The Lower Sac on 12/13

THERE ARE TROUT TO BE CAUGHT THIS WINTER!

I had a last minute guide trip today. I got a call at 3PM yesterday afternoon asking if I could guide the Lower Sac this morning. I agreed and was pleasantly surprised by our day out on the water. We boated close to 30 rainbows between the Posse grounds and Sac RV Park. It is safe to say that the Lower Sac is in its full winter trend with fish eating eggs and small mayflies. The hot bugs today were 10M beads,size 18 gidgets, and size 16 Hogan's Red Headed Step Child. I hope that you guys have noticed from my posts that I catch a lot of fish on Hogan's bugs. If you start trying them out on your favorite waters I am sure that you will be pleasantly surprised. I know Hogan's bugs have saved my butt more than once.

Give me a call if you get the winter blues. There is no reason to go into hibernation this winter with the ample amount of opportunities on the Lower Sac and the Yuba. For those of you interested in fishing this winter if you book 2 trips between Jan.1-March 15 then I am going to give you a third for free within the same time period. If you want weekend dates then you need to call now because there are several people taking advantage of this winter special.

Tight Lines & Merry Christmas!

The Lower Sac 11/30 & 12/1

Well winter time has struck the Lower Sac. Friday and Saturday this week was clear and cold. Both days when I met my clients the temperature was in the 20s and it warmed to the high 40s. That is really chilly for the Lower Sac! It usually does not get that cold in Redding. The fish were sluggish due to the cold weather and they only wanted to eat during the warmest part of the day. Most of the fish we caught came between the hours of 11AM - 3PM. The mornings and the afternoons were slow as the sun got lower in the sky.

Friday I floated from Anderson down to Barge Hole hoping to catch some rainbows and possibly a steelhead. By the end of the day we had landed 20 rainbows and 1 small adult steelhead. Most of the fish were caught in the slower flats on a size 16 Hogan's S&M nymph. Actually 17 of the 20 rainbows we landed came on Hogan's bug. Thank God for that dude. The one steelhead we caught came right at the Deschutes Bridge in lower Anderson.

Saturday I decided to float from Bonnyview down to Balls Ferry. I was pleasantly surprised to find the fish above Anderson still looking for eggs. I wonder if that was due to the fish not seeing a lot of pressure the last 3-4 weeks? Only a handful of reds actually had any salmon on them but the trout still wanted those beads. It was a little crazy because we were catching fish in the flats on egg patterns in the morning. In total we ended up landing 25 rainbows with the biggest going 19''. One thing that did surprise me today was that we only caught a couple of fish on Hogan's S&M nymph. I guess that shows you how fast fish can change their diets over night.

For those of you interested in doing some winter fishing on the Lower Sac or Yuba give me a call. I have several availabilities for January and February. Actually this last year my best day was in February on the Lower Sac when no one else was out on the river. Tell those wives and girlfriends that for Christmas you want to go fishing with Ryan. Tight Lines and Merry Christmas!

The Lower Sac on 11/17

I had the chance to take John and Eric Roesser on the Red Bluff to Los Molinos drift. The morning started out extremely slow but as the weather got warmer the fish started responding better. By the end of the day we managed to boat about 20 trout and two smaller adult steelhead. Eric definitely out-fished his father today by catching both of the steelhead and about half of the trout. I should also say congratulations to Eric for landing his first adult steelhead on a fly rod. For freshwater fly fishing there isn't much better than a steelhead on a fly. That is quite an accomplishment. For those of you interested in fishing the Lower Sac I several availabities over the next couple of months. Remind those wives that guided fly fishing trips make AWESOME Christmas presents. Tight Lines!

The Feather on 11/15 - 11/16 & 11/19

I had the opportunity to guide the Feather three days last weekend. This was a cool handful of days for me because I had three first steelhead caught on flies this weekend. Catching your first steelhead on a fly rod is truely a memorable experience. I can remeber my first steelhead as though it was yesterday. My first steelhead was a 31'' buck caught out of the American River on my 5 weight. Now that was one heck of a battle.
For the Feather to improve over the next several weeks we need rain to push some new fish up into the system. Most of the days we hooked three adults and about 10 half pounders. As we get later into the month expect another push of fish with some truely large fish showing up. This is the time of year where only the die hards will be out there. The number of hookups is going to go down but the payoff with some big fish is more than worth it. Egg patterns should continue to work as long as there are a handful of salmon in the system. Along with eggs try san juan worms, olive birds nest, and flashback pheasant tails. The Feather will probably continue to fish for about another week or two. For those of you interested on doing a late trip to the Feather I am available on Thursday, November 29 and Sunday, December 2. Happy Thanksgiving and Tight Lines.

The Feather on 11/15 - 11/19

I had the pleasure to guide the Feather this whole last weekend. It seemed that the river has slowed a bit from last week. Most days this weekend we were hooking between 2-3 adults with about 8-10 half pounders mixed in. One surprising thing is that there are still quite a few fresh salmon showing up in the river. It seems if you can find a couple of fresh salmon making reds then you can find a few steelhead sitting behind them. Most of the guys who guide the river think that the Feather will continue to fish for the next couple of weeks. The exciting part about having a handful of salmon still in the river this time of year is that the biggest fish of the year tend to show up in early December and they will be still eating eggs. So for those of you dedicated steelhead fishermen keep fishing and you may be rewarded with some big steelies at the end of the season. If you are interested in doing some late season steelhead fishing then give me a call. I am available November 27 and 29. Tight Lines and BIG Steelhead.

The Feather on 11/8 - 11/12

I was on the Feather River this whole last weekend. The feather is starting to see a nice push of steelhead coming up. It seems as though we have been averaging about 4-6 adults a day with about 8-10 half pounders mixed in. This year is really setting up like last year where the adults we are hooking are big for the Feather. The average size of the fish this year has been about 23'' and we are hooking a couple fish from 25-27'' everyday. On Sunday my clients hooked 6 adults and 4 of them were between 26-28''. Those big fish on the Feather are pissed off and one of them took a client of mine on Friday about 30 yards into his backing. Hardly ever do you see a fish take backing on the Feather. It seems like we are catching half of our fish on eggs and the other half on bugs. So if you go up there try throwing both. I know you guys must be getting sick of seeing Steelhead Steve on the blog but the dude catches big fish that need to be showed off. So don't hate the guide who puts Steelhead Steve into the fish hate the man who gets the chance to land them. To tell you the truth I am actually jealous my self. The dude has caught more steelhead with me this fall than I have since February. I guess that is the pleasure of guiding. It is still awesome seeing those steelhead jump and rip off line. Steelhead fishing is absolutely addicting!

For those of you interested in Fishing the Feather I have two openings this coming week. I am available on Sunday November 18 and Tuesday November 20. Give me a call if you want to do some steelhead fishing. Tight Lines and BIG Fish!

Red Bluff on 11/2 & 11/3

This last Friday and Saturday I decided to float from Red Bluff down to Los Molinos in hopes to get my clients some trout fishing and hopefully run into a couple steelhead. The fishing on Friday was average with about 25 rainbows hooked and no steelhead. The hot bugs down there were eggs, rubberlegs, golden stones, and amber wing princes. I am starting to grow a hate love relationship with this section of the Lower Sac. Last year this drift was extremely predictable and everyday you would expect to hook 1-2 big adult steelhead. This year has been a different story. The trout fishing has definitely improved but the steelhead have not been showing themselves very frequently.

Saturday was a very interesting day. Going into the last spot of the day we had only boated 3 rainbows!!! It was like all of the trout in the whole river went on vacation and decided that they were not going to eat. However we were able to salvage the day when in the last spot we landed a 24'' buck and a 26'' hen. Both steelhead were extremely pissed off and made screaming runs and huge jumps across the river. So I don't know to call Saturday a good day or not? I will let you be the judge. Personally I would rather catch 1 adult steelhead over 30-40 trout any day. There is something truly addicting about steelhead fishing. For you trout purists you gotta try this fish. You land a big steelhead and you will find yourself shopping for a 7 weight. Tight Lines and good luck with the steelhead season that is now upon us.

The Feather on 11/1 & 11/4

I had the chance to guide the Feather on Thursday and Sunday this week. It is nice to start guiding closer to home again. Guiding the Feather cuts my commute by a good 2 hours each day. We all love a little extra time at the end of our days. Thursday I had the opportunity to guide Steelhead Steve and Bill from Napa. We had a successful day with 6 adults and 10 half pounders hooked. The two adults that we landed were 22'' and 26.5''. A couple of the adult steelhead we lost we also very large. For those of you that don't fish the Feather a lot anything over 25'' on that river is a BIG fish. I must admit that Steve definitely has the mojo with big fish on the trips he does with me. All of our fish today came on an egg, pheasant tail, or birds nest.

Sunday I guided the Feather for a half day of fishing. We started fishing around 8:30 and were off the water at 1:30. For the half day trip I decided to just float the high flow from Outlet down to Palm. The pressure down in High Flow was quite significant. We ended up boating 2 adults and 4 half pounders. So a pretty average day out on the Feather. The best part of the day was that my clients originally had booked a full day and they informed me this morning that they had to be off early. So I got paid for a full day of work but only had to work a half day.

Give me a call if you want to fish the Feather in a couple of weeks. I still have November 17 & 18 available. This should be prime time on the Feather.

The Lower Sac on 10/25 - 10/26 & 10/28

The Lower Sac was up and down this weekend. On Thursday I floated from Bonnyview to Balls Ferry and EGG BITE was good in the morning. Once we got below Anderson the fish turned on to bugs. The hot bugs lately have been beads, flashback pheasant tails, amber wing princes, and big rubber legs. At the end of the day we boated 40 trout and landed two clipped steelhead. A great day on the Lower Sac. However when I went out on Friday it was not the same story.

Friday the wind was blowing 15-20 mph all day long and it was extremely hard to get a drift on some of the flats. What has been really surprising this fall is how well some of the flats have fished. Typically the flats do not hold lots of fish this time of year because all of the trout are stacked on the salmon reds. The Sac is fishing more like the spring than it is October. Friday we only boated 10 trout but had many more opportunities. I honestly feel that the wind dramatically affected the fishing.

Sunday the fishing went back to normal on the Sac. I decided to float from the RV park down to Barge Hole hoping to stay away from the crowds. The decision payed off and we never saw another boat all day long. It was nice to be able to take my time in all of the runs without having to worry about someone in the next hole. Today we ended up boating 24 rainbows. Even though this number is about average for the Sac it actually is a good day when you consider one of the anglers only fished half of the day. The fish would not touch an egg today and the hot bugs ended up being the flashback pheasant tail, amber wing prince, and Hogan's S&M.

I hope everyone is getting some fishing in. Are YOU ready for Steelhead Season?

The Feather on 10/22 & 10/27

I had the opportunity to fish the Feather twice this week. Tuesday I went out with a friend to get a little fishing in for my self. I must admit it was nice to be out there and not have the pressure of catching fish. Just two guys hanging out doing some addicting steelheading. For those of you who have not gone steelhead fishing or have done only a little of it you have no idea how cool it is to catch big fish. Steelhead make trout seem like guppies at times. Tuesday was a great day on the Feather and we ended up hooking 5 adults and 10 half pounders.

On Saturday I guided my father on the Feather and there was a little more pressure than on Tuesday and the fishing suffered slightly. My dad hooked 1 adult and 9 halfpounders. Even though we didn't find nearly the number of adults I still consider that a fairly successful day on the Feather.

If any of you are interested in fishing the Feather next month I still have two prime dates open. I am still available the weekend before Thanksgiving on November 17 & 18. If you want to get a little steelhead fishing in then give me a call.

The Lower Sac 10/18 - 10/21

The Egg Bite has slowed down a whole lot from last week on the Lower Sac. There have been no fresh salmon showing up to keep those trout on eggs. Most of the salmon reds on the river have very few salmon cutting spawning beds and this leads to minimal trout eating eggs. Actually this weekend the middle of the river fished better than the top. Saturday and Sunday saw very effective trout fishing between Anderson and Barge Hole. Currently the Lower Sac is fishing more like the Spring rather than the third week of October. The trout are eating a variety of flies from big rubberlegs, eggs, and pheasant tails. What was the most surprising this last weekend was how well some of the flats fished. For those of you who fish the Sac you know that the flats can fish extremely well in the Spring and Summer but Fall is the time to find fish in the faster water. Well that assumption might not hold unless some new salmon show up to get the trout all jacked up on eggs again. Everyone keep their fingers crossed!

One really cool thing that happened this last weekend was that a client of mine caught a steelhead just below the bonnyview riffle. Prior to that trip the highest I had ever caught a steelhead on the Lower Sac was Deschutes Bridge which is a good 10 miles downstream. Well at least I think it is a steelhead. It looks like one and fought like one but you be the judge from the picture above. Give me a call if you want to do some steelheading on the Feather this November. I have a few availabilities still left.

Tight Lines and Big Steelhead!!

The Lower Sac 10/11-10/14

The EGG BITE continues to be extremely good on the Lower Sac. Thursday and Friday I floated from Posse Grounds down to Sac RV. Thursday the fishing was solid and we ended up boating 30+ rainbows on different shades of beads. Lately the rainbows have been keying in on the lighter pink/peach colors. It seems as though the trout are shying away from the oranges so far this year, but I am sure that will change when more salmon enter the river later this month. Friday was an epic day on the river with Steve G. and Jessie W. from Napa and we boated 50 rainbows. In the first riffle alone we had 14 fish. I absolutely love starts like that out of the gate because it gets all of your clients amped up for the rest of the day. On both Thursday and Friday the morning time proved more productive than the afternoon.

Saturday and Sunday Steve G. and Jason D. from Napa decided to roll the dice and go down to Red Bluff chasing steelhead and trout. Saturday was another epic day and the most fun I have had guiding in the last year. Everything went well beyond my expectations. Going into the day I thought we would land 15 rainbows and hook 1 adult steelhead. However the day proved to be much more successful than that. We ended up hooking 40+ rainbows and 2 adult steelies. The steelhead we landed measured out at 27'' and was my personal best landed on the lower river. I have hooked fish much larger than that down there but every time they manage to get away. I must admit that Steve G. has the mojo for those lower fish and this is the second year in row that he has caught some big fish down in Red Bluff. So he has officially been nicknamed STEELHEAD STEVE. I think its got a good ring to it. Jason hooked the second steelhead and got three very impressive jumps and runs out of it before it found a snag in the middle of the river. From the looks of the fish I would have estimated it at about 25''. Hooking those two steelhead has gotten me amped up for the steelie fishing that awaits in the next month.

Sunday was a different story on the lower river. It went from epic to extremely tough. I dont know why the river changed because the weather was the same and the flows were only slightly altered by 300cfs (not significant enough to change the fishing dramatically). At the end of the day we had boated 16 trout with 5 of those fish being clipped juvenile half pound steelhead. Two of the half pounders were extremely hot and went 19''. So the day wasn't a complete bust but a disappointment after the day before. The good news is that it is only going to be getting better as we get later into the month. Get ready because the steelhead are starting to show up on the Lower Sac.

If you are interested in fishing this fishery I still have November 1st available. This is going to be prime time for big steelhead on the lower river. Dont miss out on my only availability for the next 5 weeks.

Tight Lines and Big Fish!

The Lower Sac 10/5 - 10/7

THE LOWER SAC EGG BITE HAS BEGUN!

I had the opportunity to go chase after some steelhead from Red Bluff down to Los Molinos on Friday. The wind down there was a little nasty with gusts up to the high teens throughout the entire day. In some sections it was hard to get natural drifts but it didn't seem to effect the fishing. We didn't hook any steelhead but we did manage to hook about 25 trout. The trout fishing last year consisted of lots of small guys (8-10 inches) but it seems as though those fish fattened up and most of the ones we caught on Friday were 16-17 inches. Any day now the steelhead will start showing up in good numbers. I have an availability on November 1 if you are interested in trying your luck with some of these extremely large pissed off steelies. Another option on November 1 is to go hit the end of the egg bite up in Redding. Give me a call if you are interested in either opportunity. This is truly a special time of year on the Sac.

On Saturday and Sunday I fished the Sac from Posse Grounds down to Sac RV. Saturday the egg bite was decent and we boated 30+ rainbows on beads and nymphs. Sunday was considerably better and we boated 40+ rainbows on beads. Traditionally the last weekend of September and the first of October is a transitional phase on the Sac where the trout go from eating bugs to eggs. On Saturday we caught about 8 fish on nymphs and Sunday we only got 4 using bugs. So as you can see the egg is becoming more of the focus point for the trout and it is only going to get stronger as more salmon show up. For those of you guys coming up in the next couple of weeks expect good things. You gotta love the EGG BITE! If you haven't experienced it then it should be on your list of things to do. Tight Lines & Painted Beads!!!!

The Lower Sac on 9/29

I had a half day guide trip on the Lower Sac this last Saturady. My clients and I fished from 1:00PM to 6:00PM. I took a gamble and decided to fish from Posse grounds down to Bonnyview. The gamble payed off because the fish on the top end of the river are already eating eggs. However I must admit that the river is still in that transition period where fish are starting to eat eggs and at the same time focusing on the nymph. For the first couple of hours the fish absolutely munched the eggs. As it got closer to the evening time they all switched to eating tan caddis pupahs. The afternoon proved to be very productive with 16 trout landed and several more lost. These Lower Sac rainbows sure did fatten up this summer. All of the fish were big and thick!

I had a couple of cancellations this week for Thursday and Friday if you want to get on the first of the egg bite on the Lower Sac or Yuba. Both should be good options for the next month. Get time off because this is the month that you want to fish Northern California!!!!! Just about any river turns on this time of year. Tight Lines!

The Yuba River on 9/27 & 28

I had the opportunity to guide the Yuba on Thursday and Friday last week. It was nice to be back on the Yuba. I wish all of the trout that I guided were as strong as those Yuba River rainbows. The Yuba bows are hands down the strongest fighting trout that I have ever seen caught. Every fish you hook fights until the very end and they make huge screaming runs. The Yuba rainbows fight just like juvenile steelhead.

The fishing on both days was good. Thursday we hooked 17 trout. Friday we hooked 21 trout. On both days the afternoon proved to be more effective. The fish were all over the board on what they wanted to eat. It seemed as though eggs and caddis were the best two options. However my clients caught fish on a size 16 Hogan's S&M nymph, 14 tan fox pupah, 18 olive fox pupah, 8 Kaufman Stone, 18 black micromay, and 14 tan birdsnest.

If you want to get a chance to fish this awesome river then you need to give me a call ASAP because my fall is running out of room. I hope you are ready for the egg bite because it is only days away from blowing up!!!!!!

Putah Creek 9/21-22/2007

I had the opportunity to fish Putah Creek on Friday and Saturday this week. Friday I went down early to pre-fish the creek to check out the current conditions and water flows. The creek fished extremely well! I hooked 30+ rainbows in about 8 hours of fishing. I only hooked on good fish around 17''. The majority of the fish were between 8''-10''. I had a lot of fun experimenting with flies and exploring some new water. Some of the best flies were Hogan's PMD nymph, Bernie's Wonderbra, and a black/olive zebra midge. Even with the fishing being great, the best part of the day was when I took about 30 minutes in the afternoon and just relaxed on the edge of the river bank. The weather was beautiful and the river tranquil. I could really feel God's presence around me. I love those God moments.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to guide Mark and Jeff from San Diego. I need to thank Off the Hook Destination Travel for the business over the last year and for directing Mark and Jeff my direction. If you are interested in booking a trip to some of the best fly fishing water in the world then you need to check out their link on my website. The fishing on Saturday was solid, but not quite as good as the day prior. We hooked 22 rainbows in about 7 hours of fishing. Like Friday most of the rainbows were little guys. Actually the best fish we landed on Saturday was 13''. However, there were a couple of big fish that we hooked that managed to get off of those little bugs. The hot bug today was again Bernie's Wonderbra, Hogan's PMD nymph, and black/olive zebra midge.

Give me a call if you are interested in fishing this diamond in the ruff. If you are a big fish hunter or want to refine your nymphing technique then Putah Creek is the place for you. I have a few availabilities left next week and in the middle of November.

Putah Creek 9/13/2007

I had the opportunity to fish Putah Creek this afternoon with Jarrett Black. The flows on the creek were at 400 cfs and this made for lots of roll casting opportunities. Putah Creek sure does test your fly fishing game with difficult casting and small flies. The hot bugs today were a size 18 zebra midge, 18 biot baetis, and 20 pheasant tail. The fishing was good and we hooked around 20 rainbows. We hooked 4 pigs on the creek, but due to the small flies were only able to land 1 nice 18'' bow. The fishing on the creek should remain good for the next couple of months. We are coming into prime time for Putah. Give me a call if you want the challenge of catching big rainbows on small flies.

The South Fork 8/10 - 8/16

The South Fork continues to be on and off. For the most part of this week I have focused on the Canyon. The Canyon has been fishing fairly consistent with a hopper dropper setup. The Franken hopper has been catching some large fish, and the Lightning Bug has been getting the average fish. Each day we have had opportunities at some big fish. Actually almost every day this week we hooked a 20'' fish. It seems as though the trout are more willing to rise in the morning, and then the afternoon sees more success from the dropper. At this point I will take them anyway we can get them. The weather this week did not help either. Most of the week saw strong winds between 15-30 mph. All of us fly fisherman of course love the wind.

I fished the upper one time this week. It was the first time I have fished the upper river since the first week the lodge opened. The fishing in the morning was good, but the afternoon was warm and we were forced to do some nymphing. I could feel my blood boil when I tied on the indicator. I kept thinking, I cannot believe that I am nyphing in Idaho. But to tell you the truth we caught several nice rainbows on a size 14 copper bob.

I am getting excited to go home. Only two more days of guiding in Idaho, and then my wife and I go back to Chico to start school and guiding on all of those California rivers. Give me a call if you want to get in on the Lower Sac this October, because the space is already filling up.

The South Fork 8/2 - 8/8

The South Fork was hit and miss this week depending on the day you were on the water. We saw the end of the golden stone fly hatch, and the beginning of hopper season. The lower sections of the river are getting extremely warm and the fish are getting sluggish and not responding to our flies. Most of the action this week was in the canyon and upper sections of the river. Most days saw about and average of 30 fish caught each day.

I had a few exciting events that happened in the last seven days on the water. The first was when a guide bet was put up by the clients. The Walker group put up $150 for grabs between three different guides for the biggest fish landed. I was lucky enough to have the fish landed in my boat. The winning fish was a nice 18'' rainbow. The other exciting event happened on the same day as I won the $150. One of my clients caught a tagged fish, but unlucky for me the tag was not worth any money.

I am only going to be out here in Idaho for the next week and a half, so if you want to get a shot to get in on some insane hopper fishing on the South Fork then you need to give me a call. For all of you guys out in California I will be doing trips on the Sac, Yuba, and Putah starting the first of September. I look forward to seeing all of you soon. TIGHT LINES!

The South Fork 7/29 - 7/30

I had a good couple of days fishing the South Fork with two very mature kids named Ben (11) and David (13). I was extremely impressed with their up beat attitude, and willingness to try really hard to get their flies in the right place. The first day they hung in there and both caught some fish. The second day was even better, and both did significantly better than the first day. Actually on the second day, Ben caught a 16'' Cutthroat and David got a 18'' Rainbow. Not to bad for a few youngsters. The hot flies for the two days were the Chubby Chernobyl and the infamous Lightning Bug.

These two young men have completely changed my attitude toward guiding and kids. Even though I had taken kids before, Ben and Davida are truly special. I look forward to fishing with them again in the future. I think we all learned a few things from each other. Give me a call if you are interested in doing a trip down the South Fork.

The South Fork 7/24 - 26

The South Fork has stayed in its mid summer trend. The fish are becoming very wise these days. It is probably because most of them have been hooked several times over. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want my lip ripped up a bunch of times either. So on hot and clear days they are being extremely cautious and coming up and looking at our flies but mostly refusing them. However on Tuesday the weather was cloudy and rainy and every fish in the river was blowing up on our bugs. The trend of good fishing on cloudy days and tougher fishing on sunny days is continuing. Come on rain!

All three days I fished from the Heise Bridge down to Lorenzo. Tuesday the fishing was awesome and we caught lots of fish under the cloudy wet conditions. Wednesday the fishing was average and we boated 21 trout under sunny condition. Thursday it was really tough and we landed about 10 under super hot conditions. One cool thing about Thursday though is that one angler got the South Fork Slam. The guy caught a cutthroat, rainbow, and brown all in the same day. This has only happened to me a few times since I have been here.

Well if you are interested in coming out and giving this river a try I am not going to be here much longer. So you need to start making arrangements because I will be going back to Northern California in less than a month. Come on out and do some insane dry fly fishing with me.

The South Fork 7/12 - 7/21

The South Fork has gone from red hot to very tough in the last week and a half. The first part of last week there was a huge resurgence of Golden Stones, and the lower part of the river turned on fire. The trout were gorging themselves on any golden pattern that floated past them. This hatch was much more impressive than the Salmon Flies, and my clients were getting tons of opportunities at fish.

There were a couple of memorable moments that happened this week. The first was when this woman named Robin caught her first fish on a fly rod. This in itself is exciting, but it becomes even more exciting when the fish she caught was a 20'' brown. I guess when your first fish is big one it is all down hill from there. I should also say Congratulations to Robin on her recent wedding to her husband Scott. I hope God blesses your marriage for many years to come. So within 4 days Robin caught herself a husband and a 20'' brown. Now that is a pretty darn good week.

The other memorable moment was when Gordon from South Carolina caught two browns at the same time. He had a 12'' brown eat his dry and a 10'' brown eat his dropper. I had only seen this one other time in the 12 years I have been fly fishing. It caught us all by surprise.

Since then though the weather has gotten extremely hot and clear, and this warm weather has dramatically affected the dry fly fishing. So the last couple of days have seen an increase in the number of fish eating the nymphs. Most of the guides on the staff have said that it is going to be tough on clear days, but if you can manage to land on a cloudy day the dry fly fishing should be insane. Golden Stones and Hoppers should continue to work for the next several weeks. Give me a call if you are in the area and you want a chance to fish the South Fork. I will be out here in Idaho for the next month!

The South Fork 7/1 - 7/11

The South Fork is continuing to see the large hatches of PMD's and Golden Stones. It has been so nice to be able to throw dry flies everyday I am on the river. I must admit though that the fish are becoming very smart because of the heavy pressure they are receiving. Most of the trout in the riffles are taking emerging mayfly patterns. Thank God for my buddy Hogan Brown (check out his bugs on the Idylewild site), because he has hooked me up with a California pattern that is continually fooling big fish. If it were not for that fly I would be getting my butt kicked. Hopefully this one particular PMD emerger continues to work, and the fish don't wise up to it.

The banks have continued to fish well also with big Chernobyl Ants. So for the most part of the day we are throwing big dries down the bank, and for a couple of hours we are throwing the small bugs on the riffles. If you have a chance come on out fish the South Fork. The river is a true gem in the state of Idaho.

The South Fork 6/25 - 6/29

I had a busy week on the South Fork last week. The fishing was great. All five days I focused on the river from Cottonwood down to Lorenzo. The lower sections of the river has been holding the larger golden stones and yellow sallies. So we are getting the fish to look up at big Chernobyl Ant patterns. The middle of the day has also been terrific as the PMDS have been coming off from 11:00 to about 2:00. This is a great time to be out on the river. This was a fun week for me. If you have any interest in checking out the South Fork you should give me a call.

Carrie and Joe Roche from Sonoma came out and fished the river three days this week. The last day Carrie ended the trip with a great bang. We stopped on this riffle where we saw a few fish rising. The first cast resulted in a 16'' brown that came out of twelve inches of water. The third cast resulted in a 19'' brown that was laid up in five inches of water. The fish was so shallow it was like sight fishing to bonefish on the flats in Mexico. I was so fired up for her. After we landed the second fish, the next cast resulted in an 18'' brown that was pissed off. It was a great 5 minutes. I am absolutely in love with this river. Every fly fisherman and women should experience this dry fly paradise.

The South Fork on 6/17/07

Once again I took out Brady and Casey from Seattle on the South Fork, and it was absolutely brutal. The wind blew about 25 miles an hour all day long and made it extremely difficult on two new fly fisherman. We tried to get away from the wind on the Wolf to Twin Bridges float, but it blew down there also. Amidst the large breeze we boated 16 trout. We hooked something really big that we never saw, and we landed a healthy 18'' brown. I am starting to see a little trend starting on the Snake. It seems like almost every day a person can find an 18'' trout, but it seems like those bigger fish don't reveal themselves as easily. All of the other guides keep telling me when the salmon flies come out, so do all of the big fish. I can't wait for that. Give me a call to get on the river during the Salmon Fly Hatch.

The South Fork on 6/16/07

Today I fished with Brady and Casey from Seattle. The two of them combined had a total of three days of fly fishing experience. They were out here for a couple of days with their parents on a fly fishing get away. We decided to float the top section of the South Fork from Irwin down to Conant. Needless to say the fishing up in the top section was not quite as good as the bottom, but we still ended up boating 19 trout. However the white fish bite was wide open. I could make a lot of money if I was given a dollar for every white fish I catch in the top section. Even with all of the white fish, Casey caught a nice 18'' rainbow and a 20'' cutthroat on Lightning bugs in the afternoon. The hot bug today was the 14 BH Lightning bug tied by Orvis on the scud hook. Any day now the Salmon Flies are going to start popping. Give me a call if you want to get in on the action.

The South Fork on 6/15/07

God blessed me again today on the South Fork. I had the opportunity to guide Paul and Dick from Jackson on the Heise to Lorenzo drift today. The weather was a nice 80 degrees on the river. We ended up boating 22 trout today, and we could have gotten several more if it wasn't for a little miscommunication between me and my clients. My clients told me that they had to be off the water at 5:00. So I was planning on being at the boat launch about that time. But what they meant is that had to be back to the Lodge by 5:00. Since they had to get back to the Lodge, the last three miles of the day I spent rowing like a mad man down the river. Next time I will know better distinguish between the boat launch and the Lodge. The hot bugs today was a 14BH Lightning bug and a 14 tan San Juan Worm. Give me a call to come check out the South Fork this summer.

The South Fork on 6/14/07

Well I had my first day of guiding on the South Fork, and it was a success. I had two guests that were on their 38th wedding anniversary. I hope that when I have my 38th I will be fishing some where in the world. That is a really cool thing that I hope Bonnie and I can enjoy someday. In today's world 38 years of marriage is becoming a rarity. Congratulations to Pete and Sandy. We boated a variety of 24 trout today including brown, rainbow, and cutthroat. We didn't hook any monsters today, but we did manage to get three browns that were about 16 inches long. We are about a week away from this river turning on fire. Give me a call if you want a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish the salmon fly hatch!

The Blackfoot River on 6/10/07

So I went and checked out a new river that I have never fished that the Lodge guides. But I guess they only do a couple trips a year down it. The Blackfoot is about an hour from the house, and when we got there we found out that there was only a foot of visibility in the river. The river was really off color, so one could say that the fishing was not stellar by any means. Even with tons of Caddis and PMD's coming off there were no fish coming up. At the end of the day I had caught three fish, but all three were quality rainbows. I have never seen such an obese trout in my life. Make sure to check out the picture because it is funny how overfeed these trout are. The rainbows almost look like juvenile steelhead. I hope all of you are doing well, and I look forward to fishing with some of you soon.

The South Fork on 6/8/2007

I fished the South Fork by myself today. I floated from Cottonwood down to Byington. The fishing was awesome until about 4:00. I had close to 40+ hookups by myself, and I landed 7 trout that went 16 inches. The best part of the day was when I stopped and waded one particular riffle. The first cast resulted in a 16'' brown. The second cast resulted in a 16'' hybrid. The third cast resulted in a 16'' cutthroat. Now that is probably the best three casts that I have ever made. I think God was smiling on me. The top bugs today was a motor oil streamer and a size 8 rubberlegs.

There were a few challenges today. One it is very difficult to row a drift boat and cast at the same time, but I figured it out and didn't run into any logs or bushes. The other challenge hit about 4:00 when a thunder storm pounded me with rain for the last two hours of the day. I should have known better to pack my waders, but in the morning it was clear so I left them in the truck. Here I am rowing down the river in a torrential downpour in my board shorts and sandals. Come out to Idaho to get a chance to fish this phenomenal fishery.

The South Fork on 6/6/07

AWESOME!!!! This is the only word that I can explain the streamer fishing I had today on the South Fork from Heise to Lorenzo. I had the opportunity to fish with Pat, another guide from the Lodge, and we had a great day. We probably hooked 40+ fish on streamers. The top streamers were a black motor oil and a JJ. There is truly nothing better than a streamer grab. We hooked about 4 fish that went 18''. However I am still looking for that pig that I know this river has in it. Give me a call if you want to get in on some of this streamer fishing before it is over. I am getting pumped up for the Salmon Fly hatch. It should be here by the second or third week of June. If you don't want to streamer fish, the nymphing has also been very productive. I would try a brown rubberleg with some mayfly imitation trailing behind it. Hope you get a chance to fish this trout river this summer.

The South Fork on 6/3/2007

Well this is the fourth time I have been on the South Fork this week. Today I had the opportunity to float down the river with two other guides from the Lodge. Mike and Pat graciously showed me the Byington to Lorenzo float. This is one long ass float! The float took the entire day and we covered 15 miles of river. I must admit that I am a big fan of this lower river. This stretch has numerous braids and back channels that could take a guy a long time to figure out. All day we threw streamers in the riffles and on the banks. The fishing was good and we hooked 20+ trout on streamers. The biggest fish we got today was a 16'' brown. The hot streamer was a black woolly bugger with rubber legs. It seemed like every little drop off had a fish waiting to strike at our streamers. Give me a call to come fish the famous Salmon Fly Hatch on this world renown river. If you have never fished HUGE Salmon fly patterns then you need to get out here in a couple of weeks. Don't miss out on the biggest dry fly known to the west!

The South Fork on 6/1/07

Today was the third day in the row for me to row my dad down the South Fork. I guess I am paying back my dad for all of those days he took me fishing when I was a kid. All of those tangles are starting to even out. I guess I have about 20 more years to go. We decided to do a different section today. The two of us floated the bottom end of the canyon from Cottonwood down to Byington. Needless to say the fishing down there is much better now! At the end of the day we boated 30+ trout. The majority of the fish we caught today were smaller browns and cutthroat. However my dad got an awesome 18'' brown on a big ugly streamer. The brown went nuts when it was hooked. It was jumping and running all over the place. The river down in this section is awesome. There are tons of side channels and riffles all over the place. I look forward to doing this one again soon! Give me a call to get on this remarkable river. If you don't give this river a shot you are truly missing out.

The South Fork on 5/31/07

My dad and I decided to float the South Fork again today. Rather than doing the long float we did yesterday (15 miles), we decided to float from the Lodge down to Conant (10 miles).The flows dropped to 14,000 last night, so some of the spots fished a little better today. At the end of the day we had boated 17 trout. Today we focused a little harder on trying to get some of the larger fish to grab streamers, and it proved successful. I had one of the best streamer grabs I have ever had in my entire fly fishing career. I was throwing this 4 inch streamer on the bank, and as soon as the fly hit the water this 19'' brown exploded on it. It looked like a largemouth bass devouring a top water bait. Needless to say that I was pretty fired up about the grab. My dad also had a successful day. He landed a 18'' hybrid and cutthroat. The hybrid took a little prince nymph under an indicator, and the cutthroat grabbed a streamer. I felt much more successful today, and the float was much more manageable when compared to the one yesterday. Give me a call to come and fish the South Fork. This is a river you need to fish before you die!!!

The South Fork on 5/30/07

Well it is about time that I got out on the South Fork. On Wednesday the river finally dropped enough for my father and I to go check it out. Since the flow was still at 15,000 CFS there were sections of the river that were still blowing pretty good. We decided to float from Palisades Dam down to Conant. The fishing was a little tough and we boated a dozen trout. Most of the day we spent throwing streamers down the banks and nymphing the riffles. Nymphing proved much more successful. Even with the slower day my dad got on nice rainbow that went 18''. The hot bugs were a size 8 rubber legs and 14 lightning bug. Give me a call if you want to come check out the big hatches of stone flies that are only a few weeks away.

The Salt River on Memorial Day

Well I am still waiting for the South Fork to drop to get out there and learn a few things. The good news is that it is dropping about 1,000 CFS every night. So tomorrow it should be bout time to get out there.

I decided to go float the Salt River with my wife and father on Memorial Day. We floated a section of river that I have never been on before, and what a learning lesson it was. We floated from the town of Grover to the Auburn Bridge. I thought we were doing a half day float because the drift is only four road miles. However those 4 road miles ended up being like 8 river miles. I have never seen a section of river in my entire of life that had as many twists and turns as the Salt. There were sections in the river that made complete "U" turns.

Anyways the fishing was a little slow, but still awesome since all we did was throw big streamers. The is really nothing better than a streamer grab for a decent size Brown or Cutthroat. In total we had about 10 grabs, with the biggest fish going about 17''. I love not having to throw indicators all day long. It is finally nice to do something different. Give me a call if you want to come and check out these true trout rivers.

The Salt River 5/23/2007

Well now that I am finally out here to guide the South Fork it is about time I start doing some fishing. One big problem though the South Fork is blown out and flowing at 20,000 cfs. That is a lot of water for a tailwater fishery. The good news though is that it should be fishable by mid next week.

Since the South Fork is unfishable, I decided to go spend some time on one of my favorite rivers in the world. The Salt River is a small wandering river that fishes like a spring creek. However when I went and checked it out there was probably only three feet of visibility. Good for me the fish in the Salt like streamers. The fishing was a little slow, but still managed to get a dozen grabs on big streamers in about four hours. I must admit fishing streamers is a little more fun than watching an indicator floating down the river. This is going to be one great summer! I cant wait for all of the adventures God has in line for Bonnie and I. Give me a call if you want to come out to dry fly and streamer heaven.

A Change of Pace & A New Home for the Summer

For those of you that don't know. I have headed out to guide in Idaho for the summer. For the next three months I will be throwing streamers and dries on the waters of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. The main water I have come to guide is the South Fork of the Snake River. Check out my web page for additional information on this amazing river. The South Fork is one of the best rivers I have ever fished. If you have not tried it then you need to make a point to get out here. Give me a call to book a day for the famous Salmon Fly Hatch.

The Lower Sac on 5/16/2007

The Lower Sac was a lot of fun today. However to be honest I was actually surprised with the good fishing, due to the fact that the water authorities lowered the flows 2,000 cfs over night. I guided Brian and Bill from Sacramento, and I once again floated from Anderson down to Barge Hole. In total we landed 35+ rainbows, and lost probably another 20. The hot bugs today was a size 12BH Golden Stone, 6 Brown Rubberlegs, and a 14BH Pheasant Tail. I only have a couple of days left before I leave for Idaho, but if you want any prime dates for the fall you should book soon. I already have half of my available days booked. Tight Lines!

The Lower Feather on 3/5/2007

I had the opportunity to guide Will from Phoenix on the Lower Feather. If you like to hook hot pissed off steelhead in May, then get out on the Feather before it is over. Guiding was a lot of fun for me today. The first part of the day I took Will up to wade around the hatchery. We hooked 3 huge spring steelies in about 3 hours of wading. Needless to say that these big fish kicked Will's butt up and down the river. There is nothing better than watching a 7-8lb fish rip off 100 feet of backing in a matter of seconds. Yet all three fish won the battle and ended up coming off. The second part of the day we floated the Low Flow section. Floating through Low Flow we hooked 1 more adult around 22'' and 4 half pounders. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent conditions for this late in the spring. I look forward to doing it again soon. Give me a call if you want the prime dates for next year's fall run of steelhead on the Feather.

The Feather on 4/29/2007

This weekend has been a great adventure for my clients from New Mexico. They have come to Northern California to fish three different rivers in three days. So on their last day we decided to float the Lower Feather in hopes to run into a few spring steelhead. We hooked 9 springers today. The first part of the day we spent wading the top section near the hatchery, and while we were up there one of my clients hooked a monster fish for the spring. As soon as this adult steelie was hooked it immediately ripped off 70 feet of backing and started jumping and rolling around. I was fired up, because this fish did not act like most Feather fish. This steelhead reminded me of the fish that you hook when you are chasing the grey ghost on the coast. Well as any good fish story goes, my client fought the fish all the way to the net. The fish made one last surge and the hook pulled out of his mouth. I'm pretty sure the guy from New Mexico will be coming back to renew that memory real soon. Steelheading is just plain addicting!! The rest of the day we continued to hook 8 more fish. 7 of them were half pounders, and 1 small adult. The hot bugs were a size 14 San Juan Worm & 16 BH redheaded prince. Give me a call if you want to get on some late steelhead action on the Feather.

The Lower Yuba on 4/28/2007

Today I had the opportunity to head out toward Marysville to guide the Yuba. I was really excited to guide this morning due to the anticipation of throwing some dry flies. Well my anticipation was disappointed when I got out on the river. There were no bugs coming off on the Yuba. So I was forced to another day of fishing indicators in deep water. The entire day I only saw one fish rise. What a bummer especially when you come to the Yuba to get your shots at throwing dry flies. Well with the lack of bugs the Yuba fished extremely tough. We hooked 8 really nice rainbows on the float from highway 20 down to Sycamore RV Park. All of the fish came on a size 18 biot baetis. It was nice to float on a different river today. Give me a call if you want to go out on the Yuba to throw some dries, and hopefully when you come out the bug life will cooperate.

The Lower Sac on 4/27/2007

Another successful day on the Lower Sac. This river is a special place! The Sac is like a machine, almost any day of the year a person can hook 25+ fish. We truly have a gem that we can fish every day of the year. Today I had the opportunity to guide Gary and Jeff from Santa Fe, New Mexico. I decided to do the same float as yesterday, and it was a great call. Anderson River Park to Barge Hole has really been fishing well lately. This morning I had a little advantage over the other guides due to the fact that I knew they were going to eat that pheasant tail with all of the caddis coming off. We ended up landing 35+ rainbows, and we got one really nice fish that went 21''. It seemed like the flats fished extremely well today. Give me a call to get on some great fishing on the Lower Sac in May.

The Lower Sac on 4/26/2007

I had the opportunity to guide Jim & Steve from the Bay Area. The weather was beautiful today. It was a nice 80 degrees with blue bird skies. I decided to take the guys from Anderson River Park down to the Barge Hole. The fishing was a little slow this morning. It took me about two hours to figure out what the fish wanted. There were caddis popping all over the place, but they would not eat any of the caddis patterns that I was having my clients use. It ended up that they wanted to eat a size 14 BH Pheasant Tail. I guess sometimes the fish dictate to you what they want to eat. So those trout aren't as stupid as they look. We ended up putting 25+ fish in the boat, and hooking many more than that. The hot bugs today were a size 14 BH pheasant tail & a 14BH copper bob. Book now if you want to get a chance to fish with me before I leave for Idaho this summer.

The Lower Sac On 4/20 & 4/21

I had the opportunity to guide Rik and Jerry from walnut creek this last Friday and Saturday. Jerry and Rik are good clients of mine who know how to fish and have a good time. It is always enjoyable to have those guys up.

Friday the weather was great! Clear skies and a nice 75 degrees. I once again decided to float from Anderson River Park to the Barge Hole. The fishing this morning also started out a little slow. By lunch we only had 10 fish to the net, but by the end of the day we had landed 30+ rainbows. Not to bad of a day on the Lower Sac. There was a nice caddis hatch that came off around 2:00 that really helped out the fishing. The hot bugs today were the size 12BH Twenty Incher, 12BH Golden Stone, 14BH CDC Prince, and 14 Tan Fox Pupah.

Saturday the weather was miserable! I have not seen such a drastic change in weather for a long time. It rained steady with the wind blowing between 10-20MPH all day long. What a crazy day to be out on the water. Needless to say that the fishing was much like the weather. CRAPPY! I decided to float from Bonnyview down to Balls Ferry. By the end of the day we boated 17 rainbows and probably lost 6 others. So we did get a few fish to play with us, but it was not as good as it has been for the last three weeks. The hot bugs today was a size 14BH Pheasant Tail and a 14 Tan Fox Pupah.

Give me a call if you want to get on some northern California fishing action before I leave for Idaho on May 22. Not to long here and I will be throwing dry flies in Idaho for the entire summer.

The Lower Sac on 4/19/2007

I had the opportunity to fish the Lower Sac with Nancy and Kent from Sacramento today. It rained on us for the first three hours or so, and then it decided to clear up for the afternoon. We had a great day on the river considering the skill level of the anglers today. Nancy had only been fly fishing a couple of times in her life, and Kent had little experience with fly fishing on rivers. In order to get away from the crowds I decided to float from Anderson River Park to the Barge Hole. The morning was a little slow, but the fishing picked up in the afternoon with the warmer weather. We ended up boating 21 rainbows and hooking many more than that. The hot bugs today were size 12BH Twenty Inchers, 12BH Golden Stones, and 14 Tan Fox Pupah. Give me a call if you want to get on some fly fishing in May.

The Lower Sac on 4/14 & 15/2007

I had the chance to row Steve and Brian from the Sweeny's Hosted Trip this weekend. The start of the weekend was not looking good due to the forecast of rain for Saturday and wind for Sunday. I decided to show them the Anderson River Park to Barge hole drift on Saturday. The rain was a little miserable until about noon, and then it started to clear up in the afternoon. The fishing was good with the two guys landing 40+ rainbows. The prime spots tended to be the faster water today. We were only able to scratch a handful of fish off of the flats. The hot bug for the morning was a size 12BH Twenty Incher & the fished turned onto a size 14BH Copper Bob in the afternoon. I was fairly proud of myself since I was able to hang with one of the most veteran guides on the river that day.

Sunday had much different weather patterns. The first part of the day was brutal with a steady 20MPH BREEZE! It is pretty difficult to get a dead drift when the wind is blowing like that. In addition the wind keeps all of the bugs from coming off. You put those two variables together and it makes for a nasty fishing equation. In hopes to be able to hide from the wind I decided to float from Bonnyview down to Balls Ferry. For the first three hours of fishing we had 3 fish in the boat. But lucky for us the wind started to die down around lunch time. By the end of the day we boated 30+ fish with a couple of fish around the 18'' mark. It was a successful day considering the way the weather started out. The hot bugs today were the size 14 tan fox pupah & 14BH flashback pheasant tail.

If you are interested in trying the Lower Sac or the Yuba in May I still have a handful of availabilities. Check out my website for my contact information.

The Lower Sac on 4/7/2007

I had the chance to guide my dad and my friend Jarrett on the Lower Sac. It is always extremely enjoyable when I get the chance to go out on the river with the people I love and not have a lot of pressure to perform. We had a relaxing day floating from Anderson River Park down to Barge Hole. The fishing was a lot of fun. Actually I got to catch a fish today, so I was fairly excited. We boated 40 fish with most of the rainbows running between 12-14 inches. The clay banks were loaded with fish, so we spent a large portion of the day high sticking the faster water. The most successful fly today was a size 12BH Twenty Incher. Check out my website if you want any additional information on the rivers I guide.

The Lower Sac on 4/6/2007

I had the chance to guide Tom and Bob from Sacramento on the Lower Sac. It was extremely warm in Redding for the first part of April. With the 90 degree weather I thought that the bug life was going to be thick, but the big hatches seem to be over. However, today I saw caddis, pmds, golden stones, and midges coming off. We caught fish on all kinds of different patterns, including king princes, tan poopahs, cdc princes, pheasant tails, iron sallies, and 20 inchers. I decided to float from Bonnyview down to Balls Ferry. The fishing was fairly consistent and we hooked 40+ rainbows, but it seemed that most of the fish were hanging out in the faster water today. Give me a call to get in on the action. There isn't many rivers where you can consistently hook tons of rainbows almost any day of the year.

The Feather on 4/5/2007

I had the opportunity to guide the Feather today with Dave and Doug from San Diego. The weather was a nice 75 degrees, and the steelhead were extremely active. The steelhead fishing would have been really good if it wasn't for all of the people out on the river. I was actually quite surprised by the amount of people on a Thursday. For the day we hooked 7 springers, but that was pretty good since I was unable to fish 3 of the best spring runs on the Low Flow Section. The flies that proved the most successful were the 16BH Dirty Bird, 16BH Birds Nest, and yellow micro spawn. Give me a call if you want to check out this spring steelhead fishery. The fishing should stay consistent for the next month.

The Lower Sac on 3/31/2007

I had the opportunity to guide Chuck and Denny from Sacramento on the Lower Sac. I decided to float from Anderson River Park down to Barge Hole. The fishing in the morning was a little slow. By lunch time we only had 12 fish hooked, but by the end of the day we had hooked 40+ fish. The afternoon bite is continuing to persist through the early part of this spring. It was nice to have the flows up to 6500. All of the clay banks had enough water on them to actually start holding some fish. The clays should only get better as the water continues to increase. The hot bugs today were size 12BH 20 incher stone, yellow sucker spawn, and 14 tan fox's poopah. I am practically booked full for the month of April (excluding April 22), but give me a call if you want to get in on the action in early to mid May. Check out my website for contact information.

The Lower Sac on 3/25/2007

Today was one of the hardest days I have had on the Lower Sac in several months. The water resource people decided to jump the flows from 4800 CFS to 5800 CFS overnight. One thing about the Lower Sac fish is that they do not like change. Drastic water changes or even drastic weather can put the bite off for a day or so. So from the start I knew that it was going to be tough out there. I had the same clients both on Saturday and Sunday, so I decided to do another float to show them some new water. I decided to float from Sac RV down to Balls Ferry. I had to do a shorter float because my clients had to be off the water by 3:45 PM. We started fishing around 9AM, and by 2:30PM we had only hooked 3 fish. I guess you could officially say the fish freaked out. However from 2:30 until we took off the fishing was fantastic. In the last hour of fishing we hooked 14 rainbows, and got one pig that went 22''. A 22'' rainbow below Anderson is a HUGE fish! At 2:30 it was like God turned the feeding light switch on. For the conditions I was very happy. Not to often do I get fired up by only hooking 17 rainbows, but on a day like today it felt like an accomplishment. I wonder if we would have done a full day if the fish would have continued to eat? Anyways, the hot bug today was a 14 tan fox's pupah. Give me a call to get in on the Spring Caddis action, and hopefully the day you come up they wont mess with the water flows!

The Lower Sac on 3/24/2007

I had the opportunity to fish with Denny and Richard on the Lower Sac. The boat traffic is getting heavier each week as people are trying to get in on the big caddis hatches. The caddis hatches have been very sporadic of the last couple weeks, and the trend has been a total afternoon bite. The weather was very nice today with the temperature in the mid 70s. I decided to do another split float from Bonnyview down to Sac RV in the morning, and then Posse Grounds to Bonnyview in the afternoon. The fishing was fantastic! We hooked 50+ rainbows today, and we got one toad of a fish that went 21.5''. By the time we had gotten to Sac RV we had probably hooked 30, and then we got the other 20 rainbows in the afternoon. The hot bugs that proved successful today were 16 zug bugs and 16 Hogan's S&M. Give me a call if you are interested in trying out the Lower Sac during the spring time.

The Lower Sac on 3/22/2007

I had the opportunity to fish with Brian and Terry from the Granite Bay Fly Fishers Club. I was extremely worried about the wind forcast, especially since I had gotten my butt kicked by it on Wednesday. So I decided to do a split float. The morning we floated from Bonnyview down to Sac RV, and then in the afternoon we floated Posse Grounds down to Bonnyview. I thought that possibly staying in the top section of the river we might be able to stay out of the wind. The morning started off with 20MPH northern wind gusts, but by the end of the day it was extremely calm. Its crazy what a couple hours difference can make. The morning fished a litte tough with all of the wind. It is not easy to get a real good drift when the wind is trying to push you down river. By the time we were pulling off at RV we had hooked 20+ rainbows, and in the afternoon we hooked an additional 20+ rainbows. Not to bad of a day considering the weather forecasts. The hot bugs today were a 16BH CDC Prince, 18BH Amber Wing Prince, and a 16BH Hogan's S&M nymph. You need to call know if you want to book a handful of the days I have left this spring.

The Lower Sac on 3/21/2007

Fished the Lower Sac today with David Hughes and his father-in-law Ed. David Hughes is the guy who created my website, and he is extremely talented at his profession. You can find his email information at the bottom of my website. The wind was absolutely brutal on the river. It was blowing about 15MPH all day long, and getting a decent drift was extremely difficult. We did manage to land 15 rainbows, and got on nice 19'' fish. Hopefully the weather is going to be better tomorrow. The hot bugs were 14BH CDC Prince and 16 Zug Bug. Book now if you want a day of fly fishing on the Lower Sac this spring.

The Lower Sac on 3/19/2007

Fished the Lower Sac with my beautiful wife and Greg from Sweenys Sports in Napa. The weather was once again beautiful. This spring is really starting to pan out very nicely. However the fishing was a little more difficult today. We only had 8 fish in the boat by 2:00PM, but by the end of the day we ended up with 30+. It was like a light switched was turned on about 2:30, and all of the fish in the river decided to eat. We also managed to raise three rainbows on dries. The bugs that proved successful today was 16BH King Prince, 14BH CDC Prince, and 16 Zug Bug. Check out my webpage for additional info and contact information.

The Lower Sac on 3/17/2007

Today, I had a large group trip on the Lower Sac through Sac River Outfitters. I decided to float from Bonnyview down to Balls Ferry. The weather was beautiful for mid May. In Redding it was 85 degrees with blue bird skies. I thought the caddis hatch was going to be huge with the nice weather, but they only came off from 1:30 to 3:00. Even with the short hatch, the fish were still eating the nymphs extremely well. From Bonnyview down to Anderson River Park the hot bugs were a 16bh king prince and 16 zug bug. Below Anderson the fish switched to a size 12 twenty incher stone. In total we landed 39 rainbows, and we only lost 7 fish. I was very proud of my clients for barely losing any fish. Not a bad day for their first time to ever fish the Sac. Its time to book now if you want those few days that I still have available in April and May.

The Lower Sac on 3/10/2007

I had the opportunity to row my dad and one of our close family friends on the Lower Sac. When I pulled up to the boat launch I was afraid that I had chosen the wrong drift. In total there were eight boats putting in at Bonnyview. Luckily for me they were all doing a long drift all the way down to Balls Ferry, and I was only going to Anderson. This drift is getting a little repetitive for me, but it is holding lots of fish. So I ended slowing up at first to let everyone get out in front of me. By the time I got to the Porky Pig riffle everyone was out of sight, and I had the rest of the drift to myself. We had a great day hooking 35+ rainbows with many in the 16''- 18'' range. The weather was perfect with sunshine and a nice 70 degrees. I think Spring is here, and the caddis are loving it. The bugs really didn't get going until about 11AM, but once they were coming off in good numbers the fish started eating really well. From 11AM to 3PM the fishing was stupid good. If you want the opportunity to throw dry flies now is the time to go to the Sac. Check out my website for more informaiton on this incredible tailwater fishery. Space is filling up for the spring madness on the Sac!

The Feather on 3/7/2007

I went looking for the first signs of the half pounder run on the Feather. I got to the river around 2:00PM and stayed until 5:30PM. The fishing had gone better than last week. Plus I didn't fall in this time, so I was much warmer. Today I hooked 3 half pounders, and one very surprising wild adult. The adult was a chromed out 22'' wild fish. The spots that proved the most successful were Robinsons and Matthews. Three of the fish came on 14BH King Princes, and one fish on a 14BH Prince. The fishing should improve over the next two weeks. Check out my website if you want more information about booking a trip to catch these fiesty juevinille steelies.

The Lower Sac on 3/4/2007

The Lower Sac was epic. One of the biggest caddis hatches I have seen in a long time came off in the nice 70 degree weather. The caddis were popping so thick that it looked like it was snowing all day long. I had the pleasure of fishing with my cousin Erica and her husband Bryan. Today was their first day of fly fishing, and what a first day they had. We hooked 40+ rainbows and there were quite a few fish between 17''-19''. I once again decided to float from Bonnyview down to Anderson River Park. The Sac did not fish well for the first two hours, but after about 10AM the fishing turned on for the rest of the day. The hot bugs were 16BH King Prince and 16BH Amber Wing Prince. If you want to get in on the huge caddis hatches of March and April you need to book now. Check out my website for additional information.

The Feather on 2/28/2007

Went searching for some early spring half pounders today on the Feather. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the water, because I fell in and was soaking wet. I probably had 3 gallons of water inside my waders, and it was cold out there. Anyways, I got to the river around 2PM and stayed until 4PM. Fished Shithouse and Matthew riffles, and never hooked a fish. Tried caddis stuff, mayfly patterns, san juans, alevins, etc. You name it and I tried it. The fish are just not in yet. A couple more weeks and we should start to see the first run of the half pounders on the Feather. Check out my webpage if you are intertested in catching juvenille steelhead in March and April on a 5 weight!!

The Lower Sac on 2/23/2007

Had the opporutunity to guide the Lower Sac again. Today I floated from Posse Grounds to Anderson River Park. The morning started out chilly and cloudy, but by mid day the sun was out. The fishing was pretty consistent all day long, even though the bug activity was limited. Throughout the day I saw a handful baetis and march brown mayflies, and limited caddis action. We hooked a total of 31 rainbows. The best flies were 10M beads, 16 bh pheasant tails, and size 14 amber wing princes. Check out my webpage if you want to book a trip for the caddis hatches of March and April.

The Lower Sac on 2/20/2007

Had the opportunity to guide Lance and Rose from Redondo Beach (LA COUNTY)on the Lower Sac. Once again I floated from Bonnyview to Anderson River Park. The river changed drastically in two days. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees from Saturday, and there was absolutely no bug activity. It was cold and the wind was blowing all day. Lucky for me it was only a half day guided trip. With the lack of the bug activity, the fish were once again eating 10M beads, but we also picked up quite a few on size 18 copper johns. In total we hooked 24 rainbows in about 5 hours. Check out my webpage for additional information and bookings for the spring caddis hatch.

The Lower Sac on 2/17/2007

Today I had the opportunity to row my beautiful wife and our good friends Mike and Carrie from OFF THE HOOK DESTINATION TRAVEL. We once again put in at Bonnyview and floated down to Anderson River Park. The fishing and weather was drastically different than last week. It was 75 degrees on the water. I cant believe it is February! The caddis liked the warmer weather and they were coming off all day long. The most productive flies today proved to be a size 14 amber wing prince and a 18 copper john. Compared to last week it seemed as thougth the fish are truely keyed on bugs again. Get ready for the big caddis hatches in March and April. Check out my website at the bottom of the page for additional information.

The Lower Sac on 2/9/2007

Today I guided the Lower Sac with Steve G. from Napa. We had an incredible day floating from Bonnyview down to Anderson River Park. The weather was pretty nasty with rain all day long, but there was a nice baetis hatch that came off around 1:00PM. Even with all of the mayflies flying around they still wanted to eat eggs. We boated 40+ fish and lost numerous others. The main patterns that proved to be successful were 10M beads and size 16 BH pheasant tails. If you are interested in booking a guided trip then you can find my web page with additional information at the bottom of the page.

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