Lower Yuba over the weekend...

Guided the Lower Yuba River over the weekend. Fishing was good and on the verge of getting really good. There are a few fresh redds in the upper river but no salmon sitting on them. This is usually all the trout need to get the river's egg bit going though. Most fish in the upper river were eating eggs but not right behind redds usually in the water below the few redds. A few fish were eating stoneflies and dark caddis patterns in slower water. Lower in the river there were no fresh reds but a few pods (10-15) of salmon holding in deep holes - Which is a good sign. I will say there was far less redds than have seen previous years, but that doesn't mean anything at this point yet. I would expect that the egg bit will go off in the next 5-10 days. Fall is officially here.

Friday night Stripes

So I have been having some engine trouble with my motor and it is in about a million different pieces as I contemplate repairing...tagging it for scrap metal and buying a new one...or spending today and everyday this weekend sitting in the gutter drinking coors light and cussing at it. One of my good buddies who I fish with a lot decided to take pitty on me and take me out on his boat this friday. Fished a small section of river that I have never fished before...We hooked about five fish and I farmed a big one...came tight to the fish which flexed the rod (10wt) through the cork...thing started to move to the middle of the river...I fumbled with the line as I attempted to drive the 4/0 hook into his Cranium...came up again and I could feel myself pull the hook out.... then saw a massive boil as the fish swam a way....Damn!!! I Blamed my buddy as we were in the middle of a heated debate about some element of baseball...both being baseball nuts. Any how may head out to the feather today to poke around for some early steelhead...may stay home and swear at my motor...who knows....

Labor Day Weekend

As I brace for a the coming fall guiding season a three day weekend with no guide dates is something to cherish. Fishing wise I spent an evening on the Sac chasing stripers amidst shot gun blasts from dove hunters and monday I drove up to the north fork for a little trout fishing.

Striper fishing was fair got one nice keeper and a bunch of dinks. The flows have droped and cold front has moved threw so I think fishing is going to be slow until the weather heats back up mid week. The north fork on the other hand fished great. I always try to get up and fish it a few times in september as it has a great Isonychia hatch. While I rarely hit the actual hatch the fish eat the nymphs with abandon once the bugs are moving around. Caught fish in every pool and bucket I fished and most fish came on my Isonychia nymph. Average size was about 14". Most of the fish were in the fast water and deeper plunge pools. Here's some pics of the river if you have never been there.