#FRamericanriver

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American River Fly Fishing Report

Brian Clemens reports on 5.17.18

American

Flow 1750cfsClarity 10ft vizFishing Good to GreatThe striper fishing is really heating up, and we are hooking fish from 3-8lbs on a regular daily basis, with to many fish from 16-22" all day long. These fish are hitting hard and fighting even harder, so bring you're a game and a strong 7-8wt rod and hold on. The right fly and a good presentation is what it's taking to get these bigger fish to eat, but we will have you dialed in no time for that big fish opportunity. The shad fishing is stupid with to many fish to count. They are spread throughout the river, but the best fishing is from Rosemore to Sunrise. The downside is that the crowds are out in full force and sometimes it's hard to find a spot to fish. One reason why I love the Yuba. But if you can only swing a half day and live close by to the American, there is no better time than now. The striper fishing should stay good to great for the next several months, and the shad for the next month or so. If your thinking local, and your thinking big fish or lots of fish, the American is the place for you. Whether you are looking at a traditional float trip or a fun Jet boat trip, we have the American dialed. Time is now. Stripers: Stay hungry streamers, Tobys Teaser, ClousersShad: Bloody Marie, Wet Pinkies

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Striped Bass Migration Fly Fishing Report

Kevin DeGulis reports on 7.12.18

The bay and surrounding beaches have been slow for me the past week. In search of fish, I have bounced around from Stinson Becah, all the way to Pacifica all I was able to muster was one walleye perch (love walleye perch).

As the frustration started to build and build throughout the week, Ben and I decided we were going to visit Garret Smith in Sacramento. I love going to Sacramento; the city has a homie feel to it a different speed from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco.  

American River Striper June 16th

Fishing is a blast for stripers in a drift boat. We started the float around 4:30, we were both using Redington crux a fast action rod that loads our shooting heads quite well. I was using T-11 Outbound Short, and Ben was using Rio sink six shooting head.

American River Striper 

The entire drift we were fishing our flies well, staying connected, getting in the right place but nothing. Right around sunset we still had zero fish to the boat, and our drift was about to end. Thinking to myself wow I have fished the entire migration, and I can't seem to find a damn striper!.

Next thing I know I hear Ben "shout I have a little shaker." I turn to him and say "sometimes the biggest fish don't hit  hard or don't know they are hooked yet." Garret drops anchor, and soon as that happens the fish takes off down the river! Ben screams "this is the one we have been looking for"! after that it was craziness! Garret and I were yelling at Ben "FOCUS." After 20 minutes we saw a glimpse of the fish, and yes it was massive.  Garret nets it with his hands shaking!! Cheers roar Ben was able to rope the striper we have been looking for this entire season.

Right, when I was in doubt of California Stripers, we hit a home run. Sometimes it takes a visit to Sacramento to catch a big one; sometimes it takes a drive to Ocean Becah. Regardless of where you live if you want to chase the fish you have to follow the migration and guess what California fly fisherman are the only ones who can do that.

So let's celebrate these incredible anadromous fish.  

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American River Fly Fishing Report

Nor Cal Fly Guides Reports on 1.18.18

Fishing: Fair

Clarity: 6ft slight color

Flows: 3000

The opener was phenomenal, I didnt take my boat out, to much of a hassle so just decided to wade fish, I fished 1 spot for a few hours and stuck 10 fish landing 5 of them. Mostly the smaller Coleman strain fish ranging from 20-22" and a mix of hatchery and wild fish. I did manage to hook 1 big winter fish, 8-10lbs, but broke it off due to another boat, long story. The fishing has slowed down since the opener, nymphing is the man producer, did have a 6 angler swing session out there last week, and only hooked 1 fish, which was a salmon, no steelhead to hand. We are seeing 5-10 fish when nymphing and there are some hot fish in the system so be ready. Rain will only help, and at some point those winter fish will be here. The AR should only continue to get better as more winter fish show and those bad as bluebacks come in early spring, really looking forward to that. Dont forget about the alevin bite, thats about 2 months out. Nymphs: eggs, caddis, copper johns, mays, princes, Swinging: just get out there and try something

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Northern California Fly Fishing Report

Brian Clemens at Nor Cal Fly Guides Reports on 8.23.2017

American River: Flows - 3600cfs Clarity - Clear Fishing - Fair to Good The shad are finally gone, YYEEEEESSSSSS!!!!! This means that its time for striper fishing again, and it has been getting better over the past few weeks. We are seeing the typically shakers, but a few bigger fish from 3-7lbs have been hooked as well, this will continue though Sept and is a great half day trip. We are also getting into a good number of half pounders and if you are in the right place at the right time you will hook a few adults pushing 6lbs. Personally I love this time of year for a few reasons, during the week there are few rafters on the water and you can target both stripers, steelhead and even salmon (if they are in) in the same day with some good success. Great time of year to swing your light weight 2 handed rods and in the evening throwing dries can be epic. All in all, a great time of year to be on the American, crowds are gone and fishing is pretty good. As fall approaches its only going to get better.

Stripers: traditional clousers, pole dancers Nymphs: caddis, mayflies, prince nymphs, copper johns, eggs Swinging: soft hackles, silver hiltons, ho bo speys, olive streamers, Thalken's tiny dancer, Anderson's euphoria

Feather River: Flows - 1200cfs low flow, 6500cfs high flow Clarity - 8ft viz slight color Fishing - Fair - good Boy has this river been a saving grace for me this year. With most of the Nor Cal rivers blown out from January to May, it was tough to get out on the water to work, but when June came around that was a different story. The flows and clarity on the Feather became good enough to get out and fish it and boy were we surprised. Lots and lots of fish to be had and not a single angler in site. For almost a month we had this river to ourself, and it was fishing consistently everyday. Lots of half pounders from 14-18" and a handful of fish from 18-22" everyday and the occasional 22-26" fish was hooked as well. The fishing continued will into July as the flows decreased, and now that the flows are at a steady 1500cfs in the low flow, we are still hitting a good number of halfies with an adult mixed in every so often. We are starting to see the salmon in the low flow, finally, and in a few weeks they should be stacked. If you havent been on the feather yet this season, I would recommend checking it out, it has completely changed, a lot like the Yuba, a completely new river. With the showing of the salmon that means only one thing, the "EGG BITE" is soon to follow. Oct Nov is prime time for the egg bite on the Feather and if you are looking to book, booking in advance is highly recommended.

Nymphs: princes, caddis, mayflies, worms, eggs, pts, Swinging: tan soft hackles, anderson's euphories, ho bo speys, thalken's tiny dancer, olive streamers

Yuba River: Flows - 2600cfs Clarity - Gin Clear Fishing - Fair to good The Newba has been fishing fair to good with plenty of fish to go around. We are seeing a good number of fish coming up and eating dries and hoppers, and the indicator rig has been super consistent for numbers, but not needed. The usual dries and nymphs have been working as well as the Pink Fat Albert, which is like candy for these trout and hopper droppers/dry droppers are producing as well. The salmon are very slow to show here, and we are hopping that we start seeing some in the next few weeks. If you are looking to get out and not travel, give the Newba a try, but wade carefully, at 2600cfs its extremely pushy, and wading across is not going to happen. If you know the access points and where the fish hold (they havent moved around to much), you will come out with some nice fish to hand. Oh if you like to swing, definitely give that a go, they have been hammering swung flies.

Dries: almost anything, fat alberts tan and pink Nymphs: rubberlegs, stoneflies, caddis, mayflies, worms, eggs Swinging: tan soft hackles, olive streamers

Lower Sac: Flows - 10,500cfs Clarity - good, 10ft, slightly off color Fishing - Good As always the Lower Sac continues to fish as it always does, and has been extremely consistent. The upper stretch opened back up on August 1st and we are seeing some nice fish in that stretch, but we are also seeing a good number of boat hatches. I was told that on the opener every parking lot from Posse to Anderson was full and over following and at one point a good friend counted 38 boats in the Posse Grounds fishing area, CRAZY!!!! Of course the Lower Sac will continue to fish well as fall approaches, and it doesn't stop there. "Egg Bite" is just around the corner and if you arent thinking about it by now, you should be, its going to come and go before you can blink an eye.

Nymphs: rubberlegs, caddis, mays, red headed stepchild, amber princes,

Trinity River: Flows - 2750 cfs, 450cfs come 8/24 Clarity -  Clear Fishing - Good With the recent spike in flows it will be about a week till she is ready for fishing. But prior to the spike, the fishing was good for steelhead and even jack salmon. Prior to the spike we did see some fresh fish, and pods lower in the river, and with this spike its going to bring up even more. Its definitely time to get up there. I cant stop talking about this river, its becoming one that I guide more and more each year, and it keeps producing while others are not, sometimes not so easily, but thats what makes the Trinity so cool and fun to fish, you have to "Earn It". With that said its even fishing as I type. This is one of my favorite times of year on the Trinity, the lower flows make wading a breeze (8/24 flows hit 450), and there are not a ton of people on the river. Your typical half pounders can be found throughout the river system and the closer to the dam the more you will find. The halfies will put any 5wt rod to its test and while you can get a ton nymphing, these mini-chrome domes will eagerly take a dry or a swung fly, they are just a hoot. On the bigger note, strewn about in the river system are the early fall run fish that can range from 3-6lbs and some pushing 10lbs are caught this time of year as well. While nymphing once again will get you on a good number of fish, these early fish will talk swung flies likes its going out of style, they love skated flies too. If you are looking to swing from now till about mid Nov this is the river, and that is prime time to swing for chrome. If you are looking for something different, treat yourself to a guided trip down the Trinity River, you wont be disappointed with its beauty, solitude and over all fishing experience. Booking well in advance is highly recommended on the Trinity as my dates fill up fast, especially in the early season prior to December.

Dries: stones, caddis, hoppers, stimulators Nymphs: rubberlegs, stones, mays, caddis, pshyco princes, rubberleg copper johns Swinging: soft hackles, ho bo speys, Anderson's euphoria, Thalken's tiny dancer

My Available Dates: Sept - 8,29 Oct - 2,3,5,9,22,23,24,25,27,28,29 Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018

My Available Trinity Dates: August - 30,31 Sept - 1,2,3,4,5,6,11 Oct - 15,16,17,18,19,20 Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018

There you have it folks, despite what you may hear, I continue to say "Be The Report, Don't Believe The Report". Fishing is good right now, and fish to be had no matter what technique, style or species you would like to target. With few people on the water, having the river to yourself is a very good possibility, that will change once October comes. I'm really looking forward to the fall as the flows we have now should continue well into fall and late winter. The fall is looking better than ever and it will be here sooner than you think.

If you are thinking of a fall or winter trip, give me a call and lets go have some good times and tight lines.

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Nor Cal Fly Fishing Report

Nor Cal Fly Guides Reports on 6.25.2017

Well this report comes to you a bit late, its not because of the great weather we have been having, but the great fishing we are having, but its better late then never. With the longest spring we have seen in years, getting out on local water has been a bit tough. Over the past few months almost all of my trips have been on the Lower Sac with a few on Putah. The Lower Sac has been fishing great whether it was at 5k,10k or 30k cfs, and Putah, well its Putah. With our local waters finally at fishable flows, its nice to be fishing close to home and on some good to great fishing. Summer is going to be good and our Fall should be great. So enough talking from me lets get onto the report.

American:

Flows: 6400

Clarity: Clear

Fishing: Good to Great

The AR has been a sight for long driving eyes as its been fishing great for both shad and stripers. Most of the shad fishing has been up top from Rosemore up, as well as the crowds. But if you can get out early, you will miss the crowds and be off before it gets to hot. Also there are some huge stripers cruising up top but getting them to eat is another story. My striper trips have been from Sunrise down for full days, and Gristmil down for half days, and boy has it been good. We are seeing a ton of shakers, and in the mix are plenty of 2-5lbers. The big fish unfortunately are stuffed with shad right now, but those smaller fish will keep you busy. We are having some good top water action too if you can get on early enough, and plenty of fish to go around whether a full or half day, 1 or 2 anglers. As the shad start leaving the river, the striper fishing will only get better. Best way to fish for stripers is on early off early, get your fix and beat the heat. No better time than now and the next few months. Time to get your 8wt bent.

Feather:

Flows: Low flow 2300, Total Flow 2500

Clarity: Clear

Fishing: Good to Great

Steelhead, striper and shad oh my, we have been having a few trifectas over the past 2 weeks, and its only getting better. Steelhead are thoughout the river system, but the further up you go the better it gets. Typically we are the only boat/anglers on the water, and the lack of fishing pressure truly shows, hitting a dozen steelhead ranging 14-20" is pretty easy right now, so hooking more is definitely likely. There are some bigger fish in the system as well, some pushing 8lbs, good luck landing these toads. On top of the steelhead fishing, we are even sticking a few stripers when targeted and a good number of shad too, it is the place to be right now. The river has definitely changed with the high water, and with it being 2300cfs in low flow, wade carefully. Fall is going to be sweet on this river and very busy, so as I always say, if you are looking to book a trip on the Feather, I highly recommend booking well in advance. "EGG BITE" will be here sooner than you think.

Nymphing has been the main game for steelhead, but getting them on the swing has been fun as well.

Yuba

Flows: 3700

Clarity: Perfect

Fishing: Fair to good

The Yuba is slowly coming back into shape, and is getting better every time I float it. As I have stated in past reports its the Newba and will take some anglers a bit of time to get use to how it looks, fishes and feels, but in due time, she will give it up. Not a lot of bug activity right now, but tell that to the fish. We are getting fish all throughout the water column, from on top to dredging deep, seems like the fish know what they want, "A well placed and drifter fly". My last trip on it we floated only a few (2) hours with clients and ended up hooking 6 fish, one being a 20" toad, but came unbottoned at the boat. When the flows get lower, this will be one sweet river. Until then, wade carefully as the river has changed a ton, and its not as shallow as before. With fall looming just around the corner if you are looking to book the "Egg Bite" on the Yuba, look to book sooner than later.

Nymphing is the main game, but throwing big bugs and swinging has produced a few fish as well.

Lower Sac

Flows: 10K

Clarity: Milky Green

Fishing: Good to Great depending on the day

The Lower Sac has kept every guide in Nor Cal including myself, in business and busy this year as it has been the only fishable water up to only a few weeks ago. Sometimes guiding it at 25-30k was needed, but now that its back down to 10k and its fishing extremely well. Big fish and a lot of fish will keep you busy throughout the day and some of the best fishing is just around the corner. The hotter the weather, the better it gets, so if you can bare the 100+ deg temps, you can plan on hooking a ton of fish. As you may know, the river is closed from Hwy 44 to the dam, and opens back up Aug 1st. This is great for the spring run kings, as well as the local trout up there, giving them all a break from the crazy, above normal pressure they have been seeing. Come Aug 1st if you are not on the water those first few weeks you are truly missing out. I highly recommending booking a day, 2 or even 3 during these first few weeks to experience the best fishing that you will ever have. Soon after fall will be here, and you know what that means, "EGG BITE", need I say more.

Nymphing is the way to go right now.

This is where I have been spending all of my time as of late, and will continue to do so. The fishing is not red hot, but its darn good, and is only getting better on a daily basis. If you are looking to finally wet a line and get bent, no better time than now.

If you are thinking that you want to wait till Fall, please dont wait till the last minute to book your fall trip, this year is going to be a busy one, probably the busiest yet, so book now while prime dates are available.

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American & Yuba River Fishing Report

American River 6/16/2017

Flows have dropped back down to just over 6k making access much easier Shad are being caught all day with the evening being the highest success rate. Pinies and other shad darts on a type 3 or 6 shooting head will do the trick.That is if you are not chasing stripers around.

Photo By Fish Habit Outfitters:

Yuba River 6/16/2017

Nice to see the yuba flow down 3k. Shad and rainbows are being caught on the Lower Yuba right now. So great to have this fishery back in action!

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Redding Area and Sierra Foothills Fly Fishing Report

Brian Clemens reports on 4.27.17

Hello Everyone, WOW, what a start to the 2017 fishing season. All we can say is water, water, and more water. Oh, and more water to come. Hopefully the rainy season is behind us, and only good fishing to come.

This year has been a bit challenging, especially on local water. The opener on the American was the worst in years, the Feather was brown due to the damage to the dam, the Yuba was high and brown as well, everything was high and brown, even the Lower Sac. The only fishable water that kept me busy was the Trinity, but even that is now flowing too high. So you may be asking, “Is there anything fishable right now?” and the answer is, “Yes, and thats soon to come.” For those that typically book fall/winter trips, I would highly recommend booking well in advance, the sooner the better. This fall is going to be one to remember, and I hope to be able to experience it with you. With the amount of water that we have, with plenty more to come, we will have plenty of water for fall fishing, and the water temps are going to be very favorable for the fish. Once all these rivers come into shape, available dates will be hard to come by. We are already booking fall trips, so now is the time to get your dates for the fall/winter season.

So lets talk current fishing report:

American: Current flows are 15k, water clarity is really good. The only fishing to be had right now are for stripers. You are going to work for a handful of fish, but this time of year is when you will find the bigger fish. So if you want to hook that 10-15 pounder now is the time. Also, we should start seeing shad in the next few weeks, which will bring in even more stripers. As far as steelhead, don’t even bother, think fall for these chrome domes, mid to late October before the upper closure can be a ton of fun. For now think stripers, and in a few weeks shad. Feather: DONT BOTHER!!!!! Flows are 35k, a bit to high to fish effectively. Start looking towards the fall for your trips here. Advanced booking highly recommended. October and November is prime time. Late Sept early October, pre-egg bite/pre-spawn can be epic.

Yuba: The clarity is absolutely perfect, and I hope the flows come down to fishable levels soon. As soon as it hits 3-4k, Ill be out there working it hard. Current flows are 7500cfs and very slowly dropping. Once the flows drop to fishable levels, its going to be interesting. I scouted it about a month back and I am super excited in what I saw. A very braided river, and its definitely a NEW River, and one will have to re-learn it all over again. Don’t know how soon it will be fishable, Im guessing July, but who knows. What I do know is if you are looking to fish it this in the fall, I highly recommend advance booking. I love fishing it mid Sept to mid Oct before the crowds, pre-egg bite/pre-spawn.

Trinity: Current flows 11k, definitely not fishable and wont be for a long time. Ill start back on this river come mid/late August, and fish it hard till late March early April. Im already booking fall/winter trips, and if you are looking to do the same, start booking now. If you like to swing like me, late August to late October is prime time for swinging. Lot of swinging with muddlers and skaters during that time of year and a good amount of action to boot. If you want to learn how to swing, I can not think of a better, more beautiful place than the Trinity in the fall. Hot fish eating swung flies throughout the day, while seeing lots of wildlife as well as fall colors, no bobbers needed. This river is becoming more popular every year for my clients, and finding available dates is becoming harder to find. So if you are looking to book a trip or two on the Trinity between August and April, advance booking is extremely recommended. Lower Sac: I have done a few trips on the Lower Sac over the past few weeks. All the trips have been at 20k, 25k and 30k, personally, not my style of fishing, it just wasn't fun for us (clients and myself). Several trips were postponed mostly due to myself not wanting to subject my clients to those fishing conditions, and they also agreed with me. Was it fishable, yes, were we hooking a good number of fish, yes, however, not much fishable water. Where there was, typically 4-8 boats working the same float (about 100yrds long), most fishing was done with beads and above Bonneyview. Also we were doing a double float from Posse to Bonney and the water at the time was 18-20" of viz in brownish water. It just wasn't the experience I wanted to give me clients, and not an experience they personally wanted. However, there is good news for the very near future. Come 5/1 flows will be at 9k and dropping slowly to 7k by 5/3. If you know the Lower Sac and have fished it this time of you, you know that its prime time both flows and timing. So if you are looking to get out and wet a line, I highly recommend booking your trip on the Lower Sac starting 5/1. There you have it folks, your current fishing report. Wish I had more to report, but with all the water coming down, its hard to find good fishable water to take clients out on. But in just a week, the Lower Sac will be ready for you, and hopefully the fishing will get better over the next few weeks. As stated earlier, if you typically book fall/winter trips with me on any river system, I highly recommend booking well in advance. With how things are and have been over the past few months, everyone will be itching to get out this fall/winter, and dates will be hard to come by. Book now - fun later!!!! Available Dates: May 3,4,5,6,8,10,11,14,15,20-25,29-31 Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018 Available Trinity Dates: August-Sept 30,31,1,2,5,6 Sept11,12,13,14,22,23,26 October10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 November14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 December15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018

Lastly, I still have a few spots available for my July 24th-28th hosted trip to Baja, through Baja Pirates. The cost for 5 days, 4 nights, 3 days fishing is $1100. If you are interested in more info about this hosted trip, please contact me and I’ll send you all the info needed for booking a spot. Hope you enjoyed the report. Some good fishing just around the corner, can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds. Hope to see you on the water soon. Thank you again for all your support AND ALWAYS REMEMBER KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT

Brian Clemens NOR CAL FLY GUIDES 530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook

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Creekin’ Fly Fishing Report

Jordan Romney reports on 3.1.17

Creekin’

Trust me, you are not the only angler in California chomping at the bit to wet a line somewhere. Fishing so far in 2017 has been a bust. With only a handful of options and days to fish it has been tough out there.  We got the much-needed precipitation we asked for, ten-fold.  With the raging rivers, we may need to be looking at other options.  

The rivers are going to start clearing from top to bottom.  The higher elevation creeks will be clear soon if they aren’t already. Still, they will be higher than we’re used to seeing.   This year we are going to have to learn how to fish high water.  Deal with it, it is our only option.

Break out the 3 wts or the glass rods.  It’s time to fish.  Sure, some of these rivers may be swollen but their feeders will be in shape.  Most likely the trout have moved into the feeders to avoid heavy currents of the main stems.  These small waters mainly hold small trout but with the right rod you can have yourself a blast.  Occasionally, you may get surprised with a bigger fish too.

The terrain can be a bit rugged on some of these places.  Pick a nice warm day in case you go for a swim.  Most of the small creeks I fish are tough to access.  They have poison oak in every direction, giant granite slabs to meander and long trails to get to them.  You will be burning your calories for the day.  

I love throwing glass rods on these rivers.  Every fish feels big on them.  Just casting them for a day will make any angler feel like a kid again.  Dry droppers tend to be the ticket.  Usually I’ll bring a graphite 3wt too for small streamers.

Here is a list of places to check out.  

The forks of the American River are open year around above Folsom Lake.  Hint: their tributaries are open too.  North Fork Yuba River is high but it is open for fishing.

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West Coast Striper Report

Capt. Kevin DeGulis reports on 8.15.18

Established 1882

Can you say Halibut? The bite is back! Sunday Lost Coast Outfitters hosted a Fly Fish the surf clinic at Crissy Field.

Matt Tymstra with a nice one

 Participants came from all over the bay area to see what it takes to fly fish in the Pacific Ocean. From wind to sunshine the team experienced the infamous San Francisco microclimates.

The clinic is educational but learning by doing, understanding the power of the swell, winds, and strong casting gives students a real idea of what surf fishing is all about. 

Towards the end of the incoming tide, Wolfgang was able to pick a California halibut on one of Steve Adachi's bay baitfish pattern.

West Coast Stripers? We decided to go estuary fishing since the swell was high.

The goal was to catch striped bass on a crab pattern; we have been spotting a mass amount of baby dungeons crabs or mud crab (not quite sure what kind of crab that is. 

Look striper loves the Crab!

The "estuary" fly fishing for stripers in unique, instead of a sinking line, Rio bonefish quick shooter was the weapon of choice.

Central Valley Stripers

Always love a Sacramento trip to the American river to see Garret Smith. 

Going for stripers in a drift boat is an enjoyable experience, big flies, fast sinking lines, and aggressive strips are all apart of the program.

[lostcoastoutfitters]

Lower Sac Striper Fly Fishing Report

Capt. Hogan Brown reports on 6.21.18

Valley Stripers

Striper fishing on the Lower Sac and Valley rivers continues to pick up and the heat wave coming this weekend should really get the fish feeding. 

The water temps have been a bit on the cold side so some HOT weather will do the river good. The full moon next week and that always kicks the fish into gear a bit as well. July-October is PRIME time and fishing should really start to get good over the next 2 months.

Open Dates

July 3, 9, 19, 21, 23, 27, 30

August 9

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NorCal Fly Fishing Report

Brian Clemens Report on 11.10.2016

Feather:

I have spent a good amount of time on the Feather lately and with the salmon in full spawn mode the egg bite is in full swing. Right now its all about getting on as early as possibly and fishing hard for the first 4hrs as this seems to be the best egg bite opportunity with this nicer (sunnier) weather. This is mostly due to the salmon falling back into the buckets once the sun comes out, and pushing the steelhead out. You can still stick some chrome after that, but you will have to work a tad harder for them. If you get the opportunity to fish with an overcast day, be ready for some epic fishing. The salmon decide to spawn all day, never dropping back into the buckets, and the steelhead go egg crazy. The feather should continue to fish well for at least the next month or even two. So if you are looking to get out, now's the time. I still have a few dates left towards the end of this month and beginning of December if you are looking to book Flies: Egg patterns, caddis, worms, princes and mays Swinging: sculpins and flesh flies Guide tip: best time to fish is dawn to about 10am, then about 4pm till dark. Fish it hard and pick apart the run, you'd be surprised where these chrome domes sit.

Trinity:

As always Im spending a ton of time of here this year, and we are seeing some really big fish. This year is a bit different, but the norm for the Trinity. What I mean is we have been a bit spoiled the last few years with the shear numbers of fish in the system, which lead to lots of fish hooked and landed on any given day. This year, the Trinity is back to how it usually fishes, like a true steelhead fishery. Its not a numbers game, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in pure quality. We are seeing some bruisers in the system (early winter fish), most of them being wild, and some pushing 15lbs. Again its not a numbers game, so bring you steelhead A game, and make every cast/hook set/fish count. If you want the opportunity at a fish of a life time, 30+" steelhead, from now till January will be the time to be up here. If you are looking to swing up a chrome dome, think now till mid Dec, of course its all about water temps. I still have some prime dates if you are looking to book and learn how to fish the Trinity. Flies: Stones, caddis, mays, psycho princes, copper johns Swinging: Ho Bo Speys, Morgan's tiny dancer, Rick's Euphoria fall classic, Hartwick's October hilton, anything black/blue, flesh flies Guide tip: Cover a lot of water, the fish are throughout the system, so fish a run hard, but don't spend to much time in one hole. Swinging is best later in the day, and same thing, fish it hard, but not slow.

Yuba:

Surprisingly, this place has been fishing really well, and not a ton of crowds. The salmon are spawning, but on the decline. I would expect the egg bite to last a few more weeks, end of Nov, and then back to the OG bugs. There has been some great caddis and mayfly hatches mid day, so don't forget your dry fly rod, yes I said dry fly rod, there has been some noses. Flows are great, fishing is great, this is your local hot spot right now. If you like swinging, you can definitely make that happen right now as well. Swinging behind the redds is a great place to start as well as the deeper runs below them as well. I still have a few dates after Thanksgiving if you are looking to get out and book a trip. Flies: eggs, legs, caddis, mays, worms Swinging: tan soft hackles, olive sculpins/woolly buggers, flesh flies Guides tip: Above the bridge is closed, most of the spawning areas get hammered by bank anglers, so think outside the box. Fish the less fished water and you will find some quality and quantity.

Lower Sac:

The Lower Sac is fishing like the Lower Sac always does. There are definitely a few more boats on the Lower Sac than normal due to how the Trinity is fishing. This doesn't mean you cant get out there and stick some fish, but it will be a bit more crowded. If you know how the Lower Sac fishes, then no need to get further into it. Egg bite is on, fish are keying in on many different flies, and this is big fish time too. It will continue to fish good through the new year. Get out now while the weather and fishing is good to great. Still have some prime dates to fish this great fishery. Flies: Eggs, legs, caddis and mays Streamers: flesh flies Guides tip: Flows are wadeable now if you know where to go, but still be careful as the current is still pushing pretty hard. Wading staff recommended.

American:

Was fishing pretty darn good prior to the closure, and is looking very good for the opener. Remember Ancil Power Lines to Hazel is closed till Jan 1st. This doesn't mean you cant get out there and find some fish in the lower river, but it will be a bit crowded with the salmon guys. But it never hurts to hit your favorite lower river steelhead run and see what you can find if you have a few hours. I would look at fishing this after the open. I have prime dates open after Jan 1 to book on the American, dont wait to book to experience some of the biggest fish you will hook in the Sac Valley.

Available Local Dates Nov 25,26,27 (last two are available on Lower Sac and Trinity too) Dec 1,2,3,5,16,17,18 Jan 2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,16,28,29,30,31

Available Trinity Dates Nov 21,22,26,27 Dec 9,10,11,12,13,14 Jan 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24

[lostcoastoutfitters]

Norcal Fly Fishing Report

Brian Clemen’s Reports on 9/5/2016

Yuba River 

Rating: Good to good++

Flows: 800cfs

Temp: high 50's lower 60's

Clarity: Clear

Report: This is where I have spent a few trips on as of recent. Prior to me leaving for Alaska, the Yuba was on fire, and its still fishing pretty good. While the dry fly fishing has become a bit more inconstant, it will still produce a few fish a day, the nymphing game has been on point, producing some good to great numbers of hooked fish. Average fish is still 14-17", but we are still seeing a few of those 18"+ fish as well. Look for the Yuba to continue to produce some great fishing from now until the end of the egg bite, which is just around the corner. Now is the time to start hitting the Yuba as the traffic is low, and the fishing isn't slow. Guide Quote: The Yuba is a sweet place to be fishing right now, especially during the week. Weekends are a bit crowded, but still not that bad. In a few weeks, the salmon will be spawning, and the egg bite will be on like donkey kong. Don't wait to book your fall guided trip. Also river is closed above the hwy20 bridge

Feather River

Rating: Fair to Good

Flows: 1300cfs low flow

Temp: high 50's low 60's

Clarity: Clear

Report: I have had a few days here as well, and while you wont see a soul out there, this doesn't mean there are no fish in the system, its actually the opposite. The salmon are slowly making there way in, and we did hooked about a dozen in 3 spots, another week or so, and it will be time to hook some monsters on the fly. Most of the salmon are 15-25lbs, however we did hook a few that where pushing the 30lbs. The steelhead are throughout the system, and there is plenty to go around for those looking to hook into some spunky summer run steelhead. Most of these fish average 14-18", but we have hooked a few in the 18-24" range as well. As always the egg bite is just around the corner, and you know what that means.

Guide Quote: This place is as close to Alaska as you are going to get. If you have never experienced the egg bite, this is the place to be. If this season is anything close to last year, start thinking about booking your trip now for October and November. If you want to battle some monsters, give it another week or so, and give these Feather River salmon a try. I still have a few days available between now and the end of the month. Salmon and steelhead in one day, sign me up.

Lower Sac:

Rating: Good to Great

Flows: 9500cfs

Temp: Mid 50's

Clarity: Clear

Report: The Lower Sac never disappoints, and it still keeps pumping out a lot of fish, and a lot of big fish, almost "epic" fishing to be had right now. This has been a stellar year on the Lower Sac, and if you missed out on any of the great fishing, you definitely don't want to miss out on whats just around the corner, fall fishing during the egg bite. Lots of eager bows, looking to fatten up for winter on eggs and legs, no need to fish anything else from Oct to Nov. This is and always will be the place to be, especially during the fall.

Guide Quote: Big fish, lots of fish, what more could you ask for. Book now as dates are filling up fast.

Trinity River:

Rating: Good

Flows: 1200cfs

Temp: mid 50's

Clarity: Perfect

Report: If you are not fishing the Trinity right now you then are truly missing out. The have raised the flows up to cool down the Klamath, and that only means one thing for us, "STEELHEAD!" They are in and eager to take a swung fly. I love this time of year as it is not a zoo, you have the place almost to yourself and the fishing can be absolutely awesome. Typically this time of year yields lots of fished hooked in the 18-22" range, but fish pushing 10lbs are also waiting for your fly too. I personally think this is the best time of year to swing for steelhead on the Trinity for several reason. 1) the water isn't freezing cold, so the fish will move for your fly 10ft at times 2) you can get them on top with muddlers/foam skaters and even dries, lastly 3) its not a zoo, did I mention that yet. So bring those swinging sticks and hook you some chrome domes. Nymphing is also a great option of course, as this will give you the most opportunities at fish, but if you are wanting to swing, this is the time and place to be for the next month.

Guides Quote: If you are looking to get away for a few days, this is the place to be.

"To swing is the thing, and the tug is the drug"

American River

Rating: Good

Flows: 1800cfs

Temp: high 50's low 60's

Clarity: Clear

Report: We are still seeing good numbers of shaker stripers, but also some bigger ones too. The striper fishing will start to slow down in the next few weeks as the water temps drop, so get out now while the striper fishing is good. The salmon are slowly coming in, not in great numbers yet, but they are making their way in. The good news is there are a good amount of half pounders in the system, which makes for a fun day on the water. Between the stripers and steelhead, you couldn't ask for a better time. If the flows stay higher than it did last year, the American should be a good place to get away for a few hours, especially below the power lines after the upper closes. Mid river has been holding a few more fish over the past few years, shhhhhhh, which is nice to see, so come mid Oct to mid Dec, give mid river a try. Also, don't forget, the upper section closes Nov 1st, and reopens up Jan 1st, I already have a few dates booked around the opener, so don't miss out.

Guide Quote: Don't give up on the American, there are very few ppl fishing it, and you would be pleasantly surprised what you can hook into right now. Get out and give it a try

There you have it folks, the salmon are finally showing up in good numbers, the trout fishing couldn't be better, and furthermore there are a good amount of steelhead in the rivers. It will only get better from now until the end of the year. Just a heads up, last fall was my busiest to date thanks to you all, and I had no available dates come the end of Sept. So if you are looking to book that fall egg bite trip, or just in the next few months in general, starting looking and booking now, before its to late.

My Local Available Dates: Sept: 7,8,9,19,20,21,22,23,26,27,29,30 Oct: 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Nov: 2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,25,26,27,28,29,30 Please email me for later dates

My Trinity Available Dates: Sept: 13 (more available upon request, starting 19th) Oct: 21,26 (more available upon request, starting prior to 19th) Nov: 15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 Dec: 9,10,11,12,13,14

[lostcoastoutfitters]

North/Central Valley Fly Fishing Report

Brian Celmens Reports on 6/2/2016

Wow, where has this year gone, April was EPIC, May was here and gone with some more great fishing, now we are in June and the fishing is really good too. I know I say this a lot, but you should really be out on the water and enjoying some great fishing.

Here is your Local June Fishing Report:

Feather River

Man when things started to look dim, the Feather comes back and shines like it always does, and it continues to give us some really nice days fishing. If you want to get into some late spring and early summer run steelhead, well look no further than the Feather. We are seeing good numbers of half pounders up to 18" as well as a good handful of adults up to 26". Hooking 10 to 12 fish a day is the daily scene, and not hard to do, and if you are not careful you can hook many many more. Just recently we had a day where we hooked 20+ fish. Can you say sign me up. Dont know how much longer this will last, but with the low flow at 1700cfs and running cold, salmon showing up daily, and every steelhead we hook chrome bright, it should be good to great for the month of June. As always, hottest steelhead pound per pound around, and these fish will hurt you on a 6wt.

Nymphs: Princes, Caddis, Mays, Copper Johns

Dries: Mays, Caddis

Swinging: anything soft hackle caddis immitation

Guides tip: get out now, while the getting is good

Lower Sac

Another hot spot right now, and if you can stand the heat, you will hook as many fish as you can handle. Most days hooking 20-25 fish is not uncommon, and hooking 30 is not a far feat to accomplish. As far as the heat goes, a nice dip in the Lower Sac will take care of that, and keep you cool for quite some time, typically done soon after lunch, gotta wait 30 mins you know. The Lower Sac will continue to produce some awesome fishing and great catches, fish from 16-22", with some bigger fish in the mix as well. If you want to hook quantity and quality, this is the place for you. As far as how long this will last, only the fish truly know, but it will definitely be great for the month of June.

Nymphs: Rubber Legs, PMDs, Caddis, Mays, Eggs

Dries: Caddis and PMDs

Swinging: it can be done, tailouts are best, soft hackle caddis patterns are a must

Guides tip: same as the Feather, get out now while the getting is great

American

The shad are in and so are the striper. Man o Man, great numbers of shad and striper are being hooked as I type. Evening is best for the shad and in the upper stretch of the river, only problem is most anglers/guides are up there too. Most of my trips are going after striper, getting on early and getting off by 3pm, but what is really awesome, is the the striper fishing is so good, that if you dont want to get on super early you dont have to, I just like to beat the heat. We are not seeing the huge stripers as they are eating up the shad, but fish 5lbs and under are being hooked in great numbers. A day last week, I had a single angler that boated 50+ stripers in a full day guided trip, can you say epic. We are using 8wt rods with 350gr striper lines, just in case we hook the big one, but you could get away with a strong 6wt or slower 7wt. But I personally think the heavier line helps get that fly down and will produce a lot more fish. Even though a lot of the fish we are landing are shakers 16-20" fish, they put up a great fight on the 8wt, and you will be glad with the 8wt when you hook that 6-8lber. As far as shad, the majority of them as well as the anglers are up top, especially in the evening, with many smaller pods of fish and anglers spread throughout the lower river. With the numbers we are seeing of striper, I havent had the time to chase to many shad, but if you are looking to get out, now is the time.

Striper: Grey/white, Chatruse/white clousers. Toby's Clousers and the Sexy shad, Shad: Bloody Maria, Pink Bleeder Guides Tip: Nows the time

Yuba River

Above the Weir

This is a tough fishery right now for trout. You get a fish here and a fish there, give it some time she will be ready to go, but right now, there are better trout fisheries to be fishing.

Below the Weir Shad, shad and more shad. Great for a half day walk and way, but can be done as a full day walk and wade as well. You want to shad fish with very few people, this is the place to be. I am able to access the water at the rod and gun club, so if you are looking to get out, lets go hook some shad. Trout: Rubber legs, caddis, mays Shad: Bloody Maria and anything pink

Truckee River

Flows are still on the high side, and water still cold, but we are seeing to really good quality fish. The numbers are not there yet like the Truckee is know for, but what it lacks in quantity, you really do make up for quality. A few more weeks of this warm weather, and the snow run off should be done, and the fishing should turn on like a light switch, I would say by July 1, it will be in perfect shape. If you are looking to get out, whether booking a trip or just fishing, look to late June early July and on through the summer months. There is a ton of water up there, and this will be one great trout fishery throughout  the summer.

Nymphs: Stones, Caddis, Mays, Worms

Dries: same as nymphs, but not worms of course

Streamers: anything big and bad, I love sculpins up there

Guides tip: when the water comes down, the green drakes, caddis and pmds will be in full force, this will be the spot in a few short weeks, and Ill be spending a lot of time up there guiding this year

There you have it folks, and as you can see, the fishing is really good right now. Its time to get out and enjoy what the talk is all about.

[lostcoastoutfitters]

American River

The American has been fishing really well for Shad and striper. Friends who are great anglers have been catching 20-40 shad in an evening on the American. 

Type 3 line is ideal for shad fishing. Come in and we can get you dialed with the right flies and lines. 

[lostcoastoutfitters]

Shad on American River

Jordan Romney Reports on 4.13.2016

(530) 304-8421

Peak Season Mother’s Day to Father’s Day

It has been a few years since we have gotten excited about shad fishing in Sacramento. With the drought and the low water the shad fishing has flat out been terrible. However, we have water again and we have water early. With the big spring flows coming out of Nimbus dam the shad should be here by the end of the month. Word around the fishing community is that there have already been a few caught in the lower end of the river and the boats are getting into them on the Sac near Verona. We should see a big push of fish in the next few weeks.

The peak season of shad season is typically mother’s day until father’s day. There are several ways to fish for them, my preference is to swing for them on a switch rod. The hardest thing about shad fishing is finding them. Once you find them and mark the depth they are in it is game on. It is not abnormal to have big number days while shad fishing. Hopefully this year proves to be the same.

My favorite part of shad season is that it brings the stripers in, I always have an 8wt rigged and ready while shad fishing. Part of the package that I run is a shad/striper ½ day morning or evening trip. We will fish out the drift boat plus get out and fish a few runs on foot. Get a day on the books with me for May and let’s finally catch some shad on the American.

[lostcoastoutfitters]

Northern California Report

Brian Clemens reports 3.8.2016

Well it likes like the weather has finally come in, mainly the rain and the snow, but some wind as well, and it has been dumping a bunch all throughout Nor Cal. The reservoirs are filling up fast, and things are really looking up for this years water/fishing season. The tough part with all of this is the ever fluctuating river flows, river clarity and over all fishing conditions. It hasnt given us a big number of fishing days this year, but when it has been time to get out and fish, the fishing has been good. With these rains, comes the fish, really looking forward to April, May, June and the remaining season.

American

Currently flowing at 15k , and with more rain in the forecast, I think its only going to get higher. Folsom is over 60% full, and with that, what ever flows in must flow out. A law that was created over 30 years ago is still in place, and once Folsom reaches 60% during winter months, the flood gates open up to help with flood control. Right now this is not the place to be fishing. However, with these flows, the Spring should be phenomenal for steelhead, stripers and even shad. With that all said, I would really look into booking trips for April, May and June for the species above, and if the flows stay up, this should be one epic shad year.

Yuba

Blown, blown and blown. Currently at 7k cfs and dropping fast, but was over 24k just a few days ago. Englebright is at 102% of full capacity, which means anything flowing in, flows straight out and over the top of the damn. With more rain in the forecast, the Yuba will be out of commission for weeks to come. I was really looking forward to fishing it this winter for the skwalas, early spring for the March Browns, but with the big blow outs this year, it really scoured the river for all those big bugs, only saw a handful of those stones in 2 months of fishing it. I am really hoping that the March Browns show their faces, only time will tell. Once these storms dissipate, look for this place to start fishing good again. April is a great time to be on the water, caddis start showing up, and the fish are still on the feed for the big March Browns.

Feather

This has been the go to place as of recent. Clarity has been good, and flows very steady at 800cfs in the low flow. The big fish are not in yet, but with this big rain, they are sure to come soon. We have been hooking a good number of half-pounders ranging 12-20", with an occasional bigger fish. Oroville is filling up fast, it holds 2.6 million a.f. and with it currently at 2.1 million a.f. and on the rise, we should be seeing an increase in flows soon, with that, comes the big spring run fish. Look for this place to really turn on in the next few weeks and stay fishing well for at least a few months. Dont forget about the stripers, bass and salmon fishing during this time as well.

Lower Sac

Is firing on all cylinders, and this is the place to be if you are truly looking to get out. With all the rain that has come down, and in the forecast, this is one river that will not blow out and this is where Ill be doing a good amount of my trips over the next month. Big fish are on the move, and being hooked on a daily basis, landing them is another story. You can expect to hook fish ranging from 16 to 22"  all day long, with the opportunity to hook bigger fish, ones pushing 30" as well. Number of fish are tough to predict on a daily basis, but this is the time that good numbers of hooked fish happen. From now till mid May the Lower Sac is on, and its got to be the best trout fishery on the west coast. Book now for prime dates.

Trinity

Well as much as I want to give you a great report, I cant. Its blown out, and will continue to be for the next week. However, after that it should be fishable, but dont know for how long. Fish came in early this year, and the last big storm pushed up a large number of them, then the fishing really slowed down. I still think there is one good big push of fish to come, and this storm/blow out would be the one to pull of the remain fish. Once it clears and drops, there will still be some fish in the river, just have to work for them. The fly fishing only section opens April 1st, this is one place worth giving a shot.

Putah Creek

When things clear up, about a week after this next heavy rain, and it will be a pretty steelhead green and will be the place to get your wade on. The fish are done spawning and its time to hit the creek once again. Great place to hone your skills, and become a better angler all around, and no better way to learn it that with an experienced guide. Putah Creek is one hot spot during the spring.

Truckee

Once the river flows drop a bit more, but mainly once the river clears up this will be another hot spot as well. Right now flows are 1000cfs at Floriston, 900cfs at boca, and 200cfs though town, give it a week to recover, and the river should be a steelhead green and I would definitely recommend hitting it. Just like Putah, another great place to hone your skills, and no better way to learn it that with an experience guide.