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Great David brought his son Christopher up to fish the Lower Sac and apparently the trout got the memo that they needed to eat bugs because the fishing was pretty good. Throughout the day the trout were grabby and we caught fish mostly on caddis and mayfly imitations. It’s always fun fishing with David, as he has a wealth of experience and helpful fly fishing information! I’m looking forward to the next time we get together in September! |
Great Steve’s a Confluence Guide up on the Upper Rogue river… and when he let me know that he had some free time and could fish, I said, “Get down here now and I’ll take you out on the Sac and you’ll catch a bunch of fish and wish you lived here.” What can I say? The Lower Sac lived up to it’s potential and Steve caught a bunch of fish. Plus we recorded an episode of the Confluence podcast right there under the Sundial Bridge. Take a listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or you can watch the episode on our Confluence YouTube channel! |
Great Steve came up from LA to spend a day with me on the Lower Sac and we had a fantastic day! Yes, I know... I sound like a broken record but I don't think it's possible to minimize how awesome this tailwater fishery is. We hooked five fish in the first ten minutes in one spot alone and I immediately thought to myself, "Oh my... this is gonna be one of those days." And the river didn't disappoint. We hooked a lot of fish throughout the day until the late afternoon shut down. The last couple of others were definitely slow but the previous morning and early afternoon was hard to beat. Three words: caddis, caddis, and more caddis. The vast majority of our fish were eating poopahs and the rest were on tiny flies across the spectrum of the "too-small-for-human-eyes" flies! Steve was really fun to fish with. Great caster... greater hook setter... great conversationalist... everything was great... until late afternoon. Then it got slow and we were melting and it was time to wrap up the day. I can't wait to get out there tomorrow and it's not too late to book some days in August! Or September! Or October! Let's go!  Throw some spey casts out there too!  Oh la la!  Notice the fog… that’s what happens when you put the phone in the cooler  Yes yes yes! |
Okay Jess and Dean have been fly fishing for awhile and since they are from Redding, fished the Lower Sac quite a bit. They are also members of Project Healing Waters, a national organization that's focused on the rehabilitation of disabled active military or veterans. I've had the honor of guiding a lot of PHW groups and they are ALWAYS a lot of fun. Jess and Dean may be my two favorites as I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did in a really long time! I hope all of the veterans that come through Confluence Outfitters know how much we appreciate them!So the good is that we caught fish, some of them were very large, and we didn't die of heat strokes. The bad is that the fishing was pretty slow throughout the day and we worked hard for all of our fish. The ugly is that Jess lost a HUGE fish that took him 40 yards into his backing and seemed intent on swimming to the Sundial Bridge from twelve miles down river. Heartbreaking, to say the least.In the morning there were a lot of caddis and BWO's but the fishing just never picked up like it should have. The temp being 110 degrees probably didn't help, but in the typical runs, riffles, and top-secret locations... the fish just seemed less than willing to participate. We went through a long list of flies and all of my typical go-to's and "guarantees" didn't seem to crack the code. But we kept fishing hard and despite it being hot and slow, we had a good time and did our best! By the end of the day we probably hooked a dozen or so fish and even landed some of them too, ha ha! Thanks, Jess and Dean, for your service and thanks for making the day so fun!  First fish of the day was 19 inches!  Pretty fish throughout the Lower Sac  Jess lost the big one but this one didn’t get away!  A gorgeous fish with gorgeous colors! |
Great My wife and son Soren decided to float from the Sundial Bridge down to Aqua golf course to get some sun and catch a few trout. I think it's safe to say we got some sun but we also hooked a bunch of fish! But first things first... the section of the river above Highway 44 opens up on August 1st. This is the section that's near the Sundial Bridge and is where a LOT of really big fish tend to hangout. It's not the only place where large fish are on the Lower Sac but I think it's safe to say it's one of the most consistent. So while we floated through the section that's currently closed to fishing, we saw a handful of salmon and a lot of REALLY big fish shooting around as my drift boat passed over them. So I have available days on August 1-3 and if you wanna go chase some big fish, let's do it!Anyway, back to the fishing. The good news about it being sunny and warm is that the caddis were out in force and we hooked a bunch of fish on Tim Fox's legendary poopah. It was pretty stupid from 2:30 until 5pm. Fish after fish after fish. But my 8 year old son wants me to let everyone know that he caught all of the fish and his dad didn't help him at all (he's already turning into quite the angler with his lying). This type of year it's not crazy to split up your day or start earlier or start later. Lots of options to maximize your fishing to include some catching while avoiding the heat! Let's go! August 1-3... big fish... I'm ready... are you?  Don’t feed the ducks!  Releasing another fish  Caddis cruncher |
Good The morning started out with Colin having the hot rod and putting some really healthy and thick Lower Sac 'bows in the net. For whatever reason, Scott struggled to get the job done from the front, so we made sure to keep razzing him. After all, that's pretty much what friends and guides are for, right? Maybe Scott was rusty... or maybe he was just giving Colin a chance to catch some fish... but mostly I think he was just annoyed by hearing Colin say, "Oh wow... I hooked another one... this one is really nice" Ha ha! But things would flip around and by the afternoon, Colin was wondering what happened and Scott caught some really nice fish from the front of the boat. Other than about six caddis, we didn't see a single bug. That being said, the fish were eating across the insect buffet line and we caught fish on the typical summer Lower Sac menu: rubber legs, caddis, and some small BWO offerings. We had a REALLY great day and I hope I get to fish with these guys again! There's nothing like childhood friends getting on a boat and chasing some big 'bows here in Northern California! Let's go!  Houston, we have a problem!  Scott with a nice Lower Sac specimen.  Another handful of trout!  Hooked up!  Two handers!  Gorgeous fish for Colin  The first fish of the day was a dandy! |
Good Michael and his wife were going to spend a few days near Lassen and figured it was time to learn how to fly fish. Michael had actually fly fished before but needed a little refresher course so after the three of us spent some time working on casting, we started fishing a beautiful little creek full of small trout that were very willing to hit dry flies! It didn't seem to matter what dry fly we were throwing... if there was a fish there, it'd do it's best to smash it! The Lassen area of Northern California is absolutely stunning and there are lots of small trout streams all over. While it's not floating in a drift boat on the Lower Sac, it's a LOT of fun and is a great way to learn how to fly fish. |
Great This is a guest report from Rich and Kathleen who fished with Dylan the last 3 days in the Klamath Basin: "Rich and I had a great time fishing the Williamson with Dylan. Biggest trout we both have netted. Plus good conversation and assistance with learning new techniques. Totally awesome!"  Kathleen with a big rainbow  Nice fish, Rich!  Dylan with another one of Kathleen's big fish |
Good Kevin Kay and I took a few ladies out on the Lower Sac for a really fun day of fly fishing. None of the ladies had fly fished before but after a short casting lesson, we were off to the races! The sun was out and the temperature was just above comfortable... though thankfully not in the triple digits. Unfortunately, that's supposed to change soon. Most of the fish were eating caddis, rubber legs, and some smaller mayflies and things like that. Can't say there was a standout bug other than you'd better have a black rubber legs on. Rumor has it that brown and coffee work too, but we were too scared to take the black one's off! The fishing was average as far as the bite goes... with the fish eating in spurts throughout the day. Good job, ladies!  Luke’s Porsche.  First fish of the day!  Friends who fish together… well… are friends.  Nice one, Kim!  Kim with another Lower Sac trout!  Lots of these were caught! |
Great Am spending some great time in one of my most favorite places on the planet, Fall RIver. Fishing has been very good as the bugs and the trout are plentiful in the river. We have been fishing a variety of techniques including dry flies, nymphing rigs, dry/dropper rigs, and stripping sinking lines and finding fish with all. There have been pretty good bug hatches throughout the day and the the trout are hungry. In addition, it is Hex TIme! The Hex hatch has been pretty consistent each evening with lots of bugs around and lots of big, hungry fish ready to eat. There is really no better time to visit Fall RIver than now. Here's to a great summer!  Beautiful Mt. Shasta at sunset! Bring on the Hex!  Bent.  Lots of these around  Hexogenia  Barry with a nice fish  Out of the shallows with a dry/dropper rig  Hex Success!  Dandy |
Great The Lower Sac has been fishing very well lately. I have attached a few photos from recent trips. On sunny days the fishing has been great with fishing eating a lot of caddis and pmds. On rainy overcast days the fish have been eating a huge variety of flies from every major bug family. The flows are good and the fish are showing no signs of slowing down. Whether you want to fish in town or do a more scenic float down low, the Sac has a great variety of options that are all producing. |
Great For the last day on Evan and Steve's fly fishing extravaganza took place yesterday on the Lower Sac. We decided to float one of my favorite sections and since the weather man informed us that the wind was gonna be fine until 5pm, we went for it! Evan had dialed in the casting, mending, and was becoming quicker on the set. Day three gave him LOTS of opportunities to work on keeping the rod up, line tight, and fighting fish. How was the fishing, you ask? Well in the first long run, we back rowed it seven times and hooked ten fish. If that was any indication, the day was going to be great! And it was! Steve landed some absolute HOGS on some size 18 Crackback PMDs that I was sure were clippers (hatchery steelhead), but wouldn't you know... each were WILD TROUT. Slabs, man... slabs. Evan also got a really nice 20 inch 'bow that gave him a good fight. But the highlight HAD to be the double we hooked near Cottonwood Creek... it was pure chaos, as Evan's fish decided to go up river and Steve's fish decided to go down river and despite the potential for a lesson in crossed lines, we put both of those fish in the net!I've guided Steve a number of times now and we've had some great days together. But I'm not sure much could top a grandfather with his grandson hooking loads of trout. Steve's smile said it all. By the way... you'll probably notice Evan didn't smile for any of his photos. It's his calling card. After all, when Stephen Curry hits a three pointer, he doesn't have to smile. Why? Because he's been there before... and Evan held enough fish over the course of his three days that'd he'd definitely been there before! Great job, Evan! You crushed it! And thanks, Steve, for the chance to take you guys out! I had such a great time! If you are curious about whether or not you should get out and fish the Lower Sac... the answer is "Absolutely."  No smile needed  Wild hogs were out  Doubles equal chaos!  First fish of the day  A thick slab |
Okay Evan and his grandpa, Steve, were back for fishing day number two and we were on the Upper Sac. The river is down to it's summer levels with the flow at Delta is 244cfs. Water is crystal clear and while the salmon flies are peace out, there are still some large yellow stone flies, caddis, mayflies, and LOTS of midges hanging around. We fished at a number of locations south of Dunsmuir and while Steve was dialing in his tight line skills, Evan and I were focused on dry dropper techniques. Steve hooked a few fish in one of my favorite runs and then, when we moved and hiked a bit, Evan made a BEAUTIFUL cast, made a quick mend, and a nice rainbow SMASHED his yellow stone fly nymph. The grab was ridiculous and even though Evan was shocked by it, he set the hook and fought that fish and then we put it in the net! The colors were spectacular! Walk and wade trips are a lot of work, but the surroundings make for a great experience! Tomorrow we're back on the Lower Sac, so let's go...  High stick  This one ate a stripped PMD. Clearly not the smartest fish!  Castle Crags  All. By. Himself. |
Good Steve and his grandson, Evan, came up to fish for a few days with me. Our plans are to fish a section of the Lower Sac, then do a walk and wade trip on the Upper Sac, and then head back to the Lower Sac. For our first day, we put in up at Posse Ground and floated under the Sun Dial Bridge. Fishing is closed until we get under the 44 bridge, so we just kept our eyes open and looked at the dozens of huge fish swimming around up there.Once we got down to the bridge, I spent a little bit of time helping Evan dial in his cast and mending and after a few minutes, we were floating down the river. It wasn't long before Evan was throwing bombs and mending like a pro. Steve stuck a really nice fish and demonstrated to Evan the necessary way to set the hook. From there Evan was game on! The fishing was mostly good, though we had periods where they were grabby and then periods where we couldn't buy a fish. Most of our fish were caught on black rubber legs and PMDs, and a few on caddis too.The wind was off and on, but nothing to complain about as it stayed under 10mph. But for a new caster like Evan, you kind of get nervous. But you know what? Evan had NO problems. The Lower Sac is supposed to get a massive amount of wind tomorrow, so we're going to go do a walk and wade trip on the Upper Sac. Maybe there'll be some yellow stone flies around!  Steve’s first fish  A handful of trout  God bless America!  Bending that rod  A dime bright fish that fought HARD!  Evan’s first fish of the day!  Another pretty fish…  Crackback PMD |
Good We are off and running with our summer fishery in the Klamath Basin. We have had a wet and cold spring this year bringing much needed precipitation to the Klamath Basin. The added moistures has raised the rivers and cooled the lake. I would expect the first batch of lake fish to start their migration up the Williamson River in early July. When they first show in the river it takes them a while to shed their feeding habits established in the lake. This provides a great opportunity to hook one of these lake brutes on the swing. When the fish first show up I typically like to target fish with leeches, minnow patterns and damsels nymphs. Fished with a clear full sink intermediate line on the swing. The first two weeks of July conveniently also marks the beginning of the famed Hex hatch on the Williamson River. Just in time for the newly arrived lake fish. For the stillwater enthusiast out there, July marks the beginning of our season to target large redband trout in Pelican Bay and Agency lake. We will use a variety of strategies to catch these picky fish; Chironomids, balanced leeches, seal buggers, minnow patterns in lowlight and caddis pupa are all used this time of year. though relatively unknown and unpressured, Upper Klamath Lake and Agencey Lake are one of the premier stillwater fisheries in the nation. We have plenty of open dates in July or August if you want to test your skills against some of the biggest trout in the lower 48.
 Williamson River redband  Agency Lake redband |
Good Shang and Cindy came up to fish the Lower Sac and we had a great time throwing indicators for trout. The trout were pretty grabby throughout the day, eating caddis, PMDs, and rubber legs. The flow was around 3400cfs and the weather was excellent due to the fact that we had cloud cover for most of the day! This means that it wasn't 100 degrees and the fish didn't seem to mind at all. Highlight of the day was when we took some time to throw for stripers and had a MONSTER try and smash the fly. Unfortunately it didn't connect and we just got to see the fish. Shang fishes a lot for stripers and I could tell because boy could he throw those big streamers! All in all we had a great day!  1st fish five minutes into the float was a 20 incher!  A gorgeous lower sac trout  Cindy got it done!  Angles! |
Great I had a great day on the McCloud with my guests Rusty, and his brother Paul. Rusty and Paul hooked multiple fish in each of the spots we fished. They both landed a bunch smallish fish (8” – 10”), but they also landed several in the 12” – 14” range. We were focusing on indicator nymphing today, but euro nymphing is also highly effective. We saw lots of salmonflies in the bushes and a few flying around, but there was no surface activity where we were fishing. The McCloud is an amazing fishery and should be considered a “bucket list” destination for every fly angler!  Paul with his first of the day  Rusty hooked-up  The other end |
Great I had the pleasure of spending two more really fun days on the Sac with my guest John, and his longtime friend John. We began our adventure with a double hook-up within the first three minutes. Catching fish this soon can either be the “kiss of death,” or the start to a great fishing trip. Fortunately for us, it was the later! The Johns took turns hooking into a TON of fish both days and there was a lot of banter given they have known each other for nearly 60 years!  This is a good start!  All day long!  John with a nice one |
Good NorCal Women on the Fly is a group of gals determined to have fun and expand the number of females in the sport. Mike Wright, Ben Thompson, and I floated a lower drift on the Sac with them and we had a blast. Every one of them caught fish and had a great time doing so. These girls have a real variety of fishing venues on their list so follow them on Instagram and share in their adventures! |
Good On Sunday Ron and John drove up from California and fished the Rogue with me. We had rain the day we fished and the day before. The Army Corps of Engineers started kicking more water out of the dam a couple days prior to trout opening and outflows were increased every other day it seemed. Right now the flows are right around the historic average. The release of water did slow the hatch down, but we worked hard and found fish. With Ron and John we started mid-morning and found it to be slow. A few fly changes and a dropper later we were into them. Ron landed the most and biggest coming in around 15 inches. Fishing got better as the day went on and the temps started to climb. We saw more bug activity and kept the dry dropper set-up. We found smaller fish liked the dry flies and our big fish mostly came on the dropper. Purple Chubby's had the most success on top and a Copper John style nymph in red or green was the go to dropper. Fishing is good right now and will get better as we get into June. Outflow from the dam should remain consistent and the hatch will pick up. The fish are definitely looking up. I have limited availibilty so head over and pick a date. |
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