The McCloud has good flow & good color, she is fiishing great and dry flies are productive

McCloud River - CA (Siskiyou County)


by The Fly Shop
5-14-2012
Website

The McCloud River rainbows (Salmo Shasta) may be the most famous strain of trout on the planet Earth.

Current River Conditions:
Good flow and color! Never have I met a river that is so sure of herself. She knows she's a pleasure to look at. Her riffles, runs and pools do things for her glide....corny, yes, but the McCloud is fishing great.

The dry fly fishing has been productive. Pro Guide Mike Parker reported in this week saying the dry fly fishing has been good. Anglers that want to catch fish on nymphs should find numbers of fish as long as they move from run to run.

Bring a wading staff.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
Mike's hot dry flies this week were Parachute Adam's and Black Ants.

Wading boots with studs and a wading staff are a must on the McCloud, which is full of irregularly shaped rocks that can be very slick. The best results are produced by anglers who move from run to run. The more water you can cover, the more fish have a chance to see your fly, ultimately improving upon your existing good fortune of being out on the river, fishing! Be on the look-out for rattle snakes. Use a technique called High-stick-nymphing in the pocket water and deeper chutes. Re-fish all your way back to camp or the car throwing streamers into pocket water, next to downed trees/logs.

River Fact:
The McCloud River rainbows (Salmo Shasta) may be the most famous strain of trout on the planet Earth. At the turn of the 19th century, these were the fish used to first stock most of New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and other potential trout fisheries all across the western hemisphere. So, that means we could trace Madison river (a river in Montana) rainbows back to the McCloud River!

Water Flows: • Upper McCloud River flows
McCloud River at Ah-Di-Na
Lower McCloud near Bollibokka

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Mercer's Missing Link - #14-18
• D&D Cripple March Brown #12
• Parachute March Brown #14
• E/C Caddis - Olive #14-16
• Parachute Adams - #12-18
• Deer Hair Parachute Ant
• Floater In The Pool
• Grillos Sideshow Bob-Golden Stone

Nymphs/Wet Flies: • Swinks BTS GD #12
• TB Pseudo Mays - #18
• Zebra John #14-18
• Micro Mayflies - #14-16
• Pat's Rubber Leg - Brown #6-8
• Fox's BH Poopah - Cinnamon #14
• GB Half-Flashback PT - #14-18
• GB Poxyback Hares Ear - #14-16
• BH Olive Bird's Nest - #14-16
• GB Birds Nest - #12-16

Streamers/Leeches:
• Dietz Sculpin - Natural #4
• Beaded Micro Bugger - Olive #12
• Beaded Micro Bugger - Black #12
• Double Bunny - #2

Eggs:
• Micro Spawn - Oregon Cheese

Fly Fishing Gear:
• Fishpond's ? Double Haul Chest/Back Pack
• The Fly Shop's ? Stockingfoot Chest Waders
• Chota ? "STL Plus" Convertible Wading Boot
• Brodin's Ghost Landing Nets