Warm sunny skies and insect hatches have made for fun times on Baum Lake

Baum Lake - Cassel, CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
2-11-2013
Website

Current Lake Conditions: The fishing has been productive for anglers fishing midges and buggers. We can hope for good dry fly fishing, and it happens, just not everyday. Cloudy, wetish weather will produce the best chance of good dry fly fishing on Baum this month. But where's the rain? Bet March just hammers us with rain producing some epic top water sessions on this festive fishery.

The Fly Shop's?? Tips: Fish midges all day! Look for occasional hatches of BWOs and PMDs that produce surface feeding and dry fly opportunities. Stripping and retrieving Leeches on intermediate sinking lines is a great tactic as is suspending #22 black Zebra Midges or Mercer's Gidget under a small indicator. Try a black A.P. on a slow retrieve. There are a lot of scuds in Baum Lake, making various scud patterns an obvious choice. Suggested leader selection consists of 9' 5x and a spool of 6X tippet for dry flies and the smallest nymphs.

Baum Lake is an ideal fishing destination for pontoon boats, float tubes and small prams. Use an Intermediate sinking line with a small PT nymph can produce a bent fly rod. The key is SLOW strips! Nothing in Baum Lake is moving fast. Use lighter, longer leaders. Delicate dry-fly presentations will produce more strikes.

Road Conditions: No restrictions at this time. Call 1-800.427.7623 for up to date Northern California Road Conditions.

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Adams - #18-20
• Almost Dun BWO
• Harrop's Last Chance Baetis
• Tilt Wing Dun - Mahogany #18
• Griffith's Gnat
• Mercer's Missing Link - #14-18
• Light Cahill - #18

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Red Copper John - #14-18
• Ultra Scuds
• Sparkle Scud
• BH Half-Flashback PT - #14-20
• Black A.P. #14-16
• Beaded Zebra Midge - #18-20
• Mercer's Gidget
• WD-40
• Micro Mays - Red #16-18
• Olive Pheasant Tail Nymph #18
• Zebra Midge - #16-20
• Chromie - #18

Streamers/Leeches:
• Jay Fair's Wiggle Tails - #10
• Beaded Micro Buggers - #12
• Zack's Swimming Leech Black or Olive
• Zack's Damseleech - #14
• Double Bunny - #2

Fly Fishing Gear:
• Outcast?? Fish Cat 9-IR
• Scott?? G2 Series Fly Rod 4-5 wt
• Sun Day Afternoons Hat