So I am going to try to up date my blog a bit more often here…So fall is definitely on its way. Dove season opens today, deer season is open in some places, people are salmon fishing, and I even pegged my first bead this weekend. Here is what is happening and what I see coming up… 

Lower Yuba River – Remember The upper river above the highway 20 bridged is closed until dec.1. The flows have dropped down to 747cfs and are still dropping, not sure what the final flow is for this “Fall Drop” but I would imagine 700cfs is most likely. The river through Marysville is 533cfs. This is kind of a double edge sword…the fish that have not moved up river yet will struggle coming up the river at 533cfs but the ones that are up in the river and will be spawning here very shortly and will not see their beds de-watered and left high and dry with a flow drop. Bottom line, hope for a big winter and some early rain. The fishing should get REALLY good here over the next few weeks. The Lower Yuba sees the fall egg bit first, usually the last two weeks of September first week of October and this flow drop will really get things going on the Yuba with regards to the egg bite.

Lower Sacramento Trout – Trout fishing on the L. Sac has been fair to good. Being on the “right float on the right day” is key but there is no control over that. I floated a few different stretches lately and had fair to good fishing on all of them…some days are better “big fish days” others are better  “number days” just depends. Salmon seem to be MIA as salmon fishing pressure up through the barge area is pretty light. I did see a full parking lot at Woodson Bridge though on the way up river the other day so maybe the bulk of fish is down lower still. The word on the street is that the river should be dropping to 3200cfs by Oct 1, this is crazy low but again very similar to the Yuba in that atleast the spawning salmon won’t get their beds left high and dry. Look for the egg bit to get going mid to late October and the steelhead fishing to get going in the lower river around the same time.

Lower Sac Striper – Striper fishing remains pretty good. Getting away from the salmon anglers is key but there some really big fish around. Striper fishing can remain good through October or until the river blows out. Just seems that most people loose interest or focus on the fall trout and steelhead fishing or turn to the delta for stripers.

OPEN DATES

Sept 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27

Oct 19, 25

Nov 22, 24-26, 30

Dec 20, 21, 27-31

Jan 2, 4-10, 17-19, 24, 25

Feather River – Most of the salmon guides I know have been over on the Feather leading me to believe there is some good numbers moving up river. The Flows remain at 1150 in the low flow,  600cfs coming out of the afterbay, 1750cfs total high flow. Good flows for moving fish up river. I would imagine that steelhead fishing should start picking up here mid sept with the prime time being mid October through November. Key to fishing early is staying below the salmon and looking for the steelhead below the riffles that are kegged up with salmon.

  Sports Report – Gotta love the start of college football season, fantasy season, and the fact that the giants are playing SOLID! Coming off of a sweep of the Brewers and heading into a week where they play the Rockies 4 times and then off to Detroit which will be a real test. Notre Dame looked great in their opener against Rice and it is fun to watch the spread offense with a QB that actually poses a run threat…sorry Tommy I love ya but you are not a run threat. Next weeks Michigan game is a huge game for the Irish and one that is always a huge event at the Brown house. Fantasy season…year 3 of the fly guides fantasy league draft is in the books and I am going to try to not come in second to last this year.

Beer News…the fall sampler is out from Sierra Nevada and the Octoberfest is so good…I have had this beer plenty of times at Octoberfest and around town on tap but I can’t remember a time they bottled it. The other beers in the pack are the Tumber Autumn Brown which is a good and some Viena beer that is OK…the Octoberfest over shadow all of them. I also had the Anchorsteam IPA in bottle recently, I reall really thought this was a great beer…Nice classic anchorsteam flavor with an IPA. Good stuff.  

Tunes – The new Gas Light Anthem CD is GREAT! I love this band and this album is a real departure from their last few but also has so much of their classic sound tied in. A real evolution I think for them. To be honest I am still really digesting it all as it is a beast at 16 tracks and has a lot of different types of songs and sounds…Also picked up the new Chuck Ragan CD “Till Midnight”, Chuck is the long time front man for Hot Water Music who if you great up listening to punk, emo, hardcore in the late ‘90s to early ‘00s need no explanation. His solo stuff is different but the same heart felt, chest pulling tunes you come to expect.

  Fly news…I also saw the first page of the new Montana Fly Co. Catalog with my flies in it, new patterns and old patterns coming VERY soon so stay tuned for more…here is a sneak peak.