California Help

tstooge26

tstooge26

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Joined
Jun 10, 2009
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Hello everyone

Just found out I'm heading to Berkeley California for a week for work. I'm thinking about staying an extra weekend to do some fishing and I was wondering if anyone had any input on places to go. Was reading some and I'm worried about high waters since I'm going in early April but I have no experience out there. I would love to target cutthroat since I have never caught one. I am considering getting a guide but if don't have to and am able to do it myself that would be nice. Any info would be great

Thanks for all the help
 
I would get a guide your first day and use what you learned for the rest of the week. Get all the knowledge you can from him of other areas to fish and what they are using
 
tstooge26 wrote:
Hello everyone

Just found out I'm heading to Berkeley California for a week for work. I'm thinking about staying an extra weekend to do some fishing and I was wondering if anyone had any input on places to go. Was reading some and I'm worried about high waters since I'm going in early April but I have no experience out there. I would love to target cutthroat since I have never caught one. I am considering getting a guide but if don't have to and am able to do it myself that would be nice. Any info would be great

Thanks for all the help


Head north on the 5 to the Redding area. Check out the link below with a regional stream report. Many of the reports give opening dates for fishing, since some rivers and lakes are not yet open for the season. Good luck.

Northern Cal stream reports

 
Most streams and rivers are closed until the last Saturday in April.

The closest stream to Berkeley that will be open in early April is Putah Creek.

There are parts of the upper Sacremento which are open, but expect a multi-hour drive to get there.

April is the tail end of the rainy season; expect high water everywhere.
 
Thanks for the responses it looks like I'm going to be out there to early. Just found out last week I'm going so thanks for the quick responses.
 
redietz wrote:
Most streams and rivers are closed until the last Saturday in April.

The closest stream to Berkeley that will be open in early April is Putah Creek.


I fished Putah about 5 years ago in the early spring when working west of Sacramento. I found it technical fishing under bright sun but once the sun went behind the canyon; the fish showed themselves. Lots of small rainbows. Beautiful large boulders everywhere in the middle of the stream. Well worth bringing your rod on the plane with you.
 
You might want to check out the Pit. I believe it's open year round, plus there are a number of dams on it, so you might get a fishable flow. Five or so hours north of SF, it's my favorite CA stream.
The Fly Shop in Redding can give you up to the minute info.
 
Sacramento R. above Lake Shasta.
 
The Upper Sac is particularly nice between the Crags and Dunsmuir, though I expect it probably running high at this time of the year. Regardless, I'd most always choose the Pit over the Upper Sac. I like the isolation of the Pit.
 
I spent about a month fly fishing northern CA. Pit, McCloud, Hat Creek, Lassen Creek - Modoc Nbational Forest.

These are 5 or more hours away. I was really surprised at Hat Creek. I read how picky the fish are in this big spring creek. Seperated but small hydropower damns. Small sample size but did well in late season and bright sunshine.

You could also fish a number of waters near Sacramento- Yuba, American. So many choices. You could also fish the Truckee, it was crazy low last summer tho.

I have a good friend that lives near Eureka CA and they are 135% preceipitation for the Rainey season so far.


CA is great a diverse state for fly fishing and has 10 or more natuve salmonoids.
 
some beautiful water in California- unfortunately there are also Californians -well except for those that are invading Montana and other nearby states.
have to admit the Californians were some of the nicest dudes I ran into when living in Montana.Invite you to come on over and have a beer or two,help pull you out of snow drifts when the locals would just laugh when they drove by.
 
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