Ted Fay Report : November 20, 2011
As a wrap up note for the "regular season" the shop is closing from 11/21 to 11/29 and reopening 11/30 with it's winter hours .... open each week from Wednesday thru Sunday. This is our "winter season" here in Dopgpatch. Winter season offers fishing on the USac, various nearby lakes and of course steelhead fishing. Contact the shop or myself for details on any of these. I will be posting reports throughout the winter but not as frequently so stay tuned. In the meantime here are some final day memories from the McCloud taken by myself and woody Lowe over the last few weeks ...... Lady McCloud struttin her stuff ..... until next year sleep well and Thank You!
Zen Thought........Thank You! Show the rivers your appreciation for the enjoyment they give you by occasionally giving them a big thanks as you walk or drive away after a day on the water. They are truly medicine for the soul.
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If you have any further questions please call the shop and if you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : November 11, 2011
The snow hit us up here in the high country starting Saturday and Dogpatch got a good blanketing of the white stuff. To me this is the signal to get the winterizing wrapped up around the shack, stack the last of the firewood, and pull out the winter layers. Nights now are at or below freezing and day temps are 30's to low 50's. The cat, who's my barometer, has started her early hibernation mode and is no longer demanding to go outside all the time.......just sleeps. Still colors but a lot of trees have shed their leaves. The elephant ears along the McCloud have given up the ghost due to the cold and are limp in the water. There's something special about all of this, another season gone with all it's memories. The rivers will rest now, spring will arrive (at some point) and the anticipation of the next season brings the eternal cycle back full circle ...... but for now to the latest river adventures.
Recent trips have been on the USac and will remain so. Saturday and Sunday were what I have come to expect on these types of rain/snow days. Don and Matt had success nymphing up till early afternoon then the BWO palooza took off. The section of river we were on (lower) had rising fish for quite some time in the afternoon. Both had never experienced this magical event and the challenge of long, precise cast to large sipping fish ...... see pic. Matt hooked up on one of the big boys that ripped line on a big run then broke him off. The rain increased and ultimately shut the hatch down so we moved up river. Nymphing was the only available technique and Don had success on this beautiful bow.......see below. As a side note see, if you can pick out the two otters we saw tucked into the elephant ears ...... see pic. Yesterday I had David and John out for their first taste of the USac. We fished the Dunsmuir area, had the river all to ourselves and had one of the best days anyone could expect. By the end of the day they couldn't get the grin off their faces. BTW John thanks for the Cuban cigar. They deserved this type of a day too because, they left the Bay Area at 3:45 in the morning, met me at the shop at 8:30, fished till dark, then drove back home last night ...... fishing maniacs! Nymphing, stimmie/dropper and straight up stimulator only hooked fish all day. The October Caddis were thick all afternoon and fish were periodically on them. The October Caddis seem to be mostly from Dunsmuir up river now to Ney Springs through the catch and release section. Side note here too...... note the heron spectator observing David's technique. USac season continues past Nov. 15 with the regs going to catch and release for the entire river with barbless required until next April 28.
The McCloud River closes November 15. It is currently very cold in the canyon and recommended fishing is 11-4p.m.. Steven Bertrand reports a good BWO hatch early afternoon in the Preserve. The stimmie/dropper seems to be working in the medium to rougher flow water and nymphing deep will get you some serious tugs. Streamers in the deep pools is definitely an option too. Of note be cautious of the redds when wading, the browns are spawning now.
Zen Thought ...... Forget the numbers. Forgetting the numbers takes the pressure off and works wonders when you just take in the "whole" experience. This shouldn't be a competitive sport, it isn't all about the numbers.
Another Day At The Office
Chasing Rainy Day Sippers
Don's Beautiful Bow
Curious Otters
Dave Hooked Up With A Heron Spectator
Best Stalker On The River
Recommended Bugs.........see last weeks report.
If you have any further questions call the shop and when you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : October 30, 2011
The nights are at or below freezing now here in Dogpatch, the water temps on both rivers are into the 40's and as a consequence the a.m. bite has slowed. The days are still mild and the forecast for the coming week is 60's down to the 40's by the end of the week. Rain is forecast possibly later this week, how much is the question. This great season is starting to wind down, days have shrunk and we loose daylight saving time 11/6 ...... always hate that.
This past week on the USac and McCloud produced mixed results. I had Gene (aka the Wolverine Angler) on the McCloud stalking those big browns the river is famous for one day midweek. It started off slow but about 11 a.m. we found a section where fish were sipping on BWO and had a good bite going on for about an hour. The water is the clearest I've seen it all season (6-8 ft. visibility) thus stealth and long precise cast were required. Gene managed to land his first McCloud rainbow beauty on a #16 parachute adams with some great cast. Again in the evening we found another BWO hatch in amongst the October Caddis dancing on the water depositing their eggs. Fish, as usual were ignoring the caddis but were on the BWO. Thus the #16 adams was the producer. Although nymphing and working buggers didn't offer takes from a big brown this nice rainbow was taken .... see pic. Other anglers were reporting tough fishing in the morning with improved success by afternoons. With the super visibility no "bull in a China shop" techniques are going to work ..... be more cat like.
On the USac the early bite seems to have left the house with noon on the best time to find hungry fish. Mark and Pat found this to be the case this week with poor results up till lunch and then improving bite after .... see Mark's pic below. Best results are with size 16 and 18 nymphs, see my recommendations below. From Sims up through Dunsmuir stimmie/dropper continues to get you into fish. The October Caddis hatch is strong but until you start seeing spent ones on the water the fish are not keying on them with regularity, thus the dropper will get the most hookups.
Zen thought of the day .......get to know your guide as in ask them questions besides which fly is your favorite. Some pretty righteous and interesting folks like to guide ...... ask about their lives.
Gene's McCloud Bow
Mark's USac Beauty
McCloud River Fall
After A Hards Day Fishing Hang A Fang On this
Recommended Bugs........ Nymphs
Jimmy Legs #4-10
Possie Bugger 8-10
S&M 16-18
Gordon Prince 16
Soft Hackle 16
Fox Poopah 16
Hares Ear 16
Micro Mayfly 16-18
Dries..........Humpy 16
Adams 16-18
X-Caddis 16
Stimulator 8-14
Streamers..Wooly Bugger (Brn., Olive & Blk.)
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : October 23,2011
Hubba, hubba!! That's all I can say about the fish Woody caught on the McCloud River last week although Woody will tell you I screamed out a few additional colorful expletives once I netted it. This native German Brown, guestimating 26-30 in. in length, gives the true meaning to "the fish of a lifetime". A lot of you have heard about these elusive beast that lurk in the depths of Mother McCloud and how stealthy they are. Here's proof my friends. This gives true meaning to the words we use to describe them ..... hog, toad, monster, beast, trophy, big f@#!ing fish, etc.. Woody did a superb job in battling him .... taking his time, being very patient, following instructions, and playing the fish properly. On the other hand I'm sweating if my knots are going to hold, if the 4x is strong enough, and if my big net is large enough (19 in. from handle to top). The fish gave us one steelhead size aerial and some nasty runs. Fortunately we were in a large pool so he didn't have the luxury of running downstream into who knows what trouble. Upon tiring, finally, Woody worked him near enough that I was able to take a stab at him with my net......suddenly realizing that I'm under gunned trying to net his body. So I stabbed him head first into the net with my swipe and ..... bingo, it worked although in retrospect my steelhead net would have made it much easier but hello, this is the McCloud. High fives, fist bumps, handshakes, mannish hoots .... all those guy things were had. Thank you fish gods and Woody ..... you my friend were very deserving of this memorable fish! BTW.....#16 olive micro mayfly firmly planted in his lower jaw.
A brief report for each river now. The USac is still fishing good for those in the know with some big fish being hooked. First timers Marko and Cearull got into a couple of these big boys yesterday but unfortunately for each their fish came unbuttoned. Nymphing up till the last hour of the day is best then the October Caddis appear along with the baetis and small tan caddis. Using a stimmie/dropper from Sims upstream to Cantera has had some success also. Still somewhat crowded particularly on the weekends. Fishing in and around Dunsmuir has dropped off lately. On the McCloud obviously the browns are getting active ..... Woody actually landed another 20 in. brown the same day. Nymphing mid morning has been productive along with a stimmie/dropper setup. Am still seeing hatches of baetis, caddis, PMD's and of course October Caddis. The weekends are crowded. The canyon isn't getting much sun and as a consequence it's cool in there.
Zen Thought OF The Day........ Fly fishing is the most fun you can have standing up.
Merry Xmas Woody
A Mother McCloud Gift
Woody's "Little" Brown
Recommended Bugs ....... see 10/9 and 9/18 reports.
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : October 18, 2011
The beat goes on as we march into this gorgeous fall. The planets remain properly aligned over Dog Patch giving us perfect weather, beautiful colors and stellar fishing. The National Weather Service is showing nothing but sunshine for the next 14 days so it's time to get jiggy for your last shot at this great fishing. It's been great to see you all (so Bob says, I've been too busy) stopping by the shop and patronizing, saying hello, or whining about loosing the big one .... thank you all!!
My trips the last week or so have been equally split between the USac and McCloud. The USac fished good, as usual, for clients Neil, Frank, Steve and Sam over this period. It's definitely more crowded now but not difficult to find a spot. All of these days were spent south of Dunsmuir down to Dog Creek with the prime time bite from late a.m. to dark as Neil and Frank found. It was tough yesterday until the last hour of the day for Steve and Sam when all hell broke loose. I had Steve on an emerger under a big Possie Bugger and Sam throwing a stimmie/dropper. Steve immediately hooked up one of the biggest toads I've seen in a long time. It made crazy runs up, down, over and back for almost 10 minutes and then finally started to poop out. Note here the "bowing to the Queen" method was used frequently. Getting it into the net was a struggle but thank God I had my big net......have lost too many of these big boys trying to net them with my regular trout net.....you usually only get one stab at them. Steve then hustled (adrenaline kicked in) back up to the same spot of the hookup and almost immediately got into toad #2. Again 10 minute battle with mission accomplished. Admire the pictures kids, these are quality wild USac big boys...... kinda of what it's all about ..... amongst other things. I then put Sam into the "honey spot" next with his stimmie/dropper and boom, he hooks up on another big boy this time taking the stimmie. He battled it for about 5 minutes with it taking multiple runs but unfortunately came unbuttoned. Talk about all of us being euphoric...... sorta like my old altered state hippie days.
Over at the McCloud it's been a little tougher. The crowds are appearing.... the McCrowd as I say particularly on the weekends. As I been mentioning the fish are now looking up so at some point in the day throw the stimmie/dropper setup. Also nymphing the runs deep can be successful. Neil picked up this nice 20 in. brown nymphing a favorite run deep with a #16 Gordon Prince. Frank got this beauty on a soft hackle on a sweet seam. Hatch of BWO starting about 5 p.m. and each day am seeing more and more October Caddis (looks like a good year for them). FYI Ah Di Na was packed over the weekend starting Friday but cleared out by Sunday evening.
Steve's USac Toad
Steve's USac Toad #2
Franks's McCloud Beauty
Neil's McCloud Brownie
Morning Commute To Ah Di Na
Vaughn USac Rainbow
Recommended Bugs........see prevous report.
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : October 9, 2011
Got a free day so why not fire off a new report on how's it been here in Dogpatch and on the rivers. To summarize briefly fall is here and the fishing is good! What generally happens in October...... October Caddis, frost on the pumpkin, leaves turning, Nano Puff a must in the a.m., snow dusting on Mt. Shasta, a good rain dump on the shack this week, and the big fish are waking up ..... all on schedule people. Significant rain fell this last week starting Tuesday and finally stopping Friday. The first big rain is always a good benchmark for those thinking about fall fishing. It seems to be the hammer that hits the fish on their noggin and stirs them up ..... sorta like throwing the feed out to the chickens in the barnyard and watching them go nuts.
Lets talk about the Mac first. Starting a week and a half ago I had clients fishing a stimmie/dropper in earnest with good results. It seems to be a good alternative any time of the day now when nymphing drops off. Shaded spots, the heavier water at the top of pools and runs, and pocket water are your best bets. Hatches, particularly on the overcast or rainy days, have been fair to jaw dropping. Rainy day Wednesday saw a cloud of PMD's coming off at the Preserve. Have seen all of the following over the last week and a half ......... PMD's, baetis, caddis, October Caddis and big Drakes. Nymphing is slow now till mid to late morning, good rest of the day. If you want to target a big brownie fish DEEP with a type 6 sink tip or put major tonnage on your nymph rig. Ah Di Na was about half full yesterday and a fair number of anglers on the water. Tags also were available at the Preserve yesterday. My client Bob and I saw one other angler yesterday in the beat we took at Ah Di Na. He fished a half day and landed 4 fish nymphing, rolled a big fish on the stimulator and hooked a nice fish on the dropper off the stimmie.
The USac is still fishing great. Might as well say that is a broken record ..... been like this since mid summer. The large fish continue to be eager and willing. For instance Ed out from Jackson Hole landed a beautiful 18 in. bow mid river a week and a half ago. This last week clients Vaughn, Dan and Ben on separate days got into some of the pig action landing 17-20 in. fish. Vaughn in particular had a hat trick on Thursday hooking and landing a 17, 18, and 20 in. bow. All of this action was from Sweetbriar to Lakehead. Maybe Vaughn's good fortune was due to that killer homemade trail mix his wife Julia brought down with them from Lopez Island to chum the fish with ..... thank you girl. Heads up, all these bad boys are being caught on small droppers hanging off big poopahs, Princes and rubber legs. Definitely time too to be throwing the stimmie/dropper setup from mid river up too. Also I noted fish on the lower river mid day working the surface Friday in one of those large pools down there. They appeared to be sipping baetis and sulfurs. Bottom line, time to get in the water and git ur done.......the fish are hungry! FYI for you campers here I took a look at Sims campground to see how crowded it was on Friday now that Castle Crags Campground annex is closed and surprisingly it was only about 1/4 full.
Zen Thought Of the Day........look up and take it all in. We all fish in some amazing places.....don't forget there's beauty above the water too.
McCloud River Dry Fly Catch
Ben Fighting USac Bow
Laura's First McCloud Rainbow
Dan USac Bow
Ben Hooked Up
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McCloud River Fall Magic
Recommended Bugs ........ add the following to my 9/18 report
Dirty Bird #8-12
Red Fox Squirrel #8-10
October Caddis Pupa #8-10
Plump Poopah #8-10
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : September 25, 2011
Just a quick update on the latest goings on. Will be starting a busy 2 1/2 week stretch soon and any post during that time will be a surprise .... both to you and to me. Fall is officially here ..... the last days of 90's are behind us, temps are starting to bounce between 70's to low 80's, leaves are turning and a front moved through yesterday producing light rain with the thermometer in the 60's. Also, right on queue, the October Caddis are migrating off the bottom and moving to the banks of the rivers. Look below at the cluster of empty cases I found on the McCloud the other day on this partially submerged log. Oh too, the blackberries are fat and juicy as shown below.
Seeing more bugs hatching on both rivers this last week and a few fish looking up. Small caddis, PMD's and baetis are appearing just over the last few days. For the most part it's still a nymphing affair. Concentrate on running them a.m. till early evening and then switching over to dries when/if you see fish rising. The mid to lower Sac is STILL fishing great. Local guide Craig Nielsen reports a client landing a 20 in. plus fish a few days ago down there. The Dunsmuir area is a good bet for the truck trout and some of those BIG bonus trout that the City of Dunsmuir is planting this year.
The McCloud continues to fish best mornings and evenings......mostly smaller fish mid day, larger fish early and late. The Preserve is fishing best in the lower section and Ash Camp is producing fish on a stimmie/dropper setup. Crowds are not ....... yet in looking at my bookings and those of other guides they are a coming.
Recommended Bugs..........see last weeks report for flies
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : September 18, 2011
Starting to see the first signs of fall this week here in Dogpatch. Night temps have pushed down into the 30's here at the shack and am noticing steam rolling from my mouth in the mornings as I get the truck loaded up for the days guiding. Seeing subtle color changes in the cooler McCloud River canyon and saw my first October Caddis yesterday at the Preserve. No wet wading in the mornings folks.
A busy schedule had me on both rivers and some nice fish were caught by some great folks that were fun to hang with. The USac remains the river currently fishing the best. Alston (thanks for the cigar) wanted to get reacquainted with her fly fishing and had never fished NorCal. We fished Sims up to Dunsmuir and she was almost crying in between laughing after reliving her past with the hookups......you go girl! Her day was made with this nice 15 in. rainbow caught on a #14 P.T.. Pete and Bill enjoyed a half day on the lower river and the big fish down there didn't disappoint either of them. They had never fished the lower section so I took them into some sweet shaded water and bingo.....see the pics below. Notice Bill hanging on with both hands fighting this screamer that we never saw after a furious run to the other side of the river and then coming unbuttoned. I had Dan and Sally the last 2 days fishing the USac and McCloud with me and we found the USac fish more willing to take a fly than the Mac. Again Sims up to Dunsmuir was the section producing hookups with each landing these two big fish amongst others.....the good ole Rick's Special worked the best with a lot of weight.....oh, and don't forget the the swing at the end of the drift. As a side note the State has closed the Castle Crags annex campground and picnic area on the river for the season........budget constraints.
The Mac was a bit temperamental yesterday for us. Sally who had never fished it before was the top stick landing 4 rainbows 8-13 in. The river was it's usual a.m. best bite, slow afternoon, then picking back up once the shade took hold. LBS were the best bugs and the swing got most of the grabs. The Preserve was crowded with guest in both cabins. Ah Di Na water issues are resolved now and the restrooms and faucets are working. I did an evening scout trip early week below Ash Camp and caught fish on dries using Parachute Adams and X-Caddis. Just before dark I switched over to my sink tip in one of the bigger holes and took a 20 in. brown on an olive crystal bugger stripping rapidoly. I want to emphasize that even with the slow fishing the McCloud's unique magic is always worth the visit......soul medicine.
Zen Thought of the Day...... The solution to any problem is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be.
Alston USac Love
Bill Hanging On
Bill With The One That Didn't Get Away
Peter USac Beauty
Sally USac Rainbow
Dan USac Rainbow
Recommended Bugs......Nymphs
Jimmy Legs #4-10
Possie Buggers #8-10
LBS (see previous reports)
Gordon Prince #14-16
Copper John (red & copper) #14-16
Birds Nest #14-16
Hares Ear #14-16
Soft Hackles #14-16
Tan Fox Poopah #14-16
HBI #14-16
Dries.......Humpy #14-16
Adams #10-16
X-Caddis #14-16
Stimmulator #8-14
If you have any further question please call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : September 9, 2011
Just back from a wonderful get away/anniversary trip to the Lost Coast this past week with my wife Sherill. We enjoyed the beauty and remoteness of this out of the way piece of the California coast and especially the solitude of the Mattole River area ...... the laid back atmosphere of the little Victorian town of Ferndale and breakfast here at the Main Street Cafe is the way to start the day especially when you have the opportunity to visit and share conversation and meal with friend and client Michael and his wife Leslie. The Creamery Bakery next door was also very tempting with their morning gooey case full, but logic told me otherwise. Mental pictures I won't forget ...... foggy coastline, rolling hills, sweeping vistas, pastoral fields, peaceful valley's and of course the redwoods. We must go back in the spring.
I had a guide date on Labor Day with a super couple from Alaska in town for a wedding and who were looking at experiencing the Upper Sac before their return. Both Dan and Erica were knowledgeable fly fishers having fished for salmon, steelhead and trout in their home state so acclimating themselves to fishing/wading the river was easy and hookups were right out of the gate. We fished the lower river with one of the nice big fish that are prevalent in this section taking a #16 S&M offering from Dan with the pic below showing the results. Gotta keep saying this ..... the middle and lower river remain good fishing! Uncle Fester reports good fishing likewise in the lower section and in Dunsmuir. Bob was out the other evening and had surprising success swinging wets on the middle river.
The McCloud is fishing good in the lower Preserve with nymphs, crowds are nil, the canyon is hot mid day. Fish the shade wherever you can find it. The water is very clear so stealth is important!
Now that Labor Day is behind us expect crowds to be diminished for both rivers. The nights are starting to cool slightly which is good but day time temps are forecasted 80's into the 90's for the next 10 days. Still, the worm is turning and fishing will improve (actually cannot complain about how it's been so far this summer).
Zen Thought of the Day.......... If your fishing is interfering with your job.....quit your job.
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Recommended Bugs........see 8/3 reports and add
Birds Nest #16
HBI #16
Fox Poopah (tan) #14 & #16
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : September 2, 2011
This is usually the time of the season when the term "dog daze" really slaps you in the face here in Dogpatch. The guiding biz slows (thank you) and the fish usually pack their bags and head out for their summer breaks along with a number of us guides. Don't get me wrong but the thought of baking your brain trying to find a suicidal fish when the thermometer is pushing into the mid 90's no longer is that appealing to this ole dude. After enjoying over a week off and not touching a rod my wife has noted my sudden middle of the night screams of "set, set, set" were abating and my angst of how many lunches I had to make for clients each day had waned ..... sure sign of guide withdrawal. So this week I couldn't stand it any longer and started thinking about something novel (at least for me)......it's about time I spend some quality "me" time on the river and see if this dog daze myth held true still........plus before I know it I'll be saying would have, could have, should have and I'll be back in the saddle. The nights have cooled recently (not for long though) and the water remains about 5 degrees cooler than normal plus calls from fellow guides Wayne Eng and Alan Blankenship for some buddy fishing on the Upper Sac was the carrot I needed to get me moving.
Therefore the pics below show what's been going on. Wayne and I fished and scouted mid river early week, mid day and we each got into good steady action........I was giggling. Fish were found in the well defined runs, heavily oxygenated water, pockets, and tight to the elephant ears. All the LBS bugs worked along with the Possie Bugger and soft hackles. Alan and I fished the lower river and had a super time from late morning to early afternoon ..... checkout our lake run fish below. The rubber legs worked with either a soft hackle or one of the LBS dropped off it. As I've mentioned in previous reports your chances of getting into a big fish are best down in the lower river. In the Dunsmuir area I had an intro day pop up with Ihor out from New Jersey yesterday for a half day and he has now seen the light and joined the church of fly fishing. In this section expect some crowds but the truck trout and the new "bonus trout" are plentiful for those interested. Early a.m. hatches of tricos and callibeatis are being spotted also from mid river down.
The McCloud reports are the fishing is good until about 2:00 then again after 5:00. Nymphing with LBS and soft hackles in, once again, the heavily oxygenated areas, pockets, faster moving runs and seams. Once the p.m.shade shows try a stimmie/dropper or #14 Adams Parachute. No Crowds, high visibility in the water and rattlers.......enjoy.
Zen Thought of the Day.......If people concentrated on the important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing rods.
Rick USac Lake Run
Alan USac Lake Run
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Wayne Eng USac
Recommended Bugs.............see 8/3 report
If you have any further questions please call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Ted Fay Report : August 24, 2011
Back in the saddle after a great trip to the North Umqua chasing summer steelhead. My pal Buster got a nice steelie (see pic) one evening at dark thirty, pal Homer got skunked, and I got my lunch handed to me by a large fresh ironhead after a 2 minute battle. Below pics are a quick overview of how one should experience their time up there ..... fish hard, enjoy the beauty that the river smacks you in the face with, share stories of the day over a bottle of wine and finger food with your buddies ...... and of course the pastries.......oh, and possibly hook the fish of a thousand cast.
Since my return I've been out on the USac and McCloud over the last 6 days with clients. I would term the fishing on both right now fair to good. The USac is putting out some very nice fish in the lower river (Gibson to Lakehead) in the mornings till about noon when it starts getting way too hot and then again in the evenings. Wet wading is the preferred way to go of course this time of the year although you'll notice the water temps are a few degrees cooler than normal but it's refreshing ....... particularly if you fall in. Fish the edges and the gut of the accelerated runs, the foamy heads of pools/runs, and the pocket water and always remember ...... git ur down bubba (lots of weight). As a side note here too don't forget to fish the swings, the fish seem to be particularly interested in this action. Mid river seems to be in a funk these days but don't give up on it from Gibson to Sweetbriar. From Sweetbriar up to Cantara the fishing is surprisingly good ..... I think the cooler water is helping. Good days were had by customers Dan, Luke, Mark, and Doug here (see pics). You can expect crowds in some areas around Dunsmuir but I think as summer vacations come to an end this will improve. Had Doug out yesterday in this stretch and we didn't see any other anglers all morning up until we left to go over to the Mac at mid afternoon.
On the Mac the crowds encountered a couple of weeks ago have disappeared. There seems to be a problem with the water at Ah Di Na, the bathrooms were locked Saturday and the faucets had minimal to no pressure. Call the McCloud Ranger Station for an update ..... 530-964-2184. The fishing is still a ,mix of small to medium size fish (6-12") for the most part with nymphing producing the most and of course the LBS bugs are the flies of choice. Had Rich and Doug fishing evenings dries in the Ash Camp area two different evenings with Doug's evening last night bordering on silly dry fly action. We had had an outstanding time nymphing on the USac earlier and I sensed that this was one of those magical days where the fish gods were smiling down ......my hunch paid off and the planets were properly aligned. Biggest fish landed was the 18 in. brown shown below.We had solid top action for about 1 1/2 hrs. with Adams and X-Caddis fished in the faster moving water .... forget the slower water, they aint there. As pointed out in my last post it appears the browns are waking up......here's hoping for a stellar brownie fall.
Zen Thought Of The Day..........Blackberries
It's time to incorporate some pickin with fishin, they are getting plump and juicy. It looks like a bumper crop this year ..... stuff your pie hole my friends with one of Mother Natures finest offerings. Hubba, hubba!!
Buster Gitin It Done NU
NU Camp Water
Start To The Day At The Illahee Glide, OR
Daze End
Dan USac
Rich Evening Fishing McCloud
Doug's McCloud Brown #14 Adams
Recommended Bugs........see 8/3 report
If you have any further questios call the shop and when in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : August 11, 2011
Most of my time since the last post was spent on the McCloud River with two days on the Upper Sac. The Mac seemed to be on more but the crowds were an issue at Ah Di Na and the Preserve.....Simms hatch as I call it. Guess folks are making up for the higher water early season, has to be the busiest August I've seen down there in a very long time. Fishing remains good for smaller fish (6"-12") and expect to hook at least a couple of bigger fish during the day. The family of LBS flies is the main producer (see last weeks post for description) with most of the fish located in the oxygenated slots, pockets, runs and the heads of the pools. Had Marly and Maddy (see pics below) out one day at the Preserve. These young ladies have some game and they were hooking up all day. Never had the switch turn off for them even with all the pressure. Top action is spotty but the nice bow (see below) was caught last night around 6:00 pm in shaded water. It was spotted feeding in a far seam and a #14 Parachute Adams sealed the deal. As a side note tales of big brownies from local guide and photographer John Rickard in the Preserve were relayed to me yesterday......they are starting to wake up folks.
The Upper Sac has been cranky lately. The whole river fishing has gotten tougher so change bugs more, play with the indicator (yeah it's mostly/definitely nymphing) and adding more weight is the drill. The lower river is probably the best location right now for bigger fish with mid river up producing smaller fish but that doesn't mean you'll hook a big boy. Again fish the same water mentioned above for the Mac. The LBS clan again is the ticket. Evenings still have that magic time right before dark for top feeders so if you're in the right place at the right time you'll have fun.
P.S. I'm off to the North Umqua for semester break next week so don't expect another post for a couple of weeks.
Zen Thought Of The Day......Etiquette
Got to vent once again on the above subject and most importantly the lack of with some folks. Unfortunately it seems to be disappearing......as if we don't have enough to worry about already. Fly fishermen fish for relaxation from the "daily grind", enjoyment of some peace and quiet along with the smell and sounds of mother nature and the river. Oh and the thrill of catching a fish too. Etiquette is usually defined as accepted behaviors within a specific social group. It is the lubricant that helps prevent social interaction from disintegrating into anarchy and chaos. Social context and norms define what is acceptable. Problems often occur after the social context changes rapidly. Societies such as ours tend to reject regulations as much as possible and embrace "personal freedom".
Think about it, when the only acceptable reward personally becomes catching a fish then we tend to measure success or value of the day by the "numbers" of fish caught. This can lead to a SINGLE minded pursuit with changed behaviors and conflict. With competition for our resources becoming greater I'm seeing more bizarre behaviors. Recent observations of BAD etiquette I had follows. One occurred on the USac and the other on the Mac.
First was Mr. Stealth. I had a client nymphing a great riffle/run with no one in sight for 200 yds.. Suddenly I see Mr. Stealth peeking through the bushes watching us. Fine, no problemo .... so far. After a few minutes my guy hooks up, fight and lands a nice fish. Then I see Stealth moving quickly through the brush, rod in hand with his dog (unleashed of course) along side. Stealth and dog jump in the water about 50 ft. below us with no howdy doody hello from his mouth and starts casting into our drift area. There was a time when this movie would have provoked "river rage" from me but a cosmic calm prevailed. After grinding my teeth a bit and noting said etiquette move by *#@hole Stealth to my client we moved on. It was definitely a WTF moment and could have gotten ugly but my gentler side prevailed with a "have a great day" salute to him as we left.
The other incident was on the Mac in the Preserve. I had two young ladies about 100 ft. apart with no one once again in sight. Suddenly through the brush comes, in this case, Mr. Bozo. He looks at both girls and me, I'm thinking he sees us and will leave.....NOT! He starts fishing in between the girls.This is a blatant bad etiquette move. I start moving towards him, trying to do my calming mantra but feeling my blood pressure starting to reach warp speed. Just as I'm starting to bark at him he reels up and leaves quickly. I then ask the girls what they thought of Bozo's move and both said not cool. They had spent a number of summers at fly fishing camp and were taught etiquette.......praise the fish gods.
Here's a list of my thought on the subject of etiquette :
1. Don't crowd other fishermen. Be respectful, leave them the run or pool they are working. First come - first served I always say.
2. Think about the "Golden Rule". Do unto others, and if you're not sure ask. Very few fishermen are so rude that if you approach them politely, tell them you'd like to fish up/down stream, and ask how you should do it, they'll tell you to buzz off. Fly fishing cast a common bond amongst all people who love and appreciate the sport.
3. Usually the angler traveling upstream has the right of way over the angler fishing downstream.
4. When passing another angler, do it on the bank. Splashing through their water isn't a way to make friends. And....don't forget to say hello.
5.Don't spook anothers fish. They are sensitive to noise, overhead movement, pressure waves from wading and shadows.
6. Pack your trash......and that of the idiots who leave theirs. Respect your environment.
7. Respect the fish......practice catch and release.
8. Respect the law, you must have a license to fish unless you are under age.
9. Respect private property rights.
Now get out there kids and have a great time.
Maddy Hooked Up
Marly Hooked Up
These Girls Rock
#14 Parachute Adams
Recommended Flies......see last weeks report
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the areastop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : August 3, 2011
Now hear this ya all, the Dog Days are here. After the great run of hatches, very solid fishing all day long, and many big fish stories on both rivers the inevitable is once again upon us here in Dogpatch. You knew it was coming, always has and always will. We now segway mainly to a.m. and p.m. fishing. For those courageous enough during the mid day hit the oxygenated areas, the pocket water and the deep runs with mega weight. For flies this means you play with my favorite flies ...... the LBS bugs. For those familiar with them fine, for those not let me remind you or enlighten you. LBS of course stands for "Little Black Shit". I'm talken size #16, #18, & #20 nymphs here. Your box from now until well into fall should have the following ..... zebra midges. P.T.'s, S&M's, rock worms, Dark Lords, black micro mayflies, A.P.'s and of course the P.T. soft hackle (as Bob & I call it the shops go to fly any time of the year.....gotta figure a name out for it......exclusive only here at the shop). Don't get me wrong though, with your two fly nymph setup you can play around with some of your or my favorite top flies (see recommended flies below) but I would recommend a LBS as your dropper for these Dog Daze.
After a much needed 6 day semester break I was back on the water a few days ago with a couple of father/son and mom/son outings. Matthew and Marcus, 12 & 13 yr. old buddies, came up with their dads and enjoyed an early morning casting clinic coupled with an intro day on the Upper Sac. Both boys were left in my hands and both were quick learners with the results shown below....... note the BIG fish Marcus hooked and landed. The following day I had Ed and his two boys Luke and Sam. Again we were on the Upper Sac and 15 yr. old Sam, after some instruction hooked and landed this Big Boy....see below. Of note all of these fish were caught in the a.m.. I had Hillary and her son James out on the Upper McCloud for an evening. Once again this was an intro and each caught their first fish fly fishing on nymphs and dry flies. Of note again all of the fish were caught in the p.m..
The McCloud rewarded me one evening last week with the fat bow (see pic), he took an S&M on the swing. Yeah, it was nice to get out on my OWN.......first time since May. Overall the McCloud is day to day, some days good others not so good. Visibility is about 4 ft. and no crowds here. This river is always worth a visit regardless of time of year though.
Zen Thought Of The Day......Life does not have a reset button. Fish often my friends.
The Classroom
Mathew Rocks
Way To Go Marcus
Sam's First Rainbow On A Fly Rod
Too Many Donuts
Recommended Bugs
Nymphs......Jimmy Legs #4-10
Gordon Prince #14-16
Micro Mayfly #16-18
Prince #14-16
Birds Nest #14-16 Copper John #14-16
Possie Bugger #8-10
Dark Lord #14-16
P.T. Soft Hackle #14-16
S&M #16-18
Zebra Midge #18-20
Rock Worm #18
P.T. #16-18
Dries..........X-Caddis #16
Parachute Adams #14-16
Stimmulators #8-14
Humpies #10-16
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : July 21, 2011
After unseasonably cool weather for the last week along with some rain on Monday night the weather has gotten back on track to more typical summer conditions for this time of year. This means hatches are starting to drop off a little in some areas but remain great in others.......and nymphing is solid for both rivers. My clients this past week were interested in seeking out evening opportunities on both rivers. With the exception of Monday (funky rain day) the rivers fished good.
The McCloudy, as I call it these days, has shown improving visibility. I would say it's about 2 1/2 to 3 ft. now....note the nice fish caught Sunday while nymphing. I would certainly recommend fishing here now since the turbidity improvement plus the flows are perfect. Last night I had Graham at Ash Camp fishing both dries and nymphs with success. The hatch was weak but we tickled fish up to the surface on pink cahills and x-caddis. The most productive nymphs were the Jimmy Legs and soft hackles. I'll preach this till my last days I'm holding my rod tip up .......set the hook on the slightest nudge, many of our takes were very, very subtle but Graham caught on rather quickly and his hookup success picked up. The fishing at the Conservancy area was mixed and day to day.......one day producing some big fish and others a struggle for some dinks. An ass whoopin here though is worth the trip just to see it and experience it.
On the Upper Sac, overall, this river is fishing great......thank you for the extended runoff, higher flows, and colder water.The nymphing remains very steady. Top producers have been the Iron Sally, soft hackle, micro mayfly, birds nest, Possie Bugger, and S&M. Had family of Adam, Joe and Josh out a couple of nights ago and nymphed up till 7:30 then started throwing dries. This was an intro for them and they all hooked their first fish on dries and nymphs around the Dunsmuir area. I will emphasize, the hatches are starting to drop off but being in the right place at the right time just might surprise you in that last hour. The lower river reports are noting a good caddis hatch from Gibson down with some very nice fish being caught. Once again the lake runs are in as high up as Soda Creek area. Here's the USac m.o. right now ............. nymph till evening, throw dries from about 7:30 till dark....play with dry/dropper all day long.
Zen Thought.........Getting the day started or the hell with the diet
If you haven't done so already, I imagine there are more than a few who have already, here's something I want to share. Over the years (and we're talking YEARS here) there's no better way to start a fish day off than to hit the donut shop or bakery before you rubber up (the drill as I call it......waders, boots, rod, reel, etc.). It brings a certain order and harmony to the frenzied start of the day on the river.......whether it be a straight up donut, drippy cinnamon roll, moist muffin or some crazy maple bar with bacon embedded into it give it a shot. Your happy meter will explode and you will have a fishers cosmic high........and don't forget to top it off with a cup of java or expresso. An Oregon guide I know on the Rogue goes by "eight shot" because he starts his day with a couple of the gooey things chased down with eight shots of expresso......not recommended for the weak of heart. He's so dialed once you leave the put in he's hooking fish immediately.....real twitchy. Here's a few local recommended stops........Cornerstone Cafe & Bakery in Dunsmuir, Mt. Star Cafe in McCloud, Mt. Shasta Bakery in Mt. Shasta, Oven Bakery in Mt. Shasta and Ray's Super Market in Mt. Shasta. Bon Apetito!
NIRVANA
Recommended flies......same as last week.
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area call the shop.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : July 15,2011
Check it out, here's pics from the McCloud River taken last night. Visibility is now at 1 ft. to 1 1/2 ft. and the color of creamy chalk. Remember too this formula for the river......Mt. Shasta+snowmelt+thunderstorms+Mud Creek = low visibility
Ted Fay Report : July 14, 2011
Been busier than a one-eyed cat watching two mouse holes but aint complaining, life is good in Dogpatch after 10 hrs. sleep last night. The river conditions, like they have all season, are continuing to change......one river for the worse, the other for the better.
As I mentioned in my last post the McCloud River has finally become turbid and has put the fishing off. The combination of snow melt and thunderstorms on Mt. Shasta has generated allot of nasty glacial situation and the visibility is poor.....poor for the fish and for us. If you want to take a shot at it play around with something real big (rubber legs, wooly bugger, #8-10 Prince) on top of your nymph rig with a #16-18 S&M or zebra midge as the dropper. Also haven't heard or seen much more of the great top action the river had experienced in the early season since this event.....but it wouldn't hurt to play around with a dry/dropper combo.
On the other hand the Upper Sac is in great shape.It's still a little high but fishing good. Some of your favorite spots may not be quite ready yet but others are prime. Don't neglect the whole length of the river from Ney Springs to Lakehead. From Sims up river Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, caddis and small mayflies are still hatching. My folks have had good stimmie/dropper action in the pocket water and seam areas through out the day. Hatches are early and late so target these times with a dry or dry/dropper. Hatch locations seem to be a little spotty so seek out different locations cause if it isn't happening in one spot you'll likely find rising fish in another location. The best nymphs working seem to be the micro mayfly, soft hackles, Iron Sallies, birds nest and Gordon Prince. As a side note the action was continual all day yesterday for my client Mike with grabby fish being located in almost all locations. The lower river from Sims down has been fishing good also for both dries and nymphs. The hot lake run rainbows are moving in and are a gas to hookup on. They've been reported now as far up as Dunsmuir......thank you Shasta Lake for being so full so long. For dries use the EC Caddis or X-Caddis dead drifted and skated. Reports of good late evening hatches of caddis have been coming in. For nymphs try the Gordon Prince, Eng Thing, rubber legs and Dark Lords.
Tami's Great Day On Upper McCloud
Dave On A Sweet Upper Sac Run
Vince Waiting For The Grab USac
Mike On Some Juicy Pocket Water USac
Recommended Bugs
Nymphs.....Jimmy Legs (Brn., Blk. & Olive) #4-#10
Gordon Prince #14-16
Micro Mayfly #16-18
Iron Sally #14
Prince #10-16
Dark Lord #14-16
Birds Nest #14-16
Soft Hackle #14-16
Pheasant Tail #14-18
Copper John (red and copper)#14-16
Dries........Stimmulator #8-12
Parachute Adams #10-16
EC Caddis/X-Caddis #14
Pink Cahill #14
Humpies (red & yellow) #10-16
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : July 10, 2011
LEAST WE FORGET.....BEFORE & AFTER
An anniversary is almost upon us, a very important one that I want to make note of. No, it's not a wedding. No happy feel good anniversary, it's the 20th anniversary of the toxic pesticide spill on the Upper Sac on July 14, 1991. I've kept some of the old newspaper articles written back then right after the event and am showing the headlines in the pics below. I remember walking over the bridge where the derailment happened at Cantara Loop and fishing underneath it 3 days prior to the spill. It used to be a sweet piece of water, one of my favorites at the time. I remember coming back up the weekend after and walking favorite spots at Conant, Sweetbriar and Flume Creek. An erey silence and dead fish were all that remained......a true dead zone. After a 3 year closure the river was opened again to fishing but to me has never felt the same as it used to. It's fine now, the fish and wildlife have all recovered but to me it's like mine and Bob's artificial hips......works fine but not as good as the original. So remember the railroad is never going away, the chances of something like this happening again is pretty darn good, get out and enjoy the river while you can.
I'll return with my fishing update in a few days. Suffice it to say both rivers are very fishable and are producing.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : June 29, 2011
Holding my breath now but after yesterdays rain I believe we've turned the corner on river flows ..... namely excess flows for both the Upper Sac and McCloud. High temps a week ago and the high elevation rain have generated a purge. The Upper Sac spiked at almost 3000 cfs and is now dropping rapidly. The McCloud spiked Friday/Saturday and is now at its normal summer flows of 240 cfs at Ah Di Na. The one caveat on the McCloud is Mud Creek. I saw it yesterday and it's a light chocolate milk color. This entry into McCloud Reservoir will work its way down to the dam and the turbidity level will increase after discharge into the lower river. Yesterday the water clarity at Ash Camp was fine still but this will change......when and how much who knows.
Most of my guiding since my last report has been on the McCloud. It has been fishing very good. The Preserve has been crowded most days and Ah Di Na Campground has been busy. Some very big fish were hooked by my folks with rookie mistakes leading to heartbreak but hey we all learn from our mistakes on those big boys.......they are big for a reason and will school you. Just about everyone I've talked to reports good days both on dries and nymphs. My client Steve yesterday got into a blue wing olive hatch that had the water almost boiling with rising fish. The action was nonstop for about an hour. On the sunny days mornings till about noon dry/dropper has been productive in the shaded areas and the same is true late afternoon/evening. Nymphing deep late morning till about 5:00 is good. Beware, the nymphing takes have been soft so pull the trigger on the slightest nudge. Conditions are prime......the beauty of the river is lush with greenery after this very wet year, the flows are perfect and the possibility of hooking a fish is good.
I guided the Upper Sac a couple of times the last week or so and again as its been all season had to deal with big water. The big water is changing though and as it drops the river should light up. Pete, here from Nebraska, enjoyed a good morning with me at one of my high water spots (see pics). Nymphing with major weight produced hookups and landing. Be ready here, this river will be prime for you all very soon. The rapid drop I'm seeing today should open spots up for this coming 4th weekend. If you can find any shaded flats a.m. or p.m. try a dry/dropper combo or look for a hatch and match the sucker. As I always preach too for you nymphers, and this is true for any and all rivers .....MOVE that indicator up and down (preferably UP) and add MORE weight till you start catching bottom. Most of the time the fish are hanging on or near the bottom of the river looking UP.
Zen Thought Of The Day.......... Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.
Netting Peter's Big Bow
McCloud River Hex
Oliver's McCloud Redside
Can This Guy Cast A 5 wt.?
Steve's Rainy Day On the McCloud
Recommended Flies........see the last report.
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : June 16, 2011
Here we are at mid June and in a normal year all rivers would be in prime shape but NOT! The Upper Sac normally would be at 500 cfs but as of this morning she's running at 2300 cfs. The McCloud spiked to 550 cfs at Ah Di Na a couple of days ago. It should be around 300-350 cfs. Mt. Shasta (see pic) is buried in snow and probably will have a good covering all summer. The melt is marching on but I'm dealing with it, still finding fish and pulling rabbits out of my bonnet......cowboy up time.
Spent most of this last week on the McCloud River. The river was running at 450 cfs at Ah Di Na and not many people fishing. It currently is at 525 cfs and wading is tough. It's become a dry fly bonanza in the late afternoon with a variety of bugs. Big fish on dries doesn't get any better. Salmonflies, Golden Stones, Gray Drakes, Mahogonies, Adams, Pink Cahills, brown caddis, etc......you get the picture? The fish seem to be in all types of water due to the increased volume. It's been a blast......see Neil and Mikes pics with their nice McCloud Redsides. This should continue for the next few weeks and is worth the trip if the flows don't increase.....anymore.
The Upper Sac shot up to 3000 cfs early week and pretty much shut down the fishing for me but it is now at 2300 cfs and fishable. Dry fly fishing is good late afternoon and evenings and early to mid day nymphing is producing. At these flows, as I've preached, you have to seek out the high water spots......move. The fish are on the bite and the bugs are out. As with the McCloud the Upper Sac dry fly fishing is officially here! Mid river up is where you'll find the big hatches of stones and drakes.
Zen Thought Of The Day....I had youngster Sam out for lessons with his granddad Bob midweek. We went over to Burney Creek and they both kicked butt. Bob has fished this whole area since the 60's, has major game flyfishing and loves the great outdoors here in the north state. Sam was new to nymphing and after some classroom work started to show excellent results (see pic). It's great to see young people getting an intro to fly fishing rather that engaging their electronic devices so much.....kudos Bob. The outdoors is such an important ingrediant in our DNA and should not be ignored in this hetic world of ours. Kids to adults need to pull themselves away from their "busy" time and have some "nature" time. Hey, it doesn't get any better hearing and seeing the sounds of what mother nature has to offer. You don't want to end up like the humans in Wall.E (great animated movie with a major message for the human species).
Mike's McCloud Bow
Neil Chasing McClould Love
Neil's McCloud Bow
Sam's First Bow Nymphing
Recommended Bugs
Nymphs....Golden Stones #8-14
Jimmy Legs (brn., blk. & olive)#4-10
HBI #14
Prince#10-14
Gordon Prince #14
Fox Poopah (tan & olive) #14
Micro Mayfly (blk. & olive)#14 & 16
Birds Nest #10-14
Soft Hackle #14
Copper John (red & copper) #14
Dries.......Stimmulators #8-#12
BDE #14
Adams #10-14
Humpies (red & yellow) #10-14
Pink Cahills #14
Royal Coachman #10-14
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report: June 11, 2011
Remember that last post I made on June 2 about the window......well it's about to close. After the prolonged return to winter coupled with a classic winter storm system that set up off the California coast (see pic) for almost a week spitting out wave after wave of rain, snow, hail, and even a tornado or two in the valley the sun finally reappeared and reminded us of what it looks like. We've gone into a late spring/early summer mode. What this means this year boys and girls is the dreaded high country melt is starting and the creeks a rising. I've had 6 days on the rivers over the last 7 and have been able to find decent fishing but in the last couple of days I'm starting to get a little nervous. Here's why.....PG&E has notified us river rats two warnings of imminent flow increases on the McCloud and Pit Rivers stating "due to rapid snow melt all dams in these two systems will start spilling for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks".....cuidado amigos! Keep an eye on flows through the links on the shops home page.
The Upper Sac has been a sensitive little lady lately. No consistency from day to day but at some point each day she has shown some love and rewarded folks with nice fish (see pics of Frank, David & Craig). The nymphing has been fair with the dry fly fishing lights out when it turns on. Be prepared for the hatch to occur anywhere from late morning to late afternoon. In the last few days an evening hatch has been coming off which makes sense with the warmer days. New fly fishers Rick and Sherie caught this nice fish on a size 12 Parachute Adams recently one late afternoon. Am seeing mayflies mostly with a few Green Drakes, Gray Drakes, Yellow Sallies, caddis and Golden Stones. Dry/dropper has produced also during these periods. Finding fishable locations these days requires moving and exploring with the current high flows.
Over on the McCloud the cursed boulder has been removed just in time for the increased flows. The McCrowd lived up to it's name this last week when the flows dropped and the word got out. Buster is here now taking advantage of the conditions and he along with others have experienced some excellent dry fly fishing days. The water is super clear and the fish have started to wise up to incoming salvos of fly lines and all the assorted presentations that are thrown at them. Lighten up on that tippet size, be stealthy with that presentation, and wade silently.....the spookability meter is very high. Mayflies are the bulk of the hatches also on this river. Nymphing during the midday periods is good. And....at these flows forget about crossings.
Zen quote of the day......do all fishermen lie, or do only liars fish?
Frank's Bow
Craig's Bow
David's Bow
Sherie's Bow
Recommended Bugs......see May 22 & 30 reports.
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfising.com
Ted Fay Report : June 2,2011
As my good friend Seattle Mitch has been saying all spring......Buster wants to fish (checkout the cool website) the McCloud River!! It's been an Olympic Peninsula type wet spring here....up there......and the whole west coast. Well Buster pack it up and git on down here, the McCloud is FINALLY very fishable......except for the boulder from hell STILL blocking the road past Ah Di Na. The river has dropped into great shape and there are numerous hatches....callibaetis, PMD, Pink Cahill, Adams, Drakes and BWO. You are now on notice, don't blow it. Three guides plus myself witnessed the drop night before last and got on the river yesterday, from the dam to the rope at the bottom of the Preserve......dry fly fishing bonanza. The window is now open until the next snow melt starts with hot weather then all bets are off, this may be your last chance until mid July. Weather outlook for the next 10 days is good. Below are some shots taken at Ash Camp yesterday.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : May 30, 2011
I would best describe the last week or so as watch the guide pull the fishing out of his knickers time. With the weather as crazy as it's been I would say choosing and finding places to fish on our rivers has been day to day. The McCloud was in fishy shape but flows increased last week and Memorial weekend was a bust for anyone considering it. This morning it's raining (snow above 5500 ft.) and I have noticed that the dam release has diminished into high but fishy flows......how long though with the current rain and forecast is anyone's guess. At least PG&E is trying to imitate rain generated flows from the dam thus giving the river pulse flows. Ah yes the yo-yo effect lives and will thanks to PG&E's new regimen. That pesky rock though is still in the road just past Ah Di Na, the Forest Service delayed it's removal due to what else....the rain. My client Jim, out from Missouri, did manage to find this nice McCloud Redside last week (see pic). He has fished many trout rivers across the states (yeah even Missouri) but this was his first visit to NorCal. I showed him a sampling of the McCloud in the a.m. and then the Upper Sac in the p.m.. His excellent casting skills in the afternoon was rewarded with a great dry fishing window and numerous fish were caught. He's now talking about retiring (soon) in the area. Later in the week I had people over the long weekend starting Friday.....crowds were nonexistent on the water....good for me.....bad for the shop. The fishing started off slow but by yesterday it was memorable. Regular customer Luke (getting married soon....congrats) brought his friend Daniel along for an intro to fly fishing. Daniel picked up the nymphing thing very quickly and after some reaction problems with grabs landed his first fish on a fly. He then followed that up with his first fish on a dry fly.....right on Daniel. Luke also hooked into a monster that took him into his backing (see pic). I ran, stumbled and tripped my way downstream to catch up with it only to have it come unbuttoned about a foot from my net.....big frickin fish.
My observation these days is with the high/cold water and wet/cool weather bug and fish activity are about 2-3 weeks off from the norm. Still just seeing the tip of the hatches which by now would be kicking in. Look for those brief periods in the afternoon (when it's not raining) for the mayflies to start coming off and then hopefully the fish starting to key in on them. I saw this happen big time yesterday. It's been sporadic but be ready.....particularly after a shower. The go to fly has been the Parachute Adams but also am starting to see and catch fish on the Pink Cahill. This last week mid river up seemed to be the best water. Still a lot of snow to melt yet so who knows what's in store for June. Hopefully there are more rabbits in my bonnet.
Daniel's Bow
Jim's McCloud Redside
Luke Into The Backing
Recommended Bugs.....same as last week but add #14 Pink Cahill
If you have any further questions call the shop and if you are in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report May 22, 2011
The forward march of the snow melt continues people and will for some time. As a side note look at the poppy explosion I saw this past week.....had me stopped in my tracks. Everything continues high but my clients are managing to get into fish on both rivers....it's a good thing as we say here in Dogpatch. I now find myself each morning holding my breathe when I check river flows to see how much they've spiked. It's all a function of the weather. Cool days and nights I smile.....little or no spikes. Hot days and warm nights I let out a burst of profanity......big spikes. The yo-yo effect, as I call it, this last week bounced between 1600 cfs (happy face) to 2500 cfs (grumpy face) on the Upper Sac. Still though hungry fish are being found. It's curious to see that there's no consistency in location. Early week it was at mid to lower river that gave up fish and yesterday it was mid to upper river (see Steve's hookup pic). Moving around in your vehicle or a lot of hiking is necessary. I cannot emphasize putting copious amounts of weight on is a priority along with moving your indicator frequently or just taking it off. I'm seeing pods of fish more, so if you get grabbed or a hookup stay in that location and work it hard. The hatches are sporadic but be prepared, I've seen them occur now from as early as 10 a.m. thru 4 p.m.. A few stones have been spotted mid river up thru Dunsmuir along with mayflies, Drakes and caddis. These are the early shows for the main event come June.
On the McCloud River dam releases stabilized this week at 330 cfs thus giving us more water to fish. ......note the nice pic of the McCloud Redside. These beautiful fish will take any beauty pageant title in the trout world hands down.....I bow to them. Again it's high water fishing with the same recommendations......move and look for opportunistic water, mostly nymphing will get you into fish and don't neglect the dry/dropper technique. Have also seen March Browns and Pink Cahills recently. From Ash Camp up river to the dam is the most fishable water. That boulder sent down from mother nature is still blocking the access to the Conservancy, it's located about 200 yds. past Ah Di Na. I called the forest service to see if they were going to do anything about it before Memorial weekend and got stonewalled. Maybe a call or two more to the McCloud Ranger Station from some of you might prod them a little, here's the number.....530-964-2184.
Zen Thought Of The Day.....thunderstorms. They are around now, almost got caught in one yesterday evening, real dumper....Rocky Mountain style. Be prepared. What comes with them are rain, very hard at times.....thunder that can scare the you know what out of you......and most of all lightning. Graphite rods are a conductor so my suggestion is to get to a safe place (preferably dry) when it happens and don't hold that rod skyward to the heavens while racing for cover.
Recommended Bugs:
Nymphs..Golden Stones #8-12
Jimmy Legs (Brwn., Olive & Brn.) #4-10
Prince #8-14
Birds Nest (Olive) #14
Fox Poopah (Olive) #14
Soft Hackles #14
Micro Mayfly (Brn. & Olive) #14
Copper John (red & Copper) #14
Gordon Prince (#14)
Dries.......Stimmulators #8-12
Royal Cochman #10-14
Adams #10-14
Humpies #8-#14
If you have any further questions call the shop and if you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report May 14, 2011
Well we had some very nice spring weather this past week. Mild, short sleeve shirt type days. The Upper Sac is showing off it's spring beauty as noted in the 2 pics below. The incredible lupine bloom and the butterfly convention are always a special treat. Also note the salmon fly pic, they are showing in and around Dunsmuir.
With the mild weather the USac has ramped up a little but is still fishable. My clients Thursday and Friday found some fish mid to lower river. Rod caught this nice fish rainbow (see below) after some tough fishing early on by swinging an olive wooly bugger. The fish showed us some fine aerial work after hookup and gave us some strong runs. For those who don't realize it the USac has a big damselfly and dragon fly hatch during the summer so swinging these buggers in various colors can be surprisingly productive right now. Dead drifted and swinging is what I recommend using a sink tip or just adding weight to your floating line utilizing short strips in at the end of the drift/swing. Still no crowds but one disturbing thing I've seen is Union Pacific starting to lock their gates at some of our favorite access points off I-5. Now what the #@!* is that all about?? I thought part of the signed agreement with the railroad after the Spill From Hell in 1991 (20 year anniversary coming up in July...I'll be wearing black that day) was not to close and lock them any more which they used to do prior to 1991. Come on guys, where's that humble love you showed us back then.
Over on the McCloud we had a window of high fishable water this last week but it went bye bye last night. The release has spiked up again so who knows when it will settle down again. This up down yo-yo thing is a natural occurrence this time of the year, especially this year and we have to, as I always say.......Cowboy Up and deal with it. The road to Ah Di Na is open but from there to the Preserve has this little problem on the road, see below. You might just see Mr. Bear over there too (see below). Thanks Rocky for the pics.
Recommended Bugs....see last weeks report
If you have any further questions call the shop and when in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report May 6, 2011
High water, high water. That's all I hear and see.....due to warm weather the Upper Sac is running above 3000 cfs. You know kids, rather than us whining about all the water my suggestion is to Cowboy Up and deal with it, it is what it is and will be for some time as we say here in Dog Patch. Even with the high flows very hungry fish are being found. The Upper Sac is the river of choice. A few reports from unmentioned sources are saying forget about it but they be wrong. My client Chuck last Saturday got into some great action around Cantara and later in the day at mid river (note the pics). I did a little scouting Sunday and found fish at mid river. Am seeing adult stones and salmon flies, hatches of March Browns, caddis and mayflies around midday now. And crowds....not! Word is Hat Creek and Fall River were parking lots over the opening weekend but that wasn't the issue around here......except Ash Camp on the McCloud River. The mile section above it to the dam was high water fishable. Ash Camp filled by Thursday and on the opener Saturday it was a battle for the best water and rock. Fishing was slow from the few reports I got. On the up side t PG&E dropped the dam release from 450 to 300 cfs Wednesday giving Ah Di Nah 500 cfs. Still on the high side but fishable. The road to Ah Di Nah is passable with 4wd, snow drifts are an issue but someone has punched through and tracks are laid......will be headed there soon.
Zen thought of the day..... The river becomes a new playground during spring runoff. It's like having a new girlfriend/boyfriend .... tread lightly in all that unexplored territories. Follow the path of least resistance, work the edges and the seams. The rewards can be worth it if you put in your time and be patient. Probe, search, be inquisitive and most of all be ready.
Recommended Bugs :
Nymphs....Golden Stones #8-12
Jimmy Legs(Brn., Blk. Olive) #4-10
Prince #8-14
Flashback PT #14-16
Copper John(Copper, Red) #14
Soft Hackles #14
Birds Nest (Olive) #14
Micro Mayfly #14
Gold Ribbed Hares Ear #14
Dries : Stimmulator #8-12
Adams #10-14
Elk Hair Caddis #10-14
Royal Coachman #10-14
If you have any further questions call the shop and if you are in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Joe Kimsey Memorial April 30, 2011
Here's a few pictures from Joe Kimsey's Memorial on Saturday. It was a well attended event in the Dunsmuir City Park with Joe's beloved Upper Sac River as a back drop. The afternoon was filled with Joe stories that produced smiles and laughter. Just a wonderful time of sharing amongst family and friends. And boy was the desert table to die for, especially Sharon Grace's signature chocolate chip cookies. I literally had a O.D. hangover from them the next morning. As a side note a fund has been started to raise money for a plaque to commerate Joe. It will be located on a special rock next to the river in the City Park near Ted Fay's plaque. If you would like to contribute, donations can be left with Bob Grace here at the shop.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : April 28, 2011
The good news right now is that the traditional trout opener is 2 days away and the snow pack is melting. The bad news is there's a lot of snow and the rivers are all high. It's been on the cool side but forecast are showing a good shot of spring weather next week so I'm anticipating more melt into all rivers......how much remains to be seen. I have been on the Upper Sac scouting and guiding this week and surprisingly there are places to fish. Yesterday one of my regular customers, Chuck, came up for a early season trip. We had the river pretty much to ourselves and found an early afternoon hatch at mid river. A variety of bugs namely March Browns and Gray Drakes were coming off for about an hour and gave us a window of crazy dry fly fishing. There are plenty of spots to fish to occupy a day from Ney Springs to Volmers so contrary to some other reports it's definitely worth a trip. And get this, I saw my first Salmon and Golden Stone adults this last week.....are they early? Who gives a flip, they are here. Stay away from running drifts in the heavy rolling water, stick to the edges and seams.....this is where you will find the fish.
Over on the McCloud I just returned from a drive to Ash Camp. The road is open all the way down there but still is not to Ah Di Nah contrary to some reports. The dam discharge value has been opened further and the lake is spilling over the dam (see pic). From the dam to Hawkins Creek is high water fishable (see pic) but be cautious wading. It's currently running at 460 cfs to Hawkins then jumps to 770 cfs at Ah Di Nah. Again fishable but high water, problem being though the road is still blocked by drifts. Tried it and go about 1/4 mile up the road. Should open soon though.
The reservoir fishing remains solid as noted by the picture taken by Steven Bertrand of Bob Grace holding a nice brown trout caught a few days ago. The Upper McCloud is running very big also and Fowlers Campground is closed, give this river a few weeks to drop.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : April 21, 2011
Am posting a brief description of current conditions and will followup with a more detailed description next week prior to the traditional opener.
The area received a good shot of rain yesterday and last night and of course flows increased on all rivers. The Upper Sac looks like it peaked at 4000 cfs and is dropping. I intend to begin scouting it in a few days as it drops and will start guiding it later next week. The weather forecast shows no major rain for the next 10 days (I'll believe it when I see it) and slightly warmer temps. Over on the McCloud River I checked things out yesterday. First the Upper McCloud has a fair amount of snow, I barely made it into the Lower Falls parking lot......used 4WD once. Upper and Middle Falls road is covered with substantial drifts. Fowlers Campground is closed due to snow. I next drove over to the McCloud Reservoir and found a large slide before the turnoff to Ah Di Nah. It's possible to pass but be careful, you drive up and over it.....see the picture. I was able to get to the dam and then about half way to Ash Camp before a rock slide stopped me from driving any further. Hawkins Creek is on a tear so from there down it's big with the gauge at Ah Di Nah reading 600cfs. From the dam to Ash Camp the river is it's early season trickle (thanks PG&E) until the reservoir fills and the dam spills or the release is bumped. The reservoir is currently 25 ft. from the top and should fill soon. For those testosterone filled maniacs who are horny to get to the Conservancy water take a shovel or hire a backhoe for all the snow drifts you will encounter once you make the climb from the lake.
I'll post another report later next week. My current guess is for those considering making the trip here next weekend is it will be fishable, high water but worth it. Joe Kimsey's tribute will be April 30 at the Dunsmuir City Park at 3:00 p.m. and what better way to kick off the season than with a celebration party with friends, family and fellow fly fishers with Joe's spirit in attendance.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : April 8, 2011
Not much to mention about the fishing, current conditions are producing flows running from 3000-4000cfs. Lot of snow to melt yet and it's a comin. Am taking a week off to travel to the central coast (my old home town Santa Cruz) and upon return will start scouting the rivers in ernest. The only good thing to report is that the road to McCloud Reservoir is open and the lake is low meaning it can handle runoff.....to a point (word is it's fishing good too). The McCloud River watershed snowpack as of last week was running about 190% of normal so at some point it will melt and fill things up.....hopefully not all at once. Also I noticed the road around the lake was blocked by about 1-2 feet of snow at lake level.
Here's a heads up for all, Bob Grace has initiated a new web page entitled Shop Talk. When visting the Ted Fay website take time to browse his page for interesting snippets, shop deals and general BS from Bob. You'll notice he mentions that there will be a tribute to Joe Kimsey on a most appropriate date......April 30, the traditional opener of trout season at Dunsmuir City Park, 3:00 p.m..
If you have any further questions call the shop and if in the area stop by and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : April 1, 2011
Joe Kimsey was put to rest Wednesday. The ceremony included an Air Force Honor Guard with family, friends and guides in attendance. Things will not be the same in the shop without him.......we'll miss you Joe.
A quick report on current conditions here. The area received a record breaking March snowfall of 98 inches in Mt. Shasta City shattering the old record for March of 88 inches in 1904. The Mt. Shasta Ski Park has over 21 ft. of snow at the top run and here in Squaw Valley I cannot see my lawn. There's so much snow up my rearend that I'll be farting snowflakes in July. On a better note the osprey, robins, seagulls and vultures (yeah, they leave too) have all returned. The Upper Sac is running at 6000 cfs this morning and rising after 70 degree temps yesterday. It will be interesting to see where we are at in the next 4 weeks when the official season begins. The whitewater guys should have an awesome season....pray for us anglers though. As we approach the end of the ,month I'll post a more detailed observation on both the Upper Sac and McCloud conditions.....stay tuned. In the mean time here's a couple of shots of Hiway 89 and Squaw Valley Road taken a few days ago.
Rick Cox
mccloudflyfishing.com
Ted Fay Report : March 26, 2011
RIP Joe Kimsey 1929-2011
Sadly, for those who don't know, Joe Kimsey has passed on. He was a local legend in the fly fishing world having worked for Ted Fay when Ted started the shop in his garage at his home here in Dunsmuir around the early 50's. He then took over the business after Ted died in 1983. Joe operated the shop in the Acorn Inn till 1997 at which time he sold it to Bob Grace, the current owner. He remained a daily figure in the shop thereafter till a couple of years ago when his health declined. You could count on being greeted at the door by Bob with a smile or Joe with his trademark greeting to those who knew him...."what do you want or ......what are you doing here"). I remember meeting both Joe and Ted in the early 80's and them introducing me to the Upper Sac tight line/dropper Ted Fay method of fishing with their Bomber, Spent Wing, Burlap and Yellow Jacket flies. I still have a mental picture of Ted chain smoking away and Joe chewing on his pipe as we talked. Many of you had the pleasure of meeting Joe and listening to his Joe stories which is a blessing. He was one of a kind and a true character in this world short on special individuals. I'm sure he's holding court right now in that big fly shop in the sky winking at all the pretty gals and wearing his trademark red suspenders somewhere in trout heaven. God bless.
If you have any further questions please call the shop at (530) 235-2969 and when in the area stop in and say hello.
Rick Cox
www.mccloudflyfishing.com
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