Hello Everyone,
I hope you all and a great Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas with family and friends, something that was definitely needed this year.
Where do I begin, 2020, hmmmm, can we just wipe it away from our memories. Man what a year it has been, I think we can all agree that we cant wait for 2021 to get here. Despite all that has happened in 2020, there was a bright light that conquered the darkness this year in our lives (wife and I) with the birth of our baby boy Brayden John Clemens. It's hard to believe that he is 5 months old already, is close to crawling, started eating baby food, rolling over and then back over, laughing, mimicking and just the best happiest baby any parents could ask for. It was definitely a journey with him during his first week of birth in the nicu as well as the first few months with all the doctor appointments, but he has bounced back 100%.. We even received an early Christmas present, on Dec 17th his pulmonologist said he no longer needs oxygen at night while sleeping as well as in his car seat. What a great way to end 2020 but with the best news we could ever receive.
With that being said, let's move on to the fishing in Northern California. Fishing has been a bit different this year with very little rainfall as well as a late salmon run due to above average water temps. But the salmon finally showed and the fall fishing really turned on. I say this every year, but this fall was the absolute busiest fall season I have ever had, so thank you. With the recent rains and more in the near future it will definitely help the current fishing conditions with a fresh rotation of fish. January, February and March are shaping up to have some great fishing opportunities and it will be the time to get on the water. The big winter fish are arriving daily so it's time to get bent.
Yuba
Flow - 850cfs
Fishing - good to great
FYI: on 12/26 the first Skwala Stonefly was seen on the banks. Its TIME!!!!!!
This year I spent more time on the Yuba than I usually do and that's due to moving to Marysville, and I'm falling in love with this fishery all over again. This fall there was a nice push of early salmon and we started seeing salmon spawning as early as Labor day, and the spawn continued well into Dec. The numbers of salmon were not great, but it was nice to see a good number of them spawning over a 3 month period. The fishing was down right stupid with the Yuba Bows keying in on Eggs of course, but also worms and caddis. The flows were higher than expected which made the
than fishing dries in Dec, Jan and Feb and getting fish to eat them throughout the day.
Dont forget about swinging alevins, the Yuba bows love alevins on the swing. Dont miss out on some of the coolest fishing of the year. Why drive hours to trout fish, when you can fish an hr from Sacramento in the Historic Yuba Gold Fields. Still have some Skwala dates remaining in January and February, dont miss out.
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
Nymphs: Eggs, Caddis, Stones, Mays, Worms
Dries: Stones, Mays
Swinging: Sculpzilla, Olive buggers, Alevins
Feather
Low Flow - 840cfsHigh Flow - 1700cfs
Fishing - good to great
Of course who can forget about the Feather, this year was a bit weird, we had an early push of salmon, but then due to warm water temps there was a big lull between the early fish and the late fish. The fishing in the low flow was extremely good in Sept and early Oct, but come mid Oct I stay away from the Low flow as it gets to crowded with anglers as well as salmon, so I focus on the High Flow. Due to the later than normal push of salmon, the high flow didnt start fishing good till late Oct early Nov. We didnt see the numbers of steelhead like we usually do, but we made up for it in the sheer size of fish, fish pushing 8lbs wasn't uncommon. With the egg bite "supposedly" winding down, so is the pressure, but the fishing is actuality picking up. We are hooking good numbers of fish daily, with both quality and quantity, I love the quality of these fish lately. The average fish is huge, hooking many fish over 24" on a daily basis, but not many of them making it to the net. Average fish is 22-24", but hooking fish from 24-28" is a definite
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
Nymphs: Eggs, Caddis, CJs, Princes, Mays, Worms, Alevins
Swinging- Flesh Flies, Flesh eggs, soft hackles, alevins, Sculpins
Trinity
Lewiston - 300cfs
Junction City - 500cfs
Burnt Ranch - 750cfs
Willow Creek - 2000cfs
Flows are on the drop
Clarity - Clear up river, more color as you move down river
Fishing - fair to good
What an interesting fall season we have had on the Trinity. Things started out great late summer early fall while swinging up great numbers of fish, some pushing 6-8lbs. Once the flows dropped mid Oct, that's when the fishing began to get tough. As the season progressed the river became lower, colder and clearer than normal and over the last month we had to put in the time and work hard for just a few fish. But finally we have seen some rain, and it brought new life to the river and a fresh rotation of steelhead. My last day on the T, 12/14, I was able to get out and play and found 2 nice fish swinging mid river between 10-2pm. The river somewhat blew out in the lower river with Burnt Ranch hitting 1000cfs,
Nymphs: Eggs, Worms, Stones, Psycho Princes, CJs, Hares Ear
Swinging: Stones, Hobo Speys, Euphorias, Obsidian Johnsons
Dries: Stones, March Browns
Lower Sac
Flow - 3500cfsClarity - 10-12ft
Fishing - good to great
What a fall we had on the Lower Sac, once again, the salmon did show up a bit late, but once they showed the egg bite was darn good and as the day progressed they couldn't resist the caddis or stones. The egg bite is all but over and they are back to eating the usual Lower Sac bugs like rubberlegs, mays, caddis and even alevins. With the recent rains it has livened up the LS and the fishing is pretty darn good. Some big fish are still being hooked, landing may be an issue. With cloud cover in the mix daily, expect to see some hatches throughout the day. Dec Jan Feb is always a
good time on the LS due to less pressure while anglers are chasing the infamous steelhead. But some of the best fishing is to be had in the spring. Despite the fishing pressure that happens in the spring, the fish are none the wiser and we hook into a great number of fish. Book your next Lower Sac trip to experience one of the best trout fisheries on the West Coast.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Eggs, Caddis, Mays, Alevins, Birdsnest
Things to look out for
With the new year just around the corner, there are a few rivers to start thinking about that open up January 1st.
1) American, as most of you know has some big hot winter fish. Now I don't know what the flow will be on January 1st, but I can tell you that there will be some big steelhead swimming around in those waters. Also, with the late run of salmon on the American, there should be a good late egg bite happening as well. While I stay away from any river with an opener on the Jan 1st, not a crowd guy, but in previous years I have always been out there first light slaying the steel. If you arent to hung over, get out there mid morning, find a spot and fish away.
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
2) Feather, the upper stretch opens up on Jan 1st as well, and there is some good water up there, both for nymphing as well as swinging. With the late egg bite we are seeing, as well as salmon still showing up, I think there will be a week or two that eggs will be a good choice up top. After that, time to bust out the winter steelhead flies for these bruisers.
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
Other cool items being offered
1) Also as I stated earlier in the season, I am now offering an All Inclusive Swing Only Fly Fishing Adventure on the Lower Klamath River. We are fishing 20 miles from the ocean and just upstream of Blue Creek. This is a jet boat in and out only trip. This is being offered through me and we will all be staying at Rivers West Lodge. It is a 3 night/3 day minimum excursion and a minimum of 2 anglers. Your food, lodging and guide services are covered for the 3 days at the lodge as well as your lodging/dinner the evening prior to your trip in Klamath Glenn, hosted by me. The cost is $550 per day, per angler and I can personally fish up to 3 anglers in my boat. I am currently booking trips for 2021 as early as July on through mid Oct. In 2021. We will see higher water in 2021 as the we will get the River Dance flows coming down the Trinity and the fishing will be off the hook. If interested please shoot me an email and I can give you more information.
2) If you are a shad guy or gal and want to fish for shad in 2021, book your dates asap. During the months of May and June the majority of my efforts are going to target shad on the swing on the Lower Yuba River in my jet boat. We will target them wading via the gravel bars and these fish are a great way to learn the art of swinging and spey casting 2 handed rods. My Lower Yuba Shad trips are becoming more popular each and every year, so if you are looking to book and want prime dates, please book as soon as possible. Available dates are listed below. If the shad fishing is slower than normal, I always have some rods on board to target stripers as well as a few swinging flies to target trout. This is typically done earlier in the season and later in the season, pre May 15th and post June 15th, give or take as each season is different. While between those dates are prime, I start targeting/guiding them the first full week of May. Personally I love early season shad fishing as you get very big and fresh females in the system and they will work you over on a full 6wt spey rod. Later in the season as the fish start spawning and the fishing slows down mid day, we turn our efforts towards chasing stripers and possibly trout.
Dries: Stones, March Browns
Lower Sac
Fishing - good to great
What a fall we had on the Lower Sac, once again, the salmon did show up a bit late, but once they showed the egg bite was darn good and as the day progressed they couldn't resist the caddis or stones. The egg bite is all but over and they are back to eating the usual Lower Sac bugs like rubberlegs, mays, caddis and even alevins. With the recent rains it has livened up the LS and the fishing is pretty darn good. Some big fish are still being hooked, landing may be an issue. With cloud cover in the mix daily, expect to see some hatches throughout the day. Dec Jan Feb is always a
good time on the LS due to less pressure while anglers are chasing the infamous steelhead. But some of the best fishing is to be had in the spring. Despite the fishing pressure that happens in the spring, the fish are none the wiser and we hook into a great number of fish. Book your next Lower Sac trip to experience one of the best trout fisheries on the West Coast.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Eggs, Caddis, Mays, Alevins, Birdsnest
Things to look out for
With the new year just around the corner, there are a few rivers to start thinking about that open up January 1st.
1) American, as most of you know has some big hot winter fish. Now I don't know what the flow will be on January 1st, but I can tell you that there will be some big steelhead swimming around in those waters. Also, with the late run of salmon on the American, there should be a good late egg bite happening as well. While I stay away from any river with an opener on the Jan 1st, not a crowd guy, but in previous years I have always been out there first light slaying the steel. If you arent to hung over, get out there mid morning, find a spot and fish away.
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
2) Feather, the upper stretch opens up on Jan 1st as well, and there is some good water up there, both for nymphing as well as swinging. With the late egg bite we are seeing, as well as salmon still showing up, I think there will be a week or two that eggs will be a good choice up top. After that, time to bust out the winter steelhead flies for these bruisers.
Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins.
Other cool items being offered
1) Also as I stated earlier in the season, I am now offering an All Inclusive Swing Only Fly Fishing Adventure on the Lower Klamath River. We are fishing 20 miles from the ocean and just upstream of Blue Creek. This is a jet boat in and out only trip. This is being offered through me and we will all be staying at Rivers West Lodge. It is a 3 night/3 day minimum excursion and a minimum of 2 anglers. Your food, lodging and guide services are covered for the 3 days at the lodge as well as your lodging/dinner the evening prior to your trip in Klamath Glenn, hosted by me. The cost is $550 per day, per angler and I can personally fish up to 3 anglers in my boat. I am currently booking trips for 2021 as early as July on through mid Oct. In 2021. We will see higher water in 2021 as the we will get the River Dance flows coming down the Trinity and the fishing will be off the hook. If interested please shoot me an email and I can give you more information.
2) If you are a shad guy or gal and want to fish for shad in 2021, book your dates asap. During the months of May and June the majority of my efforts are going to target shad on the swing on the Lower Yuba River in my jet boat. We will target them wading via the gravel bars and these fish are a great way to learn the art of swinging and spey casting 2 handed rods. My Lower Yuba Shad trips are becoming more popular each and every year, so if you are looking to book and want prime dates, please book as soon as possible. Available dates are listed below. If the shad fishing is slower than normal, I always have some rods on board to target stripers as well as a few swinging flies to target trout. This is typically done earlier in the season and later in the season, pre May 15th and post June 15th, give or take as each season is different. While between those dates are prime, I start targeting/guiding them the first full week of May. Personally I love early season shad fishing as you get very big and fresh females in the system and they will work you over on a full 6wt spey rod. Later in the season as the fish start spawning and the fishing slows down mid day, we turn our efforts towards chasing stripers and possibly trout.
3) I am also offering a Spey Casting Clinic during shad season, May to June. This clinic will be dedicated to beginners and intermediates. In this 4hr clinic we will learn the basics of spey casting and the art of swinging, its all about fundamentals and better mechanics for those intermediate casters. It will take place on the Yuba River with my jet boat and as stated during the shad run. This will allow you to not only learn how to cast and swing, but build your confidence in getting the grab. There is a minimum 3 anglers and maximum of 4. I will offer 2 clinics per day, morning and afternoon. Price is $200 per angler for 3 anglers, $175 per angler for 4 anglers. Equipment can be provided if needed, you will need a CA fishing license.
Dates are: May 8th,19th, June 12th, 26th either morning or afternoon slots
One More Thing To Add
In the latest issue of California Fly Fisher Magazine, Dec 2020, my Skwala stonefly nymph was featured in the Skwala Primer for 2021: Lessons Learned by Jon Baiocchi. This article is a great read for anyone wanting to learn the intricacies of the skwala hatch on the Yuba River. It is very in depth and informative on all facets of the skwala from rigging, presentation, the hatch, patterns and even tactics for pressured trout on the Yuba. Again a great read and extremely informative. After reading it myself it makes me want to get out there right now and throw some Skwalas on top just for the hell of it, hey you never know.
Also in the magazine is another great read named Central Valley Rivers" Year-Round Fishing by Chris Smith. This article talks about the year round fishing that we are blessed with in the Sac-Redding Valley and information on many of the rivers that I personally guide including the Feather, Yuba and Lower Sac. It even talks about warm water species as well. Sweet read.
Lastly, this month's article also pays tribute to a true legend, Truckee guide of 37yrs, a preserver of our fisheries and someone that was a true honor to have on my boat, to also guide on a river he has never fish and just converse with throughout the day last spring on the Lower Sac, Frank Pisciotta. Please give this article a read, it's pretty darn good. RIP Frank, you will truly be missed, but we know you are up there with some great ones jammin out and fishing with some true greats as well.
My Available Local Dates
January 16,17,20,22,23,24,25,28,29,31
February 2,3,12,13,14,17,18,19,20,21,
March 1,2,3,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,
Contact me for future available dates
YUBA SHAD DATES
May 8,10,11,15,16,26
June 1,5,6,8,9,10,12-19,21-30
Book you next shad adventure ASAP
My Available Trinity/Lower Sac Dates
January 10,11
Feb 1,2,3,4,7,8
March 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11
There you have it folks, the fishing is pretty darn good right now, and its going to stay good to great for weeks/months to come. Whether you are looking to get out by yourself, or book a trip with me in the near future, its time to get out there and get bent.
Being that this is my 2020 Winter fishing report, this will be the last fishing report for 2020. I wanted to thank you all for making my 2020 guiding season a huge success despite the challenges we faced this year. Thank you all for working with me during these hard and troubled times and booking your trips with me throughout the year. Without you, this year would have been a tough and bumpy road, but you all made the best of it and honestly, I feel this season was more of a success in getting to know you all on a personal level than just booking/guiding a ton of trips. It was a true blessing to guide you all this year, and have you part of my personal life/journey through it all including the blessing of our son Brayden John. So from the bottom of my family's hearts, thank you to all that have helped Nor Cal Fly Guides have another successful season. Wishing you and your family all the best during the holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
Tight Lines
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
The Clemens Family
In the latest issue of California Fly Fisher Magazine, Dec 2020, my Skwala stonefly nymph was featured in the Skwala Primer for 2021: Lessons Learned by Jon Baiocchi. This article is a great read for anyone wanting to learn the intricacies of the skwala hatch on the Yuba River. It is very in depth and informative on all facets of the skwala from rigging, presentation, the hatch, patterns and even tactics for pressured trout on the Yuba. Again a great read and extremely informative. After reading it myself it makes me want to get out there right now and throw some Skwalas on top just for the hell of it, hey you never know.
Also in the magazine is another great read named Central Valley Rivers" Year-Round Fishing by Chris Smith. This article talks about the year round fishing that we are blessed with in the Sac-Redding Valley and information on many of the rivers that I personally guide including the Feather, Yuba and Lower Sac. It even talks about warm water species as well. Sweet read.
Lastly, this month's article also pays tribute to a true legend, Truckee guide of 37yrs, a preserver of our fisheries and someone that was a true honor to have on my boat, to also guide on a river he has never fish and just converse with throughout the day last spring on the Lower Sac, Frank Pisciotta. Please give this article a read, it's pretty darn good. RIP Frank, you will truly be missed, but we know you are up there with some great ones jammin out and fishing with some true greats as well.
My Available Local Dates
January 16,17,20,22,23,24,25,28,29,31
February 2,3,12,13,14,17,18,19,20,21,
March 1,2,3,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,
Contact me for future available dates
YUBA SHAD DATES
May 8,10,11,15,16,26
June 1,5,6,8,9,10,12-19,21-30
Book you next shad adventure ASAP
My Available Trinity/Lower Sac Dates
January 10,11
Feb 1,2,3,4,7,8
March 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11
There you have it folks, the fishing is pretty darn good right now, and its going to stay good to great for weeks/months to come. Whether you are looking to get out by yourself, or book a trip with me in the near future, its time to get out there and get bent.
Being that this is my 2020 Winter fishing report, this will be the last fishing report for 2020. I wanted to thank you all for making my 2020 guiding season a huge success despite the challenges we faced this year. Thank you all for working with me during these hard and troubled times and booking your trips with me throughout the year. Without you, this year would have been a tough and bumpy road, but you all made the best of it and honestly, I feel this season was more of a success in getting to know you all on a personal level than just booking/guiding a ton of trips. It was a true blessing to guide you all this year, and have you part of my personal life/journey through it all including the blessing of our son Brayden John. So from the bottom of my family's hearts, thank you to all that have helped Nor Cal Fly Guides have another successful season. Wishing you and your family all the best during the holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
Tight Lines
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
The Clemens Family
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740
WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM
Check us out on Facebook
530-354-3740
WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM
Check us out on Facebook
