It's almost ice out conditions on McCumber. The days are sun filled and angler friendly

McCumber Reservoir - Viola, CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
12-11-2011
Website

Current Lake Conditions: It's easy to get out on the water. You could have your own private lake to fish, today! Just drive over to McCumber Lake and kick out into the middle of the lake in your float tube or Pontoon boat. Heck, you could throw a trolling motor on your duck hunting pram and motor around this mountain gem, enjoying the solitude! You might even catch a fish or three.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
Using a float tube or a pontoon boat, paddle out into the lake and look along the edges for cruising rainbows and browns. RIOs Aqualux Intermediate Sink Tip is a perfect line for retrieving and stripping leeches, damsel nymphs and streamers. Use a floating line and leader tapered to 4x with a bead head PT with a very, very, very slow retrieve. Fish will find your nymph and take it, but don't set the hook! Just lift and let line out until you can bend the rod without first breaking the fish off.

About Lake McCumber:
When PG&E placed a dam across the N. Fork of Battle Creek, they created a lake that offers great fly fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout. Nestled amongst Ponderosa and Jeffery Pines, bald eagles and osprey can be observed cruising the lakes surface, vigilantly hunting for fish. Although no gas-engines are allowed on the lake, boats with trolling motors are. Anglers can easily fish from float-tubes and pontoon boats as well. McCumber is a quiet and personal location. A classic mountain lake.

Flies:

Dries:

• Scum Dun Callibaetis #14
• D&D Cripple Callibaetis #16
• Parachute Adams #16-18

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• BK Lazer Midge #18-16
• Mercer's Midgeling
• Zallibaetis
• PT Nymph #16-18
• Hogan's S&M Brown #16-18
• GB Half Flashback PT #16-20
• Fox's Callibeeotis #14

Streamers/Leeches:
• Freshwater Clouser Olive/White
• Zonkers
• Burk's Sierra Damsel
• Zack Attack Damsel
• Zack's Zugger Yellow/Brown