NOVEMBER REPORT
Bob Grace
11/1/2026 Ted Fay Fly Shop Report
Greetings from the oldest operating fly shop in California, located in the heart of Northern California’s fabled trout-filled rivers! A gathering place for flyfisher folks for 76 years, where you can always depend on hearing the honest truth about the latest lies.
Shop Talk: For some reason, PG and E just started dumping over double the discharge from McCloud Reservoir (from about 200 to over 400 cfs) which has made the visibility on the McCloud quite poor and less wadeable. There is no info that we know of when that will change, but the sediment should hopefully flush a bit, and the clarity improve, but we’re not sure when. Keep in contact with the shop for recent updates if you’re planning to make the long trek out there.
Tip: Rod sleeves are excellent for transporting rods in your car. They keep the rods from getting tangled with each other. Another great tip (thanks Trish) is to hang a lanyard from your rearview mirror and keep the tips up in the front of your car by using it as a kind of cradle.
Upcoming Events:
Fall Fungus Fair — Sunday, November 8, 2026. A local celebration of regional mycology and fungi featuring exhibits. https://www.mtshastachamber.com/events-calendar
Mt. Shasta Winter Magic — Friday, November 27, 2026. Seasonal community holiday celebration. https://www.mtshastachamber.com/events-calendar
Dunsmuir Second Saturdays & Open Call: Art in Residence — Saturday, November 14, 2026 starting at 4:00 PM at the Siskiyou Arts Museum (5824 Dunsmuir Ave). Opening reception for the artist-in-residence showcase. Learn more at the Siskiyou Arts Museum.
Fly Tying Social - every second Saturday at Ted Fay Fly Shop
THE REPORT
Upper Sacramento River
Water Temp: Mid 50s in Dunsmuir area
River Flows at Delta: 210 CFS
Mornings are getting cold and some areas of frost are happening in the upper river reaches. There have been prolific hatches of October Caddis coming off in the evening, but as with most hatches it depends on time, place and weather. It is a safe bet to say that you will see anything from a spattering to an all out abundance of adults towards the evenings and fish are definitely starting to key in on them, but not with abandon quite yet, at least not what we’ve heard or seen lately. A dry dropper with on October Caddis imitation and a small heavily weighted nymph, like a perdigon, birdnest, pheasant tails, lil amigo should work. If solely nymphing, using a large caddis pupa or a rubberleg with a smaller fly is a great combo. Don’t hesitate to swing your October Caddis imitations because this can be an exciting and effective way to entice fish to come up and chase a skittering caddis. BWOs are starting to hatch, especially in the lower few miles of the river.. These small mayflies prefer to hatch on overcast days, or when the sun finally moves behind the canyon walls. Sometimes I think that the BWO hatch is my favorite one to fish, because they are generally found in the smooth glassy parts of holes and the sips are gentle and easy to spot. It requires one to think about positioning for the best natural drift. Watching a large fish lazily slurp your #18 BWO in the glassy water after a delicate, well-placed presentation is about as good as it gets.
Nymphs
Rubber Leg Stone Nymphs (I prefer the Tungsten Bead Stone at Ted Fays)
Posse Buggers #10
CDC Tungsten PT #12-14
Birdnests Tan/Brown #14-16
Little Amigos #16-18
Weiss Nymphs #16-18
Baby Assassins #14-18
Copper Johns #14-18
Blowtorch #16
Dries
October Caddis
Parachute Adams #16-18
EC Caddis #16
Split Wing BWOs #18
Parachute BWOs #18
BWO Emergers #18
McCloud River
Water Temp: Upper 40s
River Flows at Ah Di Nah: 430 CFS
Due to the increased river flows and accompanying clarity issues, it’s hard to say how the fishing is right now. Check for updated reports at Ted Fay Fly Shop. When the water clears, which it should soon, it will be back to its usual awesome self. Due to the plethora of pictures being posted of the large browns being caught on this river, it is what a lot of people are targeting and many of them (the fish) have become much wiser, but the higher water and lack of clarity might make them less wary. Please remember, browns are spawning this time of the year, so give them a break and don’t fish on spawning fish. October Caddis for dries and small baetis for droppers is a good ticket for feisty McCloud Rainbows. Deep nymphing holes with rubberlegs or large caddis pupas is an effective combo for browns and rainbows. As is often suggested, large streamers can work well. Oh, rainy days can be great days to fish for browns. When the water clears use dries like October Caddis and BWOs.
Nymphs
Weiss Nymphs (Black) #16-18
Dark Lords #14-16
Prince Nymphs #14-16
Little Amigos #16-18
Brush Hogs
Posse Buggers
Tungsten Bead Black Stone
Dries:
October Caddis
Parachute Adams #14-16
EC Caddis #14-16
BWOs #18
BWO Emergers #18
Lake Siskiyou
Water Temp: Upper 50s - Low 60s
Due to the low water, the boat launch is now inaccessible for motorized boats. For those who get out there in kayaks or off shore, this lake is certainly not producing like it did last year at this time. I haven’t heard of too many reports about fishing on this lake. The few times that I have been in the last month, the catch rates have been low, so I’m giving it a break for a week or two. Look for rising fish and target them with small dries like Adams, Ants, Caddis or Griffith Gnats.
Current flows: https://www.tedfay.com/forecasts-flows
- Report by Michael Kielich
A Nor Cal local with a beauty! Good catch Avery!
Siskiyou Lake Brown
Full of spunk