Wild Waters Fly Fishing Reports on 8.29.2019

August fishing has actually been pretty good considering it’s usually the slowest month here. Given we are still experiencing the last of the snow melt and cooler water temps it has been a good time the last few weeks on both the McCloud, Upper Sac, Lower Sac and McCloud Reservoir for clients. It looks like a hot spell is upon us right now but by Labor Day weekend temps get back to 80’s. This will probably be the last of the hot, the nights will be cooling soon and the fishing will improve. Best bet right now is nymphing your bugs deep near the bottom, fishing the faster oxygenated water and pockets. We are finding small midges, soft hackles and rubber legs are getting some nice fish for us. Surprisingly too the McCloud Reservoir has been putting out unbelievable numbers, this is always a great alternative this time of year. Give us a shout if you want to join in on the fun.

Jon Baiocchi Reports on 8.23.19

Not much change from my last report, still great fishing, and plenty of solitude. I'm starting my guide trips a little later with the days getting shorter, and for whatever reason those North Fork Yuba wild rainbows prefer sunshine on the water. Water temps are ranging from 57 in the morning to 63 in the afternoon in the upper watershed. One thing I notice on this river after a big runoff year is that you'll find more concentrations of fish in certain pockets and pools, while other areas on the river are mostly devoid of fish. I'm guessing when huge hydraulics are in effect, the smaller rainbows go with the flow and end up where they can survive. 

Caddis remain the preferred food item and larger elk hair caddis patterns in gray, amber, and olive are producing. The Jonny B. UV Ant Bomb has been crushing them and all of the bigger fish are suckers for this pattern. I may have to have this pattern contracted out and tied as there is nothing like it on the market. Simple too. New shucks of Stub Wing stoneflies (Claassenia sabulosa) have been appearing for quite a while now. They are often referred to as "Nocturnal Stones", but most stoneflies hatch in the dark no matter the species. Go look under the bridge at the Rosaschi Ranch bridge in the middle of the night in February and you'll see quite the show of emerging Goldens and Skwalas.

Fall is just around the corner, and if one slows down and observes you can see the many clues Mother Nature provides. We'll really see a difference in a few weeks with a reduced amount of traffic on the roads and in the forests. I've said this many times and I'll say it again - Get out there and enjoy your public lands! See you on the water...

August, September, and October are great months to get out and chase steelhead. the tricky thing is showing restraint when the temps get too high. The Lower Trinity, Klamath, Rogue River offer great steelhead opportunities this time of year. We hope you get out there and skate a Dry and get a few blow ups! It's the best way to fish steelhead. 

A quick note if you are planning a trip to the Trinity:

The Trinity River flows are increasing from 450 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 2,650 cfs between September 1st and 2nd (During Labor Day weekend!). Flows will return to 450 cfs by September 5. 

Sarah Landstöm Reports on 8.23.2019

This past weekend a group of women headed into Yosemite National Park for our first Ladies Yosemite Weekend. Fishing tiny water with short casts, the group found brown trout, brook trout and rainbows. While most of the fish you'll run into in Yosemite are small, there are some larger fish around! Make sure to approach from, as guide Steve Slater would say, "their back pocket". The trout will usually be facing upstream looking for food. Make sure to try to eliminate drag by lifting your line out of the water as much as possible, ideally the fly is all that is on the water. As far as flies go, the terrestrials were going off! While Parachute Adams an Elk Hair Caddis will work, Hopper patterns had these fish fired up for a big meal. In areas like the Dana Fork, get away from the road and explore a bit. People tend to get in the water along the road so fish tend to not hang around as much. Get out there and enjoy the pocket water and wildflowers! (Photos By: Darcy Dellera)

Jim Stimson Reports on 8.23.19

it is that time of year to carry an important and often overlooked piece of equipment to the river, a thermometer. The tailwater fisheries, in particular the East Walker, are getting on the warm side. I tend to draw the line at 68º F….. anything warmer is putting too much stress on the trout. The mortality rates start sky rocketing when the water is too warm as they cannot get as much oxygen as they need to recover. Even though a trout seems to swim away fine, it does not mean that they don’t “belly up” sometime after their release.

The creeks and rivers are still swollen with high country runoff so be wary. Get yourself a wading staff and cinch up that belt around your waist. River hydraulics are powerful. Err on the side of caution while fishing and wading during this time of year. Fishing in general has been good with hoppers being the afternoon food du jour. As the afternoon breezes sweep across the grasses, hoppers get blown into the rivers and creeks and the fun begins. Benign looking water begins to boil with trout as they suck in these large terrestrials. It is REALLY fun smacking down hopper imitations along the river banks and watching the water erupt with hungry fish.

The temps are starting to get too high, even in the morning, so err on the side of respect for the fishery and trout. Give the fish a break for a few weeks until the water cools off. Thanks.

West Walker

The river has dropped considerably thru the canyon and is at 124 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

Hot Creek

The creek is flowing through the canyon at 71 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.

The flows are 105 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 180 cfs. The better fishing has been above the confluence where the water has better clarity. More and more trout are spreading out throughout the river system. You may see the odd cutthroat here and there leftover form their spawn but for the most part, the trout have left to head downstream to the reservoir, leaving rainbows and browns for the summer months. Hoppers are invading the river system and the trout are loving them.

Lower Owens River

The Lower Owens flows have been bumped up to above 510 cfs. This is on the high side for this section of the river so exercise some caution when you fish. You can easily go for am impromptu swim and end up flushed downstream if you are not careful. Most trout are in that 10-12” range but if you poke around and get lucky, you can hook into some browns in the 15-16” category. There are some healthy midge and mayfly hatches throughout the day. You can find nice dry fly action along the foam lines and quiet water in the morning and evenings. Midges, tricos, mayflies and caddis are all working.

Steve Santucci Reports on 8.23.19

Evan Praskin reports on 8.23.2019

Salty stripers, blue bird skies, lots of bent rods, and quality fish. That pretty much sums up the 2019 bass season, and we still have roughly a month left in the Monterey Bay region! What an incredible year we’ve had for the striper run. Plenty of quality 5-10lb fish have been landed throughout this spring/summer, including many going over 10lbs!  A dream come true for the west coast salty fly chuckers. Not only has the bass bite been top notch, but the perch have been giving us steady action throughout the season.  Sadly we are all feeling summer coming to a fast end. Schools are back in session, work grind continues, but guess what? The beaches are less crowded now!! The October “World Series bite” is fast approaching for the SF Bay so it’s time to stick that rod in your trunk or to the side of your bike, get up early before work or stay out after you’re off, and catch that fish of a lifetime. Sometimes all it takes is a handful of casts. I’ve witnessed some amazing things go down with a 30 minute time crunch session.  I’ve been fortunate this season to pass along the passion of fly fishing the surf to many first timers who immediately caught the bug and I’m sure have a long future with this amazing recreation. Some even catching their fish of a life time after only a few days trying. The surf fly chargers are a small community of guys and gals who all share the same love and respect for our ocean and local beaches. A special breed of fly fishers, kind and very accepting to first timers. It’s all about spreading the passion with safety always in mind. Don’t be afraid to reach out with questions, swing by the shop and pick our brains, and don’t forget to get some Adachi Clousers while you’re there. Hope everyone had a fantastic summer, we’ll see you on the beach! 

Ryan Johnston Reports on 8.23.19