Lake Davis Fishing Report 10/20/14 ~ The Guessing Game Continues

Another week of the unforgettable 2014 autumn at Lake Davis, there are lots of questions by many including myself, with only a few answers. Fishing is just fair, when in reality we should be reaching the peak of the fall grab – which has never even materialized…..yet. There is still hope, and with that I still believe there is going to be a short hot bite to experience. So what’s preventing the historically good fishing the lake is known for in fall? Fish are deeper than normal and staying put in certain areas, I have yet to do a stomach sampling on these trout but Daphnia feeding is high on the list. The resident trout are also at all depths from the very top to the muddy bottom, no matter the depth of the water being looked at. There is also a very low percentage of trout in the skinny water, and fewer rising. No aquatic insect hatches in great quantities except for tiny midges are to be found at all. Trout have also been found in big numbers on the east shore, and other areas that Lake Davis regulars usually do not see them in.

I've ruled out the full moon cycle, angling pressure (which has been light), Low water (I've done much better with a 45% capacity), and water temperatures which are currently at 51-57 degrees. That’s the ugly truth we are facing at the lake. Is there any good in this? Absolutely! A gorgeous lake, stunning fall colors, bird and wildlife sightings that rival any other Lake in Northern California, and the best of times mingling with other die hard still water anglers. There is plenty of food in the lake and a few fish netted have been spitting up, and pooping out snails; a typical sight of Lake Davis trout who gorge on them during this time of year.

The weather has been flat calm one day with little or no wind, and the next blowing 30 mph. Air temperatures have been warmer than normal, of all things I think this is part of the missing link. Some ice and maybe a snow storm could tip things and put the fear of winter into the eyes of those rainbows. If you feared living under an icy tomb in the weeks ahead, I’m sure you would act differently and would want to bulk up for those long winter months ahead, after all, we are all animals. On a more positive note, the fall colors are amazing right now! Not the best I've seen, and this is due in part to last week’s pounding of a 40 mph wind that stripped many trees of their leaves. When the sun is just right and filters through the waning foliage, it truly is a thing of beauty. 

For my guests I can only do so much in the way of the catching. I make up for it by teaching many different styles of presentations, fly selection, rigging methods, comprehension of the lake structure, great stories of trips from the past, and fresh quality lunches from the GraeagleMillworks. They tell me it’s much appreciated, and that makes these past trips on the lake so much more enjoyable for me. 

This past weekend I wrapped up another filming session with none other than the man himself – Ken Hanley of Pacific Extremes. Our latest project entails fly fishing a still water from a boat, where as last year’s project concentrated on my passion of stalking still water trout in the shallows, and making presentations from the bank. The short video should be out in the next month, look for a link to it here on my blog. Ken creates magic through compelling cinematography, and I can hardly wait to see it!

There have been a few flashes of some great fishing like last Saturday when some close friends of mine stumbled upon a large pod of active feeders and got into double digit numbers. For the rest of us that can only hook a few, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud; the fish that are being caught are large, with full girth, and most specimens are clean and so gorgeous. If you plan on heading up there make sure to have two rods, one rigged with a floater where you can fish the upper water column, or use a bobber, and the other with a clear camo Intermediate so you can target depths from 3 to 10 feet. If you want to go any deeper a break away indicator on a floating line would be the way to go as there is no guessing at which depth your flies are being presented. You get to make the call and set the depth you think is right. For fly selection, olive has been the best color, followed by black and burnt orange no matter if you're stripping a bugger or wiggle tail. A closed loop knot is important as it gives your flies so much more action, my catch rates have improved since switching to this knot and I highly recommend it. Snail patterns in brown and olive are starting to produce as well. For bobber rigs, chironomids and mayfly nymphs have been getting the most hook ups, but don't forget about a balanced leech for your bottom fly.

My best advice and one my father taught me is to keep pounding the water with flies and presentations you have confidence in, when you start second guessing yourself, or your equipment, you are doomed! Be positive, have fun, and make the most of it!

Pacific Extremes Multi Media Videos

Lake Davis Fishing Report 10/15/14 ~ Big Wind & Rain Finally Arrives

Change is in the air with a current system moving through, and the wind cries Mary. Some of the biggest wind I’ve ever experienced on the lake yesterday is really churning things up and after this is all over there should be plenty of food dispersed for those Lake Davis rainbows to dine on. When it blows at 40 you better have a good boat and superior seamanship skills to navigate safely to fish another day. Will this wet weather finally wake up those trout? Only time will tell.

I did see a change in trout behavior over the weekend, and the super pods marked by sonar in deeper water are not as thick; they are on the move again. I also marked more fish in the upper water column than the previous two weeks. The afternoon bite has been better than any other time of the day. With the full moon phase waning feeding times should change back to an all day event. Effective rigs have been an indicator set up targeting depths of 3-5 feet down, and 7-12 feet down. Stripping flies with a floater and an intermediate line is also producing, faster strips with plenty of pauses has been most effective. Many grabs have come just after the cast on the drop as the fly sinks through the water column, so keep a tight leash to your bug. Catch rates have been slim with an average of 3 fish for a full day session by most anglers. Not big numbers yet, but the quality of fish is amazing with rainbows going 18 to 22”, and plenty of beefy girth. Water temps have come back down and are now running 53 to 60 degrees, look for these numbers to drop even more after this storm rolls through.

Gary McLeod ~ Gary McLeod Studio

Hot flies in the last week have included Wiggle Tails in glimmer green olive, and dark olive #10-12, Sheep Creek specials #12-14, Snow Cone midge pupa in black, brown, and red #12-14, and Jay Fair stripping flies in brown, and olive #8 3xl. Angler pressure has been light for this time of year due to recent reports; I did not see one vehicle parked at Jenkins Point over the weekend, which says it all right there. A waiting game continues for the stellar fall fishing Lake Davis is known for, stay tuned to the Lost CoastOutfitters report, or my blog jonbaiocchiflyfishingnews.com, for the latest and most reliable reports.

Lake Davis Fishing Report 10/8/14 - What's Up?

Odd trout behavior and less than stellar fishing is the current state at Lake Davis. When other guides and long time fly anglers of the lake ask me "What's up with the lake and where are all the fish?", you know something just ain't quite right, especially in October. One day is decent, the next fair. Fish are still scattered, some roaming in large pods at different depths like 7 to 12 feet down, and even deeper, at 16 to 23 feet. I have a feeling that these super pods are dining on daphnia, and why we are not seeing them in shallower water, or other parts of the lake where they should be.There have been a few glimpses of fish working the skinny flats, sporadic at best, and it’s lucky when you find such conditions.

Nights have been cooler with near freezing temps, and the days have been incredibly warm. Water temps have bumped up a bit from 57 to 65 degrees. The fall grab is on idle for now, but at some point it has to happen. As of today, mornings are slow, and the afternoon grab has produced better results; full moon phase is in effect changing the feeding times of those large rainbows. Be prepared to adjust to changing conditions, know your different rigs, and relocate if necessary. 

Depending on the day, slow to fast strips, and plenty of pauses has been good with a floating line targeting the top water column, 1 to 3 feet down in open water and next to the bank. For deeper pods, a type three sinking line with a Jay Fair striping fly in fiery brown is working well. The indicator rig is the old reliable for getting a bent rod, it just produces. Three water columns you should target while making vertical presentations with the bobber are 3-5 ft., 7-12 ft., and the 16-22 ft. zone. The bug scene has been light overall, the small midges are always out in good numbers, but the callibaetis hatch has been very sparse, nothing like the first two weeks of September. Blood midges are a rarity right now on the surface, but it’s a must to carry and fish the pupa stage of this aquatic insect. Backswimmers have been seen crashing the surface of the shallows creating a little commotion, and getting the attention of a few interested trout. Presenting small dark beetle patterns with long leaders makes this game a fun one.

Business meetings are always much more productive when you add a fly rod and some toads in the mix. Lance Gray of Lance Gray & Co. was a guest of mine yesterday and although we had to work really hard to find fish, Lance still landed the biggest rainbows I've seen in the past three weeks. Lance is a really good down to earth kind of guy, we both were raised in the Chico, Ca area and bleed the Powell family legacy. Lance was using a first generation Walton Powell graphite rod that is such slow action most new fly anglers would not even have a clue on how to cast it. I'm looking forward to another successful year working with Lance, our next gigs will be the very popular Lower Yuba River Tours in 2015. For more information, and to sign up go here; http://www.lancegrayandcompany.com/fly_fishing_tours/the_yuba_river_tour

The flies that are working well are about the same as last week’s report with a few exceptions. Wiggle tails in black and dark olive are receiving aggressive takes. Large heavy midge pupa patterns are key to productive indicator rigs; red, black, and brown are best. Bigger flies to #8 3XL like buggers, leeches, and stripping flies are starting to get action, look for these flies to be more productive as we head into November. We’ll see what this upcoming week will bring; you just never know where the fish will be, or when it can turn on. You just want to be there when it does… 

Lake Davis Fishing Report 10/1/14

Our first real low pressure system and a little precipitation for the north state last weekend have totally changed the behavior of the trout at the lake. A sharp drop in water temperatures has the current numbers at 54-58. Fish are scattered at all depths. Many are suspended in 16 to 22 feet of water, yet some can be found in 2 feet. Water clarity is much better in the south and middle parts of the lake; the fading algae bloom is still present in some areas of the north end. Not every day is producing yet, the fall grab has stalled in my opinion, but conditions will only improve on a weekly basis.

As of today, there are a few players to be challenged by in the shallows, stealth and skill is absolutely key here. I’m seeing more fish cruising in the upper water column later in the day 1 to 3 feet down in 6-12 feet of open water. Fan casting with a floater to 3x stripping a bigger bug, with a callibaetis dropper has been very effective for this situation. Indicator rigs keep on producing with vertical presentations 3- 6 feet down in 6-12 feet of water as well. Fish are large and strong, with some on the hot side. They like to take you into the weeds and try and break you off, so get on them early, and stay in control. The trout’s feeding window is also changing, instead of morning and evening, their pattern now adapts to an all-day event, with periods of intensity.

Bug life has not been so grand with the adult and emerger stages of the callibaetis mayfly, the spinner stage has been sparse too. From my observations there have been very few blood midges, though we could see another brood of them pop. In the skinny water Kirby’s backswimmers are very active and the trout do eat them. There has been a blanket hatch of a size 52 midge in a creamy gray in the mornings; luckily the fish are not keyed in on them.

Go to stripping flies have been Wiggle Tails in brown, rust, and dark olive #12-16. Sheep Creek Specials #12-14, and Mohair Leeches in black, brown, and burnt orange #8-10. For indicators; heavy chironomids like snow cones, and Mahalo midges in brown, wine, red, and purple #12-14 are getting a lot of attention. Also hanging pheasant tail flash back callibaetis nymphs #14-16 is a must right now. Carrying a few size 16 Adams parachutes is a smart move as one never knows if a few bugs will pop up on the surface with some interested trout nearby.

The seasons have changed and planned fishing trips can be altered by snow, and other weather related factors when it comes to Lake Davis, which sits at a 5,700 foot elevation. Be prepared and always dress for that day’s weather. My October dates are booked up, but I do have some open dates after November 10^th. All of this greatly depends on ice up. With snow on the ground the launching ramp becomes icy and sketchy. The boat is retired for the season, and trips become walk and wade opportunities. Sometimes we snowshoe into the buckets for those hardy enough endure the trek to productive open water. We’ll have to wait and see what the weather will bring for the future. Whatever it is, just run it, and enjoy the autumn adventure! 

Baiocchistroutfitters.com

Giving Back To The Truckee River ~ TRWC Adopt-A-Stream Day ~ Autumn Session

Today I had the pleasure of donating my time to the Truckee River Watershed Council's Adopt-A-Stream program, where chemical, physical, and streamside habitat were monitored. If you're not familiar with the TRWC's Adopt-A-Stream program, adopted streams in the Tahoe Basin are monitored by a committed team of volunteers four times a year, May through September. TRWC trains the teams and provides all the equipment and supplies.

Our team, led by our trustworthy and courageous leader Nicole, worked on two types of chemical and physical monitoring to take measurements such as temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and habitat characteristics. As always there was much to learn and the knowledge gained is invaluable for future studies, and improvements. 

Though Davies Creek was dry and provided zero water to sample, we still took additional notes on the test site area. A little rain did not hamper our efforts one bit, in fact it was a welcomed sight!

Water samples were then taken from the Little Truckee River below Boca Reservoir, after a little chemistry these samples were recorded into the log. I was amazed at the difference of the cold air temperatures, and the warm water temps that were running in the mid 60's.

I had an awesome time with my team, and feel grateful for contributing to a great organization! Special thanks to Erin Casey, Director of Land Use Compatibility for TWRC. She does an amazing job with all the details of these special events!

To become a volunteer for TRWC, go here; https://www.truckeeriverwc.org/get-involved/volunteer

Want to donate and help the Truckee River? Go here; https://www.truckeeriverwc.org/donate/make-a-donation

Truckee River Watershed Council

Lost Coast Outfitters Fishing Report 9/25/14

Autumn is blowing in with this first small weather system that finally brought some rain, and fishing is about to get crazy in many of our waters! For a complete report, check out my friend George Revel's LCO weekly updates on current conditions from knowledgeable guides.

As for myself, I'll be on Lake Davis for the next four weeks. I only have 5 more days available for the month of October, so please do not hesitate in contacting me by phone or email if you want to experience a great day; Baiocchi's Troutfitters

http://www.lostcoastoutfitters.com/
http://www.baiocchistroutfitters.com/

Lake Davis Fishing Report 9/17/14 - Callibaetis!

Conditions at Lake Davis continue to improve, catch rates and strikes have been on the upswing using a wide variety of techniques. The aggressive fall bite is starting to kick in; the best fishing of the year is on the horizon! Water temps this week were 60 degrees in the morning rising to 66 by the afternoon. This morning, air temps in the area were much warmer at 51 degrees, with areas of heavy smoke. Water clarity is off in places with a slight algae bloom but improving dramatically in some areas. Big wind the last few days has shut down the callibaetis hatch, but hanging chironomids in the chop has produced numbers. The wind did help blow all the smoke out, but to the south toward Tahoe the plume was huge, black, and darkening the sky. A weak system is coming in tomorrow with a 30% chance of precipitation, and colder nights down to 37. We need a change to get those rainbows going. 

Free floating weeds will be in the system for here on until ice up, the American coot have shown up in moderate numbers, ripping up weeds and eating their veggies. The weeds beds are also starting to wane and compress allowing more fishable pockets to open up. For you boaters the west side peninsulas are barely submerged, these long fingers of land stretch extremely far out into the main body of the lake. Running north and south routes near the east side and then coming in directly west to the coves of Cow Creek, and Freeman Creek, is a safe choice.

Fish behavior is starting to change, and quite a few cruisers in the skinny water have been caught while sight fishing with the Adams parachute dry fly. The callibaetis are out, and last weekend there were thousands of them with large trout slurping the surface. Productive tactics include using a floating or intermediate line stripping Wiggle tails in black and rust, Rickard’s still water nymphs, and other buggy patterns with a slow sink rate is getting the grabs. The most effective rig has been the bobber, 3-5 feet down in the morning, and 9-14 feet down in the early and late afternoon. Chironomids #10-18 in red, black, brown, and lime green is what they are eating. Hot flies have been callibaetis nymphs #14-16, Adams parachute #16, UV2 sheep creeks #10-14, Spirit River UV2 mayfly nymph #14-16, and Blood Midge emergers #14. 4x-3x tippet depending on your presentation and depth.

Photo courtesy of Ralph and Lisa Cutter / Flyline.com

Adult bug life is rich with very small midge adults on the surface during the morning, it seems every new morning there is a different unique midge they are sipping on. Very sparse hatches of blood midges of late in most areas around the lake, though the fish do search for them while working. Callibaetis on the other hand are flourishing on days without big wind. This hatch is the start of the last brood of the season, and both duns and spinners will be smaller now in a size 16. The main staple of damsels is always present, and the increasing snail population is a favorite of the large rainbows in autumn, two patterns you should always carry.

Remember that the incredible fall colors peak sometime from the 2nd week of Oct. to the last week, but you never know with mother nature, she’ll throw a curve ball when you least expect it. Fishing will improve on a weekly basis, and with beautiful surroundings like the colors of autumn, makes for an unforgettable experience at Lake Davis.

Lake Davis Presentation at Chico Area Fly Fishers 9/11/2014

This coming Thursday I will be in my old 'hood presenting a very informative and enjoyable power point presentation on "Fly Fishing Lake Davis". The audience will gain vast knowledge and a better understanding through virtual images, maps, and diagrams of the lake. I'll cover the history of Lake Davis, access points, how to fish the different seasons, tactics, techniques, entomology, and the most productive flies.

The Chico Area Fly Fishers meeting will be held at the CARD center located at 545 Vallombrosa Ave in Chico, Ca. Social hour will be from 6:30 pm to 7:30, followed by the meeting, and shortly afterwords I will be taking center stage to share my enticing program. Admission is free, and guests are welcome.

CAFF was my very first fly club I ever belonged to way back in 1972, it will be a sort of homecoming for myself and a special one at that. I hope you'll be able to join me, see you there!

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