Ted Fay Report : July 25, 2030

The McCloud River Report
The McCloud River has been kicking out some very big fish lately. The Brown pictured above has to be one of the biggest we have seen ever, this bad boy was a solid 30 inches and John Rickard, our Brown Guru, was dialed in on this particular day, spotting it, client hooking it and landing it after 4 ginormous leaps. Also this large rainbow was an OMG for this river too. It’s all about nymphing and getting your bugs down. This time of year with the lack of hatches the fish are hugging the bottom in the deep runs and pools or sticking their heads into the heavy oxygenated water where they feel safest. It’s been very hot in the canyon so wet wading is recommended. Btw be on the lookout for the rare and scary big Dobson Fly, if one lands in the river wait for the explosive grab of a big fish.

The Upper Sacramento River Report

The Upper Sac has been fishing good lately regardless of the very hot weather. You are going to get a lot of the little guys that are prevalent these days but there are still some bigger fish to be had. Nymphing is the best method and getting your flies down near the bottom a must. We also are starting to see the annual upstream charge of the lake run fish out of Shasta Lake and hooking into one of these guys is like a jolt of electricity, they are very active fish and a chase may be in the offering. Again here wet wading is suggested, recommended and preferred.

Heads up for you campers Castle Crags and Burney Falls State Parks are closed once again. Local campgrounds still open are Sims, Lake Siskiyou and Fowlers Campgrounds. Crazy times but Mr. COVID-19 is lurking out there.

P.S. I have my house on the market for any of you wanting to live the dream. It’s 2 1/2 acres in Squaw Valley south of McCloud and has 250 ft. of creek frontage on Squaw Creek. It’s 10 minutes from McCloud Reservoir, 20 minutes to the reservoir dam and 55 minutes from Ah Di Nah Campground. Checkout the virtual tour and if interested call my agent Krista Cartwright 530-925-1200
Virtual Tour Site

Rick Cox

1-877-934-7466

www.wildwatersflyfishing.com

If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and bug Bob.

Ted Fay Report : July 8, 2020

McCloud River Report

The McCloud River is still fishing great. The Golden Stones are around along with their little cousins the Mayflies and Caddis. The weather just passed through a very hot patch and is now very temperate and mild. Wet wading has been the method of choice with nymphing both with the bobbercator and without most productive. Come late afternoon when the shadows creep in as the sun dips behind the canyon ridges you will see fish rising, not necessarily everywhere but if you put in the work you will find the spots. The river is in perfect shape and beckons you. Give us a shout for one of our excellent McCloud River guides.

The Upper Sacramento River

The USac is in its summer time mode and fishing very good. This river affords many options on where to fish with its 35 miles of access. The Golden Stones are still around from Dunsmuir up to Ney Springs if you are inclined to chase them. From Dunsmuir down river you can find top action the last hour of the day with PMD's and Caddis flies. Nymphing is the best method though, think as your weapons of choice LBS from Ney down to Sims, and from Sims down think caddis imitations like the Fox Puppa and birds nest. We've had excellent results in the pocket water and faster more oxygenated current so put on your spurs and get out into that nasty stuff, you'll be surprised. We have some excellent USac guides available if you are looking for a fun day on this beautiful freestone river.

Rick Cox
www.wildwatersflyfishing.com

P.S. I have my house on the market for any of you wanting to live the dream. It’s 2 1/2 acres in Squaw Valley south of McCloud and has 250 ft. of creek frontage on Squaw Creek. It’s 10 minutes from McCloud Reservoir, 20 minutes to the reservoir dam and 55 minutes from Ah Di Nah Campground. Checkout the virtual tour and if interested call my agent Krista Cartwright 530-925-1200

Virtual Tour Site

Pastry Porn from the dispensary

If you have any more questions please call the shop and Bob will be happy to help you and when you are in the area drop by and bug him.

Ted Fay Report June 18, 2020

The McCloud River

The McCloud River has been fishing great! With The Nature Conservancy and Ah Di Nah open now life is good. Conditions currently are perfect with top and bottom action happening, what more could we ask for. Expect to see folks out on the water but you can usually just move on a bit and find your own personal piece of heaven to fish on this magical river. Our guides have been on the river a lot and have had very successful days with happy clients. This is one of my favorite times to be fishing here. You will be seeing a wide variety of Mayflies and Caddis along with the Golden Stones. The stones are thick late afternoon and evening so it’s big Chubby or Stimmie time. Nymphing is always a solid bet too so I recommend using a double fly setup with copious amounts of weight. Golden Stone nymphs and rubber legs are a good choice for top fly and then your favorite size 14 or 16 nymph dropped off either. We recommend for you tiers that you try the stone fly pattern tied by our own Jason Kash recently featured in CA Fly Fisher. Dry/dropper has been effective all day with the best top action in the late afternoon when the shadows take hold. We are currently structuring days to accommodate this late evening thrill so you might think about a late start and late finish with one of our excellent guides.

Upper Sacramento River
The river has been fishing very good and should remain so. We are still seeing some snow melt but flows are very reasonable with cold water … a perfect recipe. Sims Flat campground is open but not Castle Crags campground. Dunsmuir has limited motels open and the Brewery is offering sit down with the pizza and Mexican restaurants open. And most important the favorite of many of you Cafe Maddelena just opened its doors and is serving outside dining. Good news too is The Ted Fay Fly Shop is officially open for business. Dry fly fishing has been best in the evenings with nymphing very consistent during the day. We are seeing Golden Stones, Sallies, Pink PMD’s and small caddis. Dry/dropper also has shown success in the heavier faster moving water. Successful nymphs have been soft hackles, S&M’s and Frenchies.

And Beyond

Our guides have also been venturing out to the Lower Sacramento River and Trout Lake for some amazing days in the boat. Check out the pictures and give it some thought, we would love to get you out on the water.

In conclusion this has been a stressful time for all of us. This area has had very few cases of COVID-19 but as people arrive for their summer fun we are starting to see an increase in new cases. Our healthcare community is very small and although we have excellent health workers and facilities they cannot handle a large increase in case loads. We ask all of you who are coming in to this area to please don’t let your guard down and continue to practice good COVID protocol. This whole pandemic has a long way to go before normalcy returns.

Cheers

Rick Cox

Wild Waters Fly Fishing

1-877-934-7466

RECOMMENDED BUGS

Nymphs:

LBS (as follows)
Dark Lords #14-16
Soft Hackles #14-16
S&M #16-18
Zebra Midge #18-20
Rock Worm #18
FBPT#16-18
Micro Mayfly (blk.) #16-18
Jimmy Legs #4-10
Gordon Prince #14-16
Possie Bugger #8-10
Copper John (red & copper) #14-16

Robinsons Hares Ear #12-16

Brush Hog #12-16

Dries:

Yellow Sallie #12-16
X-Caddis #16
EC Caddis #16
Parachute Adams #14-16
Stimulator #8-14Chubby Chernobyl #8-12

If you have any further questions please call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and bug Bob.