Welcome to The Plumas Sun’s first fishing report! We hope to make the fishing report a regular feature of the paper. Guides and anglers from across Plumas County are encouraged to share photos and observations. To be included, please send updates to editor [at] plumassun.org by the second and fourth Tuesday of each month for publication the following Friday. The next deadline is Tuesday, July 8.
We’ve received positive reports of conditions at Lake Almanor, where the mayfly hatch is still underway. Guides report catches that include rainbow trout, salmon, brown trout and bass.
From Almanor Fishing Adventures
Captain Rob Ayers of Almanor Fishing Adventures reports that fishing on the lake remains very productive, with excellent weather and near-full capacity lake levels. Mixed bags of salmon, rainbow trout and brown trout are being caught and released. An occasional rainbow or salmon does end up heading home for the table. Almanor Fishing Adventures releases trophy brown trout to sustain the fishery.
The Hexagenia limbata, or giant mayfly, hatch is underway at the lake. Anglers are targeting fish in the evenings when these flies emerge from the water and are most vulnerable to predators on the top water.
From Taco Fly Co.
Mario Guel, of Taco Fly Co., reports that fishing has been awesome at Lake Almanor, and the catching has been good, too: “I’ve been on the water since June 15 and the bugs were hatching for us on the south end of the lake every day since. We did have a wicked cold front come through on June 18 and that put the brakes on the bite for a couple of days but people were definitely still hooking up. The weather has since gone back to normal with cold nights, but the hatch is still going strong.”
He offers this advice: “If you haven’t fished the hex (Hexagenia limbata, or giant mayfly) hatch, one thing you’ll learn is that the hatch varies every night. Some nights it starts early, and some nights it starts very late, with the hex numbers varying each day. Just fish it! I am fishing at 40 feet in the mornings using midge and hex patterns and going for smallmouth as well until the early evening. Then I move to 30 feet to start the night off and move in shallower as the night continues. I fish from 1 to 5 feet off the bottom. Keep that dry fly rod ready, you might get your chance at a big ol’ rainbow trout eating on top. Hex nymph patterns are it during the evening for the underwater presentations and for the dry fly, I love using the Umpqua Nealley’s hex adult. It’s killer. We are using long indicator rigs when nymphing and also deep water stripping techniques as well. Good luck out there and remember to pop those flies!”
