Here's what i experienced:
Fished the [url]Lower McCloud 5/13 and 5/14 /url]last week. Warm weather....even hot at times. Water was cool, 49-50 degrees by my thermo and nice and clear. But a bit high. Nymphing was consistent and "good" not great with a lull between say noon and 3 before picking up again. Nil crowd.....a few other rods to be seen but more or less had river to myself. I fished upper section, the on day two, between Ash camp and the Conservancy. I found the mid to upper section .....say the 1-1/2 miles or so below that upper camp at the PCT bridge to be better than the mid. Flys: Tried a bunch and found that the Brown Floss rubber legs #6, Fox Pupa #14-16 and Zebra #16-18 to variably be the best. Lots of Golden and mall black stones flying around and light but consistent Caddis all day. Got a few on Caddis drys late in the day by no real rise.
Pit on 5-15 - 5/17: Reach 3 was the best. Consistent all day but you had to work for every fish (beyond what is the usual "work" just to fish the Pit). Same nymphing deep as the McCloud with similar flys and bugs; but with Yellow Sally's around too. The Dark Lord #16 was the consistent nymph all day/everyday. No indicator, deep in each pocket would pull a fish everytime.....but it's darned tough to get to those pockets....crossing to the lesser fished far side is down right scarry. Water is about a foot deeper than last year/previous years. The PG&E survey lady told me it was the new normal........too; too bad, the Pit river is tough enough at a foot lower. "FAT" fish as is the case a lot of the time at the pit, but not long fish. My big fish was only 16"......but 2-1/2 to 3 pounds!!, I'd have sworn it was at least and 18'er. Broke off sereral other large fish as with the high flow, they seemed to know how to play me; I sure couldn't race down stream after them. Water: similar ~50 degrees, a bit coloerd, just about right. Pit 4 was worse than 3 and 5 wasn't worth the bother. Literally no one there. No dry action at all, even until 7PM.
Tight lines.
M
Favoured: 1
