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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
It’s been a blur with trips and adventurous fun since my last report. I think this could be the busiest I’ve ever been during the winter season. I’m pretty dedicated too, getting up at 3am to keep up on answering emails and following up on trip details, then rigging rods with fresh materials, tying some flies for the day, and working on media projects like this blog. This is all before I even pack the truck and head down to the Yuba River, and what most clients do not even realize happens. To say I’m a full time guide is an understatement, more like a full time fly fishing ambassador!
Thank you so much for all the kind words regarding my latest presentation Skwalas on the Yuba, the response has been overwhelming. I think the coolest chapter in the program is the other game we play before the Skwala activity in the afternoon – Mayflies! If you haven’t seen it, my next presentation will be to my fellow members of Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers on the 18th. Check it out!
Well, let’s get on with the report. We had a few storms push through, the first was a pretty good one on the 28th of January with the flows coming up to 1,600 cubes, a nice little flushing I must say. The flows cleared up within a day and it was game on again. The last one on February 2nd was just a little blip with flows coming up maybe 50 cfs, and really no change in clarity.
Lately the upper river has a very slight tint of color, while the lower river is ultra-clear. Overall, those fish are pretty spooked out and on edge with the gin clear water...Bring your stealth game. Currently the flows are at 740 cubes. Another series of wimpy storms and moderate precipitation will roll through for the next few days. Good mayfly weather…
Fishing pressure has been really crowded to nonexistent. It just depends on the day and the location my guests and I venture to. We did have an experience last week that shows how uneducated new anglers are to river etiquette. My clients were spread out on a flat fishing a PMD hatch and having some good success. 2 guys walk into our area and I could tell right away they wanted in. Before I knew it, this guy wearing a big white cowboy hat just starts walking in between my clients as if getting ready to fish. I spoke up asking of his intentions, and he said Oh, I’m crossing the river. I just let it go as to not ruin our day but there is a lesson here for all of you to learn from, and that is to ask first. Communicate. Be friendly. Show respect.
As for the fishing, it’s been ok, to shitty, to super good. That’s what I call typical Yuba results, well…except during the egg bite. For me and my guest early morning nymphing has been slow, it seems to get better after 10am, and that’s just an observation. My days start with long line Euro nymphing, then setting up in an area for the mayfly hatches, once those wane, it’s full on Skwala tactics fishing the adult to around 4pm, Rinse, and repeat the next day.
There are way more mayfly hatches around the bridge and upstream than down below. PMDs, Pinkies, BWOs, and Brown Duns are all active, though every day is different. We’ve seen some interesting trout behavior too, where there will be multiple species of mayflies on the water at once, but the trout are keyed in on only one of them. This is called a masking hatch, and often it is tough to figure out. One must actually look at individual duns floating down the currents and watch if they are being eaten or not. Too make matters more complex, they can switch from PMDs to Pinkies during hatch time. Observe more…Cast less. Then make a plan.
Top flies under the surface for my guests and I have been Skwala nymphs like my all-rounder jiggy Skwala, Brian Clemens Skwala nymph, Hogan’s S&M in a PMD scheme, Mighty Mays, super small free living caddis patterns, and pinkish Frenchie jigs. On top…for the Skwala…The Unit Skwala just keeps on producing, and there is no need to clip off the black foam over body. It’s a decade’s long proven pattern. Also, Bud Heintz’s Rough Water Skwala has hooked quite a few fish. When it comes to Skwala patterns, keep them on the small side and eliminate all the bells and whistles, there is no need for them. As for the hatch itself, I would call it moderate for now. 2020 was special, I don’t think we’ll see that this year, but the fish are actively looking up in the afternoons and moving into the side water and foam lines looking for Skwala cookies. Mayflies…Sparkle duns, comparaduns, cripples, loop wing parachutes, and anything CDC, with obviously the right color scheme for the individual mayfly you’re trying to imitate. I haven’t been playing the Alevin game too much, it’s just been so much fun playing the aquatics game, and watching the hatches materialize.
Spring is near, and slowly creeping in. I’ve noticed the Pacific chorus frogs are out and starting to chirp on the warmer days. I’m also starting to see some warblers and songbirds migrating through. March Browns will be out soon, and only time will tell. I’m not going out to Colorado at the end of the month as planned. It’s too hard to walk away from prime conditions on the Yuba River at this time. So, I’ve got more open days available. If you really want to learn how to be a proficient walk and wade angler on the Yuba, shoot me an email at baiocchistroutfitters@yahoo.comif you want in. Dates go incredibly quickly, so act now.
See you on the water…
This Fishing Report was submitted on 2/10/2021 11:34:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 12/25/2021 11:51:16 AM.
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