Salmon are starting to show in the Lower Sac

Sacramento River - Lower - Redding, CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
9-25-2013
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Current River Conditions: River flows are 7,660 cubic feet per second. Salmon are starting to show up. More than a few are setting up on redds. Catch a salmon? No. It's the eggs the salmon lay that feed the rainbows resulting in big fish and great fishing. Time to bring out the egg patterns! Start with orange, steelhead orange, salmon egg colored yarns. Additionally, fishing nymphs like #18 PT's, Red Copper Johns in #18, #14-16 Micro Mays and Silvey's Pupa in tan... those are good flies right there. Rubber Legs in #6-8 are doing well along the lower sections of river South of Redding. Steelhead are in the house!

The Fly Shop's?? Tips: You'll find a mixture of rainbows from a tiny 8" to a burly 23". The mid sized fish in the 16"- 18" range will bust you up, breaking all your junk off if you don't let them take line when they shoot out from where your are standing, munching on your $1.90 fly pattern for pleasure. Expect Lower Sac rainbows to use the entire river against you. Mmmmmkay.

When it comes to trout fishing on the Lower Sacramento around Redding, CA., nymphing is by far the most productive fly fishing method. We fish deep on this river. Although a tapered leader will work when nymphing this river, we recommend constructing your leader out of 2X, 3X and 4X tippet or level fluorocarbon. Basically, tie in your 2X tippet at the indicator and pull off about 7.5-8.5 feet. Now grab your 3X and tie it in using a double surgeon knot to a length of 18"- 24". Go ahead and tie in your first fly. The second fly drops off of the hook bend of the first fly. Use your 4X tippet to tie in the second, smaller fly. We like to use "BIG" 1 1/4" indicators. SSG split shot also known as "Goose Shot" (ask Cory) will get the flies down to the fish. If you are wading the river and not in a drift boat, add another AAA or even a second SSG to your rig. The sooner the flies get to the bottom of the river, the more time you spend "fishing".

Water Flows:
Lower Sacramento Flows

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Dean's Twilight Caddis #12-14
• E/C Caddis Tan #14-16
• Mercer's Missing Link #16
• Quigley's Midget Caddis #16

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Silvey's Beaded Pupa - Tan
• CB Bird's Nest - #14-16
• Skip Nymph
• Fox's Cinnamon Poopah - #12
• KP Nosepicker PMD #16
• Mercer's Micro Mayfly #14-16 Brown
• Beaded Drifting Flashback #16
• Zack's Pseudo May #16 Black or Brown
• Gordon's Amber Wing Prince #14-18
• GB Superflash PT - Pearl #18
• Pat's Rubberlegs - #6-8

Eggs:
• Micro Spawn - Salmon, Steelhead, Shrimp
• Boles Bazookas - all
• Roe Gain Eggs - Light Roe, Alaska Roe

Fly Fishing Gear:
• The Fly Shop's?? Signature H2O Indicator Rod
• Rio?? Fly Line Perfect For The "Sac"
• Simms?? Solar Shirt/TFS Logo
• Dr. Slick/TFS Scissor/Hemostat
• An indicator that suspends heavy split shot!