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Current Fishing Report

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A long weekend and a break in the weather, created a window to explore winter fishing on Hat Creek. Everyone netted a few fish in the morning, which helped shake off the winter rust. The afternoon warmed and nymphing, indicator and tightline, picked up. Later, as we hiked out, rising fish offered a tempting opportunity but we agreed to leave them for the next trip. Check out Mike, Colin or Mat's calendar to book a walk and wade trip on the creek. 

View Mat Squillante's Calendar

Over the past three weeks, I’ve had several trips on Hat Creek, the McCloud, and the Upper Sac. The flows are very wadable, the water temps are in the low-mid 50’s, and all three rivers have fished very well for my guests. Euro nymphing has been the most productive technique for my guests, but we’ve also done very well fishing dry-dropper rigs, and you will always catch fish on an indicator rig. The dogwood trees are blooming along the McCloud, which always makes this a special time of year. If you’re interested in learning a new technique, or perfecting what you have already learned – let’s book a walk-wade trip on any of our amazing rivers!

Hat Creek - PH#2
Hat Creek - PH#2
Hat Creek - lower
Hat Creek - lower
McCloud
McCloud
Nature Conservancy Map
Nature Conservancy Map
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar
Good

Today was Aaron’s birthday.  To celebrate, his son Coleton and son-in-law Chris took him fishing on Hat Creek. All three of them hooked into fish everywhere we fished, but Aaron was gifted with two beautiful birthday fish! 

Fishing Report Image
Fishing Report Image
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar
Good

Looking for the latest update on what's happening on the Lower Sac, Upper Sac, and Trinity River? Check out the latest video river report I did. The Lower Sac is still colored up a bit, but fish can be caught. The Upper Sac is looking gorgeous and when it blows out, returns quickly. Plus the Trinity is fishing well. Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/NAwnybSRqj0If you haven't yet subscribed to the channel, be sure to smash that buttom right alongside the bell so you get notified when we put new things up! 

Fishing Report Image
View Luke Geraty's Calendar
Great

Tom and Cheryl joined me again for two days here in Northern California, fishing on the Sacramento River and then chasing steelhead on the Trinity. We were on the Sac on Friday and the river had a bit of color in it when we first started but it wasn't blown out and we hooked a lot of fish throughout the morning. I think by 9am we had probably put fifteen fish in the net and had lost a bunch more. Getting on early has its rewards. By the end of the day the river had definitely become much worse and visibility went from around four feet to less than six inches. All that ash and mud had finally made its way through Keswick down to Redding and definitely made an impact. Despite this challenge, Cheryl still managed to put the largest fish of the day in the net.. a heavy 'bow that taped just under 24 inches, what I like to call a "two hander." Of course, as a "professional," I had to grab a quick photo with one hand when we were letting it go... and as the fish was safely returned to the river and we watched it swim away, we all smiled.Now I've been telling Cheryl and Tom about the Trinity for the past month and a half, so with the increasingly blown out Sac, it seemed to make sense that we go over and check it out. So on Saturday we made our way up and down Buckhorn to float the Trinity River and chase some of those elusive steelhead, the next stage step in Cheryl's discovery of fly fishing. Tom has caught salmon and steelhead before, so he knew what we were in for. The weather was supposed to be a bit rainy but we ended up dodging the rain and even enjoyed some mid 60's temp, with the sun poking its head out the clouds. Fishing wise, Tom and Cheryl quickly learned about how challenging the Trinity can be, especially since it has a lot of shallow runs and trees have a funny way of popping out just at the last minute. But we found fish! Overall we hooked five adults and landed one of them, a smaller adult that gave up one of the hardest fights I think I've seen. I was shocked at how hard that thing pulled and how long it took us to put it in the net... but we did! And while that was a really cool experience, the moment that's replaying in all of our minds is when Tom hooked what was possibly the largest fish I've ever seen on the Trinity. After I had floated through a productive run, I rowed back up and on our second pass, he hooked the giant leviathan of a steelhead. It immediately jumped twice, making massive splashes as it's 10+ pounds of weight crashed back into the river. Tom played the fish for a few minutes and, as he turned it perfectly away from a number of logs, the fish jumped one final time and broke him off. That final jump continues to replay in my sleep and we spent most of the day talking about that fish. We also hooked a number of half-pounders, fish that are potentially the fastest grabbing fish in existence. Hook sets have to happen quick or those things will shake off!The Trinity is definitely fishing well, so now's the time to book a trip! There should be steelhead in the system for another four months, so let's get something on the books!

Sometimes you hook trout while stripping your flies in to recast
Sometimes you hook trout while stripping your flies in to recast
This taped out at just under 24 inches, quite a handful.
This taped out at just under 24 inches, quite a handful.
Another boat told us we were must have found a. “honey hole” because they watched us hook five, ha!
Another boat told us we were must have found a. “honey hole” because they watched us hook five, ha!
Lassen has snow!
Lassen has snow!
Cheryl has become a pro!
Cheryl has become a pro!
One of the hardest fighting Trinity steelhead I’ve seen, despite it’s size!
One of the hardest fighting Trinity steelhead I’ve seen, despite it’s size!
Photo bomb!
Photo bomb!
It was about 8:55am when Tom got this in the boat and we’d already caught about 15!
It was about 8:55am when Tom got this in the boat and we’d already caught about 15!
A beautiful sunrise!
A beautiful sunrise!
View Luke Geraty's Calendar

Be sure to check out our Youtube Channel!  Confluence Outfitters guide Luke Geraty has been busy creating some excellent videos highlighting our various guide destinations.  We posted a Trinity River/Lower Sac river report today.  Some of my other favorites include our Klamath Spey Camp promo, our Klamath Basin report by Dylan Woodrum, and our Delta Striper video with Captain Bryce Tedford.  We have over 30 videos on our channel now - spend some time with us on Youtube and see what our guide service is all about!

This is our latest video from our Klamath River Spey Camp
This is our latest video from our Klamath River Spey Camp
View Andrew Harris's Calendar
Okay

My guests Mike and Jeff have never fished Hat Creek, so today was all about showing them some different sections of this beautiful river. Our morning started at the Powerhouse Riffle – of course. We had some fish feeding on the surface and had lots of grabs, but only landed some small fish on dries. We switched over to nymphs and started getting some grabs and landed one decent fish. After lunch we fished the lower river and hooked some on a hopper-dropper rig. After a few nymph grabs, Mike hooked a nice fish on a dry, but it managed to elude the net and Jeff landed a few small fish. They had a fun day even though the fish were not very grabby.  

Jeff with a decent Hat Creek fish
Jeff with a decent Hat Creek fish
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar
Good

I had a half-day trip on Hat Creek Thursday and again today. The fishing has been pretty good at the Powerhouse Riffle but expect to share the river with other anglers. My guest Dave on Thursday hooked several nice fish and landed a few in the 10”-12” range. Today was crowded but my guests Dustin and David both had some decent action throughout the morning, but everything shut down around 11:00. I then realized the water level had come up nearly one foot since we began fishing. The increased water level will be great for the fishing once the fish settle in. Hat Creek is a beautiful river, and the wading is not very challenging. If you’re looking for a full-day trip, we could split your day between Hat Creek and Burney Creek, or fish the lower sections of Hat Creek if you’re up for some hiking. The salmonfly hatch is right around the corner and we have several great options if you're looking to book a walk-wade trip.  Go Fish!

Pteronarcys californica
Pteronarcys californica
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar
Good

Wiley and I spent a hot but really enjoyable today fishing the waters around the Hat Creek area. We spent fishing time on Hat Creek and Burney Creek with good fishing on dries and nymphs. We spent some time exploring and seeing all the different fishing water that is available in the area. A great day all the way around.

Perfect.
Perfect.
View Mike Wright's Calendar
Okay

Today I had some of the coolest guests ever! Justin brought his 11yo son Conner, and his 9yo daughter Taylor, to learn to fly fish at Burney Creek. And what a fun day it was! Conner and Taylor learned to cast very fast and were able to get some really nice drifts. After a few hours we took a break and walked over to the Burney Falls overlook – which is always amazing. We finished our day fishing one last run and had a blast! With our Learn to Fly Fish program, we offer free wader and boot rentals for kids, and charge a very fair rental fee for adults.

Conner and Justin
Conner and Justin
Conner working the run
Conner working the run
Taylor getting another great drift
Taylor getting another great drift
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar
Great

I just finished up a couple of fun days with longtime guests Rich and Kathleen.  They landed an impressive variety of species in two days: rainbows, browns, and brookies on the Mac plus rainbows and shad on the Sac.  Dry flies were the name of the game on the Mac.  There were three different sizes of stones flying around, including the 2" long giant stoneflies.  Most of our fish were keyed in on golden stones, though.  On our Lower Sac day we fought with the wind but still caught some really nice rainbows, mostly on caddis patterns.  There are a lot of shad in the Red Bluff area and we managed to hook a bunch of them in the evening.

Three sizes of stoneflies on the Mac!
Three sizes of stoneflies on the Mac!
Lower Sac rainbow
Lower Sac rainbow
Rich hooked up on a shad
Rich hooked up on a shad
View Andrew Harris's Calendar
Good

I had a really fun half-day Learn to Fly Fish trip on Burney Creek with my 13-year old guest Dylan. Dylan’s grandfather Nick tagged along and watched as I caught Dylan the basics of fly fishing – and boy did he get the hang of it! There were lots of stoneflies out, so we started with a big stimulator and Dylan had several grabs. Once he got the hang of casting, I added a dropper and he started getting eaten on the nymph.  Dylan learned a lot and had a blast! State Parks are repairing the wooden bridge above the falls, so we got to take the scenic Falls Loop trail while returning to our vehicles.

Always amazing!
Always amazing!
View Brian Kohlman's Calendar

We are reopening our guide service immediately following yesterday's big announcement!  Shasta and Tehama Counties have been approved to fully implement Stage 2 of California's Coronavirus response plan.  It's been almost two months since our last guide trip and our guides are really looking forward to getting back on the water with guests.  Check out our email newsletter for more information about modifications we've made in response to COVID-19.  Also, check out our latest Youtube video and subscribe to our Youtube channel.  If you were one of our many guests who rescheduled due to the coronavirus, please get in touch when you're ready and we'll set you up with some new fishing dates.In case you're wondering, fishing is really good right now!  We've had good reports from the Lower Sac, Lower Feather, McCloud, Pit River, and Fall River this week. 

The Lower Sac below Anderson
The Lower Sac below Anderson
View Andrew Harris's Calendar

Due to the coronavirus crisis, we suspended all guide trips as of last Friday.  For more information, please read today's email newsletter to our guests.  We will keep you posted.  We will get in touch to help you book a trip or reschedule your trip as soon as we have a firm date for getting back to work.

View Andrew Harris's Calendar
Good

Fishing conditions have improved considerably over the past week with the first decent rainfall to find it's way to the North Coast since early February. While most rivers still remain low, the rains that fell have put a healthy stain into most. The Eel basin has benefited the most from the recent precipitation giving the few of us who are still out fishing our last glimpse of steelhead green water before the closure on March 31. My past few outings have met with big rewards with clients shaking hands with some very nice fish. With more rain on the horizon for the North Coast, fishing should remain strong until the end of March. (Just a reminder that on April 1 most North Coast rivers will close to fishing, two notable exceptions are the Smith River and the Main Stem Eel below the SF confluence.)I still have available dates on my calendar, but with everything going on it seems very plausible that this might be one of my last fishing reports for the winter season. Thanks to everyone who made the journey to fish the rivers of California's Redwood Coast with me this season. There were some tough days with some that were the stuff of legend. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy through the weeks and months that lay ahead. I'll see you on the water!

A dreamy buck pulled from some dreamy water
A dreamy buck pulled from some dreamy water
The letting go
The letting go
View Drew Griffith's Calendar
Great

 I'm back from roaming with the Great White Buffalo or working my #SS off elsewhere, however you prefer ! I've opened my calendar up for select dates on select venues, my schedule for 2020 is limited but I have made dates available at prime times on prime waters. If you're interested in fishing with me but don't see dates that work with your schedule feel free to reach out to me, I'll see what we can work out. All days will be spent swinging flies for Steelhead and Trout, other then time spent on Lewiston lake or hunting rising trout on the Lower Sac while wading. If you missed it I will be available on the Lower Klamath in Late July, can be a good time to find an early Summer Steelhead and get away from the Valley Heat !

Trinity Beauty
Trinity Beauty
Lower Klamath Chrome
Lower Klamath Chrome
Battle Creek Steelhead
Battle Creek Steelhead
Chrome Wild Hen
Chrome Wild Hen
View Randy Hamann's Calendar
Great

Of the many things I love about fly fishing in northern California, the diversity of both fisheries and techniques has to be two of the stand outs. Dry fly? No problem. You want to use a spey rod and swing flies? Sure thing. Tight line nymphing? We got you covered. Indicator nymphing? Of course. The opportunities abound and no matter what technique gets you excited or what type of water you want to fish, there are plenty of options to make it happen. From tailwaters to spring creeks to freestones, you can find the perfect escape. And what's more is that there are options throughout the year, with some of the *best* fly fishing happening now, in the spring! The insect hatches start to get pretty crazy and there are still plenty of big fish to be caught. In fact, in the past few days I've had guests on a number of fisheries and we've had chances to catch some great fish on just about every method available. One day due to the massive caddis hatch, we were able to throw double dries for a couple of hours and caught a bunch of fish up top. On another day we were swinging soft hackles and hooking nice trout using trout spey tactics. And today we were catching big 22+ inch fish on size 18 zebra midges and other small nymphs. Northern California has incredible options and you just can't beat the weather right now! Book a trip today on one of our many options and don't forget that walk and wade trips can be extremely effective and you can catch some really big fish. 

Mark's nice 'bow on a rubber legs.
Mark's nice 'bow on a rubber legs.
Yet another trout on the might rubber legs.
Yet another trout on the might rubber legs.
Did someone say size 20 zebra midge?
Did someone say size 20 zebra midge?
Paul got a fish that was nearly 23 inches tight line nymphing!
Paul got a fish that was nearly 23 inches tight line nymphing!
Mark hooked up on a fish while wading.
Mark hooked up on a fish while wading.
View Luke Geraty's Calendar

Andrew Harris will be presenting to the Chico Area Fly Fishers tonight.  His topic will be the Feather River drainage, including the trout fishing on the North and Middle Forks and the steelhead fishing on the Lower Feather.  The meeting begins at 7:30pm at 2565 California Park Dr. Chico, CA 95928.

View Andrew Harris's Calendar

The two annual whitewater weekends on the Pit 5 Reach have been scheduled for August 10-11 and Spetember 14-15. Target flows for the Pit 5 Reach on August 10 and 11 will be 1,500 cfs; flows for September 14 and 15 will be 1,200 cfs. Releases will be made from 10 AM to 4 PM on those dates and will be ramped down between the Saturday and Sunday of each weekend. If you're heading up to the Pit River on either of those weekends, you might drive on up to Pit 3 or Pit 4 instead of Pit 5!

View Andrew Harris's Calendar
Good

Sometimes a guide day is more about learning places as much as it is about the fishing. Spent a great day with Eddie and Potter from the Bay Area exploring the Hat Creek area learning all kinds of places to fish and how to fish them. We spent time on upper, middle, and lower Hat Creek, Baum Lake, and Burney Creek. In each place the guys fished and caught a nice array of trout. A great day of learning an amazing area.

Potter on beautiful Burney Creek!
Potter on beautiful Burney Creek!
Eddie high sticking some good pockets!
Eddie high sticking some good pockets!
View Mike Wright's Calendar
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