Free Lake Davis/Frenchman's Reservoir Presentation at Reel Anglers Fly Shop

I will be doing a FREE presentation on Lake Davis & Frenchman's Reservoir on Saturday, September 15th at 10am for Reel Anglers Fly Shop located at 760 S. Auburn street in Grass Valley. The narrated slide show will feature over a 100 photographs, maps, and useful information - Just in time for the Fall bite! You will learn all the details about these two amazing stillwaters, so don't miss out. Please come join me and Reel Anglers Fly Shop owner Tom Page to learn about the many secrets I will be sharing, hope to see you there!

Anticipation

I can feel it, like all animals do this time of year. It's on the way and I welcome it with not just open arms but with my spirit renewed by a new lease on life. Autumn is on the wind, drifting in slightly with a few clues to those who look. The wind has crispness to it, a slight chill. Pine needles have begun falling and the tips of the big leaf maple are turning a slight yellow. Warblers in the high country are on the move and the rest of our feathered friends have changed their normal summer behavior. But the one clue that fall is on its way was the Blue Wing Olive mayflies I saw in the past few days on the North Fork Yuba river, they are back after taking the summer months off for vacation.

Autumn is the most amazing spectacle of our revolving seasons that wash the earth. It can be viewed as a decaying time when all the greenery that spring and summer produced becomes a withered and pale pastel falling from the sky. The days become shorter, the sun is lower in the sky, and darkness overtakes the length of day. But you know what? If you're a fly angler this is special time, this is when mother earth pulls out the top hat, waves the magic wand and grants us the best fishing of the season!

This is by far my favorite time of year; large trout prowl the skinny water of our lakes and can be found right at your feet. Legendary running waters of Northern California like the McCloud, Pit, Fall, Truckee, and the Upper Sac rivers turn on fire for the final show of the season. Classic fall hatches like the October Caddis, BWO's, and the Isonychia mayfly dance like sugar plum fairies in the damp air that hovers over our sacred waters.

The only problem with this time of year is that it is over before you know it. I wish the great creator could just stretch it out a little more and allow us to savor those delightful and perfect presentations that become mere flashbacks in the cold winter months ahead. I don’t’ know about you but I am so ready for this, I think about fly fishing and autumn all year long. To watch summer fade into fall and dance in rhythm with the trout and their world is a passion that consumes my every thought. Somebody pinch me.

Jon Baiocchi has been fly fishing and tying flies since 1972 and is a California licensed fly fishing guide, published author, educator, innovative tier, and public speaker giving fly fishing presentations to clubs and expos around the state. Jon operates Baiocchi’s Troutfitters guide service in Northeastern California where he has a reputation as a hard working guide who has been trained by some of fly fishing’s best known master anglers. He can be reached at BaiocchisTroutfitters.com

Trout To Tout

I was recently asked to do a photo shoot with Denis Peirce (http://fineflies.com/) about an article he was writing for the Union Newspaper. It was amazing how we could escape the busy city life and disappear down into a remote creek and find wild trout. My only bummer of the day was forgetting to wear my quick dry pants and receiving a new array of artistic scratches from the thorny blackberry bushes! You can view the article here http://fineflies.com/union/08-10-2012.htm One never knows what kind of fishing opportunities are right in front of them until they take a few steps back and explore their own front yard. Get some...

New Fly Shop Opens In Grass Valley!

Last December Nevada City Anglers closed its doors and the fly fishing community of Nevada county was left high and dry without a local shop. I had no idea that owner Tom Page had just opened Reel Anglers Fly Shop just a few weeks ago until I had a power meeting with local guide Keith Scott of West Slope Drifters. Finally we have a local shop to support and fill the needs of fly anglers in the area!

Tom's shop carries all the essentials to outfit you on your next trip including rods, reels, lines, all terminal tackle, flies, tying materials, casual and technical clothing, and the knowledge to help you. Reel Anglers Fly Shop is located at 760 S. Auburn St. in Grass Valley's Village Center. You can reach the shop at 530.477.5397 or look for their website coming soon at http://reelanglersflyshop.com/

The Day The Planets Aligned On The Little Truckee River

Success on the Little Truckee River can mean many different things when it comes to plying her waters with a fly rod. A grab, a look, or maybe a decent fish or two. The bottom line is this river is not a easy place to catch a bunch of fish. My client yesterday, Ken from Missouri wanted a introduction to stalking trout in Northern California. In Missouri they have manicured "trout parks" that have stocked trout and crowds of anglers that make the Little Truckee look like a private fishery. So I took the time with Ken to teach him about wild trout behavior, proper presentations, studying water, flies, and entomology. This boy from the south was a quick learner!

He caught and released 14 trout, both browns and rainbows in the mix from 10-22", all on the Pale Morning Dun dry! Double digits do not come easy on this river and I let him know he may never see a day like this again - It was that good! Strange things happen in the trout world, and when the planets align themselves you better hold on as you just may have the most incredible day fishing with a fly rod ever!

North Fork Yuba Entomology Class A Huge Success!

                                                                               

The Wild Plum area on the North Fork Yuba River offered 5 students the perfect ambiance to increase their knowledge on the aquatic insects that reside there. Biologist, educator, and entomological  illustrator Christine Elder (http://www.christineelder.com/) led the lecture segment of the class teaching simple solutions for fly anglers for making positive identifications of the bugs.

Her highly informative hand outs and anatomically correct illustrations gave the students the necessary tools to be able to refresh their memory well after the class was done.

A booster pack hooked up to a power inverter supplied the juice to run an aerator to keep the live aquatic specimens in good condition. We added chunks of ice to cool the the water temps as well.

It was amazing how the golden stones would sit right on top of the aerator taking in large amounts of oxygen to satisfy their needs. All bugs were released unharmed back into the same stretch of water where they came from. This set-up kept the bugs happy and the students could check out how each bug's gills worked with the assistance of a magnifying glass. They found it really fascinating!

Our group of beginning anglers said they were amazed to be shown the high density of aquatic insects inhabiting just a short reach of Haypress Creek, including the prolific populations of the dobsonfly (hellgrammite). The main stem of the NFYR had an abundance of net spinning caddis, and Baetis nymphs.

Our complete species list included October caddis, Glossosoma caddis,  Rhyacophila caddis, net-spinning Hydropsychid caddis, Epeorus mayfly, Baetis mayfly, Drunella mayfly, golden stone, Isoperla stonefly, Alloperla stonefly, and midge & cranefly larva.

I went over fly patterns for the major groups from nymph to emerger to adult stages right on through to the egg laying spent adult. I also covered reasons why certain patterns work so well, like how a flashback pattern simulated the gas bubble trapped under an emerging insect's skin. I also performed on -water demos with effective presentations for the students giving them some new skills to try on their own.

At the end of the day Christine pulled out the flash cards and gave the students a little quiz to access the knowledge gained over the day. They passed with flying colors! There where lots of laughs with this simple game and each student won one of my custom flies for their efforts. 

It was such a rewarding day for Christine and me to be able to share our knowledge and to see our students gain a real appreciation for the diversity of insects upon which trout depend! 

Announcement - We will be doing another class on Saturday August 25th on the North Fork Yuba River at the same location. Click the link below for more information, we hope to see you there!

http://www.baiocchistroutfitters.com/angler_entomology_class.html

  

Olivia's Big Catch!

I have had so many great guide trips this season. Just when I think another trip can't be topped, it is! Today was no exception as I guided a family who had never been fly fishing before yet had done their home work, especially Olivia. I taught them the simple game of short line high sticking with a hopper and a dropper. The learning curve with this technique is so sharp, and with eager fish the reward is instant. It fuels the fire to stick and move and dance up the staircases of trout, with a hope for a rise. Olivia caught and released 6 rainbows with one at 14" all on her own today! She is a very smart girl with an appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. That's special to me.

Her parents have given her the greatest gift you can give a child, a true understanding of all things flora and fauna. I know first hand, my parents gave me the same gift and it will be with me forever. At the end of the day there were smiles all around, everybody hooked into a few, learned so much, and caught trout fever with a fly rod. As we were about to part Olivia gave me a tight hug and said "Thank you so much Jon!". A tear came to my eye, and it was so beautiful. "Your welcome fish queen" I said. On the drive home I rode the high that a fly fishing guide experiences on a great trip, and the smile I left with is still on my face with no chance of going away. 

Truckee Area and a Guide Named Frank

I spent my first real vacation for the summer season in the Truckee Area for the past few days with Frank Pisciotta, long time fly angler and guide. Frank has been fishing up there since the early 70's and guiding fly anglers on the surrounding waters since 1984. I spent two days on the Little Truckee with Frank as he deciphered every run, rock, riffle, and hole for me. I've been fishing many waters where the fish are small and easy, and here it's just the opposite; big fish, technical presentations, and a test of skills. I passed with flying colors thanks to my guide, and my fly fishing experience I've dragged around with me for the last 40 years. Other than fishing the area, we also had a blast just talking shop, and the finer points of Prawns Diablo (I really like it hot!).

Frank's guide service Thy Rod & Staff, and my own Baiocchi's Troutfitters, will be doing fly fishing tours next season for 6-8 anglers stretching from Tahoe National Forest to Plumas National Forest. Rivers and Lakes that will be included will be; The Big & Little Truckee, North Fork Yuba River, The Middle Fork Feather River, Lake Davis, Frenchman's Reservoir, and many small creeks in both forests. We will keep you updated on Rates and Dates next season with all the details. The tours will focus on access areas, equipment, flies, and the best times to fish theses featured waters. The tours will also eliminate countless hours of research for fly anglers new to these areas so they can get right to point of catching fish.

North Fork Yuba River Fishing Report

The wild trout are looking up on the North Fork Yuba River and it's all about the dry fly now. I've been guiding and fishing both below and above Sierra City with great clients and enthusiastic hungry rainbows. Water temps in the morning have been 56.3 rising to 61 degrees in the afternoon. Flows are near perfect conditions, personally I like the flows just a tad less which makes for better dry fly fishing. Fishing pressure remains light and those who are fishing are staying in one spot. My advice and Cyberfly's motto is "Stick and move, stick and move" which boils down to work your way upstream and cover a lot of water for big number days.

It's a banner year for the Golden Stone, I've never seen so many shucks on one rock before! Plenty of female adults ovipositing during the day. Overall Caddis flies ranging from #12-18 are the most prolific aquatic insects right now, Yellow Sallies are not far behind. PED spinners are out in the evening mating and laying eggs as well.

   
Wild rainbows range from 5-12" and are very eager for anything on top. I have caught all my fish on my foam hopper, gray bottom with hints of yellow through the mid section, and a tan top size 10. For my clients I used the same fly but with a BH PT flashback dropper in a 16. We found fish in the usual spots, the deeper slicks and riffles. But many fish were in skinny shaded frog water, and when that hopper was drifted through they would dart out from their cave and attack! Some trout took the hopper so slow and confidently that you just knew they thought it was the real thing - I like that!

The PCT does not provide good fishing access because of "The Gorge", it's impossible for an angler to navigate around. But it's worth the short hike down to see Loves Falls. While your down there check out the drift wood high on the rock walls upstream of the PCT bridge; That will give a picture of the huge volume of water that passes through here!

Drop everything you're doing, now is the time to fish the North Fork Yuba! The river will fish well all summer long but keep in mind as the weather gets hotter it's best to move up the water shed with an emphasis on mornings and evenings. Attractor flies like red and yellow humpys size 14-18 will be productive during the day when the hatches are sparse, or try the club sandwich hopper - Just keep it on the small side.

I absolutely love this river, it's loud, rough, and so damn beautiful! The best is yet come as the Seep Spring, Scarlet, and Lewis's monkey flowers have not even popped yet. I'll be back up this coming Sunday introducing some more fly anglers to this most amazing river, and at the end of the day I get to hear them scream "This place rules"!

Plunge Pools All Day Long

Fishing for small wild native rainbow trout in mountain creeks is not for everyone, it takes a certain person who is willing to put up with bush whacking and descending steep unstable terrain for a 6" trout. Last Friday I finally got a break from guiding to sample 3 of my favorite creeks in Eastern Plumas County; Jamison, Gray Eagle, and Frazier creeks. It's so much fun to drop deep into one of these creek canyons and completely loose yourself for 5 hours, total solitude; Only the birds, bugs, and beasts know you're there.

The wild rainbows of these creeks are beautiful, colors so vivid, and for their size they put up a good fight on the 3wt. Effective flies were Club Sandwich Hoppers, Orange X-Caddis #14, and Yellow Sally stone flies #16. Hatches were light with the Yellow Sally stoner being the most prolific. Terrestrials like hoppers, beetles, and ants will be of the up most importance in the next few months.

All the plunge pools were major homes for the trout, often having a dozen or more fish occupying the area. Water temps ran 54-55.6 degrees! That is what I love about high mountain creekin; Crystal clear cold water. This is where one goes on a hot day to escape the furnace in "The Central Valley", though this summer so far has been mild as was last years was - Climate change is real.

I'm not sure of the name of these spiders but they construct their webs across big boulders right above the creek making a perfect trap for flying aquatic insects. Their web is so strong and gives some problems to fly anglers as these webs block off casting areas. It takes a few casts to punch through the sticky fortress, and thankfully these trout will rise even after you have flogged the water while cleaning out the cobwebs.

This creek at it's head waters is a spring creek with many channels that are deep and full of timber making it very technical. This is a brown trout fishery, the flow is slow and the banks have a barrier of high grass. These fish are spooky and very tough to catch. The brownies range from 6-18". I hooked two that day after some serious stalking, they both spit the hook and that's fine with me; Conservation releases are better for the fish as you do not have to handle them.

This brown trout is tough to see but these were the conditions that you had to deal with; So technical! This brown trout was rooting through the grass knocking off back swimmers and very small aquatic beetles. Wearing camo clothing is a must. This isn't just fishing, your hunting for a wild animal.

If your looking for adventure, solitude, unbound beauty, wild critters, polished granite, and lush foliage it's time you take up Creekin with a small light weight fly rod and your favorite dry flies. Always remember to carry lots of water, the ten essentials, and let someone know what your plan is for that day. You're also going to want to get to the gym are at least be in good shape for this style of fishing as you're not just sitting in a drift boat puffin on a cigar; You'll be where the wild things are, and if you're lucky you will lose all sense of time...

MFFR Update

The upper river that was so good two weeks ago is entering its Summer mode already. Water temps are now running 62-66.7 degrees. Fish are now located right in the well oxygenated white water of riffles and heads of pools during the day. Royal Trudes #14 worked well for Rick and Dave on Friday. From here on out it will be all about the evening rise. Bring a head lamp and stay till you cannot see your fly anymore. Active bugs now are Golden Stone adults, Little Green Stone, Yellow Sallies, Green Drake duns and spinners, and Pale Evening Duns. The upper section of the MFFR will be done and choke full of algae in a few weeks until the Fall season.

Downstream of Two Rivers (where Jamison Creek enters) water temps are running 58-62 degrees and will fish well for the next month with a emphasis on the evenings. If you want to fish the MFFR you better hurry as conditions will be too warm before you know it.

Damsel Nation Invades Lake Davis

I did not expect much Saturday at the lake, Colder temps and a good north wind 10-20 mph would not be the greatest of friend to the hatches. As I rolled into the camp 5 parking lot I could see white caps and big water pushing in from the north east. Boaters were already taking out and some men stalled at launching their craft. This day was my only "Jon Time" day, as for the last 6 weeks as I've been burning the candle at both ends working weed abatement and guiding anglers. Despite the cold conditions (gloves and gore tex for the ride out!) I was excited to get out on the boat -  Much needed therapy. I called Pete and he was already fishing Fugawi cove with a few hook ups. "Hey buddy, I'm gonna find shelter and put this wind at my back" I said.

We found a bank along Freeman Creek that provided a "soft window"of water in front of us with a hope of a riser or two. We caught a few fish on blood midge pupa #14 with floating lines. Water temps were 55.6-58.7. The lake has experienced many warm windy days and periods of cold weather with some dusting of snow over the past month. This is good as it stalls out and spreads the good fishing that is coming upon us now for the month of June.

About 9:30 am we started seeing a damsel nymph or two, nothing to get excited about and I was surprised at the time that we even encountered some on such a cold day. I began seeing more as time went on, and now some splashy rises here and there. By 11am damsel nymphs were pouring into our bank, I saw more nymphs yesterday than I ever saw all of last year. It was happening, a hatch was in full swing!

This the most unusual rainbow I have ever caught at Lake Davis, Pete caught one too. No spots as well, who's got a clue? Rainbows ran 17-19 ", clean for the most part, red hot runs and into the backing with a few!

Today was special for we had sight fishing opportunities! I had 12 players in 1-2 feet of water on the mud flats. My theory on why these rainbows come into the mud flats is this; The dark damsel nymphs stick out like a neon flag waving in the wind. I really think they can see them better. Pete had the hot rod of the day and missed so many fish.

There was a line up of boats that formed after we had our spot on the banks. These guys were bangin fish left and right as I saw dozens of fish caught. I did not see any indicators whizzing back and forth and can only guess they were using Int. lines with damsels or blood midge. What was also interesting was the fish were moving in small and large pods from east to west, and west to east in Freeman Creek. These anglers in the boats would have good fishing for a while and then it would shut off, only to get good again. We experienced the same thing on the bank.

Welcome damsel fans, it's showtime now at Lake Davis with daily shows 9am to 2pm. I have no idea how good the hatch will be this year or when it will peak. I know, I know...It's not what it used to be like back in day - Is anything as good as it was back then as far as fishing goes? I do know this - As I age with my fly fishing I'm at the point in my life that quality over quantity is where it's at for me. Seeing the damsel hatch, the fish and birds responding, sight fishing, good friends and trout dogs - Simple pleasures for a simple man.