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Great Yesterday's float with Derek and Austin was really fun! Derek had fly fished a few times and Austin was brand new... so we spent a bit of time in the beginning learning how to cast and mend. Austin picked it up really well and though we teased him all day about being a novice, he did really well. It's definitely worth taking the time to get your casting and mending down because that gives you a lot more time to fish, less fubar moments, and, well... more fish! Once we got all squared away with casting, we started our float and immediately put a fish in the net. The fishing was great from about 11am until about 2:30pm with trout grabbing our flies all over the river, despite it being just a bit more windy than was comfortable. The later afternoon slowed down a bit but we still managed to get a couple more trout. As you can imagine, it was nice to have constant action. Derek put the two biggest trout in the net and has bragging rights about that but Austin definitely missed the most fish... so that's something to brag about too (ha ha!). Derek also hooked a salmon around the Deschutes bridge, which obviously didn't go well for his 6 wt, but it's nice to know there are a few of the egg-droppers around. We had a GREAT time and these two guys were a real pleasure to fish with. I think the highlight was at the very end, when we were floating over some really large ledges, and Derek hooked a niiiiiiicccceeeee trout that fought hard but eventually we got it to the boat. Every time I float past a ledge or deep drop-off, I can't help but say, "Fish the ledges, bro (or sis?), fish the ledges!"The lower Sacramento River is fishing good and the top section around the Sun Dial Bridge is officially open, so now's a great time to book a trip. I'd love to take you out, so give us a call at 888-481-1650 and book a trip today! Not only is the lower Sac a great option, we've got steelhead on the Trinity just around the corner! Anyway... I'm off to Montana for a week to catch some big browns so I'll catch you all on the flippity flop! Tight lines and heavy fish to you all! |
Good I had a really fun day with my guest Stephanie on the upper Sac. This was her first time fly fishing and she did amazing! We were fishing a dry-dropper and it was the ticket. She got lots of grabs on both, but the nymph was most successful. She landed a nice 12 inch fish which capped off our time together! |
Good I had a really fun day with my guests Jim and David. This was David’s first time fly fishing, so he struggled a bit in the morning, but really got the hang of it by lunch. The bite started off slow but picked up late morning and continued into the afternoon. The flows are starting to drop and even with the hot temps, it is very pleasant on the water.  David's first trout on a fly rod! |
Great Fall River report by guide Scott Saiki: First time fly fishers Nick and son Lucas had a great day on the crystal
clear spring fed waters of Fall River yesterday. Fish were caught in medium depth runs as well as in the shallows with stealthier methods. When the sun got overhead and the nymph grab slowed, the fish were still
willing to take with a variety of sinking line techniques. Some good fish were landed by both - a solid first day fly fishing by anyone’s standards!  Lucas with a Fall River rainbow  Nick with a great Fall River fish |
Good What do guides do when they have some free time? Go fishing, of course! People think we fish all the time but that’s not really the case. We’re usually busy rowing, tying on flies, netting fish, etc. so it’s nice to actually hold the rod once in a while. Today fellow Confluence guide Luke Geraty, our friend Steve, and I did a lower float to see how the fishing was down there. We had a great day, trading off the rowing duties while hooking and landing a good number of wild rainbows along with a few big suckers and a squawfish, the Lower Sac Grand Slam. The Jelly’s Ferry bridge has been repaired and we saw a lot of progress on the beginnings of the new bridge.  Name that fly!  Work begins on the new Jelly’s Ferry Bridge  Hooked up  Big suckah.......  Trout.......  and more trout...... |
Good I did a fun float today on the Lower Sac with fellow guide Brian Kohlman. The river is a ghost town right now - very few boats out. We tried something different today and spent a lot of time fishing hopper patterns near the banks. This isn't a highly productive way to fish the Lower Sac, but it can deliver some nice fish. The highlight today was an 18" fish that absolutely crushed my hopper. Not a bad way to spend a hot afternoon on the mighty Lower Sac!  This fish crushed my grasshopper dry! |
We have a guest looking for a fishing buddy for a Lower Klamath River steelhead trip Oct 1-2-3. If you're interested in splitting this trip please let us know! That's a great time of year to swing flies on the Klamath. |
Good Wade invited his buddies Ben and Dave up to fish the Lower Sac. They are lifelong friends and get together when they can, mostly so they can have some fun and give each other a hard time. We did two consecutive half day floats, starting late afternoon and fishing until evening to avoid some of the heat. Fishing on the Sac has been a bit challenging lately due to the high flows, extreme temperatures, and the clearest water I have ever seen out there but the boys stuck with it and caught some big beautiful wild rainbows. We have a tendency to rate the fishing solely by the number of fish caught, but certainly good company, great scenery, and just being out on the river all factor in as well. There’s more to fishing than the fish!  Wade with a good one  The result of Dave’s lightning hookset  Dave sticks another one  Wild rainbow  Wade hooked up |
Good Today was an amazing day on the McCloud for my guest Ian, and his son Daniel. We started our day fishing a dry-dropper and both hooked a lot of fish on both flies. Ian and Daniel both landed some small, but beautiful brookies! After lunch they only fished dries and what an afternoon they had. The fish weren't very big, but the action was non-stop all day. At the end of the day, Daniel hooked into a very nice 12-14 inch fish, but it managed to spit the hook after giving him the "middle fin" while jumping.  Daniel casting to rising fish |
Good Today was pretty special as it started out with a Learn to Fly
Fish trip with my guest Chen and his son Koby. We started on Burney Creek and then moved to Baum Lake where Koby caught
his first trout! We then drove up to
Manzanita Lake where they were camping, and Chen got to cast to a lot of rising
fish throughout the afternoon. After a
few missed grabs, Chen landed a couple of nice fish before he decided to call
it a day. We managed to avoid the man-eating
river otters but did see a pack of four.  Koby and Chen on Burney Creek  Epic view of Mt. Lassen from Manzanita Lake  Chen with his first Manzanita Lake rainbow |
Okay Boy was it a hot one today for my guests Bob and Rich! So hot, the fish weren’t very active either. The morning grab was sporadic for us, but things did pick up a bit after lunch, but it was clear the fish were not interested in my landing net. Bob hooked into a really nice that gave him a heck of a fight – but Bob came out on top! In the end, it was another really fun day with my good friends Bob and Rich!  Bob with a chunky one |
Okay I had a great day today chasing stripers with my guests Ron, Don, and Steve. The morning was really slow for us, but the afternoon showed promise. After lunch, Steve got grabbed as we drifted over a pod of 5-6 decent fish. Steve then hooked into a decent schoolie, but it came unpinned as I was lipping it so we missed our photo op. We saw fish in the afternoon, but they just weren't on the job. |
Good I had a really fun day with my guests Nate and his daughter Paulina. This was their first time fishing the McCloud and I think they were overwhelmed by the beauty. Fishing a dry-dropper was very productive in the morning with a pretty equal number of takes on both flies. After lunch, there were lots of caddis around so we switched to an Elk Hair Caddis and the number of grabs was insane! Even for as hot as it was today, we found the best way to beat the heat was to wade the McCloud! |
Good Temps have been well over 100 in the afternoon here in Redding so Nathan and his daughter Paulina wanted to do a split day. We fished from 7am until noon, then they hit the pool at their hotel until I picked them up at 5pm for a late afternoon/evening session. This turned out to be a mixed blessing as the bite was very slow early in the morning, picking up around 10am. They did enjoy their break from the blistering heat however! The evening bite was much better, with Nate scoring a 22” hog to cap off his day. Paulina did great on her inaugural drift boat trip, and was casting like a pro by mid-day and caught some nice native rainbows for her efforts. The Big River remains a viable and reliable option for summer fishing so book a trip with us and get out of the house!  Early morning launch  Caddis eater  Fishing in 2020  All smiles  Paulina is smiling behind that mask  A picture of me taking a picture of a fish |
Okay I had a really fun two days with my guest Jeff, and his father Russell. Yesterday was a half-day float, but we started late afternoon. There wasn’t a lot of action, but the fish they landed were very nice. Today was pretty slow all day. Jeff and Russ hooked into some nice fish, but there were some long dry spells between grabs. The action picked up a little after lunch, but it never really turned on for us. Caddis and PMD nymphs were the flies du jour.  Jeff with a beautiful fish  Russell with a nice one  Jeff with another beauty |
Good Hopper season is in full swing on the Yuba River! I was out there three times in the last week and each time they have been looking up taking big hoppers and attractors off of the surface. They have also been eating a wide variety stones, caddis and mayflies sub surface. We should have this good action continue on top and July is a great month for it. There is no better way to fish hoppers than from a drift boat.On a side note- those who have had to cancel big fishing trips out of country/state this year may want to consider doing more local trips instead. The Lower Yuba is just over 45 minutes from most parts of Sacramento, and less than 2 hours from many parts of the Bay Area. To throw these big dries for fiesty wild trout mid summer feels a lot like Montana. |
Good Peter Santley and I hosted a fun group of guys (and one gal) today on the Lower Sac. We got a very early start in an attempt to avoid the heat but also seemed to avoid the fish as well as the bite didn’t heat up until the temperature also heated up (go figure). The Sac has been a bit fickle lately but if you put in your time you will catch some beautiful wild rainbows, and maybe a sucker or squawfish if you’re really lucky. Don’t forget to bring your lightening quick hookset as that always helps!  Beautiful wild rainbows  Rubberlegs again?  Tony hooked up  Fred, Peter, and Courtney doing lunch on the Big River  Keep ‘em wet!  Home grown! |
Great How’s everyone doing, you all hanging in there? Man, I’ve got to say, it’s been rough. To get some reprieve, Lura and myself and the dogs went out on the Lower Sac. The dogs hunted fish and birds, Lura sat and relaxed and targeted some rising fish while I threw some Spey. Swinging up rising fish was a nice topper to the day. Swinging flies isn’t going to be as productive as following the bobber, but I find it to be more productive in mending the mind. When it is pushing 100 degrees, the cold water and watching the juvenile Eagle test his wings brings its own rewards. Be safe and be kind.  Happy dogs and gal.  Keep em wet.  Chairs available upon request.  Make the Hardy sing. |
Good Fellow Confluence guide Luke, his buddy Steve, and myself braved the 105-degree heat to go hunt striped bass downriver on the Lower Sac. We managed to find some decent fish! Man these guys can pull. They make great fish tacos if you’re so inclined! Our guides Andrew and Brian are licensed Coast Guard Captains and can take you on a jet boat trip in search of these great fish. Maybe you’ll find a lunker, they’re in there! |
Good It was a hot one today for my guests Matt and Bob! I fished them a few weeks ago on Hat Creek
and the Pit River, but today they decided to float the Sac. The grab started a little slow and remained
spotty throughout the day. We hooked several
fish on a combination of rubberlegs, caddis poopahs, and PMD nymphs. On these really hot days, we try to beat the
heat by finishing up between 3:00 and 4:00.  Bob with a chunky one  Matt with a nice one |
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