Spring 2020 Fishing Report

Hello Everyone,

I want to first start of by saying thank you to all that attended the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show. This was my first year having at booth there, and because of you all it was an absolute success. I will definitely continue having a booth there for years to come. Also thank you to all that come to my booth, it was a pleasure meeting new faces and potential future clients and of course I can never forget those that came by that I have had the pleasure of guiding over the years. Thank you to you all.

Now for the Spring Report

Well, we officially had the driest February on record and it looked like March might have been the same way until the weather we are getting right now. This rain is definitely needed and will only make the fishing better in the long run. The 2020 season has started off with a bang and with some very unusual and extremely warm temperatures. It has brought the best Skwala hatch that I have seen in years and is still going strong and with other bugs in the mix. The steelhead have finally arrived and the fishing is pretty darn good for them as well. Right now, its hard to say anything is fishing poorly throughout Northern California, so like I always say, it’s time to get out and get bent.

Just a friendly reminder before we get deep into the river specific fishing reports. If you are looking to book any trips with me in the next 4-6 months, its highly recommend booking them ASAP. These trips can and may include trout fishing on the Yuba and Lower Sac, steelhead on the Trinity as well as the Feather, SHAD on the Lower Yuba as well as Stripers on the Lower Yuba and Feather. Dates are extremely limited in the next few months, so BOOK NOW. If spring aint your thing, but Fall is where you like to play ball, again Id also suggest booking those dates sooner than later. Several dates are already booked during prime time in Oct and Nov so act fast. I will say this, if you are debating on booking spring or fall, book in the fall and experience something that is only seen in Alaska. The salmon are in building redds and spawning and that only means one thing, EGG BITE. The trout and steelhead go nuts and get a little dumb like they are drinking rum, but in this case, they are literally gorging themselves on eggs. Its an experience that can only be seen in person and is as close to an Alaskan experience as you will ever get.

Yuba River
Hwy20 - 950cfs

Below Daguerre - 850cfs

Fishing – Good to Great

Clarity – Clear
Since moving to Marysville and being only 15mins from the take out ramp for the Hwy20 float, I have been spending much more time on the Yuba compared to past years. This has led me to fall right back in love with it. This year we have seen some warmer weather, much earlier than normal, and with that it has brought on the bugs. From Skwalas to Caddis, Pinkys to March Browns, Bwos to PMDs and even very large Brown Drakes, and some days we see each and every one of those bugs on the surface. This meant the fish were looking up earlier in the season than normal and it was pretty easy to fool them. Since then the flows have drop and the clarity has become very clear, so proper dry fly drifts as well as dry fly selection is going to be key to get that slurpy ring. The fishing on the Yuba will continue to be good to great for weeks to come and whether you want to throw dries, swing soft hackles or nymph various bugs, the Yuba has it all.

Dries – Skwala, March Browns, BWOs, Fat Albert
Swinging – Anything Olive (wooly buggers, leeches) Tan Soft hackles, Olive soft hackles
Nymphs – Stones, March Browns, BWOs, PTs, Copper Johns, Match the Hatch

YUBA RIVER SHAD and STRIPER Trips

The 2019 shad/striper season on the Yuba was beyond epic, with most anglers landing 20-40 fish each day, with the best day on the water with 2 anglers they landed 148 shad. The boat ride alone is worth the price of admission, the fishing is just a bonus. If you want to experience some of the best shad fishing in California, join me on the Lower Yuba with my jet boat where we get out on gravel bars and swing for these "poormans tarpon." Dont know how to swing, no worries, Ill have you casting a 2 handed rod in no time, and there is no better time to learn how to cast and swing than during shad season, its a numbers game. Also, the striper fishing on the Yuba can be lights out, fishing gin clear water and watching the fish follow your fly all the way to the boat, then eating it, what more could you ask for. Whether its a shad trip, striper trip or a combo trip, I have the Lower Yuba dialed and as long as we have about 900cfs we can make it all the way up to the dam. Dates are extremely limited, booking well in advance is extremely recommend. I am typically fully booked up from May 1st to July 1st for shad, striper and spring run steelhead, SO BOOK YOUR DATES NOW. Shad season starts around May 1st to July 1st

Prime time May 15th to June 15th

Feather River

High Flow – 1750cfs

Fishing – Good to Great
Clarity – 8-10ft with a hint of green PERFECT

Over the past few weeks I have been spending a good amount on time on the Feather both nymphing and swinging, and to say that the steelhead have finally showed up is an understatement. Not only has it been fishing well for both techniques we are also seeing a good number of them too. This is the busiest time of the year for me, March to July, and it has a lot to do with the Feather River. We are seeing some nice hatches of caddis and bwos throughout the day and the steelhead are gobbling them up like a bag of skittles. The Feather steelhead never disappoint, good numbers of 2-4lb aerobatic fish are making it to the net and as always, we have hooked into a few whoppers, some pushing 8lbs. Better to have hooked and lost than not hooked at all. If you are thinking steelhead season ends Jan/Feb you are very mistaken, the Feather fishes well into June. Now’s the time to book that Spring Time steelhead trip and see why I spend more time on the Feather than any other river I guide.

Swinging – Anderson’s Euphoria, Anything Olive (sculpins, wooly buggers) Tan or Olive Soft hackles

Nymphing – Prince Nymphs, Caddis, BWOs, PTs, Copper Johns, Worms

Lower Sac

Flow – 4500cfs
Fishing – Good to Great
Clarity – 8-10ft with a hit of green Perfect
As always, the Lower Sac is firing on all cylinders and there is some phenomenal fishing to be had. As for bugs, you name it, we are seeing it and the fish are filling their bellies with them. Depending on the weather and temps, some days the bugs are out and the fish are taking them on top, while other days you see very little bug activity, but the fish are still taking nymphs. No matter what method you are used the fishing is downright good. But that’s the Lower Sac for ya, and that’s why its the best trout fishery on the West Coast. The fishing on the Lower Sac isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, so if you are looking to hook into good to great numbers of hard fitting bows, some pushing mid 20”, the next few months will be prime time. Book now as dates are very limited.

Nymphs – Stones, PMDs, Caddis, BWOs, Princes, Birds nest, Eggs
Drys – Caddis, BWOs, PMDs

Trinity River

Flow:
Lewistion – 300cfs
Douglas City – 350cfs
Junction City – 500cfs
Burnt Ranch – 700cfs
South Fork – 300cfs
Below SF – 1600cfs
Fishing – Good to Great
Clarity – Clear

The trinity has had its ups and downs this season, especially during the fall, we definitely won’t rehash that. However, since the start of the 2020 season, it has consistently become better as the weeks progressed. Right now, fishing is the best we have seen it all season, and I think it will continue to fish like this well into mid April. Swinging, Nymphing and even dry flys have been producing fish, nothing better than taking a steelhead on a sz12 March Brown. If you are looking to fish a very scenic river, get away from the hustle and bustle of the freeways and towns, take your chances up on the Trinity, you will be pleasantly surprised on what you find.

Dries – March Browns and Stones
Swinging – Andersons’s Euphorias, Pimps, Bread Crusts, Stones, small and sparse hobo speys
Nymphs – Stones, CJs, PTs, Worms, March Browns, Psycho Princes

There you have it folks, your Northern California fishing report from Nor Cal Fly Guides. We hope this gets you jacked and amped for the up and coming season. The fishing has really turned on over these past few weeks with the weather we are having and it will continue to stay good to great for months to come, especially after this rain. Get out there and be the report don’t believe the report. Hope to see you on the water. If you see an all blue boat and a red bearded man on the sticks, don’t be afraid of the beard, give a shout out and say hi.

My Available Local River Dates: i.e. Yuba, Feather, American, Putah, Truckee
March – 20(half day afternoon), 23
April – 13,14,16,30
May – 1,2,3,5,8, 9(half day afternoon),11,13,16
June – 3,8,9,11,13-30
July – All dates available but may be tentative mid July (Our baby is due)
August – Unavailable dates 4-13
September – All Available
Oct – 2(half day afternoon),4,5,18,19,21-30 (other dates may be available upon request)
Nov – 13,14,15,18,21,22,23,25,26,27,28,29,30

My Available Trinity Lower Sac Dates;
March:23,28,29
April – NA
May – NA
June – NA
July Avail upon request
August – 13,14,15,16,17 (unavailable 4-13) other dates available upon request
Sept – Avail upon request
Oct – 7-15
Nov – 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

As each year passes, my available dates during busy/peak season has become harder to book due to the high demand of my services. I wish I had more days available during peak season as I want nothing more than to guide you all, but unfortunately, I am a one man bad and these seasons are only so long. For those that enjoy fishing with me during Spring and Fall, booking 6 months in advance is highly recommend in order to get those specific prime dates.

As always if you have any questions about fishing, fishing produces or booking a future trip please feel free to contact me at any time.

I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.

Tight Lines and Solid Grabs

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian Clemens

NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740
WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM
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