Lower Yuba River Fly Fishing Report 9/26/2018

It sure is nice to be working close to home again, in another month I will be making another transition to guiding the Lower Yuba River full time until the end of March. Currently the flows are at 750 cubes and the water is clear. Flows are perfect for the ability to cross the river but know your limits and be careful. Yesterday an older fly angler was crossing upstream of Shaw’s riffle and fell. He was quickly sucked into the current and tumbled for about 150 feet. My client and I saw this happen and quickly went for the rescue, we were lucky to be able to grab his wading staff and pull him in. He panicked which made the situation worse, but thankfully he will live to fish another day, though he’ll have buy another rod as his is lost at sea. His legs were very banged up with goose eggs and blood, it was gnarly. If you do happen to fall in, go with the current on your back with your legs in front of you while back paddling with your arms to the closest side of the river. Never panic and keep your cool. 

Fishing pressure is extremely light with plenty of access areas void of other anglers. The salmon are in the system and are already on redds, one particular redd had 3 adults on it yesterday, today I counted 7. For walk and wade anglers, be sure to avoid walking through any redds and give them a wide birth. Remember this is an entirely wild population of salmon, steelhead, and trout, and they need all the help they can get to perpetuate the species.

Seine samples were light with free living caddis (Ryacophila and Hydropsyche) being the most prolific, other nymphs included PMDs, Baetis, Stub Wing Stones, and tiny scuds size 20. In the air a few summer stones and sporadic BWOs. There is some fish rising in the afternoons in known areas where fish tend to pod up. For selective eaters try an ant pattern. Hoppers are still being taken, especially on windy afternoons. Swinging Black leeches has seen some action as well, an old standard on the Lower Yuba River. Conditions will continue to get better on a weekly basis as we go deeper into fall. It’s time to start painting those beads up with your favorite recipe. See you on the water.

Help Restore The Truckee River ~ Truckee River Day 2018

The Truckee River and Trout Unlimited need your help! Come help restore a part of the Truckee River on Sunday, October 14th at 9 am as part of the Truckee Watershed Council's annual Truckee River Day. This project will include re-vegetation, trail work, and road decommission at a popular fishing spot known as "Horner's Corner" or "The Loop" (directions below) to complete the Truckee River Fish Habitat Enhancement Project. Afterwards we will take a tour of the completed project. 70 volunteers needed. Please tell your friends and share this event! Make sure to register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TruckeeRiverDay2018 and RSVP to the Facebook event located HERE for updates. Please bring sturdy working clothes and a get it done attitude. Please contact Sam Sedillo if you have any questions at: samuel.sedillo@tu.org.

A huge thanks to all those that have supported this project including the Sagebrush Chapter Trout Unlimited, TU Embrace a Stream, Granite Bay Flycasters, Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers and the Flycasters of San Jose. Make sure to check out our project video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sh3UA4tiZM

Trout Unlimited Truckee River Survey

I would like to invite all anglers that fish the Truckee River to participate in a survey for a future road map that will help Trout Unlimited Truckee Chapter 103 on future in-stream projects. As a TU Truckee Board of  Director, and a decades long angler of the river, I feel it is important to reach out to the fly angling public and ask for providing critical comments on a variety of topics that effect the health of the Truckee River, macroinvertebrates, trout, riparian zones, and good habitat for all. Take the survey and make your voice heard!

An important message from the President of Trout Unlimited Truckee:

Dear Truckee River TU member,

First off I would like to say thank you for your continued support of the Truckee River Trout Unlimited Chapter. Below you will find a link to a survey I am asking each of you to take. It’s not long.Your views on the health and well-being of our local waters are important, and will be used as a guide to create a road map for our Chapter’s growth and conservation efforts going forward. The Board is going to use your feedback to create a strategic plan for the Chapter, and it will serve as a road map in our efforts to protect and enhance our precious fresh water resources in the Truckee/Tahoe region. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQJsXa93vwZfSkbzP68TxJ970zQSNcfNna7hpLieVpY-ktuA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Many thanks in advance,

Trevor S. Fagerskog

Trout Unlimited, Chapter 103

http://www.tahoetroutbum.org/

 

North Fork Yuba River Fly Fishing Report 9/4/2018 ~ Change Is In The Air

The canyon was buzzing with people over the holiday weekend and the river was fished over well in the more popular access areas. Change is in the air, and the seasons are shifting into the fall pattern, the second season is under way. Water temperatures have dropped in the upper watershed due to colder nights, now at 56 in the morning, and 62 in the afternoons. Flows are at an all time low for the season, in fact some creeks like Salmon creek is done. Fishing has been good using dry dropper rigs, and nymphing is much better now in the big deep pools. The river is in a transition period where fishing the middle and lower sections of the watershed will produce better. 

Fall fishing on the NFYR requires a different approach. You’ll want to fish in the middle of the day and choose areas on the river that receives plenty of sunshine. It’s a known fact that the October Caddis adult thrive in sunny sections of a river. Their still in pupation sealed up in their fine pebble cases, you can expect them to hatch at the end of the month.  The same dry flies and nymphs listed in my past reports are still effective, but switch that yellow Stimulator to an orange color. It’s wise to choose the hard to get to sections after a long summer of fishing pressure. Keep it real and find your water. See you out there…

California Fushia ~ Epilobium canum