The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I am way behind in a lot of things, not least fishing reports. Here we go:


Three tries, three white screens. Guess you'll have to wait until I have time to do three posts.

Anyway - Upper Sac
Rancho San Carlos
Yuba
Good fishing

Ed,

Email me the reports and I can post on the home page. Beats the white screen!

Tuesday, April 14th, I fished the Upper Sac, guided by Craig Neilsen. My son Michael and Renee, the Red Headed Accordion Player were along fishing as well. The weather was forecast to be warm with light breezes.

Craig had a morning dentist appointment (I booked last minute), so we did not get on the water until just after noon. We fished about thirty miles of the Upper Sac, from south of Dunsmuir to just west of Mount Shasta (city). We had at least one hookup in every run we fished, except one. Craig was walking the walk that he talks in his “Fishing for Trout in California Freestoners” pitch. If we did not get a hookup in ten to fifteen minutes, we were moving.

Renee got a hook up on about her third cast. The guide and she both saw the fish, and the guide said it was over 18 inches – it broke her off after about two or three minutes – fishing 4X tippet. She later landed a very nice fish, her first fish on a fly.

I landed three throughout the day, largest was more than 18 inches, smallest about 16 inches.

Michael also landed three, 16 to 18 inches, but he ha the catch of the day. At about 720 PM, fishing just below Lake Siskiyou, in a significant snow storm, he hooked and landed a beautiful brown trout.

All the fishing was done with a strike indicator and two nymphs, large on top, small on bottom. I got one on the big fly, two on the small fly. My biggest ate the small fly. We had snow several times during the afternoon.

It was a great day. I continue to recommend Craig for fishing that area.

Thursday, April 23rd Tom Pelikan and I fished Rancho San Carlos (private water) with John Jordan, a local guide. It was a very fine day. We got on the water at 0900, and I reluctantly quit at 1845.

I had thirty fish to hand, LDRd a few, had a few break me off on 5X, and missed a bunch of half hearted strikes. All the fish but one were over 14 inches, several over 16. The largest was over 18 inches The one small one was an 8 inch wild fish (adipose fin present), and all but one fish were taken on dry flies. The exception was a fussy 16 incher who succumbed to a Pheasant and Copper dropper off a #18 GFT. The GFT was very successful.

The fish ate Grey Fuzzy Thing, Orange Humpy, Orange Beetle, Adams, Baetis Emerger and BWO Emerger flies. The amazing thing to me was how well they fought. There was none of this “30 seconds and I’m DONE, baby!” These fish were fighting hard and jumping all the way to the float tube, and in the net.

Rancho San Carlos is a membership private enclave. There is a rod fee as well as the Guide’s fee, but the cost is still very reasonable. Try mid week. Geoff Malloway at Central Coast Fly Fishing can give you John’s phone number.

27 April 09, Yuba River.
Following the conclusion of the Sacramento Valley Highland games, three of the Culann's Hounds band members and I went and fished the Yuba River. Sunday evening we got to the Highway 20 bridge just at dusk, shortly after 8 PM, No fish were caught, although something did break me off very cleanly about 8:45. I was fishing a #10 Parachute Adams in hopes of being able to see it. Fished just downstream of the bridge, river left until we couldn't see.

Monday we bopped up to Downieville and on to Union Gap CG. They DO check to make sure you have paid if you park in the CG. I went 4 to hand for 8 rises and 6 hook ups. They were all ten inches or smaller, except the ones I didn't land or the ones I didn't hook. Steve, the Fiddler caught "a bunch, mostly dinks" but somehow, no one ever saw him even with a fish on. Mine took a big stonefly nymph (1) or a Grey Fuzzy Thing #12 (7). Steve reports that his were evenly split between a medium stonefly nymph, and a Grey Fuzzy Thing. Michael and the Barbarian Princess caught no fish, although they had a good time, and made lunch for Steve and I. Renee continues to work on her casting form.....
We got back to San Francisco about 2 AM, tired but content

Nice reports Ed!