Thanks to Neil for the mid-June stream report from the McCloud and Upper Sac Rivers.
Theaux,
I wanted to fish the McCloud River in N. California as soon as I heard about it 10 years ago. Finally retired and got my chance. I hired a local guide who was just terrific. The McCloud has been famous for over 100 years as the nursery of its’ red-sided and big trout to the fisheries of the world. You’d think with a rep like that it would be jammed with flyfishers, and on some days it can get a bit crowded. It is far off the beaten path, even for Californians, and the lower river is in a deep canyon wilderness. Rick taught me the local patterns and how to fish them. During the day that means plenty deep. Golden stoneflies and various nymphs fished off the bottom do the trick in the high waters of mid-June. The McCloud is fed by the big snowmelt coming off Mt. Shasta and the water is quite cold and deep just off the bank. There are no riffles, but plenty of boulders. I have no pictures of my big fish, (rats!) because they were caught during the evening on my last day when I was on my own without a camera. Suffice it to say I have never had such an evening – no one else anywhere in sight, bouncing giant stimulator dryflies. Rainbows to 20″ came up off the bottom to slam the big flies. You can see them swim up in the clear glacial waters. There are occasional browns, too. Thanks for allowing me to demo a 9ft. 6wt. St. Croix rod, it had plenty of backbone and you’ll need it. The rod is now mine. A 9-10 ft. 5wt. will do just fine, too. The photo with me in it is on the Upper Sacramento just a few miles away, another superb blue-ribbon stream paralleled by I-5 for many miles, making it so accessible that local fishers often do not bother with the McCloud. Finally, if you are like me, you will love staying in the town of McCloud, a very quiet place that depends on recreation and tourism now that the lumber industry and the dinner train are gone.
Neil