While the dog days of summer are biting at our heals, the fishing in Nor Cal is as good as it gets, and will continue for months to come.
Lets just get straight to the report:
Yuba
Flows Upper Lower Yuba 1700cfs
Flows Lower Lower Yuba 950cfs
Clarity Gin Clear
Fishing U.L Yuba Fair
Fishing L.L Yuba Good to Great
Above the Weir
Trout fishing has been fair, there are fish to be had, but you are having to work for them. I have only done one trip over the past month, and while we landed some quality fish, it was slower than what I expected. The river has changed a lot, and finding where those fish are holding will be challenging. With lower flows in the future the fishing should get better, and fishing a hopper dropping should work out great. If going out now, try nymphing the deeper runs, and throw dries in the tailouts, also throwing streamers is always a great idea.
Nymphs: Caddis, Stones (goldens, yellow sallys), mayflies
Streamers: Olive woolly buggers, tan soft hackles
Dries: Pink Alberts, Caddis, Hoppers
Below the Weir
What a site for sore eyes this year with the new boat. Up till this year I dreaded shad fishing on the American due to the crowds and lack of river etiquette. Also while striper fishing was fun on the AR, it can be crowded too and I wanted to offer more to my clients and now I can. The shad fishing on the Yuba was TOP NOTCH and there are still a few around that will take your fly. If you are looking to shad fish next year this river is for you, oh the boat ride is a blast as well. Book your 2019 Shad trips now starting May 1st 2019. Dates filled up extremely fast this year. Now that the shad fishing is almost over its time to target stripers, and once again the Yuba doesnt disappoint. While you may not get the 20lber that you could get elsewhere, you will consistently hooked 2-5lb fish all day long, plenty of shakers and the opportunity at fish from 5-10lbs is a very good possibility. The cool part about the Yuba is the fishing is strong all day long, no need to get on at O'dark30 just to get on the fish. Ditch the American and join me on one of the prettiest rivers in Nor Cal and watch these fish follow and eat your fly from bank to boat.
Striper Flies: Tobys Shad Teaser sz2, 2/0, 4/0, Thalkens Shad Cruiser 2/0, anything shad in color
Feather
Flows Low Flow 1400cfs
Clarity 8ft Clear
Flows High Flow 3000cfs
Clarity 10ft slight green
Fishing Good to Great
All I can say is this has been my secret little gem as of late, "Be The Report, Dont believe the Report". While most think the Feather is done till the fall, I say not the case at all. We have been having great success chasing summer run steelhead, ranging from 14-18" and an occasional 18-22" fish as well. Nymphing of course is the best option for the most fish, however, we have been having a great time swinging small switch and spey rods for these fish as well, with good numbers to hand. The low flow is cold and flowing at 1400cfs, cant ask for anything better than that. There of course is a bonus this time of year too, stripers. While you wont get the numbers like you see on the Yuba, the fish on the Feather are much much bigger, averaging 5-10lbs and some pushing 20lbs are around and chomping at the bit to eat your fly. If you want to chase steelhead and stripers with good to great success look no further than the Feather.
Nymphs: Caddis, Prince Nymphs, Mayflies, Worms
Swinging: Tan Soft Hackles, olive woolly buggers, U name its, olive sculpins, caddis
Stripers: Tobys Teasers All Colors All Sizes, Thalkens Cruiser All Sizes All Colors, Stay Hungry Streamers All Colors All Sizes
If you book your trips with me in the fall on the Feather for the Egg Bite, booking well in advance is highly recommended. I already have dates booked, and dates are becoming limited for this great time of year to fish for steelhead.
Feather River Salmon
Dont forget that the opener for Salmon on the Feather is July 16th and I am currently booking Salmon trips starting July 24th with open prime dates throughout July, August and Sept. These trips will be done with the aid of my jet boat and with conventional gear, you can either keep your catch or release your catch the choice is yours. It will be booked like a normal trip for up to 2 anglers, additional anglers are welcome, up to 3 total, there is an additional charge for 3rd angler. There will be NO CHARTER TRIPS with 4-8 anglers, just you and me for the day. We will target salmon until you have your fix or fish, after that we can then target steelhead or striper for the rest of the day, or if you choose to we can call it a day and head on home.
Look forward to offering these trips this year.
American River
Flows 5000cfs
Clarity 12ft Clear
Fishing Shad Good
Fishing Striper Fair
Fishing Trout Steelhead Good
The AR had a great push of shad this year and the fishing was pretty darn good. Currently the fishing continues and while you can get out and hook a good number of them, it is on the down hill slope. I expect the shad fishing to hold out for another 2 maybe 3 weeks and then it will be over. The striper fishing has been up and down, very inconsistent, good one day horrible the next. The flows are all over the place, and now at 5000cfs it makes for some tougher conditions. When the flows come back down, I expect the fishing to get better for stripers. The trout and steelhead fishing has been pretty good with a nice push of summer steelhead, average fish 14-18" but again fish up to 22" have been hooked and landed. Nymphing is best at these flows, but prior to the big bump, we had some good success swinging. Right now, I would wait for the flows to drop then get out and give um hell. If you are looking for trout give the Yuba or even better the sierras a shot while the flows and temps up there are good.
Shad: Bloody Maria, Wet Pinkies
Stripers: Tobys Teaser, White chartuse clousers, white and gray clousers
Trout Steelhead: Caddis, Mays, Worms, Caddis, Caddis
My Available Dates
July 9,22,24,27,28,29,30
August 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,17,18,19,20,21,23,24,25
Sept 7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20,26,28,29
Please contact me for available dates after August
Oct and Nov at starting to fill up fast, get your Fall Egg Bite dates in ASAP
Trinity Dates
We are already booking Trinity dates for the Fall season. If you are interested in booking dates, Id highly recommend booking well in advance
August 29,30,31, Sept 1,4,5
Great early season swinging for half pounders, tweenies and some early adults. Skating is king, with tips being used if needed. Some dry fly action can be had throughout the day, especially in the evenings with caddis. Nymphing can be done, but no need to. The least busiest time of year to be up here.
Oct 9,10
Last chance fishing before the flows drop on Oct 15th from 450 to 300cfs. Swinging is in full effect. Skating at its finest, and tips used when needed. Good numbers of halfies and tweenies, but also a good number of adults. Some of the best swinging is done in Oct, and this is the time. Nymphing can be done, but why bother. Starting to see a few more boats, but still nothing like November.
Nov 9,10,13,14
PRIME TIME for swinging and nymphing. Best time of year, but the busiest time of year. Still finding fish on the swing and many adults to be had no matter the float. PRIME PRIME PRIME
Dec 15-22
Winter fish are starting to show, winter fishing at its finest. Fish are spread throughout the system from top to bottom, and if water temps are still warm enough, swinging them up is very possible.
More dates available upon request and availability
There you have it folks, your July Summer fishing report. Its a great time to be on the water, whether for a half day or full day, the fishing is top notch. We will be chasing striper, trout, steelhead and salmon for the next few months, dont miss out on some solid Nor Cal Fishing. If you are looking for something new, take a jet boat right up the Lower Lower Yuba and strip for stripers.
As always, if you book any trips with me in the fall, I highly recommend booking well in advance, as I book up early and fast, and want to make sure I can accommodate your dates and get you on the water.
Thank you all for reading the report
And look forward to seeing you soon
