Chuck Volckhausen Reports on 6.21.20

The days are heating up here in Mt. Shasta.  Hot temps have made the fishing a bit inconsistent during the middle of the day.  Bugs are still about and using your warm weather strategies will pay off.  Wet wading the McCloud or Upper Sacramento is a really nice way to spend the day.  Both rivers are in great shape and fishing well.

Capt. Bryce Tedford Reports On 6.21.2020

Smallmouth season is heating up on the California Delta! I will be focused on Smallmouth/Largemouth through August & the return to Stripers come fall. This past week I have been targeting Smallmouth, had some Fly Fishing Women join me on the boat & we had a blast!!! I gave this day 2 thumbs up as they had great attitudes, had great fun & caught some quality Topwater fish!!!

Smallmouth 1/2 day trips offer Topwater fishing with light rods such as 4 or 5wts. We cast small poppers towards rock banks & eagerly awaiting Smallmouth. This fishery is a great way to introduce beginners to the sport & fun for seasoned anglers who like Topwater poppers on light rods.

Largemouth 1/2 day trips offer Topwater fishing with heavy rods such as 8 or 9wt. We cast large poppers such as frog patterns to ideal holes in the weeds until a largemouth explodes on the fly!

Cory Godell Reports on 6.20.20

There is some good news on the horizon. Summer is finally here and with the return of warmer weather, Caddis season is really starting to crank up. Even better news is due to the current world situation, there are considerably fewer people fishing the Deschutes than in years past. If you’ve got a day or two or three open for vacation, give us a shout.

Jon Baiocchi Reports on 6.16.20

Conditions for the Lake of the Lost Sierra have been as widespread as the weather in the last week. With so many high and low pressure systems moving through combined with big wind events, and fluctuating air temperatures from hot to very cold has really effected the behavior of the resident trout. Simply put, we are not seeing the typical June rhythms of the lake where every day is nearly like clockwork. For example last Saturday I hosted a small group from Santa Lucia Fly Fishers and it was very cold combined with winds from 20 to 35 mph, needless to say we did not do that much fishing but concentrated more on learning about the specifics on Lake Davis. It was brutal. We were all shivering, and longing for a place to escape the wind after we were done with the workshop. Fishing is on the tough side for Lake Davis though some nice quality fish are being caught and released. 2020 just keeps making rogue waves including the new Juneuary in the Northern Sierra with wind advisories and small craft warnings. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again. 

In regards to the fish behavior, it’s so weird to see these trout are not in a dependable schedule as it normally is in June. You’ll find them in large pods feeding and an hour later they scatter to the wind and are gone. The other thing I’m not seeing a whole lot of is my favorite game of stalking trout in 1 to 3 feet of water eating damsels. There needs to be more damsels in the skinny water to lure those big rainbows in. I have seen a few days that is close to be being normal, and that’s comforting as is the warmer weather that is on the way. This is what you can expect once we get back into a long term high pressure pattern:

Day Break – Rising fish over deeper water eating left over aquatics and terrestrials from the night before (hex spinners, white winged sulphurs, and spent caddis) and emerging blood midges mixed in with smaller various chironomids. This will last until 9am or so.

Late Morning – Damsels on the move, with heavy long horn caddis in the air. Forget about the caddis and concentrate on the Damsels and putting yourself near a good weed line and structure for the damsels to hatch out on.

Mid Day – Damsels mixed in with sporadic Callibaetis from sparse to profuse depending on the day.

Afternoon to Late Afternoon – Fish will be in deeper water surrounded by weed beds grazing lightly, deep water indo rigs with chironomids is the best approach.

Late Evening – Hex hatch mixed with profuse caddis and blood midge hatches. Dry fly opportunities abound.

Despite the weather my guests and I are still having fun out there and I’ve finally made friends with the largemouth bass. They aren’t going anywhere so we might as well enjoy them. It’s really cool to see how these particular bass have adapted to Lake Davis in regards to habitat, and food items. Heavy weed beds mixed in with submerged willows seems to be their preferred areas to ambush prey, or suck down a red San Juan worm under an indicator. Leech patterns and even Jay Fair wiggle tails and stripping flies are receiving some love from them. They fight really well and most give one good jump or a tail walk on the surface before going down and dirty to the bottom. 

Stripping flies like the ones I just mentioned along with damsels, pheasant tail flashbacks, sheep creek specials, and hare’s ear nymphs are all good choices. Productive colors have been fiery brown, olive, black, red (bass are really on this color right now), and burnt orange. For indo rigs, albino winos, zebra midges, and large black beauties with red wire have done well. I’m still seeing most fish in 5 to 8 feet of water, or in deeper water but still in the upper water column. Water temps are at 63 degrees in the morning. If you’re lucky enough to find a pod of active feeding fish, stay put – do not leave. You’ll want to fish the west shore from Camp 5 all the way up to Fairview point in the North end of the lake. Some days the fish are on the points, and some days they are tucked way back in the gut of certain coves. Keep searching until you find them.

As I mentioned earlier, Last Saturday morning was like an early November storm, there were Hex shucks and duns everywhere on the east shore frozen in time from the frigid wind chill effect. The Hex hatch is seeing a lot of duns emerge in evening (some in the morning too) and it’s a good year for them. Not seeing a whole lot of trout or bass keyed in on them yet, but the birds are way ahead of the game. I’m up at day break preparing for a day on the lake, rigging the boat, the rods, and all the other essentials. I then guide for all day for 8 to 10 hours, clean and organize the boat for the next day, and attend to fish business (email and phone inquiries, marketing, planning, etc) until I go to bed at around 9pm – Rinse, repeat. I really have no desire to fish the Hex hatch after a long day, I’ve done that plenty, especially when I guided Almanor in the late 90’s. So now I get off just watching how the ecosystem revolves around each other during the hatch, and that is watching the birds and the bats feast upon North America’s largest mayfly. Of all the critters that take advantage of the Hex Hatch my favorite is the common Night Hawk. It’s like watching an air show at Beale Air Force Base. I’m not talking about watching just a few of them, but like dozens upon dozens! Their flight patterns are so bad ass and the G forces they pull through their maneuvers would make a human black out and unconscious if they were trying to pilot this craft. What an amazing bird!

Today was just a pit stop at home here in Nevada City to blog and catch up on normal life things. I’ll be back up tonight at Lake Davis, the Middle Fork Feather, and the creeks for the next week. I’ve had SO many inquiries in the last month like “we’d like to book a trip next weekend”. That’s not going to work. It’s best to book two months with me at the latest, and if you’re serious 6 months before the intended date for the prime times of June, July, September, and October. You could say I’m in demand I guess…
When you visit Lake Davis be sure to stop by the J&J Grizzly Store and Campground and share your fishing experience good or bad, sharing your fishing reports really helps everybody out. They are open for business and their campground is usually full. I’m so thankful for their friendship and letting me store the LillyBob at their place – Thank you!

See you out there in the great outdoors of the Lost Sierra and good luck on the water!

Evan Praskin Reports on 6.20.20

Hey everyone, here is a fresh update for the Monterey Bay surf. Stripers are still being caught throughout the bay from Santa Cruz to Monterey. The fish have spread out a bit more now giving many beach chargers a shot at connecting with one of these salty beauties. SC side has some MAJOR bait balls in the area, some half the size of a football field!

Lots of bird diving action along with bass “Blitz’s”( what is this the east coast?!) though we have had some slow days, the action overall is very good. Halibut are also being caught close to shore on the calmer beaches in town, along with some amazing perch action to fill in the slow periods. Some really nice size models are being caught towards the high tide as everything fills in.

The usual small clouser and crab patterns are the ticket. For the halibut let your fly sink and strip it with a slow, repetitive pop retrieve. Hope everyone is enjoying summer as best you can, we’ll see you on the beach! 

Capt. Hogan Brown Reports on 6.20.20

Capt. Bryce Tedford Reports on 6.18.20

Smallmouth season is heating up on the California Delta! I will be focused on Smallmouth/Largemouth through August & the return my focus to Stripers come fall. Just had some recent High school graduates that came out with me & caught their first fish on a fly rod! This was a super rewarding trip, these boys graduated on a tough year with Covid19 but their futures are bright & it was fun to celebrate with them! 

Smallmouth 1/2 day trips offer Topwater fishing with light rods such as 4 or 5wts. We cast small poppers towards rock banks & eagerly awaiting Smallmouth. This fishery is a great way to introduce beginners to the sport & fun for seasoned anglers who like Topwater poppers on light rods.

Largemouth 1/2 day trips offer Topwater fishing with heavy rods such as 8 or 9wt. We cast large poppers such as frog patterns to ideal holes in the weeds until a largemouth explodes on the fly!

If you are into Largemouth/Smallmouth Topwater or just trying to get someone into the sport give me a call for a summer date. Also, if you want to get a jump on a Fall Striper dates just let me know as well.

Jim Stimson Reports on 6.18.20

Hopper season is here. If you are planning on fishing the Upper Owens, stock up on those large, grotesque, and gaudy terrestrial patterns. They work! And don’t agonize over making perfect, delicate presentations with long 7X tippet. Hoppers are made to hit the water coming in hot. Don’t be tentative, plop them down along the river’s edge like that kid at the local swimming pool desperately trying to splash the lifeguard with endless cannonballs. Cast like you mean it and enjoy the excitement!

All of the mountain passes are open including Tioga Pass but check with the Park Service for details and restrictions. These are tenuous times with the pandemic. Enjoy the Eastern Sierra but please respect the fisheries and each other. Be prepared to wear a mask if you are grocery shopping or visit a retail store. And finally, please refrain from open campfires if you are camping outside of a developed campground. Fire season is already here. Thank you.

East Walker

The flows on the East Walker are at 120 cfs. Keep your eye on the USGS website as I would expect the irrigation district to start releasing more water as the snow from the high country starts making its way to the valley below. The river at this level is perfect. The trout love the extra cold water and are free to move throughout the river system. These flows are easy for wading as well. The fish have moved for the most part out of the deeper, still buckets and into the moving water. This is a combo of several factors; oxygen needs and the food source. Caddis and stonefly nymphs are tumbling out of the riffles into the run outs below, especially in the afternoons. That said, black zebra midges and WD-40’s work well in the morning but as the day heats up, watch for BWO’s, stoneflies, and caddis. I generally use a stonefly nymph as an attractor with a beatis dropper. The combo has been money. 

West Walker

The flows are over 300 cfs with the spring runoff as a heat wave settles in over the Sierra. if you insist on fishing here, tighten your waist belt, use a staff, and keep your wading conservative. Try using big, flashy, and bright attractor patterns in this fast, off-color water.

San Joaquin

The road to the Postpile and the San Joaquin River is currently closed.

Hot Creek

The creek is flowing through the canyon at roughly 52 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. The canyon is home to not only some nice trout, but deer, osprey, and the occasional bald eagle. Enjoy!

Upper Owens River

The flows sit at about 64 cfs high in the river system. Once Hot Creek dumps into the mid-section the flows are closer to 120 cfs. Most of the trophy trout have moved back into Crowley Lake but there are still some stragglers hanging around; nice cutthroats and rainbows. In addition to sunscreen, throw some bug spray into your fishing vest. The mosquitos are loving life now. As for bugs, just a plain ‘ole pheasant tail works wonders sub-surface, but hoppers are the ticket now for the top water. 

Lower Owens River

The river is cruising steady at roughly 276 cfs and is fishing well with all of the traditional patterns; PT’s, Hare’s Ears, midges, Frenchies…. If you enjoy hucking dry flies, this is the place. Around lunchtime, watch for BWO’s to start coming off the water. Be ready. The first thing you will notice is the bird activity along the river. You will see swallows, fly catchers, and sparrows flitting around the surrounding brush and diving at the river surface. Look for rises along the foam lines as fish snouts start poking up through the surface film. This BWO carnage only lasts about an hour. If you get finicky trout snubbing your dry flies, change your bug. Usually a sized 16-18 adams will get grabs, but often the trout are looking for a mayfly that is sitting lower in the surface film. An adams rides high so try a comparadun or a hackle stacker, they sit more within the film. Sometimes that is all you need to get back into the game.

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

Jon Baiocchi Reports on 6.8.20

Finally back with my other sweetheart. When you’ve been away from one of the most beautiful lakes found in the West for 7 months, it hits you deeply. What an awesome place. The most striking characteristic of this area to me is the bird life. Around the lake you’ll find Bald Eagles, Red Tailed hawks, Western Grebes, White Pelicans, Pie Billed Grebes, and Sandhill cranes. Among the conifers and deep forest, songbirds and warblers are thick like the Fox sparrow, Yellow-rumped warbler, and Western Wood-Pewees just to name a few. Super green native grasses, willows, and flowering Mule’s Ear encompass the lake’s basin. What a sight to behold. The weather was a bit extreme for June in the Northern Sierra, an encroaching low pressure system brought fierce strong winds that howled up to 35+ mph the entire time I was up there. Big water and waves ran from the South West shore up to the North Eastern shore of the lake. I’m always on edge when I have guests in my boat during such conditions because it’s SO gnarly, like an episode of Deadliest Catch. I’m really glad I have a safe boat that was designed for such conditions, the Lilly Bob, a Tracker Pro Deep V 16 that knows Lake Davis well. This morning at Lake Davis the low was 27 degrees with a few inches of snow. It looks like we’ll warm up again only to see a slight chance of showers and cooler weather for this coming weekend. With all that wind, it pushed many anglers off the water, and only the hardy toughed it out. Campgrounds are open and full, though the big shocker for me and many others was the increase in fees for day use areas and launching ramps. Daily use fees have gone from $6 to $10. Launching fees? Are you ready for this? One ramp access - $50, 2 ramp access - $70, unlimited ramps at Davis, Frenchman, Gold, and Bucks Lakes - $100. Oh, by the way…leave the checkbook at home as they are only taking cash.

The lake is at 76% of capacity, I like it from 60 to 70% as it offers more peninsulas, flats, and coves that offer better habitat and transition zones for the trout to thrive in. The good thing about the water level though is that Lightning Tree boat ramp is still usable. Water temperatures were 62 on Saturday morning. I expect it to drop a degree or two by this coming Monday. The current fishing condtions? Let’s start with the catching. Pretty good action on Thursday and Friday for my guests. Highlights included one rainbow at 24”, and two browns in the 16” range – That means those brownies have grown about 5 inches since last June when they were planted. With Lake Davis having one of the biggest bio masses for a western stillwater, it does not surprise me at all. Water clarity is a little off, mostly from the absurd amount of wind that has been hammering the lake. Weed growth is slow and most weed beds are dark in color, but very abundant. Many of the trout were hooked in 4 to 8 feet of water, and in deeper water they seem to favor the mid to upper water column, even late in the day. Stripping was the only game we played and did not bust out the indo rigs – For my guests, the tug is the drug. They’ll take that over watching the neon ball that owns you. Floating lines for the shallower water, and clear camo intermediates in the deeper water. Best tactic while in your tube or pontoon boat is using an intermediate line and covering water. Now for the bugs. The morning starts out with a good blood midge hatch with adults in a size 12. There is also many other smaller chironomids in the mix, most notably a size 14 in a pale olive color. The damsels have just started and with this cooler weather it will delay the peak of the hatch, I’m guessing the 3rd week of June or so. Damsel nymphs are dark in color right now in cocoa brown and dark olive. They have chameleon like traits and change colors to match the surrounding weed beds they live in. Camouflaging themselves within the surrounding environment is their only defense against predators like Dragon fly nymphs, Kirby’s backswimmers, sunfish, bass, and trout. Callibaetis spinners are also on the water’s surface, but the few days I was out there, the hatch was sparse at best, and not very many duns on the water. That will change.

Lastly, I found my first Hexagenia mayfly of the season which is always a treat to show my guests that has never seen one before. If you’re really serious about fishing this novelty hatch, go to Lake Alamnor, Butt Lake, or the Fall River. It’s just a better game at those areas. I use to guide this hatch heavily at Lake Almanor when I started my guide service in 1997, and I learned so much back then being on the water learning both the insect’s behavior, as well as the trout. The nymph is your best bet if you want numbers of trout, and you can start fishing it in the late afternoon when the bugs slowly wiggle their way up towards the upper water column from their homes in the clay. I’m currently at the lake with an 11 day run of trips and will post a fresh report in a week or so. Spring and early summer Lake Davis trips are filled up. I have 9 days available in Late September, and 14 days in October. If we get good weather into November I’ll be there, and my calendar at this time is wide open. Shoot me an email if you want in - baiocchistroutfitters@yahoo.com See ya out there…