MF Feather?

[BobVP]

Having fished many parts of Northern California in the past few (40 or so...) years it surprises me to realize I have never fished the Middle Fork of the Feather. Not one little part....a few tributaries a few years back when backpacking above it. Guess I've concentrated my fishing on other places and returned to many I have grown to love, such as the areas of the NF Yuba, NF Feather (above the lake and the environs therein), PITHATFALL, my own coastal areas for those elusive anadromous creatures, high lakes of the Sierra, Carsons and many others.

I am ready to explore this area in my home state now and want the guidance and wisdom of this collective bunch.

I've read Ralph Wood (in Seth Norman's book) and have looked at maps and read old articles from CFF so I know certain things already: The access to the lower part is tough....there can be big rewards for the hikes....The upper section has easier access and still some good fish. Being that I almost never fish within 1/2 mile of any road if I can help it the idea of walking 1 to 4 miles does not give me any pause, so getting away from the road is not a problem (The heck with what the caridologist says...)

So? Throw that accumulated wisdom my way and all I can promise in return is a report (good or bad) and info on the Mendocino Coast rivers come winter.

Thanks,
Robert

[DFrink]

Check out John Baiochis's bolg here:

http://jonbaiocchiflyfishingnews.blo...ddle-fork.html

You could even PM him, he seems to be very knowledgeable in this area and has helped me out in the past. Good luck.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

This is a mysterious river that I have heard stories about for decades.

It has some really tough access points and for that reason probably still has some really good fishing left in it.

I have gone down in the upper part with David Armocido at Cleghorn Bar which is a 4 wheel drive road down to the river.

I have talked with other anglers over the years who had 4 wheeled down in from the Bucks Lake side down river somewhere.

I believe this is one of the better trout streams in California but it has very difficult entry points which keep it safe.

I think June would be a good time to fish it and again in the fall in October. It gets a Isonychia may fly hatch in the fall too.

[huntindog]

typically june would be a great time to fish it...this year i am not sure. there is still a HUGE amount of snow in the high country, my cabin which we typically open for the summer on memorial day still has 6 feet of snow and we cant drive to within 5 miles of it. Everything is going to be put off a month this year.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

HD

I think you might be right on here...........thanks.

[wineslob]

I'm not sure what area of the MF most here fish but I fished the Milsap Bar area (Brush Creek is the closest town) about 15 years ago. I diden't fish the MF but a side tributary just before the bridge at the CG. The fishing was very good, lots of browns and 'bows up to 12". Beware of the CG, the ummm, "campers" there were looking kinda rough. (pot growing area)
I just checked out the MF on Google Earth, and I think I'll have to make a trip up to the Devils Canyon area, it looks VERY interesting.

[Notch]

If you're up for a hike, I would check out the Bald Rock section of the MF Feather. This is the tail-end of the river before it enters Lake Oroville. The hike in descends ~2,000 feet in just a few miles, and once you're in the canyon it's serious boulder jumping to get from spot to spot. I would go when flows are at their lowest (July-August, but maybe September this year) because there are a few pools you have to swim across when the canyon walls close in. The fishing is easy once you're in the canyon, and often times you can sight fish for 16-20 inch trout. Here are some pics of the canyon and Curtain Falls, which is an epic place to fish after the long hike upstream.

Bald Rock Dome










Natural waterslide

[Scott V]

That is a hike I am totally up for, looks like a place to go this year for sure. The further in the better.

[fishinFed]

I would highly recommend a book by Andrew Harris called "Plumas National Forest Trout Fishing Guide." It highlights a number of outstanding, hard-to-reach spots on the MFF, with detailed directions on how to get there. I checked out a couple of those spots last year (Sept./Oct.) and they were well worth the effort.

[Scott V]

Thanks fishinFed, I will definetly take a good hard look at that book.