Current River Conditions:
The Fly Shop's own Michael Caranci just returned from a day of flying the flies on the McCloud, mentioning the great fishing, caddis hatches at dark and wild McCloud strain rainbows going from 8" to 18". Mikes hot flies were; Golden Stones, Bird's Nests, tan poopahs. Water conditions are clear. Indicator nymphing with Mercer's brown or black Micro Mayflies in #16 has been working well. Throw #18-20 Zebra Midges in the slow water, looking for the "slightest" jiggle from your indicator. Those jiggles are McCloud rainbows spitting your hook! It's a good time to fish the McCloud right now. Best dry fly fishing seems to be around 10:00 AM and near sunset.

Also, for an update on the fight to preserve the McCloud River's flows, check out this recent announcement from the Anglers for Hydropower Reform (formerly McCloud RiverKeepers): Click here to read!!.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
Wading boots with studs, and/or a wading staff can be a good idea for the McCloud, which is full of bowling ball shaped rocks that can be very slick. The more water you can cover, the more fish have a chance to see your fly and the better your odds at landing a few nice ones. High-stick nymph the pocket water and deeper chutes, then switch over to dry flies in the flats and whenever you see a fish rising consistently. Re-fish all your way back to camp or the car throwing streamers into pocket water, next to downed trees/logs.

The Fight is on to Protect McCloud River Flows!!! Whitewater boating interests are also trying to hijack McCloud River flows for boating at the expense of angling opportunity.

McCloud Relicensing News:
On 11/30/10 the US Forest Service filed with FERC (Federal Energy Relicensing Comity) its' 4e Conditions for Project 2106. The USFS's Conditions include dramatically increased changes to the existing flow regime (double, triple to quadruple flows in the public water [McCloud Dam to Nature Conservancy] April to July during wet years); removal of stream gauge MC-1 at Ah-Di-Na as the main compliance point for over-all river flows (regulated dam releases plus natural accretion) for the past 50 years; an access road and whitewater boating ramp below McCloud Dam (if it will fit; otherwise at Ash Camp); snow removal to the dam/Ash Camp and Ah-Di-Na for whitewater boating starting April 1st (cost paid by electric ratepayers); and more.

It's getting late in the game to preserve the McCloud, but McCloud River anglers need to focus on what can and should be done to protect the aquatic habitat, the on-going loss of the fisheries the habitat supports, and, your ownership of the resources and recreational opportunities that continue to be damaged and destroyed. Although this is an on-going problem; its only just begun.

There are 50 more FERC hydro relicensings in CA in the next 9 years, all of which include the potential to take fishable waters away from California anglers.
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The Fly Shop is now the official booking agency for the exclusive Bollibokka Club on the McCloud. Give us a call at 800-669-3474 to find out more about accessing the famous Bollibokka section of the McCloud in 2010!

Current updates on flows for the following:

Upper McCloud River flows

McCloud River at Ah-Di-Na

Lower McCloud flows near Bollibokka

Fly Selection:

Dries:
• Mercer's Missing Link #14-18
• E/C Caddis Olive #14
• Yellow Stimulators #8-16
• Thing From Uranus Stone
• Thing From Uranus Salmon fly
• Parachute Adams #12-18
• Yellow Humpy #14-16
• Orange Stimulator #6

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• TB Pseudo Mays #18
• Micro Mayflies #14-16
• Burk's HBI #16-18
• Pat's Brown Rubber Leg #6-8
• GB Black A. P.
• Iron Sally #14-16
• Mercer's Golden Stones #8-14
• GB Half Flashback PT #12-18
• GB Poxyback Hares Ear #14-16
• Cinnamon Poopah #12-14
• BB Olive Bird's Nest #14-16
• Shafer's 3-D Black #8-10
• GB Birds Nest #12-16

Streamers/Leeches:
• Beaded Micro Bugger Olive
• Beaded Micro Bugger Black
• Double Bunny

Eggs:
• Micro Spawn Oregon Cheese