Ted Fay Report : August 5, 2021
Rick Cox
As I write this report I am hearing distant thunder above the smoke cover blanketing Dogpatch so here’s hoping there’s not another round of fires. This appears to be a dry lightening event which is the worse thing possible when you have a thunderstorm over the forest. I guess you can say this is the new norm for summer, smoke and fires. Right now we are experiencing mixed days of smoke and occasional blue skies but hang on to those knickers, Mother Nature is starting to mix us a worrisome brew. There are currently 17 recent fires started in the area due to lightning. Here’s the latest from the US Forest Service ….
We are looking at closing down the Trinity River to the west of Pigeon Point due to the Monument Fire. There are several fires burning in and around the Trinity Alps Wilderness with the River Complex 2021 fires which were started by the recent lightning. The Klamath National Forest and Shasta-Trinity National Forest are reviewing the possibility of closing down the Trinity Alps Wilderness because of the fires. More to come on both of these though I wanted to give you all a heads up since there is a lot of fire activity going on and I know there are trips with clients planned.
Regarding our fishing here right now the Upper Sac is still the only option for fishing and probably one of the best options in the state given the existing circumstances statewide with hoot owl and fire closures. The McCloud has gone from chocolate to more of a heavy pea soup color with virtually no visibility looking into the water … note the McCloud River pic below. Hopefully you can expect to get back on it next month unless there’s another mud flow event off the mountain. The USac water temp has been getting into the 70’s in the afternoon down in the lower river from Gibson to the lake but water temps up higher are staying cooler due to the number of springs that feed into it from Dunsmuir up river. As I’ve preached over the years you can find fish during these hot summer months in the heavy oxygenated parts of the river. Food for thought …… when water temperature increases, dissolved oxygen decreases. Fish metabolism increases, which increases their oxygen needs. Anglers should be diligent and further decrease fight times, air exposure and handling. For those in the know who are familiar with the USac these anglers are having success catching some nice fish. Be prepared though to catch your fair share of the little dinks or as I call them “Baby Warriors”. Again small #16-18 flies{LBS) are recommended but you might think about an occasional big ole rubber leg in that swift water.
August 9, 2021 …. So sad to see this closure news about my favorite summer steelhead river the North Umpqua, had some memorable days there the last 30 years
It’s been a joy to have the opportunity to share and teach folks fly fishing this year. I am so happy to see the enthusiasm that people of all ages have for the sport. I self taught myself years ago and went through many years of frustration and intimidation. Let me save you from that and give you a good foundation to build your fly fishing career on. As I say “get off your numb butts and enjoy what fly fishing can open your eyes to”.
Cheers and follow your bliss.
Rick Cox Fly Fishing - offering 40 years of fly fishing experience for hourly or half day lessons and trips for beginners to ole dawgs. Checkout my Instagram post at rick_fly
530-925-0446
ricmcfly@gmail.com
If you have any further questions give the shop a shout and the next time you are in the area stop in an bug Bob..