Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3809 April 12-26 2019 | Page 11

Apr 12 - 26, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 9 9 Catch & Release Fishing Reports Sponsored by Kiene’s Fly Shop 916-483-1222 • www.Kienesflyshop.com 9550 Micron Ave. Suite B • Sacramento, CA FLY FISHING REPORTS KLAMATH RIVER: Steelhead Hit In Heavy Flows Toby Uppinghouse took a trip to Lafitte, Louisiana this March and tempted this husky redfish on fly gear. Photo courtesy of EDGEWATER OUTFITTERS, Sacramento. BAUM LAKE: Great Trout Fishing Iron Gate releases are 1,850 CFS. The Klamath is a little big below Iron Gate and the visibility isn’t great, but there are still fish to be had. Stay after it and you can hook some nice steelhead. Fish large Rubberlegs in black and brown. San Juan Worms will also entice these fish to eat. The Salmonfly hatch is not too far away, so it makes sense the fish are keying on the nymphs. PYRAMID LAKE: Double Digit Battlers On Tap Nothing has changed with reports still coming of lots of big fish are being caught. What a difference that some stormy weather made! This is an epic year on the lake so now is the time to take advantage of it. Retrieving Popcorn Beetles, Midnight Cowboys, and Tui Chub patterns have been best. The indicator fishermen have caught some nice fish with Balance Leaches as well. The weather has been good overall with some periods of rain and snow. Rainbows to 19 inches are abundant and on the bite. There are some larger browns mixed in too. The fish are grabbing Red X-Mays, Zebra Midges and Zach Balanced Damsel Nymphs. When the weather is sunny and warm there has been some surface action, but the biggest fish have been coming on cloudy breezy days. When it’s blustery large black Woolly Buggers worked deep and slow have been producing some very impressive Chad Shimazaki pulled this massive rainbow out of the Owens River fish. EAST WALKER RIVER: Fishing Improves With Increased Flows Flows have been cranked way up over the past week and Ken’s Sporting Goods reports that warmer weather has improved the fishing a lot. They have had reports of 15 to 25 fish days both on the CA side and the NV side too. The NV side has warmer water so that’s where you might want to head to. On the other hand, the CA side has deeper holes where the fish congregate during the winter. Take your pick. HOT CREEK: Anglers Find Success On Dries With warmer weather access to the gorge may be easier but check with either the Troutfitter or Ricks in Mammouth before you go. The interpretive center is pretty easy. With the warmer weather this week the road might become passable. The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes reports that fishing has improved with warmer weather. Hatches of midges and Blue Wing Olives have been heavy and the fish have been on to them. Mid-day is best and very few fishermen are on the water. Check road conditions either at the Troutfitter or at Rick’s before you go into the gorge. Don’t attempt it during an early March fly fishing mission. Photo courtesy of SIERRA DRIFTERS GUIDE SERVICE, Bishop. H Fly Fishing Destinations In Focus: Hat Creek at Creek is located about an hour and a half northeast of Redding on Cali- fornia Highway 299 near Burney. Hat Creek originates on the slopes of Mount Lassen and runs for about 40 miles to its confluence with Lake Britton. Hat Creek is fed by many springs that keep it cool in summer and warm in winter, and it runs at a steady flow year-round. The most famous section of the creek is known as the Powerhouse 2 riffle. The name refers to the PG&E powerhouse that sits at the upstream boundary of the special-regu- lations section and supplies a steady flow of water to the creek below. The section flows Pro guide Shane Kohlbeck hit the Sacramento River below Redding in late March and scored this incredible rainbow. Photo courtesy of SHANE KOHLBECK, The Fly Shop. over lava substrate for about 100 yards and then flattens into a wide, slow-moving flow—a classic spring creek—for a couple of miles until it becomes a freestone flow again at the lower end. The 100-yard-long freestone section of water just below the powerhouse holds some of the biggest fish-mostly Rainbows and some Browns- along with lots of aquatic food to sustain them. It gets lots of pressure from both the knowledgeable anglers who drift nymphs through its seams and pockets and those who take advantage of the relatively shallow water to cross to the other side. without a 4x4 and deep treads. LOWER SACRAMENTO RIVER: Big Fish Hit In Big Flows The flows on the river are ramping down to the target of 10,000 CFS. The fishing is good with some surface activity on warm days with PMDs and black caddis flies hatching. There are still spawning salmon in the river, so don’t leave the egg imitations home. Deep snow, blue sky and a dandy brown trout. That was the scene on Hot Creek back on March 10 when Brain Barkley hooked up with the Sierra Drifters Team. Photo courtesy of SIERRA DRIFTERS GUIDE SERVICE, Bishop.