Early to mid week reports...lost of fishing this time of year. It has become really obvious that fishing is about 3-4 weeks early this year. If you are not getting out make it happen soon! Mid summer bass, striper, and carp fishing should be good and trout fishing on the tailwaters (L. Sac/L. Yuba) should be fine but I can't see the mountain trout stuff that is run off fed lasting all summer. May rivers and streams are spring fed and those should be Ok but run off based stuff...gonna get tight. North Fork Feather River off of Hwy 70 - Flows are low but water is cool and in great shape. Fishing throughout the Hwy 70 corridor is fair to good. Fish seem to be concentrated in certain areas, maybe coming off the spawn. We have been catching fish on small baetis and PMD patterns along with green drake nymphs and rubber leg patterns. There are a few green drakes around, LOTS of caddis, and a few smaller baetis and PMD's. We found fish eating caddis in some of the flats below riffles and even got a few nice fish swinging soft hackles with a small split shot. Best flies were S&M nymph, Brown Rubber Leg, #10 Prince Nymph (for the green drakes), and olive soft hackle. Most of the power houses that dump into the river are not up and running yet but I am sure with the heat this week will get on line which may change flows a bit in various stretches.
Love this run...it gave up some nice fish.
NF Feather Pocket water...most fish seemed to be in the riffles
there was a mess of fish in the green water slashing caddis adults
Water level on side swipe hook set
Lower Yuba River - Flows are still up around 1400cfs and fishing is fair. Most of the fish seem to have moved from water I was getting fish out of a week ago. Not sure if fish are moving up river to spawn or what but it as a struggle to find fish at times. There is some decent bug activity when the weather is right and the warm stable weather pattern this week should help the fishing and hatches out. Most of our fish came on smaller #18 mayfly nymphs and various tan caddis patterns. Not much surface action with the wind but I can imagine that dry fly fishing will improve over the next week.
Lower Sac Shad/bass - It is on and fishing is good. On low water years it seems that fish arrive early on the Sac and do not head up the other rivers as well. We have been getting into fish most evenings, we are out both wade fishing and fishing off anchor. Bass fishing has been decent for largemouth and smallmouth, top water for largemouth and streamer fishing for smallies on sinking lines has been good. The stripers in the water I fish have gotten pretty tight lipped as they are I assume gorging on shad.
