Cal Bass Union Day and Reports
UPCOMING EVENTS
The California Bass Union is hosting our first Cal Bass Union Day on Feb 8th at Fly Fishing Specialties from 1pm to 5pm. In attendance will be myself, John Sherman (www.johngsherman.com) Chuck Ragan (www.crflyfishing.com/), Ryan Williams (https://flyfishcnv.com/), and Matt “the mad scientist” Callies. We will also be broadcasting live on Loon Outdoors if you are out of the area. Three will be fly tying and slide show presentations by all members, beer served by our friends at Claimstake Brewing (http://claimstakebrewing.com/index.html), there will be a free raffle (additional tickets can be purchased), Cal Bass Union Swag for sale, and of course one of the largest inventory of flies, fly tying, and tackle around at Fly Fishing Specialties to meet all your Bass needs.
Presentations
Hogan Brown – Valley Striper Fishing
Ryan Williams – Fly Fishing Clearlake and Lake Berryesa
John Sherman – Fly Fishing the California Delta
Chuck Ragan – Float and Fly Fishing Foothill Lakes
Fly Tying
Ryan Williams – Striper and Spotted Bass Flies for Northern California.
Hogan Brown – Valley Striper Flies
Chuck Ragan – Game changers – California Style
Matt Callies – Wizard Skills with thread, resin, and hooks
REPORTS
So far winter has been very reasonable…it seems to be snowing plenty in the hills and mountains and when it rains is rains at night and the rivers don’t blow out much…So far for a fly fisherman like me it has been a perfect winter. The weather has moved in brought a little bit of rain and MORE importantly good amounts of snow. It seems that rivers will come up a bit and drop very quickly but that the snow will fall in the mountains. Looking today we are about 75% of average snowfall for this time of year and nearing 50% of our April 1 normal…so not great but not horrible AND we usually get a good amount of snow in Feb and good rains in March.
I have also been on both Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville in the last few weeks and while both show rock along the shore line neither look apocalyptically low and on Oroville we have not used the “winter boat ramp” at all this year….which we usually use through the months of Dec/Jan. Furthermore, flows on the rivers have been pretty stable and with decent clarity. The Striper fishing on the sac has remained pretty decent (for winter fishing) as the rivers has blown out at times but drops very quick and clarity returns with in a few days. The Lower Yuba has even remained fishable most of the winter hovering around 1000cfs to 1500cfs – which is a GREAT winter flow, plenty of space for wading and boat fishing.
Looking at extended future forecasts for February for Chico, CA there doesn’t seem to be much rain but I rarely put much faith in extended forecasts outside of a few days.
Spring is booking up pretty quick and it should be a pretty “fishable” spring on all the waters I guide. Summer is still pretty open so lock your days in soon.
Lake Oroville Spotted Bass Fishing
Feather River Spring Steelhead (swung fly or Nymph fishing)
Lower Yuba River (nymph, dry, swung fly)
Migratory and Resident Striper on Valley Rivers
OPEN DATES
Feb 15, 17
March 14,
April 11, 15, 16,
May 16, 25
June 6, 9-13, 15-19, 30
July 1-3, 13-18, 20-25, 27-31
