Craig Nielsen
11-13-2011, 10:36 PM
The Lower Sacramento River remains fair to good, particularly for larger fish, though we are not experiencing the epic egg bite we have grown accustomed to over the years. We have hosted a number of groups recently and those venturing to the Lower Sac have enjoyed some fantastic weather, perfect conditions and some exceptional trout. While the numbers of fish we are seeing is not what we might hope for this time of year, the average size of the fish has been good, particularly on the upper beats.
The best action has been on a midday caddis hatch along with tiny mayflies in the late afternoon. The small bugs, particularly the tiny mayfly patterns make it a challenge to hook and land the big trophy Rainbows that we have been seeing. The mayflies have on occasion offered some opportunities for experienced dry fly anglers to test their skills. The best rise activity is often on shallow flats where the fish are exceptionally wary and anglers often only get a few shots at making the perfect presentation.
There was a sizable run of Salmon this year and the hope was that many of them would make their way upstream to spawn. Unfortunately it looks like most of them took a turn on tributaries or perhaps more likely turned off bound for the Battle Creek Hatchery. There are a few pods of spawning Salmon with some trout feeding downstream from them but the fishable ones have been hit pretty hard, making the trophy Rainbows the Lower Sac is famous for this time of year, reluctant to stick around for the feast.
More fair weather is in the forecast with a mild storm expected to arrive this weekend with showers which should only improve the hatches and catches. Flows out of Keswick remain steady at 7200 cfs with no scheduled changes.
Drop us a line for the latest conditions, we are always pleased to share what we can whether you are seeking guide service or not.
The best action has been on a midday caddis hatch along with tiny mayflies in the late afternoon. The small bugs, particularly the tiny mayfly patterns make it a challenge to hook and land the big trophy Rainbows that we have been seeing. The mayflies have on occasion offered some opportunities for experienced dry fly anglers to test their skills. The best rise activity is often on shallow flats where the fish are exceptionally wary and anglers often only get a few shots at making the perfect presentation.
There was a sizable run of Salmon this year and the hope was that many of them would make their way upstream to spawn. Unfortunately it looks like most of them took a turn on tributaries or perhaps more likely turned off bound for the Battle Creek Hatchery. There are a few pods of spawning Salmon with some trout feeding downstream from them but the fishable ones have been hit pretty hard, making the trophy Rainbows the Lower Sac is famous for this time of year, reluctant to stick around for the feast.
More fair weather is in the forecast with a mild storm expected to arrive this weekend with showers which should only improve the hatches and catches. Flows out of Keswick remain steady at 7200 cfs with no scheduled changes.
Drop us a line for the latest conditions, we are always pleased to share what we can whether you are seeking guide service or not.