Hey everybody, Ted here visiting from Houston, TX.
My sister is getting married on Saturday so we decided to make a week of it and got a house in Sonoma. It a beautiful place but it's wine country and I don't drink... I was hoping to get into some fish while I was here and brought my gear. I went to Lelands but they were closed.
Any body want to show an out of towner the ins and outs? Any advice on where to go, what type of flies are hot. I'm not asking for your secret honey holes, just someplace where I might have a chance.
In Sonoma, the Russian River offers some smallmouth fishing this time of year. The river gets crowded with boaters/swimmers at most of the beaches, so your best bet is to get a kayak and paddle away from those areas. If you can get up north a few hours, there are some world class streams east of Redding, including the McCloud River, which is an absolute classic. And, in Redding, drifting the Lower Sac is an absolute blast. Contact The Fly Shop in Redding to hire a guide for that. The McCloud River Rainbow have been used to stock all over the world, including NZ. In the Tahoe area, the Truckee fishes. And, since you are on this page, Putah Creek below the Monticello Dam is probably only an hour from you. If you go to Putah, you want to use tiny flies (size 18-24) and fish subsurface.
Sweeney's Fly Shop in Napa is also a good resource. You can basically drive past it on the way to Putah Creek if you take 12/29/Imola/121, which is a really nice drive up over the ridge in Napa and past the dam to Putah.
That may work for me. I'll have to coordinate with my family. I could also do Thursday. Want to text me so we have each others information? 713-851-4755
