MF Stan in October?

[Pupa]

Anyone every fished the MF Stan in early October? Looking for a back-up plan for the Pit should the weather turn first weekend in October. I understand the canyon has some tough access but can't be worse than the lower Pit 4, can it? Anything sizable in the canyon stretch??

[Jeff F]

Depends on which canyon you're referring to. The canyon below Sand Flat is one of the most remote canyons in CA. If you look at topos and FS maps, there are zero trails down into the canyon. Well, there used to be one, but it's impossible to find and completely overgrown. That canyon is steep as hell. A truly wild place.

Back when we were younger and stupider, Jeff Ching and I actually went down in there from the south rim at Mt. Knight. Never found the "trail" so we just winged it. Fishing was good and there are some big browns down there. But it ain't worth it in my opinion. You can boulder hop into the canyon from Sand Flat, but it's a bitch getting around once the canyon closes in.

The canyon above Donnell Lake isn't as steep, but I've never been down there. I've definitely thought about it and looked at maps, aerials, etc. Access looks tough as well. I'm sure the fishing is pretty good though.

[MThompson]

Road into Hells Half Acre is still closed. One hell of a fire went through the upper stretches last summer. Looks like a barren wasteland in some areas but the fish did fine. Wear some orange if you're walking around there that time of year. (Buck fever). I've killed more buzztails in that drainage than anywhere else so be aware of that also.

[Pupa]

Thanks guys. Anyone have any pics of what the river looks like down in the lower canyon? Would love to see what we might be getting into. I'm imagining the size must be similar to Battle Creek or NF Yuba?

[MThompson]

Much bigger than those creeks. Big pools and runs, deep pockets, etc down lower. The South Fork is closer to those waters you mentioned.

[Lizardking]

Anyone every fished the MF Stan in early October? Looking for a back-up plan for the Pit should the weather turn first weekend in October. I understand the canyon has some tough access but can't be worse than the lower Pit 4, can it? Anything sizable in the canyon stretch??

The middle fork below Beardsley down to Sandbar Flat can be great in October. I go every year and do fairly well using a small black fly. Even though you can see a cornucopia of flying bugs, that’s all they seem to like. I e caught fish up to 18”, but have seen bigger browns chasing some of the small fish I’ve caught. Stone-cased Caddis can do well subsurface, I caught a nice 17” once and it’s belly was the size of a softball and hard, filled with stone.

Good luck!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lots of mid-elevation trout streams and lakes are usually good in October.

[gtakemori]

The middle fork below Beardsley down to Sandbar Flat can be great in October. I go every year and do fairly well using a small black fly. Even though you can see a cornucopia of flying bugs, that’s all they seem to like. I e caught fish up to 18”, but have seen bigger browns chasing some of the small fish I’ve caught. Stone-cased Caddis can do well subsurface, I caught a nice 17” once and it’s belly was the size of a softball and hard, filled with stone.

Good luck!

I was just on the MF and the road from Beardsley Dam downstream is CLOSED for construction. I swung some flies just below the powerhouse and caught a couple, but you'll need a bike or will need to hike about 1/2 mi or more to get to the other fishable sections. Lots of trout rising to some very tiny bugs.

[gtakemori]

The middle fork below Beardsley down to Sandbar Flat can be great in October. I go every year and do fairly well using a small black fly. Even though you can see a cornucopia of flying bugs, that’s all they seem to like. I e caught fish up to 18”, but have seen bigger browns chasing some of the small fish I’ve caught. Stone-cased Caddis can do well subsurface, I caught a nice 17” once and it’s belly was the size of a softball and hard, filled with stone.

Good luck!

I was on that stretch last Sat afternoon and the gate leading from the dam down along the river was locked. Unless you can hike 1/2 mile or so or bring bikes, this stretch may not be (easily) accessed for a while. It appears they're doing some construction on that road and thus the closure. The run right after the power station was fishable and had some risers, but that was about it.

[Lizardking]

I was on that stretch last Sat afternoon and the gate leading from the dam down along the river was locked. Unless you can hike 1/2 mile or so or bring bikes, this stretch may not be (easily) accessed for a while. It appears they're doing some construction on that road and thus the closure. The run right after the power station was fishable and had some risers, but that was about it.

Is it the gate at the top of the dam or below? This could be great for fishing the river 👍

[gtakemori]

It was locked at the top of the dam, so you parked on the shore and just walked down the trail.