Hex fishing on Almanor

[Adam Grace]

I fished the Hex hatch on Lake Almanor on the 5th.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/fishing/IMGP0154.jpg

The Hex hatch is slow this year due to the high water level of the lake, I think. Right before dark the Hexs started to emerge but nothing like they did last season.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/fishing/IMGP0159.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/fishing/IMGP0141.jpg

Only about half of the 10 or so fishermen out on Geritol Cove caught fish, luckly I was one of those who caught a fish, just one but it was nice. It taped out at 21" and felt like a 2-3lb trout. It fought hard and put a nice bend in my 6wt. That trout was the largest that I have caught at Almanor, I've only fished there twice, both during the Hex hatch.

Here's a blury picture of that trout.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/fishing/IMGP0194.jpg

I couldn't see my LCD screen to better frame the shot but you can see the fish's fat belly.

If it wasn't for that fish that trip wouldn't have been as enjoyable. I forgot just how much the temperature drops there on Almanor as soon as the sun disappears, I was pretty cold. I strongly recommend bringing a jacket and wear fleece under your breathable waders.

I talked to many local fishermen and they all told me that the bugs are emerging, not in any great number, but the fish don't reaaly seemed to be keyed in on the Hexs just yet. From my experience that night I would agree with those fishermen.

I caught my fish using a sinktip and a Hex nymph. The lack of surface activity was not promissing for any type of dry fly fishing. Hopefully the hatch will finally kick into high gear sometime soon. I love to see those huge yellow mayflies all over the place, very fun fishing.

[Dustin Revel]

definately a well fed fish. nice report

[Dustin Revel]

definately a well fed fish. nice report

[Mike Churchill]

I fished Almanor the last two Saturday nights (7/1 and 7/8)--very different conditions, but similar results.

On the 1st, the weather was beautiful--about 80 degrees when I hit the water at 7:00 and still around 68 or 70 when I got out around 9:30. :) Water temp was close to 70 on the surface. Fair numbers of bugs off and on, with a few fish on the surface. Not everyone in the flotilla caught fish, but some got 3 or 4; I saw only one caught on the surface.

Caught two fish on a nymph using a clear intermediate line: one was a rainbow around 12"; the other was some weird thing I hadn't seen before--it was streamlined and yellowish brown, with prominent scales like a carp (but smaller), and a mouth on the front of it's head like a trout (but bigger). :? It was about 18" though and fought pretty well. :D Any ideas what it was? (Missed two other strikes. :o )

Went back this Saturday with fellow CFFUer Gene C. After hitting Deer Creek and Yellow Creek during the afternoon, we arrived at Almanor just after a huge thunderstorm ended. We got lucky and only heard the thunder at Yellow Creek instead of sitting through the 30-minute hailstorm at Almanor.

Anyway, it was quite cool at 6:30 but stayed tolerable well after dark. Very few flies on the surface until around 9:00, when quite a few showed up. Unfortunately, the fish didn't follow them up--almost no surface activity at all. :cry:

I had misplaced my thermometer, but another tuber told me the water had been 76 degrees the night before! :shock:

Gene and I each caught one and missed one. We did better than most.
:? Still a fun trip.

By the way, lots of eager dinks on both Deer and Yellow creeks, with a few actually catchable-sized on Deer Creek. Deer Creek was about 59 degrees in the afternoon.

Mike

[Adam Grace]

Mike, I took a temperature reading too, it was about 70 degrees as well, I think it was a little over 70 actually. I found that temperature to be high and very strange considerng the high lake level.

Deer creek is fun and easy to get to but I would rather fish yellow creek, more my style. I caught dinks from 5-8" on yellow but the other day I fished Deer creek about a mile below Elam campground and only caught super dinks, 3-5", all on an elk hair caddis. I think that the larger fish are below potato pacth campground or in that general area.

[Mike Churchill]

Adam,

Last time I fished the Hex hatch was three years ago, and I remember the water was warm enough to tube in a bathing suit then (with air temperatures over 90 in the afternoons).

Saturday was the first time I fished Deer and Yellow Creeks. Yellow sure is in a pretty meadow, but I only saw one fish over 7" or so in the hour I was there (and missed all but one strike from the dinks). :oops:

We fished Deer Creek below Potato Patch campground and at the junction of the forks in the meadow where highway 32 leaves the stream. Throwing hoppers and Stimulators w/ droppers, we didn't see anything above 8" or so in the lower stretch, but I got one of 10 or 11" at the confluence of the forks. :)

Since we were just prospecting in the middle of the afternoon, I was just happy to be getting some strikes.

It sure beat working.

Mike

[Katz]

I fished it on the 3rd and 5th as well. Got a few trout to 20". Not as good as other years, but I'm not complaining :wink:

My father in law landed a squaw fish well over 24". That is the yellow-brown fish with the mouth in the front. They are really well fed up there and way fatter than in most streams.

Also got smallmouth to 22". Those were a blast.

Katz

[MarkP]

I'm planning a trip to Lake Almanor Thursday to try the hex hatch. I've never fished there before, and could use some advice on where to go. I'll be using a float tube. Thanks.

[Mike Churchill]

Mark,

The place I have fished it is on the northwest side between Prattville and Almanor West. To get there, take 32 from Chico or 36 from Red Bluff to the intersection with 89, then take 89 south along the West Shore. About the first road you can turn left on will say "Almanor West." The second says "Almanor Trail." The third says "Prattville" and has the sign for a boat launch.

Take the third road. About 100 yards before you hit the lake, there is a campground and boat launch entrance on the left. Park by the boat launch or the public beach. When you enter the water, look for the flotilla, which will probably be strung out from the boat launch for about 1/4 a mile to the north.

I like to hit the water some time between 6:00 and 7:00. Bring your headlamp and plan to stay out until 9:30 or so.

The waverunner and boat traffic dies out around 7:00.

Good luck.

Mike

[MarkP]

Thanks, Mike

I went to the Prattville area and caught three nice fish last Thursday evening. The biggest one was 21 inches. I went before I saw your response, so I was a little farther north, between Prattville and Almanor. There is a public access day use area where I was able to park next to the lake. There were only a couple of other fishermen out. On Friday there was a much smaller hatch and the fish were not on them. Interestingly, during the morning I had no luck at all. I'm using the excuse that the fish were full from the night before! Overall, quite a good experience.