The Shasta Fly Blog

So…the lower Sacramento has just been lights out good the last week.  40 to 60 hookups a day are norm right now for those with some experience and a little help from the weather.  Several days of rain seems to have helped.  This won’t last forever as the river is getting more pressure as the days get nicer.  I don’t need to say more except… CHECK OUT THE BROWNIE!!!  No kidding.  Client John D caught the little dude just below Market St. bridge.  We saw it under water as John was landing it and thought it was a squaw…then maybe a bass…then maybe a weird colored bow.  Nope

Hot Flies:  Rubberlegs, yellow egg, Poxyback PMD #18

In between rain showers, the lower Sac is fishing very good from the Posse Grounds to Anderson. Flows are at 3250 cfs and colored (good) from recent rains. The trout are in prime, football shape ahead of the main spawn. Tonight as I write this, steady rain has been falling all day in Redding and will Continue reading →

 For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
Not fair to make judgment of this, until you see what the Fire Chief says!!!!

In South Los Angeles , a 4-plex home was destroyed by a fire. 
A Mexican family of six, all welfare recipients and gang members,  lived on the first floor, they died.
An Islamic group of seven welfare cheats. All lived illegally in the country from Kenya , on the second floor, and they too all perished in the fire.
6 LA, Hispanic, Gang Bangers, & ex-cons, lived on the 3rd floor and they too, died.

A lone, white couple lived on the top floor... Continue reading →

The lower Sac is fishing good to great when we can get a day without the wind. The few guides that are out are landing good numbers of fish every day with a few very large fish being landed by lucky anglers. PMDs and Grannom caddis are the menu and the trout are on the feed ahead of the spawn. Fishing should continue to be good through the spring. Go fish!!

Hot Flies: Rubberlegs, Silvey’s Caddis Pupa (black), #18 TB Pheasant Tail

See all the great Client Pics here!

For the most part, the lower Sac has been fishing very very well despite the crowds of October.  The salmon “run” is trickling in and a few trout always seem to be caught in and downstream of the redds.  But…that said, most of the fish we’re boating aren’t anywhere near the few redds that have salmon on them.  The really good news this fall is more steelhead are being landed this year than last.  Does more salmon = more steelhead??  Hard to say but this year seems to be the case.  Most days, we’re boating 20 to 40 trout and when we’re floating below Balls Ferry, 0 to 4 steelies a day.  Not too shabby I think.  The weather has been really cooperative, the fish are cooperavtive and all the anglers are having a blast!  Go fish!!

Hot Flies: Rubberlegs, #14 Fox Poopah (tan), #16 Copper Bob, painted bead (egg), #14 Micro Mayfly (brown)

See all the great Client Pics here!

Spent a very fun day steelheading the Trinity with the two brother surgeons, Jim and Tom.  The fishing was a pleasant surprise!  …and a nice change from the lower Sac crowds.  The upshot is…there are fish already in the system and almost everybody we talked to hooked a fish or 2.  We were 2 for 4 on bright, wild adults.  There are numerous spawning salmon around so it’s not surprising most of our fish were hooked on egg patterns in the last couple hours before dark.  All in all, a very fun AND productive day with (hopefully) the best fishing coming soon as winter gets here.

Hot Flies:  #14 Copper Bob, Sucker Spawn (shrimp pink)

See all the great Client Pics here!

Stormy skies greeted anglers in Redding last week but, it didn’t seem to slow the fishing all that much.  Little wind was the key to success as Todd and Ryan from Menlo Park floated the lower Sac for the first time and we had a blast.  Day one we fished from Bonnyview down and had furious action from noon on as there was an intense caddis hatch at lunchtime that had the fish feeding until we quit at dark.  Day 2, we fished below the Sundial Bridge to see  a new stretch of river and sure enough, we had less than half the bites as day 1,but the quality of the fish made up for it.  Right now, Bonnyview down seems to be a numbers float while the top is likely less fish hooked but average much bigger.  Pick your poison!  All in all a great trip with a very fun father and son duo I hope to see again soon.  Ciao/BB

Hot Flies: Rubberlegs, Silvey’s Caddis Pupa (black), #16 Pheasant Tail

See all the great Client Pics here!

The month of January saw some wonderful  weather and equally consistent action on the Trinity for fresh, wild, chromie, bad-ass steelhead.   Most of my trips last month were very successful. We were   usually able to manage 1-3 nice fish landed per day with a few other assorted hookups. We got blanked a couple of days but all in all, I’ll take that every time! Not bad considering we haven’t had a drop of rain in a month or so.  Now that it’s over I think the key was finding an un-crowded section of river and making EVERY cast count…I mean really work hard for the few bites we got.  And man did we make a LOT of casts and changed a LOT of flies.

Me thinks it’s about over by now.  The guys at the Shop will tell you there’s still a few fish around and that’s likely true but, I think a trip to the Trinity would be a long shot at best.  There are much better options this time of year.  The good news is Continue reading →

Busy…busy…busy!  A ‘crazy good’ fall was had on a number of northern California streams this year.  Easily one of the best fall seasons I’ve had (and numerous other guides) on the lower Sacramento since I began guiding.  The top floats down to Bonnyview Ave. produced good numbers and insanely big ‘bows consistently from October through early December.  Most days, the bite was sparked by late-morning caddis hatch that usually lasted to near dark.  Any tan caddis pupae imitation and a #16 or #18 mayfly nymph dropper was ‘money’ most days.

The upper Sacramento produced several good days again this fall.  I mostly fish the lower half of the river from Sims Rd. to Delta and this year, the water remained low enough to once again fish the bigger holding water.  The lower half of the river doesn’t seem to get the thick October caddis hatches as does the upper half but, there must be enough of the big bugs Continue reading →

Fly Fishing Fair (and Swap & Sell)

[fly fishing gear only!]

at

Redding’s Caldwell Park

Saturday: October 2^nd 8AM-2:30 PM

Continue reading →