What's Hot and What's Not™(THE Northern California Fly Fishing Report)

What's Hot and What's Not™
(THE Northern California Flyfishing Report) from

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24 August 2010
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Fishery	H2O Conditions	Fishing conditions, Techniques, and Hatches	Flies	Comments
Almanor, Lake	Clear, mid 60’s, lake level is high.	Fishing is fair. Best fishing is around cold water inlets where fish will find relief from the warm temps. Stripping a crystal bugger in the morning and evening near the Hamilton Branch, Big Springs and the mouth of the NF Feather is finding big lake rainbows and browns. A short 8-10 pound leader on the end of a type 3 or 4 full sinking line is ideal.	Lake woolly buggers/streamers J Fair wiggle tail (olive, brown, burnt orange) BH woolly bugger (black, olive, brown), crystal bugger, mini bugger black/olive, seal bugger (rust, olive, black), hale bopp leach (brown, olive), bunny leech (white), (#6-12). Midge pupa (listed elsewhere in report).	Heavy fishing pressure on the west side in the morning and evening. CDAG pg 43
Carson River, E.F. (Along Hwy 89 downstream to Nevada)	Clear, high 50s F, low flow (114 cfs below Markleeville Creek).	Fishing is good. Best fishing is in the morning and evening. In the morning, an attractor dry with a small beadhead dropper will find trout in pocket water and deep runs. Midday is tough during the heat of the day. Go deep with golden stones and beadhead nymphs or try a hopper. Best topwater action is in the evening to caddis and PED’s before dusk. Catch and release below Hangman's Bridge. Above the bridge is well stocked.	Little yellow stone dries Hogan’s yellow hanging stimulator, Brooks headlight little yellow sally, Cutter’s little yellow sally, Quigley’s little yellow sally, yellow stimulator, yellow crystal stimulator (#14-16). Little yellow stonefly nymphs poxy back micro stone tungsten hotwire prince, Morrish’s iron sally (#14-16). Golden stonefly nymphs (listed elsewhere in report). Golden stonefly dries (listed elsewhere in report). Attractor beadhead nymphs (listed elsewhere in report).	Moderate fishing pressure on the weekends. Access at Hangman’s Bridge and along Hwy 89. NCDAG pg 90. New CDAG pg. 67.
Davis Lake (near Portola off hwy 70)	Clear, mid to high 60s F.	Fishing is fair. Best fishing is from first light to 10am and again from 4pm to dusk if the wind doesn’t come up. In the morning, fish the shallows where trout are cruising and eating small leech patterns on a slow strip. Not many rising fish but if fish are spotted rising, it’s a good indication of a concentration of feeding fish. Please do not remove trout from the water and be sure to revive them completely before releasing due to warm water temperatures.	Damsel fly nymphs/dries Burk’s sierra damsel (tan, olive), Fox’s damsel nymph olv/cinn, mono eye damsel, Burk’s stillwater nymph (tan, olive), No name damsel, foam swimming damsel, Stalcup’s ultra damsel, J Fair wiggle tail nymph (olive, fiery brown), adult blue damsel, Burk’s adult damsel, horny damsel, damsel dragon (#12-16). River woolly buggers/streamers J Fair wiggle tail (olive, brown, burnt orange) BH woolly bugger (black, olive, brown), crystal bugger, mini bugger black/olive, seal bugger (rust, olive, black), hale bopp leach (brown, olive), Mack’s bugger, bunny leach (white), chub minnow (#6-12).	Moderate fishing pressure. Good access at Cow Creek and Freeman. NCDAG pg 70.
Deer Creek (Along Highway 32)	Slight tint, low 50’s F, normal flow.	Fishing is fair. Best fishing is in the morning and evening when trout are the most active. Best action is in the top section from Elam Campground down to Deer Creek falls. Good numbers of hatchery trout willing to take an attractor dry with a decent drift. Midday, search for deep pools or take a break. Evening picks up with primetime dry fly fishing from 6pm to dusk. Look for fish rising to caddis, yellow sallies and midges in the catch and release section below the Falls. Not a lot of fish over 12 inches but lots of action for beginning anglers.	Attractor dries irresistible adams, parachute light cahill, Rio Grande trude, Pink & lime trude, yellow humpy, parachute adams, paralyzer, royal coachman, crystal stimulator, renegade, royal wulff, sierra bright dot, grey wulff, pink cahill, light cahill, royal coachman, para wulff, (#10-18). BWO/Baetis nymphs Hogan’s S&M nymph, Hogan’s better baetis, Burk’s crystal hunchback, Hogan’s olive military may, tailwater tiny, flashy pheasant tail, Sloan’s mighty may, Burk’s olive hunchback two-tone, Mercer’s micro mayfly, tung split case BWO (#16-22). Caddis pupa/emergers and Golden stonefly dries and Attractor beadhead nymphs and Ant patterns and Little yellow stone dries (listed elsewhere).	Expect moderate fishing pressure. Access off Hwy 32 from Deer Creek bridge upstream to Hwy 36. Catch & Release from Deer Creek Falls down stream to Ishi Wilderness. NCDAG pg. 58.
Fall River (Cal Trout access to Spring Creek Rd.)	Slight tint, high summer flow.	Fishing is fair. Best fishing is from 8am to 11am. Trout are feeding on small midges and PMD's subsurface in the flats. A small indicator with tandem flies on 6X tippet is the ideal setup. A few trout rising to tricos, caddis and PMD’s but the rises are sporadic. The rises are a better indicator of subsurface activity for nymphing. Best action midday is with small black and olive leeches fished on an intermediate line. Concentrate on the deep bends in the river. Island bridge near Cal Trout access is low and difficult to go under but passable.	BWO/Baetis emerger/dries Brook's KD dun, Mercers emerging poxyback bwo, fluttering mayfly cripple BWO, Harrop captive dun, BWO extended body, Brooks CDC dun baetis, hackle stacker BWO, loopwing paradun, olive hatch master, parachute BWO, twilight baetis dun day-glo, BWO CDC transitional dun, Brook's sprout baetis, quill body baetis cripple, Harrop's CDC BWO emerger, Quigley’s loopy cripple stacker, Burk’s silhouette (#16-20). PMD emergers/cripples/dries (listed elsewhere). Lake woolly buggers/streamers (listed elsewhere).	Expect moderate fishing pressure. Pram with electric motor needed. Public access is at Cal Trout. NCDAG pg 38. CDAG pg 35.
Hat Creek (PH#2 to fish barrier)	Clear, low 50s F, normal flow.	Fishing is fair. Some trout are rising along the flats from 8-10am for the trico spinnerfall. Sneak up on the fish and present a triple wing trico with a delicate downstream drift using 7X tippet. Trout are also rising to PMD’s in the morning and caddis in the evening. Best nymphing action is at PH#2 riffle in the morning and evening. A small beadhead nymph dropper fished under a dry will get action in the riffle and tailout. A few yellow sallies still around in the evening around PH#2, but you may need to wait until dark for hatch.	Attractor beadhead nymphs royal flush, Hogan’s Steelie Caddis, hare’s ear, twenty incher, Hart’s dark lord, copper john (red, copper) bird’s nest, black AP, prince of darkness, king prince, dirty bird (tan, olive), Hogan’s drifter, biotic nymph, Hogan’s Red Headed Step Child (#10-18). Pale morning dun dries Hackle stacker PED, Fluttering mayfly cripple PED, loop wing comparadun PED, PED parachute, sulphur parachute (#14-20). Midge pupa and Callibaetis dries (listed elsewhere). Little yellow stone dries (listed elsewhere).	Expect crowds at the PH#2 riffle on weekends. To escape the crowds, try fishing below Carbon Flat or the Hwy 299 bridge. NCDAG pg 48.
Feather River, N.F. (Cresta powerhouse to Lake Oroville)	Slight tint, low 50s F, 132 cfs at Pulga, 339 cfs at Beldon. Check flows at WWW.Dreamflows.com.	Fishing is fair to good. Best dry fly fishing is in pocket water and tailouts around Beldon and Tobin where water temperatures are cooler. Fish the morning and evening when the sun is off the water. Use a heavy stonefly nymph with a small beadhead nymph dropper. Use plenty of split shot to get the flies down in fast water. Afternoons are slow. Best of the evening hatch is from 7pm to dusk. Fish are rising to caddis along banks with the most vegetation. Beldon is fishing best. Lower sections will improve with some cooler weather.	Golden stonefly dries Hogan’s split-wing stone, hedgehog, Hogan’s hangin stimi, crystal stimulator, yellow humpy, rubber-legged stimulator, Rogue foam golden stone, Gould’s half down golden, Sloan’s paralyzer, Carlson’s egg sack stone (#8-12). BWO nymphs Hogan’s S&M nymph, Hogan’s better baetis, berry nymph in gooseberry, Burk’s crystal hunchback, Hogan’s olive military may, Mercer's BWO trigger nymph, Kyle's beerhead baetis, tailwater tiny, flashy pheasant tail, Sloan’s mighty may. Attractor beadhead nymphs and Midge pupa and Golden stonefly nymphs, Caddis cripples/dries (listed elsewhere). Little yellow stone dries (listed elsewhere).	Expect light fishing pressure. Access along Hwy 70. Open to fishing from Cresta powerhouse to lake Oroville. NCDAG pg 59. CDAG pg 51.
Klamath River (mouth to Orleans)	Clear, high 60s, good flow (2100 cfs at Orleans).	Fishing is good. Good numbers of half pounders and adults are showing in the lower river around cool water inlets such as Blue Creek. In the morning and evening, fish assassins and herniators on floating lines with long leaders. Midday, switch to a Skagit or sink tip to get the fly down where fish are holding. Look for action to improve in coming weeks as more fish move into the system. Expect some of these early run fish to entire the Trinity also (see Trinity River report in other reports).	Steelhead wet flies/streamers Mossback, assassin (natural, copper), Herniator (silver, copper), cone sucking bunny, egg sucking crystal leach, general practitioner (black, orange), comet, green butted skunk, coal car, skykomish sunrise, prism, purple peril, silver hilton, winters hope, Gareth’s fire fly, red ant (#4-8).	Expect heavy fishing pressure in the lower part of the river. Access at Orleans and Somes Bar along hwy 96. NCDAG 33, 34. New CDAG pg. 30, 31
Manzanita Lake (North Entrance to Lassen Park)	Clear, low 50's, normal lake level.	Fishing is good in the morning and evening. Best fishing is with small midges and BWO fished sub surface under an indicator or fished by themselves using a spring creek leader with a super slow retrieve. Midday, best fishing is with small leech patterns on an intermediate line. Fish will be deeper in the water column. Strip the leech deep around structure, off points and inlets. Best fishing is in the evening with fish cruising for an easy meal. Cast to cruising fish with a caddis, callibaetis, or ant pattern. Best fishing is from 6pm to dusk.	Callibaetis dries sparkle dun, captive dun, CDC callibaetis transitional dun, Brook's CDC dun callibaetis, fluttering mayfly callibaetis, CDC biot comparadun, callibaetis extended body, Quigley’s flashwing cripple, callibaetis cripple, Brook's sprout callibaetis, hackle stacker callibaetis, loopwing callibaetis, parachute adams, Callibaetis extended body (#14-16). Ant patterns Deer hair ant, 2 tone Para ant, Cutter’s perfect ant, Schroeder’s parachute ant, hi-vis foam ant, flying ant, fur ant, flying ant (#12-18). BWO/Baetis nymphs (listed elsewhere). Caddis pupa/ emergers (listed elsewhere). Caddis cripples/dries (listed elsewhere).	Heavy fishing pressure on weekends. Catch & release, no motors. CDAG pg. 42
McCloud River (below McCloud Reservoir)	Clear to green, mid 50's, normal flow (219 cfs at Ah-Di-Na)	Fishing is fair to good. Best bite is in the morning until 11am. Most action is subsurface, there is not a lot of trout looking up. Nymphing with a golden stone and a beadhead nymph dropper is hooking fish in runs and pocket water around Ash Camp and Ah-Di-Na. In the afternoon, target shady spots with caddis and ant patterns or take a break until the shade comes back to the river. Best hatch is from 7pm to dusk with some trout feeding on PED's, midges and a few ramaining yellow sallies. The heat will slow down the evening hatches. Lake run browns are showing, bring some streamers and a sink tip. Reports of rattlesnakes near the edge of the river, especially in the evening. Watch your step!	Caddis cripples/dries Hogan’s last call caddis, Henryville, Brook's headlight, elk hair caddis (brown, tan, olive), Cutter's E/C, Overly's spotlight (tan, olive), peacock caddis, Lawson's E-Z caddis, Blue ribbon X2 caddis, Fox’s crowning poopah olv/cinn, Kyle’s better foam caddis (#12-20). Little yellow stone dries Hogan’s yellow hanging stimulator, Brooks headlight little yellow sally, Cutter’s little yellow sally, Quigley’s little yellow sally, yellow stimulator, yellow crystal stimulator (#14-16). Pale evening dun dries Hackle stacker PED, Fluttering mayfly cripple PED, loop wing comparadun PED, PED parachute, sulphur parachute (#14-20). Golden stonefly nymphs, Pale morning dun nymphs (listed elsewhere) Caddis pupa/ emergers (listed elsewhere). Ant patterns (listed elsewhere).	Moderate fishing pressure. Access below McCloud Reservoir. NCDAG 36.
Pit River #3,#4, #5 (below Lake Britton to Big Bend)	Green tint, low 50s F, normal flow on Pit #3 until September 6th.	Fishing is fair to good. Fish early until noon and go deep with a golden stone and a small black beadhead dropper in the oxegenated runs and pocket water. Some caddis out in the evening but risers are spotty at best. Best access is on Pit 4 and 5. Construction on Pit #3 is in full swing. Access at the stairs near the dam but no other access down Pit#3. Pit 4 and 5 are both fishing well. Pit 3 road will be open from Sept 3-6 for Labor day weekend. This will be the last time to fish it before the new higher flows takes effect.	Golden stonefly nymphs jumbo john, Morrish cone stone, Morrish WMD, Mercer’s raghead, Poxyback golden stone nymph, Mercer's poxyquill golden stone, micro cable stone, beadhead twenty incher, copper back, Pat’s Rubberleg. Attractor beadhead nymphs and BWO nymphs and River woolly buggers and Golden stonefly dries (listed elsewhere). Little yellow stone dries (listed elsewhere). Caddis cripples/dries (listed elsewhere).	Moderate to heavy fishing pressure on 3, not too bad on 4. Access below Lake Britton or from Big Bend. Studded boots and a wading staff are a must for fishing the Pit. NCDAG pg 47. New CDAG pg. 34.
Sacramento River, Upper (Lake Siskiyou to Lake Shasta)	Slight tint, mid to high 60’s. Low flow (310 at Delta).	Fishing is fair. The Upper Sac is fishing better than it does normally in August. Best fishing is in the morning before noon. The lower river is producing some large rainbows on midge pupa before the heat of the day. Fish them deep in the slower runs. During the afternoon heat move up to Dunsmuir where water is cooler and planted trout are plentiful. Attractor dries and small beadhead nymphs will fool them. The evening grab is ok, but dry fly fishing is dying off with the heat of August.	Pale morning dun nymphs Hogan’s military may (brown), Beadhead flash back pheasant tails, Morrish pick pocket, Mercer's micro mayfly (brown), Black AP nymph, dark lord, Burk’s crystal HBI, flashy PT (#14-18). PMD emergers/cripples/dries (listed elsewhere). Caddis pupa/ emergers (listed elsewhere). Caddis cripples/dries (listed elsewhere). Golden stonefly nymphs (listed elsewhere). Attractor beadhead nymphs (listed elsewhere). Golden stonefly dries (listed elsewhere).	Expect heavy fishing pressure. Be careful when wading. NCDAG 36, 46.
Stanislaus River, Lower (below Tullock Reservoir)	Slightly off color, low 50s F, low flows (227 cfs at Orange Blossom Bridge).	Fishing is fair. Best fishing is in the morning and evening. Not many rising fish, but decent numbers of 6-10 inch rainbows are feeding on midge pupa and small S&M nymphs near the dam. Concentrate on deep runs and pocket water. Afternoon fishing is spotty at best.	Caddis pupa/emergers Fox's poopah (olive, tan), Hot wire caddis, Anderson's peeking green, green machine, Fox’s springtime poopah, Amber wing prince, M’s Dirty Bird, Hogan’s steelie caddis, Silvey’s submerger caddis (olive, tan), Silvey’s edible emerger (#12-18). Attractor beadhead nymphs and attractor dries (listed elsewhere in report).	Moderate fishing pressure. Access from Tullock Rd and from 2 Mile Bar. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle. NCDAG pg 108.
Truckee River (Trout Creek to CA Stateline)	Slight tint to off color, low 50’s. moderate to high flow (242 cfs near Truckee).	Fishing is fair. Fish are holding in deep fast water where they can find cool water and relief from the summer heat. Nymphing with a crayfish or golden stone can get some good action from big browns. The evening hatch is inconsistent. The hopper and dropper combo is producing some nice trout. Best action is downstream from Hirschdale. Walk the railroad tracks and head to the river at tasty looking spots. Not lots of numbers, but some trout over 20 inches are being hooked.	Golden stonefly nymphs (listed elsewhere) River woolly buggers/streamers (listed elsewhere). BWO/Baetis nymphs (listed elsewhere). BWO/Baetis emerger/dries (listed elsewhere).	Expect moderate fishing pressure. Access along Hwy 89 down through Hirshdale. NCDAG 81.
Walker River, East Fork (below Bridgeport Reservoir)	Clear, low 50’s, low flow (251 cfs near Bridgeport).	Fishing is fair. Morning is best with some trout rising to midges and tricos. For best numbers, indicator nymph with small midge pupa and micro caddis. In the afternoon, prospect with a hopper along the bank. Do not expect much action late in the day until the sun goes down. Streamer fishing is also getting a few large big browns. Check flows before you go! Flows should be steady for 3 days for the best fishing.	Grasshopper patterns Dave’s hopper, Burk’s spent hopper, bullethead hopper, parachute hopper, kingfisher foam hopper, frankenhopper, morrish’s hopper (tan, golden), Weir’s whopper (#8-14). Midge pupa glass bead midge (red, black), crystal dip, disco midge, brassie, desert storm, zebra midge (rust, black), WD40 (olive, chocolate) WD50 tungsten (olive/wine), skinny nelson, biot midge, crystal HBI (#18-22). BWO/Baetis nymphs (listed elsewhere). Golden stonefly nymphs (listed elsewhere). Attractor beadhead nymphs and BWO/Baetis emerger/dries (listed elsewhere). River woolly buggers/streamers (listed elsewhere).	Expect heavy fishing pressure. NCDAG 101.
Yuba River, North Fork (between Downieville and Sierra City)	Clear, low 60’s, low flow (175 cfs below Goodyears bar).	Fishing is good. Best fishing is from Sierra City to Downieville where water is cooler and fish are active longer. Plenty of action in the morning and evening with fish rising to a caddis and small mayflies. An attractor dry with a good drift is usually all it takes to get a rise. Add a beadhead nymph dropper off the dry for better action. This is great 3 weight rod water with plenty of 6-10 inch trout.	Attractor beadhead nymphs (listed elsewhere). Yellow stone nymphs and dries (listed elsewhere). Caddis pupa/ emergers (listed elsewhere). Caddis cripples/dries (listed elsewhere). Golden stonefly nymphs and dries (listed elsewhere).	Light fishing pressure. Access off of Hwy 49. NCDAG pg 70.
Other Reports
Sierra snowmelt streams and Sierra lakes are in good shape. A 3 wt rod and some attractor dries are usually enough to entice these beautiful fish since they don’t see a lot of flies throughout the year. Fishing ant and hopper patterns on edges of small lakes and streams will get good action. Sacramento River, Lower (below Keswick Reservoir) is fishing good one day, fair the next. Best reports are coming from Posse Grounds down to Anderson with good action on caddis nymphs fished in 4-6 feet of water. Best caddis activity is around vegetation. Some sporadic rises to caddis in the evening. Best access is by boat. Feather River (Hwy 70 bridge to Gridley) is fishing fair. Best fishing is in the low flow section from the hatchery to the outlet where flows are lower. There is a mixture of chrome juveniles, holdover spring fish, and some new arrivals. Best fishing is first light and last light when fish are in the riffles. During the heat of the day, fish are holding in deep pools and runs. A green caddis pupa with a flashy attractor beadhead nymph dropper under an indicator is the best setup. Good numbers of salmon are moving up the river with the bulk of the steelhead are close behind. Little Truckee (Between Stampede and Boca Reservoirs) Flows have come up to 142 cfs giving fish some cover and cooler water. Fish have been hit hard this summer. Use a stealthy presentation and light tippet to fool these educated fish. Best fishing is during low light when trout are less weiry and feeding. Baum Lake is fishing fair. Weeds are coming up making access and mobility around the lake difficult. Fish the channels where there is less weed growth. Fish will be feeding on PMD’s midday, caddis mid-afternoon and callibaetis late afternoon. Trinity River (near Lewiston) is fishing fair to good. Best fishing is in the afternoon with trout rising to PMD’s in the afternoon followed by caddis before dusk. Stripping streamers will catch the bigger browns and rainbows. Yuba River, Lower (from Englebright dam to Marysville) Flows are high (2,239 cfs) but very fishable. Best fishing is subsurface throughout the day. A rubberleg stone with a caddis or PMD dropper is catching fish where there is a break in the current. Best dry fly opportunities are just before dusk when the sun is off the water. Fish are rising to PMD’s, caddis and an occasional hopper. Putah Creek (below Lake Berryessa) is fishing poor to fair due to high summer flows. Best fishing is below the dam. A caddis pupa with a small midge or baetis nymph under an indicator will catch a few fish. Hot Creek Best fishing is early in the morning and late in the evening when the sun is off the water. Fish are rising to tricos in the morning followed by PMD’s mid-morning. Caddis are active in the afternoon but fish are not keying on them until dusk. Stanislaus, MF (below Beardsley) Best fishing is late in the day when the sun is off the water and the fish are feeding on caddis. Fishing subsurface with an attractor beadhead nymph and a caddis pupa under an indicator is catching a few fish midday. Best access is below Beardsley.
Credits
WH&WN™ FREE flyfishing report would not be possible without the help of Craig Nielsen/Shasta Trout Guide Service, Victor Babbit/Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters/Tahoe, Jerry/The Troutfitter/Mammoth Lakes, Ted Fay Flyshop/Dunsmuir, Greg/Sweeny’s sport shop, Frank Rinella/Nevada City Anglers/Nevada City, Reno Fly Shop/Reno, Andy/Kiene's Fly Shop/Sacramento, Angler Edge fly shop, Janet & Steve/Vaughn’s Sporting Goods/Burney, Val & Randy Aubrey (www.eaglelakefishing.info), Richard Hardy-Davis report, Gary McFarland, JT, Mark Harris & Richie. Special thanks to all the WH&WN™ subscribers who have submitted their fishing reports for the fisheries listed in WH&WN, you help keep us honest, accurate, and up-to-date.