Weird to think that April is half over…Weather for the most part has been truly spring weather. Rain one hour, clouds, wind, sun, heat, rain, … repeat some times with only 25-30 minute intervals. It has seemed that for weeks everything is just a few days, a few CFS, or just a few degrees from being REALLY GOOD! I get the feeling that things are just going to slowly get going this year…there is not going be a week or event that just kicks things into gear. So, it is going to be the type of thing where you really need to go to know…basically make your own reports. A lot of the traditional spots and “famous” waters are going to be pretty late this year in getting going so to get out on the water you are going to have to explore, try new things, and do adapt to get out on the water.  

The Foothill and valley bass lakes and reservoirs are full and CRANKING out fish right now. They are full of water and fish are fat and happy preparing or getting on the Spawn. Fishing striped flies, topwater, and float n fly is all catching fish and will continue to fish until will hit the heat of summer. Spring and Summer migratory and resident striper fishing is getting going and there is going to be some AWESOME carp fishing this spring and early summer as every flat on every lake and river is going to be full of water. \

OPEN DATES
April 25

May 25, 27

June 12-14, 17-19,

July 1-3, 17-20, 22, 24-27, 29-31

Aug 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 17, 24, 31,

REPORTS

Valley Striper Fishing…

Migratory Striper fishing is picking up on the Feather and Lower Sac as flows drop and come into shape. The Feather Flow is down to 3530cfs coming out of the dam to the Low Flow and 10K cfs total river release below the after bay. The Lower Sac is dropping daily this week and should be down to around 17K cfs coming out of Keswick by the end of the week. This should get things going around Colusa and even get the resident fish active up river.

April -November is prime time for resident and migratory striper fishing in the valley so there is plenty of good fishing to come. Most “old timers” consider high water years “good striper years” and in my experience this is true, so this is going to be a good one!

Lower Yuba River flows are around 6K – 6500cfs. The clarity is good and there are definitely fish to be caught. There are wade fishing options and even floating the river and getting out at various spots is a great way to fish the Yuba at these higher flows. The Yuba river channel after the last few big winters can accommodate flows this high and while many people stay away from the river when it gets this big with the good clarity fish are being caught. I would imagine that we are going to need to get use to some higher then we are traditionally comfortable with on the Lower Yuba this year with all the snow melt coming down the Yuba watershed.

Lake Oroville is fishing really good, as all valley and foothill lakes and reservoirs are right now.  There are so many lakes, reservoirs, and ponds around us that the fly fishing world takes nearly no interest in, that on a year like this, are really the only options. Personally, I have been guiding Lake Oroville, The After Bay, and Black Butte Lake for Spotted Bass, Largemouth bass, carp, crappie, and the occasional trout while many rivers are blown out or at flood stage. In northern California we literally have world class spotted bass fishing that few fly anglers take advantage.

To Learn more about Bass Fishing of all types in California check out a new venture I am undertaking with my dear friends Chuck Ragan, Ryan Williams, Mike Costello, John Sherman, Matt Callies, and Alex Cady the California Bass Union www.calbassuion.com.

In other news…

Been listening to some good new music…Dave Hause releases a great new album this last week titled “Kick”. Personally, I think it is one of his best in a while…right up there with Devour, maybe slightly better…..The new American Football album is really good as well. Super mellow almost instrumental music. Great back ground driving music or while you work music.

Giants keep me watching to some degree though even though they are as bad as promised…The most frustrating thing is most games they are good enough to put themselves in a position to win and just bad enough to miserably fail with that opportunity.

Hockey playoffs are in full affect and with Tampa getting swept the whole thing got blown wide open…Sharks are killing me as they are down 3-1 to Las Vegas and have looked HORRIBLE the last few games. Another first round exit for the sharks seems pretty real at this point.

ND Spring game is on the DVR and I am waiting to have 2-3 hours of time to watch and digest. So much to watch and prep for…with all the kids entering the draft and the impending QB battle there is a lot to watch and digest for this fall.

 Coming up …

I will be down in the Bay Area tying at Lost Coast Outfitters on April 22 from 5:30pm-700pm -  Come by and learn some tips on tying mayfly nymphs, caddis pupa, and some summer striper and bass flies.

April 23 I will be presenting on Bass Fishing at the GoldeN Gate Trout Unlimited/Mt Tamalpais Fly Fishers Meeting Click HERE for details/directions.