Ted Fay Report : April 14, 2024

Full of snow

Well boys I’m back. Been on the disabled list for about 9 months but I am back in the saddle. Woke up this morning to snow but the rest of the week is going to be stellar. USac is running just under 3k but this is the time of the year when the river runs like a roller coaster when the snow melts. Made a trip down to Ash Camp on the McCloud River on a 70 degree day last week and it was great to see the river, it really warmed my cockles to see it as it was waking up from a long winters sleep. BWO’s were hatching on this warm day but no fish were feeding on top.. If you are thinking of fishing it soon think little black shit. Access across the dam and down to Ash Camp is great and on the day I was there we had it all to ourselves. The river is running about 265 cfs out of the dam and visibility was 3-5 feet. Time to get jiggy!

Cheers

Rick Cox

Snow day

USac running bank to bank

Ash Camp

McCloud River is looking bueno

McCloud River is looking muy bueno

Hawkins Creek running full

Brother Wayne fishing the McCloud River

Ted Fay Report : June 13, 2023

Time to get excited and get your game face on. The USac has dropped to 1.4k which is on the high side but fishable and continues to show signs of a steady drop in flows. As long as there’s no prolonged heat wave in the high country y’all should be good to go. However be careful wading, I just heard of an angler being swept downstream recently into some sweepers but fortunately he had a knife on him and was able to do a rapid extraction. The McCloud River is a bit milky but flows are normal. Ah Di Nah campground is open and so is the Conservancy. Both rivers are showing signs of hatching Salmonflies. Golden Stones, caddis and mayflies. June is always prime time for hatches, absolutely my favorite time to throw dries.

Just a heads up, I’m going on the DL for some time so this will be my last report for some time. All questions should be directed to Bob at the shop.

Cheers

Rick Cox

High water fishing USac

Get out and enjoy a pastry or three

Ted Fay Report May 15, 2023

South Fork USac

REDDING, Calif. — Flows may soon be about a foot and a half higher on the lower McCloud River in Shasta County through May while the snowmelt increases and Pacific Gas and Electric Company performs planned maintenance on the James B. Black Powerhouse.

Flows in the lower McCloud River from the McCloud Dam are about 400-450 cubic feet per second, but once the dam begins to spill Monday night, flows are expected to increase to about 900 to 1,000 cfs.

Those recreating in or near this part of the river are urged to use extra caution during the increased flows.

Only one of two generators is operating at the J.B. Black Powerhouse, so less water than usual is being diverted from the McCloud Reservoir to Iron Canyon Reservoir and then to the powerhouse on the Pit River near Big Bend.

As a result, the McCloud Reservoir is expected to soon fill and excess water will come over the spillway and into the lower McCloud River, which is that portion of the river between the McCloud Dam and Lake Shasta.

The powerhouse is scheduled to return to service on May 31. Once the powerhouse is online, PG&E will gradually reduce flows back down to the seasonal normal flow release of around 200 cfs from the dam, a process that is estimated to take several days to a week, depending on actual conditions at time of drawdown.

Once the maintenance is complete all flows and water levels are expected to return within permitted ranges of PG&E’s McCloud-Pit Project license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

To view the flow data on the McCloud River visit the McCloud River at Ah-Di-Na gage

PG&E offers the following water safety tips:

• Stay out of cold water. Sudden immersion in cold water can stimulate the “gasp reflex,” causing an involuntary inhalation of air or water. It can even trigger cardiac arrest, temporary paralysis, hypothermia and drowning. When faced with swift water, even the strongest swimmers may be easily overwhelmed.

Here’s an update on the road to Ah Di Nah and the Conservancy. Snow and a lot of blowdowns plus the road has not been cleared. Hopefully the Forest Service gets on it soon.

The USac is a raging beast right now and will probably be that way for a few weeks more. All its tributaries are pumping out lots of water and unless you have some high water spots my recommendation is stay away from it.

If you have any further questions give Bob a shout at the shop or just stop in and bug him next time in the area.

Cheers

Rick Cox Fly Fishing - offering 40 years of fly fishing experience for half day lessons for beginners to ole dawgs. Checkout my Instagram post at rick_fly

530-925-0446

ricmcfly@gmail.com

Lake Siskiyou spilling over the dam

USac is BIG

McCloud River before the dam spill

Retention work done on the Ash Camp slope