Current Fishing Report

Winter just doesn't want to let go of the North State!  It rained off and on all day, but that didn't affect the fishing.  The fish seemed a bit more tight-lipped from the past few days, but we had a LOT of hook-ups throughout day and landed some beautiful fish!  The good news is there is no more rain in the extended forecast AND the flows will begin to slowly drop beginning tonight.  This is great news becase not only will we actually get to enjoy some beautiful spring weather, but it will also open more fishable water!  

Rob from S. Carolina with a beautiful fish!

The flows were raised to 30,000 cfs last Monday and have held steady all week.  I did some scouting with fellow Confluence Outfitter guides Mike Wright and Peter Santley on Friday, and we managed to hook into some very nice fish.  I guided a 3-boat trip this weekend with some very good clients.  It seemed someone was always hooked-up all the time both days.  I don't think anyone hooked a fish smaller than 16 inches, and there were several double hook-ups both days!  They seem to be more interested in egg patterns, but they're starting to eat nymphs.  As long as the flows don't increase, fishing should only get better as the visiblity increases.  Go fish!

I had the pleasure of guiding Dennis and George on the Lower Sac today.  The weather was ideal and the fish were super grabby!  The clarity seems to be getting better and I'm starting to see a lot more bugs every day.  Just as the conditions were starting to return to normal, we have another storm system headed our way this week - and the Bureau of Reclamation is raising the flows to 20,000 cfs on Wednesday.

This winter has been more challenging than usual for die hard Pacific Northwest steelheaders.  Every time the rivers dropped into shape, you had a quick window before another mega storm would hit.  If your timing was good, you had water you were able to stand in an enjoy the whole process and surrounding environment, maybe even swing up a chrome winter fish of a lifetime.  Or, you were in a wet tent, camper, motel or cabin drinking and playing cards waiting for the rivers to drop...which is still better than sitting in trafffic in my opinion.  The winter game isn't for everyone, thank goodness.  This upcoming week looks more of the same, Inquire about future availability for the Olympic Peninsula, we have a few more weeks here if the weather and fish are both going in the right direction.

The unicorn we are all chasing in the winter

With all the rain we received on Thursday and Friday, the river colored-up a bit.  After finishing my yardwork, we went out for a half-day float this afternoon and the river fished better than expected.  Dava hooked several really nice fish with an indicator rig, and I had a couple grabs swinging flies.  And this was after the 20+ boat Project Healing Water armada had already fished in front of of us.  I'm starting to see more bugs and take that as a good sign.  I expect the fishing to start ramping up very soon.  There's nothing like fishing the Sac in the spring!

 Andrew, Peter, and I had the opportunity to guide a great group of guys!  My guys had a very productive day - landing several really nice fish!  It seemed like at least one of the guys in the group would be hooked up at any given time.  They're all headed to Eagle Canyon and the chance to hook some REALLY big fish. 

I guided Allen and Jordan on a beautiful spring day.  The color and visibility seems to be improving every day.  They both hooked into several really nice fish and missed a lot of grabs.  The river is definitely getting there.  Conditions will continue to improve in the coming weeks, so now is the time to book your spring fishing trip!

Report by one of our regular guests Dave:"High winds made parts of the day tougher but we had a fairly consistent bite throughout the day. About half way through action on stripped flies slowed but the fish got grabby when we switched to nymphs under indicators.  We all caught fish and landed about 25 fish between the 3 of us with a couple in the 28” range. The fish looked at fought well with plenty of LDR's too. This was my third trip this year  and was my best in the 2017 season." 

I went out and scouted the Sac again today.  The river is starting to transition from brown to green, but the visibility is still pretty limited.  We hooked six fish, all in the 16+ inch range on a combination of rubberlegs and egg patterns.  I had to really think outside the box to find where the fish are holding.  The extended forecast is showing at least another seven days of dry weather.  With that, conditions should continue to improve in the coming weeks, and it appears the upper portion (above the Hwy-44 Bridge) of the river will not be closing on April 1st!

It's getting buggy at Eagle Canyon!  I stopped by for an hour this afternoon and the mayflies were really coming off.  A lot of fish were rising in both ponds.  I saw a few big fish in some very skinny water hunting for hatching mayflies.  There were a lot of baetis and callibaetis, plus a few terrestrials.  Not sure if they were termites or flying ants, but they were big and I'm sure the fish were eating a few.This is the best time of year to catch a huge Eagle Canyon rainbow on a dry fly.  I like to sight-fish in the shallows with a parachute adams and a small nymph dropper just about 10 inches below. 

Callibaetis

Baetis

Mating flying ants

Had a great weekend with Anthony and Tom. The weather and conditions cooperated and we were able to fish the Sol Duc, Hoh and Bohachiel. We hooked into a couple and landed a nice one.

Had perfect weather yesterday at Eagle Canyon for some fun stillwater action. Morning was a bit slow but things picked up once we got a little chop on the water. Streamers, nymphs and midges worked best for us both stripping and under an indicator.  Conditions at the lake are great right now with hatches going on throughout the day to keep you busy. 

Troy with a nice one!

This rainbow towed Ron around for a bit.

I decided to go out today and and see if the Sac is ready to go.  The visibility is still about two feet and I didn't see a single insect all day.  I did see a few fish rolling - so that was somewhat encouraging.  With the limited visibilty, the challenge is getting the fish to see the flies.  We spent some time runnning laps on all my favorite runs and only had one hook-up all day.  The good news is after tomorrow's rain, it looks like we have about 10 days of dry weather and that should help to improve conditions.

Skip from southern California had this to say about his trip to Eagle Canyon today:"We all caught fish and had an excellent time.  Lower lake was hot.  Heater got us warm for lunch.  Coffee in the morning was a nice touch.  We would do it again in a heart beat. Thanks Skip.  By the way....The Fish were gigantic and made for big smiles" 

We have just set the dates for our 2017 Guide School.  It will start Memorial Day Weekend and runs Saturday to Saturday, May 27th through June 3rd.  Dax Messett, Gino Bernero, and Andrew Harris will be the primary instructors. Our goal is to give our students a solid foundation of fly fishing skills, the ability to teach those skills in a guided fishing or clinic environment, and the knowledge to chart a course toward becoming a successful fly fishing guide. During this intense 7-day program you will be exposed to many guides with varying perspectives on their profession. You will learn the techniques used to catch selective trout wherever they’re found. Most importantly, you’ll get plenty of chances to be the guide and learn what it’s all about.During the week we spend time on many of the great fisheries of northern California, including Hat Creek, the Pit River, McCloud River, Fall River, the Lower Sac, and various smaller streams.The cost for the week-long program is $1595 and includes the school, accommodations, all lunches, and two dinners.  

Gino just sent these photos from his guide trip today in southern Oregon.  His guest Ted landed an amazing wild buck.  Great fish, and it's nice to see that there is fishable water somewhere within 500 miles of here!

Gino's guest Ted with a huge steelhead

Ted's big fish

The countdown is on for one last shot at a winter steelhead as we near the March 31st deadline. After that the Smith and Trinity Rivers will remain open. We had a brief window last week that saw almost all of our South County rivers come into play. I spent two hard days fishing the South Fork Eel with father and son team Tim and Dominic. We had everything you could hope for minus the fish. Great color, mild weather, and no pressure. Currently we're seeing another bout of wet weather that has everything turing brown, everything except for the Smith. These are some of the most enjoyable days to target these powerful sea run fish. Warm mild weather and light angling pressure make March a unequally special time to venture north in hopes of swining one up before the closing bell tolls. If you're curious about more in depth fishining info or looking to book a trip feel free to call. 602 717 0315.Tight lines!

Father and son duo Tim and Dominic Bruno swinging the S. Fork Eel

Surveyor

Fresh lilies usher in Spring

Perfect color over the weekend with non existent pressure made for some relaxing days on the water

Sam Robinett and I spent a few hours this morning scouting the Lower Sac.  It is still very muddy, with somewhere between 12 and 18 inches of visibility.  We floated Posse Grounds to Bonnyview and did not hook a single fish.  We did see fish jumping, though, so I think they're still in there!  We were also amazed by some of the changes to the river that resulted from the very high flows in the past two months.  There are some new gravel bars, some missing landmarks and a lot of devastation along the banks.  It will be fun to learn how to fish some of these new spots when the water clears up.  We'll keep you posted on conditions.

A very lonely Posse Grounds boat ramp

A little recap from a recent trip I made to Pyramid Lake. I got to reconnect with two of my 2016 Confluence Outfitters Guide School alumni; Aaron Silverman and Robert Maldonado for an epic weekend of cutthroat fishing. Aaron is a Reno native and Pyramid Lake insider, providing Robert and I the good fortune of having our own personal guide for our fist time on the lake. Simply put, Pyramid is a strange place with strange fish. I'm hooked. We didn't rope in any monsters, but we all had a great time and each of us landed some nice fish. The only downside? Our brother Dylan Hartsell coudln't make it out! Next time. 

Aaron braves the cold hoping for a tug

Aaron with a specimen

Battle ready. These fish are like nothing else

Yours truly, getting bent

Robert with a colored up buck. Post blizzard

Back they go, to feed and grow.

The steelhead season on the Trinity is still going on believe it or not with minimal pressure. The river is in great shape actually; flows and water clarity are ripe but it's been tough. With limited opportunities it's essential to be quick at those hooks-sets and never assume it's a rock! I feel like Paul Ryan with his sleeves rolled up when I start posting river flow charts, nonetheless the lower Sac is starting to settle down. With these higher flows it opens up a lot new water and opportunities to catch fish.  Tight lines. Sam R. (530)722-5994

Trinity River is fishable D.C. /J.C.

Lower Sac - it's time!