Finally a change in the weather this coming weekend with cooler temperatures, and some actual precipitation falling from the sky. It is so needed right now. The ground is so dry it’s become like powdered sugar. At least the air quality is much better now with less smoke and just a haze, some days there is more blue sky to be seen. Fall colors are slow to come on as well and varied depending on the location. It’s been hot, way too warm for this time of year. Yeah, a change in the weather will do so much good for everything from fishing to hunting, and my other release when I have time – Mountain biking on single track with chocolate cake loam.
Since the weather is cold in the morning and hot in the
afternoon, you will be peeling off layers all day long, and in some instances
sweating bullets on the hike out of the more remote canyon water. Bring a day
pack for all your layers, lunch, and other personal needed items on the river. Once
I leave my truck with my guests, we’re not coming back to have lunch, we stay
down on the river, cover water, and take in the total experience.
The Middle Fork Feather River still continues to fish well,
my guests and I have been having some awesome days with good quality wild
rainbows and the occasional brown trout mixed in. Water temperatures have been
57 in the morning rising to 62 degrees in the afternoon. The best action on the
water has been from mid-morning to early afternoon, then the evening hours.
Fishing pressure has been light and most days we do not see another angler at
all. They don’t call it the Lost Sierra for nothing.
Tight Line Nymphing has been the most productive with some of my guests getting double digits to the net. The biggest fault I see with my guest’s presentation is after making the lob cast upstream, they are not picking the leader up quickly enough and making direct contact with their flies as they should. Many of the fish are eating the flies right away, so you got to be on it.
Also having too much of the leader out of the tip with a bow
in the system as well, too much slack and you will be missing strikes. Lastly,
not leading the flies enough with the tip of the rod and pulling them through
softer and slower water. Those three elements are crucial to feeling and seeing
more strikes which results in more hook ups.
Effective flies for the Tight Line rig have been jiggy flies like Yellow Halo, KGB Caddis, Flashback Pheasant tails, and Pheasant Tails with a hot spot collar in orange or pink. Other good flies to have are Zebra Midges (even down to size 20), Hogan’s S&M and Military May in classic fall BWO colors, Black Beauties, Psycho Prince nymphs, and RS2’s in black.
I like to trail the small flies off the bend of the hook
of the larger jig fly to show the trout a more natural presentation – Though detecting
the strikes on those smaller flies will be harder and one must keep a tight
leash.
Not much dry fly action has occurred except with the adult
October Caddis. I’m thinking the hot weather has put off most of our classic
fall mayfly hatches in prolific numbers – That will change once we get some
rain, and the precipitation will get those trout on the move migrating throughout
the river system. We shall see.
As for the bugs, I have not seen this many October Caddis shucks on the rocks since before the big flows of New Year’s day in 2005 which gave the big bug pupae a ride to Lake Oroville in a hurry. In the last few days I’m seeing more flyers during the middle of the day too. The Trico spinner fall in the mid morning is waning but those trout are used to seeing submerged spent spinners in the drift and why I have been putting the tiny black patterns on the Tight Line rig.
Also in the past week I’m now seeing sparse hatches of
mayfly adults including BWOs, Isonychia, and Mahogany duns. They should
increase in numbers with the cooler weather on the way. Caddis are out too in a
variety of sizes. Non aquatics includes hoppers, a robust population of
crayfish, and remember, with 6 golf courses in a 10 mile radius when it rains
many earth worms are displaced and enter the river – That’s when you fish the
flesh Juan worm.
Right now with low fall flows, the key to success is fishing
the deeper water whether it is a plunge pool, slot, or tail out. That’s where
the fish are. Skip the skinny water, but also do not over look the hidden nooks
and crannies that most anglers pass up. Those unmolested areas usually harbor
the larger trout. So you’re thinking, ok… just hit the deeper water and I’m set.
There’s more to it. You will have to hike great distances to reach all those
deeper spots. Stick and move, cover water, and on those bigger pools go through
2 to 3 times with different patterns. It makes a big difference.
Lake Davis
I’m not ashamed to say that my Tracker Pro Deep V 16 is inoperable.
Shit happens. It ran great in June, then I put it away until the fall season.
When I went to pick it up a few weeks ago it would not turn over and the trim
tab would not work, yet the batteries are less than a year old and always
plugged in at full charge. I thought…No problem I’ll have it serviced. Well, everybody
and their mother want their boats winterized and it won’t be until the middle
of November until I can get my boat in. If the lake cools down quickly in the
next two weeks I can guide off the bank no problem with the right clients that possess
the needed skills of being able to cast far, accurately, and have good trout
stalking skills (ninja level). So for now I’m just going with the flow. I can
tell I’m getting older and wiser during situations like this, it’s beyond my
control and there’s nothing I can do about it. Being mad and frustrated won’t
do me or my guests any good. Thinking positively and listening to my life
coaches has helped me so much – Thanks to all those and your wisdom!
I do have friends and past long time clients that have been
fishing the lake in the past few weeks and here is the scoop. Water
temperatures are much warmer than normal due to the continued hot weather,
currently they are 60 in the morning rising to 64 in afternoon. Most fish are
scattered throughout the lake and are 6 to 8 feet down in 10 to 12 feet of
water, though others have been marked by sonar even deeper. The browns that
were planted a few years ago are reaching the 18” mark, that’s really cool as
they will be eating the smaller bass that are so prevalent. Hatches include
blood midges, the little chartreuse midge, and a sparse hatch of Callibaetis.
Bigger flies are starting to be more effective like leech patterns and Jay Fair
woolies, and trolling flies. Remember, the go to fall colors for Davis and
Frenchman are fiery brown, rust, and burnt orange.
Lots of watersheds, lakes, and fisheries are going off,
after all, it’s the fall season. It’s go time…See you on the water.
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