Northern Cal road trippin

**Gregg** · 06-02-2016, 02:24 PM

Got a couple extended trips under the belt this spring all over Northern CA. Flows are still high at spots, nights are a bit chilly, but hammock camping is the only way to go. Managed to find a bunch of fish, see some beautiful water, and drink more than a few beers with some good friends. Can't really ask for more.

Started up Hwy 70 with the crew in Plumas on one of my favorite stretches of water. Flows and temps were perfect, plenty of bugs coming off. It's a pretty perfect time to get up there before the bait dunkers and heat waves kill that corridor.

From there we headed North and hit Hat, Baum, Manzanita and Deer Creek. Got into fish at all except for Manzanita. Saw some guys hooking into fish from float tubes, pretty pumped when this spot gets going in the summer. Watching fish cruise the shoreline and tossing ants to them is ridiculously fun. Didn't stay long at Baum, it's a factory out there so probably doesn't need much reporting on. Hit Hat at Powerhouse 2 like everyone else. Got fish on top with darker caddis in a 14 and a few swinging soft hackles through the riffles. Nothing to write home about (or post online about I guess), but scenery was amazing and the #3's got a workout. Been hearing that the early mornings have been best out there, gonna head back up soon and see what else we can find.
Deer Creek off 32 was stupid fun. It's pretty easy to get into 50+ fish, but they're all gonna be 6-10", so I guess if you add them all together they'd make one or two respectable fish. Most all on top, stimulators with prince or dark lord droppers. Water temps were hovering in the mid-50's, tons of bugs coming off so plenty of things to throw at them. I honestly love this kind of fishing even if the fish are small, just working all the plunge pools and channels with a 2 or 3wt and watching them attack it on top.

Just got back from camping off Silver Fork and hiked into Desolation to see if anything had thawed yet. Still pretty frozen back there, and streams coming off were ice cold. Saw some caddis and a few bigger mayflies floating around, but I think it's still gonna take a month or two for things to kick off this high. At least we came equipped with the necessities when we weren't on the water.

**johnsquires** · 06-02-2016, 02:34 PM

Great pictures. My kind of trip.
Thanks.

JJ · 06-02-2016, 02:35 PM

Great report, Gregg. Thanks for sharing it! Have a great summer.

**RaffiB** · 06-02-2016, 03:28 PM

Sounds like an epic trip!!!!! Thanks for sharing the great pics and recap

Raffi aka Rafdawg34

**Lance Gray** · 06-02-2016, 04:41 PM

How happen at Manzanita?

All the water you mentioned is great fly fishing water. Lots of good times slinging lines with friends and family!!

**Gregg** · 06-02-2016, 05:00 PM

Hey Lance -

I hit it years back with Adam Grace and loved it. We were camping in Old Station and it's a quick drive over to Manzanita, so we cruised in and walked the lake a bit. Cast for a few risers, but still really early I think. It's a totally out of the way fishery, but one of the prettiest places on this planet.