Hello everyone. I tried fishing this afternoon on the South Fork of the American River. Fished from Riverton but didn’t go far enough to reach Kyburz. I didnt catch anything, no bites to report either. I was euro nymphing with a single fly, just trying to get better at the technique. The water was quite low but there were some deep pools and pocket water that looked fishy. I flipped a couple rocks over and found some giant looking nymphs so I used a size 12 Egan Frenchie for the whole afternoon. the water felt very cold. I could have been fishing not deep enough and/or with the wrong pattern. What do you guys think? Maybe not the right area to be fishing this time of year? I think I will try to tackle Yuba once the air quality gets better. The air was really clean up in the area I was in today, so it felt great to take some big breaths of fresh air.
Turning over rocks to match the hatch is a good idea however the nymphs you find may not be in season. Most anglers lack of success is their inability to change. Never leave a spot without at least one fly change. If you go through two runs without a fish change tipper diameter. Every new spot needs weight adjustments. If you go through three spots with out a fish change tactics (indicator, dry dropper, high stick). If you go through four spots without a fish go home.
Did you see any insects coming off the water? When in doubt I use a dropper. I try to use different size flies, for example, one large stonefly and a midge of some kind. Where I live there has been a drop in temperature. Don't known about where you were but a weather change could also turn off the bite also
Berryessie. Thank you for the quality information. I feel like your input will help me become a much better fly fisher. Minute changes can make all the difference I am finding out. I need to learn patience and efficiency for adjusting rigs while fly fishing. East bay Ed. I didn’t see any insects of any kind except when I turned over a couple rocks to find those meaty looking stonefly nymphs I believe they were. The area I fished was about an hour away driving so I am unsure what the weather was like up there previous to me fishing it. At this point I am unsure if I should keep trying to fish it or if I should just focus on somewhere else. I don’t think I fished the water to it’s full potential so I will likely try again sometime with a better strategy.
Isn't that a put and take stocked section? I fished it a couple of times years ago both very early and very late in the season and never had much success. Cold and low water that was gin clear.
IMO there are much better options to fish this time of the year
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Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.
Ii only fished the south fork a few times when driving thru but never hooked anything
despite it looking super fishy. My uncle fished it quite a bit in early 70s and caught rainbows and i believe browns too.
I agree with mudhen that there are better places to fish this time of year. Like many of you im eagerly anticipating the steelhead
that this rain should move into the coastal rivers. Last year was a great steelhead season for northern california, especially on
the russian, definitley best run ive seen.
Mudhen: getting skunked is nothing nothing new to me. I have not fly fished for very long and am learning so much at once. It is quite exciting.
Lightfoot: It is put and take from the last Saturday in April through November 15th. For the rest of the year it is barbless lures catch and release only. Yes the water felt frigid and was extremely clear. Also, the flow was very low, but there were very fishy spots mixed in where the current intensified and depth increased significantly. I didn’t spot any fish, but I assumed I just wasnt able to see them. Thank you for your suggestions btw. I would like to request some more info...
Lairdbeard: yeah, I thought it looked fishy. Especially because I think there were long stretches of useless water with these totally different spots mixed in. I thought that the trout had to be concentrated in those areas. I hardly fished it either though, using only one fly. Thanks for the info. Coastal rivers? Are there fly fishing opportunities in the coastal creeks or the central coast? I am super familiar with the beaches from sf to Monterey, so it would be funny to head to some of those same beaches and walk away from the ocean to fish! I am guessing the coastal rivers you are thinking of are more towards the north.
I'll try and send you some info later today. By put and take I was referring to fish and game puts them in and the masses take them out, not catch and release. I was under the impression that there were not a lot of holdover fish in that area.
Do you tie your own flies yet or buy them?
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Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.
Lightfoot: I understood what you meant. It is put and take for most of the year but in the wintertime the regulation changes to catch and release only. I started tying my own flies! It has been fun but material costs keep on building up! I figure it’s cheaper in the end as long as I can consistently use up my materials. Even if it’s not, it has been really enjoyable learning how to tie. I’ve been focusing on easier nymphs. I haven’t made any streamers or dries yet. I figure I’ll practice more and start making those when I actually fish them and have a need to make them. Thank you for reaching out.
