lower mccloud blown??????

[medfly]

so i am heading up towards the shasta area tomorrow, and was planning on fishing the mccloud on wednesday. just talked to a few people that told me mud creek was running dirty and has turned the lower mccloud to brown. anyone been on this water in the past day or so can confirm this??? i know pg&e is warning another 400cfs in the next 40 hrs, but if its already brown then it doesn't even matter. thinking the pit may be the way to go instead.

[Big Jim]

Medfly.
I was on the pit over the weekend. Pit five at the powerhouse was totally brown, but was clear at the bridge in Big Bend. 3 and 4 were clear too... I have no Idea what colored the water between Big bend and the #5 powerhouse, but I doubt its clear yet. The rest of the river was fishable but a lot higher than the last few times I have been there, and much harder to wade. The higher water made it much "pushier" and deeper and lots of good looking slots and runs I couldn't get to. Usually, I wade back and forth across the river, but most places I fished this weekend, there was no way to safely cross - and I am six foot four and 275 pounds! A shorter, lighter fisherperson would have been pretty limited as to where they could safely fish. Theoretically, PGE has said it will not bump the minimum flows from 150 to 300 until September, but I know they were well above the usual 150 flows we have always had this time of year. Once they permanently bump them up after the relicensing its really going to change the fishing experience there... making it much harder and more dangerous to wade.

There were fish there, when I could get to them. If you go, be careful.

Jim

[Craig Nielsen]

Medfly:
I am sorry to say the reports that the McCloud is "blown" are true. Flows are not up significantly but the water is very discolored. Here is a link (http://www.shastatrout.com/mccloud-river-fly-fishing-spoiled-by-mud-creek) to a pic taken by fellow guide Rick Cox below the dam.
I also described what is believed to be the cause in the post proceeding as an update to the ShastaTrout fishing report. I hope this helps in planning your trip. Feel free to drop a line for the latest on conditions.

[medfly]

bummer, thanks craig. will be heading to other water i guess. DAMN YOU MUD CREEK TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pgw]

bummer, thanks craig. will be heading to other water i guess. DAMN YOU MUD CREEK TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad the trib isn't named Clear Creek.

Paul