Reel Adventures Guide Service

Fishing has been solid!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately... We've been busy! Fly fishing on the Lower Sac has been on fire this spring. I will have some pics up soon. Took a week off to spend with family for Easter and had a big soccer tourney (the kid is playing again!)

The release flows for the Sac have bumped up slightly to 4500cfs (great flow now) and the hillsides are green and gobblers are exploding everywhere. Spring has arrived! Hatches of PMD, MB, Caddis, Little Stones, Cranefly, and Midges have been strong. Dry fly potential nearly every day right now.

My calendar is booked thru April and May right now... Early June is next available dates. I would suggest not hesitating locking in some fishing time. It's going to be a busy year for fly fishing guides this summer and the next 3 months will be some of the best fishing of the year. Summer season will be here quick and runoff will be rapid. 

 

Spring Fly Fishing in Redding, California. It's been... well read below

What a spring season so far! Every day has been different but mostly pretty darn good. We have experienced both the typical, bright, blue skies and sunny afternoons - too cloudy, wet and cold days. Spring season weather conditions can be all over the board.

(Image: Typical March blue skies on this day... but note the snow in the mountains above Whiskeytown west of Redding)

The cloudy/wet days have produced the best fishing in my opinion. The mayflies (bwo, pmd, and some MB showing) really love those cloud covered afternoons and they come off thick on these days. Dry fly fishing has been a possibility nearly every day these past few weeks, especially in the lower river floats below and around Anderson. We spend an inordinate amount of time on this river fishing deep indicator rigs... so when the opportunity presents itself to fish the dry fly... Jump On It!!! Not doing so is simply Silly.

On the sunny days - we are still seeing good-great conditions. It's just different. The feeding windows are later, the bugs change a bit (maybe fewer mayflies - but more caddis, etc). And, let's face it... it is a lot more enjoyable for the angler to fish under sunny-blue skies than cold and wet and rainy skies. AMIRIGHT?? The point is... whatever conditions you are presented just make the best of it and Go Fish!

(Images: Jeff D and his daughter Steph... Good times... Great people!

There really isn't a whole lot of things much better than a relaxing day floating down the river while fly fishing for Big, Wild Trout and soaking up the warm spring sun. Get on it soon... Spring Season dates are going fast!!

(Images: Wojo and David hooking up with some beautiful wild trout from the Lower Sac here in Redding, Ca

We have a varied playbook right now. Besides looking for noses to cast dry flies there are other opportunities to step out of the indicator box and do something different. Pulling streamers or swinging wet flies on "trout spey" rods can also be productive in the right spots. Then there are the Bass...

(Image: 5Lb Bucket Mouth for ya...

There are many side projects, AKA: Bass Ponds. We have a lot of stellar local bass residing in valley ponds around Redding and all along the river as you travel south. These are great opportunities near the river and just off the river. Many of our tributary streams also have solid populations of Smallies in them... these streams will open to angling on April 27th and the ponds are open all year around. 

(Images: Lisa S landed a couple nice bucketmouths yesterday. Fun side project with buddy, Aaron and Ellen. Got lucky!) 

We also have several big reservoirs (Lake Shasta, Whiskeytown, and Trinity Lake) that have incredible bass fishing for spotted bass, smallies and largemouth bass. These lakes are open all year around and offer awesome bass fishing on the fly rod. The time is getting real close for them to be busting wide open. Insane fun fishing.

I gotta run for now... will have more trout fishing updates soon... some exciting stuff happening with new regs. Some new waters open up (whether for the better or not, we will delve into that another time) that I am excited about.

April Dates remaining: April 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 booked. Look at June for walk n wade trips and LSac trips. 

Get a hold of me ASAP for fly fishing dates. Spring and early summer is booking quickly and I anticipate this to be a very busy summer season around here. Visit www.ReelAdventuresGuideService.com for more info and stuff

Lower Sac is fishing well...

Only have a quick minute for a quick post.

Feels like Spring has sprung in Northern California... The hills are turning green and the sun has been shining bright everyday. The Lower Sac has been fishing good to great and should get even better over the next few weeks. We are seeing little caddis and pmd's most days along with a few of the big MB mayflies on the lower river.

(Image: Bob Mc... holding a strutting buck all colored up for the big dance. Super secret spot on the Lower Sac in Redding...)

(Image: Greg R with a super-duper-ripper from the lower, lower Sacramento River... I would bet money that this one wasn't a typical resident rainbow but a wild anadromous salt licker. The fact that it jumped like 5 times and made multiple Screaming runs was sort the give away. Not your typical badass wild trout... but a supercharged version. LOL)

Spring season dates are beginning to book up but I do have a few days open for March, April and May. Get a hold of me and we can chat about your plans... Otherwise, Summer will be here before we know it and lots of options will open up for us. 

(Image: Ben K on a green water day in the canyon, Trinity River, a couple weeks ago. It's getting to the end of the season on the Trinity for steelhead this year.)

I'll post up more when I have time. On to some fun stuff in the works and excited about the next few months as we climb out of this Covid Hole finally!!!!!

Let's go fishing. Remember the Top Section of the L Sac (Posse Grounds/Sundial Bridge) will be closing on April 1st until August 1st... we have only the next 4 weeks to fish it. Here are my available dates for next two months...

March 19, 21, 22, 25 (half day), 26, 29, 30 (half day), 31

April 12, 13, 14, 19-21, 26

Still quite a few May dates, too, check my online calender...

 

Booking Dates Now, on the Lower Sacramento River...

As we round out February I will be balancing my time between chasing winter steelhead (on the Trinity River and CA Coast) and wild trout fishing on the Lower Sacramento River - right here in Redding CA. We have no shortage of options for Feb, March and April fly fishing!

This week we have had to turn our attention to trout fishing on the Lower Sac. Several coastal rivers that we had planned to fish blew out with this weeks storms systems... a case of a little too much, little too fast. Hoping to get a few trips on the Eel and SFork Eel - so we will have to keep our fingers crossed.

But... with a Plan B like the Lower Sac at our doorstep - all is not lost. It's a solid option right now and will only get better as we move into March and April. Rain or shine this river is incredible.

 (Image: Jeff M hooking a few nice ones in a super secret location. Lot's of 17"-20" wild trout in this river...come see em!)

(Image: Brendan with a typical Lower Sac fatty on a wet but wonderful day... bwo's and pmd's galore. Fishing is good!)

The spring caddis are already showing themselves on the sunny days. On several downriver floats around Anderson this week we have experienced clouds of small caddis coming off midday. On the cloudy/rainy days we are seeing lots of bwo's and pmd's steadily hatching in good numbers. These bugs can lead to opportunities to fish dry flies and I always have the 5wt rigged just in case!!

Recently, I have had some dates open up and have many other dates too fill. Check out my online calendar on my website to view options. Many dates are tentative right now so ask me if you have any questions and cancellations do pop up. Weekends are tough for me, but I will have a few Sat or Sun available so just ask. March and April are two of my favorite months on the Lower Sac. Come check it out for yourself. 

www.reeladventuresguideservice.com for more info. 

Currently I have March 8, 9, 10, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29-31 and April 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19-21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 available. Get a hold ASAP to books some dates for fly fishing this spring.

 

(Image: Tough to beat the spring like weather yesterday and floating the Lower Sac here in Redding, CA)

Upper Trinity in February...

Conditions have improved on the Upper Trinity River. The drainage received some much needed snow and rain last week bumping the river up quite a bit. It has now dropped just as quickly and current conditions have returned to high and clear. Fishing can be very inconsistent... good one day, tough the next. 

(Images: Terel and Brian got it done last week on the Trinity River... We hit this day perfectly with the river on the drop)

(Image: Finally getting some snow in the high country)

Forecast is calling for another good storm this week on Thursday and another good one on Saturday the 10th. The season isn't over just yet!!