Feather River Salmon Report

[Tony Buzolich]

Yes, it's hot up here too even at 3:30 in the morning when I got up and made some coffee.

Got out of the house about 4:30 and on the water by 5:30 and I felt like I was a little late. Fish were breaking the surface everywhere almost like it was September or October. The air now actually felt a little cool and I was wishing I had a long sleeve shirt. The water here was noticeably cooler as well.

Lot of changes to the river since that high water last winter. All of the runs are still the same but some of the holes have filled in and some of the riffles are twice as big as before.

I start my day with a small florescent fly called a Cabalero which shows very well in the low light. After a few casts I hook up but come unbuttoned with the first jump and roll. A few more casts and a repeat of the first fish. Can't seem to get a solid hook up and decide to move up to another hole.

Fish are moving everywhere as I walk closer to some of the other runs. Beautiful fish moving fast, their backs out of water as they charge across some of the shallow riffles looking for deeper water.

By now the sun has started to get high and I switch to a flash of my own creation called the Feather River Special. A few more casts and a few more grabs but I couldn't get a solid hook up and that's the way the entire morning went. Probably 10 to 12 hook ups and not one landed. Some days thats just the way it is.

I'll be out there again tomarrow with a different rod and line. I think the 10w striper set up I was using was dragging bottom just a little too much.

The main flow of the Feather has come up the last few days and this may be bringing in some new fish. Everything I saw today was bright and only one with a white blotch on his head.

Time to get out there,
Tony Buzolich
www.feather-river-fly.com

[Ffdoc]

Thanks for the report. was just starting to think about giving it a go. were you in the low flow section or below the outlet hole ? the flows look really low in the low flow section right now. were you swinging with a floating line ?

FFdoc.

[Anne Vitale]

Hi Tony....great report!! I have a where-was-it question as well. Since I don't know high flow section from low flow section on the Feather, were you fishing the same stretch of river that you shared with Lee s. and I a couple of years back? I remember it was near a gravel pit and that I had a great day fishing with you guys.

[Tony Buzolich]

Hi Anne and Doc,

Yes, that same general area though a good number of fish have been coming in to the shop from below on the main stem. We had one come in a week ago that weighed in at 38.5lbs gutted taken on a fly from the Vance Ave. area. Plenty of fishing around there as well as Palm and Palermo.

As for the flows, the low flow almost never changes and runs at a consistant 600cfs for most of the year. The main flow coming out of the afterbay has increased to over 4000cfs and this has really helped bring some new fish in to the system.

This is going to be another great season up here as long as they keep the flows moving where they are now. When the flows drop on the main stem to 2500cfs the water gets soo warm gil rot sets quickly and you'll see dead salmon everywhere. There are already quite a few from a while back when the water was low and warm. Same thing happened on the Klamath disaster.

If you can stand the heat, try and get out real early before things get too hot. The fish are here and things will just keep getting better.

Tony Buzolich
www.feather-river-fly.com

[BigBuddha]

It looks like the flow was bumped up to about 11,000 cfs today. I wonder how this will affect the fishing?

[Darian]

Was out roaming around this AM and went to the Feather for some photography/scouting and just plain goofin'.... Lotsa fisherman but didn't see anyone catching any Salmon. Did see some rolling in the low flow section. Passed a couple of ponds that looked to be very productive for Bass/Panfish on a fly. These ponds would be easily covered from a float tube but not from the shoreline.

Along the levee system n the wild life area are some telephone poles; two of which have large raptor nests on top of them. Each had a couple of fledglings in them and a parent nearby. One of the adults flew to a nest while carrying what looked to be a trout like fish of about 20" (almost as big as the bird). Saw a couple of turkeys with young of the year in tow, too.

The one thing I was amazed to see was the three abandoned regrigerators aside the road among other flotsam/jetsam. It seems that the wildlife area is a dumping ground, too. Didn't take any pictures of them as they weren't a native species....

All in all..., still a good day. Next time I go up there, it'll be to fish.

[Adam Grace]

Tony, do you prefer to swing or indo-nymph for Salmon. Which is more effective for you...or any other regular salmon fishermen reading this post.

I prefer to swing flies for salmon, preferably with my spey rod. Unfortunately when the salmon are holding tight next to other salmon you may accidentally swing a fly into the body of a salmon and foul-hook one. This has happened to me a couple of times even when I was trying not to foul-hook the salmon.

I'd rather NOT foul-hook for 2 reasons:

1st - Snagging is unethical and illegal

2nd - Fighting and trying to land a foul-hooked salmon is very difficult compared to fighting and landing a mouth-hooked salmon.

I have seen guys indo-nymphing for salmon with success. I would also bet that nymphing a fly downstream towards a salmon would dramatically decrease the likelyhood of foul-hooking a salmon. This nymphing approach is much less appealing to me but it could possibly catch more fish without a large degree of salmon harrassment.

What are your opinions guys?

How do you guys fish for Salmon?

[Tony Buzolich]

Adam,

I really prefer the swinging technique as well. Yes, when the salmon are stacked up foul hooking a few is almost unavoidable.

As for a nymphing style approach, I feel you snag just as many then too. The downside to nymphing is the hinging and casting. You cannot make as long a cast nor can you place your shot as accurately.

With a swing you do have the benefit of finer casting, placing your shot, and occassionally a longer shot.

When you actually hook up, I really like to feel the fish immediately. You can tell by his actions whether he's been foul hooked or not. You can even tell where on his body he has been hooked. You immediately know if it's a tail hook by the wagging action as he runs away from you.
If you hook him in the back you have absolutely NO control over the fish. It's like hooking a minnow in the back for bass fishing. A back hooked fish can't be steered or directed. Also, with a back hooked fish you have nothing to interfere with his breathing so he stays stronger longer. Think about the minnow thing. If you hook a minnow high in the back, he's free to wiggle about and has no trouble with his breathing either.

A side fin (pectoral) hooked fish will be erratic. At least the pectoral IS closer to his head and you DO at times have some control over his direction but he will still try and turn sideways as he tires.

Ideally, get it in his mouth. Set the hook hard, and HOLD ON

You want as much direct contact with this fish as you can. You have to really start fighting this fish. You have to work against what he wants to do. Wear him down as quickly as possible and bring to shore. If you want him for the BBQ or the smoker, great. If you want to turn him loose after a few pictures, that's great too,,,,,,but, revive him.

If you hook one of these great fish (fare or fouled) and you play him forever, you're really not fighting this fish. It's just a matter of who can hold on the longest. Salmon have incredible stamina. They are constantly swimming upstream often in some of the fastest water imaginable. So when they do in fact give up, they are really exhausted. Now you're just fighting the currant and a big heavy piece of meat.

Get you fish in quickly. Use an appropriate size rod to do this. I usually recommend a #9 or #10weight for the best control. An #8w will work, but most often it is on the light side. Sure, even a #6 weight will work, but how long do you want to hold on to that fish. Now you're just wearing him (or yourself) down to the point of exhaustion. Get him in quickly. Enjoy the expierence. Take a picture, and get him back in the water quickly.

As for nymphing for salmon, sure it works. You will catch fish this way too. I just feel that you don't have as much direct contact or control when you go after them this way. You will be casting an indicator. You have a slack floating line. You have hinging of the splitshot and a lot more tangles galore. All of these things are negatives when you're fishing a big game fish and SALMON are definitely big game.

Geez, I get to rambling on about these guys. Can you tell I love 'um? :P

Any more details and you're going to have to give me a call,

TONY
www.feather-river-fly.com

[Darian]

My favorite water for Salmon is brackish or tidewater. Swinging a fly is not always an option, there. The fish are HOT, just in from the ocean and are delicious eating if you intend to keep one. This type of fishing requires a retrieved fly. Altho nymp techniques will work, I'd bet that I could count the number of Salmon I've caught (legally hooked) while the fly was at rest or dead drifting on the fingers of one hand.

If fishing in a river or stream for Salmon, I prefer to swing a fly while the fish are in deeper water (holes).... Altho, I do fish for them in shallower waters. I agree with Tony that when fish are stacked, they are easily foul hooked regardless of the method used to fish for them. I've found that I foul hook fewer fish if I concentrate my efforts in deeper water. I usually try to break off a foul hooked fish rather than try to land 'em. Saves wear/tear on the equipment, me and the fish.

My favorite approach to Salmon fly fishing is out of a pram and really enjoy not having to wade. I can get on the water at "the right time", have all my gear rigged/ready to make my first castanchor and fish at legal light, have all of my equipment/flies at hand and some coffee/snacks, etc at hand. I can "drift" the pram using a sea anchor or fish a particular hole if I choose. If I'm fortunate enough to hook a large fish, I can follow it. Fish are easily handled/released from a pram....
Once you've fished from a pram or boat, you won't feel quite the same way about wading, again.