Charles Dickens had something else in mind when he penned the words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” but California anglers wondering about winter fishing know they can easily experience one or the other.
For legions of anglers across the country, winter fishing means boring holes through sheet ice. The reason so many people move to California is to avoid such banal and demoralizing activities in the first place. While it’s true that several notable Northern California fisheries close on November 15 (Hat Creek, the Fall River, the McCloud), there are a host of others just coming into their best days. And the wildfires finally are out.
Sure bets for the winter season, weather and conditions permitting, are the upper and lower Sacramento River, Trinity River, Baum Lake, and the last two weeks of the season on the McCloud River. Add to those a few private venues, and just about all excuses for couch potatoes not to go fishing are null and void.
Since no one knows it all, I sought help from two NorCal fly-fishing superstars, Andrew Harris, founder of Confluence Outfitters, and Bryan Quick, director of outfitters for The Fly Shop.
Late October Caddis
Luckily, the October Caddis isn’t adept at reading calendars. The upper Sacramento River above Dunsmuir and the McCloud River are stellar destinations to fish this memorable hatch, which lasts well into November. The air is often brisk, and the trees offer splashes of color to adorn the landscape. The fish seem to sense they better move on these big, juicy morsels while they still can, and the takes can be dramatic. “It’s just wide open the first half of November,” said Quick.
Sadly, this year’s Delta Fire burned a popular section of the upper Sacramento from Dog Creek up to around Pollard Flat, but this is nowhere near the section of river with the great October Caddis action. North of Dunsmuir is where you want to be. In the meantime, it’s probably best to avoid the burned areas until safety concerns and potential damage (if any) to the fishery can be assessed.
The big bugs start moving toward boulders or the banks in the afternoons, seeking something to crawl out of the water on to emerge. In the process, a number will lose their footing and tumble into the drift, where hungry trout are waiting for that to happen. “Fish will move up into the flats, where there are some riffles and glassy perturbed water along the edges,” said Quick. Good nymphs to drift under a floating strike indicator include a Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, a brown or tan Bird’s Nest, Mercer’s Tungsten October Pupa, and Skip’s TB October Caddis, all in sizes 8 to 10.
As shadows lengthen and the sun rests lower in the sky, you will begin to see adult October Caddises in the air, bobbing up and down like aerial yo-yos, descending closer and closer to the surface of the water. The apex of the hatch is right around dark or shortly thereafter. This is the time to tie on a big, high-floating dry fly and toss spring creek delicacy out the window. A good tactic is to slap big dry flies down on the water, let them sit a moment, give them a twitch, then slap them down somewhere else.
“Once you see the fish looking up,” said Quick, “you can fish a dry and either dead drift it or skate it a bit. I like a downstream quartering presentation with a dead drift or a little skate. If you’re not getting strikes, move and find some fish that are playing. These fish aren’t leader shy. I like 3X or 4X tippets, and I keep the rod elevated as a shock absorber. The fish can be big and pretty aggressive.”
October Caddis dry flies worth having in your box include Morrish’s Adult October Caddis, Mercer’s Skating October Caddis, or a Madame X, all size 8.
As noted above, the McCloud closes to fishing on November 15, but there’s still a two-week window in November to experience some of the most enjoyable dry-fly fishing of the year, and a prettier place to be at that time of the year would be tough to find. You might spend most of the day stripping streamers on a sink-tip line for the McCloud’s legendary brown trout (although I seem to catch just as many rainbows), then switch to a dry line and work the October Caddis hatch until dark. I can hardly imagine a better way to spend a day.
Prime Time for Steelhead
“November and December are two of our three busiest months on the Trinity,” explained Andrew Harris. “That’s prime time for us. That’s when the guides get about as busy as they get all year. Early November usually offers the best chance for decent weather,” Harris continued. “November can be cold, but it’s still go time.”
There is, of course, a lot of Trinity River to fish, and given its popularity, that’s a good thing. Fishing begins below the Old Lewiston Bridge and continues down through Douglas City and Junction City, all the way down to the confluence with the Klamath River. While guides tend to float the river, there is also great access for wading anglers all up and down the Trinity.
“The entire river can be good,” explained Harris. “By far, the most popular area is from Douglas City to Junction City. In November and December, we usually have low-water conditions, so it’s easier to get your fly down near the fish. In January and February, there is usually more water, so the gear becomes heavier. The favored methods for winter fishing on the Trinity are indicator nymphing or swinging flies on a Spey rod.
“Joking around with the other guides,” said Harris, “we say the Trinity is a lot like nymphing the lower Sac, except we sometimes use smaller flies. Our go-to fly for the Trinity is a red Copper John, size 14. You’re not going to beat that. We also fish black or brown Rubberlegs (size 6), Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, and a variety of typical trout nymphs, size 12 to 14, and egg imitations. What nymph you have on is the least important part of the whole game. Getting a good drift and being near the fish is much more important. Every now and then, these Trinity fish want really small flies (size 16 to 18). I try not to use them unless I have to. Ideal tippet size is 2X.”
“In November on the Trinity, it almost doesn’t matter which nymphs you use,” Quick agreed. “Match the hatch, if there is one. Mayfly or caddis nymphs (size 12 to 16) and black or brown Rubberlegs (size 6) are good bets. In mid to late December, we might even see Golden Stones or Callibaetis mayflies coming off during the day. Sometimes just a little bit of a hatch really gets the fish going.”
For single-handed nymph fishing, Harris prefers a 9-1/2-foot or 10-foot 7-weight fast-action rod. For two-handed swing fishing, he likes rods no longer than 12-1/2 feet, with 5-to-6-weight lines and sink tips.
“Intruder style flies work well,” Harris continued. “Fish like the big stuff, too, such as black Articulated Leeches. They’ll crush those. Other, more traditional flies that work well include Burlaps, Comets, and Silver Hiltons.”
“Once the water gets colder,” recommends Quick, “slow your presentation down to maximize the time your flies are in front of the fish. Under these conditions, larger-profile flies are going to work better. Anything that’s black and blue, or purple and blue, presenting a big profile will work.”
The Lower Sac Is On
“Winter fishing on the lower Sacramento River revolves around fishing salmon egg imitations,” said Harris. “In December, that thins out a little, but the fish are still looking for them. During that time, you’d be hard pressed to find a guide who is not fishing some kind of egg imitation. Most people just peg beads now.”
Pegging beads involves fixing a plastic bead (a salmon egg imitation) to your tippet and hanging a bare hook a few inches below it. It’s a technique popularized in Alaska that’s also making an impact wherever trout and salmon inhabit the same rivers. And then of course there’s the ongoing debate over whether or not pegging beads can be called fly fishing.
“It’s very, very popular now,” Harris said. “I didn’t do it until about five years ago,” he explained, “but then I eventually found I couldn’t catch fish anymore. Too many people were doing it. Once about half the anglers were fishing those things, it was nearly impossible to catch a fish anymore on a Glo-Bug. The bead is just a way better imitation. The fish will eat ten of those things for every Glo-Bug.”
A small section of the lower Sac below Keswick Dam burned in the Carr Fire this year, but this is well above the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District dam and not an area popular with anglers. Flows in the lower Sacramento River drop slowly as the water demands downstream are curtailed with the winter season, and the resulting lower flows open up phenomenal wading opportunities for anglers from Redding all the way down to Red Bluff.
“There can be some really good dry-fly fishing on the Lower Sac in November and December,” Harris continued. “It’s typically in the upper river around Redding. In rainy weather, we can get Baetis mayflies, and on bright, sunny days, we get a good caddis hatch. The caddis are the big size 14s, and the fish really key on them. It’s usually a midday affair, from about lunchtime on.”
“November and December are really good times to connect with a valley steelhead,” said Harris. “You’re most likely to find them below Balls Ferry down to Red Bluff. They tend to be small for steelhead, like, two to four pounds, and they are returning to the Coleman Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek. You don’t have to do anything different to catch these steelhead — you just have to bump into one. They eat regular nymphs, such as Rubberlegs and Prince Nymphs and Golden Stones.”
Other Opportunities
Baum Lake, east of Burney, is always a solid producer during the winter season, but due to chilly winter temperatures, it’s best to leave your float tube at home. There is good shore access around the parking lot, but the best way to fish it is from a small boat or pontoon boat.
Since Baum is an impoundment of Hat Creek and flows from beneath the Hat 1 Powerhouse, there is a slow current in the upper section. A good strategy is to hang a small midge or mayfly nymph about 5 feet below a floating strike indicator. Flip your nymph into the water and feed out line as it drifts downstream. When it’s drifted 30 to 40 feet, stop feeding line and let your nymph swing up to the surface. This combination of a dead drift and a swing at the end can be deadly.
“The Pit River in the wintertime can be a fantastic option,” said Quick. “It’s a favorite of some of our guides because of how inaccessible it is and ‘difficult to wade.’ During winter, the water is colder, so the fish are more spread out and are apt to grab anything you put in front of them.”
“November is prime time for steelhead on the lower Feather River,” Harris said, “from Oroville down to Gridley. The fish average three to five pounds and are looking for salmon eggs. There’s a lot of great public access for wading, and you can float it, as well.”
Private Waters
Two private operations situated just south of Mt. Lassen offer fly fishers the opportunity to hook trophy trout during winter. Bailey Creek Lodge, near Manton, has two ponds that are open year-round, one of which is trout-only, and the other holds bass and trout. Bailey Creek Lodge provides accommodations on-site. For information, visit http://www.baileycreeklodge.com. Eagle Canyon, which is near Bailey Creek but closer to Red Bluff, likewise has two ponds, which open December 8 this year and close April 14. Lodging on-site is not available. For information, visit http://eaglecanyontrout.com. Fly fishers can fish from the shore or from personal watercraft like float tubes at all of these ponds.
So there are good places to connect with fish in Northern California when much of the rest of the country has to dig holes in the ice to go fishing, and that’s probably for the best. I have such a hard time landing my fly in that tiny hole.
