In California, fishing for steelhead usually brings to mind jade-green rivers flowing oceanward through canyons of dark redwoods enshrouded in mist. It’s a coastal scene as emblematic of fly fishing in our state as a tumbling trout stream framed by the granitic peaks of the Sierra Nevada or the volcanic cones of the southern Cascade range.
But there’s another set of steelhead rivers in California where the only redwoods are likely an occasional fog-starved ornamental in the yard of a nearby tract home and where the Sierra is far closer than at the coast and in fact forms most of their headwaters. These are the rivers that flow down the mountains and into the Central Valley. One of them is the American, and it runs through a number of suburban communities before bisecting our capitol city, Sacramento, where it joins the Sacramento River.
The River and the Fish
Folsom Dam, built where the north and south forks of the American River come together, was completed in 1955 as part of the Central Valley Water Project, a federal initiative to provide hydroelectric power and water for municipal and agricultural purposes, and also to prevent floods. During the same period, a second dam, Nimbus, was built downstream from Folsom Dam to provide additional hydropower to the Sacramento area and to regulate flows from Folsom Dam. Although the economic and public-safety benefits deriving from these two dams are obvious, they prevented the American River’s salmon and steelhead from reaching 125 miles of upstream spawning habitat.
To remedy this loss, the California Department of Fish and Game, in conjunction with the United Sates Bureau of Reclamation, which manages both the Folsom and Nimbus dams, built the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. The hatchery spawns and raises salmon and steelhead that are then planted in the American River below Nimbus Dam.
The first steelhead that were spawned in the Nimbus Fish Hatchery were fish from the Coleman Hatchery, located on Battle Creek outside the small California community of Anderson. However, for many years now the Nimbus hatchery has instead been spawning an Eel River steelhead strain for the American. When they return from the ocean, these fish are much larger than typical valley river steelhead. The average mature American River steelhead will weigh in the 7-to-12-pound range, with some reaching up to 15 pounds, if not larger. They are winter-run fish, entering the American River in September, usually intending to spawn in January, and then leaving the river system in late February or early March. When in the river, they eat a variety of aquatic foods, including insects, smaller fish, and perhaps most pertinently for anglers, salmon eggs.
The 23-mile length of the American River from its confluence with the Sacramento up to Nimbus Dam is open to public access via the American River Parkway. It’s an extraordinary recreational amenity that runs along both sides of the river channel and offers 15 public parks that provide parking for visitors (for a fee) and that are connected via a paved bike trail. The parkway makes reaching the river very easy. But it’s also in an area that is urbanized, so don’t leave anything in your vehicle that others might covet. I do this everywhere I fish. It’s just good common sense. And if you arrive at a particular stretch and feel it’s too crowded with anglers, simply move to another area. Explore the map that is provided in this article.
Although you can fish this entire length of the American River from its confluence with the Sacramento River to the Nimbus Dam for steelhead during the winter, much of it is difficult to fish well with fly gear, although low flows will open more areas for fly fishing. The optimal approach is to seek the places where salmon spawn, because steelhead will hold near the salmon redds, the depressions formed by spawning salmon, waiting for the delivery of salmon eggs and other food items dislodged by the activity of the salmon. The salmon redds are most easily found and accessed in the upper reaches of the American below Nimbus, from the US Geological Survey gauging station cable to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District powerline located at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park. This area includes Sailor Bar, the Sunrise Recreation Area, Sacramento Bar, and Rossmoor Bar. It is closed from November 1 through December 31 to allow spawning salmon and steelhead to reach the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and reopens for angling on January 1. Sailor Bar and the Sunrise Recreation Area are two of the best-known and popular areas to fly fish for winter steelhead on the American River, and below, I’ll discuss both and how to fish them.
Nymphing and Swinging
The character of the water at Sailor Bar and in the Sunrise Recreation Area determines how to fish it. The river is best suited for both nymphing and swinging flies. The nymphing water flows at about the same speed that a person can run and is three to six feet deep or more. Nymphing water usually is a riffle or a run, and the most productive water tends to be downstream from where salmon have made their redds. When sweeping the gravel to form their redds, the salmon dislodge nymphs of all kinds, which the steelhead wait for downstream, along with any errant salmon eggs. To nymph-fish for the steelhead, you can either dead-drift nymphs and egg patterns under an indicator, alone or in a multifly rig, or high-stick the same flies on a taut line. Stonefly, mayfly, caddis, and egg imitations all work. One of my go-to nymphs on the American River is an Eng’s Theng, size 12. Wayne Eng designed this fly for the upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers in Northern California, but I’ve had good luck with it when nymph-fishing for the American’s winter steelhead. (To tie Eng’s Theng, see page 27.)
The swinging water typically is located below the nymphing water — flows three to five feet deep with a slower current, jogging speed, not running speed. Cast from 50 to 70 feet straight across the river or slightly downstream and let the line and fly swing across until it is straight below you and parallel to the river’s bank. Fish in this water usually will travel as far as 7 to 10 feet to eat a swung fly. However, they usually are a little more selective than fish in the nymphing water, because they have time to inspect what they see, while in the nymphing water, the fish have to commit rapidly, due to the speed of the current. Consequently, fly selection matters more for swung flies. And the fly must be presented at the same depth in the water column as the fish or slightly above them, because they are looking up and might not see flies that are presented below them. For swinging flies, I like Comets, Clouser Minnows and Egg-Sucking Bunny Leeches — black or purple on dark overcast days and lighter flies in white or yellow on sunny winter days. I always fish flies that have contrasting colors, such as a Comet with a black bucktail tail and an orange hackle or a Comet with a yellow bucktail tail and a black hackle. They don’t blend into the background and are more easily seen than a drab, one-color fly. (To tie a Comet, see page 27.)
Whether I’m nymphing or swinging, I make three to four casts in one area and then take four or five steps downstream and cast again, repeating the process, until I fish my way down the water. This covers more water quickly and methodically.
There almost certainly will be other anglers on the river, some who will be using fly gear and some who will be using conventional tackle. A basic rule for fly fishers is to give plenty of room for other anglers to fish. Because fly fishers tend to move downstream when they fish for steelhead on the American, another rule is not to “low-hole” another angler, that is, don’t move in below someone who is nymphing or swinging flies. Before getting in the water, it’s wise to watch how other anglers are behaving.
Here’s how to access Sailor Bar and the Sunrise Recreation Area and how to find the nymphing and swinging water. Driving directions assume you are arriving via Highway 50, which roughly parallels the river here.
Sailor Bar
The access road to Sailor Bar is from Illinois Avenue. Once you cross the Hazel Avenue bridge heading north, take a left on Winding Way, follow Winding Way to Illinois Avenue, and then take a left. Illinois Avenue will take you right into the main parking lot. At the main parking lot there are restrooms, picnic areas, and the farthest upstream boat ramp.
Sailor Bar is split into two different sections, upper Sailor Bar and lower Sailor Bar. The upper Sailor Bar fishing area is upstream from the parking lot. Once you walk out to the river through the cobble and scattered willows, you will see the riffle. On the opposite side of the river (the south side) is the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. The upper Sailor Bar riffle starts at the tailout right below the US Geological Survey gauging station cable. Fishing upstream of that cable is prohibited. The riffle is three to five feet deep, with a running-speed current that extends approximately three hundred yards. This is good nymphing water, and right below the riffle is a good stretch to swing flies.
Lower Sailor Bar is easily seen downstream of upper Sailor Bar. There is a trail that you can walk to access the lower riffle. Alternatively, when coming down Illinois Avenue, on your right-hand side you will see a parking area for a small pond. The next large pull-out/parking lot is the trailhead for the lower Sailor Bar riffle. Park there, and in the southwest corner of the parking lot you will see an opening in the fence. That is the trailhead. The trail crosses mining tailings and goes through big oak trees. It brings you to the river where the lower riffle starts.
The large tailout from upper Sailor Bar can hold hundreds of salmon redds. Across and slightly downriver, you will see an island. Downstream from the salmon redds, between the bank you are standing on and the island, is the lower Sailor Bar riffle. I usually wade across the river at the tailout where all the salmon redds are, arcing above the redds to avoid them (stay out of the redds!) in order to wade over to the island. The lower Sailor Bar riffle at the top is good nymphing water, three to six feet deep with a heavy current. The nymphing water continues for approximately two hundred feet and then turns into swinging water. You can only fish from the island back to the main north bank where the trail you walked down ended, because the north-side bank of the river at lower Sailor Bar riffle is choked with willows and small trees.
The Sunrise Recreation Area
The Sunrise Recreation Area access is similar to the Sailor Bar access area, as it is split into the upper Sunrise and lower Sunrise riffles. The access road to the recreation area is on the northbound lane of Sunrise Boulevard as it approaches the Sunrise bridge. Turn right off of Sunrise Boulevard onto the street called S Bridge Street. A right on this road will take you straight into the upper recreation area at a large parking lot with restrooms and a boat launch area directly to the north. There will be a road that heads upstream on your right and a road that heads downstream to your left. To access the upper Sunrise Riffle, turn right and continue for approximately three-quarters of a mile to a parking lot on the right-hand side. That is the top of the riffle. Park and walk north until you get to the river, approximately one hundred yards.
An island splits the river at the upper riffle. Looking upstream, you will see a large tailout and the island and the south channel directly in front of you. When the river has higher flows, the south channel is full of salmon redds — a natural hatchery. When wading across it, be mindful to stay away from of the salmon redds. Once you get onto the island, walk upstream to the north side of the island. There you will find the nymphing water. There are multiple channels of current in this area, surrounded by cobble shelves. The steelhead hold throughout this area. Fly fishers must wade safely and stealthily, as well as being cautious of the salmon redds. The multiple currents flow together at the bottom of the nymphing water and into the swinging water. This swinging water is deeper than the normal three to five feet. There are some deeper bowls that range in depth from 10 to 12 feet. These bowls hold fish.
To get to the lower Sunrise Riffle, turn left at the junction of the large parking lot and boat ramp area and travel under the Sunrise Boulevard bridge, then continue on the road until you come to an intersection and a stop sign. Turn right and travel down the road until it dead-ends at the lower riffle parking area. The parking area is on the south side of the bike/hiking trail, and the river is on the north side of the small park. At the park, you will find old oak trees with a green lawn and restrooms. It is a quiet area in which to relax. The trailhead to access the river is located through the upstream section of the park and is a short walk to the river. Once you get to the river, you will come to a shallow channel, and the main river will be on the opposite side of the long, eye-shaped island. The nymphing water is on the upstream side of the island. The flows there are quite quick. The nymphing water runs approximately two hundred feet, and the swinging water runs for approximately another three hundred feet after that.
Gear for the Lower American’s Steelhead
On the American, I recommend that fly fishers use a switch rod, because it can fish nymphing (indicator and high-stick) and swinging rigs. I like a switch rod rated for a 6-weight or 7-weight line. Remember, American River steelhead fish are large, and they are no slouch when it comes to the fight. If you don’t have a switch rod, a standard 9-foot or 10-foot 6-weight to 8-weight fast-action rod with a stiff butt section is a good choice. Some fly fishers on the American use only Spey rods. How to do so would be a whole article in itself. Suffice it to say, if you’re a Spey fanatic, you can have fun on the American.
All of the tactics and rigging are the same for either a switch or standard rod. And whether a switch or standard rod, the reel is loaded with a floating line — Scandi, Skagit, or Chucker for the former, and a standard weight-forward line for the latter.
Often, I don’t nymph using an indicator on this river. I prefer high-stick nymphing on a taut line. If I’m high-sticking with the switch rod, I attach a floating polyleader to my fly line, which gives extra distance and helps with mending. To the polyleader, I loop-to-loop 7-1/2 feet of 2X fluorocarbon or monofilament. To the end of this leader I’ll tie a size 12 barrel swivel, from which I run an 18-to-24-inch piece of 2X fluorocarbon tippet to an egg pattern. I like using beads for my eggs, although you could use a Glo Bug. I like a fresh, vibrant, hot color such as salmon egg or steelhead orange. To the bend of the egg pattern, I tie 18 to 24 inches of 3X fluorocarbon and then a size 12 Eng Theng. I place split shot for weight above the barrel swivel. I usually use a size SSG split shot and raise or lower my rod to keep the split shot right on the bottom. It’s a great rush hooking a steelhead only a few feet from you.
If I’m high-sticking with a standard fly rod, I use the same setup, but without the polyleader. I also don’t use a polyleader when fishing the switch rod with a Chucker line, because that line is already long enough for how and where I fish it.
For my swinging rigs for the American River, if using the switch rod, I fish a floating Skagit, Scandi, or Chucker line and polyleader tips ranging from intermediate to Type 4 sink rates, with the sink rate determined by the depth at which the fish are holding. I also use the same polyleaders when fishing a weight-forward line (floating) on a standard fly rod. I loop-to-loop a 7-1/2-foot 2X fluorocarbon leader to the polyleader tip and tie on a black and hot orange Comet. To the bend of the Comet, I tie an 18-to-24-inch piece of 3X fluorocarbon tippet and then tie on an egg pattern in one of the same colors I listed above. Again, I like to use beads, but a Glo Bug will do. Using this combination will get you more hookups while you’re swinging flies. If I had to guess, around three fish fall for the egg pattern for every one that takes the Comet.
My usual indicator rig for the American uses two egg patterns (beads) and a caddis pattern or an Eng Theng for the terminal fly. I’m basically using the same rig as with the high-stick system, but placing a floating indicator on the upper part of the leader to help tell me when a fish hits.
Steelhead for Pragmatists
The American River’s steelhead are something of an unnatural fishery, mostly raised in a hatchery from Eel River genetic stock, and after reaching adulthood in the ocean, returning to try to spawn in a dammed river with artificially constrained flows. Some anglers might be horrified by this sort of highly human-influenced fishery. Those who actually visit it, however, usually have a more pragmatic perspective: the hatchery-raised juveniles swim down to the ocean, and the fish that later come back as adults are survivors that provide the angler with good, challenging sport.
If You Go…
The Nimbus Fish Hatchery offers tours and a is great educational center. It is located at 2001 Nimbus Road in Rancho Cordova. Phone: (916) 358-2884. Click on the QR code below for more information.
For information on American River Parkway facilities, click the “American River Pkwy” button at the Sacramento County Regional Parks website, reached via the QR code below.
The Sacramento area has two excellent fly shops. Their staffs understand the American River’s winter steelhead fishery, and they can supply all the equipment you need:
Fly Fishing Specialties, 6360 Tupelo Drive, Citrus Heights. Phone: (916) 722-1055; website, https://shop.flyfishingspecialties.com.
Kiene’s Fly Shop, 9550 Micron Ave Suite B, Sacramento. Phone: (916) 4831222; website, https://kienesflyshop.com/Fly+Fishing.
— Lance Gray
The Regulations
Angling regulations for the lower American River are quite simple. The river between Nimbus Dam and the US Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing approximately three hundred yards downstream from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery is closed to all fishing. From the USGS cable downstream to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District power line at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park, the river is closed to fishing during November and December. When it opens to angling, barbless hooks are required. Downstream from the SMUD power line, the river is open to fishing all year.
Wherever you fish below Nimbus Dam, wild steelhead and wild trout, identified by their intact adipose fin, must be released. Hatchery-raised steelhead, identified by their clipped adipose fin, may be kept. (The current regulations allow two hatchery steelhead a day, with four in possession.) The regulations for keeping salmon are slightly more complex — you’d best check them if you’re targeting the American River’s salmon. In fact, make it a point to check the regulations for all of the American’s salmonids, because the use of barbless hooks and bag limits sometimes change.
— Lance Gray
Wayne Eng’s Eng Theng
Wayne Eng is a talented guide and fly tyer located in the Dunsmuir area. I have caught fish all over the world his Eng’s Theng. I tie it in a variety of colors and sizes. My Black Sabbath pattern was inspired by it, too. This pattern is simple — just a Pheasant Tail Nymph in the back and a Prince Nymph in the front. It looks great and is way cool.
Materials
Hook: Mustad 3906B or TMC 3769, size 10 to 16
Bead: Gold tungsten bead, size to match Thread: Tobacco brown Danville Flymaster 6/0 Tail and body: Natural pheasant tail
Rib: Gold wire, size to match Wing case: Large opal Mylar Thorax: Peacock herl
Legs: Amber goose biots
Tying Instructions
Step 1: Place the bead on the hook and the hook in the vise. Start the thread behind the bead. For a size 12 fly, tie in eight pheasant tail fibers along the top of the shank behind the bead — adjust the number of fibers proportionally for other sizes. The tips should extend half the length of the hook shank beyond the bend of the hook.
Step 2: Tie in the gold wire behind bead and back to bend of hook. Tie in eight fibers of pheasant tail, tips to the rear, behind the bead and bind them down along the top of the shank as you return the thread to the front.
Step 3: Wrap the pheasant tail forward to approximately an eighth of an inch from the bead, tie off, and trim. Wrap the wire rib forward over the pheasant tail, tie it off, and trim the excess.
Step 4: Tie in the opal Mylar tinsel at the front of the body, extending to the rear, then tie in four strands of peacock herl, tips first. Create a dubbing loop and twist the peacock herl in it to form a chenille. Wrap the herl forward and tie off right behind the gold bead.
Step 5: Pull the Mylar tinsel up and over the thorax to form the wing case, tie off behind the bead, and trim the excess.
Step 6: On each side of the fly, tie in one goose biot right behind the bead. The biots have a natural curve, tie in each biot so it curves out. Trim, tie off behind the bead, and finish with head cement.
— Lance Gray
The Comet
The Comet was invented on the North Coast of California for steelhead, and the stores in that area have sold thousands of them. It’s a simple fly to tie, and you can make many combinations to suit what you like or what the fish like. Everybody loves the Comet, especially the steelhead.
Materials
Hook: TMC 7999 or Eagle Claw 1197N, size 4 to 6
Thread: Fire engine orange Danville flat waxed 6/0
Tail: Black bucktail
Body: Large silver Mylar tinsel
Rib: Silver UTC Brassie wire
Collar/Hackle: Orange neck or saddle hackle
Eyes: Medium or large silver bead chain
Tying Instructions
Step 1: Start the thread a quarter of an inch back from the eye of the hook. This leaves room for the bead-chain eyes. Lay down a thread base back to the hook bend and then back to the tie-in spot. Tie in the bucktail tail a quarter of an inch back from the eye and extending beyond the bend of the hook one and a half times the length of the hook shank. Bind it down along the top of the shank and return the thread to the initial tie-in point.
Step 2: Tie in the Brassie wire and bind it back along the top of the shank to the hook bend, then return the thread to the tie-in point. Tie in the silver Mylar silver tinsel, also binding it back to the hook bend. Bring the thread forward
Step 3: Wrap the silver tinsel forward to the point a quarter inch back from the eye, tie it off, and trim the excess. Rib the Brassie wire forward in equal segments to the same point, tie it off, and trim it.
Step 4: Now tie in the orange saddle or neck hackle and wrap the hackle forward, making three turns. If you like a fuller collar, make five turns. Tie off and trim the excess hackle.
Step 5: Make a thread base and tie in the bead-chain eyes between the hackle collar and the eye of the hook. Whip finish, cut the thread, and cement the head with glossy Sally Hansen’s clear acrylic nail polish or Bone-Dry UV-cure head cement.
— Lance Gray