Tag Archives: winter steelhead fishing northern california and southern oregon

10/3/23 Fishing Report

Categories: Fishing Report

McCloud

It was nice having the river to ourselves all summer, but word has finally gotten out and people are out fishing the McCloud. Water clarity has improved even more. Visibility is up to about 4 feet, more than enough to yield some good fishing. There are a variety of mayfly hatches in the afternoon, but still haven’t seen an October caddis. Fish are finally starting to look up to some dry flies, a welcome sight after a long stint of fishing sub surface. Sounding like a broken record here: there are lots of brown trout around this year. Mid week Ah-di-na campground was nearing half full. I expect by this weekend getting a tag to fish the nature conservancy will require an early start.

Upper Sac

The Upper Sac has been a bit finnicky with weather changes. Nonetheless there are some bigger fish kicking around in the lower river. Some more warm afternoons in the forecast should mean good fishing ahead.

Klamath

Water clarity is improving quickly. There are clearly lots of fish moving through the system. If you are waiting to make plans to fish the upper river, I wouldn’t wait much longer. All signs point to another great fall on the Klamath.

Southern Oregon

Our guides ventured up to Southern Oregon to do some trout fishing on spring creeks. We got to see some awesome water and bad ass, lake run trout. Gin clear water and 6x tippet means we got more scenic photos than hero shots. Looking forward to spending some more time on these rivers next summer.

As the sun sets on Winter Steelhead…

Categories: Fishing Report

The sun sets on our Winter Steelhead season as spring arrives. As in each Winter we chased these fish all over the Northwest. Now the hot days of Summer and wet wading are just around the corner.

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Testimonials

“I am extremely picky about who I hire as a guide. I have hired many, and have only returned to one company over and over again – Wild Waters Fly Fishing.

Thanks to them, I feel comfortable fishing the McCloud on my own, confident that I will choose the right flies and find the feeding lanes. I feel safe with them. And I am a stronger fisher as a result of their teaching and patience. They focus on what the client wants out of the trip…very client focused.

I have learned incredible casting tricks for catching steelhead to get a perfect drift which makes even the pickiest fish bite.

I am a regular customer and would not go with any other company. Believe me, I researched guides for a while before I went with them years ago. I have been a regular customer ever since.

Regards, Happy Female Client”

“Fishing with John at Wild Waters is always a great experience. This trip focused on a day on the McCloud where John’s experience really paid off because he knew where all the big browns were hiding. The next day was all about Stealhead, floating the Klamath. Great fun and some nice fish. The last day was spent on some secret holes on the Upper Sacramento. Not only is John knowledgeable,(think fish whisperer), but he is patient and fun to spend long days on the water with. I highly endorse Wild Waters Fly Fishing Guide Services. I wouldn’t fish the Mt Shasta area without them.”

“Wild Waters offers an emmersion into the world of NorCal flyfishing that doesn’t come around very often. They not only were incredible teachers of technigue and fly selection, they were true sportsman with a depth of knowledge of the McCloud, the Klamath, and many other California rivers. They took me into a remote part of the McCloud that was tricky to hike into and wade through (an area that I would not be able to access on my own bc I’m an above the knee amputee), and they made it an experience of a lifetime standing side by side me through fast rapids, and sneaking up on boulders to scout good holes, and tweaking my casting technigue just enough to land dozens of rainbows. I will never fish with anyone else again in NorCal. I’m hooked on Wild Waters for the long term!”

“John and Chuck are incredible guides. Aside from being great guys, they couldn’t have been any more helpful as they took us from beginners to catching fish in a matter of minutes, with tips to remember for next time.”

“I’ve fished with the guys at Wild Waters a few times now (I think I’ve fished will all but one of their guides), and they have impressed me more and more each time. They know the water incredibly well, and it even feels like the know the individual fish sometimes. Plus they’re fun guys to fish with, and you can’t underestimate the value of that. Recommended without reservation.”