Ted Fay Report : September 16, 2020

McCloud River Report

As if Covid wasn’t enough we are now dealing with extreme fire danger here with all National Forest closed to the public. Specifically the McCloud River is shutdown. As you can see the closure will be reviewed again next week but for now the river is closed. Up until the closure the river was putting out some beautiful fish and to add sauce to it the river colored up, but not enough to keep you off of it. Smoke has been bad to manageable but with all the surrounding fires you can expect these types of days for quite some time. I don’t know about you all but I’m done with 2020, this year has been blow after blow to the gut for all of us.

The Upper Sacramento River

On the other hand most of the USac is open still except for a couple of spots, specifically Pollard Flat and Dog Creek. It’s been fishing good from above Dunsmuir to Shasta Lake. The nights are starting to cool down now and and the freaking hot weather has just about gone. The river is at its summer/fall low and running very clear so stealth is important. Think LBS flies for sure and maybe play around with a big rubber leg, the October Caddis will start their wake up call soon and the fish will start keying in on them. Most of the bigger fish are in the heavy oxygenated water and we are still seeing a fair amount of browns moving up from the lake so this river is a great alternative.

Rick Cox

Wild Waters Fly Fishing

1-877-934-7466

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 : August 28,2020

Currently the McCloud River is blown out due to a Mud Creek glacial spill on Mt. Shasta. Check back for updates.

The Upper Sac however is fishing fine. Best bet these days is the faster oxygenated water with small nymphs. Think size 16 & 18 little black flies such as a Swimming P.T., Zebra Midge, S&M, WD40, and Rock Worms. Wet wading is the preferable option but unfortunately there is smoke from all the fires down south to deal with. Actually it’s quite high and helps block out the sun keeping the afternoon temps reasonable. Reports of big fish coming in from the lower river from Gibson down to the lake. Word out was a 27 in brownie was landed down there.

Rick Cox

Wild Waters Fly Fishing

1-877-934-7466

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 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.