LSac, USac, Pit, Trinity, Klamath Report. McCloud & Hat Creek Preview

[Craig Nielsen]

LSac has been great, Trinity smoltathon has begun! Other NorCal rivers are fishing fair to good. Check our full report @ ShastaTrout.com. (http://www.shastatrout.com/blog)

[troutbm]

Funny, I had a long talk with the owner of ted fays a week ago, I was told don't bother till end of april. I like bombers and princes for early season up there. I can't wait !

[Craig Nielsen]

troutbm:
Thanks for the query and comment. The McCloud is closed seasonally and advice on waiting until it legally opens can not be disputed. However I do recommend fishing whenever you can so have not taken the advice to not bother ;>) I probably fish the Upper Sac as much or more than anyone, it helps that it is ten minutes from my home. This time of year the Upper Sac is transitioning from winter into spring and in May spring conditions with big hatches make the catching easier but not necessarily better. The Upper Sac sees very few anglers this time of year so you have it to yourself and so have the fish. For this and other reasons I have often had more 20+ inch fish in one day in winter than in an entire "regular season" on the USac. On the other hand days are shorter and the fish don't bite as well early and late as they do in warmer weather and water temps so you are less likely to have huge numbers of fish. I like Princes on the Upper Sac most anytime of year. What color/pattern Bombers have you found work best, what kind of water and how do you fish 'em? I hope to see you on the Upper Sac soon! Drop a line, I would love to share all I can. PS I have authored a couple articles on winter fishing on the Upper Sac if are interested in more detail just click on the link: ShastaTrout.com (http://www.shastatrout.com/category/articles)

[big bug]

The upper sac in the early season is good fun!! I like to fish the deep pools with a size 4 or 6 soft hackle. Put on a ssg or two and let it sink. Let the fly swing up in the tail out and hold on.:D Works every time. The fly is a cross between a prince and a bomber. 2457 hook, copper bead, lots of lead, black thread body, copper wire rib, brown soft hackle, and a dark brown biot tail. One good spot is above castle crags!! That isn't the best spot, but look for big pools. Get the flies deep:mrgreen:

[Craig Nielsen]

Big Bug:
Funny how we often arrive at the same place from different avenues ;>) The soft hackle you described is very similar to a Shafer's 3D in black that I fish in the same fashion. Dave Shafer substitutes rubber legs for the soft hackle and has a poxyback but I would guess the profile is very similar. I also fish it in the same water and sizes you recommend! I'll tie on a small dropper as well and quarter it upstream and "high stick" them downstream prior to the swing. At the end of the drift a few small strips prior to recasting sometimes elicits a grab as well. Some big pools on the McCloud where this can work sometimes too! ;)

[troutbm]

Does anyone know what the flows are, They haven't been listed on dreamflows lately ? The upper sac. that is.

[Craig Nielsen]

!320 CFS and heading down. Here is the link to the Delta Gauge http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv?11342000 I fished it yesterday afternoon, you can read my report at ShastaTrout.com (http://www.shastatrout.com/blog) if you are interested. Feel free to ring me for details.

[troutbm]

Thanks for the link and the report. Looks like its coming down nicely. ted fayes is always a must. A short conversation with Joe about nymphing the upper sac. is one of those things I'll never forget, the guy is amazing.

[big bug]

Hey Craig that is funny you say to fish the McCloud the same way. I found the original pattern in the dirt while I was rigging up by the Nature Conservancy. It has worked just about everywhere when the flows are high. High flows and big fish. What is the word on the McCloud this year? I didn't even fish it last year due to the fluctuating flows. Are they done working on whatever they were working on. It looks like you live up there in Mt Shasta.

Hey Troutbum talk to Cliff if you want find some big fish!!:)

[Craig Nielsen]

Big Bug:

Good question! Unfortunately my answer is a bit longwinded.

Much of the early season on the McCloud last year was ruined by dam relicensing "test flows" that were scheduled for April but rescheduled in May & June by PG&E. Also late in the year PG&E had a penstock spring a leak and directed flows in the McCloud. As a result I didn't get much time on the McCloud last year either. For example, in 2007 I guided 68 days on the McCloud, last year 18 and a half because of the unfishable conditions created by PG&E. This year critical dam relicensing meetings with stakeholders is scheduled.

This has largely fallen under the radar but for Fly Fishers should be a much bigger issue than the bigger news Nestle plant. I've worked with the local Cal Trout office and the Federation of Flyfishers to draft a letter who along with Trout Unlimited and The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance is asking anglers to sign on to support their objectives in these meetings that will determine the quality of fishing for years to come. You can read the content and check out a brief summary of the issues on the Cal Trout Website (http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5642/t/3688/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=176).

I've been wanting to post a thread related to this issue but have been a bit swamped of late. I hope to get to it in the next week.

I hope to see you on the McCloud soon and often this season.

[big bug]

Hey Craig thanks for the link. The upper McCloud is like fishing in an area that hasn't been touched. It is like Jurassic Park. Let's keep it that way! Watch out for the dinosaur browns and redbands. It is one of my goals to live up in the Mt Shasta area at some point. As it is we are working on making Putah Creek a wild trout fishery. Go to Putahcreektrout.org

[troutbm]

I hope to resume my search for a McCloud redband trout this year. I only fish the upper river. Its a bueaty of a stream hiking far above lankin dam. Such a gem the McCloud is, Just may be in my opinion the most bueatiful trout river in california.