This past week on the North Fork Yuba River has seen cooler air temperatures, thunderstorms, heavy rain, and lightning. The weather of late has been a saving grace, giving the river a delightful rejuvenation when it needed it the most during a critical time of the year. Fishing still continues to be great for small wild rainbows, and the scenery is as incredible as ever. I'm so moved every time I step into this river and share it with others who get off on it, its simple pleasures like this that Mother Nature provides us, that makes it so special. When you take the time to stand on a boulder as big as a house the feeling hits you, just how small we really are in the grand scheme of the great outdoors.
My
guests and I have been concentrating our efforts from just downstream of Sierra
City to Bassetts. This section holds the coldest water for this time of year, with plenty of opportunities for presentations with dry flies. It's been so awesome this season as I've had so many families out on the water, the bond they share through fly fishing and nature gives me hope that this modern world isn't all that bad after all.
Water temperatures have been running 57.3 to 64 degrees,
thanks to the many springs and feeder creeks in the area. Though the river is
low, the makeup of the upper watershed provides deep pools and generous amounts
of well oxygenated water for the rainbows to thrive in. The seasons are
starting to change, and there are subtle clues like the big leaf maple turning
yellow on the ends of their leaves, Gray squirrels busy collecting food, and
the woolly bear caterpillar is roaming about.
Speaking of trout food, the BWO’s are back with a pretty good spinner fall from 8-10am. When it comes to late season spinner falls, they generally occur when air temps hover between 58 to 68 degrees. Look for small clouds of them above the river dancing up and down, a spent wing BWO #18 as a dropper fly performs beautifully during this time. Other major food sources right now are terrestrials; hoppers, ants, and caterpillars including the Tussock moth that are in the system. Most of the October Caddis in the river have sealed off their pebble lined cases for the final pupation before emerging; it seems they will be coming off earlier than normal this year.
Woolly Bear Caterpillar
Spotted Tussock Caterpillar
The most effective dry fly this week, and still king, is the
Yellow Stimulator #10-16, followed by gray and olive EC Caddis #14-18, and Club
Sandwich Hoppers #10-12 in tan and brown. Go to dropper nymphs have been the Psycho
Prince #14-18, Prince of Diamonds #14-16, and sub-surface Ant patterns. These
rainbows prefer dry flies and nymphs with a little white accent to them.
With so many rivers, streams, and creeks in bad shape, it’s
comforting to see the NFYR is still an option for resident fly anglers of
Northern California, and visitors from around the globe. Grab your 3wt, load the gear, and lose yourself in the surroundings of this classic Sierra freestone river. The therapeutic sound of water rushing over and into plunge pools sets the mind free, and comforts one from within. Sanctuary.
Sometimes you have to do what's right for your soul. See the light, set your spirit free, and beckon the call...
Indian Paintbrush makes it's home among the polished granite boulders of the North Fork Yuba River.
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