Alevin time

[Mark Kranhold]

Getting to be that time again on the local waters. Swing on!!

16567

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Most of the Valley rivers get some spawning salmon below the first dam but the Feather and the Sacramento river probably get the

most returning fish.

I think lots of anglers use to indicator fish with the little salmon imitions and a nymph on the lower Feather river this time of year.

[Troutsource]

Mark, what size do you tie those? Colors look very realistic. What's the name of it?

[Tony Buzolich]

On the Feather, anywhere in the low-flow, you will see sea-gulls diving and swarming around the gravel bars and riffles. They're the best indicator that the eggs are turning into alevins. A bit longer and the alevins will grow to smolt and then it's striper time and skinny baitfish patterns are the choice.

My biggest striper I've ever taken was on the second week of February a couple of years ago when the smolt were coming down from up river.

This scenario happens in every stream where salmon spawn, and everything that lives there (steelhead, stripers, squawfish, etc.) all go on the bite and gorge on them.
Tony

http://i.imgur.com/Em3TMC6.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/Em3TMC6)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Wow......that is a big one.

[Tony Buzolich]

This was taken on a smolt pattern within two feet of the bank in a bunch of trees.
The farther upriver you go the patterns should be a little smaller just like the alevins. They grow quickly as they drift downstream and gradually get larger. By the time they get to the Yuba City area they will have grown to 3" to 4", and so should your fly.

Another thing to consider are the plants of smolt upriver at Live Oak, I think also at the Gridley ramp, as well as the Yuba City ramp and at Boyds Pump ramp. Then it's a long ways to the bay waters before they head out to sea.

It gets to be a real dinner bell around where they dump the smolt. With the alevins coming up naturally out of the gravel the steelhead and squawfish aren't quite as aggressive but they do key in on them.
Tony

[BS]

I think lots of anglers use to indicator fish with the little salmon imitions and a nymph on the lower Feather river this time of year.

Yep, that was my modus operandi in the 80's and 90's.;);)

It worked very well in both the low flow and high flow.:cool::cool:



Bob

[Mark Kranhold]

Mark, what size do you tie those? Colors look very realistic. What's the name of it?

That one was tied on a size 4, glad you like it and thank you! That fly is called The Fry’d Egg Sandwich. It’s an Alevin pattern that could easily morph into a Fry pattern.