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May/Early Summer 2024 Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers  Its been a little while since my last fishing report, but I am hoping with the help from the guides that work with me, that we can collaborate a few more repots through out the year. My goal would be 3 to 4 fishing reports each year with a more social media reports posted more regularly. Make sure to follow NCFG's social media and the NCFG blogger to see current reports and pics from recent trips. Current fishing conditions have been all over the map, From good days to tough days, to cant fish days due to wind and huge yoyo bump/drop in flows to some of the best fishing we've seen all season long. Currently waters are extremely high throughout the state making some rivers unfishable, some rivers only fishable with indicators and other rivers waiting on the infamous shad run. The Cottonwood Blooms have been out in full force and it should go down any day now. With peak snowmelt coming down over the next week or two, we should start seeing our river flows come down. This will make swinging for trout and steelhead much easier, and just in time for the half pounder run on the Feather and some trout spey work on the Yuba and Lower Sac. Plenty of days left to book shad trips on or local waters as well as later season steelhead, trout and striper trips.
 Low Flow Channel 700cfs While we have been battling YOYO flows in the high flow from 4k all the way up to 11k, we are still finding some decent fishing in the high flow. At this point we should see an increase in the Low Flow at some point which will make for even better fishing in the LF. With the current flows in the HF there aren’t many souls fishing it at 10k and personally I love it. There are some sweet slow water drop offs and back eddys that cant be fished unless flows are above 8k. The fish stack up in these areas and its gang busters. The HF is not recommended for wading at 8500, boat only. The Feather River has been our go to river since the start of 2024 and it will continue to be one of our main rivers to guide well into mid/late summer. We are seeing good numbers of steelhead from 18-22" with some pushing 6-8lbs, and fish pushing 30” have been hooked but not many to hand. Indicator fishing has been producing good to great numbers of fish and swinging up to 7k in the high flow has been really good as well. We are still waiting for the main push of spring run steelhead to show up, which should be any day now, and we still have some suckers spawning. All in all, its been a great spring fishery and will continue to fish good too great for the next month or 2.  We still have availability to fish this awesome year-round steelhead fishery. Nymphing: Prince nymphs, sucker spawns, copper johns, caddis, mayflies, PTs, worms Swinging: Sculpins, olive woolybuggers, small olive or rusty colored trout speys, euphoria's, fry/crayfish patters
Flows have been up and down then way back up again. We are seeing higher
flows due to snowmelt and with only 3300 coming out of Englebright, the rest is
coming over the top. While fishing before this big spike was extremely good,
its gonna be a while till we are able to get back on it and fish again. Keep an
eye on this fishery during the summer months, its going to be one for the
record books. Until this last big bump in flows, we were having some great dry
fly activity throwing anything stonefly-ish even skwalas. The bobber fishing was
awesome between the storms. All the reservoirs are all full and lots of cold
water for months to come. I feel with the higher-than-normal flows this year,
these fish will be more reluctant to look up at dries, so bust out those dry
fly rods and let's get some epic dry fly eats. I have been doing some recon in
the Lower “Lower” Yuba for shad and striper and been hooking some decent
stripers but the shad are slow to show. But in addition, we are seeing a decent
Cottonwood Bloom on these warmer days and that only means one thing:  Rating: ON FIRE Level: 4490 ft. Water Temps: 53° F Water Clarity: 6ft. - 8ft The Chironomid hatch has been Amazing this year. Lots of eager rainbows and browns feeding heavily on the midge right now! This is one you do not want to miss. Most of our action has been under the indicator. However, we have managed some smallies and browns on intermediate lines. This last cold snap slowed the fish down a little, but there are still some cooperative fish to be had. Now is the time to come up and fish. Make sure you layer up warm in the morning and scale down for a warmer afternoon. Also, the Hex Hatch is a little over a month away. We are expecting a good hatch this year. Do not wait to book your Hex trip, spots are filling quickly, and you might miss out if you delay. Nymphs: Midge patterns, Balanced LeechStreamers: Hex nymphs, pond smelt, Balanced leeches Dries: Spotlight Caddis emerger Guide Tip: Check the weather before you head up, the cold snaps will slow the bite a little bit. Open Dates: Booking Chironomid hatch in May and the Hex Hatch in June. We have a handful of Hex Hatch dates left. Call or email for availability American River  4000cfs Clarity is perfect 8ft slight green tinge Fishing is good to great We are finally getting into those flows that really rock on the American
River. With a good amount of tweener 18-22" steelhead throughout the
system it makes for a great day on the water. We are seeing a few Bluebacks
(springers) on the AR but again we are waiting for that big push. Even without
the usual numbers of springers, we are having some sweet days hooking some
really nice steelhead. Great place to play for a day from the Bay. We are
starting to see signs of Stripers and Shad in the lower river and with the
temps warming up this week and the cottonwood blooms falling that only means 1
thing: SHAD TIME!!! More about that down below. .jpg) Flows: 6k cfs by 5/14 Clarity 6-8ft typical lower sac green Fishing is good one day tough the next, more tougher days than better days right now The fishing remains tough. Flow drops and bumps are continuing
to be extreme, creating unhappy fish. With Shasta Lake being 5ft from full pool
and a huge amount of snow melt still left to fill the lake, flows will exceed
15k here soon if we were betting men. Current flows on 5/9/24 are 12k with an
upcoming bump to 15k. Good days are still few and far between, and with minimal
hatches happening day to day, the fish have been very selective to which flys
they want to eat. Waiting on warmer weather to spark the caddis hatches. After
another big winter, a lot of guides have been saying that the hatches are so
poor because of the 40k flows we saw in February, washing a lot of bug life downstream(Information
and thoughts from a lot of guides in the area).  Guide Tip: Patients pays off, we are fishing much harder to get our fish than usual, but put the work in and you will be rewarded. Remember August 1st is the upper river opener and for those that have never fished this crazy day, its pretty cool to fish. So if you want to fish that upper stretch on the opener, give us a jingle. Stripers: Anything Adachi clousers, white/chartreuse, white/gray, rainbow or shad colors Putah Creek 300cfs Clarity 6-8ft steelhead green Fishing is good to great Yes, you read that right 300cfs and this is the absolute perfect flow to
fish Putah Creek. Its been fishing extremely well due to these flows and you
can access almost every foot of the 5 miles of fishable water. This is the perfect
place to fish close to the Bay area and if you want to learn how to unlock the
secrets of Putah Creek give us a ring. Its also a great place to hone your
skills due to its technical fishing. When it comes to this fishery, with us,
its all about teaching and showing you the ins and outs. We have been hitting
this river a few times a week as some of our Sac Valley rivers have been a
tad too high to fish some days.  Hatches on the Fall have been inconsistent with
intermittent weather and cold overnight low temps. Our NCFG Fall River Guided
worked his first 2 days of the season on 5/7 and 5/8 and saw very different
days as far as hatches and fish to the net. The first day(5/7) the peak hatch
started around 11am and only lasted an hour and half to two hours. Much better-quality
fish the first day with all fish being over 17” and a total of 8 to the net.
The second day(5/8), the peak hatch started at 11am and lasted all day until we
got off the water around 3pm, with easy double digits to the net and all the
little fish you could catch 12” and under. Both days using mostly nymphs under
an indicator, and stripping olive leaches on intermediate sink lines is always
successful especially after the winds pick up. Dry fly fishing really depends
on how strong the wind is and how good the hatch is for the day, but finding
wind breaks and fish feeding on the surface is proving to still be successful
with the proper selection of fly and a good dead drift presentation. Midges are
hatching early morning before peak mayfly hatch at 11am, but the Fall continues
to give an average hatch period for mayflies from 11am-3pm depending on
overnight lows and how warm the high temps get during the day. The majority of
bigger fish are definitely up closer to Spring Creek coming and going for the
spawn, but there seems to be a good number of little fish mixed in with a few
dandy’s spread out through the rest of the system to Circle 7 Ranch.  The Lake is nearing full pool creating a lot of floating debris hazards for boats, but it is also in peak form with numbers exceeding 50 fish a day. "Float and fly” is the preferred method winter through spring, but with warm weather on the horizon, the fish have been eating streamers well and they have started to eat topwater flys more consistently as the weather gets warmer. Currently the lake is slipping out of "pre spawn" and into “spawn” with fish moving into shallow water and making beds. Current Water temps are mid 60’s, but with warm weather coming in, we expect to see the main body heating up quickly. The Pit arm is still very dingy with water clarity fluctuating between 3ft-6ft. All other arms and creek inlets are starting to clear up all the way to 20ft visibility. A lot of fish have been suspended in the 10-15ft range in 30-40ft of water, but still our best success is float and fly up against the bank in the first 10ft of water. Still haven’t seen the big groups of threadfin shad moving around or getting busted by fish, but its only a matter of time before we can hunt bait balls away from the bank chasing the groups of shad and bass around in deeper water. Here very soon the main body is going to heat up and the spots and smallmouth are going to move down into the depths for cooler conditions, or they will push up into the tributaries where the water is cooler. Come July, Im targeting the tributary water for the remainder of the summer until water temps start to recede in the main body. Flies: olive and brownish/red crawdads and thread fin shad patterns in the water with better clarity, low visibility, purple crawdads have been the best fly for the past 2 months with Float-and-Fly, or a black or purple leach.Guide Tips for Shasta: - Using rattles in your flys, especially in dingy water, has proven to get more grabs throughout the day vs a fly without a rattle(mainly crawdads, but also works with baitfish). Other Local Lakes Lake Oroville, Rollins, and many others are fishing extremely well right
now and are definitely worth the drive if you want to try something a bit
different than what your Nor Cal Rivers offer. SHAD  GOT SHAD!!!! We offer shad trips on rivers throughout Northern California, from beginners to experienced anglers as well as with 2 handed rods Single handed rods for swinging and with Single handed rods fishing indicators. Nor Cal Fly Guides and Fly Fishing Specialties has a phenomenal guide
crew that cover our main Nor Cal Rivers for shad that include:
My 2024 Shad season full days are all booked up, but I am
available for evenings trips on the Yuba River for the 2024 season. (reserve
your 2025 dates NOW) We have several guides that will have you covered for all your shad fishing needs. Book now while prime dates still remain. Don’t forget about the Striper season. We are already seeing good numbers
on the Sac with stripers slowly trickling on our colder rivers like the
American and Yuba with a few on the Feather too. There you have it folks, your Northern California fishing report hot off the press. We hope you are able to get out in the next few weeks and enjoy some of the best fishing we will see all season long. Time to get out and get bent. .jpg) Local Waters - Yuba, Feather, American, Lower SacAugust 12, 21 Northern Waters Trinity & Lower Sac My 2025 dates available for Local or Northern Waters upon request I'm suggesting to everyone who would like to book with me, booking at a minimum of 6-8 months in advance for prime-time dates is highly recommended. Please don't be discouraged that I am more booked up this year than ever before, we can get you booked up with me for future dates if needed. If you would like to book now or in the near future, I am proud to announce that I have hand selected some of the finest guides in Northern California to assist me in the higher demand of bookings for Nor Cal Fly Guides. These guides work "with me" not for me, and I couldn't be happier with the team of guides that lend a helping hand to NCFG clients. From ex-teachers, to full time guides, ex-fly shop owners, shop workers/guides to part time guides that have been fly fishing all their lives, these guides are the best. The biggest asset these guides have is they all have the same "teaching" mentality as I do. Thank you for viewing.
2023 Nor Cal Summer Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers,  7500cfs Clarity - 15ft clear This is where I have been spending most of my time chasing the "poor mans tarpon" aka SHAD!!!!! We are getting into great numbers despite the water being high and on the colder side. We still havent hit peak run yet, which we should see in the next week or two and will make fishing only that much better. 6 and 7wt Spey rods have been the trick for wade fishing, fishing in the boat we have been using 7wt single handed rods. Any given day we are swinging up shad, striper, trout and even steelhead while swinging for shad, how cool is that. Currently my full day trips are fully booked up, but I am booking a few half day evening trips here and there for those still looking to get out. If you arent able to get out with me this shad season, Im already booking dates for the 2024 season. Hwy20 down is still extremely high to successfully fish, wait for this to get under 4k before heading out. Swinging for shad is the name of the game and striping for stripers has been producing as well.  Low Flow 2200cfs High Flow 4000cfs Clarity - 8-12ft steelhead green If we arent chasing shad on the Yuba or American we are on the Feather chasing more of our anadromous friends. The Feather has finally come into shape after a long period of sub par fishing. BIG fish are throughout the system with a few fish in the mid 20s being hooked every day, but landing these fish is another story. Pound for pound they are the hottest fish in the valley putting even the most experienced anglers to the test. The feather is one of the only valley tailwaters where you can chase spring and summer steelhead with confidence from May, June and beyond and right now we are seeing both spring and summer run steelhead. With the higher flows the fish have come running back and we are picking up healthy hatchery and wild fish throughout the system. If you haven't fished the Feather in a while or want to feel the strength of some reel steel while everyone else is shad fishing then give us a ring! The Feather does not disappoint and will continue to fish great well into late summer and fall. Swinging and bobber fishing has been producing great numbers of steelhead and occasionally a few shad. There are areas to anchor up and target shad as well, including a few wading spots too. If you are lucky you could even strip clousers for striper as well.  8000cfs Clarity - 8-12ft steelhead green Flows are on the high side, but the river is finally full of big schools of shad! Find the soft water and find the fish! Swinging from the boat anchored up as well as indicator fishing are bringing good numbers of shad to the boat. There's also a good chance at some stripers during the drift if you like to strip clousers on 7/8wt rods. Shad should fish well throughout June and even into July and stripers well into Sept maybe even Oct. Not only can you get into shad and stripers, but there are some steelhead around as well. Half, full and split days available.  400cfs PERFECT Clarity - 8ft steelhead green As a guide who loves technical nymphing, I love the challenge of Putah Creek. This scenic tailwater is full of big, picky trout that love to refuse presentations that aren't just right. She's a tad overgrown right now, but with a little bushwacking you can get to some great runs and tailouts and sight fish to exceptional rainbows. This is the perfect time to explore the creek as the fish are hungry after a long winter, the weather is great, and all of the accesses are fishing well. If you're new to Putah or just want to find one of those 20+ inch bows and hone your technical nymphing skills this is the place to be. A day out with Nor Cal Fly Guides will give you the tips and tricks to build your confidence when fishing this little gem of a tailwater. Half and full days available. Bobber fishing as well as high stick/euro nymphing is what we do on Putah Creek.  9000cfs on 6/6 Clarity 8-12ft steelhead green Fishing is off the charts and thats all we have to say about that. If you are looking to do some trout fishing, this is the trout factory for you. Lots of hatches going on giving these fish a plethora of choices like pmds, beatis and caddis, oh so many caddis, of all sorts even the hydropsyche caddis. Bobber fishing from the boat is best, if you are lucky maybe some dry fly or dry dropper fishing. Swinging has been producing some fish as well. Lots to do and lots of willing fish to eat your well presented fly. Dont forget about the upper opener on August 1st I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet Nor Cal summer fishing report. Fishing is on fire right now and if you are looking to get out in the near future just choose your species, choose your location, or let us choose, either way we have you covered for the rest. If you are looking to book a trip in the fall, my dates are becoming a bit limited. However, my other guides have a bit more availability than I do. Here is my availability for the fall Fish On! Spring 2023 Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers  First off, I want to say thank you to all that came out and
supported us at the recent sportsman’s and fly fishing shows. We greatly
appreciate you stopping by and saying hi, talk a bit about fishing opportunities
in Nor Cal and getting to know each other at the same time. We look forward to seeing
you on the water in the near future. A few of you have asked recently if I will be sending out my
Nor Cal fishing reports again as it’s been a while since my last one. Well you
have asked and you shall receive. Despite the higher water on our NorCal rivers, we have been
having some stellar days all across the North State. The steelhead fishing has
been top notch and the trout fishing is on fire. With some steady weather in
the forecast, now’s the time to get out before we start seeing those big
snowmelt flows. Also don’t forget about the shad fishing on the Lower Lower Yuba
River. With the snow and water we are seeing now and will see this season its
going to be one for the records books. Big water brings big numbers and NCFG is
ready to show you how cool fishing for the Poor mans tarpon on the Yuba is all
about. Lets not forget about the striper fishing too. Gin clear water, spot and
stalk tactics and watching these bruisers follow your fly from start to finish
then eating it at the boat, now that’s what its all about. Theres no river in
CA that this diverse and that has gin clear water which allows you to watch the
action all day long. Come see what the Lower Lower Yuba is all about for shad
and striper. More Info Below  THE FISHING REPORT Feather River  Yuba River Lower Sac  Clarity: 4-5ft steelhead green (prime) Fishing: Off the CHARTS The Lower Sac has been clutch for us over the past few months. While most rivers were blown out or too high to guide, our good ol faithful, the Lower Sac has taken great care of us. We’ve been seeing some epic fishing over these past few weeks in between the storms, and with steady weather in the forecast over these next few weeks, you are gonna want to get out and see what the talk is all about. EPIC fishing at its finest, lots of fish, lots of big fish and they are chowing down on almost anything you send in their feeding lane. Look for the Lower Sac to be one of our main focuses over the next few months and watch the fishing only get better. Is that even possible? Nymphing: Rubberlegs, Xmays, birdsnest, spring caddis, sucker spawn, pmds, peaches n cream, s&m, pinkies Dries: pmds, baetis, pinkies, salmonflies, American River There you have it folks, short, sweet and to the point. Im
hoping to get back to sending out reports on a more regular bases, my plan would
be every 3-4 months or when time allows. I hope you enjoy this report and it
gets you in the mood to get out and get bent. Lots of fishing action happening
right now and even more so in the near future. A few additional items Id like to add about Nor Cal Fly
Guides I am proud to announce that I have hired on several guides
that guide throughout Northern California. With the added help I am able to offer
not only more days throughout the season but also more available waters to
fish. These waters include: American, Yuba, Feather, Lower Sac, Trinity, Klamath
below Iron Gate, All Inclusive on Lower Klamath and Trinity (ask for more
details), Truckee, Nor Cal Lakes like Lake Oroville, Lake Almanor, Lake Shasta
for your bass n fly and many other bodies of water. Some exciting news for Nor
Cal Fly Guides and those looking to book trips with us. Id also like to add that my shad season May/June is filling
up sooner each and every year. Unfortunately, this year I am 100% fully booked
up for full days. But due to the popularity of the shad season on the Lower
Yuba, I am opening up half day guided trips in the evening. This allows more
anglers to experience the Lower Yuba, the jet boat ride and more importantly some
of the best shad fishing in the state. No drift boat here, jet boat up, get out
and swing from gravel bars. NCFG is currently working on getting one of our
other guides into a jet boat. If this happens, those that are booked with me on
those evening trips will have some available options. 1) you can stay with your
trip with me in the evening, 2)opt to doing the half day with my other available
guide in the morning/afternoon, 3) turn that half day into a full day with my
other guide. The choice is up to you. Whats also cool is having a 2nd
guide with a jet boat so we can offer group trips for shad and it will now open
up even more striper trips. Hoping to add the Mighty Delta soon. With so many great fishing opportunities throughout Northern
California right now, no matter the place no matter the day, we have you
covered for your next fishy endeavor. Thank you in advance for reading this fishing report. Late Fall Early Winter 2021 Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers, First off I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Wishing all the best to you all and your family throughout the holiday season. Well this report is long overdue, and I do apologize for not getting one out sooner. Between family, personal losses dear to me and other crazy business, trying to sit down and get a fishing report out just wasn't in the cards. However, I do promise to get back on the saddle after the new year and start putting fishing reports back out again. Before we start with my fishing report, I would like to add that I recently had a publication printed in the December 2020 California Fly Fishers. Its called "Steelhead Nymphing Under an Indicator", and its focus is on winter fishing for steelhead, but can be used when fishing any river with an indicator especially in the winter. I hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions please let me know. What a crazy fall this has been, we go from having one of the driest winter/spring/summers on record to seeing some of our reservoirs in the North State at historical lows, to one of the best runs up north we've seen in the last 5yrs, to the craziest Atmospheric River category 5 we have ever seen, leaving many of those low reservoirs muddy, leading to our rivers blown out for a good chunk of the egg bite. The AF5 did however bring some of those resevirous up 10-30ft over a short period of time. WOW!!!!!! What a fall it has been. But it doesn't stop there, the fishing has been pretty darn good throughout Northern California. The Fishing Report Trinity River  Fishing: Good to Darn Good Clarity: CLEAR Well if you havent heard from all the social media posts by anglers, guides and outfitters, the trinity has been fishing pretty darn good. While I did post, it was much as I didnt want it to get over crowded like it did. We have seen the best numbers of fish both salmon and steelhead up to date than we have seen in the last 3yrs combined. This is mainly due to a great water season in 18/19 but also the result of the fire which didnt allow the illegal TishTang to go up. Thank god. What a relief that was. It goes to show you how well this fishery can flourish if we allow these fish to get past that lower death sentence section of the river. We have seen some of the biggest fish I have ever seen on the river, salmon pushing 20lbs, steelhead well over 10lbs and all in the early season. This is something that we rarely   Current availability is limited, if you are looking to book your next winter/spring fishing adventure, check out my dates and contact me as soon as possible. Nymphs: rubberlegs, eggs, psycho princes, copper johns, worms, pts, hares ear, stoneflies Swinging: Andersons Euphoria in Fall Classic and Black, hobo speys, single stage intruders, heisenbergs, obsidian johnson Guide tip: dont hold on to fishing one spot for to long, fish are spread throughout the system, so fish a bucket for 30-45mins and move on. If the fish are in that bucket, you will know immediately, if not you will know as well. Feather River Flows: LFC-700cfs, HFC-1000 Fishing: Good Clarity: LFC-3ft milky green, HFC-6ft steelhead green   Swinging: Sculpins, eggs, egg sucking leeches, alevins, flesh flies Guide tip: There are fish spread throughout the system, however, due to the pressure from bank anglers and boats, I dont recommend moving around to much. Once you leave you may not have a spot to fish and will be driving/walking around to find another spot to fish. Give it a few weeks and the amount of anglers will decrease substantially and will be a pleasure to fish. Guide tip #2: Watch where you wade Yuba River  Fishing: good to great Clarity: 8ft of perfectness The Yuba has been on fire, fishing well from sunup to sun down. However, like the Trinity and the Feather, it has seen a huge influx of pressure, but that hasn't slowed down the fishing. The other plus is the Yuba saw a much bigger salmon run than usual and I think a good chunk of them are Feather fish, but hey that's ok with me. The egg bite has been one to remember and it still has a few more weeks before it dies down. Once the egg bite comes to a halt it will be SKWALA time. Man, I can't wait. This is a year round fishery, and I think the end of the egg bite turns a new page on the Yuba trout and they get even more grabby for the bugs swimming around under and on top of the river. This is even more important for those that like swinging, some of my best days swinging are right after the egg bite and on into the new year/early spring. Im really looking forward to the 2022 season on the Yuba, it's going to be one to remember.  Swinging: sculpins, eggs, wooly buggers, soft hackle stones Guide tip: move around, lots of water to fish on the Yuba, don't stick to just one spot. Guide tip #2: Watch where you wade Lower Sac I havent been on this river since the blow out, some are fishing it, while others are not. I think in about a week, it will be fishing good again. If you are looking to book, spring is just around the corner and one of the best times of the year to fish it. American While there are fish in the system and some nice ones at that, the flows are at 650cfs, and floating it is pretty tough. Walk and wade would be the way to go and cover some water. Fish the main runs, fish it hard and move on. Hopefully there's more water on the opener. PLEASE READ For those that are fishing the rivers this time of year, PLEASE watch where you wade and drop anchor. I'm seeing bank anglers and even those in drift boats getting out and walking all over the redds where salmon just finished spawning. I'm seeing this on a daily basis and a good amount of the time it's the same people daily. For those that are in drift boats, PLEASE STOP DROPPING YOUR ANCHOR in the redds and/or dragging your anchor through the redds. Crushing redds for a few extra fish is not worth ruining our future fisheries. If you are going to wade, wade on the back side of the redds as the eggs are positioned on the upward slope of the redd, so walking on the back side where there's usually sandy deposits and bigger rocks is the best practice if you must wade through. If you are going to drop your anchor, pull over to the edge of the river, get out of the current where there are no redds and drop anchor there, a few extra strokes aren't going to kill you. Honestly, none of this is worth it, all to add a fish or two more to the net. For those wading there are many other fishable runs with fish in them where you don't have to walk across redds filled with eggs. Eggs deposited in the river are roughly 4-8" below the gravel and take between 51-65 days to hatch. These eggs are susceptible to being crushed by walking on them repeatedly, but they are at their most vulnerable state when those eggs hatch and the alevins start working their way to the surface of the redds, and can hold just an inch or 2 below, before coming out into the "river" world. Do these fish, their eggs and our future fishery a favor and PLEASE WATCH/LOOK BEFORE YOU WADE. This includes the Yuba currently and after the opener on Dec 1st, this includes the Feather river currently as well as after the opener on Jan 1st, this includes the American, Lower Sac, Trinity and even Putah Creek. Thank you in advance for reading this, its a very sensitive subject, and its up to us to educate and be stewards of our fisheries. Local Available Dates Yuba Feather American Lower Sac Dec 29 Jan 24 25 26 27 28 Feb 1 2 21 March 2 3 4 22 23 25 26 30 31 More dates available upon request Non Local Available Dates Trinity Lower Sac Jan 10 14 15 16 17 Feb 8 9 10 11 12 20 March 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 More dates available upon request For those looking to book during the spring time as well as for Shad season, dates are already filling up. So please contact me and we can go over what dates I have available. Thanks Well there you have it folks, your current fishing report for our Central and Northern California rivers. I hope you are able to get out before the new year and enjoy some of the good to great fishing we are seeing right now. I also hope to see you on the water in 2022. Before this year ends I want to let everyone know that due to the cost increase of doing business over these past 2 years, there will be an increase to my rates starting Jan 1 2022. I do apologize for the inconvenience of this price increase. I wanted to let everyone know ahead of time and give you all the opportunity to book your next trip or trips before the increase on 1/1/22. These new rates are as follows and all include shuttles $550 Full day Local Water $425 Half day Local Water $600 Full day Northern Water $465 Half day Northern Water I do want to thank all of you who have booked with me over the years, especially over these past 2 crazy years. Between the "pandemic", low water, warm water, fires and sometimes poor fishing conditions, your continued support as well as our friendships that we have built over the years to me is priceless. Without you there would be no Nor Cal Fly Guides/ Brian Clemens the guide, where I have been in business, guiding full time now for 12yrs. Each and every year is only a success because of you. I look forward to many more years of guiding and guiding you all on your future fishing adventures. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all and your familys. Sincerely Brian Clemens ND ALWAYS REMEMBER KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT Brian Clemens NOR CAL FLY GUIDES 530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook  Winter 2020 Nor Cal Fishing Report and MoreHello Everyone, I hope you all and a great Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas with family and friends, something that was definitely needed this year. Where do I begin, 2020, hmmmm, can we just wipe it away from our memories. Man what a year it has been, I think we can all agree that we cant wait for 2021 to get here. Despite all that has happened in 2020, there was a bright light that conquered the darkness this year in our lives (wife and I) with the birth of our baby boy Brayden John Clemens. It's hard to believe that he is 5 months old already, is close to crawling, started eating baby food, rolling over and then back over, laughing, mimicking and just the best happiest baby any parents could ask for. It was definitely a journey with him during his first week of birth in the nicu as well as the first few months with all the doctor appointments, but he has bounced back 100%.. We even received an early Christmas present, on Dec 17th his pulmonologist said he no longer needs oxygen at night while sleeping as well as in his car seat. What a great way to end 2020 but with the best news we could ever receive. With that being said, let's move on to the fishing in Northern California. Fishing has been a bit different this year with very little rainfall as well as a late salmon run due to above average water temps. But the salmon finally showed and the fall fishing really turned on. I say this every year, but this fall was the absolute busiest fall season I have ever had, so thank you. With the recent rains and more in the near future it will definitely help the current fishing conditions with a fresh rotation of fish. January, February and March are shaping up to have some great fishing opportunities and it will be the time to get on the water. The big winter fish are arriving daily so it's time to get bent. Yuba Flow - 850cfs  Fishing - good to great FYI: on 12/26 the first Skwala Stonefly was seen on the banks. Its TIME!!!!!! This year I spent more time on the Yuba than I usually do and that's due to moving to Marysville, and I'm falling in love with this fishery all over again. This fall there was a nice push of early salmon and we started seeing salmon spawning as early as Labor day, and the spawn continued well into Dec. The numbers of salmon were not great, but it was nice to see a good number of them spawning over a 3 month period. The fishing was down right stupid with the Yuba Bows keying in on Eggs of course, but also worms and caddis. The flows were higher than expected which made the  than fishing dries in Dec, Jan and Feb and getting fish to eat them throughout the day. Dont forget about swinging alevins, the Yuba bows love alevins on the swing. Dont miss out on some of the coolest fishing of the year. Why drive hours to trout fish, when you can fish an hr from Sacramento in the Historic Yuba Gold Fields. Still have some Skwala dates remaining in January and February, dont miss out. Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins. Nymphs: Eggs, Caddis, Stones, Mays, Worms Dries: Stones, Mays Swinging: Sculpzilla, Olive buggers, Alevins Feather Low Flow - 840cfsHigh Flow - 1700cfs  Fishing - good to great Of course who can forget about the Feather, this year was a bit weird, we had an early push of salmon, but then due to warm water temps there was a big lull between the early fish and the late fish. The fishing in the low flow was extremely good in Sept and early Oct, but come mid Oct I stay away from the Low flow as it gets to crowded with anglers as well as salmon, so I focus on the High Flow. Due to the later than normal push of salmon, the high flow didnt start fishing good till late Oct early Nov. We didnt see the numbers of steelhead like we usually do, but we made up for it in the sheer size of fish, fish pushing 8lbs wasn't uncommon. With the egg bite "supposedly" winding down, so is the pressure, but the fishing is actuality picking up. We are hooking good numbers of fish daily, with both quality and quantity, I love the quality of these fish lately. The average fish is huge, hooking many fish over 24" on a daily basis, but not many of them making it to the net. Average fish is 22-24", but hooking fish from 24-28" is a definite  Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins. Nymphs: Eggs, Caddis, CJs, Princes, Mays, Worms, Alevins Swinging- Flesh Flies, Flesh eggs, soft hackles, alevins, Sculpins Trinity Lewiston - 300cfs  Junction City - 500cfs Burnt Ranch - 750cfs Willow Creek - 2000cfs Flows are on the drop Clarity - Clear up river, more color as you move down river Fishing - fair to good What an interesting fall season we have had on the Trinity. Things started out great late summer early fall while swinging up great numbers of fish, some pushing 6-8lbs. Once the flows dropped mid Oct, that's when the fishing began to get tough. As the season progressed the river became lower, colder and clearer than normal and over the last month we had to put in the time and work hard for just a few fish. But finally we have seen some rain, and it brought new life to the river and a fresh rotation of steelhead. My last day on the T, 12/14, I was able to get out and play and found 2 nice fish swinging mid river between 10-2pm. The river somewhat blew out in the lower river with Burnt Ranch hitting 1000cfs,  Nymphs: Eggs, Worms, Stones, Psycho Princes, CJs, Hares Ear Swinging: Stones, Hobo Speys, Euphorias, Obsidian Johnsons Dries: Stones, March Browns Lower Sac  Fishing - good to great What a fall we had on the Lower Sac, once again, the salmon did show up a bit late, but once they showed the egg bite was darn good and as the day progressed they couldn't resist the caddis or stones. The egg bite is all but over and they are back to eating the usual Lower Sac bugs like rubberlegs, mays, caddis and even alevins. With the recent rains it has livened up the LS and the fishing is pretty darn good. Some big fish are still being hooked, landing may be an issue. With cloud cover in the mix daily, expect to see some hatches throughout the day. Dec Jan Feb is always a good time on the LS due to less pressure while anglers are chasing the infamous steelhead. But some of the best fishing is to be had in the spring. Despite the fishing pressure that happens in the spring, the fish are none the wiser and we hook into a great number of fish. Book your next Lower Sac trip to experience one of the best trout fisheries on the West Coast. Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Eggs, Caddis, Mays, Alevins, Birdsnest Things to look out for With the new year just around the corner, there are a few rivers to start thinking about that open up January 1st. 1) American, as most of you know has some big hot winter fish. Now I don't know what the flow will be on January 1st, but I can tell you that there will be some big steelhead swimming around in those waters. Also, with the late run of salmon on the American, there should be a good late egg bite happening as well. While I stay away from any river with an opener on the Jan 1st, not a crowd guy, but in previous years I have always been out there first light slaying the steel. If you arent to hung over, get out there mid morning, find a spot and fish away. Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins. 2) Feather, the upper stretch opens up on Jan 1st as well, and there is some good water up there, both for nymphing as well as swinging. With the late egg bite we are seeing, as well as salmon still showing up, I think there will be a week or two that eggs will be a good choice up top. After that, time to bust out the winter steelhead flies for these bruisers. Please watch where you wade as to not walk on the redds and crush eggs as well as alevins. Other cool items being offered 1) Also as I stated earlier in the season, I am now offering an All Inclusive Swing Only Fly Fishing Adventure on the Lower Klamath River. We are fishing 20 miles from the ocean and just upstream of Blue Creek. This is a jet boat in and out only trip. This is being offered through me and we will all be staying at Rivers West Lodge. It is a 3 night/3 day minimum excursion and a minimum of 2 anglers. Your food, lodging and guide services are covered for the 3 days at the lodge as well as your lodging/dinner the evening prior to your trip in Klamath Glenn, hosted by me. The cost is $550 per day, per angler and I can personally fish up to 3 anglers in my boat. I am currently booking trips for 2021 as early as July on through mid Oct. In 2021. We will see higher water in 2021 as the we will get the River Dance flows coming down the Trinity and the fishing will be off the hook. If interested please shoot me an email and I can give you more information. 2) If you are a shad guy or gal and want to fish for shad in 2021, book your dates asap. During the months of May and June the majority of my efforts are going to target shad on the swing on the Lower Yuba River in my jet boat. We will target them wading via the gravel bars and these fish are a great way to learn the art of swinging and spey casting 2 handed rods. My Lower Yuba Shad trips are becoming more popular each and every year, so if you are looking to book and want prime dates, please book as soon as possible. Available dates are listed below. If the shad fishing is slower than normal, I always have some rods on board to target stripers as well as a few swinging flies to target trout. This is typically done earlier in the season and later in the season, pre May 15th and post June 15th, give or take as each season is different. While between those dates are prime, I start targeting/guiding them the first full week of May. Personally I love early season shad fishing as you get very big and fresh females in the system and they will work you over on a full 6wt spey rod. Later in the season as the fish start spawning and the fishing slows down mid day, we turn our efforts towards chasing stripers and possibly trout. 3) I am also offering a Spey Casting Clinic during shad season, May to June. This clinic will be dedicated to beginners and intermediates. In this 4hr clinic we will learn the basics of spey casting and the art of swinging, its all about fundamentals and better mechanics for those intermediate casters. It will take place on the Yuba River with my jet boat and as stated during the shad run. This will allow you to not only learn how to cast and swing, but build your confidence in getting the grab. There is a minimum 3 anglers and maximum of 4. I will offer 2 clinics per day, morning and afternoon. Price is $200 per angler for 3 anglers, $175 per angler for 4 anglers. Equipment can be provided if needed, you will need a CA fishing license. Dates are: May 8th,19th, June 12th, 26th either morning or afternoon slots One More Thing To Add In the latest issue of California Fly Fisher Magazine, Dec 2020, my Skwala stonefly nymph was featured in the Skwala Primer for 2021: Lessons Learned by Jon Baiocchi. This article is a great read for anyone wanting to learn the intricacies of the skwala hatch on the Yuba River. It is very in depth and informative on all facets of the skwala from rigging, presentation, the hatch, patterns and even tactics for pressured trout on the Yuba. Again a great read and extremely informative. After reading it myself it makes me want to get out there right now and throw some Skwalas on top just for the hell of it, hey you never know. Also in the magazine is another great read named Central Valley Rivers" Year-Round Fishing by Chris Smith. This article talks about the year round fishing that we are blessed with in the Sac-Redding Valley and information on many of the rivers that I personally guide including the Feather, Yuba and Lower Sac. It even talks about warm water species as well. Sweet read. Lastly, this month's article also pays tribute to a true legend, Truckee guide of 37yrs, a preserver of our fisheries and someone that was a true honor to have on my boat, to also guide on a river he has never fish and just converse with throughout the day last spring on the Lower Sac, Frank Pisciotta. Please give this article a read, it's pretty darn good. RIP Frank, you will truly be missed, but we know you are up there with some great ones jammin out and fishing with some true greats as well. My Available Local Dates January 16,17,20,22,23,24,25,28,29,31 February 2,3,12,13,14,17,18,19,20,21, March 1,2,3,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24, Contact me for future available dates YUBA SHAD DATES May 8,10,11,15,16,26 June 1,5,6,8,9,10,12-19,21-30 Book you next shad adventure ASAP My Available Trinity/Lower Sac Dates January 10,11 Feb 1,2,3,4,7,8 March 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11 There you have it folks, the fishing is pretty darn good right now, and its going to stay good to great for weeks/months to come. Whether you are looking to get out by yourself, or book a trip with me in the near future, its time to get out there and get bent. Being that this is my 2020 Winter fishing report, this will be the last fishing report for 2020. I wanted to thank you all for making my 2020 guiding season a huge success despite the challenges we faced this year. Thank you all for working with me during these hard and troubled times and booking your trips with me throughout the year. Without you, this year would have been a tough and bumpy road, but you all made the best of it and honestly, I feel this season was more of a success in getting to know you all on a personal level than just booking/guiding a ton of trips. It was a true blessing to guide you all this year, and have you part of my personal life/journey through it all including the blessing of our son Brayden John. So from the bottom of my family's hearts, thank you to all that have helped Nor Cal Fly Guides have another successful season. Wishing you and your family all the best during the holiday season and I look forward to seeing you on the water soon. Tight Lines Merry Christmas and Happy New Year The Clemens Family AND ALWAYS REMEMBER KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT Brian Clemens NOR CAL FLY GUIDES 530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook Late Summer/Early Fall Fishing Report and a bit moreHello Everyone,Well this has come a bit later than I would have liked but then again this year has been a very strange and interesting year. I was fully booked out from March to June, but then covid came along and I didnt do one guided trip in March or April as everyone cancelled their trips, and it was very understandable. Since May things have been somewhat back to normal and I've been guiding very regularly, until 7/19/20. This is when we were blessed with our baby boy Brayden John Clemens at 8lbs 9oz and 20.5" long. It was a rollercoaster ride during his first week of life, some great highs but some really bad lows, but after all is said and done we finally got him home and how time flies as he turned 1 month old yesterday. LIFE IS GOOD!!!! Currently the fishing is going good to great throughout Northern California, whether you are looking to fish locally or fish a bit more north you can't go wrong on any of our tailwater fishery right now. One word of advice for all anglers looking to get out and go fishing in weeks to come. If the water temps are right for swimming in then its way to warm to fish. Get yourself a thermometer and check water temps frequently. 65 deg is borderline, 68 deg is not good, and anything over 70 is deadly. I like anything lower than 60 degrees, but upper 50s and lower 60s is fishable. Please make sure to handle the fish carefully, keep them in the water in your net, no hero pics, land them and let them go. On to the FISHING REPORT Yuba River  Flows Hwy20 - 2600cfs, flows will drop 200 per day starting 8/21 to 1600 by 8/26 Below Daguerre - roughly 500cfs less than Hwy20 flows Fishing - Good to Great Clarity - very clear I have been spending a ton of time on the Yuba and this river truly amazes me daily. Not only the way that it fishes and how it changes daily even hourly but its pure beauty. I love having this river in my backyard now. The fishing has been pretty darn good, we have been getting fish swinging, on hoppers and under an indicator as well. Fish have been getting a bit more selective on flies, but knowing where to fish is more important than what to fish with. Fishing locations change a great deal from morning to noon to late afternoon on into the evening. Toughest time of the day has been from 3pm to 6pm, also the hottest part of the day too. I have been getting on early and off by 3-330, but the last hour or 2 of light has been stellar for drys. Fish are healthy, and eating a plethora of bugs, mainly stones, caddis and mayflies, but also try some eggs and midges early in the day. The fishing is really good right now and will only get better as we get into fall. If you like fishing in the fall, then you know its the best time of year, and there can be some epic fishing. As always, book your fall egg bite trip on the Yuba now, dates are filling up fast. Dries: Hoppers, Stimulators, Stones, Caddis Swinging: sculpins, tan soft hackles, Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Caddis, Mays, Midges, Eggs, Guides tip: Fish shallow water early, shallow to mid depth mid day, riffles and deep pools midday to evening. Find these types of water and you will find more fish.Feather River  Low Flow - 1000cfs High Flow - 2800cfs Fishing - Good Clarity - Clear, 15ft Its been well over a month, pre July 16th salmon opener since I was on the Feather last as warm water plagued the high flow, and the low flow was flowing as low as 600cfs, things were not looking good. Recently, the flows were bumped up to 1500 in the low flow which not only cooled down the high flow, but it also brought some more chrome into the river. A few trips over the last 2 weeks have yielded good numbers of steelhead, all wild fish and what I think are our spring run that decided to wait to show up, better late than never. They have been big, hot and aggressive to the point of good luck holding on, lots of fish have been broken off in these recent trips. Nymphing has been producing good numbers of these late spring run fish and swinging will give you a hand full of great gabs throughout the day. All in all, this is one sweet fishery right now and worth the trek. While the fishing is good right now, once we get full swing into fall, the fishing can only be described as EPIC. Once again if you like fishing the Feather in the fall, I highly recommend booking well in advance for Oct and Nov dates. Swinging: Anderson Euphoria's, Anything Olive (sculpins, wooly buggers), tan and olive soft hackles Nymphing: Princes, Caddis, Mays, Eggs Guides tip: if fishing the high flow, fish it early before the water gets too warm, then switch over to the low flow. Swing something big and bright in the high flow in the big deep runs you never know what you might swing up, possibly a king. Best to do this at first light. Lower Sac  Flows - 10k but dropping to 8750 by 8/24 Fishing - Good to Great Clarity - Clear, 12-15ft I have been spending a bit of time up north on the trout factory we call the Lower Sac and it has been fishing well. While some of the better fishing has been in the evening, most anglers pick the early on early off method of fishing to beat the heat. Some days the fishing comes easy, other days we work for them, but big fish have been on the menu throughout the day. Some fish pushing the mid 20s have been on our lines, but not many making it to the net. Nymphing has been the name of the game, there is a small egg bite early in the morning and typically from Hwy299 up. The fishing is pretty darn good right now and will only get better as the salmon push up the system and start dropping eggs. As I always say, if you are looking to book a fall trip, I recommend booking them asap as the fall season is one of the busiest times of the year. Nymphs - Stones, Caddis, Bwos, Amber wing Princes, Birds Nests, Eggs, Pmds Drys - Caddis, PMDs, Hoppers Swinging - Sculpins, tan and olive soft hackles Guide Tip - bring your A game as these fish have been eating well and are sitting heavy. Bring a spot on hook set and be ready to chase them down. Don't hesitate to fish a hopper dropper on those shallower flats and edges of the river. You'd be surprised what's sitting in that 2-4ft of slower water. Trinity River Flows Lewiston - 450 Douglas City - 475 Junction City - 490 Water is too warm to ethically fish below JC/North Fork Trinity Fishing - Fair Clarity - Clear Fishing was good early season, now that we are seeing the steady flows of summer, fishing has slowed a bit, but we are still seeing some nice half pounders and an occasional adult on the swing. This time of year we leave the bobbers and nymphing rods at home and only swing, either 2 handed rods or single handers. Perfect time of year to learn how to swing both 2 handed rods as well as those smaller single handed rods. Fishing on top has been productive early and late, and during the day a light sink tip with a small sparse spey fly does the trick. As the summer tails off, we are going to see cooler temps and more fish will join the current crowds. Fishing the fly only water is also a good bet as there are always some fish up there and the water is always cold. Dont forget to bring your 5/6wt dry fly rods as you can have some epic fishing in the evenings with caddis drys. As for water temps, fishing from DC up is your best bet, water temps are in the high 50s and low 60s, in JC above North fork, they are low to mid/upper 60s. If you are going to fish down in JC please do so during the first few hours of light. Please do not fish below the North Fork as the water is too warm to ethically fish. Swinging - Anderson Euphorias, GT40s, Heisenburg, Olive Martini, Klamath intruders, olive sculpins, Muddlers, Muddled Euphorias, Birdseye Caddis Guides tip - when fishing on top or skating fish early and fish late, but most importantly fish the shade. There you have it folks, your Northern California fishing report from Nor Cal Fly Guides. I hope this report gets you excited to get out and go fishing right now, fishing is really good, despite the smoggy/smokey conditions. If you are waiting for the weather to clear up and cool down, then book that fall trip now and enjoy a trip of a lifetime on some of the best water Northern California has to offer. A few things to mention: 1) I am now offering an All inclusive Swing Only Fly Fishing Adventure on the Lower Klamath River, within 20 miles of the ocean and just upstream of Blue Creek. This is a Jet Boat only trip, no roads in or out of the lodge. This is being offered through me and we will all be staying at Rivers West Lodge. It is a 3 day minimum excursion, minimum of 2 anglers, your food, lodging and guide is covered for the 3 days as well. The cost is $500 per day, per angler and I can personally fish up to 3 anglers in my boat. While 2020 trips are fully booked up, I am currently booking trips for 2021 as early as July on through the end of Sept. Next year is the higher water River Dance flows and the fishing will be off the hook. If interested please shoot me an email and I can give you more information. 2) I currently have cancellations for a few dates in Sept and Oct. They are all located on the Trinity River. You can either book them all for yourself, or you can split them with the other angler. If you split them with the other angler, they are all swing trips, if you book them on your own, you can swing or nymph. These dates are Sept 14,15,16 Oct 12,13 3) My18x54 Super Drifters Power Drifter is available for purchase. That's right, I am selling my 2018  My Available Local Dates: Yuba, Feather, American, Putah, Truckee Sept 23 Oct 1,2,3,18,19,23,25,26,27,28,29, Nov 15,18,21,22,23,25,27,28,29,30 For additional dates please feel free to ask My Available Trinity Lower Sac Dates: Oct 6,7,8,9,14,18 (12,13 cancellation dates) Nov 2,5,8,9,10,11,12,30 Dec 1,5,6,7,10 For additional dates please feel free to ask FYI, I am already booking for SHAD 2021, if you are all about the shad and want to fish the Lower Yuba with me, book those dates now. Also as a reminder, as each year passes, my available dates during peak season become less available and harder to book due to the high demand of my service. As much as I would love to guide each and every one of you, I just don't have enough days to go around. Those that enjoy fishing with me during Spring, Shad season and Fall, booking 6 months to a year in advance is highly recommended in order to get those specific dates you want. If you have any questions regarding fishing, fishing products, booking future trips or anything related to fishing please feel free to contact me any time.
I look forward to seeing you on the water soon. Solid Grabs AND ALWAYS REMEMBER KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT Brian Clemens NOR CAL FLY GUIDES 530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook *Due to the high volume of bookings, NCFG is unable to hold a date/s for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis. Once a date is mutually agreed upon, and the trip is booked via phone call, text, email or private messenger, it is implied that the client agrees to NCFG's payment and cancellation policy.* Spring 2020 Fishing Report
Hello Everyone,
I want to first start of by saying thank you to all that
attended the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show. This was my first year having at
booth there, and because of you all it was an absolute success. I will
definitely continue having a booth there for years to come. Also thank you to
all that come to my booth, it was a pleasure meeting new faces and potential
future clients and of course I can never forget those that came by
that I have had the pleasure of guiding over the years. Thank you to you all.
Now for the Spring Report
Well, we officially had the driest February on record and it
looked like March might have been the same way until the weather we are getting right now.
This rain is definitely needed and will only make the fishing better in the
long run. The 2020 season has started off with a bang and with some very unusual and
extremely warm temperatures. It has brought the best Skwala hatch that I
have seen in years and is still going strong and with other bugs in the mix. The
steelhead have finally arrived and the fishing is pretty darn good for them as
well. Right now, its hard to say anything is fishing poorly throughout Northern California, so like I always say, it’s time to get out and
get bent.
Just a friendly reminder before we get deep into the river
specific fishing reports. If you are looking to book any trips with me in the next
4-6 months, its highly recommend booking them ASAP. These trips can
and may include trout fishing on the Yuba and Lower Sac, steelhead on the
Trinity as well as the Feather, SHAD on the Lower Yuba as well as Stripers on
the Lower Yuba and Feather. Dates are extremely limited in the next few months,
so BOOK NOW. If spring aint your thing, but Fall is where you like to play
ball, again Id also suggest booking those dates sooner than later. Several dates are
already booked during prime time in Oct and Nov so act fast. I will say this, if you are debating on booking spring or fall, book in the fall and experience something that is only seen in Alaska.
The salmon are in building redds and spawning and that only means one thing,
EGG BITE. The trout and steelhead go nuts and get a little dumb like they are
drinking rum, but in this case, they are literally gorging themselves on eggs. Its
an experience that can only be seen in person and is as close to an Alaskan experience
as you will ever get.
Yuba River
Hwy20 - 950cfs
Below Daguerre - 850cfs
Fishing – Good to Great
Clarity – Clear
Since moving to Marysville and being only 15mins from the take out ramp for the Hwy20 float, I have been spending much more time on the Yuba compared to past years. This has led me to fall right back in love with it. This year we have seen some warmer weather, much earlier than normal, and with that it has brought on the bugs. From Skwalas to Caddis, Pinkys to March Browns, Bwos to PMDs and even very large Brown Drakes, and some days we see each and every one of those bugs on the surface. This meant the fish were looking up earlier in the season than normal and it was pretty easy to fool them. Since then the flows have drop and the clarity has become very clear, so proper dry fly drifts as well as dry fly selection is going to be key to get that slurpy ring. The fishing on the Yuba will continue to be good to great for weeks to come and whether you want to throw dries, swing soft hackles or nymph various bugs, the Yuba has it all.
Dries – Skwala, March Browns, BWOs, Fat Albert
Swinging – Anything Olive (wooly buggers, leeches) Tan Soft hackles, Olive soft hackles Nymphs – Stones, March Browns, BWOs, PTs, Copper Johns, Match the Hatch 
YUBA RIVER SHAD and STRIPER Trips
The 2019 shad/striper season on the Yuba was beyond epic, with most anglers landing 20-40 fish each day, with the best day on the water with 2 anglers they landed 148 shad. The boat ride alone is worth the price of admission, the fishing is just a bonus. If you want to experience some of the best shad fishing in California, join me on the Lower Yuba with my jet boat where we get out on gravel bars and swing for these "poormans tarpon." Dont know how to swing, no worries, Ill have you casting a 2 handed rod in no time, and there is no better time to learn how to cast and swing than during shad season, its a numbers game. Also, the striper fishing on the Yuba can be lights out, fishing gin clear water and watching the fish follow your fly all the way to the boat, then eating it, what more could you ask for. Whether its a shad trip, striper trip or a combo trip, I have the Lower Yuba dialed and as long as we have about 900cfs we can make it all the way up to the dam. Dates are extremely limited, booking well in advance is extremely recommend. I am typically fully booked up from May 1st to July 1st for shad, striper and spring run steelhead, SO BOOK YOUR DATES NOW. Shad season starts around May 1st to July 1st
Prime time May 15th to June 15th
Feather River
High Flow – 1750cfs
Fishing – Good to GreatClarity – 8-10ft with a hint of green PERFECT 
Swinging – Anderson’s Euphoria, Anything Olive (sculpins,
wooly buggers) Tan or Olive Soft hackles
Nymphing – Prince Nymphs, Caddis, BWOs, PTs, Copper Johns, Worms
Lower Sac
 Fishing – Good to Great Clarity – 8-10ft with a hit of green Perfect As always, the Lower Sac is firing on all cylinders and there is some phenomenal fishing to be had. As for bugs, you name it, we are seeing it and the fish are filling their bellies with them. Depending on the weather and temps, some days the bugs are out and the fish are taking them on top, while other days you see very little bug activity, but the fish are still taking nymphs. No matter what method you are used the fishing is downright good. But that’s the Lower Sac for ya, and that’s why its the best trout fishery on the West Coast. The fishing on the Lower Sac isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, so if you are looking to hook into good to great numbers of hard fitting bows, some pushing mid 20”, the next few months will be prime time. Book now as dates are very limited.
Nymphs – Stones, PMDs, Caddis, BWOs, Princes, Birds nest, Eggs
Drys – Caddis, BWOs, PMDs
Trinity River
Lewistion – 300cfs Douglas City – 350cfs Junction City – 500cfs Burnt Ranch – 700cfs South Fork – 300cfs Below SF – 1600cfs Fishing – Good to Great Clarity – Clear  The trinity has had its ups and downs this season,
especially during the fall, we definitely won’t rehash that. However, since the
start of the 2020 season, it has consistently become better as the weeks
progressed. Right now, fishing is the best we have seen it all season, and I
think it will continue to fish like this well into mid April. Swinging,
Nymphing and even dry flys have been producing fish, nothing better than taking
a steelhead on a sz12 March Brown. If you are looking to fish a very scenic river,
get away from the hustle and bustle of the freeways and towns, take your
chances up on the Trinity, you will be pleasantly surprised on what you find.
Dries – March Browns and Stones
Swinging – Andersons’s Euphorias, Pimps, Bread Crusts, Stones, small and sparse hobo speys Nymphs – Stones, CJs, PTs, Worms, March Browns, Psycho Princes
There you have it folks, your Northern California fishing
report from Nor Cal Fly Guides. We hope this gets you jacked and amped for the up and coming season. The fishing has really turned on over these
past few weeks with the weather we are having and it will continue to stay good
to great for months to come, especially after this rain. Get out there and be
the report don’t believe the report. Hope to see you on the water. If you see an
all blue boat and a red bearded man on the sticks, don’t be afraid of the
beard, give a shout out and say hi.
My Available Local River Dates: i.e. Yuba, Feather,
American, Putah, Truckee
March – 20(half day afternoon), 23 April – 13,14,16,30 May – 1,2,3,5,8, 9(half day afternoon),11,13,16 June – 3,8,9,11,13-30 July – All dates available but may be tentative mid July (Our baby is due) August – Unavailable dates 4-13 September – All Available Oct – 2(half day afternoon),4,5,18,19,21-30 (other dates may be available upon request) Nov – 13,14,15,18,21,22,23,25,26,27,28,29,30
My Available Trinity Lower Sac Dates;
March:23,28,29 April – NA May – NA June – NA July Avail upon request August – 13,14,15,16,17 (unavailable 4-13) other dates available upon request Sept – Avail upon request Oct – 7-15 Nov – 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
As each year passes, my available dates during busy/peak
season has become harder to book due to the high demand of my services. I wish
I had more days available during peak season as I want nothing more than to
guide you all, but unfortunately, I am a one man bad and these seasons are only
so long. For those that enjoy fishing with me during Spring and Fall, booking 6
months in advance is highly recommend in order to get those specific prime
dates.
As always if you have any questions about fishing, fishing
produces or booking a future trip please feel free to contact me at any time.
I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
Tight Lines and Solid Grabs
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
2020 New Years Nor Cal Fishing ReportHappy New Years Everyone,
I am hoping that everyone had a great and safe New Year and a very Merry Christmas. Where did the 2019 season go? Cant believe 2020 is already here.
I have always loved the new year, it brings openers on rivers in Nor Cal, new license purchases, the start of the NFL Playoffs and new years resolutions. But it also means planning for 2020 fishing adventures and there is no better time than now. With the late 2019 season rains, that were much needed, they brought new life to many of our Nor Cal rivers and Im really looking forward to late winter and early spring.
Here is you 2020 Nor Cal New Years Fishing Report
TRINITY
Clarity: Clear
Fishing: Good to Great
 The December rains really woke up the Trinity from working hard for a few fish to hooking consistent numbers under an indicator as well as swinging. The fish are not as big as usual, but what they lack in size they sure make up in pure spunk. On average, we are hooking 4-8lb fish and each one has been a firecracker. The Trinity will have steady fishing throughout the rest of winter and into early spring. Whether you want to swing, throw dries (Feb/March) or nymph for winter steelhead, the trinity is one of the better choices right now in Northern California. Very limited dates in Jan, more dates available Feb and March.
Swinging: Hobo Speys, GT40s, Heisenbergs, Thalken's Tiny Dancer Green Butt Skunk, Golden stones, Brown/Chartuse/Black Anderson Euphoria's,
Dries: March Browns
Nymphs: Stones, Psycho Princes, Copper Johns, March Browns
Clarity: Perfect 8-10ft viz hint of green
Fishing: Good to Great
The section above hwy70 is now open
As always the Feather never disappoints. The fall season was plan stupid with the egg bite and now that the spawn is over, its time to start thinking alevin/fry hatch and fishing more traditional trout patterns. Once again the recent rains have brought in some new winter fish and they are staging in the high flow waiting for some more rain to keep moving up. Fish are definitely spread out. The fishing has been pretty consistent, quality over quantity. Both swinging and nymphing are producing fish and its only going to get better. With more rain in the forecast it will continue to bring in more fish for the remaining winter season and as always spring time on the Feather is something to look forward to. Some of the best days on the Feather, especially swinging starts around New Years and continues on through till April/May. With that being said, from Jan 1st to mid June is some of the busiest times for me so booking well in advance is highly recommended. You wont see the big steelhead like the Trinity or the American, but again their lack of size is made up with their sheer pissed off attitude. Plus the pressure on the Feather is a lot less than the Trinity and American, its also an easy day trip from the Bay Area.
Swinging: Olive leeches/sculpins, alevins/fry patters, Brown/Chartreuse Anderson Euphoria's, Tan soft hackles, hobo speys
Nymphs: Caddis, Prince Nymphs, Montana Nymph, San Juan Worms, Copper Johns, Mayflies,
Alevins/fry patterns
YUBA
Clarity: Clear
Fishing: Good to Great
This report goes for both the Hwy 20 and below Daguerre
 The Yuba has been fishing really good as of late and is always a fun river to fish and mix it up from steelhead fishing. What is super cool is we are already starting to see the infamous Skwala Stone as well as some very early brown drakes, yup March Browns. You know what that means, fish are gonna start looking up and eating dries like candy. You definitely dont want to miss out on this aweome dry fly action. When they start looking up, swinging brown soft hackles drives them nuts and even swinging olive woolly buggers get those grabs we look for. The salmon spawn is also over and fishing an alevin pattern is also a good bet. As long as the river doesnt blow out like last year, this years late winter to early spring is going to be lights out. Book now and watch these feisty rainbows fly out of the water to eat your dry or slam your swung fly like a steelhead. We can also run the lower lower section of the Yuba in my jet boat and be the only anglers on the water all day. We would be getting out of the boat and fishing, swinging, throwing drys and nymphing. Its pretty cool fishing below Daguerre Dam.
Swinging: olive streamers, Brown Anderson Euphoria's, brown/tan soft hackles, alevin/fry patterns
Dries: Skwala stones, March Browns
Nymphing: Stones, March Browns, San Juans, Caddis, Mayflies, Copper Johns
AMERICAN
Flows: 2500cfs
Clarity: Perfect 8-10ft hint of green
 Fishing: Fair-Good
The upper section is now open.
I have done a few trips on the AR over the past 2 months and each time out we had an opportunity at an adult fish or 2 and several half pounders, trips were combo trips, a bit of swinging and some nymphing. The bigger fish seemed a bit more responsive to the swung flies. From what I have heard, the opener was successful, with boats hooking decent numbers of fish, and bankies finding a fish or 2 where there was open water. There are still salmon spawning, so that means you better be fishing an egg pattern. This will continue for a few more weeks and then you will have to fish more traditional trout patterns. Personally Id wait about a week or so before heading out or hit it during the week to miss the crowds. The fishing will only get better on the AR as we get more rain and as the season moves into spring. The AR is known for its big Eel river strain steelhead, some pushing 15lbs. Your average fish is 6-8lb but 8-12lb fish are not uncommon. If you are looking to stay local and hook into some big hot steelhead, the American would be a good idea.
Swinging: Hobo Spey, Anderson Euphoria's, GT40s, Heisenbergs, Thalkens Tiny Dancer Green Butt Skunk
Nymphing: Eggs, Princes, Trinity Johns, Hares Ear, Birds Nests, San Juan Worms, Copper Johns
 Lower SacFlows: 5300cfs
Fishing: GOOD
 The Sac is still fishing well, even after the recent downpours that mother nature gave us. The Sac did muddy up for a few days and was only out of commission for a few days, but now its in good shape and it turned right back on after it cleared up. Flows have been steady at 5k since Dec 29th, and there are no scheduled releases in the near future. At 5k if you know where to wade, you can have some epic fishing, but please wade carefully. Nymphing has been the name of the game as of late, but that doesnt mean you cant see some fish sipping on BWOs late afternoon, so always have a dry fly rod ready. This time of year its not always about the big bugs, Ill always have a rubberlegs on for weight, but the smaller the flies the better, think spring creek style. The Lower Sac will only continue to fish better as the season progresses into the spring, and this is the time of year were we see some big fish on the end of the line and sometimes even into the net. If you are looking to book a trip on the Lower Sac, start booking dates now.
Swinging: Birds nests, soft hackles, small woolly buggers, alevins/fry patters
Dries: BWOs
Nymphing: Xmays, BWOs, S&Ms, Midges, Rubberlegs, Cadds, Alevin/Fry patterns
YUBA RIVER SHAD and STRIPER trips:
 The 2019 shad/striper season on the Yuba was beyond epic, with most anglers landing 20-40 fish each day, with the best day on the water with 2 anglers they landed 148 shad. The boat ride alone is worth the price of admission, the fishing is just a bonus. If you want to experience some of the best shad fishing in California, join me on the Lower Yuba with my jet boat where we get out on gravel bars and swing for these "poormans tarpon." Dont know how to swing, no worries, Ill have you casting a 2 handed rod in no time, and there is no better time to learn how to cast and swing than during shad season, its a numbers game. Also, the striper fishing on the Yuba can be lights out, fishing gin clear water and watching the fish follow your fly all the way to the boat, then eating it, what more could you ask for. Whether its a shad trip, striper trip or a combo trip, I have the Lower Yuba dialed and as long as we have about 900cfs we can make it all the way up to the dam. Dates are extremely limited, booking well in advance is extremely recommend. I am typically fully booked up from May 1st to July 1st for shad, striper and spring run steelhead, SO BOOK YOUR DATES NOW. Shad season starts around May 1st to July 1st
Prime time May 15th to June 15th
My Available Dates for Feather, Yuba, Lower Sac, American
Jan 10, 25,26,27,29,30
Feb 2,6-17,19, 24-29
March 14,16,19-25, 28,29,30,31
More dates available upon request
My Trinity Lower Sac Dates
Jan 5,6,20,21,22,23,
Feb 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13
Feb 25,26,27,28,29
March 1,2,24,25,28,29
More dates available upon request
There you have it folks, I know its been a few months since my last report, but between the extremely over booked and busy fall season, selling our old house in Antelope and purchasing a new house in Marysville in early Sept, its been a non stop busy roller coaster since Sept 1st. I just now feel like we have slowed down. But that doesnt mean the fishing has slowed down, its has only begun and will only get better as the season progresses into spring.
Over the past few seasons, my available dates during peak season is becoming harder to reserve due to the high demand of my services. If you enjoy your time on the water with me and know when you'd like to book your trip/s, I would highly recommend booking your trip/s well in advance. At this point I would recommend at least 6 months to even a year in advance for peak seasons for steelhead, trout and shad. I want to be able to guide everyone, however, there are only so many days that I have available, and during peak season those dates become very limited.
I am also happy to announce that I will be attending the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Expo Feb 21st, 22nd, 23rd at my own booth. My booth is located at A27 which is the first isle to the right as you come through the main entrance. Please come by and say hi, lets talk fishing, enter to win a free guided fishing trip, and book your next fly fishing adventure.
Lastly, cheers to another amazing year season in Northern California. Whether we were chasing steelhead, striper, shad, salmon, trout or anything else that swims, it was an awesome and busy year. I want to thank you all who fished with in 2019 and those who have supported me over the years. I am in disbelief that this is my 12th season guiding after starting Nor Cal Fly Guides in Febuary 2009. Im really looking forward to the start of this guiding season, and adding a few new waters to the mix for those looking for something different. I am very blessed for all the friendships in and out of the industry that have been created through the years and I wouldn't be here with out you. Here is to another great season, stay safe and see you on the water.
Solid Grabs
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook Summer Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers,
Hope everyone is doing well, and out enjoying some of the good to great fishing we are seeing these summer days. With shad season at its end we now time to turn our efforts towards summer steelhead, stripers and trout for the next few months till the fall season hits us with a bang. The water flows and temps are really good right now, the fishing is good to great, so what are you waiting for, time to get out, make those presentation right and get those lines tight.
Speaking of shad, what a season we had this year, the busiest for me yet. For some that got to experience the Yuba for shad it was absolutely epic, for others unfortunately I was fully booked up and we couldnt get out on the water together this year, hopefully we will in 2020. My first shad trip this season was May 5th and my last June 27th, prime days were May 15th to June 15th. The best day on the water we landed 148 shad between 2 anglers while the average day was between 60-70 shad to hand for 2 anglers. The pressure from boats and anglers was very low and the fishing was super hot. We fished several different ways for them this year and we fished some newish spots as the water was extremely high. Really looking forward to the 2020 shad season. Seeing how busy I was for the 2019 Shad Season, if you want to book for Shad 2020, I highly recommend booking it now as I have already booked several dates for next year. Remember May 15th to June 15th is prime, but getting fish before and after are also possible.
NOW TIME FOR THE CURRENT FISHING REPORT
Trinity:
Flows: 600cfs by 7/30
Clarity: Clear
Fishing: Good
The trinity is rocking on all fronts, the salmon are in and taking plugs, roe and even spinners and swung spoons. If you are looking to do a salmon trip despite being a drive its one of the coolest, prettiest places to chase salmon within 3ish hours of Sacramento. Did I mention no pressure, yup very few ppl chasing these fish on the Trinity. Come on up, book a trip and take some great tasting salmon meat home. So while we wait for the American and Feather to start fishing for salmon, this is the place you want to go. Now lets talk steelhead, the fishing is pretty darn good right now, fishing has been all done on the swing or fishing dries, no bobbers needed this time of year. The size of fish is nothing to shake your had at, your typical half pounders to full on adults up to 10lbs, most fish are 18-24" and full of all the spunk you would expect from summer run steelhead. Water temps are still good, and if you are looking to experience some summer steelhead fun, now's the time to book your next Trinity trip. Whether you are looking to book now, fall or winter, dates are extremely limited, so book asap. If booking a single day, singles are available only during my Trinity dates listed below, if you are looking to book 2 or more days in a row, this is available at anytime. If you are looking to get into swinging, this is one of my favorite times of year to get up there and swing away.
JULY/AUGUST/SEPT DATES AVAILABLE NOW!!!!!!!
Swinging: Muddlers, Skaters, Hobo Speys, GT40's, Birdseye Caddis, Heisenburg, Breadcrusts, Pimps, Traditional Winged Spey Flys
Dries: Caddis, Stones, Muddlers
Nymphing: Stones, Caddis, Psycho Princes, Trinity Johns
American:
Flows: 3500cfs
Clarity: Clear
Fishing: Good to Great
Now that the shad fishing is about over, we are focusing our efforts on summer run steelhead as well as stripers and neither species are disappointing us right now. The steelhead fishing has been pretty darn good with all recent trips done on the swing using single or 2handed rods. This is a great time to get out and learn a new technique like swinging, and the options of rods and lines are endless. The average fish has been 16-22", we have hooked fish much bigger, but we have not been lucky enough to get them to hand. The steelhead fishing will continue to be good to great as long as the flows stay up and water temps stay down, I would say at least till the end of August. The striper fishing has also been pretty darn good, lots of good numbers of keeper+ size fish, and some fish in the upper single digits as well. We have been using all techniques to get these fish, fly rods and conventional rods, fishing on top, slightly subsurface and getting down deep, the fish are eager to eat the right presentation. Timing is everything, getting on early before the sun comes up and fishing till late afternoon or until it gets to hot to fish is your best bet for stripers. I have recently purchased a trolling motor for my power drifter which makes life really nice for everyone, including the guide who no longer has to row that big sled. For those really looking for a treat, targeting multi-species is very doable, hitting stripers hard early in the morning and finishing it up by swinging for some chrome late morning early afternoon, talk about a good time. Book your summer trip now while the fishing is........well, GOOD!!!!
Steelhead swinging: Andersons Brown or Chartreuse Euphoria, Hobo Speys, GT40's, Heisenberg, Birdseye Caddis
Stripers: Tobys Teasers, Stay Hungry Streamers, Clousers
Yuba:
Upper Lower
Flows: 2500cfs
Clearity: Gin Clear
Fishing: Ok to good
The Yuba is slowing coming into shape, flows are still a bit high but very fishable. I did a half day trip last week with a single angler that is new to the sport and was surprised on how well it fished. Despite the newness of my client, we ended up landing a few nice healthy bows, and hooked 6-8 fish in just a few hours on the water. Nymphing was the name of the game that day, we did see a few caddis flying around, heard a couple of hoppers, but we didnt see any rises. As the flows come down the fishing will only get better, but if you are looking to get into some hot healthy rainbows with not a sole in sight, Id look into booking a trip on the Yuba right now. The river is super healthy and Im extremely excited to see how it fishes throughout the summer and into the fall. I have purchased access to the old Rod and Gun club, so for full days we will float from the bridge to the weir which is an additional 2 miles of water.
Nymphs: Stones, Caddis, Mays, San Juans, the usual Yuba bugs
Swinging: anything olive, tan soft hackles
Yuba 
Lower Lower
Flows: 1500cfs
Clarity: Gin Clear
Fishing: goodThe shad are long gone, but the fishing doesnt stop there. The striper fishing is as fun as it gets, spotting fish, casting to fish, watching the fish follow your fiy then eating it right at the boat, hard to beat that. This fishery will continue to put out some nice stripers until the flows get to low for me to motor up and fish, which with my boat, 800cfs is as low as I can successfully motor up without hitting. With flows at 1500cfs, there is no sight of it coming down anytime soon. Time to check out striper fishing on the Yuba for yourself. Lets not forget about the trout fishing down there too. With higher flows and colder temps, wade fishing for these trout is extremely fun. Whether swinging, throwing dries or nymphing in some deep buckets, the trout in the lower section are just as hot as the fish up top, and sometimes even bigger. Another river were targeting multi-species in a day is very doable and a blast if done right.
Stripers: Tobys Teasers, Stay Hungry streamers, Clousers
Trout
Nymphs: Stones, Caddis, Mays, San Juans
Swinging: anything olive, tan soft hackles
Feather:
Flows: Low Flow 2600cfs, High Flow 6500cfs
Clarity: Clear in both LF and HF
Fishing: Steelhead good, Salmon slow
DWR has recently ramped up the flow through the Low Flow which has dramatically drop the water temps to suitable levels for both the salmon and steelhead. It did however bump the salmon sitting in the high flow into the low flow (spring run), so the salmon fishing is on the slow side right now, but give it a few weeks and it will pick right back up. Salmon trips available for catch and keep with conventional tackle and booked just like my fly fishing trips, no charters here. The steelhead fishing has slowed down just a bit since the erratic flow changes in the Low Flow, but there are fish in the system and they are hot. Was on the river the other day and found a few willing summer run steelhead to take a swung fly despite the flows dropping while on the river. Once again if you are looking to pick up a new technique like swinging there is no better time than now, not that nymphing wont work, but swinging can be just as good. The Feather will continue to fish good the rest of summer, and then of course fall fishing is off the charts. If fall fishing is your thing, limited dates remain in Oct.
Swinging: Andersons Euphoria Brown or Chartreuse, anything olive, tan soft hackles
Nymphing: Caddis, Mays, San Juan Worms, Princes, Birds Nest
Lower Sac
Flows: 11000cfs
Clarity: 10+ft
Fishing: Great
The Lower Sac is firing on all cylinders, and with flows right around 11,000cfs the fish couldnt be happier. Beating the heat is highly recommend as the better fishing has been early to mid afternoon, or the last few hours of the day if you are looking for some great dry fly fishing. The normal summer hatches are out and about, the caddis have been ridiculous in the evenings and the goldens stones are starting to show themselves as well. What this means is the Lower Sac Bows are well fed and chunky. The opener, August 1st, is just around the corner, and I do have the first few days of August open for anyone looking to experience the opener on the Lower Sac. You could fish the opener one day for trout and head over the mountain and swing for some steelhead the next on the Trinity, thats my idea of a good time.
Nymphs: Stones, Mays, X-mays, Rubberlegs, Caddis Poopah, Bubbleback Caddis, Golden Stones
Dries: Caddis, Mays
My Available Dates:
July 29, 30 (Half Day AM), 31
August 1-5,6 (HD AM),9-12,13 (HD AM),14-24
Sept 1219,21,22,23,28,29,30
Oct 1,2,3,4,23,24
More Available dates upon request
My Avail Trintiy Lower Sac Dates
August 27,28,29,30
Sept 7,8,9,10
Oct 30,31
Nov 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10
More available dates upon request
There you have it folks, I know its been a few months since my last report, things have been a bit crazy this year with high flows, blown rivers and being fully booked up when fishing was available. Over the past few seasons, my available dates during peak season is becoming harder to reserve due to the high demand of my services. If you enjoy your time on the water with me and know when you like to book your trip/s, I would highly recommend booking your trip/s well in advance. At this point I would recommend at least 6 months to even a year in advance for peak seasons for steelhead and shad. I want to be able to guide everyone, however, there are only so many days that I have available, and during peak season those dates are very limited. Since I started writing this email today I have booked 4 dates between August and Oct, time to book. With that said, if you are looking to get out in the next month or so, whether a half day or a full day, you wont be disappointed on your experience. If you are looking to book a fall trip or even a winter trip as previously stated, I highly recommend booking it now while dates remain.
I hope you enjoyed the current fishing report, and I really look forward to fishing with you soon.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis. Your date is reserved once my contact email is sent to you, No Exceptions.*
2019 New Years Report and ISE SHOW SPECIAL
Happy New Years Everybody
I hope that everyone had a fun and safe New Years as well as a very Merry Christmas.
With the recent Xmas and New Years rains, they have brought new life to our Nor Cal rivers and the winter fishing is something to write home about, and its only gonna get better on each and everyone of them.
Before we get into the fishing report, Id like to let everyone know that I will be at the ISE Show on Thursday and Saturday, and will be hanging out at the Fly Fishing Specialties booth in Building C. If you are deciding to go, come in and say hi. Ill also be offering a show special for anyone looking to book a trip, or several at the show with me. Book at the show and receive $50 off on any full day guided trip. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Trinity River
Flows: 300cfs Lewiston, 400cfs Steelhead Bridge, 475 DC, 700 JC
River Clarity: 8ft very slight green
Fishing: Good to great
I have been spending a good amount of time here over the past 2 months and for good reason, the fishing is good on all fronts. The rains have hit the river perfectly and with each "natural" AF (atmospheric flow), its pumping in new fresh fish. Despite the low river temps 38-42 degs, depending on the day, recent trips have yielded good numbers of swung fish and of course nymphing is producing as always. Who says you cant swing fish up with river temps under 40degs, you just gotta get out there and try. Not only are we getting nice chrome on the swing as of late, we have have also been hooking browns on a regular basis too, which is always a treat. With more rains in the forecast, it will only set this river up for more winter steelhead success for the remaining month of Jan as well as Feb and March. Nows the time to enjoy some big winter fish on Trinity, or if you are looking for a bit warmer temps you can look forward to the dry fly fishing and swing sessions in Feb and March.
Booking these dates in advance is highly recommended.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Copper Johns, Golden Stone, Drakes, Psycho Princes,
Swinging: Hobo Speys, Obsidian Johnsons, Thalkens Dancers, Andersons Euphoria
Book your next Trinity River Steelhead Adventure and receive 15% off your reservatoin at Indian Creek Lodge. Ask me for further details
Feather River
Flows: 940cfs Low Flow, 1800cfs High Flow
Clarity: 4ft milky green
Fishing: Fair to good
The upper stretch has opened up and for those that ventured out on the 1st above the 70 bridge you were in for a crowded experience with a good number of fish to hand. If you arent into crowds dont worry, theres still some good water out there. The recent rains have pulled in a new batch of fish here as well, and the fishing is pretty good and of course will only get better. Swinging again as been producing a good number of fish and of course nymphing has been good as well. The alevins are out and about, and the fish are really keying in on them. Been seeing good numbers of beatis, and on those warmer days we had we did see a few of caddis. The typical winter bugs have been producing as usual. Fishing is good now and only gonna get better, nows the time to be out there. My busiest time of year is just around the corner, if you enjoy fishing the Feather March, April and May, please book your dates well in advance.
Nymphs: Princes, Worms, Caddis, BWOs, PTs, Tobys Alevin, Eggs
Swinging: Andersons Euphoria, Tobys Alevin, Hobo Speys, Silver Hilton
Yuba River
Flow: 1000cfs, out of Englebright
Clarity: 8ft steelhead green PERFECT
Fishing: Great
WOW, you need to be out here asap, the fishing couldnt be better, even though it will get better, but we are seeing some extremely large trout and steelhead some pushing mid to upper 20" on the Yuba that we havent seen in years. With a few Skwalas shucks already on the banks, these guys will be showing up any day now, and when they do its going to be lights out on top throwing drys all day. Right now these fish are eating just about anything you throw at them, on top, under and bobber and even swinging. Personally, if you want to fish a place thats close to home and experience one of the last wild rivers in the state, come experience the Yuba River with me, its the place to be. The river is no longer blown out and its time to get out there and have some fun. With prime dates available for the skwala hatch in late Jan and Feb, booking now is highly recommended. The fishing doesnt stop in Feb as the March browns start showing up late Feb, and spring time caddis in late March. The Yuba is going to be the place to be for months to come. Book your dates now while prime dates remain.
Nymphs:Stones, Eggs, Worms, BWOs, PMDs, PTs
Swinging: Stones, Andersons Euphoria, Alevins, Soft hackles, olive streamers
Drys: PMDs, BWOs, Pinkys, Stones
Book now for some of the best fishing we have seen in years with some of the biggest fish we havent seen in over a decade.
American River
Flow: 1760cfs
Clarity: 8ft clearish green
Fishing: Fair to good
The opener has now past us and while the water is lower than we have seen in the past few years, the fishing is decent. Good numbers of 2-4lb fish are in the system and those elusive Eel River strain are in and around as well. Pressure isnt as bad as I have seen in recent years which is interesting, but still the best time to be on the water is mid week. Swinging can produce this time of year if you can find a run to swing effectively, however nymphing is always the tried and true this time of year. If you are looking to get into some nice steelhead and not travel very far, look no further than the American. With recent rains, fresh fish are showing up in the lower river, where swinging can be really good, in a few weeks these same fish will be in the upper stretch of the AR, so fishing will continue to be good for the next few months.
Nymphs: Eggs, Copper Johns, Hares Ear, Caddis, Worms
Swinging: Hobo Speys, Andersons Euphoria, Pick yer pocket, Thalkens Crusier
Lower Sac
I havent been on the Lower Sac for sometime now, so a up to date report I can not and will not give as I am unsure on how its fishing. I have heard from reliable sources that its been a bit tougher than usual, and I have to think its due to the unruly weather. With a steady forecast in the near future look for the Lower Sac to get better. Dont forget the best fishing to be had is just around the corner in late Feb early March to mid May. If your looking to get up there, book now while prime dates remain.
My Available Local Water Dates
Jan 17,18,19,21,22,23,24,27,28,30,
Feb 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13 (prime time Skwala time)
March 2,3,4,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,26,
April 1-9,11-15,20-30
More dates available upon request
My Available Trinity/Lower Sac Dates
Feb 20,21,24
March 6-13
More dates available upon request. Outside of these dates, 2 day booking minimum
There you have it folks, your 2019 New Years fishing report. Hope you enjoyed it and as you can see, its time to get out and enjoy some great winter fishing. If your looking to book a trip in the very near future, a few months down the road or even this fall, I highly recommend booking in advance as soon as you know the dates you are interested in.
I would like to remind everyone to watch where they walk and wade in the river as not only salmon eggs are still in incubation in the river cobble but also steelhead and trout eggs as well. Please wade cautiously, one more fish isnt worth crushing hundreds of eggs, dont be that angler. If you are unaware of what to look for please feel free to ask or even google search "what does a redd look like".
I would like to thank every single one of you that made my 2018 guiding season a success. It is you that allows me to do what I love and share that passion with you on some of the finest rivers and streams in Nor Cal. Thank you, cheers and heres to wishing you a fishy and successful 2019 season.
SOLID GRABS
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis. Your date is reserved once my contact email is sent to you, No Expceptions.*
Winter 2018 Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers
This fishing report is a bit overdue, however this was my busiest fall to date, with only 6 days off between Sept 20th and Nov 20th. So I didnt have much time to get a report out to you all, and Im not a big fan of rushing my reports either . So my apologies for not getting one out sooner, but better late than never.
Besides being the busiest fall to date, it was one of the better fishing seasons in the past few years as well, I hope you all were able to get out and enjoy the great fishing conditions. The water was higher than normal, colder than normal and the fish down right loved it. If you missed out this year with booking your trip with me, I highly recommend booking your fall trip now, dates are already filling up.
Now that we are finally getting some well needed rain, the fishing is really starting to heat up and our winter season is just starting. If you are looking to chase some big winter chrome now's the time to either get on the water and hammerdown or booking your trip while some prime dates remain.
TRINITY
 The Trinity for quite some time was the place to be, up until early Nov, then we started seeing extremely cold temps, and with already low and clear water conditions and no rain, those water temps dropped to a bone chilling 38 degs, OUCH. But those willing to put in the time were rewarded on several trips, and as I always say "be the report dont believe the report." Now that we have rain, its brought new life to the Trinity and it is the HOT SPOT right now and if you want big winter chrome this will be the place to be for the next few months. Of course nymphing will get you on the numbers that most are looking for, however, swinging will produce some great fish this time of year and give you a new experience and view to steelhead fishing. If you want to try something new, give swinging a try. Dont forget about Feb and March when we are targeting these steelfaces with dry flies, swinging and nymphing too. Its Prime Time right now, dont miss out, prime dates are still available in Dec, Jan, Feb and March.
Nymphs: Stone, psycho princes, copper johns, worms, eggs, pts
Swinging: Hobo Speys, Andersons Euphoria, Bread Crust, Pimps, Rocks
FEATHER
 As always this river never disappoints with quality and quantity. We had an epic early spawn season boosting some big numbers of fish, hooking 20-30 in a day. Current river conditions are good, 1800cfs, slight green hue to it, and there are some fresh winter fish in the system. We are still seeing some salmon spawning, but mostly in the Low Flow, were as the high flow is all about done. Fish are spread throughout, there are a few fish still eating eggs, but they are starting to go back to the usual Feather River flies. Swinging has been producing well lately and will continue as fresh winter fish show their faces. Those salmon eggs are about to pop, and swinging alevins is one I highly recommend. Jan and Feb are great for this tactic, and a great time to get into swinging. This will be one of my go to rivers for the next few months, but it doesnt stop there, with spring just around the corner it wont slow down. Lets try something new and swing up some chrome this year. As always if you are looking to book during the busy season Spring and Fall, I highly recommend booking well in advance.
Nymphs: eggs, caddis, copper johns, pts, princes, worms
Swinging: hobo speys, Andersons Euphoria, worms, sculpins, alevins
LOWER SAC
From what I have seen and heard, since I havent needed to fish it at all this fall, it has been fishing extremely well with plenty of big fish to go around. With flows at 4k, its fishing just like the Lower Sac is known for and will continue to be good for the next few months. Currently booking Spring trips as I type with several dates on the books already. Looking to fish on one of the best trout fisheries on the West Coast, look no further than the Lower Sac, especially in the Spring.
Nymphs: Stones, mays, caddis, dark lords
AMERICAN  This river has been quite a little jem this year with plenty of days yielding good to great numbers of steelhead on the swing. The fishing on the AR from Late August to Late October was something to remember as it hasnt been that good in several years. Recent rains have brought in big fresh winter fish and we are hooking them, landing them has been a bit more difficult. This time of year with weather and river conditions you can do better covering more water and swinging vs nymphing. These fish are on the move and are very eager to take a swung fly, so why not give them what they want. The conditions on the AR are ideal right now, get out and get some. Booking steelhead trips on the Ar for Jan Feb and March.
Nymphs: eggs, caddis, worms, pysco princes, trinity stones, copper johns
Swinging: hobo speys, pick-yr-pockets, Andersons Euphoria
YUBA
Despite the high water last year and this year, the Newba has fared very well, and has been pumping some good
Nymphs: Stones (skwalas soon), caddis, Mays
Swinging: Olive woolybuggers, Alevins, sculpins, stones
PUTAH
UNSPOKEN CLOSURE
Spawn is in full swing, please stay off the creek and fish other waters. Plenty of other waters to fish.
 
One more thing to add folks, the salmon are mostly done spawning, but that doesnt mean you can wade where ever you want. It takes 51 days for those eggs to hatch, and if you are out there wade fishing and walking all over the redds, you are crushing naturally spawned eggs. So please wade wisely and carefully. A few more fish are not worth crushing hundreds of salmon eggs. Dont be that angler
My Available Local Water Dates
Jan 15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31
Feb 1-11,13,27,28
Please contact me for more available dates after Feb
My Available Trinity and Lower Sac Dates
Dec 16,21,30,31
Jan 1,2,3,4,6,7
Feb 18,19,20,21,24,25
March 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13
More dates available upon request
If you missed out on booking a trip with me this fall, please book with me ASAP for fall 2019, same goes for spring 2019. We are also starting to book dates for Shad on the Yuba starting May 1st, with my jet boat, all walk and wade fishing with single or 2 handed rods and swinging. A bonus that time of year is the striper fishing which can be really good. As always booking your trips well in advance with Nor Cal Fly Guides is highly recommended.
I hope to see you on the river soon,
Until then Happy Holidays
and
Solid Grabs
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook July Summer Fishing ReportHello Fellow Anglers
While the dog days of summer are biting at our heals, the fishing in Nor Cal is as good as it gets, and will continue for months to come.
Lets just get straight to the report:
Yuba
Flows Upper Lower Yuba 1700cfs
Flows Lower Lower Yuba 950cfs
Clarity Gin Clear
Fishing U.L Yuba Fair
Fishing L.L Yuba Good to Great
Above the Weir
Trout fishing has been fair, there are fish to be had, but you are having to work for them. I have only done one trip over the past month, and while we landed some quality fish, it was slower than what I expected. The river has changed a lot, and finding where those fish are holding will be challenging. With lower flows in the future the fishing should get better, and fishing a hopper dropping should work out great. If going out now, try nymphing the deeper runs, and throw dries in the tailouts, also throwing streamers is always a great idea.
Nymphs: Caddis, Stones (goldens, yellow sallys), mayflies
Streamers: Olive woolly buggers, tan soft hackles
Dries: Pink Alberts, Caddis, Hoppers
Below the Weir
What a site for sore eyes this year with the new boat. Up till this year I dreaded shad fishing on the American due to the crowds and lack of river etiquette. Also while striper fishing was fun on the AR, it can be crowded too and I wanted to offer more to my clients and now I can. The shad fishing on the Yuba was TOP NOTCH and there are still a few around that will take your fly. If you are looking to shad fish next year this river is for you, oh the boat ride is a blast as well. Book your 2019 Shad trips now starting May 1st 2019. Dates filled up extremely fast this year. Now that the shad fishing is almost over its time to target stripers, and once again the Yuba doesnt disappoint. While you may not get the 20lber that you could get elsewhere, you will consistently hooked 2-5lb fish all day long, plenty of shakers and the opportunity at fish from 5-10lbs is a very good possibility. The cool part about the Yuba is the fishing is strong all day long, no need to get on at O'dark30 just to get on the fish. Ditch the American and join me on one of the prettiest rivers in Nor Cal and watch these fish follow and eat your fly from bank to boat.
Striper Flies: Tobys Shad Teaser sz2, 2/0, 4/0, Thalkens Shad Cruiser 2/0, anything shad in color
Feather
Flows Low Flow 1400cfs
Clarity 8ft Clear
Flows High Flow 3000cfs
Clarity 10ft slight green
Fishing Good to Great
All I can say is this has been my secret little gem as of late, "Be The Report, Dont believe the Report". While most think the Feather is done till the fall, I say not the case at all. We have been having great success chasing summer run steelhead, ranging from 14-18" and an occasional 18-22" fish as well. Nymphing of course is the best option for the most fish, however, we have been having a great time swinging small switch and spey rods for these fish as well, with good numbers to hand. The low flow is cold and flowing at 1400cfs, cant ask for anything better than that. There of course is a bonus this time of year too, stripers. While you wont get the numbers like you see on the Yuba, the fish on the Feather are much much bigger, averaging 5-10lbs and some pushing 20lbs are around and chomping at the bit to eat your fly. If you want to chase steelhead and stripers with good to great success look no further than the Feather.
Nymphs: Caddis, Prince Nymphs, Mayflies, Worms
Swinging: Tan Soft Hackles, olive woolly buggers, U name its, olive sculpins, caddis
Stripers: Tobys Teasers All Colors All Sizes, Thalkens Cruiser All Sizes All Colors, Stay Hungry Streamers All Colors All Sizes
If you book your trips with me in the fall on the Feather for the Egg Bite, booking well in advance is highly recommended. I already have dates booked, and dates are becoming limited for this great time of year to fish for steelhead.
Feather River Salmon
Dont forget that the opener for Salmon on the Feather is July 16th and I am currently booking Salmon trips starting July 24th with open prime dates throughout July, August and Sept. These trips will be done with the aid of my jet boat and with conventional gear, you can either keep your catch or release your catch the choice is yours. It will be booked like a normal trip for up to 2 anglers, additional anglers are welcome, up to 3 total, there is an additional charge for 3rd angler. There will be NO CHARTER TRIPS with 4-8 anglers, just you and me for the day. We will target salmon until you have your fix or fish, after that we can then target steelhead or striper for the rest of the day, or if you choose to we can call it a day and head on home.
Look forward to offering these trips this year.
American River
Flows 5000cfs
Clarity 12ft Clear
Fishing Shad Good
Fishing Striper Fair
Fishing Trout Steelhead Good
The AR had a great push of shad this year and the fishing was pretty darn good. Currently the fishing continues and while you can get out and hook a good number of them, it is on the down hill slope. I expect the shad fishing to hold out for another 2 maybe 3 weeks and then it will be over. The striper fishing has been up and down, very inconsistent, good one day horrible the next. The flows are all over the place, and now at 5000cfs it makes for some tougher conditions. When the flows come back down, I expect the fishing to get better for stripers. The trout and steelhead fishing has been pretty good with a nice push of summer steelhead, average fish 14-18" but again fish up to 22" have been hooked and landed. Nymphing is best at these flows, but prior to the big bump, we had some good success swinging. Right now, I would wait for the flows to drop then get out and give um hell. If you are looking for trout give the Yuba or even better the sierras a shot while the flows and temps up there are good.
Shad: Bloody Maria, Wet Pinkies
Stripers: Tobys Teaser, White chartuse clousers, white and gray clousers
Trout Steelhead: Caddis, Mays, Worms, Caddis, Caddis
My Available Dates
July 9,22,24,27,28,29,30
August 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,17,18,19,20,21,23,24,25
Sept 7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20,26,28,29
Please contact me for available dates after August
Oct and Nov at starting to fill up fast, get your Fall Egg Bite dates in ASAP
Trinity Dates
We are already booking Trinity dates for the Fall season. If you are interested in booking dates, Id highly recommend booking well in advance
August 29,30,31, Sept 1,4,5
Great early season swinging for half pounders, tweenies and some early adults. Skating is king, with tips being used if needed. Some dry fly action can be had throughout the day, especially in the evenings with caddis. Nymphing can be done, but no need to. The least busiest time of year to be up here.
Oct 9,10
Last chance fishing before the flows drop on Oct 15th from 450 to 300cfs. Swinging is in full effect. Skating at its finest, and tips used when needed. Good numbers of halfies and tweenies, but also a good number of adults. Some of the best swinging is done in Oct, and this is the time. Nymphing can be done, but why bother. Starting to see a few more boats, but still nothing like November.
Nov 9,10,13,14
PRIME TIME for swinging and nymphing. Best time of year, but the busiest time of year. Still finding fish on the swing and many adults to be had no matter the float. PRIME PRIME PRIME
Dec 15-22
Winter fish are starting to show, winter fishing at its finest. Fish are spread throughout the system from top to bottom, and if water temps are still warm enough, swinging them up is very possible.
More dates available upon request and availability
There you have it folks, your July Summer fishing report. Its a great time to be on the water, whether for a half day or full day, the fishing is top notch. We will be chasing striper, trout, steelhead and salmon for the next few months, dont miss out on some solid Nor Cal Fishing. If you are looking for something new, take a jet boat right up the Lower Lower Yuba and strip for stripers.
As always, if you book any trips with me in the fall, I highly recommend booking well in advance, as I book up early and fast, and want to make sure I can accommodate your dates and get you on the water.
Thank you all for reading the report
And look forward to seeing you soon
June Fishing Report.......SHAD & STRIPERSHello fellow anglers,
What an interesting spring, one minute the faucet wouldnt turn off, then we started to see those nice spring days, and then out of nowhere she dipped back down to late winter early spring temps. Its like our typical spring weather kept seeing its own shadow, crazy. Well now that the weather has settled, its truly time to get out and chase some fish.
 SHAD, STRIPER and Trout ohhhhh myyyyyy.
YUBA
Flows 2700cfs Upper Lower Yuba
Flows 2000cfs Lower Lower Yuba
Clarity Gin Clear
Fishing Good to Great
 The Yuba is fishing really well right now above the weir. Plenty of fish being taken on dries, the swing and nymphing too. The caddis are definitely out and about, the fish looking up, and the eat has been very aggressive as of late. Oh and dont forget out you noses eating those hatches of mayflies, nothing cooler than that. Swinging has been a ton of fun and only getting better. If all else fails the trusty nymph stick is getting some quality fish as well, but only when needed, hahahaha. The Yuba is going to continue to fish well for the next few months, and if your looking for some quality fishing but dont want to drive up to Redding the Yuba is the place. You want get the big fish like the Lower Sac, but we are seeing good numbers of smaller fish and of course no crowds. Book now while the weather and river are in perfect shape.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Caddis, mayflies, copper johns
Dries: caddis, mayflies
Swinging olive woolly buggers, sculpins, tan soft hackles
Guides Tip get out there now if you looking for something different and a ton of fun
SHAD and STRIPER ON THE YUBA HELL YA
 It is ON FIRE!!!!! Need I say more. Over the past 2 weeks the fishing has only gotten better and both species are out and about grabbing the flies like mad. If your in the right spot 30 shad in a half day and 60 shad in a full day are not uncommon. With the right fly and presentation we are seeing good to great numbers of stripers up to 10lbs. If you want something truly different than what you have done before, book a day on the Lower Lower Yuba for shad, striper even trout and take a jet boat ride with me on a river that reminds me a lot like a small Alaska river. Its a blast. Book now as dates are filling up fast.
Stripers: stay hungry streamer, Tobys Teaser, Clousers
Shad: Bloody Marie, Orange or Pink shad darts
3 anglers for shad trips are possible depending on the experience of anglers. There is an additional charge for the 3rd angler.
American
Flow 1750cfs
 Clarity 10ft viz
Fishing Good to Great
The striper fishing is really heating up, and we are hooking fish from 3-8lbs on regular daily basis, with to many fish from 16-22" all day long. These fish are hitting hard and fighting even harder, so bring your a game and a strong 7-8wt rod and hold on. The right fly and a good presentation is what its taking to get these bigger fish to eat, but we will have you dialed in no time for that big fish opportunity. The shad fishing is stupid with to many fish to count. The are spread throughout the river, but the best fishing is from Rosemore to Sunrise. The down side is that the crowds are out in full force and sometimes its hard to find a spot to fish. One reason why I love the Yuba. But if you can only swing a half day and live close by to the American, there is no better time than now. The striper fishing should stay good to great for the next several months, and the shad for the next month or so. If your thinking local, and your thinking big fish or lots of fish, the American is the place for you. Whether you are looking at a traditional float trip or a fun Jet boat trip, we have the American dialed. Time is now.
Stripers: Stay hungry streamers, Tobys Teaser, Clousers
Shad: Bloody Marie, Wet Pinkies,
 Feather:
Low Flow 850cfs
High Flow 1050cfs
Clarity Low Flow 8-10ft viz
High Flow 10-12ft viz
Fishing Good
I have been spending a good amount of time on the Feather up until the shad and striper started showing up, but also because the Feather started slowing down. But since then, a push of big grease lightning springers have shown up and reeking havoc on our flies. Swinging has been darn good, and of course nymphing is kicking butt, and if you are out late enough the dry fly fishing is pretty darn good too. Dont know how long this will last, but now is the time to experience this late run. The coolest thing is depending on the day, cloud cover and hatches, swinging is out producing the bobber, how cool is that. This should fish good for another few weeks, and then slow down till the salmon season opens on July 15th, then its salmon time.
Nymphs Princes, Caddis, Worms, Sucker Spawns, Mays, CJs, PTS
Swinging Andersons Euphoria, Thalkens Tiny Dancer, Princes, tan soft hackles, tan caddis
Guides Tip Place to be right now for your steelhead fix
SALMON ON THE FEATHER
Starting this year I will be guiding the Feather River for salmon. We will be using conventional tackle to hook into these bruisers which on average weight 10-25lbs, with many fish over 25lbs. These trips will be the same as I do now, no charters with 6-10 anglers, the normal 2 anglers and myself, however a 3rd angler can be added with an additional charge. 3 anglers, is not something I normally do, but there will be plenty of room for 3 on the new boat. The Salmon season starts July 15th and ends Oct 15th, personally July to the end of Sept are the best months to get these fish for eating. If you are interested in booking your Salmon Trip, book now while dates are still open.
Lower Sac
Flows 9000cfs, a bit high, but extremely fishable
Clarity Perfect
Fishing ON FIRE
Not much has changed since my last report, honestly its only gotten better, bigger fish and more fish is the norm right now. So not going to change much from my old report. ON FIRE, need I say more. The Lower Sac is firing on all cylinders and if you are not up there fishing you are truly missing out. Fish of 16-20" is the norm and is pretty much an all day thing, and some bruisers are always cruising and could be the next drift. Bring you A game and a strong hook set and be ready for a day of a lifetime. The river above 299 is now closed so please be aware, but don't fear, still plenty of fish from the bridge down to go around. NOW'S THE TIME
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, Mays, Caddis, Red headed Step Childs, PMDs
Guides tip Dont miss out on the great fishing while the temps are perfect.
Putah Creek
Flow 380cfs
Clarity Putah Creek
Fishing Good to Great
Again nothing has changed since my last report except for the flow bump, so same report as last month.
Another fishery that is fishing extremely well, but you have to have your A game to get these fish into the net. On average we are seeing 5-8 fish to the net with a few fish hooked in the upper teens and lower 20s on each trip. Getting those bruisers to the net however is a whole other story, with small flies and light tippet it isnt easy, but patience does pay off. If you want to learn how to fish one of the most technical fisheries in California, then come join me on Putah Creek and see what its all about. Want to become a better angler, Putah will put your current skills to the test and will only make you better after every visit.
Nymphs Midges, Caddis, Mays, Birdsnest, PTs
Guides tip fish flies from sz18 to 24s, adust weight and depth till you start ticking the bottom, gotta get down
My Available Dates
June 2,3,5,10,11,12,13,15-21,23-30
July 1-10,21-31
Please contact me for available dates after July
Oct and Nov at starting to fill up fast, get your Fall Egg Bite dates in ASAP
Trinity Dates
We are already booking Trinity dates for the Fall season. If you are interested in booking dates, Id highly recommend booking well in advance
August 31, Sept 1,4,5
Great early season swinging for half pounders, tweenies and some early adults. Skating is king, with tips being used if needed. Some dry fly action can be had throughout the day, especially in the evenings with caddis. Nymphing can be done, but no need to. The least busiest time of year to be up here.
Oct 7,8,9,10,13,14
Last chance fishing before the flows drop on Oct 15th from 450 to 300cfs. Swinging is in full effect. Skating at its finest, and tips used when needed. Good numbers of halfies and tweenies, but also a good number of adults. Some of the best swinging is done in Oct, and this is the time. Nymphing can be done, but why bother. Starting to see a few more boats, but still nothing like November.
Oct 31, Nov 1,2,3,9,10,13,14
PRIME TIME for swinging and nymphing. Best time of year, but the busiest time of year. Still finding fish on the swing and many adults to be had no matter the float. PRIME PRIME PRIME
Dec 15-22
Winter fish are starting to show, winter fishing at its finest. Fish are spread throughout the system from top to bottom, and if water temps are still warm enough, swinging them up is very possible.
More dates available upon request and availability
So there is your early Summer fishing report, and its a great time to be out on the water and chasing what ever species you would like. From shad to striper, from trout to steelhead, even shad, striper and trout, Nor Cal has it all and the fishing is darn good. If you are looking for something new, give the Lower Lower Yuba Jet Boat trip a try for shad and striper, and shoot lets go hit some trout as well, its a trip you will never forget. Im really looking forward to showing you some new water, guiding you for Shad and Striper on the Yuba, Salmon on the Feather, and some other new water throughout Nor Cal. Come see whats new with NCFG and lets get bent.
FYI, if your thinking of booking fall trips on any of the rivers I guide, I highly recommend booking well in advance, as I book up early and fast, and want to make sure I can accommodate your dates and get you on the water.
Thank you all for reading the report
And look forward to seeing you soon
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis. Your date is reserved once my contact email is sent to you, No Exceptions.*
Spring Fishing Report and a bit more....
Hello Everyone
Finally the weather is looking up after the crazy Miracle March we experienced, but now with this steady weather we are having the fishing has really picked up for the better. Rivers are clearing up, fish are showing up and there have been many bent rods in the air to boot. Now's the time to get out and enjoy the fishing in Nor Cal.
 Before I get to the report, there are a few new additions to the Nor Cal Fly Guides services that I will be providing this year and years to come. Some of you know some of you don't, so here we go. Starting July 15th I will be offering Salmon trips on the Feather for catch and keep, it wont be your normal charter trip that you see out there, still the same trips as I am doing now, but on these trips you will be able to keep the fish. Starting this Shad season I will be targeting them on different rivers, not just the American. The will include the well known Yuba River, Feather River and Lower Sac. Shad season is just around the corner, so book those trips ASAP. Lastly I will be adding/covering several new bodies of water this year which will include and not limited to, the Sac below Red Bluff, all of the American, Yuba and Feather Rivers as well as Local Lakes and a few other unnamed fisheries. You may be thinking how will I go about doing this, well it has finally happened after many years of talking about it, a new boat. On Jan 31st 2018 I purchased 18'x54" Power Drifter from Chandler Custom Fab called the Super Drifter with a 90/60 Evinrude Etec Jet. Still some things to add to it, but it is one sweet ride. With plenty or room to spare, it will fit spey rods with ease and multiple anglers for group trips. This will be my go to boat for Striper, Shad, Swing and Lake trips, trips where rowing wont be the main way of travel. As far as the bodies of water More info coming soon.
Here is your Spring Fishing Report with a bit more info about the above mentioned
 Feather:
Low Flow 800cfs
High Flow 3000cfs
Clarity Low Flow 4-5ft milky green
High Flow Steelhead Green PERFECT
Fishing Good to Great
As always I have been spending a good amount of time on the Feather and for good reason, SPRING RUN STEELHEAD. The fishing on the Feather was a bit slow the start of the season but with the last huge rain fall in March, and now the higher releases in the high flow, those steelhead are in and on the grab. We are seeing good numbers of fish from 16-20" with multiple fish a day that are 20"+. While nymphing is always the better producer of numbers, dont think swinging wont get you into fish. Its the complete opposite, swinging has been producing quite well. With great steady weather to come this will be my go to river for the next few months, pretty much well into Salmon season starting July 15th.
Dates in April are very limited May and June are a bit more open.
Nymphs Princes, Caddis, Worms, Sucker Spawns, Mays, CJs, PTS
Swinging Andersons Euphoria, Thalkins Tiny Dancer, Hobo Speys, Princes
Guides Tip Place to be right now for your steelhead fix
SALMON ON THE FEATHER
Starting this year I will start guiding the Feather River for salmon trips that are for catch and keep. We will be using conventional tackle to hook into these bruisers which on average weight 10-25lbs, with many fish over 25lbs. These trips will be the same as I do now, no charters with 6-10 anglers, the normal 2 anglers and myself, however a 3rd angler can be added as well with an additiional charge. Not something I normally do, but there will be plenty of room for 3 anglers on the new boat. The Salmon season starts July 15th and ends Oct 15th, personally July to the end of Sept are the best months to get these fish for eating. If you are interested book you Salmon Trip now while dates are still open.
Lower Sac
Flows 3000cfs, super low, but extremely fishable
Clarity Typically Lower Sac Green Ideal
Fishing ON FIRE
ON FIRE, need I say more. The Lower Sac is firing on all cylinders and if you are not up there fishing you are truly missing out. Fish of 16-20" is the norm and is pretty much an all day thing, and some bruisers are always cruising and could be the next drift. Bring you A game and a strong hook set and be ready for a day of a lifetime. The river above 299 is now closed so please be aware, but don't fear, still plenty of fish from the bridge down to go around. NOW'S THE TIME
Nymphs Sucker Spawns, Rubberlegs, Mays, Caddis, Red headed Step Childs
Guides tip Dont miss out on the great fishing while the temps are perfect.
Yuba
Flows 4700cfs
Clarity Milky Green
Fishing Fair to good
The Yuba was PRIME TIME up until the river blew out. Right now Englebright is still cresting and will continue to for a while, with that flows are at 4700 and slowly dropping. At these flows, wading is not recommended, but if you are careful it can be done, PLEASE Wade Carefully. Personally at these flows its all about a boat to float. Despite the flows, fishing under an indicator will get you into a good number of fish. Stick to the edges and hold on. As these flows come down the fishing will only get better, the caddis should be popping of any day now and if the fish attack the caddis like they did the skwalas its going to be some epic dry fly fishing.
Nymphs Sucker Spawns, Rubberlegs, Caddis, Worms
Guides Tip give it another week or two for the flows to come down and give it a shot
SHAD ON THE YUBA
 Ill be guiding for shad on the Yuba this year, and with the water we are having right now, its going to be another epic year on the Yuba. Swinging up 30-60 fish in a trip is not uncommon and the cool part is if you get tired of the shad you have stripers and trout to hunt down as well. We will start targeting the Shad the minute they come in to the last second that they leave, and this typically starts in early May, May 20th seems to be the start of the Shad season. If you are interested in getting out and swinging for the "Poor Mans Tarpon", give me a call, shoot me an email and book your trip. Again this will be your typically trip up to two anglers, however a third angler can be added at an addinonal charge. These trips will also take place in the new boat. There is no boat access to the Yuba River to fish for these shad unless you have a drift boat, join me on a fun boat ride and hook a ton of fish while doing it.
American
Flow 8000cfs
Clarity Milky Green
Fishing Fair
Well if you fished at all this year on the American besides the opener then you know it was a pretty crappy season. Between the lack of fish and the Sea Lions, it was just a tough year for the fish. However, I will say we are seeing a few bluebacks in the river, but with 8kcfs coming down, they are very very tough to fine, better to fish the feather for steelhead right now, no crowds on the American though, hahaha. The good news is Stripers, we are only a week or 2 away from being able to get on the water and target them. With these flows it will bring them in quick and thick and Im really looking forward to stripers on the American this year. Look for end of April to mid June to be prime time. Book your striper trip now while dates remain and before the shad show up.
Putah Creek
Flow 200cfs
Clarity Putah Creek
Fishing Good to Great
Another fishery that is fishing extremely well, but you have to have your A game to get these fish into the net. On average we are seeing 5-8 fish to the net with a few fish hooked in the upper teens and lower 20s on each trip. Getting those bruisers to the net however is a whole other story, with small flies and light tippet it isnt easy, but patience does pay off. If you want to learn how to fish one of the most technical fisheries in California, then come join me on Putah Creek and see what its all about. Want to become a better angler, Putah will put your current skills to the test and will only make you better after every visit.
Nymphs Midges, Caddis, Mays, Birdsnest, PTs
Guides tip fish flies from sz18 to 24s
My Available Dates
April 5,8,9,10,11,13,14,15,23,29
May 1,2,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,18-31
Please contact me for available dates after May
Trinity Dates
We are already booking Trinity dates for the Fall season. If you are interested in booking dates, Id highly recommend booking well in advance
August 31
Sept 1,4,5
Oct 7-14
Nov 4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14
Dec 15-22
More dates available upon request and availability
There you have it folks, your Spring Fishing Report from Nor Cal Fly Guides. The fishing right now is the best we have seen it almost all year and its only going to get better. I will be adding more waters to fish this year as well as species. If you are looking for something new, I will have a few tricks up my sleeve. Im definitely looking forward to taking you fishing for Salmon on the Feather, Shad on the Yuba and Stripers throughout Nor Cal. Some see whats new with NCFG and lets get bent.
Thank you all for reading the report
And look forward to seeing you soon
January 2018 Fishing ReportHappy New Years Everyone,
What a crazy end of 2017 with the driest December on record and then to start the 2018 season out with a bang on the American, Yuba, Feather and Trinity Rivers. With spats of rain here and there things are slowly getting better, and with more rain in the near future fishing will only get better. Personally Im really looking forward to late winter early spring.
Trinity
Fishing: Winter steelhead fishing
Clarity: clear
 Flows: Lewiston 300, DC 400, JC 530, Del Loma 930 flows on the drop
Despite the lack of rain there is still some fishing be had. The fall fish are still swimming around, and are taking a bit longer than normal to make their way to the hatchery, while this is going on, the winter fish are slowly trickling in as well. We are seeing a few more wild winter fish over the last week, which is a site for sore eyes and with more rain over the next few weeks, they will continue to be in. The fishing is tough, hooking 2-5 fish a day, but this is your typical winter steelhead fishing conditions, but if you willing to work hard you will be rewarded with a few very nice wild winter fish. I still have a few date remaining in Jan and Feb if you are looking to get out and chase these beautiful winter fish. We are even getting those feisty half pounders and a few bigger fish on dries, what a way to go.
Nymphs: Dark and Golden stones, hares ears, pts, psycho princes, copper johns
Swinging: hobo speys, pimps, rocks, bread crumbs, your go to winter swing flies
Dries: BWOs, March Browns
I am already booking fall trips, and lodging is filling up fast, so if you are looking to book a fall steelhead trip on the Trinity, now is the time to book.
Feather
Fishing: fair to good
 Clarity: 3ft off color
Flows: Low 1000, High 1800
The upper stretch is finally open and is fishing very well but has been extremely crowded, below that has been very quiet with crowds and enough fish to get you steelhead fix. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve this time of year and it has been paying off for those willing to hang with me and not be in the crowds. We are hooking 6-10 fish daily and seeing the typical feather river steelhead 18-22" with some nice winter fish in the mix, with almost no fishing pressure from bankies or boats. Cant beat that. Nymphing has been working very well, but swinging has been producing too. Look for this place to light up any day now, and if you like to swing hold on the alevin bite is just around the corner.
Nymphs: princes, bwos, copper johns, alevins, worms
Swinging: alevins, hobo speys, olive streamers
American
Fishing: Fair
Clarity: 6ft slight color
Flows: 3000
The opener was phenomenal, I didnt take my boat out, to much of a hassle so just decided to wade fish, I fished 1 spot for a few hours and stuck 10 fish landing 5 of them. Mostly the smaller Coleman strain fish ranging from 20-22" and a mix of hatchery and wild fish. I did manage to hook 1 big winter fish, 8-10lbs, but broke it off due to another boat, long story. The fishing has slowed down since the opener, nymphing is the man producer, did have a 6 angler swing session out there last week, and only hooked 1 fish, which was a salmon, no steelhead to hand. We are seeing 5-10 fish when nymphing and there are some hot fish in the system so be ready. Rain will only help, and at some point those winter fish will be here. The AR should only continue to get better as more winter fish show and those bad as bluebacks come in early spring, really looking forward to that. Dont forget about the alevin bite, thats about 2 months out.
Nymphs: eggs, caddis, copper johns, mays, princes,
Swinging: just get out there and try something
Yuba
Fishing: Good
Clarity: Slightly off color, great
Flows: 10000
The Yuba has been fishing very well, with plenty of top water action to go around with the skwalas coming out. Didnt think it was going to happen with last years scour fest, but the Yuba always pulls through and in surprising fashion. The fish are not very big, but those Yuba trout pull hard no matter their size, but hey your throwing dries so who cares. We do see an occasional fish over 16, but most are 8-14". The only issue we are having right now is with boat floats, we can not take out at Sycamore as they are doing some repairs, so its walk and wade trips right now, but I think thats great, changes things up a little bit, and honestly most of us dont have boats, so you get to learn where and how to fish it on foot. The Yuba will continue to fish good for the next few months, and if dry fly fishing is your thing, its happening right now.
Nymphs: Stones, mays, worms, eggs
Dries: Skwalas, pmds, baetis
Swinging: soft hackles, olive streamers, alevins
Lower Sac
Fishing: Fair to good depending on the day
Clarity: Clear
Flows: 3500
The fishing on the Lower Sac has been hit or miss, some days are super good, other days struggle to get a few fish to hand. The lack of salmon definitely did a number on the river and how it fished this fall. There are still fishing to be had, and the best fishing on the Lower Sac is just around the corner. If you looking to fish the Lower Sac Feb March April May is some of the hottest fishing of the season.
Nymphs: rubberlegs, worms, mays, redheaded step childs
There you have it folks, the first report of the season with many more to come. Fishing is slowly picking up, and spring is just around the corner. Whether you are looking to get out in the next week or so, or next few months, there are and will be plenty of options, however dates may not be. March April May is the busiest time of the year for me, so book ahead while dates remain.
My Local Availability
Jan 23rd
Feb 1,2,4, 11,12,13,16-28
March/April mostly open
My Trinity Availability
Jan 29,30
Feb 5,8,9,10
March 3,4,5,9,10,11
As always I hope you enjoyed the fishing report, there are some fish to be had right now, and as I always say "Be the report, dont believe the report".
Lastly, Id like to thank you all for making the 2017 season a successful one. Despite the large amount of water flows down our rivers well into summer, the fishing was pretty darn good and we had some fun times.
Heres to a great 2018 season and many bent rods.
Look forward to seeing you on the water
Nov Fishing Report, Special Treat......and a bit more
Hello Ladies and Gents
Well its been a while since my last report, my sincerest apologies, this was by far the busiest fall I have had since I started guiding in Feb 2009. From mid August to now its been non stop guiding all throughout Nor Cal, and the fishing this fall was the best we have seen in years. What I am hoping is that most of you were able to get out on the water and enjoy the fishing as much as we did. It was one to definitely remember and I really hope to see you on the water next fall, just remember to book well in advance if you are looking to book between August and Nov, this year I had nothing available in Oct starting the beginning of Sept.
As I type the rain is coming down and with that bringing more fish (winter steelhead) into the system. Fishing continues to be fair to good across the North State and with small amounts of rain in the future forecast the winter fishing is going to be pretty darn good.
The Report
Feather
Fishing - Good
Clarity - Low flow 3ft slightly brown High flow 6ft milky clear
Flows- Low flow High flow 1300cfs
As always this river amazes me. Despite the "damn" incident that wiped out 4 runs in the low flow, including some of the best salmon spawning habitat in the entire river, those fish are resilient and have founds ways to do their
Nymphs: Princes, beatis, worms, caddis, eggs (dead)
Swinging: anything soft hackle, hobo spey, alevins
Trinity
Fishing - Fair to good
Clarity - Clear
Flows - Lewiston 300, Douglas City 400, Junction City 600, Del Loma 700
The more I guide/fish it, the more I love this place. The environment, nature, the beauty of the river, the sounds, the smells and of course the fish, how can you not love this place. I am currently up here now and the fishing is fair to good, some days good, some days a bit slower, but all in all, its steelhead fishing at its finest. This year I have been doing a lot of hopping around, trying to stay on the fish and away from the marathon boat hatch, and for the most part its been exciting, some days working a bit harder for our fish, other days not so much. I have also 
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, copper johns, psycho princes, PTs, eggs, stones
Swinging: hobo speys, Andersons Euphoria, Thalkens Tiny Dancer, Hitzeburgs, Mr Pimps, Bread Crumbs,
American
Fishing - Fair and improving fast
Clarity - Clear
Flows - 2k
Up until a few weeks ago it was all about the traditional feisty half pounders with an occasional adult. But with the recent rains, and lot has changed, we are starting to see those larger winter fish that the American is well known for. While the upper river is closed, that doesnt mean you have to wait till Jan 1st to fish it, there is some sweet water below the power lines, and when you hook something down there, you found out how bad these fish really are. Between the great swing and nymph water around every corner, its hard to say no. Of course with the opener (Jan 1st) just around the corner, you know what that means, everyone up top hammering the top 2 miles of the river. So if you really want to have some fun, fish below Sunrise and be ready. The American will fish fair to good from now till sometimes May depending on flows, fish and river clarity. We have much for fishable water last season as it was 8k and brown, but this season is looking pretty good as of right now. If you want to have the opportunity at a 10-15lb steelhead and dont want to travel far look no further than the American River in the heart of Sacramento from now till late Feb, these winter fish are big and full of fight. I would recommend booking early if you are looking to get out.
Nymphs: Princes, caddis, mays, copper johns, eggs, pts, worms
Swinging: hobo speys, Andersons Euphoria, Thalkens Tiny Dancer
Yuba
Fishing - Fair to good
Clarity - Clear
Flows - 1050cfs
Well I would love to say that it was a stellar fall season on the Yuba, but it wasnt. The fishing was fair, some days good, but the lack of salmon was a real shocker, it seems as though the numbers get less and less every year. There was a small egg bite but nothing to write home about. Currently the fishing is ok, again nothing great, but you can definitely get out and stick some fishing. Most fish are 8-12", but we have seen a few fish in the 14-16" range as well. Its going to be interesting to see what happens to the Yuba over the next few months and even years. Nymphing has been the main producer of fish, however we have been getting a good number of fish swinging as well as throwing dries. Hopefully we start seeing some good numbers of salmon returning, those Yuba trout definitely need those eggs to fatten up for the winter season. As January comes upon us, the skwala stones will start coming out and you know those trouts go nuts for stonefly butts, thats dry fly time. After that you have the March browns followed up by the April caddis. The Yuba can have some epic dry fly fishing from Jan to April, and we are definitely looking forward to that.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, caddis, mays, beatis, small copper johns, worms, eggs
Swinging: olive woolly buggers, tan soft hackles, alevins
Lower Sac
Fishing - Fair to good
Clarity - Steelhead green
Flows - 5k
The lack of salmon definitely hurt the fishing, and being that the flows were at 8k well into Nov, fishing it was a bit more difficult that usual. Finding to feisty Lower Sac bows was a bit frustrating at times, but once you found them and figured out what they wanted the fishing was pretty darn good. Now that the flows are finally back down to normal fall flows the fishing has really heated up. The fishing will continue well into winter and early spring. Definitely a fishery we are happy to have back to normal.
Nymphs: Rubberlegs, caddis, mays, typicaly Lower Sac bugs
There you have it folks, as you know the rain makes the fish get grabby, if you are looking to get out now is the time. I hope you enjoy the report, and look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
My Local Availability:
Nov 26, 28, 29
Dec 1,3,9,10,12,26,27,28,29
Jan 7,8,9,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,
Please contact me for available dates after January. Also other dates available upon request
My Trinity Availability:
Nov 16
Dec 14,15,16,17,18,22
Jan 14,15,16,17,18,19
Please contact me for available dates after January, Also other dates available upon request
Special Treat
As you all may know, I like to give back to all my clients that continue to book trips and support Nor Cal Fly Guides. Without you I would not be able to enjoy the job that I have, which is guiding each and every one of you on some of the finest rivers and streams in Northern California. So with the high interested in the past years for gift certificates as Christmas presents, I would like to offer a gift to all my clients/their families for supporting NCFG though the years for Christmas. Forward this email over to your loved ones and let them know that you would like to take advantage of this awesome gift. Have them email or call me, and Ill make sure to take care of them, so they can take care of you. After all is said and done, hopefully you get a full day guided trip for Christmas in your stocking. Either way, whether you buy one for yourself or they buy one for you, this is me saying thank you for always showing me the support over the years.
The Details:
Full Day Trips only
$50 discount on gift certificates only
Normally $450, $400 for gift certificates for a limited time
Limited to one gift certificate per angler
Available for purchase from Nov 22nd to Dec 22nd
This is good on all rivers Nor Cal Fly Guides guide
Price does not include 3rd party shuttle or gratuity
If you have any questions please feel free to ask
The bit more info:
Starting Jan 2018, my rates for the Lower Sac and Trinity Rivers will increase from $450 to $500 per day per boat. However, this price increase will include a third party shuttle, which means no longer having to run our own, putting the boat on the water and go. If needed we can place the clients vehicle mid drift, if we come across fish and dont want to float all the way down to the original take out location. All in all, this will make floating/fishing the Lower Sac and Trinity a much easier process on you as well as myself. I can pick you up at your hotel, meet at a general location, meet at the take out location or anything along those lines. Again just a smoother process for everyone. This rate increase still includes lunch, drinks, snacks, rods, reels, lines and all other equipment needed for the days trip. It does not include waders, boots, jacket or licenses.
If you are looking to book the Trinity in 2018 and want to take advantage of the $450 rate, please book between now and Jan 1st. The $450 rate does not include the 3rd party shuttle.
Once again I hope you enjoyed the fishing report. I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
Thank you again for supporting Nor Cal Fly Guides as your local fly fishing guide service, and making it a huge success.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*
August Fishing Report ..... Its Almost Fall.....
Hello Fellow Anglers
Wow, what a crazy fishing season we have had this year, between crazy high flows and the above normal high temps, its been an interested one when getting out on the water, ones with an open mind and willing to put in the time, seem to be the ones into fish. Even now the flows on some Sac Valley rivers are making it tough for wading, but despite the temps and flows the fishing has been fair to good, and with fall knocking at our door the fishing is and will only get better. With that said, fall will be here sooner than you think, and if you are thinking of booking a fall trip, I still have some prime dates remaining for the "EGG BITE" as well as dates for some great fall swinging, if to swing is your thing.
Here is your Nor Cal Fly Guides Fishing Report
American River:
Flows - 3600cfs
 Clarity - Clear
Fishing - Fair to Good
The shad are finally gone, YYEEEEESSSSSS!!!!! This means that its time for striper fishing again, and it has been getting better over the past few weeks. We are seeing the typically shakers, but a few bigger fish from 3-7lbs have been hooked as well, this will continue though Sept and is a great half day trip. We are also getting into a good number of half pounders and if you are in the right place at the right time you will hook a few adults pushing 6lbs. Personally I love this time of year for a few reasons, during the week there are few rafters on the water and you can target both stripers, steelhead and even salmon (if they are in) in the same day with some good success. Great time of year to swing your light weight 2 handed rods and in the evening throwing dries can be epic. All in all, a great time of year to be on the American, crowds are gone and fishing is pretty good. As fall approaches its only going to get better.
Stripers: traditional clousers, pole dancers
Nymphs: caddis, mayflies, prince nymphs, copper johns, eggs
Swinging: soft hackles, silver hiltons, ho bo speys, olive streamers, Thalken's tiny dancer, Anderson's euphoria
Feather River:
Flows - 1500cfs low flow, 7k high flow
Clarity - 8ft viz slight color
Fishing - Fair - good
 Boy has this river been a saving grace for me this year. With most of the Nor Cal rivers blown out from January to May, it was tough to get out on the water to work, but when June came around that was a different story. The flows and clarity on the Feather became good enough to get out and fish it and boy were we surprised. Lots and lots of fish to be had and not a single angler in site. For almost a month we had this river to ourself, and it was fishing consistently everyday. Lots of half pounders from 14-18" and a handful of fish from 18-22" everyday and the occasional 22-26" fish was hooked as well. The fishing continued will into July as the flows decreased, and now that the flows are at a steady 1500cfs in the low flow, we are still hitting a good number of halfies with an adult mixed in every so often. We are starting to see the salmon in the low flow, finally, and in a few weeks they should be stacked. If you havent been on the feather yet this season, I would recommend checking it out, it has completely changed, a lot like the Yuba, a completely new river. With the showing of the salmon that means only one thing, the "EGG BITE" is soon to follow. Oct Nov is prime time for the egg bite on the Feather and if you are looking to book, booking in advance is highly recommended.
Nymphs: princes, caddis, mayflies, worms, eggs, pts,
Swinging: tan soft hackles, anderson's euphories, ho bo speys, thalken's tiny dancer, olive streamers
Yuba River:
Flows - 2600cfs
Clarity - Gin Clear
Fishing - Fair to good
 The Newba has been fishing fair to good with plenty of fish to go around. We are seeing a good number of fish coming up and eating dries and hoppers, and the indicator rig has been super consistent for numbers, but not needed. The usual dries and nymphs have been working as well as the Pink Fat Albert, which is like candy for these trout and hopper droppers/dry droppers are producing as well. The salmon are very slow to show here, and we are hopping that we start seeing some in the next few weeks. If you are looking to get out and not travel, give the Newba a try, but wade carefully, at 2600cfs its extremely pushy, and wading across is not going to happen. If you know the access points and where the fish hold (they havent moved around to much), you will come out with some nice fish to hand. Oh if you like to swing, definitely give that a go, they have been hammering swung flies.
Dries: almost anything, fat alberts tan and pink
Nymphs: rubberlegs, stoneflies, caddis, mayflies, worms, eggs
Swinging: tan soft hackles, olive streamers
Lower Sac:
Flows - 10,500cfs
Clarity - good, 10ft, slightly off color
Fishing - Good
As always the Lower Sac continues to fish as it always does, and has been extremely consistent. The upper stretch opened back up on August 1st and we are seeing some nice fish in that stretch, but we are also seeing a good number of boat hatches. I was told that on the opener every parking lot from Posse to Anderson was full and over following and at one point a good friend counted 38 boats in the Posse Grounds fishing area, CRAZY!!!! Of course the Lower Sac will continue to fish well as fall approaches, and it doesn't stop there. "Egg Bite" is just around the corner and if you arent thinking about it by now, you should be, its going to come and go before you can blink an eye.
Nymphs: rubberlegs, caddis, mays, red headed stepchild, amber princes,
Trinity River:
Flows - 450 cfs
Clarity - Clear
Fishing - fair to good
 Man I love talking about this river, its becoming one that I guide more and more each year, and it keeps
producing while others are not, sometimes not so easily, but thats what makes the Trinity so cool and fun to fish, you have to "Earn It". With that said its even fishing as I type. This is one of my favorite times of year on the Trinity, the lower flows make wading a breeze, and there are not a ton of people on the river. Your typical half pounders can be found throughout the river system and the closer to the dam the more you will find. The halfies will put any 5wt rod to its test and while you can get a ton nymphing, these mini-chrome domes will eagerly take a dry or a swung fly, they are just a hoot. On the bigger note, strewn about in the river system are the early fall run fish that can range from 3-6lbs and some pushing 10lbs are caught this time of year as well. While nymphing once again will get you on a good number of fish, these early fish will talk swung flies likes its going out of style, they love skated flies too. If you are looking to swing from now till about mid Nov this is the river, and that is prime time to swing for chrome. If you are looking for something different, treat yourself to a guided trip down the Trinity River, you wont be disappointed with its beauty, solitude and over all fishing experience. Booking well in advance is highly recommended on the Trinity as my dates fill up fast, especially in the early season prior to December.
Dries: stones, caddis, hoppers, stimulators
Nymphs: rubberlegs, stones, mays, caddis, pshyco princes, rubberleg copper johns
Swinging: soft hackles, ho bo speys, Anderson's euphoria, Thalken's tiny dancer
My Available Dates:
August - 14,15,17,18,22,26, 27,28,29
Sept - 8,29
Oct - 2,3,5,9,22,23,24,25,27,28,29
Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018
My Available Trinity Dates:
August - 30,31
Sept - 1,2,5,6,11,13
Oct - 11,12,15,16,17,18,19,20
Nov - 12,13,14,16,17,18,19
Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018
There you have it folks, despite what you may hear, I continue to say "Be The Report, Don't Believe The Report". Fishing is good right now, and fish to be had no matter what technique, style ot species you would like to target. With few people on the water, having the river to yourself is a very good possibility, that will change once October comes. Im really looking forward to the fall as the flows we have now should continue well into fall and late winter. The fall is looking better than ever and it will be here sooner than you think.
If you are thinking of a fall or winter trip, give me a call and lets go have some good times and tight lines.
I look forward to hearing from you
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at anytime
See you on the water
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*
Spring Fishing Report and a bit more...(BAJA) Hello Everyone,
WOW, what a start to the 2017 fishing season. All we can say is water, water and more water. Oh and more water to come. Hopefully the rainy season is behind us, and only good fishing to come.
This year has been a bit challenging, especially on local water. The opener on the American was the worst in years, the Feather was brown due to the damage to the dam, the Yuba was high and brown as well, everything was high and brown, even the Lower Sac. The only fishable water that kept me busy was the Trinity, but even that is now flowing to high. So you may be asking, is there anything fishable right now, and the answer is yes and thats soon to come.
So lets talk current fishing report:
 American:
Current flows are 15k, water clarity is really good. The only fishing to be had right now are for stripers. You are going to work for a handful of fish, but this time of year is when you will find the bigger fish. So if you want to hook that 10-15lber now is the time. Also, we should start seeing shad in the next few weeks, which will bring in even more stripers. As far as steelhead, dont even bother, think fall for these chrome domes, mid to late October before the upper closer can be a ton of fun. For now think stripers, and in a few weeks shad.
Feather:
DONT BOTHER!!!!! Flows are 35k, a bit to high to fish effectively. Start looking towards the fall for your trips here. Advanced booking highly recommended. October and November is prime time. Late Sept early October, pre-egg bite/pre-spawn can be epic.
Yuba:
The clarity is absolutely perfect, and I hope the flows come down to fishable levels soon. As soon as it hits 3-4k, Ill be out there working it hard. Current flows are 7500cfs and very slowly dropping. Once the flows drop to fishable levels, its going to be interesting. I scouted it about a month back and I am super excited in what I saw. A very braided river, and its definitely a NEWBA River, and one will have to relearn it all over again. Dont know how soon it will be fishable, Im guessing July, but who knows. What I do know is if you are looking to fish it this in the fall, I highly recommend advance booking. I love fishing it mid Sept to mid Oct before the crowds, pre-egg bite/pre-spawn.
 Trinity:Current flows 11k, definitely not fishable and wont be for a long time. Ill start back on this river come mid/late August, and fish it hard till late March early April. Im already booking fall/winter trips, and if you are looking to do the same, start booking now. If you like to swing like me, late August to late October is prime time for swinging. Lot of swinging with muddlers and skaters during that time of year and a good amount of action to boot. If you want to learn how to swing, I can not think of a better, more beautiful place than the Trinity in the fall. Hot fish eating swung flies throughout the day, while seeing lots of wildlife as well as fall colors, no bobbers needed. This river is becoming more popular every year for my clients, and finding available dates is becoming harder to find. So if you are looking to book a trip or two on the Trinity between August and April, advance booking is extremely recommended.
Lower Sac:
 I have done a few trips on the Lower Sac over the past few weeks. All the trips have been at 20k, 25k and 30k, personally, not my style of fishing, it just wasn't fun for us (clients and myself). Several trips were postponed mostly due to myself not wanting to subject my clients to those fishing conditions, and they also agreed with me. Was it fishable, yes, were we hooking a good number of fish, yes, however, not much fishable water. Where there was, typically 4-8 boats working the same float (about 100yrds long), most fishing was done with beads and above Bonneyview. Also we were doing a double float from Posse to Bonney and the water at the time was 18-20" of viz in brownish water. It just wasn't the experience I wanted to give me clients, and not an experience they personally wanted.
However, there is good news for the very near future. Come 5/1 flows will be at 9k and dropping slowly to 7k by 5/3. If you know the Lower Sac and have fished it this time of you, you know that its prime time both flows and timing. So if you are looking to get out and wet a line, I highly recommend booking your trip on the Lower Sac starting 5/1.
There you have it folks, your current fishing report. Wish I had more to report, but with all the water coming down, its hard to find good fishable water to take clients out on. But in just a week, the Lower Sac will be ready for you, and hopefully the fishing will get better over the next few weeks.
As stated earlier, if you typically book fall/winter trips with me on any river system, I highly recommend booking well in advance. With how things are and have been over the past few months, everyone will be itching to get out this fall/winter, and dates will be hard to come by. Book now - fun later!!!!
Available Dates:
May 3,4,5,6,8,10,11,14,15,20-25,
Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018
Available Trinity Dates:
August - Sept
30,31,1,2,5,6
Sept
11,12,13,14,22,23,26
October
10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,20
November
14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22
December
15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23
Please contact me for more available dates in 2017/2018
Lastly, I still have a few spots available for my July 24th-28th hosted trip to Baja, through Baja Pirates. The cost for 5 days, 4 nights, 3 days fishing is $1100.
If you are interested in more info about this hosted trip, please contact me and Ill send you all the info needed for booking a spot.
There you have it folks, hope you enjoyed the report. Some good fishing just around the corner, cant wait to see what the rest of the season holds.
Hope to see you on the water soon,
Thank you again for all your support
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*
Febuary 2017 Fishing Report
Hello fellow anglers,
This year has been a crazy wet mess so I hope all of you have stayed safe and dry while mother nature shows us her fury. With this wet season, most of you know it has left almost all of Northern California blown out and to high to fish. With more coming down, it doesn't look like the Sac Valley will clear up anytime soon. However, there has been a glimmer of hope, which I will talk about shortly. I will have to say, I am super excited and really looking forward to our spring to fall fishing with all the snow we have in the mountains. What this awesome snow pack means is a longer spring as well as a great summer and fall fishing with lots of cold water for the fish to thrive and for us to play. Even though things do not look so great right now, come late spring, summer and fall, its going to be great. So hang in there. If you are looking to get out now...........here ya go...............
Fishing Report:
Well this one is pretty easy, all rivers are blown and unfishable except for one.........
Trinity River:
The Trinity has been the saving grace for any guide permitted on this river, and it has been fishing pretty darn good considering it is the only wadable/fishable river in Nor Cal. Meaning its been a bit more crowded than normal.
Right now she is a bit high as well as brown, but with a big break in the rain just around the corner, this will be the
 "Be the Report, don't Believe the Report" Trinity Dates:
Feb 20,21,22
 March 6,7,8,9,27,28,29,30,31
More dates available upon request
If you are looking to book Spring dates in the Sac Valley, start looking at reserving them now. Come late March to early April, the Feather will be fishable once again. Personally I think it will be slightly earlier, but by April 1st she will be ready to go. If you have fished the Feather in the spring, then you know how awesome this fishery is as well as how hot these steelhead are. Pound for Pound hardest fighting steelhead you will hook into next to fishing a coastal river. So if you are looking to book April and May, reserve them now, cuz as soon as these Sac Valley Rivers become fishable again, available dates will be hard to come by. Spring dates are already filling up.
Lastly for anyone interested in joining me in Baja in late July for Dorado, Yellowfin, Wahoo and many more, please contact me and Ill send you the details.
Hope you all enjoyed the report, wish I had more to report on. Hopefully I will have more on the next one.
Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*
Dec/Jan Fishing Report
Happy Holidays Everyone,
Well as most of you know, we have received a ton of rain over the past week or two and it has done some good things as well as some not so good things to the our rivers, lakes and streams.
The good:
The reservoirs are filling up nicely, the snow pack is looking pretty good, and with more water flowing down the rivers, the winter fishing is looking to be pretty good after the beginning of the year.
The not so good:
As of right now, most of the Sac Valley Rivers are blown out, but don't worry, in a few short weeks, they will be back to fishing level as well as fishing clarity.
Here is your local fishing report
Trinity River:
Clarity: Good to getting perfect
Flows:
Lewiston - 300cfs steady
Bucktail - 500cfs and dropping
Douglas City - 775cfs and dropping
Junction City - 1600cfs and dropping
Wow, the past few weeks on the Trinity have been extremely good to Nor Cal Fly Guides clients. While others have been working hard to find fish, we have consistently hooked a half a dozen adults on a daily basis, with my last 2 days up there hooking 16 adults and landing 8 of them, this being right after the big rain last week. This recent storm has blown the river out again, but as I type it is already back into fishing shape. What does this mean......time to get up there and hook some chrome. We are still finding some willing fish to take a swung fly, but its all about right place at the right time, as well as water temps. This last rain storm did help bring the water temps up slightly. The indicator with nymphs below has really been cleaning house, and if you have the right flies, the right drift and the right float, there can be some epic fishing. Look for the Trinity to be the go to steelhead fishery for the next month or two, especially if you want to get away from the crowds, and try you hand at swinging.
I still have some prime dates in Jan, Feb and March if you are interested in booking a steelhead trip you wont forget.
Nymphs: Stones, Psycho Princes, Eggs, Worms, Copper Johns
Swinging: Ho Bo Speys, Bread Crust, anything black/blue
Guides Tip: "Be the report, dont believe the report!!!"
This will be my go to steelhead fishery for the next 3 months
Feather:
Clarity: Brownie Green
Flows:
Low Flow - 800cfs
High Flow - 1700cfs
As some of you know, I did spend a bunch of time on the Feather this year, but when it became to crowded, I decided to head up to the Trinity. There were some epic early season egg bite days, but once the egg bite become full swing you would see 6-8 boats, and a bank angler in every fishable spot. This made for tough fishing for everyone. Despite all that, the fishing was pretty good up until early Nov, then came the fishing pressure, and the fishing definitely suffered. Now that the pressure all but disappeared, the fishing as picked up slightly, and will be looking good come the New Year,. This is also when the upper river opens. Currently the river is experiencing a bit of color, which I would call a brownish green, it is fishable at this point,, but give it a week or 2 and it will be that steelhead green that we all seek. Once this happens, this place will fish extremely well, and Ill be guiding it on a regularly daily basis. PLEASE, dont forget the salmon are done spawning now, so please try not to walk through the tailouts where are their eggs are. The winter run started to show their scales prior to storm and will continute to trickle in throughout the next few months. Want to try swinging, the Feather is definitely the place, and in about a month or so, the salmon eggs will hatch, and swinging an alevin pattern will give you that tug that we all search for. Prime time for this is the end of Jan to mid March. If you are looking to get out and learn how to fish the Feather in the winter/early spring book your trip now while prime dates are still available. If spring is your thing, book well in advance as this is my busiest time of year.
Nymphs: Princes, Caddis, Eggs, Worms, Copper Johns, Mays
Swinging: sculpins, olive streamers, flesh flies, alevins, white or olive wooly buggers
Guides Tip: Dont stay in one spot, the fish are spread throughout the entire system. Fish a spot for a while with the usual bugs, if nothing happens time to move.
American:
Clarity: Chocolate Milk
Flows: 30,000cfs and steady
I would not recommend fishing the American right now, flows are a touch over wadable level, LOL. However, we are all hoping that the flows come down to fishable levels for Jan 1st, this is when the upper river opens. We are currently booking trips after Jan 2nd for the opener. If you are looking to hook big winter steelhead and do not want to travel, this is the river for you. Steelhead pushing 15lbs are available, most averaging 6-10lbs. Personally I think the only way this river will be fishable after Jan 1, is going to be out of a boat, its still going to be pretty high. Several years back, we experienced these same flows on the American in late Dec at 30k, come Jan 1, it was down to 6k and the upper river fished extremely well. Lots of fish, only fishable from a boat, boy was it good. I am hoping for the same situation this year.
Guide Tip: Keep an eye out for this river to be good to great after the opener. Ill be fishing it as long as the flows are under 15k, yes I said 15k. The fish sit is specific areas at these flows, and if you know where to look, and how to fish for them, you can have some great fishing.
Yuba:
Clarity: Chocolate Milk
Flows: 9000cfs and dropping
Again I wouldn't recommend fishing this until the flows come down. When they do, look for the these trout to start keying in on the skwalas. With steady weather over the next few weeks, I would give the Yuba about 2 weeks before it becomes fishable again. I am already booking dates for the Skwala and March brown hatches, this is where you can not only have fun swinging for trout, but throwing dries all day as well.
 My Available Local Dates:
Jan: 10,13,14,15,30,31
Feb: 1,12,13.16-24
Mar: 16-21,23-31
My Available Trinity Dates:
Jan: 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24
Feb: 5,6,7,8,9,10,27,28
Mar: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,11,12,13,14
For future dates, please feel free to ask.
Please check out our facebook page for recent pics on recent trips.
Once again I want to thank all of you for making Nor Cal Fly Guides your go to fly fishing guide service. This was another successful year, and that wouldn't be possible without you. So thank you.
I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
Fall Fishing Report and a bit moreHey Folks
A real quick info update, if you are looking to email me please use the following email address:
This is the new email address for Nor Cal Fly Guides and I look forward to hearing from you.
On to the fishing report:
Well, over the past few weeks, the fishing in Nor Cal has really turned on. The salmon are showing up in good numbers, some are starting to spawn and you know what that means, its "EGG BITE TIME". With cooler temps to come, the fishing will only get better, which is hard to believe as the fishing is pretty darn good right now.
 Feather River
Flow: 800cfs in Low Flow
Temp: mid 50's
Clarity: Clear
The Feather has really turned on in the past week, and that's mainly due to the large push of salmon over the past few weeks. With many redds being built, and even a few salmon paired up and more salmon showing up, its only going to get better. We are seeing some quality steelhead spread throughout the Low Flow Section, and the majority of them are taking an egg imitation. While the "egg bite" isn't on fire yet, they are eating the egg on a regular basis, give it another week and the fish will be egg crazy. Over the next month, the Feather will be your local go to steelhead fishery. Its looking to be a great fall fishery. Not many available dates remain between now and the end of Nov, if you are looking to book during the egg bite, book now.
Yuba River 
Rating: Good
Flow: 800cfs
Temp: mid 50's
Clarity: Clear
The Yuba was a bit tough over the past few weeks, mostly due to the ever dropping flows. Now that the flows have settle and the fish found there new feeding lanes, the fishing has been getting better. With a few salmon starting to spawn, there is a small egg bite happening, but with more salmon on the move, and a good number still below the weir, give it another week or two and the Yuba will be in full fall swing. If you are looking to get out for a few hours, this will be your go to trout fishery for the next month or two. If you are looking too book a trip, I dont have many available dates remain between now and the end of Nov. If the egg bite is what you want, book now
 Rating: Good to Getting Better
Flows: 450cfs
Temp: low 50's
Clarity: Clear
The Trinity is really starting to pick up. I had a week of trips during mid Sept, mostly swinging, but a few nymph trips as well, and what we saw as the week progressed is that the fishing only got better. Lots of smolts to hand, but there where some bruisers hooked, landed and lost. My last guided trip yielded some good numbers of adult steelhead, as well as many fresh fish fishing moving up river through the tailouts. With cooler temps about to hit the Trinity, the fishing is about to heat up. If you are looking to do a multi day trip, this is the place to be. October and November is always a great time on the Trinity, especially if you like to swing. This is where you can not only get fish on the swing, but the water temps are still warm enough to get them swinging on top. Personally, this is the time of year I like swinging on the T. I still have a few available dates in October and November if you are looking to book a trip.
 Lower Sac
Rating: Great
Flows: 7300cfs
Temps: low 50's
Clarity: Perfect
The Lower Sac never ceases to amaze me, and its only getting better. Lots of great fishing to be had right now, some big fish battled, some battles won, some lost, but all in all, the Lower Sac is the place to be. The salmon are showing themselves all throughout the system and in due time the egg bite will be on, but this doesn't mean they wont eat them now (hint hint). I think the pre-egg bite can give an angler some great fishing before all the crowds. Just as the first few salmon show up and start redd-ing up, the trout go nuts for the thought of eggs, so I always start throwing eggs early and it flat out works. Look for the Lower Sac to get "epic" early to mid Oct, and if you are not up there, you will truly miss out. I still have a few prime dates available between now and the end of Nov, if you are looking to book, now's the time.
American River
Rating: Not Bad/Not Great-worth a look
Flows: 1500cfs
Temps: mid to upper 50's
Clarity: Perfect
Dont pass on the American quite yet, there is some ok fishing happening right now. With just a month left before the under stretch closes, this is the time to be out there fishing the American. There is always an early push of fall/winter steelhead the love to take flies on the swing, and October is the month to test that out. These fish are spread throughout the entire system, from Paradise all the way to Nimbus, and there are some bruisers cruising. Most fish are 16-22", but some fish pushing 10lbs are in as well. Like I said, great time to swing for these spunky fish, think more spring time steelhead as far as flies and where/how to target them. If swinging isnt your thing, dont worry, these fish eat nymphs like skittles. Some of the best fishing can be right before the closure on Nov 1st. Get out there now while the fishing is good.
Available Egg Bite Dates
Nov 7,8,9,10,25,26,27,28,29
Other available dates
Dec 1,2,3,4,5,15,16,17,18,19,20
Available Trinity Dates
Oct 18,21,26
Nov 16,17,21,22
Dec 9,10,11,12,13,14
For future dates, please email or call and let me know what you are interested in. Dont forget the first of the year is just around the corner. If you would like to get out in October/November, even if I dont have availability, dont worrry, just contact me with your dates, and Ill set you up with another great guide. If you have never experience the "Egg Bite" in Northern California, you owe it to yourself to come and check it out, its something that cant be explained, only experienced. With only a few days remaining, if you are looking to book a trip contact me as soon as possible. Once again thank you for all your support
I look forward to our next trip together
Good Luck and Tight Lines
Brian Clemens
PS: I have recently purchased a new phone, as my old one decided to do a hard reset on me and I lost a good number of your phone numbers. If you get a second, please email me your contact info again, that way I can updated your number. Sorry for the inconvenience, I promise this time, I will back everything up.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian Clemens
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
530-354-3740 WWW.NORCALFLYGUIDES.COM Check us out on Facebook
*Due to the high volume of bookings, Nor Cal Fly Guides is unable to hold a date(s) for more than 24hrs unless a specific agreement is made. All bookings are done on a first come first serve basis.*
June Nor Cal Fishing ReportHappy June Everyone,
Wow, where has this year gone, April was EPIC, May was here and gone with some more great fishing, now we are in June and the fishing is really good too. I know I say this a lot, but you should really be out on the water and enjoying some great fishing.
Here is your Local June Fishing Report:
Feather:
Man when things started to look dim, the Feather comes back and shines like it always does, and it continues to give us some really nice days on the water. If you want to get into some late spring and early summer run steelhead, well look no further than the Feather. We are seeing good numbers of half pounders up to 18" as well as a good handful of adults up to 26". Hooking 10 to 12 fish a day is the daily scene, and not hard to do, and if you are not careful you can hook many many more. Just recently we had a day where we hooked 20+ fish, can you say sign me up. Dont know how much longer this will last, but with the low flow at 1700cfs and running cold, salmon showing up daily, and every steelhead we hook chrome bright, it should be good to great for the month of June and well into July. As always, hottest steelhead pound per pound around, and these fish will hurt you on a 6wt.
Nymphs: Princes, Caddis, Mays, Copper Johns
Dries: Mays, Caddis
Swinging: anything soft hackle caddis imitation
Guides tip: get out now, while the getting is good
Lower Sac:
 Another hot spot right now, and if you can stand the heat, you will hook as many fish as you can handle. Most days hooking 20-25 fish is not uncommon, and hooking 30+ is not a far feat to accomplish. As far as the heat goes, a nice dip in the Lower Sac will take care of that, and keep you cool for quite some time, typically done soon after lunch, gotta wait 30 mins you know. The Lower Sac will continue to produce some awesome fishing and great catches, fish from 16-22", with some bigger fish in the mix as well. If you want to hook quantity and quality, this is the place for you. As far as how long this will last, only the fish truly know, but it will definitely be great for the month of June and July.
Nymphs: Rubber Legs, PMDs, Caddis, Mays, Eggs
Dries: Caddis and PMDs
Swinging: it can be done, tailouts are best, soft hackle caddis patterns are a must
Guides tip: same as the Feather, get out now while the getting is great
American:
The shad are in and so are the stripers, and we are hooking some great numbers of both as I type. Evening is best for the shad and in the upper stretch of the river, only problem is most anglers/guides are up there too. Most of my trips are going after stripers, getting on early and getting off by 3pm for full days, and by noon for half days. But what is really awesome, is the the striper fishing is so good, that if you dont want to get on the water super early you dont have to, but most anglers like to beat the heat. We are not seeing the huge stripers right now as they are eating the shad, but fish 5lbs and under are being hooked in great numbers. A day last week, I had a single angler that boated 50+ stripers in a full day guided trip, can you say epic. We are using 8wt rods with 350gr striper lines, just in case we hook the big one, but you could get away with a strong 6wt or slower 7wt. But I personally think the heavier line helps get that fly down, giving it a better presentation and will produce a lot more fish. Even though a lot of the fish we are landing are 16-20" fish, they still put up a great fight on the 8wt, and you will be glad you had it when you hook the big girl. As far as shad, the majority of them as well as the anglers are up top, especially in the evening, with many smaller pods of fish and anglers spread throughout the lower river. With the numbers we are seeing of stripers, I havent had the time to chase to many shad, but if you are looking to get out, now is the time.
Stripers: Grey/white, Chartreuse/white clousers. Toby's Clousers and the Sexy shad, these flies can be found at Fly Fishing Specialites
Shad: Bloody Maria, Pink Bleeder
Guides Tip: Nows the time
Yuba:
Above the Weir
This is a tough fishery right now for trout. You get a fish here and a fish there, give it some time she will be ready to go, but right now, there are better trout fisheries to be fishing. Flows are steadly coming down.
Below the Weir
Shad, shad and more shad. Great for a half day walk and way, but can be done as a full day walk and wade as well. You want to shad fish with very few people, this is the place to be. I am able to access the water at the rod and gun club, so if you are looking to get out, lets go hook some shad.
Trout: Rubber legs, caddis, mays
Shad: Bloody Maria and anything pink
Truckee:
Flows are still on the high side, and water still cold, but we are seeing to really good quality fish. The numbers are not there yet like the Truckee is know for, but what it lacks in quantity, you really do make up for quality. A few more weeks of this warm weather, and the snow run off should be done, and the fishing should turn on like a light switch, I would say by July 1, it will be in perfect shape. If you are looking to get out, whether booking a trip or just fishing, look to late June early July and on through the summer months. There is a ton of water up there, and this will be one great trout fishery throughout the summer.
Nymphs: Stones, Caddis, Mays, Worms
Dries: same as nymphs, but not worms of course
Streamers: anything big and bad, I love sculpins up there
Guides tip: when the water comes down, the green drakes, caddis and pmds will be in full force, this will be the spot in a few short weeks, and Ill be spending a lot of time up there guiding this year
There you have it folks, and as you can see, the fishing is really good right now. Its time to get out and enjoy what the talk is all about.
My Available Dates:
June: 15,16,18(morning half day),19(evening half day),20,21,27,28,29
July: 1,2,3,5,6,7,8(maybe),21,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31
August: 1-8, 23-31
For dates after September, please feel free to ask.
Multi boat trips available upon request
Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates
may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.
Trinity River Dates:
Time to start thinking about the Trinity once again, man I cant wait
September - Available upon request, mid month is best, upper stretch closes on 15th, great time of year for swinging
October 21-26
November 16-23
December 16-23
January 16-23
February 6-13,27,28
March 1-14
Multi boat trips available upon request
There you have it folks, I hope you enjoyed the recent fishing report, and I hope you are all having a great fishy year. It really is the time to get out and enjoy what Nor Cal has to offer, it is one of the best fishing seasons we have seen in almost 10 years.
I hope to see you on the water soon.
And once again, thank you for all your support.
PS: On a side note, I have been given the opportunity to guide in Alaska for a few weeks in August, from the 10th to the 21st. As of right now, those dates have been guaranteed. However, more could become available if they have a few more clients book. If you are looking to book any dates while I am up there, I will have access to a computer on a daily basis to help you with any future bookings or questions you may have. But, further more, my wife Deanna as well as my guiding partner Tom will also be able to assist you. If you happen to book any dates soon after my return, and I am still in Alaska, either Tom will take you out, or we can reschedule to a future date, which ever is best for you at the time.
PSS: Lastly, Ill be hosting a trip to Baja next year, July 24th to 28th, 2017. It will be through Baja Pirates out of La Paz. Ill be sending over the details in a few days. However, you are more than welcome to check out their site for info about them and what they offer. I will be hosting/offering my clients with a 5 day, 4 night, 3 days of fishing for $1100 (based on double occupancy), normally $1500. Again, additional info on the way. This is a great opportunity to fish Baja during peak season for Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado, Sailfish, Wahoo, and the possibility of hooking, Marlin, Rooster fish and many more. If you are interested, please feel free to email or even call me for questions.
Once again, thank you very much for making my passion a true success.
I looking forward to hearing from you all soon
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian W. Clemens
Owner/Operator
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 May 2016 Fishing Report and a bit more
Hello Fellow Anglers,
Boy, April was one crazy month, the fishing on the Lower Sac was and still is absolutely EPIC, the Feather had some great fishing at the beginning of the month, then when the word got out, the fishing tightened up a bit, but that's fishing pressure for you. With rain still coming down every now and then, and the snow pack still needing to melt, May as well as June and even the late summer months are going to be great.
Lower Sac:
 Even though its a bit of a drive, it is well worth it. I have been spending a good amount of time on this river because the fishing is almost to good to believe. Hooking 25 to 35 fish a day is the norm, with fish ranging from 16 to 26". Nymphing with rubberlegs, caddis, pmds and other mayfly patters has been the main game, but if you know the right spots you can get some fish swinging as well. Water flows are great, fishing is absolutely "EPIC" and will continue to be great for the next month or even two. If you are looking to hook a lot of fish, this is the place for you. My next few weeks looking pretty full with only a few available dates, so if you are looking to get out asap, book now. Also dont forget about fall fishing, I am already starting to book for fall trips, don't wait last minute to book your fall egg bite trip.
Feather:
Even though its not as good as it was a few weeks ago, we are still hooking 8 to 12 hook fishing a day with fish ranging from 16 to 26", not bad for steelhead fishing in my book. Nymphing of course is the main producer here, with princes, caddis and mays as the main flys, and trying worms, sucker spawns and even eggs for tougher days. Fly selection has been a bit more important the last few weeks. Swinging this time of year can be awesome, especially with the nice caddis hatches we are seeing. With flows just ramping up in the High Flow to 2k cfs, this will bring up not only the spring run salmon, but also more hot spring run steelhead that we all seek. Fishing should continue to be good, sometimes even great for the next month, maybe 6 weeks, and slowly taper off after that. Looking to hook into some sweet steelhead, this is the only place in town, and there are still some nice fish to be had. Remember, I don't have to many days remaining in May, book now before they are gone. Also, don't forget about the fall fishing on the Feather, dates are being booked now for the egg bite, dont wait to book.
American:
This is the one river that has recently surprised us. Both myself and Tom recently went out in search of Steelhead, Striper and Shad and we were pretty happy with the outcome. Now we didn't find any steelhead, but we have the Feather for that, the shad are slowly making there way in, as far up as Gristmil, but the numbers are not great yet, but if you put in your time you will get a few. Give it another week or so and shad fishing should be really good. With the nice high flows, this should be one epic shad run, nothing like hooking 20,30 even 40 fish in just a few hours, and the fight is nothing but incredible. Now lets talk about the Striper fishing. We found many willing stripers to eat our flies from 16" to 7lbs, with many grabs, some nice ones to the boat and many big ones seen swimming around. Even though its "NOT STRIPER TIME" yet, now is the time to target these bruisers on the fly before it gets to crowded. We are using 8wt rods throwing 350gr striper lines and our special clousers to get the job done. Want to get into some fishing without the drive for fish that pull like Mack trucks, look no further than the American River. Dates are already filling up in June for shad and striper trips, and with very few days in May, time to think about your next trip.
Truckee:
Quality, Quality and Quality. Thats all I have to say about that. Yes the water is a bit cooler than normal, but the flows are perfect and the big fish are on the eat. The snow melt hasn't hit yet, and I think there are a few more weeks before that happens, so get up there now while the fishing is good. Again its all about quality not quantity this year, and we are seeing some really big fish to hand, bows ranging from 16 to 22" and browns pushing upper 20"s. The numbers of fish are not there, but what we give up for numbers we truly do make up for in the quality (size) of fish. What can you do to get these fish to eat, well lets see, Nymphing, high sticking, Czech nymphing, streamers, drys, and well just about anything really. Once the snow melt happens, it will be about 3-4 weeks before its fishable again, once that comes around, this summer is going to be really really good. I plan on doing many trips up the the Truckee this year, so if you are looking to learn one of the coolest trout fisheries on the Eastern Side, this is the place for you.
Yuba:
The river is still a bit high to fish effectively. Once the flows come down to reasonable levels, look for this place to start fishing really well. But if you cant travel and want to get a few hours of fishing in, try fishing the edges with stones, caddis and mays and you should pick up a few fish. But be careful, flows are really high and I do not recommend wading. Id give this place about a month, and it should be ready for the taking.
Putah:
She has been a tough one this year, with the fire, came a lot of silt which filled in a good amount of the holding areas for these fish. If you put in your time you will get some fish, but its nothing like it was in the past few years. Its unfortunate that the fire hurt the creek this badly, but Putah is a resilient river, and I look forward to seeing how she fishes in the months to follow. As always, small caddis, mays and midges with light tippet will get you on the fish. Plan on moving around a lot to find them though.
As stated above, we are already booking fall/winter trips, and with the fishing as good as it is right now, best we have seen in years, not only will May, June and July have some great fishing, its going to be good to great through summer, fall and winter. If you are looking to book a fishing trip in the near future, over the summer or for the fall/winter fishing, look to get those prime dates now. Also I have listed my Trinity River dates as well.
Available Dates:
May 11,13,15,17(half day morning),18,19,24(half day evening),26,27,28,30
June 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,18(half day morning),19(half day evening),20,21,22,23,24,27,28,29,30
July 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31
Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates
may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.
Trinity River Available Dates:
Time to start thinking about the Trinity once again, man I cant wait
September - Depends on water conditions and requests
October 19-26
November 16-23
December 16-23
January 16-23
February 6-13,27,28
March 1-14
One of the most important things coming up in the near future for Nor Cal Fly Guides is:
That we will have a booth at the Auburn NorCal Rec Show starting May 20-22. Please make sure you come up and say hi.
There you have it folks, I really hope you are all out enjoying some of the great fishing that Northern California has to offer right now. Things are really looking up for the next few months as well as going into late summer, and even fall/winter. Its going to be great 2016 fishing season.
I hope you all enjoyed the report
As always thank you for your support
and
Looking forward to hearing and seeing you all soon
March/April 2016 Fishing ReportHello Everyone,This is the first time doing a blog, so bare with me while I get things up and running.
Well it looks like the weather has finally come in, mainly the rain and the snow, but some wind as well, and it has been dumping a bunch all throughout Nor Cal. The reservoirs are filling up fast, and things are really looking up for this years water/fishing season. The tough part with all of this is the ever fluctuating river flows, river clarity and over all fishing conditions. It hasnt given us a big number of fishing days this year, but when it has been time to get out and fish, the fishing has been good. With these rains, comes the fish, really looking forward to April, May, June and the remaining season.
American:
Currently flowing at 15k , and with more rain in the forecast, I think its only going to get higher. Folsom is over 60% full, and with that, what ever flows in must flow out. A law that was created over 30 years ago is still in place, and once Folsom reaches 60% during winter months, the flood gates open up to help with flood control. Right now this is not the place to be fishing. However, with these flows, the Spring should be phenomenal for steelhead, stripers and even shad. With that all said, I would really look into booking trips for April, May and June for the species above, and if the flows stay up, this should be one epic shad year.
Yuba:
Blown, blown and blown. Currently at 7k cfs and dropping fast, but was over 24k just a few days ago. Englebright is at 102% of full capacity, which means anything flowing in, flows straight out and over the top of the damn. With more rain in the forecast, the Yuba will be out of commission for weeks to come. I was really looking forward to fishing it this winter for the skwalas, early spring for the March Browns, but with the big blow outs this year, it really scoured the river for all those big bugs, only saw a handful of those stones in 2 months of fishing it. I am really hoping that the March Browns show their faces, only time will tell. Once these storms dissipate, look for this place to start fishing good again. April is a great time to be on the water, caddis start showing up, and the fish are still on the feed for the big March Browns.
Feather:
This has been the go to place as of recent. Clarity has been good, and flows very steady at 800cfs in the low flow. The big fish are not in yet, but with this big rain, they are sure to come soon. We have been hooking a good number of half-pounders ranging 12-20", with an occasional bigger fish. Oroville is filling up fast, it holds 2.6 million a.f. and with it currently at 2.1 million a.f. and on the rise, we should be seeing an increase in flows soon, with that, comes the big spring run fish. Look for this place to really turn on in the next few weeks and stay fishing well for at least a few months. Dont forget about the stripers, bass and salmon fishing during this time as well.
Lower Sac:
Is firing on all cylinders, and this is the place to be if you are truly looking to get out. With all the rain that has come down, and in the forecast, this is one river that will not blow out and this is where Ill be doing a good amount of my trips over the next month. Big fish are on the move, and being hooked on a daily basis, landing them is another story. You can expect to hook fish ranging from 16 to 22" all day long, with the opportunity to hook bigger fish, ones pushing 30" as well. Number of fish are tough to predict on a daily basis, but this is the time that good numbers of hooked fish happen. From now till mid May the Lower Sac is on, and its got to be the best trout fishery on the west coast. Book now for prime dates.
Trinity:
Well as much as I want to give you a great report, I cant. Its blown out, and will continue to be for the next week. However, after that it should be fishable, but dont know for how long. Fish came in early this year, and the last big storm pushed up a large number of them, then the fishing really slowed down. I still think there is one good big push of fish to come, and this storm/blow out would be the one to pull of the remain fish. Once it clears and drops, there will still be some fish in the river, just have to work for them. The fly fishing only section opens April 1st, this is one place worth giving a shot.
Putah Creek:
When things clear up, about a week after this next heavy rain, and it will be a pretty steelhead green and will be the place to get your wade on. The fish are done spawning and its time to hit the creek once again. Great place to hone your skills, and become a better angler all around, and no better way to learn it that with an experienced guide. Putah Creek is one hot spot during the spring.
Truckee:
Once the river flows drop a bit more, but mainly once the river clears up this will be another hot spot as well. Right now flows are 1000cfs at Floriston, 900cfs at boca, and 200cfs though town, give it a week to recover, and the river should be a steelhead green and I would definitely recommend hitting it. Just like Putah, another great place to hone your skills, and no better way to learn it that with an experience guide.
Even though the fishing conditions are a bit tough right now, give it a week or so and we will be good to go. The nice thing about all this rain, is all this water will only help us get out of the drought, and give us a great opportunity for some awesome fishing for time to come. As stated in my reports, most rivers should come into play in the next week or so, so keep a close eye out for those.
Here are my available dates
March Nothing available right now
April 2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,25,26,28,29,30
May 1-14,16-19,22-28,30,31
For dates past May please dont hesitate to ask.
Also due to the addition of a second guide, additional dates
may be available. Please inquire if none of the dates above work for you.
I am trying to book a few days on the Lower Sac for anyone interested
They are as follows
April Lower Sac Dates 14,17,18,21 maybe 22
Great time to be on the lower sac
Book while they are still available
I hope you enjoyed the report, I know it isnt much, but there are a few areas to fish, and right now its all about the near future. Get those spring trips on the books, not just for steelhead and trout, but for stripers, shad and even salmon.
Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions you may have, and I hope to have the opportunity to fish with you soon.
Thank you in advance
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT
Brian W. Clemens
Owner/Operator
NOR CAL FLY GUIDES
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http://norcalflyguides.blogspot.com/
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