The South Fork flows along Interstate 80 outside Truckee, California. There is a place called the Rainow Lodge and fishing along there is supposed to be decent at certain times of the year, but I have never tried.
I usally pick it up along California Highway 49 outside Grass Valley and Nevada City, California. The road comes to a state park and over a picturesque bridge. There are many hiking trails, and I have seen trout in some of the large pools in the river below.
On my most recent stop, I saw fishing rising in a pool downstream. It was about 7:00 in the morning and nobody was around. So, I decided to hike down an try. The hike down was a bit rough. In fact I went through a thicket of bushes and ended up getting poison ivy.
I used a deer hair caddis dry with a brown soft hackle nymph below. I cast to the rising fish. They were along a large boulder in the shade. I caught two, but they were not trout. I believe they were a white fish and I put them back. I decided to return to the first-aid kit in my car and tend to my poison oak.
This section of the river is a favorite swimming hole. Temperatures can get quite hot in this area and people come to swim and cool off here so unless you come early the fishing is almost impossible. And due to the number of white fish this may not be the best fly water to try.
I usally pick it up along California Highway 49 outside Grass Valley and Nevada City, California. The road comes to a state park and over a picturesque bridge. There are many hiking trails, and I have seen trout in some of the large pools in the river below.On my most recent stop, I saw fishing rising in a pool downstream. It was about 7:00 in the morning and nobody was around. So, I decided to hike down an try. The hike down was a bit rough. In fact I went through a thicket of bushes and ended up getting poison ivy.
I used a deer hair caddis dry with a brown soft hackle nymph below. I cast to the rising fish. They were along a large boulder in the shade. I caught two, but they were not trout. I believe they were a white fish and I put them back. I decided to return to the first-aid kit in my car and tend to my poison oak.
This section of the river is a favorite swimming hole. Temperatures can get quite hot in this area and people come to swim and cool off here so unless you come early the fishing is almost impossible. And due to the number of white fish this may not be the best fly water to try.
North Fork
If you continue up the highway another 45 minutes or so, you reach the north fork of the Yuba river - a few miles below the town of Downieville, California.
I usually stop at a pull-out at the Canyon Creek trail-head. I fish upstream of the bridge.
On the far side of the river there is shade most of the day and lots of green vegetation. Not only is it pretty, but it makes great trout water. The water is usually about shin to knee deep with plenty of pockets and boulders for trout to hide.
During the early summer I like to use a stonefly dry with a stonefly nymph dropper. The fish go wild! This time I was there in late August. There were still a few stones on the water but I saw a few fall caddis larva - a big juicy caterpillar - (see terrestrials under "trout food") and lots of teeny tiny nat-like bugs.
In fact there was a massive hatch of these and I could see many trout rising and feeding. I saw a few pale morning dun mayflies so I put a small dry on top with a size 22 zebra midge below. Right off the bat I got a really nice rainbow. But then things slowed and I could not get a hit so I switched to a size 22 red copper john and netted another 'bow. In about two hours of fishing I had three hits and netted two.
By now it was really getting hot. The car said 103 outside! So, I drove upstream, through the quaint town of Downieville, where I got a bite to eat and stopped in the local hardware store next to the US Post Office. They have all the fishing gear you'll need.
More small streams feed the Yuba above town and the slope is a little more steep so the water flows faster - doesn't get too stagnant - and thus is cooler. Since the day was hot, I needed the coolest water possible in order to catch any sluggish trout.
This time I used a deer hair caddis dry with a size 22 gray midge. I tossed into water that was flowing over a boulder dam and into a pool. Bang - got one - and he was a fighter. I had a chance to capture this one with my camera while he was fighting. By the way the rod is my 3 piece, 3 weight replacement rod from Loomis. Check out details under "getting started - rods".
After that - no action - so I switched to a black royal coachman dry with a red tail and a size 22 zebra midge and netted another one a few yards downstream. Look how clear this water is! Stealth and good presentation is key. Despite the hot temps I saw a few fish still rising in the cool shade and along the banks. But believe me - on a hot day like this I really wanted to just jump in the pool myself and cool off. If it didn't involve waders and boots and vests being put on and off I would have.
If you continue up the highway another 45 minutes or so, you reach the north fork of the Yuba river - a few miles below the town of Downieville, California.I usually stop at a pull-out at the Canyon Creek trail-head. I fish upstream of the bridge.
On the far side of the river there is shade most of the day and lots of green vegetation. Not only is it pretty, but it makes great trout water. The water is usually about shin to knee deep with plenty of pockets and boulders for trout to hide.
During the early summer I like to use a stonefly dry with a stonefly nymph dropper. The fish go wild! This time I was there in late August. There were still a few stones on the water but I saw a few fall caddis larva - a big juicy caterpillar - (see terrestrials under "trout food") and lots of teeny tiny nat-like bugs.By now it was really getting hot. The car said 103 outside! So, I drove upstream, through the quaint town of Downieville, where I got a bite to eat and stopped in the local hardware store next to the US Post Office. They have all the fishing gear you'll need.
More small streams feed the Yuba above town and the slope is a little more steep so the water flows faster - doesn't get too stagnant - and thus is cooler. Since the day was hot, I needed the coolest water possible in order to catch any sluggish trout.This time I used a deer hair caddis dry with a size 22 gray midge. I tossed into water that was flowing over a boulder dam and into a pool. Bang - got one - and he was a fighter. I had a chance to capture this one with my camera while he was fighting. By the way the rod is my 3 piece, 3 weight replacement rod from Loomis. Check out details under "getting started - rods".
After that - no action - so I switched to a black royal coachman dry with a red tail and a size 22 zebra midge and netted another one a few yards downstream. Look how clear this water is! Stealth and good presentation is key. Despite the hot temps I saw a few fish still rising in the cool shade and along the banks. But believe me - on a hot day like this I really wanted to just jump in the pool myself and cool off. If it didn't involve waders and boots and vests being put on and off I would have.
While checking out the conditions, I observed dozens of fall caddis larva. These are the little bugs that live in a cocoon made of tiny pebbles. They are all along the bottom of the river - on boulders and logs etc. I plucked one out and set it on a log for you to see. (see caddis under "trout food").
I often hear people call these "helgremites" but they are really fall caddis larva. There are several nymphs you can use to imitate this stage. Trout eat 'em up. later - you'll see the black or gray colored adults during a hatch. The deer hair caddis dry works well then.
Anyway the Yuba is a good old standby. Even when it is fairly late in the season the water is a bit down and it is very hot. I still caught fish and saw plenty of action.
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