Fall Fly Fishing In The Lost Sierra
Fly Fishing the Middle Fork Feather River, Lake Almanor, Lake Davis, and The Lost Sierra
Fall fly fishing in the Northern Sierra brings crisp air, vibrant color, and trout on the move. As water temperatures cool and flows settle, fish feed eagerly—making this one of the most rewarding seasons to be on the water.
Consistent weekly rain, cold overnight temperatures, and warmer days are making for a perfect fishing adventure in the Lost Sierra!
Fall Fly Fishing, the Perfect Time to Walk and Wade, or book a Remote Canyon Packraft Trip!
Middle Fork Feather and its Tributaries are fishing in their Fall Prime, while float tubes on the Lakes are starting to pull in some really big fish!
The Middle Fork Feather River
The Middle Fork Feather is running low as we wait for more rain to bring flows back in the upper section of the river. Fishing is SOLID, the bigger fish are starting to feed aggressively, chasing streamers and sipping on dry flies and nymphs. If you are a backcountry walk and wade fan, this is the best time of year to explore the river on foot before the water levels become too high. The lower river flows and depths allow for easier access on foot to reach hard-to-reach spots!
Packraft trips have been outstanding in the lower canyon, finding fish in remote locations while taking a fun, adventurous paddle in the backcountry!
Hatches: October Caddis, BWO, and Mayflies.
Tactics: Euro Nymphing, Dry Dropper, and stripping streamers for the win! Right now, we are catching about 50-75 percent of our fish on Euro Nymphing, 20-25 percent on dry dropper, and stripping streamers at the ends of the runs has been pulling in some larger fish, but the numbers are not as great as nymphing or dry flies. I expect this next storm to move the water around again and increase the streamer action!
Lake Almanor, Lake Davis, and Frenchman Lake
The lakes have been fishing well, and are just getting better! Some big fish have been caught near or from the shore in the last few weeks, kicking off my favorite time of year for lake fishing, stripping streamers long the shorelines! Fall is a strong season here: as water cools, trout move shallower and feed aggressively in preparation for winter. The food sources diversify (e.g., damselflies, callibaetis, chironomids) and fish become opportunistic.
Balanced leeches, chironomids under an indicator, and minnow/streamer patterns become especially effective in the fall, for those willing to take some chances, stripping streamers has been producing some really nice fish!
WHAT’S NEW? PERMITS ARE IN FOR THE WILD AND SCENIC TRINTY RIVER - STEELHEAD FLOATS!
Now Offering Float Trips on the Wild & Scenic Trinity River for Steelhead!
We’re beyond elated to expand our mission of backcountry fly fishing on Wild and Scenic Rivers with guided float trips through the remote sections of the Trinity River this late fall and beyond.
Teaming up with Big Foot Rafting and Steelhead Cabins in Big Flat, we’ve got you covered with shuttles, remote floats, and lodging.
Let’s go chase wild steelhead in wild places!
Floating the Wild and Scenic Section of the Trinity River - a True backcountry Float you won’t find other guides offering!
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Wild and Scenic