Lake Davis Fishing Report 9/2/14

Change is in the air with cooler nights, and Lake Davis is starting to wake up. Water temperatures two weeks ago were 61-66 degrees, this week 63-69. Water levels are not as bad as you think, capacity right now is 57%, I've fished the lake much lower than this and it fished really well back then.  Current conditions are such; Rising fish in the mornings from 7-10am eating chironomids, blood midges, and sparse callibaetis mayflies. Shortly after the fish are moving to 14-22 feet of water, the thermocline right now is about 16 feet down, and you should see how many fish are stacked up at this depth on the sonar - Amazing! Using a deep indicator system with midges, snails, and damsels will catch these large rainbows in the heat of the day.

The Fall bite has not kicked in yet, but every week the fishing will get better until the peak around the 2nd or 3rd week of October. I had a good talk with Jay and Glenn Fair last week and we all agreed on three colors of flies that are must haves for Lake Davis in Autumn. Burnt orange, rust, and cinnamon are key no matter the pattern.

My fall dates are quickly filling up, if you have yet to experience the best still water in Northern California, or looking for that inside knowledge to help you reach the next level, than it's time to book a trip with me. Give me a call, let's chat, I love to share Lake Davis and to see others enjoy this magnificent place! 530.228.0487

Sunshine, Friends, and Canyon Water

Last weekend was an epic adventure with some good friends of mine who had never set foot in the crystal cool waters of the North Fork Yuba. They were blown away at the grand cathedral of the polished granite rock formations, and the make up of the river with plunge pools and luscious pocket water. We all had perma grin as we covered vast amounts of rugged terrian working upstream, leap frogging each other, and giggling like children. That's what's so incredible about fishing this river, at least to me, is that you feel like a little kid in a candy store with no limits on fun. We laughed and cheered at each hook up while glowing in the summer sun. It was so fulfilling teaching new tricks, picking patterns, and exploring new angles on a tried and true art. It was beyond awesome for this is where magic lives! 

All of the trout stalkers I was hosting were in great shape which enabled us to link beat #11 to beat #12, water I have not seen before, yet is already calling me back. We must have rock hopped about 8 hours that day in two separate sessions. It's the unknown surprise that keeps you going upstream, wanting to see new water, challenging the shifting seams, and maybe that jewel of a pool that lies ahead. Take a few minutes, scroll down, and really take in these pictures of true fly fishing. Where lightweight rods and dry flies provide the ultimate experience.

  

I'm so lucky and fortunate to be able to share "where the wild things are" with people who can truly appreciate it. For thousands of years this watershed has evolved into the most fantastic place to experience wild trout with a fly rod, and the rest, is only a dream...

North Fork Yuba River Fishing Report - Beckon the Call

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.

The Stub Wing Stonefly

Classinea Subulosa, also known as the summer stone can be an important part of the trout's diet during their emergence in late summer and early fall. During this time most of the big bugs of spring and early summer have hatched, some exceptions are the October Caddis, and the Isonychia mayfly which give the trout their last prime rib dinner of aquatic insects a bit later in the fall. This species is very unique because the male has very short wings and cannot fly, the female has fully developed wings yet runs across the water to oviposit her eggs. I've seen live specimens on the lower Yuba just after emergence as they crawl around moist decomposed plant matter hiding out in search of a mate. They are elusive. 

It's tough to get an ID on them as they are closely related to the Golden Stone, I've misidentified them many times myself. The easiest way to tell one from the other is the Stub Wing has a large "W" on the head, while the Golden has an hourglass shaped vertical marking on its own head. Another clue to identification is the Stub Wing has much longer antenna and tails which are darker than that of the Golden Stone. On some tail waters like the Lower Yuba their emergence can be timed as the flows are decreased from the dam.

For nymphing, high sticking the side water with a nymph that closely resembles the Stub Wing is a great tactic, size and profile count more than an exact color match when choosing a fly. These presentations should be dead drifted. For the adult, a tan stimulator skated and twitched in and below the riffles can result in some very explosive takes. Aquatic insects continuously impress me, the one rule I have learned with them, is there are no rules, only guidelines. Fresh large stonefly shucks this time of year are most likely the Stub Wing, look for clues on your next venture of your favorite river, you just may find the summer stone.

North Fork Yuba River Fishing Report 7/19/2014

Plunge pool after plunge pool, lush green forest, native grasses, monkey flowers, fascinating rock formations, crystal clear water, blue skies, and wild rainbow trout. Do I have your attention now? The North Fork Yuba is all that and more. It's the total fly fishing experience that will surely have you smiling while keeping the stoke alive. I'm so lucky to be able to share this with my special guests, and all of them are so appreciative of such gorgeous surroundings - That in return makes me smile for days on end!

Fishing conditions are in the dog days of summer already, and getting to your spot around 7am, and on the water by 8am is crucial. Water temps are ranging from 59 degrees in the morning, and topping out around 70 by the afternoon. Evenings and the last two hours of light bring some great fishing for the evening hatch. Fishing pressure is heavy in some areas and much lighter in others. If solitude is your quest, hiking into remote and hard to reach places will help you find it. It's there.

Rainbows are running 4-12", and just look at this specimen above! Purple parr marks, a crimson stripe, robust dots, and white tipped orange fins. These rainbows are the jewel of the Northern Sierra. To hold something this beautiful from the great creator is so moving, and part of the North Fork Yuba experience - A must have for the fly angler. If you're a "big fish" angler only and cannot appreciate true wilderness and adventure, do not come here, you'll be bummed.

Short line high sticking a dry or dry/dropper rig is producing. Obtaining a drag free drift gets the grabs, but also try twitching, skating, and swinging your flies. 5x for low light conditions, and 6x during the bright mid day sunshine is recommended. Dry flies; X-Caddis #14-18, Stimis in yellow and orange #12-16, Yellow Humpies #14-16, Foam hoppers in tan/brown combos #10-12, and Parachute Adams #12-16. Nymphs; The Mangy Prince #14-16 (only available from Reel Anglers Fly Shop), Spitfires #14-16, Copper Johns #14-18, Psycho Prince #12-16, and Prince of Diamonds #14-16 are working extremely well.

If you're looking for a short easy walk to some spectacular sights, try the PCT trail off Hwy. 49 to Loves Falls. Though the water levels are really low now, it's still quite impressive. The time to view the spectacular Loves Falls is in Spring on a normal snow pack year, the sound can be deafening, and the mist will soak you to the bone if you get too close. A must see.

Dark water is the prime habitat for these rainbows when the sun is shining and it's bright out. Look for vertical walls of boulders in the water with shade against them. Presenting your fly right next to these areas will lure out some nice trout. Hit every pocket you can, some of the bigger rainbows in the system come from small hidden lies that most anglers just walk on by. Don't be pulled into the big pools, fish it all.

Be a criminal and go pick some pockets on the North Fork Yuba River, you just might get rich!

The rare Lewis's Monkey Flower calls the NFYR home.

Seek out some color for your soul.

Big Water Fall Primer Symposium 8/25/14

Big Water Fall Season Primer – presented by Lance Gray & Jon Baiocchi

Fall is just around the corner and all of Northern California’s major river systems will come alive with the arrival of the Salmon, along with the Steelhead which means high protein diet for local rainbows. The Yuba, American, Feather, Sacramento, Klamath and the Trinity Rivers will once again see many anglers that aren't prepared for the “Big Water”.

The “Big Water Fall Season Primer” is simply a Fall fly fishing symposium that is based on what anglers will be facing in the next upcoming months. Lance and I have had many people ask us about what gear we use during the Fall season. Others, ask how we approach the rivers we fish. With all these questions, Lance and I felt that having this on the water clinic would help many of our day to day guest get primed and ready to go for the Fall.

The blueprint for the symposium is basic – we want you to bring your single or double hand rods, lines and all your cold weather gear and let us help you tune it up. We will have our own personal gear for you to see; rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, jackets, rigs and flies. To assist you, we will have all the Rio’s Short Skagit lines, Versileaders, MOWs for fine tuning double hand rods, single handed lines like the Rio Indicator Line and everything in between for you to try out. We want you to walk away with the knowledge and the equipment list that you need to make the upcoming season the best.

During the clinic Lance and I will cover the following subjects – Tactics for “Big Water” success.

Wading Big Water – wading safety.

Entomology - matching the bugs to the flies that will be on the menu for Fall

Egg Protein – rigging single beads and matching the egg drop throughout the season.

Indicator Rigging – rigging the indicator system to fish in different depths of water.

Swinging - using double handed rods and matching the right line to the right rod.

Selective Trout – stalking selective trout and steelhead. 

This one day clinic will be held August 25, 2014 from 7am – 2pm at Hammon Grove located on the banks of the Yuba River. The symposium will be limited to 10 guests. Rigging and entomology handouts, a river side lunch and drinks are all included. We will also have maps for guest that wish to fish after the clinic on their own. Cost per person is just $85.00. Please contact Lance (lancegrayandcompany.com) or myself (baiocchistroutfitters.com) if you're interested in attending. Thanks - J.

North Fork Yuba River Fishing Report 7/8/14

Fly fishing the most beautiful watershed in California has been excellent, and the North Fork Yuba River is a must destination if you have never been there. Crystal clear water, plunge pools, and pocket water await your presentations, and one of the most beautiful rainbow trout to be found in the world is there waiting for your offerings. 

Current drought conditions have the river levels way below normal, but really it’s not all that bad, thanks to the many feeder creeks and springs that flow into it. These inflows also help maintain colder water temperatures that trout thrive in. Researching topo maps and finding where the tributaries and abundant springs enter the system can greatly increase your chance at hooking up and having a memorable day. 

The best fishing is located between Downieville and Sierra City right now. With miles upon miles of river next to the highway there are so many spots to fish whether it is a short walk from the road, down a no name road, or hiking into one of the many gorges. The views alone will make you stop in your tracks!  

Fishing a Dry / Dropper rig is best right now, and if you want big numbers, cover vast amounts of water. If you are proficient at the craft of fly fishing, you can expect 50 fish days in a 5 hour session. Reading water is everything, fishing the seams of fast and slow water, along with major foam and bubble lines is of vast importance. Effective dry flies have been Yellow Stimulators #10-16, E/C Caddis in pale olive #12-18, Royal Wullfs #10-16, and Club Sandwich Hoppers in Brown/Tan/Yellow #10-12. For your dropper fly, Spitfire rubber legs #14-16, Psycho Prince nymphs #14-18, and Fox's Pupa in amber #12-16 has been super productive. The wild rainbows are running 6-12", with the occasional trophy. Please take note that there have been Rattlesnake sightings with close encounters near the river, like a 4 footer that my guest and I came upon.

Now is the time to fish the North Fork Yuba River before conditions get too low, it also offers some of the best public campgrounds out there, stellar hikes, and the most unbound beauty to be found. Summer is far from over, so get the family together and make a plan to fly fish, and explore the wonders of the North Fork Yuba River, you will not be disappointed!

    Crimson Columbine near a spring on the North Fork Yuba River.