Report
So Much going on right now that I guided everyday this last week and still feel like I missed a ton of it. Here is what I did and what I have heard aka what I missed…
Lower Sac – Fished the Lower Sac from Anderson to Barge Hole yesterday and fishing was good. Most fish continue to come on coffee black Jimmy Leggs and big Birds Nest, but with an influx of some new bugs from the CEO at Idylwilde I did try some new patterns. I fished Wilcox’s Little Green Machine PT in #16 and caught a good number of fish midday. This fly has always looked good but no one seems to carry it in Nor Cal. I am on the Yuba next week a few days and think this thing is going to tear up the Yuba…If I talk about it next week it fished OK if you never hear me mention this fly again it is roping fish.
Lower Yuba – Flows have been stable over the week around 3400cfs. This is a great flow on the Lower Yuba. It keeps good amounts of water flowing through the flats and there are countless buckets against the banks that at lower flows are just a bit to shallow to hold fish. These flows really spread fish out which I think is a good thing as an angler can really pick and choose the water they want to fish. Want to target fish in deep water hanging behind rocks…you can do that. Want to throw hoppers…target fish holding along the bank the deeper buckets get some Grillos Pool Toys drop something with some red behind it and get after it. Want to swing caddis emergers/soft hackles …. Get some Yuba Pupas or Silvey’s Prime Time Pupa or Soft Serve wad out and swing through one of the seams on the bigger riffles. Either way lots of options on the L. Yuba. Fishing from a boat I am fortunate enough to get to do all of these things and clients have caught fish doing them all.
Striper Report from the L. Sac through Idylwilde City – Fishing remains good. Been starting to get into some top water fishing this last week at first light then again midday when the water warms a bit. First light shift is when we are finding the bigger fish up on the flats and shelves eating and then when the water warms midday the smaller (5-10lbs) fish start chasing Pike Minnows in their normal haunts. A few Kings are starting to show up as well and we have a caught a few nice chrome kings as well. Always cool to see a nice chromer king chase down a chartreuse/white clouser and then jump into the air. Boat traffic has been light sense the flat fish, jig bouncing, row fishing crew has not been doing to well, but it is only a matter of time as the party boats out in the bay are killing it.
Lower Feather River – I have not fished here, but heard from a few reliable sources that guys are catching a few kings swinging flies in the high flow section of the river. This is a pretty fun thing to go do at first light or in the evening. Swinging Tim Fox’s Hot Shot Comet in Chartreuse or Hot Orange as well as Hickman’s Party Boy in Chartreuse usually gets the job done. Most guys have been averaging about a fish or two a session, but the fish that are in I have heard very grabby and aggressive, chasing swung flies across riffles and such. Fun Stuff.