Ted Fay Report : June 10, 2013
The early June hot spell here in Dogpatch has ended .... thank you! This taste of July/August heat was way too soon and of course had an effect on the fishing and on us fishermen ..... I recommend wet wading, falling in frequently and looking for shade when the thermometer is boiling. Forecast currently shows 10 days of 70 to low 80's temps which will help the angler out and of course the fishing too.
The Upper Sac flows are at summer time levels ... 235 cfs ... but setting historical low flows for this time of the year. Nymphing in the a.m. and afternoon is recommended although there is a sporadic mayfly and small caddis hatch occurring mid morning. Mid river up to Cantara was covered by me this last week .... I stay away from the lower river when temps are pushing 100 degrees or more. Expect to get into rainbows up to 18 in. with copius numbers of dinks in the mix. Evenings will give you a window of frenzied dry fly fishing starting sometimes at 7, sometimes at 8, and other times at dark .... just depends on how lucky you are in choosing the right location on the river. Golden stones are thick in the mid to upper river and will remain so for a few more weeks. Don't fret though, just get out and do it .... it beats sitting at home. Note fishing success recently by clients Greg, Teena and Steve.
The McCloud River this last week fished good for smaller fish, the big boys are wising up. The river is still seeing a lot of pressure thus its name the McCrowd. Flows are a bit low but not too bad. All methods continue to bring success and as soon as the early evening shade lays on the water expect some good top surface action. Oxygenated water and fishing nymphs near the bottom is the ticket for nymphing here.
Recommended Bugs .... see last report.
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : June 2, 2013
June has arrived here in Dogpatch and the flowers are exploding in the garden. Predictions of temps running into the 90's over the next few days and the Upper Sac and McCloud running historically low for this time of the year make me wonder what August will bring us. The USac running just under 300 cfs is setting daily records for low flows .... don't get me wrong, this is mid/late summer levels for fishing but this early .... geeez! The snow pack is long gone so springs are the only source of water now for this watershed. Hopefully they are charged up enough to get us through the summer. The McCloud River is experiencing lower than normal flows due to diminished dam releases. I don't get it, the McCloud Reservoir is just a touch below full yet PG&E has cut back the release. Further investigation might show them not living up to their agreed to minimum flows they signed off on during the recent relicensing agreement with the feds .... of course the more water PG&E can hold on to the more money they make through power generation over on the Pit River at their power house where the reservoir water is diverted to. Chew on that kids!!
The USac continues to offer good fishing and no crowds. The best fishing during the day is from mid river up to Cantara Loop. The entire river is showing good evening dry fly action. Mayfly and caddis patterns from Lakehead up to Gibson have produced some nice fish up to 20 in. and from Gibson up stream to Cantara the golden stones and drake patterns work well in the evening. For nymphing the fish seem to be in more oxygenated water now so think about the riffles, pocket water and heads of runs. Recent trips here have been a hoot. I entertained 3 gals off on a buddies trip away from kids and husbands recently. They hadn't fly fished before and were looking for a fun day on the river away from obligations. Well, they had themselves a time as you can see. Matt Glerum who used to be an avid fly fisher and Orvis guide back east came up for a day to knock off some rust and acquaint himself with NorCal fishing with the good results shown above .... thanks for the pics Matt. Frank and his 2 boys Bill and Joe enjoyed a couple of days rocking the fish on the USac also .... see pics.
The McCloud River is very crowded on the weekends so think about mid week here ... Ash Camp, Ah Di Na and the Conservancy have been full up. It's fishing good for smaller fish with the big boys having wised up for the most part so you have to work for them .... lower flows and clear water being the reason. Both dries and nymphs are working. The golden stones are showing so a big stimie and dropper mid day and straiight up stimmie in the evening should produce. Clear water equates to stealth .... lighter tippet, low profile, watch your moving shadow, don't wear your favorite loud colored shirt/hat, and no slapping the water with your line or staff.
Recommended Bugs ....
Nymphs
Golden Stones #8-14
Jimmy Legs (brwn., blk. & olive) #4-10
Prince #8-16
Gordon Prince #12-16
Flashback PT #14-16
Copper John (red & copper) #14-16
Soft Hackle #14
Micro Mayflies (olive & blk.) #14-18
Fox Poopah (olive & tan) #14-16
Silveys #14-16
S&M #16-18
Dark Lord #14-16
Birds Nest #12-16
Dries
Stimulator #8-14
Little Yellow Sally #14
Adams #10-18
Parachute Adams #10-16
Humpy #10-18
X-Caddis #14-16
EC Caddis #14-16
Pink Cahill #14
Royal Coachman #10-14
X-Caddis #14-16
Drakes (green & gray) #10-14
PMD/BDE #14
Jen & Lou
Lou Showing Some Luv
Matt USac Rainbow
Matt's USac Beauty
Bill USac Hot Fish
Bill's USac Bow
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area next stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : May 24, 2013
Recent reports from the McCloud River have been good from those in the know and not so good from others. Unfortunately the word is out on how good it has been and the river has taken on it's alias "The McCrowd" particularly so in the Conversancy. Also the river flows are low, very low. This coupled with clear water viz has created a higher spookability factor on the spooky fish meter. There are plenty of fish here but be more stealthy under these conditions. All methods are working .... nymphing, dries, and dry/dropper will get you fish. The strong hatches haven't started yet (anytime now) but fish will be enticed by a juicy dry. Expect crowds over the 3 day weekend on both the UMac and LMac .... Ah Di Na was half full by midweek and Fowlers Campground is exploding with campers.
The Upper Sac remains very steady and the river continues to drop in flows to almost summer levels. Nymphing seems to be the best still with some nice 16-18 in. rainbows being taken on each outing for me. There is a nice evening hatch occurring from mid river to lower river. The pocket water style fishing for you high stickers is also coming into play with the lower flows.
Zen Thought Of The Day .... Just back from a special trip to The Tetons out in Wyoming in memory of my wife who recently passed away. Her ashes are now spread throughout this magical gift from Mother Nature where many fond memories were shared by us .... you are now at home my sweet resting in peace. For all of you out there remember life is a blessing .... enjoy every day to its fullest and follow your bliss .... you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Recommended bugs ..... see my report from May 3
Sherill's New Home
Richard USac : Note Talon Scar (other side worse)
Owyhee RiverFished On The Way
Trout Heaven ..... Only Trout Fish Spotted In Wyoming
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : May 12, 2013
Recent rain here in Dogpatch which was much needed has triggered an explosion of wildflowers and greenery plus a dusting of snow on the mountain ..... absolutely stunning! Along with the increase in bug hatches I'm seeing an increase in the teva/shorts/T-shirt hatch also .... luv this time of year, not too hot .... yet!
The rain bumped the USac up a bit but not that bad. It's currently running at 540 cfs, about twice of normal for summer flows but VERY fishable. Hatches are starting to ramp up with gray drakes (green drakes soon), small caddis, mayflies, yellow sallies, and up around Dunsmuir salmonflies (golden stones coming soon). Personally I think in about another week we will start seeing some great top water action but nymphing is currently the most productive. I've been on the mid river from Gibson up to the top at Cantera Loop and the whole stretch is fishing well. But unlike any river it has it's unpredictable moments .... mornings on afternoons/evenings off then mornings off and afternoons/evening on ...... kinda like snakes in a psychos head. When the river gets this moody I always suggest changing bugs more frequently, don't get stuck on the "hot fly from yesterday or last week .... or last year". Recent trips lately have produced some good sized fish as shown below by Nick and Andrew, Jeff's knock dead gorgeous fatty, and Mike's first fish on a fly .... 18 in. rainbow.
The reports from the McCloud River continue to be good .... the river is sparkling in its spring beauty as shown below from these shots sent to me by my pal Woods. Dry fly fishing continues to be giddy good ... adams, humpy, stimmie, coachmen .... just get it out there with a straight up dry or a dry/dropper setup. When it's like this I recommend carrying two rods, one setup for dry and the and the other for nymphing to economize your time. Just do not forget and leave one .... which I've done. The river is seeing more people lately, particularly on the weekends.
Recommended Bugs ..... see my last report
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : May 3, 2013
Since the opener last Saturday I have fished and guided Mother Natures gift to us fly fishers ... the McCloud River. Not only does it offer some excellent fishing at times and stunning scenery but it can also bring solace to ones soul. She is magical and healing and a day spent here truly is a gift .... so my recommendation is take advantage of it now rather than later ....she is fishing very good. The visibility is around 6 ft. and the flows are almost summer like. The excellent weather has brought out people but it's not too crowded yet. All methods are working ..... straight up dry fly, dry/dropper and nymphing. Hatches are sparse but the fish are hungry after a long winter and can be enticed. Fish can be found in all types of water, they haven't been intimidated yet by aggressive waders, lines slapping the water or indicators raining down on their heads. BEWARE though of redds. I am seeing many of them and a few fish spawning on them ....steer clear,don't walk/wade over them. You'll notice too a lot of debris piles (see pic), scoured banks, missing trails and pushed over trees and brush .... all from the big rains last fall ..... the McCloud hit 10,000 cfs and she got a new face lift. Side note ..... Ah Di Na campground now has the water turned on.
The USac was fair this last week. There were many windy days and as Joe Kimsey used to say "wind a blowin, fish aint bitin". The river continues to drop and is currently around 650 cfs....a bit high for you pocket water types but very fishable. Nymphing with copius lead on your line is the ticket. Hatches are just starting. Dry/dropper around Dunsmuir is working now with a great salmon fly hatch taking place. Some BIG fish are being caught as noted by Rocky's PIG from a week and a half ago on a Jimmy Leg. The spring bloom is exploding here as noted below by the wild azalea and their sweet fragrance. The winds are gone, great weather forecast ..... time to get here!
Recommended Bugs ..... Nymphs
Golden Stones #8-12
Jimmy Legs #4-10
Prince #8-16
Gordon Prince #14-16
Flashback PT #14-16
Copper John Copper & Red) #14-16
Soft Hackle #14-16
Micro Mayflies #16-18
S&M #16-18
Bird Nest #12-16
Silvey (Blk., Tan & Olive)#14-16
Dry Flies ....
Stimulator #8-14
Yellow Sally #14
Humpies #10-16
Parachute Adams #10-18
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : April 5, 2013
Last few weeks have been typical for this shoulder time of year on the Upper Sac. Rain and warmer temps have jump started the melt and the river has been running all over the map. It's currently big and will remain so with rain in the forecast (raining now). My favorite high water spots have been producing though and the river is worth a shot as long as you don't get squirrely wading. Personally though with the forecast of rain through the weekend I'm going to sneak off to the Pacific NW and chase some steelies out on the Olympic Peninsula. In the mean time, as usual, enjoy the porn below.
Zen Thought of the Day ...... RIP my sweet, you will be dearly missed by so many ...... your memory will last in my heart and your spirit will be at my side always ..... Sherill Cox 1947-2013
Recommended Bugs .......... see the last report.
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
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