Wanna check out the coast.......

[BumpBailey]

I am thinking about making a trip up north Saturday to either the Navarro or the Gualala. I've never been to that region and really looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully, the timing is right.... I am going to give King's a call later today to see if they think those two will be in any shape to fish this weekend.

As this will be new water for me , I am not really sure what I am in for so any info offered would be appreciated. Anyone mind telling me if these are swinging rivers or nymphing rivers? Is a 6wt switch overkill? Stick to my 10' 7wt SH? Or both? Are they both fairly accessible?

[flynoob]

Never fished the Navarro but have done the Gualala. Fairly good access both lower river and upper river (from different road). The lower river has some pretty classic swing water. I wouldn't nymph it. I like to use a 10' 7wt single hand road, but I see a lot of guys doing two hand stuff. The fish are fresh and in the 6lb to 10 lb range. The 6 wt switch is not overkill.

Regarding flows, it normally clears at around 600. I like to fish it between 300 to 500. I think Friday and Saturday will be prime days. Sunday and Monday it might drop below 300, but will still be open.

The upper water just before it closes to fishing looks to tighten up and appear to be more nymph water. Never fished it though.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would consider going to the Lower Russian, Lower Gualala and Lower Garcia, in that order.



Check with:


King's Sport & Tackle in Guerneville, CA

http://kingsrussianriver.wixsite.com/kingsrussianriver




Outdoor Pro Shop in Cotati, CA

https://www.outdoorproshop.com/


Maybe get these 2 StreamTime maps?.....Russian River & Gualala & Garcia Rivers.

.

.

[PV_Premier]

You have good advice here so far for the Gualala. I'm pretty sad that I have to be in San Diego this weekend- looks like the timing is gonna be perfect

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

In the past the Gualala, like other short coastal streams, can be good for 2 or 3 days then get too low and clear again.

If you go over there and stay for a month or three you should be able to hit it right but not every year.

[PV_Premier]

Yikes, yeah its already down to 483 cfs. The weekend may be too late. If it wasn't a 4 hour drive I'd bust out there on Friday. The Mattole clears more slowly. No more rain and Sunday/Monday might be right. Long drive though for potentially dicey conditions.

[flynoob]

Yikes, yeah its already down to 483 cfs. The weekend may be too late. If it wasn't a 4 hour drive I'd bust out there on Friday. The Mattole clears more slowly. No more rain and Sunday/Monday might be right. Long drive though for potentially dicey conditions.

Yep. just saw that. Its dropping fast. Probably because we haven't had rain for awhile and the ground is leeching it all up. I'm not used to seeing it drop this fast from the 9,000 it was at just the other day. At this rate, it will likely be closed by Sunday and possibly Saturday. Bummer cause I planned on going up. Its a real bitch to time. The Russian might still be a little brown but Kings will be able to tell you that.

I don't know if I'd go to the Navarro. It is a long ass river and only gets 500 or so fish. too much room for them to spread out. You want short rivers with that kind of fish count. Think Gualala, Garcia, Noyo, etc.

Maybe I'll go check out the San Lorenzo down south since the coastal rivers up north of SF might have had too short of a pulse of flow. Bum deal.

[BumpBailey]

Thanks all. I really appreciate the feedback. I did speak with someone at King's yesterday. Like Bill said, they drop really quick. By the weekend the action will all be down by the lagoon/estuary. Not what I am looking to do....

Anyone have any recent eyes on the Eel? In the grand scheme of things, this wasn't a huge weather event so maybe it might clear?

[Jeff F]

I drive over the Russian every day on the way to and from work in Healdsburg. It won't fish any time soon. It's completely muddy with zero visibility. And next weeks storms will make things worse. This river takes at least two dry weeks to clear enough to fish.

[BumpBailey]

I drive over the Russian every day on the way to and from work in Healdsburg. It won't fish any time soon. It's completely muddy with zero visibility. And next weeks storms will make things worse. This river takes at least two dry weeks to clear enough to fish.

The guy i spoke with at Kings said he thought the Russian would be fishable higher up by today. I have no idea what he meant by higher up... but if it is still muddy up in Healdsburg, how high up was this guy thinking?????

[PV_Premier]

The guy i spoke with at Kings said he thought the Russian would be fishable higher up by today. I have no idea what he meant by higher up... but if it is still muddy up in Healdsburg, how high up was this guy thinking?????

I bet the RR is a little different in terms of runoff this year due to all the fire damage. Much more soil is probably running off than in past years, so I believe that it'll take longer to clear than "normal".

[Jeff F]

The guy i spoke with at Kings said he thought the Russian would be fishable higher up by today. I have no idea what he meant by higher up... but if it is still muddy up in Healdsburg, how high up was this guy thinking?????

He probably meant up by Squaw Rock along Hwy 101 (Comminsky Road) outside of Cloverdale. But even up there, I'd doubt it will be fishable this weekend. Only wild fish make it up there, as it's way above Dry Creek where the hatchery is. I've personally never fished up there, but I see people fishing when I'm on my way to the Eel. It's more like a trout stream up there with pocket water and pools. But I guess you could swing in some spots.

[Jeff F]

Thanks all. I really appreciate the feedback. I did speak with someone at King's yesterday. Like Bill said, they drop really quick. By the weekend the action will all be down by the lagoon/estuary. Not what I am looking to do....

Anyone have any recent eyes on the Eel? In the grand scheme of things, this wasn't a huge weather event so maybe it might clear?

The Eel is forecasted to drop down to around 3,000cfs by Saturday. That is absolutely perfect, flow-wise. And unless there is a slide upstream, those flows usually equate to nice green water. The report in the Eureka Times Standard today said there are definitely fish in the river. If the Eel is not green, which would surprise me, the SF Eel will definitely be fishable, and most likely the Van Duzen too. The Mad is not my thing, but that will definitely fish this weekend too. Tons of fish in there, but it's a flossers paradise.

Just a note on the Russian if you've never fished it before......

That river flows mostly through private property. Yes, there are a few public access points, but most are very limited with not too much water to fish. And of course, those places are usually packed with people on weekends. The best way to fish the Russian is via boat or pontoon. That way you can access the good gravel bars that can only reached by trespassing if you were to walk in. Most of the good bars are found between Mirabel and Duncans Mills. Most folks who fish the Russian are gear guys in boats drifting roe.

[BumpBailey]

He probably meant up by Squaw Rock along Hwy 101 (Comminsky Road) outside of Cloverdale. But even up there, I'd doubt it will be fishable this weekend. Only wild fish make it up there, as it's way above Dry Creek where the hatchery is. I've personally never fished up there, but I see people fishing when I'm on my way to the Eel. It's more like a trout stream up there with pocket water and pools. But I guess you could swing in some spots.

Thanks for chiming in Jeff/all. I have no plans on fishing the Russian..... I really want to get out and use my spey rod and swing for some coastal steel.

I am hoping someone might chime in on the Eel status. PM's are fine if you don't want to broadcast to the masses... I am leaning towards making the drive up anyway. If it's fishable, then it will turn out to be a great move. If not, I'll blow through a $100 worth of gas. But, i will get to listen to my music on a mostly beautiful drive..... Could be worse ways to spend a day.

[Jeff F]

Thanks for chiming in Jeff/all. I have no plans on fishing the Russian..... I really want to get out and use my spey rod and swing for some coastal steel.

I am hoping someone might chime in on the Eel status. PM's are fine if you don't want to broadcast to the masses... I am leaning towards making the drive up anyway. If it's fishable, then it will turn out to be a great move. If not, I'll blow through a $100 worth of gas. But, i will get to listen to my music on a mostly beautiful drive..... Could be worse ways to spend a day.

The Eel should be primo on Saturday. I think your timing is perfect. I'd be up there this weekend too, if I could.

[Larry S]

Bump,
You might try calling Grundman's Sporting Goods/Hardware in Rio Dell.
707-764-5744. Haven't been up there in several years, but , always
got good up-to-date info from them. Tried to spend a few bucks there
when we could. Do you have the StreamTime map for the Eel?
Great resource. Kiene stocks them.
Best,
Larry S
Sun D

[PV_Premier]

Let us know how you do. I'm seriously considering faking sick and skipping my conference in San Diego lol

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Sell the kids, get divorced, quit the job, rob a bank and buy an old cargo van.

It Steelhead season.

If you are retired you could go over there for a month or more.

[JasonB]

Sell the kids, get divorced, quit the job, rob a bank and buy an old cargo van.

It Steelhead season.

If you are retired you could go over there for a month or more.

... and somehow my wife thinks that perhaps, just perhaps, I might be a wee bit overly obsessive about steelheading? Honestly, I just don’t see it; not sure where she would get such ideas? I think I keep things in balance, I do think about “other” kinds of fishing too of course. Honestly I could quit and go back to trout fishing any time, no really! I can quit! I mean, if I wanted... trout fishing... yeah... sounds great. Anytime. Really... Seriously? I think?

Help!


In all seriousness, I wish I could be up there right now! Should be prime. I would bet that there are a lot of good runs to swing right now for the next few days. Of course the flip side is that you will also likely have a LOT of company! Some of that company might just be chrome bright though, and full of piss and vinegar...
Best of luck to those of you who can hit it, time to tie some flies and do some visualization
JB

[BumpBailey]

My buddy spoke with Grundman's yesterday afternoon. Still brown in RD. I'll call a little later this morning to see what they say. I am mostly leaning towards going for it. But, it is such a long trip from Morgan Hill..... But, I've only limited windows to fish for these beauties......... But, i gotta be at work on Monday..... But one tug would make it all worth while..... Redwoods are beautiful.....

[BumpBailey]

Sell the kids, get divorced, quit the job, rob a bank and buy an old cargo van.

It Steelhead season.

If you are retired you could go over there for a month or more.

You and Mr. Blanton have both inspired my retirement plans. I definitely plan on getting a nice travel trailer that I can leave at the Delta during the striper season and up on a river of choice during the steelhead season. I've already got a nice 20' CC, Drift boat and personal pontoon. I just need time!!!!! I am really looking forward to posting up on the Smith for a month and just letting shit happen!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Pretty cool......retiring as soon as possible has it's benefits.

_______________________________________

In the 1970s I was taken to the Klamath River by Sacramento City Firefighter Joe Shirshac.

At that time there were retired folks, couples, who went up there with their travel trailer for months in the Fall.

We met and chatted with these folks and it was exciting to think about doing this myself someday.

______________________________________

We use to have a couple who stopped by the shop that had a large 5th wheel that was their home.

They fly fished from Alaska in the summer to Florida in the winter.

______________________________________

Our buddy Rick Jorgensen retired, sold everything and bought a big diesel pickup and large travel trailer.

He travels all over fly fishing from up north in the winter to Montana in the summer.

.

[Digger]

Significant series of storms heading into Northern California next week beginning Tuesday.
Gonna be wet all week

[BumpBailey]

Thanks again to all that chimed in. Much Appreciated!

We went. We fished. It was Steelhead fishing.... BEAUTIFUL country up there. We fished Saturday right around the forks and on a couple of the gravel bars down river. Water was still a little colored but definitely fishable. My buddy had an adult on for a bit but it came unbuttoned. Yesterday we started on the main stem and worked our way up the Middle Fork, which was in perfect condition. Unfortunately/fortunately, we only got a couple of half pounders to hand. We walked off the river at dark and was back to Morgan Hill just after 10. All and all a great weekend!

We found great water to swing but, it is such a big system. Huge! A guide trip or two on this river would definitely be beneficial to the learning curve..... I already know of Jason and would love to fish it with him. Any one want to offer up recommendations on other Eel guides ???

[Larry S]

Bump,
Sent you a PM.
Larry S
Sun Diego

[Edward]

Does anyone know what the optimal range is in either cfs or feet (or both) for the river? Not very much info around for that one. PM if wanted.

Edward

[JasonB]

Edward, in my limited experiences with most of the north coast streams the answer is: it varies. Certain times landslides can become more or less active, and also the sediment transport varies depending on recent high flows or lack of. Super rough idea would be that typically the south fork of the Eel tends to clear first, then the main, then the Mattole. I probably wouldn’t personally spend the time and gas if the main Eel wasn’t looking somewhat fishable, but there are almost certainly times where the Mattole would be in better shape than the main. Again, it varies, and it’s a bit of an adventure getting there. Another rough estimate would be somewhere in the 800 to 1200cfs range, but flows in that range are far from being a sure bet! Really helps to get first hand reports whenever possible.
JB

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Weather aside I was told decades ago that Mid February was the best average time for the Mattole.

Guide Jason Hartwich knows all the coastal rivers.

http://steelheadonthespey.com/

[TahoeJoe]

@BumpBailey Sounds like you had fun.

Whitney Gould guides on the Eel. She can teach you a thing or two about two-handed casting too.

[BumpBailey]

@BumpBailey Sounds like you had fun.

Whitney Gould guides on the Eel. She can teach you a thing or two about two-handed casting too.

TJ- She already has! Task master that one.... in a good way! My buddy and I did the Jefferson Spey Sessions this past fall and it paid dividends..... We both noticed that our casts were much sharper this past weekend and we were both really consistent.

Correction to my earlier post.... we worked our way up the south fork the second day and not the middle fork.

[Edward]

Jason, thanks for the info, having a rough gauge to go by really helps. Trying to judge rivers from the eel is really good advice too. Really don't want to make the long drive only to find out its unfishable and have to head up to the smith like i did on my first trip up north... Basically every river on the east coast has clarity measurements to go along with the water flows from usgs but I've yet to see a river with a clarity measurement on the west coast. Wonder why that is.

Bill, Ive seen his website but kinda figured you'd have to book a guy with a fly named after him a year in advance. Was I wrong about that? These coastal rivers seem really tricky/risky to try to book a guide for even a week in advance. Ive yet to book a guide for any steelhead rivers and kick myself every time when i'm wandering aimlessly, not catching any fish.

[Larry S]

Edward,
Sent you a PM.
Larry S

[Rossflyguy]

Wandering and locating the fish is the best part of it. If they were easy there’d be hundreds of guys on the water.

[JasonB]

These coastal rivers seem really tricky/risky to try to book a guide for even a week in advance. Ive yet to book a guide for any steelhead rivers and kick myself every time when i'm wandering aimlessly, not catching any fish.

Edward, I too have come to embrace the reality that steelhead fishing in California is all about wandering aimlessly. I think you have to enjoy that part, a lot, or you would be better off fishing for trout elsewhere. I would love to have much higher hookup numbers, but nonetheless I love spending time in those rivers so much I am happy to go any chance I get.
JB

[Ben J]

Maybe it's best to speak in generalities when it comes to the coast and the internet, rather than specific rivers and flows. Many guys have figured it out by putting in time on the water and making connections who are in the know. Not trying to be an A-hole, but perhaps PM's are better than posts out to the masses.

[Larry S]

Guide Kenny Priest's latest "Fishing the North Coast" report from the Eureka Times Standard paper.
Google the paper for the rest of the report; he lists the individual rivers.
Best,
Larry S
Sun Diego
====
====
Our coastal rivers are finally getting the flushing and scouring they desperately need. The latest round of storms has brought the rivers to their highest levels of the season, providing ample water for steelhead to make it back to the streams and creeks where they were conceived. The extra flows will also trigger the fish that are still swimming in the salt to begin their migration upriver. Following a very wet few days, the last decent shot of rain in this series of storms is predicted for Saturday. After that is looks like dry weather all next week. Starting on Sunday, all of the rivers are predicted to drop quickly, and we could be headed for a green water convergence. If the stars align and the forecasters are correct, all north coast rivers could be green by the end of next week, giving steelhead anglers options O’ plenty.

The North Coast can expect continued wet conditions off and on through Saturday according to Ryan Aylward of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Thursday’s front should drop about an inch of rain in Del Norte, with snow falling as low as 2,000 feet. In Eureka, we could see a half-inch of rain at the coast and an inch in the mountains. Lingering showers are expected for Friday, with a quarter-inch in Del Norte and roughly a tenth here locally. Saturday should be the last decent day of rain, with the bulk of the rain falling to our north. Del Norte could see a couple inches in the mountains, and an inch at the lower elevations. Eureka may see up to a third of an inch. The next system will come in Monday night and into Tuesday, but it won’t be enough to see any increase in river flows. After Tuesday, it’s looking dry the rest of the week and into the weekend,” Aylward said.

[BumpBailey]

Any recent eyes on The Eel???? I am hoping to make one more trek and really hoping this weekend might line up.... Depending on how much rain we get tomorrow & Friday.

[winxp_man]

Any recent eyes on The Eel???? I am hoping to make one more trek and really hoping this weekend might line up.... Depending on how much rain we get tomorrow & Friday.

The main eel is blown at 82xx and SF eel is blown at 18xx. Water clarity is no good I would say at the CFS these two are flowing at.

[BumpBailey]

The main eel is blown at 82xx and SF eel is blown at 18xx. Water clarity is no good I would say at the CFS these two are flowing at.

Aaron are you guessing or are you in the know???? By the weekend they should be close to ideal flows.... assuming no more heavy rains in the next two days... Rain forecasted looks light and spotty....

[Jeff F]

Aaron are you guessing or are you in the know???? By the weekend they should be close to ideal flows.... assuming no more heavy rains in the next two days... Rain forecasted looks light and spotty....

Flows on the main Eel are predicted to be 9800cfs on Saturday. That will not be fishable, clarity-wise. The highest flows I've ever seen on that river with decent clarity is around 6500cfs. And that was marginal.

Here's the link to predicted flows. Very helpful.....

https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

~Jeff

[BumpBailey]

Flows on the main Eel are predicted to be 9800cfs on Saturday. That will not be fishable, clarity-wise. The highest flows I've ever seen on that river with decent clarity is around 6500cfs. And that was marginal.

Here's the link to predicted flows. Very helpful.....

https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

~Jeff

I do appreciate the feedback guys. I am still new to this guesstimating ideal flows on this river. My current method is tracking the flows on Dreamflows. Then guesstimating with current drop rates where the river might be by X date. The math currently pencils out to flows I've fished prior. (My last trip on the S.F. Miranda gauge was at 1,300cfs and conditions were basically perfect nice green but just a little milky). That math obviously assumes the river continues to drop....

So, with this next rain event not looking to be too big of a storm, I am hoping she continues to clear. It may very well turn out to be wishful thinking.

Any other tips on this part of the "game" are appreciated.

[JasonB]

Just a nitpick as far as calculating flows a few days out, as that is pretty tricky unless you have a very intimate knowledge of that specific river basin. Even with years of watching flow patterns and weather patterns it’s still easy to be off by a fair bit if you are starting your calculations before or near the peak before it starts to fall. The rivers will tend to drop very fast at the peak flows, but then tend to graduate to slower and slower rates of drop in flow rates. This of course fails to address many variables in the equation, though typically if you recalibrate your estimates after a few days of falling levels you can be a lot more accurate... unless more precipitation comes into play, as it often does. So far March is looking tough for those of us with a long drive to get to the north coast.
Good luck, but I too would expect the main Eel and most of the south fork to be better suited for bait fishing this weekend.
JB

P.S. the link that Jeff posted (which is probably in my top 3 site hit count) is a great resource, but you should be aware that it’s predictions can be misleading under certain circumstances. Two big things to know are that first off they are not so accurate at predicting the peak flows (but much better at mapping falling levels), secondly the “predictions” they issue are actually predictions of the most likely of all possible flow scenarios. While that sounds similar, it is not what a lot of people assume when they see the word “prediction”. The potential flow scenarios during major storm fronts, for example, are so numerous that even the “most likely” scenario may only have a 10% chance of playing out as predicted.

[BumpBailey]

Oh Well! I was hoping we weren't going to get hit too hard. I won't complain though. We need the rain. Hopefully, the plans for Pyramid next weekend don't get scrubbed.

Thanks for the input JB. That light bulb finally went off for me yesterday, figuring out the rate of the drop slows. I also discovered the fantasy flow tab on the Dreamflows site... that will be helpful in the future.

Thanks again for chiming in. If any of you get out, best of luck to you.

[mr. 3 wt.]

Predicting river color with flows is like predicting an earthquake. There are so many factors that can influence this. I understand that the drive is quite long, but if you truly want to know whats up, you gotta pretty much have to go to see for yourself. Can't tell you how many times we thought it was going to be perfect and it being less than desirable. With that said, there been times when we arrived and it is just falling into shape into perfection. A dropping clearing river at the right flows are a small window of opportunity these days. I know most here are fly fishing purists but having an open mind and bringing along conventional gear when its still a little dirty will at least it gets you fishing. Pick a river, and get to know it intimately. Stay with it for a few years, then the guessing game isn't as hard. Good luck, cause we all know we need it!

[Larry S]

Here's a link to Kenny Priest's latest "Fishing the North Coast" report. The Eureka Times-Standard carries
his report, but want you to subscribe.
http://www.myoutdoorbuddy.com/articles/131518/jack-returns-bolster-klamath-ocean-abundance.php

Best,
Larry S
Sun Diego