections of the river until normal flows are reestablished. These high flows will be good for the health of the river down the line as it cleans out years of sediment and debris.

Rick Cox Reports on 10.16.2019

Matt "Gilligan" Koles Reports on 10.14.19
Nice balmy fall weather on the Truckee River. 

Cold as balls in the morning. Warms up nice in the afternoon. Typical fall weather in Tahoe/Reno.

As far as the fishing, well, it’s good. October is a great month here and anywhere to fish for trout in the West. I think November is better than October, but the weather sure is nice right now.

Flows have dropped, nice and easy wading flows. 400 and change here in the Hirsch, a bit higher out East on the lower river. Kinda wishing we had some rain and cloud cover. Would make the streamer and dry fly fishing much better. It’s coming.

Up here feeling the best fishing is after it warms up. Really cold out early. No bugs, and not a lot of active fish until the water warms some. Down lower in Nevada, not as cold and not much difference want time you’re on the water. Water is clear pretty much everywhere except out East, so get a little more stealthy, and maybe down size your tippet. Baetis pretty much dominates the sub-surface menu this time of year. Streamers if you are chasing bigger fish. Sculpins, crayfish, and smaller baitfish patterns all will work. You have to see what they like on each particular day, just like nymphing.

Everyone wants a big brown trout. Put in your time and maybe you’ll get one. If you’re out on a guide trip with me, I can tell you right now, it will likely only happen if you stick to streamer fishing all day. If you lift your tip and don’t strip set, that’s on you, ha ha.

Get out and enjoy.

Jon Baiocchi Reports on 10.13.19

If you’re a fly angler, October is the best month of the year for good fishing in the Northern Sierra, as well as across Nor Cal. Fall colors, and the seasons changing guard are a stark reminder that another year has flown past. It’s been a great one while fishing/guiding on the water, and there are still plenty more good trips to be had. Nights have been cold, enough for me to make adjustments on where I’m camping out like up on a hill instead of down by the river or the lake. Cold air sinks to the bottom of any basin, so keep that in mind as well as if your camp will get early morning sunlight. The low air temps will increase a little bit in the upcoming days and during the daytime will be mild with near 70 degree autumn weather, with a noticeable shorter length of day light from sunrise to sunset. October is just plain special, I just wish it were stretched out over a three month period.

Lake Davis

Fishing has been great, the best it’s been in a long time but still you got to put some work in and locate the fish. Water temps have dropped a tad to 52 degrees, and during the sunny days the shallows will be a little warmer so look for trout to be there as there is abundant food and comfortable conditions. Colder water can spread fish out and that’s exactly what we are finding at Lake Davis. A higher lake level will do that too. I find that the lake is still a little too full for my liking which is currently at 80% of capacity. 65 to 70% is best for fly anglers who like to fish off the shoreline and prowl the peninsulas, points, and shoals. Fishing pressure has increased, but far from being crowded though. More conventional gear guys and gals then fly anglers.

I’ve been guiding the lake more this year than in the past 5 years and it’s been a lot of fun. Because of such I’ve noticed some variables that really effect the fishing. Glassy conditions make for tougher fishing as the trout feel more vulnerable from threats above water – They’re scared, they really are. Once there is a ripple on the water the bite will turn on. On last Wednesday’s trip we had big wind with white caps and rollers and the catching was on fire. During such conditions there is plenty of cover for the fish just under the surface, with lots of food being dispersed in the drift. The lake turned over last week meaning that there is no thermocline of cold water on the bottom with warmer water in the top column. It’s all mixed together with an up welling of nutrients from the bottom giving the water a green color with visible bio matter. The more water you cover, the better your catch rate will be, and when you do find a few stay put and fish that area hard.

Stripping flies has been way more effective than the bobber whether it’s out in open water, or on the bank. Jay Fair stripping flies, wiggle tails, and wooley nymphs just keep producing in the typical fall colors we love. Burnt orange, rust, fiery brown, black, and especially red are serious money. Some days a faster strip is better than a slow one and it’s best to experiment until you find the speed and action preferred by the fish for that day. The rainbows are showing more girth and bigger shoulders in the past few weeks which are proof they are eating well and bulking up for winter. A day off for me today, then I’m back up the hill for more trips. It’s been cool meeting new people at the dock who have given me praise about my website, blog, and reports. I really do care about sharing all things fly fishing and making sure my fellow anglers and guests are having a good time at Lake Davis, and all over the region.

Middle Fork Feather River

Conditions have changed rapidly in the last month that has affected the bite and hatches, namely colder water and air temps. I’ve been doing a lot of trips here as well and my guests and I have only seen one other angler, and it turns out he was a friend of a friend. The Chico connection is and always will be a big part of my youth while growing up and fly fishing in the town of Paradise. Water temps in the morning are at 50 degrees and the fishing is slow. Sleep in, eat a good wholesome breakfast, and get on the water around 11am when the water has warmed up. There are good hatches occurring in the afternoon with rising fish. BWOs and Mahogany duns (and spinners too) are the most prolific, and the BWO spinner fall occurs much later now and it is not as significant as the weeks prior. Caddis are still out including the false October Caddis and a few small species, I didn’t see one true October Caddis though in the last few trips even though I’m finding fresh shucks on the rocks. Northern California Tight Line Nymphing is the way to go, and with lower water levels you can effectively cover all the pools, pockets, and runs. I’ve really perfected my teaching skills over the decades of guiding and I can teach anyone how to tight line and be effective in a very short time. The rainbows are healthy and very colorful right now, yet mostly small, and 100% wild. Two things stand out this time of year on the Middle Fork Feather River. Solitude and blazing fall colors. Leave the crowds behind, and take a hike down the tracks, it’ll make your day that much better. See you out there…

Jim Stimson Reports on 10.3.2019

October…. scheesh! Where does the time go? We received a dusting of snow over the weekend. Sonora and Tioga Passes have were closed temporarily but have reopened. The temperatures are cold now with morning lows in the 20’s. The fish seem to be edgy and charged up for autumn. I fished yesterday on the Upper Owens and it was ridiculous good. I had one of my best days of trout fishing ever, anywhere. It was crazy fun. The rainbows especially were on the “chew.” They are keying in on perch fry…… 

East Walker

The East Walker is cruising along at 222 cfs and the water temps are dropping with the frigid nights. Game on! There are a potpourri of bugs cruising around but they seem to prefer small mayflies, like sized 22. The river fishes really well at these current flows. 

West Walker

The river has dropped considerably thru the canyon and is at 67 cfs. Try patterns like San Juans or Prince Nymphs, big attractors, and fish the margins. Dry droppers work really well at these flows.

San Joaquin

The road is open and the flows are 20. The shuttle busses are no longer running so you are allowed to drive your own vehicle down into the canyon. You still need to pay an entrance fee for access. I fished down there a couple of weeks ago and the river is really “boney” with crystal clear water. There are lots of nice little browns and rainbows if you scout around. 

Hot Creek

The creek is flowing through the canyon at 57 cfs. Target your casts to the feeding lanes between the weeds and rocks, plus the overhanging grasses along the margins. There are some nice fish lying in ambush for hoppers falling into the creek. You may not see fish, but they are there. Try a dry-dropper setup with a hopper above and midges or caddis below.

Upper Owens River

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 170 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 hoppers and Chernobyl ants. The grasshopper infestation is still happening but as the mornings temps are in the 30’s, I cannot imagine the hoppers to be around much longer.

Lower Owens River

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is doing a flushing / scouring purge of the Gorge and the lower river, mandated by Fish and Wildlife. The Lower Owens flows have been bumped up to almost 700 cfs. I would avoid these sections of the river until normal flows are reestablished. These high flows will be good for the health of the river down the line as it cleans out years of sediment and debris.

Captain Bryce Tedford Reports on 10.9.2019

Prime Delta Striper fishing is just getting rolling! Oct.-Dec 15 is typically very, very good on the Delta & it’s nice to have such an amazing fishery in our back yard. This week is super windy but in a few days the winds will subside, the temperatures will become a mild 70-80 degree high &

Fall fishing will be in full swing. Fall is my favorite time of the  year on the Delta as it is the most predictable time of the year & the fishing is generally pretty good.

As for now, Striper fishing is beginning to pickup, schools of smaller fish can be found throughout the Delta. These fish are generally feeding on Threadfin Shad 2-4” long. I like to use various crease flies or gurglers on top when I find feeding schools of fish. In addition to Crease flies, smaller Chartreuse/white clouser flies will always get the job done. This time of year is fun in that you can boat around the Delta & look for feeding turns & seagulls. Underneath these birds will be bait balls of Threadfin Shad & under those will be Stripers & Largemouth feeding. These smaller Stripers/Largemouth(12-18”) are super fun on light rods & a great way to get into Striper fishing! In addition, some Large Stripers can be found here & there if you are willing to work for them & go find them. Some days I have got into many 3-5lb fish with some larger fish mixed in, other days the larger fish have been tough to locate. For large Striper hunting I like Intermediate, type 3 & type 6 sinking lines with large Steve Adachi style Clouser rattle flies in various colors.