Rain and snow have made for great recipes for fishing on the Klamath and Upper Sac lately. It’s winter fishing time folks! The Klamath crowds have gone and our guides have been having outstanding days on it. The upper river above I-5 is starting to get some of the bigger winter runs that we always expect. Most fish are being caught on the leg and eggs setup hung under a bobber but if you love to swing think bigger flies and a sinking tip. Flows remain very constant so far, this has been an excellent choice for you steelheaders. Give us a shout if you would like to sample this storied river. On the Upper Sac the big fish are coming out to play. It’s all about timing and windows of opportunity. Flows are like a roller coaster so look for receding flows. It’s a big fish heaven from now through the winter and it’s all nymphing with legs and your favorite nymph suspended beneath. Remember too it’s a completely different river with the increased flows so your old fav spots here are no more. Our guides know this winter fishery and can show you what I mean.
Upper Sacramento, Klamath and Lower Sacramento River Report
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.
Our Wild Waters Fly Fishing guides have been super busy burning the miles and taking advantage of all the current opportunities that are presenting themselves. Fall is such a great opportunistic time to sample the many rivers near us. The Rogue River has had an excellent return of summer steelhead and the fall/winter fish are just starting to arrive. We have been doing beats from the dam down to TouVelle Park and finding fish. Chrome has also been giving us a good year on the Klamath with an outstanding run of half pounders mixed in with adults. Both of these rivers will only improve as we get into the rest of Fall and when we start getting rain. The Lower Sacramento continues to be just a solid choice for those wanting a day in the boat chasing the big rainbows that the river offers. The salmon are spawning now and the trout menu is all about gobbling eggs. The McCloud has seen crowds on the weekends but mid week has been much quieter. We have been seeing an outstanding year for the October Caddis and the big Stimulators and Chubbys have been the ticket. It closes on the 15th beware the browns are beginning their spawning so caution when wading, give the redds a wide birth. The Upper Sacramento, which stays open all year, has been giving up some large fish and is fishing well from Ney Springs to Delta. The October Caddis seem more prevalent from Dunsmuir up to Ney so if you want to throw big dries this is where you want to be, particularly in the late afternoon. Give us a shout if any of these tickle you, we would love to get you out on the river with one of our excellent guides.
McCloud, Upper Sacramento, Lower Sacramento, Rogue and Klamath Rivers Report
Well kids we are right in the middle of another great Fall season here in the north state. Our guides are in full throttle mode covering the McCloud, Upper Sacramento, Lower Sacramento, Rogue and Klamath Rivers chasing and finding some awesome fishing. The McCloud River has been giving up some beautiful bows and brownies producing big smiles from our satisfied customers. You can currently find the fish taking both nymphs and dries. The October Caddis are out and about in the mornings and late afternoon. The fish are just starting to key in on them and it will only get better as we get deeper into October and early November. An outing yesterday found top feeders almost all day grabbing Stimmies, Chubby’s and Adams. The Upper Sac has also been fishing great. Mornings are cold and the fishing has been on the slow side but as the afternoon kicks in the fish have been very grabby. Here too the October Caddis are making a showing particularly from Gibson up to Ney Springs. Our outings have had more success recently nymphing but the fish should be getting tickled enough any time soon by these big caddis and start thinking about these USDA choice morsels. Lots of smaller Caddis out too so think Poopahs as a go to nymph. Up on the Klamath we are seeing an outstanding return of half pounders. We have been covering the river from Happy Camp up to Iron Gate Dam and finding sizable half pounders and a few adults sprinkled in. And last the Rogue River has had an outstanding return of Summer and Fall steelhead so far. We have been floating the sections from the hatchery down to Touvelle Park and having a ball on this fabled river.
Will all these opportunities presenting themselves my recommendation is you folks get up here now before the train leaves the station and another great Fall season has slipped by. Give us a call and we can get you setup with one of our great Wild Waters Fly Fishing guides for a fun day on the river.
Cheers
Rick Cox
rick@wildwatersflyfishing.com
1-877-934-7466
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Both rivers are starting to shake their lazy dog daze of summer and we are seeing the meter up ticking on fish beginning to put the chow bag on. Cooler days and nights along with some rain lately have flipped the switch for Mr. Trout. Squaw Creek runs through my backyard and I witnessed my first October Caddis of the fall on my deck last night. Mt. Shasta has it’s first dusting of snow too so all the planets are aligning for a great kickoff for our upcoming Fall season for both rivers. Still a bit early for any dry fly excitement but nymphing is very solid on both rivers. Lately we have been having success with a variety of midge patterns #16-18, Serendipity #16, P.T.’s #14-16, S&M #16-18 and miscellaneous stone fly patterns. Both rivers are running very clear so stealth is recommended. We have seen a few browns on the McCloud but no where near what we witnessed this time last year, but who knows they may be tardy to the party yet. Give us a shout if you would like to get into the Fall fun with one of our experienced guides, our October calendar is starting to fill.
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 with possibly 100 degrees tomorrow 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. Recent trip up to the Rogue did produce some half pounders and the encouraging word up there is there are over 1000 summer steelhead at the hatchery already…hubba, hubba! Give us a shout if you would like to joining on the fun.
It’s the Daze of the Dog time. July and August are always hot and the bug activity is pretty much on siesta. One nice thing though is the rivers are still experiencing runoff, not high flows but colder than usual water temps. Wet wading is optional and for some the most comfortable. Nymphing by far is the most productive method to get you into fish although the evening dry fly fishing during the last hour can be good. When nymphing, as I always say, you have to get your bugs down so don’t be afraid to get the lead out and put it on. The fish are hugging the bottom this time of the year and you have to get them down into their neighborhood. Great bugs for this time are the assortment of LBS (Little Black Shit) … Zebra Midges, S&M, Dark Lord, P.T.’s, Micro Mayflies, and Soft Hackles. And another great thing about this time of the year are no crowds on either the Upper Sac or McCloud.
Give us a shout if you want to enjoy in on some great summer fun and fishing.
The Upper Sac is in perfect shape now. July is here but fortunately the days are very mild, we have experienced no serious heat waves yet and the water remains cold due to the continuing runoff. We are seeing the Golden Stones just about ready to leave the party but on the other hand some dynamite late evening dry fly fishing is still available. Although the word is out that the river is in excellent shape and you fly fishers are here in numbers the beauty of the river is that there is 30 miles of access. Most fish during the day are taking a variety of nymphs including soft hackles, Red Copper Johns, Dark Lords and my favorite the LBS (little black shit). Best luck has been getting the bugs down near the bottom, the fish are hugging it due to the very clear visibility.
Give us a shout if you want to experience some fun time on the Upper Sac this summer.
The McCloud River
The magical McCloud River has been giving up some excellent days for us. Again evenings here are the main theme for catching fish. If you are willing to stay late you will be rewarded with some spectacular dry fly fishing. Big bushy bugs about size 8 with a dropped nymph or a small Adams trailed behind it will get you in the game. The river has clouded up some due to Mud Creek so the spookability factor is diminished. Small bugs in size 14 and smaller are getting the job done for us but don’t be shy about throwing on that big rubber leg occasionally.
The McCloud in the summer offers no crowds and nice cold water, a good recipe for giving us a shout and booking one of our outstanding McCloud guides.
The river flows are now just south of 1000 cfs. These flows allow added access locations and as the river continues to drop additional spots will open up. It has been a crazy spring for the river but we are starting to see a shift to normalcy and it will continue to get better as each day passes. We have been drifting it along with walk wade trips and the fishing has been surprisingly good to excellent. Best bets right now are chasing the Golden Stone hatch that’s been occurring in the evenings along with their buddies the yellow sallies, caddis and mayflies. Be prepared for some great evening dry fly fishing and stay out till dark thirty. Of course day time nymphing has been good, remember these fish haven’t been harassed much this spring so the spockability meter isn’t high.
The McCloud River
The McCloud flows are juicy good. The entire river is back to its normal summer type flows and is fishing very good. Now is the time to be on it for some great June (one of the best months) action. Like the USac this river is prime time with the Goldens and Salmonflies dancing around. Expect to have very clear visibility so get your stealth game on. Crowds are starting to show up for the McCrowd but don’t let that stop you. Similar advise here, evenings are PRIME time for you dry fly aficionados and day time nymphing is good with bugs such as Dark Lords, Gordon Princes and good ole soft hackles.
Give us a shout we would love to get you out on the waters.
It’s been quite the dance this past week with all the rain and even a bit of snow. However we have been making things work . It’s been about putting on the raincoat and dealing with the increased flows. We’ve seen some spectacular fish come to the net and even the dry fly has been working.
The McCloud River
The river has seen its fair share of recent rain , the gauge at the dam registered 7 inches since last week. Releases out the dam bumped up but are starting to decrease. The river is still high running at 700 cfs but fish can be found. It continues to drop slowly and the forecast after this Memorial Day weekend is for great spring weather. Also we are seeing another start to a good brownie year, they are even gobbling dries. You want to be here, the Golden Stones will be busting out soon along with the Mayflies and Caddis. Give us a shout for Prime Time NOW!
The Upper Sacramento River
The river has been bouncing aroundover the last week but has just dropped below 3000cfs and is heading south rapidly.. She’s a beast but its all about the edges and soft spots. Best to fish areas where it spreads out rather than the tight narrow ones you normally would fish. Be prepared to see a completely different landscape in the lower river from the Delta Fire cleanup, fortunately though the river itself survived but the memories of before and after the fire has changed her appearance dramatically. Again here we expect a big turn around next week, June should be dynamite!
Give us a shout, we have a lot of availabilty and our McCloud and Upper Sacramento guides are some of the best around.
The Wild Waters Fly Fishing crew was not letting high water conditions spoil our “traditional” trout opener last weekend. Our guides found water to fish and fish to be caught. The snow melt is making it tougher than normal but over the years we have learned where and how to successfully handle these conditions.
The McCloud River
Although flows were very high, somewhere north of 1100 cfs we were able to get it done. However they are dropping and today are at 700cfs at Ah Di Nah. You can fish the edges effectively but expect to move around to find good locations. If the flows continue to drop many more spots will open up. Hatches are not really kicking in yet but we are seeing Golden Stone nymphs getting ready to join the party. The Conservancy is open and the care taker has set up residency. There is one shaky spot in the road just past the campground where a culvert has washed out but repairs are coming. Remember too the road to Ash Camp is closed just past the dam. You can walk in if you feel inclined or take a mountain bike, scooter, roller skates, etc.
The Upper Sacramento River
The Upper Sac is running right around 2000cfs which is high and fast. Probably will be such for a few more weeks. Currently thinking late May is when you best be ready to get in some serious fishing. It is fishable but be cautious wading. Fish the edges and softer water, there are hungry fish here who haven’t been harassed since last season. We have been seeing salmonflies from mid river upstream but not much for top action, it’s all about nymphing and getting the bugs down. Recommendation … You might think Golden Stone nymphs, their getting ready to to pop anytime soon.
Hat Creek
Although Hat Creek was a very social scene and crowded Saturday Sunday proved otherwise. Our guides and clients found very good fishing at the Power House 2 riffle both days with Sunday being far fewer anglers. The creek is in excellent shape running a bit high but gin clear. We witnessed occasional PMD’s and Caddis but nothing to get excited about….yet. This is an excellent choice right now for ya’ll.
www.wildwatersflyfishing.com
877-934-7466
Trout Lake
A nearby lake that’s off most people’s radar other than locals is Trout Lake. This is a gem that offers outstanding trout and bass fishing. Poppers on the surface were the ticket for us for some nice bucket mouths. This is a great option when others are off the table.
Clinics
We are offering clinics for all skill levels from novice to expert. Give us a call and we can give you details.
Well here we are just before the general opening of all our rivers and guess what, we have a lot of water to deal with. The McCloud is flowing north of 1100 cfs at Ah Di Nah and the Upper Sac is north of 4000 cfs. These numbers are double and triple what our average spring flows are. I’ve seen these types of springs before so we just deal with it and pull out all the options….Lower Sac, Hat Creek, numerous local lakes, etc. It’s about fishing the edges of these big flow rivers and not getting too squirrelly wading. Looking ahead there is a lot of upper elevation snowpack which will not start melting for a couple more weeks so don’t expect flows to drop very fast any time soon. The McCloud access has been affected this winter and the road to Ash Camp is closed just across the dam. The Forest Service and PG&E are battling over who’s responsible for the repairs so don’t hold your breathe for any quick fix. You can however park at the closure point and hike in if you like. The road to Ah Di Nah and the Conservancy is open although I just found out that a portion of the trail into the Conservancy cabin is flooded. Currently you can expect to see Salmonflies, flying ants and a few mayflies hatching. Soon to come will be the Golden Stones and a plethora of mayflies and caddis. Just remember caution wading and be envious of those white water dudes as they go flying by. If you have any further questions give us a shout.
877-934-7466
Spilling At 1100 bfsAsh Camp Access ShutdownSalmonflies Soon
Follow Us!