Dec/Jan Fishing Report

Happy Holidays Everyone,

Well as most of you know, we have received a ton of rain over the past week or two and it has done some good things as well as some not so good things to the our rivers, lakes and streams. 

The good: 

The reservoirs are filling up nicely, the snow pack is looking pretty good, and with more water flowing down the rivers, the winter fishing is looking to be pretty good after the beginning of the year.

The not so good:

As of right now, most of the Sac Valley Rivers are blown out, but don't worry, in a few short weeks, they will be back to fishing level as well as fishing clarity.

Here is your local fishing report

Trinity River:

Clarity: Good to getting perfect

Flows:

Lewiston - 300cfs steady

Bucktail - 500cfs and dropping

Douglas City - 775cfs and dropping

Junction City - 1600cfs and dropping

Wow, the past few weeks on the Trinity have been extremely good to Nor Cal Fly Guides clients. While others have been working hard to find fish, we have consistently hooked a half a dozen adults on a daily basis, with my last 2 days up there hooking 16 adults and landing 8 of them, this being right after the big rain last week. This recent storm has blown the river out again, but as I type it is already back into fishing shape. What does this mean......time to get up there and hook some chrome. We are still finding some willing fish to take a swung fly, but its all about right place at the right time, as well as water temps. This last rain storm did help bring the water temps up slightly. The indicator with nymphs below has really been cleaning house, and if you have the right flies, the right drift and the right float, there can be some epic fishing. Look for the Trinity to be the go to steelhead fishery for the next month or two, especially if you want to get away from the crowds, and try you hand at swinging. 

I still have some prime dates in Jan, Feb and March if you are interested in booking a steelhead trip you wont forget.

Nymphs: Stones, Psycho Princes, Eggs, Worms, Copper Johns

Swinging: Ho Bo Speys, Bread Crust, anything black/blue

Guides Tip: "Be the report, dont believe the report!!!"

This will be my go to steelhead fishery for the next 3 months

Feather:

Clarity: Brownie Green

Flows: 

Low Flow - 800cfs

High Flow - 1700cfs

As some of you know, I did spend a bunch of time on the Feather this year, but when it became to crowded, I decided to head up to the Trinity. There were some epic early season egg bite days, but once the egg bite become full swing you would see 6-8 boats, and a bank angler in every fishable spot. This made for tough fishing for everyone. Despite all that, the fishing was pretty good up until early Nov, then came the fishing pressure, and the fishing definitely suffered. Now that the pressure all but disappeared, the fishing as picked up slightly, and will be looking good come the New Year,. This is also when the upper river opens. Currently the river is experiencing a bit of color, which I would call a brownish green, it is fishable at this point,, but give it a week or 2 and it will be that steelhead green that we all seek. Once this happens, this place will fish extremely well, and Ill be guiding it on a regularly daily basis. PLEASE, dont forget the salmon are done spawning now, so please try not to walk through the tailouts where are their eggs are. The winter run started to show their scales prior to storm and will continute to trickle in throughout the next few months. Want to try swinging, the Feather is definitely the place, and in about a month or so, the salmon eggs will hatch, and swinging an alevin pattern will give you that tug that we all search for. Prime time for this is the end of Jan to mid March.  If you are looking to get out and learn how to fish the Feather in the winter/early spring book your trip now while prime dates are still available. If spring is your thing, book well in advance as this is my busiest time of year. 

Nymphs: Princes, Caddis, Eggs, Worms, Copper Johns, Mays

Swinging: sculpins, olive streamers, flesh flies, alevins, white or olive wooly buggers

Guides Tip: Dont stay in one spot, the fish are spread throughout the entire system. Fish a spot for a while with the usual bugs, if nothing happens time to move.   

American:

Clarity: Chocolate Milk

Flows: 30,000cfs and steady

I would not recommend fishing the American right now, flows are a touch over wadable level, LOL. However, we are all hoping that the flows come down to fishable levels for Jan 1st, this is when the upper river opens. We are currently booking trips after Jan 2nd for the opener. If you are looking to hook big winter steelhead and do not want to travel, this is the river for you. Steelhead pushing 15lbs are available, most averaging 6-10lbs. Personally I think the only way this river will be fishable after Jan 1, is going to be out of a boat, its still going to be pretty high. Several years back, we experienced these same flows on the American in late Dec at 30k, come Jan 1, it was down to 6k and the upper river fished extremely well. Lots of fish, only fishable from a boat, boy was it good. I am hoping for the same situation this year. 

Guide Tip: Keep an eye out for this river to be good to great after the opener. Ill be fishing it as long as the flows are under 15k, yes I said 15k. The fish sit is specific areas at these flows, and if you know where to look, and how to fish for them, you can have some great fishing.  

Yuba:

Clarity: Chocolate Milk

Flows: 9000cfs and dropping

Again I wouldn't recommend fishing this until the flows come down. When they do, look for the these trout to start keying in on the skwalas. With steady weather over the next few weeks, I would give the Yuba about 2 weeks before it becomes fishable again. I am already booking dates for the Skwala and March brown hatches, this is where you can not only have fun swinging for trout, but throwing dries all day as well. 

My Available Local Dates:

Jan: 10,13,14,15,30,31

Feb: 1,12,13.16-24

Mar: 16-21,23-31

My Available Trinity Dates:

Jan: 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24

Feb: 5,6,7,8,9,10,27,28

Mar: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,11,12,13,14

For future dates, please feel free to ask.

Please check out our facebook page for recent pics on recent trips.

Once again I want to thank all of you for making Nor Cal Fly Guides your go to fly fishing guide service. This was another successful year, and that wouldn't be possible without you. So thank you.

I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian Clemens

NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740
WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM
Check us out on Facebook

Fall Fishing Report and a bit more

Hey Folks

A real quick info update, if you are looking to email me please use the following email address:

Norcalflyguides@gmail.com

This is the new email address for Nor Cal Fly Guides and I look forward to hearing from you.

On to the fishing report:

Well, over the past few weeks, the fishing in Nor Cal has really turned on. The salmon are showing up in good numbers, some are starting to spawn and you know what that means, its "EGG BITE TIME". With cooler temps to come, the fishing will only get better, which is hard to believe as the fishing is pretty darn good right now.

Feather River

Rating: Good to Great

Flow: 800cfs in Low Flow

Temp: mid 50's

Clarity: Clear

The Feather has really turned on in the past week, and that's mainly due to the large push of salmon over the past few weeks. With many redds being built, and even a few salmon paired up and more salmon showing up, its only going to get better. We are seeing some quality steelhead spread throughout the Low Flow Section, and the majority of them are taking an egg imitation. While the "egg bite" isn't on fire yet, they are eating the egg on a regular basis, give it another week and the fish will be egg crazy. Over the next month, the Feather will be your local go to steelhead fishery. Its looking to be a great fall fishery. Not many available dates remain between now and the end of Nov, if you are looking to book during the egg bite, book now.

Yuba River

Rating: Good

Flow: 800cfs

Temp: mid 50's

Clarity: Clear

The Yuba was a bit tough over the past few weeks, mostly due to the ever dropping flows. Now that the flows have settle and the fish found there new feeding lanes, the fishing has been getting better. With a few salmon starting to spawn, there is a small egg bite happening, but with more salmon on the move, and a good number still below the weir, give it another week or two and the Yuba will be in full fall swing. If you are looking to get out for a few hours, this will be your go to trout fishery for the next month or two. If you are looking too book a trip, I dont have many available dates remain between now and the end of Nov. If the egg bite is what you want, book now 

Trinity River

Rating: Good to Getting Better

Flows: 450cfs

Temp: low 50's

Clarity: Clear

The Trinity is really starting to pick up. I had a week of trips during mid Sept, mostly swinging, but a few nymph trips as well, and what we saw as the week progressed is that the fishing only got better. Lots of smolts to hand, but there where some bruisers hooked, landed and lost. My last guided trip yielded some good numbers of adult steelhead, as well as many fresh fish fishing moving up river through the tailouts. With cooler temps about to hit the Trinity, the fishing is about to heat up. If you are looking to do a multi day trip, this is the place to be. October and November is always a great time on the Trinity, especially if you like to swing. This is where you can not only get fish on the swing, but the water temps are still warm enough to get them swinging on top. Personally, this is the time of year I like swinging on the T. I still have a few available dates in October and November if you are looking to book a trip.

Lower Sac

Rating: Great

Flows: 7300cfs

Temps: low 50's

Clarity: Perfect

The Lower Sac never ceases to amaze me, and its only getting better. Lots of great fishing to be had right now, some big fish battled, some battles won, some lost, but all in all, the Lower Sac is the place to be. The salmon are showing themselves all throughout the system and in due time the egg bite will be on, but this doesn't mean they wont eat them now (hint hint). I think the pre-egg bite can give an angler some great fishing before all the crowds. Just as the first few salmon show up and start redd-ing up, the trout go nuts for the thought of eggs, so I always start throwing eggs early and it flat out works. Look for the Lower Sac to get "epic" early to mid Oct, and if you are not up there, you will truly miss out. I still have a few prime dates available between now and the end of Nov, if you are looking to book, now's the time.

American River

Rating: Not Bad/Not Great-worth a look

Flows: 1500cfs

Temps: mid to upper 50's

Clarity: Perfect

Dont pass on the American quite yet, there is some ok fishing happening right now. With just a month left before the under stretch closes, this is the time to be out there fishing the American. There is always an early push of fall/winter steelhead the love to take flies on the swing, and October is the month to test that out. These fish are spread throughout the entire system, from Paradise all the way to Nimbus, and there are some bruisers cruising. Most fish are 16-22", but some fish pushing 10lbs are in as well. Like I said, great time to swing for these spunky fish, think more spring time steelhead as far as flies and where/how to target them. If swinging isnt your thing, dont worry, these fish eat nymphs like skittles. Some of the best fishing can be right before the closure on Nov 1st. Get out there now while the fishing is good.

Available Egg Bite Dates

Nov 7,8,9,10,25,26,27,28,29

Other available dates

Dec 1,2,3,4,5,15,16,17,18,19,20

Available Trinity Dates

Oct 18,21,26

Nov 16,17,21,22

Dec 9,10,11,12,13,14

For future dates, please email or call and let me know what you are interested in. Dont forget the first of the year is just around the corner.

If you would like to get out in October/November, even if I dont have availability, dont worrry, just contact me with your dates, and Ill set you up with another great guide.

If you have never experience the "Egg Bite" in Northern California, you owe it to yourself to come and check it out, its something that cant be explained, only experienced. With only a few days remaining, if you are looking to book a trip contact me as soon as possible.

Once again thank you for all your support

I look forward to our next trip together

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Brian Clemens

PS: I have recently purchased a new phone, as my old one decided to do a hard reset on me and I lost a good number of your phone numbers. If you get a second, please email me your contact info again, that way I can updated your number. Sorry for the inconvenience, I promise this time, I will back everything up.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian Clemens

NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740
WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM
Check us out on Facebook

*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*

June Nor Cal Fishing Report

Happy June Everyone,

Wow, where has this year gone, April was EPIC, May was here and gone with some more great fishing, now we are in June and the fishing is really good too. I know I say this a lot, but you should really be out on the water and enjoying some great fishing.

Here is your Local June Fishing Report:

Feather:

Man when things started to look dim, the Feather comes back and shines like it always does, and it continues to give us some really nice days on the water. If you want to get into some late spring and early summer run steelhead, well look no further than the Feather. We are seeing good numbers of half pounders up to 18" as well as a good handful of adults up to 26". Hooking 10 to 12 fish a day is the daily scene, and not hard to do, and if you are not careful you can hook many many more. Just recently we had a day where we hooked 20+ fish, can you say sign me up. Dont know how much longer this will last, but with the low flow at 1700cfs and running cold, salmon showing up daily, and every steelhead we hook chrome bright, it should be good to great for the month of June and well into July. As always, hottest steelhead pound per pound around, and these fish will hurt you on a 6wt.

Nymphs: Princes, Caddis, Mays, Copper Johns

Dries: Mays, Caddis

Swinging: anything soft hackle caddis imitation

Guides tip: get out now, while the getting is good

Lower Sac:

Another hot spot right now, and if you can stand the heat, you will hook as many fish as you can handle. Most days hooking 20-25 fish is not uncommon, and hooking 30+ is not a far feat to accomplish. As far as the heat goes, a nice dip in the Lower Sac will take care of that, and keep you cool for quite some time, typically done soon after lunch, gotta wait 30 mins you know. The Lower Sac will continue to produce some awesome fishing and great catches, fish from 16-22", with some bigger fish in the mix as well. If you want to hook quantity and quality, this is the place for you. As far as how long this will last, only the fish truly know, but it will definitely be great for the month of June and July.

Nymphs: Rubber Legs, PMDs, Caddis, Mays, Eggs

Dries: Caddis and PMDs

Swinging: it can be done, tailouts are best, soft hackle caddis patterns are a must

Guides tip: same as the Feather, get out now while the getting is great

American:

The shad are in and so are the stripers, and we are hooking some great numbers of both as I type. Evening is best for the shad and in the upper stretch of the river, only problem is most anglers/guides are up there too. Most of my trips are going after stripers, getting on early and getting off by 3pm for full days, and by noon for half days. But what is really awesome, is the the striper fishing is so good, that if you dont want to get on the water super early you dont have to, but most anglers like to beat the heat. We are not seeing the huge stripers right now as they are eating the shad, but fish 5lbs and under are being hooked in great numbers. A day last week, I had a single angler that boated 50+ stripers in a full day guided trip, can you say epic. We are using 8wt rods with 350gr striper lines, just in case we hook the big one, but you could get away with a strong 6wt or slower 7wt. But I personally think the heavier line helps get that fly down, giving it a better presentation and will produce a lot more fish. Even though a lot of the fish we are landing are 16-20" fish, they still put up a great fight on the 8wt, and you will be glad you had it when you hook the big girl. As far as shad, the majority of them as well as the anglers are up top, especially in the evening, with many smaller pods of fish and anglers spread throughout the lower river. With the numbers we are seeing of stripers, I havent had the time to chase to many shad, but if you are looking to get out, now is the time.

Stripers: Grey/white, Chartreuse/white clousers. Toby's Clousers and the Sexy shad, these flies can be found at Fly Fishing Specialites

Shad: Bloody Maria, Pink Bleeder

Guides Tip: Nows the time

Yuba:

Above the Weir

This is a tough fishery right now for trout. You get a fish here and a fish there, give it some time she will be ready to go, but right now, there are better trout fisheries to be fishing. Flows are steadly coming down.

Below the Weir

Shad, shad and more shad. Great for a half day walk and way, but can be done as a full day walk and wade as well. You want to shad fish with very few people, this is the place to be. I am able to access the water at the rod and gun club, so if you are looking to get out, lets go hook some shad.

Trout: Rubber legs, caddis, mays

Shad: Bloody Maria and anything pink

Truckee:

Flows are still on the high side, and water still cold, but we are seeing to really good quality fish. The numbers are not there yet like the Truckee is know for, but what it lacks in quantity, you really do make up for quality. A few more weeks of this warm weather, and the snow run off should be done, and the fishing should turn on like a light switch, I would say by July 1, it will be in perfect shape. If you are looking to get out, whether booking a trip or just fishing, look to late June early July and on through the summer months. There is a ton of water up there, and this will be one great trout fishery throughout  the summer.

Nymphs: Stones, Caddis, Mays, Worms

Dries: same as nymphs, but not worms of course

Streamers: anything big and bad, I love sculpins up there

Guides tip: when the water comes down, the green drakes, caddis and pmds will be in full force, this will be the spot in a few short weeks, and Ill be spending a lot of time up there guiding this year

There you have it folks, and as you can see, the fishing is really good right now. Its time to get out and enjoy what the talk is all about.

My Available Dates:

June: 15,16,18(morning half day),19(evening half day),20,21,27,28,29

July: 1,2,3,5,6,7,8(maybe),21,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31

August: 1-8, 23-31

For dates after September, please feel free to ask. 

Multi boat trips available upon request

Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates

may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.

Trinity River Dates:

Time to start thinking about the Trinity once again, man I cant wait

September - Available upon request, mid month is best, upper stretch closes on 15th, great time of year for swinging

October 21-26

November 16-23

December 16-23

January 16-23

February 6-13,27,28

March 1-14

Multi boat trips available upon request

There you have it folks, I hope you enjoyed the recent fishing report, and I hope you are all having a great fishy year. It really is the time to get out and enjoy what Nor Cal has to offer, it is one of the best fishing seasons we have seen in almost 10 years.

I hope to see you on the water soon.

And once again, thank you for all your support.

PS: On a side note, I have been given the opportunity to guide in Alaska for a few weeks in August, from the 10th to the 21st. As of right now, those dates have been guaranteed. However, more could become available if they have a few more clients book. If you are looking to book any dates while I am up there, I will have access to a computer on a daily basis to help you with any future bookings or questions you may have. But, further more, my wife Deanna as well as my guiding partner Tom will also be able to assist you. If you happen to book any dates soon after my return, and I am still in Alaska, either Tom will take you out, or we can reschedule to a future date, which ever is best for you at the time.

PSS: Lastly, Ill be hosting a trip to Baja next year, July 24th to 28th, 2017. It will be through Baja Pirates out of La Paz. Ill be sending over the details in a few days. However, you are more than welcome to check out their site for info about them and what they offer. I will be hosting/offering my clients with a 5 day, 4 night, 3 days of fishing for $1100 (based on double occupancy), normally $1500. Again, additional info on the way. This is a great opportunity to fish Baja during peak season for Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado, Sailfish, Wahoo, and the possibility of hooking, Marlin, Rooster fish and many more. If you are interested, please feel free to email or even call me for questions. 

Once again, thank you very much for making my passion a true success. 

I looking forward to hearing from you all soon

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian W. Clemens

Owner/Operator

530-354-3740

Check out our website

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May 2016 Fishing Report and a bit more

Hello Fellow Anglers,

Boy, April was one crazy month, the fishing on the Lower Sac was and still is absolutely EPIC, the Feather had some great fishing at the beginning of the month, then when the word got out, the fishing tightened up a bit, but that's fishing pressure for you. With rain still coming down every now and then, and the snow pack still needing to melt, May as well as June and even the late summer months are going to be great. 

                                                                                                        Lower Sac:

Even though its a bit of a drive, it is well worth it. I have been spending a good amount of time on this river because the fishing is almost to good to believe. Hooking 25 to 35 fish a day is the norm, with fish ranging from 16 to 26". Nymphing with rubberlegs, caddis, pmds and other mayfly patters has been the main game, but if you know the right spots you can get some fish swinging as well. Water flows are great, fishing is absolutely "EPIC" and will continue to be great for the next month or even two. If you are looking to hook a lot of fish, this is the place for you. My next few weeks looking pretty full with only a few available dates, so if you are looking to get out asap, book now. Also dont forget about fall fishing, I am already starting to book for fall trips, don't wait last minute to book your fall egg bite trip.

Feather:

Even though its not as good as it was a few weeks ago, we are still hooking 8 to 12 hook fishing a day with fish ranging from 16 to 26", not bad for steelhead fishing in my book. Nymphing of course is the main producer here, with princes, caddis and mays as the main flys, and trying worms, sucker spawns and even eggs for tougher days. Fly selection has been a bit more important the last few weeks. Swinging this time of year can be awesome, especially with the nice caddis hatches we are seeing. With flows just ramping up in the High Flow to 2k cfs, this will bring up not only the spring run salmon, but also more hot spring run steelhead that we all seek. Fishing should continue to be good, sometimes even great for the next month, maybe 6 weeks, and slowly taper off after that. Looking to hook into some sweet steelhead, this is the only place in town, and there are still some nice fish to be had. Remember, I don't have to many days remaining in May, book now before they are gone. Also, don't forget about the fall fishing on the Feather, dates are being booked now for the egg bite, dont wait to book.

American:

This is the one river that has recently surprised us. Both myself and Tom recently went out in search of Steelhead, Striper and Shad and we were pretty happy with the outcome. Now we didn't find any steelhead, but we have the Feather for that, the shad are slowly making there way in, as far up as Gristmil, but the numbers are not great yet, but if you put in your time you will get a few. Give it another week or so and shad fishing should be really good. With the nice high flows, this should be one epic shad run, nothing like hooking 20,30 even 40 fish in just a few hours, and the fight is nothing but incredible. Now lets talk about the Striper fishing. We found many willing stripers to eat our flies from 16" to 7lbs, with many grabs, some nice ones to the boat and many big ones seen swimming around.  Even though its "NOT STRIPER TIME" yet, now is the time to target these bruisers on the fly before it gets to crowded. We are using 8wt rods throwing 350gr striper lines and our special clousers to get the job done. Want to get into some fishing without the drive for fish that pull like Mack trucks, look no further than the American River. Dates are already filling up in June for shad and striper trips, and with very few days in May, time to think about your next trip.

Truckee:

Quality, Quality and Quality. Thats all I have to say about that. Yes the water is a bit cooler than normal, but the flows are perfect and the big fish are on the eat. The snow melt hasn't hit yet, and I think there are a few more weeks before that happens, so get up there now while the fishing is good. Again its all about quality not quantity this year, and we are seeing some really big fish to hand, bows ranging from 16 to 22" and browns pushing upper 20"s. The numbers of fish are not there, but what we give up for numbers we truly do make up for in the quality (size) of fish. What can you do to get these fish to eat, well lets see, Nymphing, high sticking, Czech nymphing, streamers, drys, and well just about anything really. Once the snow melt happens, it will be about 3-4 weeks before its fishable again, once that comes around, this summer is going to be really really good. I plan on doing many trips up the the Truckee this year, so if you are looking to learn one of the coolest trout fisheries on the Eastern Side, this is the place for you. 

Yuba:

The river is still a bit high to fish effectively. Once the flows come down to reasonable levels, look for this place to start fishing really well. But if you cant travel and want to get a few hours of fishing in, try fishing the edges with stones, caddis and mays and you should pick up a few fish. But be careful, flows are really high and I do not recommend wading. Id give this place about a month, and it should be ready for the taking. 

Putah:

She has been a tough one this year, with the fire, came a lot of silt which filled in a good amount of the holding areas for these fish. If you put in your time you will get some fish, but its nothing like it was in the past few years. Its unfortunate that the fire hurt the creek this badly, but Putah is a resilient river, and I look forward to seeing how she fishes in the months to follow. As always, small caddis, mays and midges with light tippet will get you on the fish. Plan on moving around a lot to find them though. 

As stated above, we are already booking fall/winter trips, and with the fishing as good as it is right now, best we have seen in years, not only will May, June and July have some great fishing, its going to be good to great through summer, fall and winter. If you are looking to book a fishing trip in the near future, over the summer or for the fall/winter fishing, look to get those prime dates now. Also I have listed my Trinity River dates as well.

Available Dates: 

May 11,13,15,17(half day morning),18,19,24(half day evening),26,27,28,30

June 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,18(half day morning),19(half day evening),20,21,22,23,24,27,28,29,30

July 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31

Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates

may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.

Trinity River Available Dates:

Time to start thinking about the Trinity once again, man I cant wait

September - Depends on water conditions and requests

October 19-26

November 16-23

December 16-23

January 16-23

February 6-13,27,28

March 1-14

One of the most important things coming up in the near future for Nor Cal Fly Guides is:

That we will have a booth at the Auburn NorCal Rec Show starting May 20-22. Please make sure you come up and say hi.

There you have it folks, I really hope you are all out enjoying some of the great fishing that Northern California has to offer right now. Things are really looking up for the next few months as well as going into late summer, and even fall/winter. Its going to be great 2016 fishing season. 

I hope you all enjoyed the report

As always thank you for your support

and

Looking forward to hearing and seeing you all soon

March/April 2016 Fishing Report

Hello Everyone,

This is the first time doing a blog, so bare with me while I get things up and running. 

Well it looks like the weather has finally come in, mainly the rain and the snow, but some wind as well, and it has been dumping a bunch all throughout Nor Cal. The reservoirs are filling up fast, and things are really looking up for this years water/fishing season. The tough part with all of this is the ever fluctuating river flows, river clarity and over all fishing conditions. It hasnt given us a big number of fishing days this year, but when it has been time to get out and fish, the fishing has been good. With these rains, comes the fish, really looking forward to April, May, June and the remaining season.

American:

Currently flowing at 15k , and with more rain in the forecast, I think its only going to get higher. Folsom is over 60% full, and with that, what ever flows in must flow out. A law that was created over 30 years ago is still in place, and once Folsom reaches 60% during winter months, the flood gates open up to help with flood control. Right now this is not the place to be fishing. However, with these flows, the Spring should be phenomenal for steelhead, stripers and even shad. With that all said, I would really look into booking trips for April, May and June for the species above, and if the flows stay up, this should be one epic shad year. 

Yuba:

Blown, blown and blown. Currently at 7k cfs and dropping fast, but was over 24k just a few days ago. Englebright is at 102% of full capacity, which means anything flowing in, flows straight out and over the top of the damn. With more rain in the forecast, the Yuba will be out of commission for weeks to come. I was really looking forward to fishing it this winter for the skwalas, early spring for the March Browns, but with the big blow outs this year, it really scoured the river for all those big bugs, only saw a handful of those stones in 2 months of fishing it. I am really hoping that the March Browns show their faces, only time will tell. Once these storms dissipate, look for this place to start fishing good again. April is a great time to be on the water, caddis start showing up, and the fish are still on the feed for the big March Browns.

Feather:

This has been the go to place as of recent. Clarity has been good, and flows very steady at 800cfs in the low flow. The big fish are not in yet, but with this big rain, they are sure to come soon. We have been hooking a good number of half-pounders ranging 12-20", with an occasional bigger fish. Oroville is filling up fast, it holds 2.6 million a.f. and with it currently at 2.1 million a.f. and on the rise, we should be seeing an increase in flows soon, with that, comes the big spring run fish. Look for this place to really turn on in the next few weeks and stay fishing well for at least a few months. Dont forget about the stripers, bass and salmon fishing during this time as well.

Lower Sac:

Is firing on all cylinders, and this is the place to be if you are truly looking to get out. With all the rain that has come down, and in the forecast, this is one river that will not blow out and this is where Ill be doing a good amount of my trips over the next month. Big fish are on the move, and being hooked on a daily basis, landing them is another story. You can expect to hook fish ranging from 16 to 22"  all day long, with the opportunity to hook bigger fish, ones pushing 30" as well. Number of fish are tough to predict on a daily basis, but this is the time that good numbers of hooked fish happen. From now till mid May the Lower Sac is on, and its got to be the best trout fishery on the west coast. Book now for prime dates.

Trinity:

Well as much as I want to give you a great report, I cant. Its blown out, and will continue to be for the next week. However, after that it should be fishable, but dont know for how long. Fish came in early this year, and the last big storm pushed up a large number of them, then the fishing really slowed down. I still think there is one good big push of fish to come, and this storm/blow out would be the one to pull of the remain fish. Once it clears and drops, there will still be some fish in the river, just have to work for them. The fly fishing only section opens April 1st, this is one place worth giving a shot.

Putah Creek:

When things clear up, about a week after this next heavy rain, and it will be a pretty steelhead green and will be the place to get your wade on. The fish are done spawning and its time to hit the creek once again. Great place to hone your skills, and become a better angler all around, and no better way to learn it that with an experienced guide. Putah Creek is one hot spot during the spring. 

Truckee:

Once the river flows drop a bit more, but mainly once the river clears up this will be another hot spot as well. Right now flows are 1000cfs at Floriston, 900cfs at boca, and 200cfs though town, give it a week to recover, and the river should be a steelhead green and I would definitely recommend hitting it. Just like Putah, another great place to hone your skills, and no better way to learn it that with an experience guide.

Even though the fishing conditions are a bit tough right now, give it a week or so and we will be good to go. The nice thing about all this rain, is all this water will only help us get out of the drought, and give us a great opportunity for some awesome fishing for time to come. As stated in my reports, most rivers should come into play in the next week or so, so keep a close eye out for those. 

Here are my available dates

March Nothing available right now

April 2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,25,26,28,29,30

May 1-14,16-19,22-28,30,31

For dates past May please dont hesitate to ask.

Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates

may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.

I am trying to book a few days on the Lower Sac for anyone interested

They are as follows

April Lower Sac Dates 14,17,18,21 maybe 22

Great time to be on the lower sac

Book while they are still available

I hope you enjoyed the report, I know it isnt much, but there are a few areas to fish, and right now its all about the near future. Get those spring trips on the books, not just for steelhead and trout, but for stripers, shad and even salmon. 

Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions you may have, and I hope to have the opportunity to fish with you soon.

Thank you in advance

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER

KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian W. Clemens

Owner/Operator

NOR CAL FLY GUIDES

530-354-3740

WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM

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