What a glorious last couple of weeks it has been while roaming the Lost Sierra with my guests. I get a lot of satisfaction sharing the natural wonders of such a special region in Northern California, and to see others appreciate my passion for such makes it so much sweeter – They get it. Summer rhythms are changing slowly, subtle differences like where the sun rises and sets, animal & bird behavior, constellations of the stars shifting, and late season wild flowers popping open. You’ll notice things like this when you’re living where the wild things are on a day to day basis.
Currently, we are experiencing some unseasonably cooler
weather for a few days. The low temperature in Nevada City this morning was 54,
and a crisp 34 in Truckee. We’ll take it, though it would be nice to see some
summer monsoon moisture race up from the south along the crest, and spill over
into the region. If you haven’t broken free of your commitments in everyday
life, you’re running out of time to escape into the summertime of the Sierra.
On a special note, I’ve made a great connection and have partnered with SierraPines Resort (formally Herrington’s on the NFYR) to offer some fall specials, and for 2020,
package deals that include breakfast, lunch, dinner, a room, and a reduced
guide fee for a half day. Stay tuned to my website under “Destinations”, or the
“News” page.
North Fork Yuba River – Flows are perfect, and surprisingly angling
pressure has been light. Water temps in the upper most water shed are 58 in the
morning reaching 62 in the afternoon. Downstream they will be a bit higher,
especially near areas like Convict Flat and Rocky Rest. Caddis patterns
continue to dominate success on the water’s surface. All over the Northern
Sierra it’s been a big caddis year and they will be active well into the fall
season with the king of caddis, Dicosmoecus (October Caddis), making the last stand until the first
snowfall. Hoppers have been out, yet I have not seen as many in years past, and
the fish are just kind of interested in them so far.
Midges have been very prolific this year as well, and they
are big! What the trout are really interested in is ants, and for whatever
reason trout love the taste of formic acid. To really be well equipped with ant
patterns, one must carry many different sizes from size 10 to 18 in both black
and red. My new UV Ant Bomb prototype has been crushing trout from Truckee to
points north of Plumas National Forest.
Dry/Dropper rigs continue to be the
most productive, and it makes a difference with the length of your tippet down
to your dropper fly depending on the water type (riffles, pools, slots, shallow
side water, etc.) or where the fish are eating in the water column relevant to
emerging aquatics, or lack of.
Lost
Sierra Creeks - Going off! Same
conditions as the NFYR, water is clear and cold, especially on those creeks
that are spring fed. I can’t remember a better year for wild flowers, so many
of them and lasting so much longer than usual. A little color spot on the banks
of a trout stream is the icing on the cake. Jamison Creek has been producing
the biggest creek trout out of all the Eastern Plumas creek drainages, and the
flows are still in great shape. Gray Eagle creek water levels have come down in
the last two weeks, but the fishing is still good to great.
You’ll
find more brown trout in the meadow sections which will require more stealth in
your approach. Frazier creek has also dropped and you’ll want to find the deeper
pockets and pools where the trout will be more concentrated. Frazier is fishing
well too, but this creek is very slippery when it comes to traction while
wading as the bedrock and surrounding boulders are mostly Basalt. Even aluminum
tractor bars on your soles will slide, so take caution.
0 to 3 weight rods (bamboo, fiberglass, or old school to
modern graphite), 5X tippet, and a hand full of attractor dry flies and flashy
nymphs is really all you need. You might want to check out John Quigley’s
furled leaders which are not made to the usual specs, but totally custom and
preform extremely well. Escape the crowds by hiking further, and immerse
yourself in the Lost Sierra, where native rainbow trout call home. See you where the wild things are...
Diamond Clarkia ~ Clarkia
rhomboidea on the banks of Jamison Creek
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