Ted Fay Report : August 15,2022

August 15, 2022Rick Cox

The daze of the dog continue for us here in Dogpatch. Summer heat has melted what little snow we had on the mountain and the USac is running low and clear. Even my yard animals are trying to get out of the heat and enjoy the shade. There's fish to be caught but I highly recommend morning and evening fishing. The water gets above 70 degrees on the lower river in the afternoon so unless you want to stress the poor trout even more just get off it in the afternoon. I am seeing cooler water above Dunsmuir so as an alternative to those who want to beat themselves up in the heat I suggest fishing from Dunsmuir up to Mossbrae Falls. Think nothing but little dark bugs and you’ll be in the game.

On the other hand the McCloud is still brown but showing signs of clearing. Note the turbidity readings from today, when the gauge gets down to single digits and preferably below 5 that’s the time to get with the jiggy and get on it. There were recent thunderstorms on the mountain that created another mud flow on Mud Creek which spiked the turbidity and also threatened the water supply to McCloud. McCloud is now under a water rationing mandate. Hopefully something like this doesn’t occur again.

Here’s the lasted update on the road work to Ash Camp ………

Repairs to Hawkins Creek Road near McCloud Reservoir Underway

McCLOUD, Calif.— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is repairing a slide on Hawkins Creek Road near the McCloud Reservoir, with work to be completed and the road to reopen in early 2023, weather permitting.

PG&E and its contractors are removing slide debris just south of the McCloud Dam and will reinforce the hillside above the road with rock dowels and shotcrete.
Hawkins Creek Road, also known as Forest Service Road 38N11, is closed at the McCloud Dam. From the Iron Canyon Reservoir the road is closed before the slide site. No vehicle or foot traffic is allowed through the construction site.
The road connects PG&E’s McCloud Reservoir in Siskiyou County and its Iron Canyon Reservoir in Shasta County. The road is located within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Recreationists can access the Ash Campground from the Iron Canyon Reservoir side of Hawkins Creek Road but are advised to use caution and be aware construction vehicles and equipment might be traveling on the road between Ash Campground and Hawkins Creek Crossing.
The road closure does not affect access to the McCloud Reservoir Boat launch facility, Ah-Di-Na Campground, the Nature Conservancy lands, or Star City Creek Campground.
untain which created another mud flow on Mud Creek that has affected the water supply to McCloud. That town is now under water rationing. Keep your fingers crossed that no other events occur, if none do I’m guessing you might be able to fish it sometime in September. I also got a recent update on the road work to Ash Camp which I’m posting below…..

Cheers

Rick Cox Fly Fishing - offering 40 years of fly fishing experience for half day lessons for beginners to ole dawgs. Checkout my Instagram post at rick_fly

530-925-0446

ricmcfly@gmail.com

Ted Fay Report : July 19, 2022

July 19, 2022Rick Cox

As I noted last week the McCloud has blown again, just about the same time as last year. I’m feeling very sad for the river and all of my guide community buds who depend so much on this legendary river. Aint forgetting those of you too who hold the river next to their hearts, just a damn shame all the way around. Climate change is happening and hopefully the McCloud survives these events that seem to be occurring all too often. So grateful that I was able to fish and guide it in the “good ole days” the last 30 years.

On the other hand the USac has been producing some excellent results. Unfortunately she’s the only game in town until the McCloud clears. The days as we call them, Dog Daze, are hot and consequently the water is getting warm, to the point that CA DF&G is recommending Hoot Owl guide lines. Montana has been doing this for some time and I just wanted to point out how trout are affected as the water warms (see the chart below). I strongly urge you sports to think about early and late water time. Fish till noonish, bail for lunch and a cold one, and then return around 7pm. And remember too carry your water thermometer, these fish certainly don’t need to be stressed any more than they have to.

Just a side note here and a bit of good news, the Ash Camp road closure has commenced repair work on the McCloud River washout. Received this from USFS yesterday….

PG&E is beginning the Hawkins Creek Road Repair Project starting today, Monday, July 18th and is scheduled to occur through the beginning of January 2023. This project is to fix the road that washed away past the McCloud Dam. A lot of people have been walking past the existing closure to access Ash Camp on the McCloud River, but they will not be allowing any pedestrian access during the length of the project due to safety concerns. PG&E is working on a formal public notification and I will share that once it is available.

Cheers

Rick Cox Fly Fishing - offering 40 years of fly fishing experience for half day lessons or trips for beginners to ole dawgs. Checkout my Instagram post at rick_fly

530-925-0446

ricmcfly@gmail.com