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.
Our favorite time of year to be on the water is just around
the corner. As temperatures drop, our fishing options start to open up.
The McCloud
Water Clarity continues to be an issue on the McCloud. The river
was fishing great for most of the summer, but August rainstorms have once again
brought dirty water. This river has had a mind of its own recently, and predicting
water clarity isn’t easy. However, over the last few days the water color has
been trending in the right direction.
With all of that being said… historically, big drought killing winters have led to high numbers of migratory brown trout in the river. This year appears to be following that trend. Our guides have been encountering these fish frequently, as early as June. When the river does eventually clear up, we could be in for some of the best brown trout fishing we have seen in a long time. We are eager to get back out there as soon as the water clears up, check back for updates.
The Upper Sacramento
The Upper Sac has been a much more reliable fishery than the McCloud just over the hill. It has continued to fish well throughout the summer, particularly in the upper stretches where the water stays cooler. Water temperatures have started to drop quickly. This allows us to fish some of the lower stretches of the river, which often hold larger fish. Once the October Caddis start to hatch, this river will really start to light up.
The Klamath
The Klamath dam removal is well underway, and this fall will be the last time we fish this river in its current dammed state. Iron Gate reservoir drawdown will begin on January 1st, which will likely blow the river out for some time. Early reports at the mouth seem to indicate good numbers of fish already entering the system. More fish should keep coming in with fall flow bumps and dropping water temperatures. Also, this year California closed commercial and recreational salmon fishing. This means that steelhead will be less pressured as they make their way up the river, and finding solitude on the river will be easier than ever. Starting mid-September, we plan on chasing these fish everywhere from Orleans to Hornbrook. Klamath Fish readily take a swung fly, making it a good choice for both the beginner and advanced Spey angler – particularly early in the season. Indicator fishing is effective throughout the season. The Klamath has had an outstanding couple of years, and we can’t wait to see what it brings this year.
Coastal Steelhead
Lucky For us, just as the Klamath season with be coming to an end with the reservoir draw down on Jan 1st, the coastal steelhead season will just be getting kicked off. Our guides can’t wait to get out to the coast and chase these elusive fish. We will be primarily focusing on the Smith River, but as is always the case with coastal steelhead fishing, flexibility is key.
Lower Sac and more
Of course, the Lower Sac, Hat, Pit, Baum Lake, and too many more to list are all great fall options. Give us a call or shoot us an email if you are interested in booking a trip.
Spring on the Lower Sacramento River is about as good as trout fishing can get. The river has had a plethora of bug activity with most emphasis on Hydropsyche Caddis and PMD Mayflies. At about 8K the river is in perfect drift boating shape. Classic side drifting methods with Jaydecators are your best bet but it would be silly not to have a dry fly rig set up in the boat. If you are one who loves drift boat fishing, we recommend you get out soon. This fishing will slow down to merely being great come the heat of the summer.
Upper Sacramento River
The Upper Sac has been consistently good the last few weeks. It is a safe bet that no matter how you like to fish, you will find some success along this 38 mile river. The upper sections Spring is still emerging and the hatches and best fishing are in the afternoon. Focussing on mayflies and smaller stones will provide good fishing on the upper half. The lower you go the more it becomes about Caddis and Golden Stones. These days are epic and if you are new to the sport, this is a great time and place to get hooked.
McCloud River
Most of our guide days have been on this magical river. It has seen a mix of weather and is in fantastic shape. The best and most fun fishing has been with the dry fly, however we have seen success on every technique. Major players are the PMD’s Yellow Sallies and Golden Stones. The fish have been healthy and consistently in the 10-14 inch range. That said the river has already shown off some big ones. A pack of very large browns attacked our poor fleeing rainbow trout pattern making a scene at our feet worthy of any film festival. If we had footage most audio would of had to been bleeped out. The crowds have been very inconsistent and many of our days include solitude in one of California’s finest trout streams. We specialize in this river and its short game tactics. Let us teach you how to turn those fish on.
Klamath River / Below Iron Gate.
The Iron Gate float is providing some good fishing under the Jaydecator. Fish are being caught all day, the best is between 9 and 12 and again from 4 to dark. There are a few places to enjoy a walk n’ wade but, by far your best success will come from a drift boat. Big rubber legs and birds nest have been the ticket. We are days away from the Salmonfly and Golden Stonefly hatch. For the rest of May and most of June we will be casting big dry-flies out of the drift boats. If you haven’t done this yet, get on our calendar. Fishing the big bug has a funny way of making you feel like a kid again.
Rogue River
Like the Klamath the Rogue is also all about the big bug. Far more popular of a Salmonfly hatch is the “Holy Water” on the Rogue. Ample walk n wade spots are available but many anglers take a seasonal pilgrimage to these waters and its likely you’ll see fellow fisherman in your favorite spots. The drift boat can offer a great way to float the upper sections near Shady Cove, with some room to work and who doesn’t like casting dry flies out of the boat. Mid day is best under the bobber (Jaydecator) , and you might just hook into a steelhead.
Lakes
Early in the mornings and at the last hours of the day you can find some sensational Bass and Panfish fishing in our area’s lakes and ponds. Poppers, Mice, Crawfish and Minnow patterns have been great. Nothing like catching a big bluegill brings me back to my angling beginnings. However nostalgic, these fish and the pursuit of them would excite any permit/bonefish/tarpon fisherman. Stalking your prey in clear water, perfect cast between trees to tight to the reeds, seeing the eat and a surprising fight will make any angler smile. Best yet…. no strip set necessary! You can hit em like you have a Lower Sac indicator rig on, or like Bill Dance.
This August proved to be a productive month on the McCloud River. Some hefty fish from the lake have reached the upper stretches surprising many anglers with incredible fights and acrobatic get aways. Gotta love it. The water clarity and temperature drastically changes from the upper stretches all the way down to Bollibokka. Up top it has about 2-3 feet of visibility while the lower river at Bollibokka is damn near gin clear. The algae seems to be the only downside to fishing this time of year and diligent fly cleaning is necessary. Sadly, there are no real hatches and any mayfly that happens to get off the water gets waxed by awaiting dragonflies, mandibles slicing them in half in an unfair dogfight. However, fall is near and caddis hatches are scheduled. It will be a great time to swing through a riffle or skate a tail-out. We hope to see you out there.
Bollibokka and the Nature Conservancy are experiences some phenomenal fishing, too bad its only for a couple hours a day. Mid-day is tougher out there. Some of our peers are boasting midges with 7x, but I don’t even own 7x. It has been great wet wading/swimming and though fishing this time of year is not a number game, at least some big ones are coming to the net. This is my favorite times to chase big trout. If you are a “match the hatch” fisherman, stick with the Yellow Sallies and PMDs. Caddis and stonefly nymphs are more important then their adult dry form, but soon the shady spots will have mid day caddis hatches worth fishing. More and more bear sightings means there are some black berries to eat so no need to pack snacks. Have fun out there.
The waters around Mt Shasta, especially The Upper Sac and McCloud Rivers are fishing fantastic. Hatches of Grey and Green Drakes, PMDs and Golden Stones are prevalent. The fish have spread out throughout the pocket water and looking for a meal. Tie on some big bugs and let them fly. The McCloud saw some crowds over Memorial Weekend but most had great fishing. The Nature Conservancy was filled to capacity, but the fishing was so good everyone was smiling. With crystal clear water and crowds the fish are getting educated fast, but with proper approach and presentation they slam it.
What a great time to be on the McCloud and Upper Sacramento Rivers. Enjoy some photos.
Bass ponds and lakes have offered up some explosive takes on topwater in the early mornings
Part Toy / Part Tool but she is going to open up some new water for us!
Its a sad day when you find out your fishing buddy is moving away. But then you find out he is moving to Florida, buying a flats boat and selling you his raft.
There are signs of Fall on the horizon. Colored leaves and cool nights, have things changing up here in the State of Jefferson. The McCloud River remains very colored up with about 28 inches of visibility, however the fish have been eating and looking healthy. We’ve had some epic battles with brutes and some wonderful fish to hand. Though there is very little dry fly action right now, some of our bigger rainbows were still taken off the surface. The Upper Sac has really benefited from the cool nights and some great fishing is being reported. The Lower Sacramento is to remain your best bet for big fish but if you put your ear in the Klamath River you can hear them coming. A wad of salmon, steelhead and half pounders are pouring their way up the lower river and heading our way. We are keeping a close eye on their progress. It is an annual event and that time is here. They are coming.
To the rope at the Nature Conservancy.
Where the big one got away.
So good to see you Barr! We don’t get to do this enough anymore
Its that time of year again. An awesome sunrise every morning! Guides day off and were going fishing!We put the bobber rod down to swing a run.
What a treat! These early fish are always a gamble.
The McCloud river is holding strong with 2′ or more of visibility. We have been seeing some very healthy fish come to the net. Hatches are not easy to find but fish have been reacting to a variety of different bugs throughout the day and into the evening. On the Lower Sac fishing remains hot. These fish are really showing what the Lower Sac is all about, with some of the fattest bellies on trout I have ever seen. If you feel like trout are easy to land, your not fishing here. The Upper Sac is low and clear and the upper sections have been providing some good fishing for the less experienced anglers. McCloud Res. is full of fish and were not having any problem picking up good numbers on any given day. Some hatches are still happening out there in the early morning and later part of the evening.
Our past week on the Nor Cal rivers has brought successful summer days of fishing for clients. Yes there is plenty of water up here, all of our streams are flowing at healthy levels and the trout are enjoying the cool water during the warm summer. Recent thunderstorms have even added a little flow to the rivers. The McCloud River is running a bit off color but that has not stopped us from putting fish in the net. The 60 degree water is just the right recipe for these bows and browns … angling pressure is light so enjoy the bite. The Upper Sacramento River has been fishing well on the mid and upper sections. On hot days we do not recommend fishing on the lower sections of the the river. Nymphing and getting your flies down has been the ticket here. Lake Siskiyou in the evenings is rewarding customers with a combo of trout and smallmouth bass. McCloud Reservoir is looking great right now and we are seeing double digit days of fish to the boat. Anthony Carruesco reports the following for the Lower Sac …
The early morning and evening fishing down here in the Valley has been stellar. Good dry fly happening at last light. Half day is the way to go right now.
Looking for some summer fun, give us a shout at Wild Waters Fly Fishing! Continue Reading →
Northern California has had some heat waves, thunderstorms, heavy rain, and a full moon to throw some inconsistent fishing over the last week. Overall, fishing has been good with some really big fish being put in the net on the McCloud River. Though there are some big fish in the system right now, the little fish have taken over the feeding lanes and voraciously grabbing our flies, a typical full moon trend. Plan on some great yellow sallies stoneflies and pmd hatches to make the dry fly the technique of choice. As the nights become darker daytime feeding of the bigger fish will return.
The Mt Shasta region has been fishing well this summer. The days are hot and long but there is no better place to be than in a cool river catching trout. Junes highlight has been the McCloud River. With great hatches it has been a dry fly fisherman’s dream. We went from salmonflies in the early days to golden stones, green drakes, and lately the pmd’s and yellow sallies. Some large fish have crushed big stonefly patterns lately, just a couple of those kind of takes is all I need to smile big all day. The McCloud should remain awesome but expect the upcoming full moon and hot weather to slow the bite. As the water warms the dead drift becomes less meaningful, swing some soft hackles and hang on.
Meanwhile, other fisheries like the Sacramento have been delighting anglers with some big bows, drift trips on the Lower Sacramento have been great in the mornings or evenings, our guides have been reporting good dry fly action!
What the Hex else is there? Oh yeah, those big yellow mayflies are being eaten by bass and trout nightly. Fifteen minutes of crazy fishing, dont tangle or break one off or you’ll miss the bite.
We have been busy but we still have openings and would love to get you on the water. Check out all these photos from our latest trips and go fish.
Guides night out after a day in the office. We caught a bunch a backyard fish.
The McCloud River in June! A dry fly fisherman’s dream.
Like father like son, Brooks and BT getting it done!
We are continuing to fish on the McCloud river, Upper Sac and Lower Sac. In general the fishing has been fair to good. We are seeing fish eat dry flies on the upper rivers and we only expect the hatches to grow each day. The Lower Sac continues to be a strong hold of good fishing. With all the trout streams open in California we have also been spending time on some lesser know waters. The best trout fishing of the year is just around the corner. Be ready!
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