humbug valley/yellow creek

[ganderlander2]

Well I'm heading up there tonight for the weekend and was wondering if anyone has any ideas on what would be the hatch to match. I've got some free time to do a little tying and I'm fresh out of ideas. Thanks, Jason

[Rich Morrison]

It's been few years but I've routinely done well with an almost black caddis pattern. Streamers work well for the big browns too.

[ganderlander2]

It's been few years but I've routinely done well with an almost black caddis pattern. Streamers work well for the big browns too.

Thank you....now off to tie some up. Black caddis never crossed my mind. Thanks again, Jason

[Rich Morrison]

Good luck. Give us a brief report when you get back if you don't mind. That's always been a favorite spot of mine. I really need to get back there one of these days.
Rich

[ganderlander2]

Had a great camping trip(other than forgeting the propane tree and having to cook everything off the fire). Saw a bunch of deer, a beautiful cimn. bear, and a few turkeys. The fishing was in a single word...terrible. Still had a great trip with the family though. Jason

[EricO]

Ya, that valley is absolutely gorgeous. Been there several times. However, I've never been impressed with the fishing.

Either the fish have PHd's, or there are just a bunch of dinks.

I have "heard" the stories of huge browns caught there, but never seen/caught anything
bigger than 12".

Doubt I'd go back.

EO

[aaron]

I don't think there are near the number of big browns in there anymore if at all. Lincoln Gray has some good stories about streamer fishing on super long leaders with orange leeches for them way back when.

[ganderlander2]

We fished the upper section and down in the meadows downstream of the campground for one fish. Last summer had a great numbers day between here and butt creek. Not this weekend though, ill try again a little bit during bow season. Jason

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

I concurr with some previous posts; Yellow Creek is not what it used to be.

I fished it annually during the early '80's to early '90's. We'd try to time the appearance of the Green Drakes right after Memorial Day...sometimes we'd time it right. A real fun fishery when it was happening, not to mention the beauty of Humbug Valley.

I didn't do a lot of streamer fishing but knew people who did with results of out-sized browns. I was there searching for heads ingesting Drakes or other bugs at the surface; we'd get wild Browns to 20"; mostly 10"-16" range.

A close friend received a Cal Trout StreamKeeper award when he helped with the original 1/2 barb-wire fencing of the upper meadow, I believe during '79, to determine the viability of special regs and a sustainable wild trout fishery once the banks were protected from the cattle. There was a 600% return!!! in the population and wooden fencing was put in in the entire meadow during other projects.

We went there last summer and it was an incredible disappointment...too bad, it was a quality experience.

Frank R. Pisciotta

[Adam Grace]

I agree with most of you guys. The valley is beautiful but the fishing/catching has never been good for me over the past 5 years/5 trips that I have taken there. I have purposely tried to spook fish to catch a glimpse of anything worth bragging about but I have never yet seen anything remarkably impressive. There are great hatches but too many small fish. The thrill for me is to test my fly fishing skills as far as presentation goes and to try to catch those weary little buggers, but it seems that it is no longer an impressive fishery.... considering that your reports substantiate my own.

BTW, E/C Caddis in olive has been the most productive fly for me there.

Even though my experience in catching has been unremarkable, the aesthetic beauty and enjoyment of being in such a pretty high elevation spring creek has been worth a trip every nearly every season.