On average, October is one of our best months for fly fishing in Nor Cal.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My favorite Fall Steelhead month.

Start of tide water Salmon time on the coast.

Start of Striper time in the Delta.

Not bad month for bass & pan fish if it stays warm.

Great month for trout lakes in the Sierras.

Super month for trout streams (that still have water) in the mountains.

In October it is not too hot and not too cold.....it is usually just right for fly fishing.

This is a good month for an annual trip somewhere.

Try to get a trip planned soon.

The cold of winter is on it's way.


**I am having shoulder surgery this October so I'm screwed.

If you need any help planning a good trip then let us know. For me it would be the next best thing to going.

Kiene's Fly Shop
Open 7 days a week
Toll free USA phone = 800/400-0359

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[Dave E.]

Hi Bill,

Sorry to read you’ll be laid up with shoulder surgery, here’s hoping that you’re back at it soon.
Here’s a little impromptu October Bassin’ for you.

We got a very late start yesterday only to find out when we pulled up to the gate, that the lake we were headed to was closed for a private event, so we had to come up with a quick plan B. We turned the rig towards Oroville and after about a half hour of snooping and prospecting with nothing much poppin’ on the graph we spotted boils on a main lake point. There we found dozens of these little dudes suspending under schools of small bait. Quite a few regurgitated their latest meal on the way in, leaving behind a nice little chum line. Surface temps were running in the low seventies and most of our fish were found suspended around 12 feet in 18 to 26 feet of water. All but one was taken on a gray over white Bucktail pond smelt ( #6 - 2.5“ long ) and a sparsely dressed Enrico style gray over white shad pattern ( #2 - 2.5” long ), using clear intermediates on five weights. Had I known we end up bass fishing yesterday, I would’ve brought some small gurglers or Milt’s floating pond smelt patterns, those surely would’ve added to the laughs. All in all, not a bad save for a mid day start and a game plan gone south.

If anyone else is thinking about heading over that way, the booth attendant at the entrance says that the auxiliary ramp ( Potter Ravine side ) is open but requires 4 WD to recover your boat. The ramp at Bidwell is a 12’ wide metal tarmac on a hard pack clay base. We saw craft up to 20’ being launched and recovered with no problems.

Peggy & Dave.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Those clear water bass have such white bellies.

* I forgot to mention that this is Threadfin Shad and Asian Pond Smelt time on top in reservoirs and the big lakey parts of the Delta.