Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-29-2016, 06:33 PM
Over my 50 years in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento, California I have been fascinated with the SMB, especially in moving water.
Many fly fishers have a special love for SMB especially in rivers and streams.
My first recollection of SMB action was fishing above Auburn in the American River near Lake Clementine catching small SMB that had a green cast to them. Back then, 1960ish, we were using small Colorado Spinners.
Then my dad and brothers were on the Consommés River near Plymouth when you could park at a bridge and fish the river. We were also snorkeling and the river was full of small SMB and Sacramento Pike / Squawfish. I remember that a Muddler Minnow worked well.
Always heard about SMB in the Bear River that flows out of Camp Far West near Lincoln.
Heard stories forever of SMB in the Russian River over near Healdsburg in the wine country. I did recently here about some very good fishing from a friend who was over there visiting his daughter at college.
Upper Putah Creek above Lake Berryessa has SMB up near Middletown.
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The Lower Feather River is one of the top fisheries for SMB but things have to be right. Met a young man who grew up in Yuba City and fished the Feather River with his father for decades from a small aluminum boat. He said it was good from mid-summer thru into the fall (July - October). He said they would launch near the mouth of the Yuba River where there are two launch ramps. He said they fished in the warm evenings from 5:00 pm till dark with small / medium poppers. He said they usually ran upstream for a ways and fish around the dead trees in the water on the banks. The flow needs to be down around 2,000 cfs or lower. This low flow is critical for evening top water fly fishing.
Al Perryman and Mike Fong both fished the Lower Feather River down by the mouth near Verona in the summer. Al told Mike that the flows had to get down below 2,500 cfs before the fly fishing got good. I believe the entire length of the Lower Feather River from around Gridley downstream to the mouth can be good for SMB.
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The moving waters of the Lower Sacramento River from around Anderson down stream into the Sacramento Delta has SMB.
Some can be very large. You need to find some structure, wing dams or a mouth of a small tributary or a side slough when fishing above Sacramento.
Nor Cal guide Hogan Brown has this fisheries along with Stripers up there dialed in so he might be a good person to book a trip with in the summer.
Lots of the very small tributaries of the Sacramento River above Sacramento have SMB in them. Lots of this land is private so it is a challenge to get to them. Up near Red Bluff is tiny Salt Creek which has lots of small SMB. I think Mill Creek and Deer Creek have SMB in the lower reaches before they go into the Sacramento River. Mat Johnson and Andy Guibord have been fishing up that way.
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Getting down below Sacramento going into the Delta I would recommend guide Bryce Tedford for someone to get out with to catch SMB.
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Many Valley rivers south of Sacramento on the west slop of the foothills like the Consumnes, Mokelumne, Satanislaus, Caliveras, Tuolumne and Merced River should have SMB in them. Finding them in sections that are not fished much is key. Being south of Sacramento I am not as knowledgeable as I am on river a little closer to me. There are a handful of guides who live and work on those rivers who might be able to get you connected to those fisheries.
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Oregon has 3 of the top SMB river on the west coast.
The Lower Umpqua River, The John Day River and the Grande Ronde River in the summer. All these rives have guides who will float you down these remote rivers.
The Lower Snake River has been famous for big SMB for decades. Joe Brooks did a famous magazine article on fly fishing for the 5 pounders back in the 1960s. I read that article when I was a kid.
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The Eastern US has many top SMB rivers too.
Famous Bob Clouser has a fly shop and guides the Susquehanna River for SMB near Middletown, PA.
The Lower Delaware River near Washington, DC is suppose to be a good SMB fishery.
Many fly fishers have a special love for SMB especially in rivers and streams.
My first recollection of SMB action was fishing above Auburn in the American River near Lake Clementine catching small SMB that had a green cast to them. Back then, 1960ish, we were using small Colorado Spinners.
Then my dad and brothers were on the Consommés River near Plymouth when you could park at a bridge and fish the river. We were also snorkeling and the river was full of small SMB and Sacramento Pike / Squawfish. I remember that a Muddler Minnow worked well.
Always heard about SMB in the Bear River that flows out of Camp Far West near Lincoln.
Heard stories forever of SMB in the Russian River over near Healdsburg in the wine country. I did recently here about some very good fishing from a friend who was over there visiting his daughter at college.
Upper Putah Creek above Lake Berryessa has SMB up near Middletown.
__________________________________________________ __
The Lower Feather River is one of the top fisheries for SMB but things have to be right. Met a young man who grew up in Yuba City and fished the Feather River with his father for decades from a small aluminum boat. He said it was good from mid-summer thru into the fall (July - October). He said they would launch near the mouth of the Yuba River where there are two launch ramps. He said they fished in the warm evenings from 5:00 pm till dark with small / medium poppers. He said they usually ran upstream for a ways and fish around the dead trees in the water on the banks. The flow needs to be down around 2,000 cfs or lower. This low flow is critical for evening top water fly fishing.
Al Perryman and Mike Fong both fished the Lower Feather River down by the mouth near Verona in the summer. Al told Mike that the flows had to get down below 2,500 cfs before the fly fishing got good. I believe the entire length of the Lower Feather River from around Gridley downstream to the mouth can be good for SMB.
__________________________________________________ ____
The moving waters of the Lower Sacramento River from around Anderson down stream into the Sacramento Delta has SMB.
Some can be very large. You need to find some structure, wing dams or a mouth of a small tributary or a side slough when fishing above Sacramento.
Nor Cal guide Hogan Brown has this fisheries along with Stripers up there dialed in so he might be a good person to book a trip with in the summer.
Lots of the very small tributaries of the Sacramento River above Sacramento have SMB in them. Lots of this land is private so it is a challenge to get to them. Up near Red Bluff is tiny Salt Creek which has lots of small SMB. I think Mill Creek and Deer Creek have SMB in the lower reaches before they go into the Sacramento River. Mat Johnson and Andy Guibord have been fishing up that way.
______________________________________________
Getting down below Sacramento going into the Delta I would recommend guide Bryce Tedford for someone to get out with to catch SMB.
______________________________________________
Many Valley rivers south of Sacramento on the west slop of the foothills like the Consumnes, Mokelumne, Satanislaus, Caliveras, Tuolumne and Merced River should have SMB in them. Finding them in sections that are not fished much is key. Being south of Sacramento I am not as knowledgeable as I am on river a little closer to me. There are a handful of guides who live and work on those rivers who might be able to get you connected to those fisheries.
_____________________________________________
Oregon has 3 of the top SMB river on the west coast.
The Lower Umpqua River, The John Day River and the Grande Ronde River in the summer. All these rives have guides who will float you down these remote rivers.
The Lower Snake River has been famous for big SMB for decades. Joe Brooks did a famous magazine article on fly fishing for the 5 pounders back in the 1960s. I read that article when I was a kid.
_____________________________________________
The Eastern US has many top SMB rivers too.
Famous Bob Clouser has a fly shop and guides the Susquehanna River for SMB near Middletown, PA.
The Lower Delaware River near Washington, DC is suppose to be a good SMB fishery.