The Upper Sacramento, Pit and McCloud Rivers continue to fish well particularly early and late in the day when the sun is off the water. Afternoon is a great time to have a cold drink, take a nap and feast on ripe blackberries picked streamside! Though the average fish tend towards smaller sizes in summer, it is also the time when we find a few trophies that make our day or even our season. We primarily nymph early in the day and look for hatches of mayflies and caddis that provide dry fly fishing opportunities in the evening. If we fail to find a hatch, it often turns out to be an ideal time to break out a sinking line and streamer and hunt for one special fish. Water clarity is at the norm for this time of year, the Upper Sac is ultra clear while the McCloud and Pit have three to six feet of visibility, which is ideal. With PGE road construction continuing on the Pit, access has been limited, call 406-586-2206 ext. 703 for the latest closures.

The Lower Sac has been fishing well, with anglers picking up good numbers of fish nymphing mayfly nymphs in the morning and caddis nymphs late in the day. There have been some evening dry fly opportunities at dusk, particularly on the very warmest days. Preliminary reports on the Salmon run are not good. Last year was one of the lowest returns reported and this year's numbers appear to be down an additional 20%. Fewer spawning salmon will likely hamper the egg bite for trout this fall which has historically been an outstanding time to target trophy Rainbows.

The Fall River continues to fish fair though the majority of activity has moved subsurface. On the other hand, fishing pressure has been exceptionally light. Dead drifting or swinging small mayfly nymphs has been the most productive. Some good opportunities for dry fly fishing but it's no longer an everyday affair. Grabs are very light as the fish have seen it all by now, so seasoned Fall River anglers have better luck than those new to the game. For bigger fish but fewer on average, swinging leeches is the ticket.

For a complete report check out the ShastaTrout website. As usual, if you are heading this way please drop us a line. We are pleased to share all we can whether you are seeking guide service or not.