North Fork of the Feather River

Current Report  - October 14, 2007 - Sunday

Report from "Fish First" fly shop in Chico, CA:

Fishing is fair to good. Isonychia nymph shucks can be seen on the rocks around the rivers edge indicating their migration. Nymph fishers are catching some nice fish during the day near Belden on Hogan's Isonychia and black AP's. There are still some mayflies and small stones hatching in the evening. Look for fish actively feeding on the surface near Pulga. Try a small mayfly cripple or E/C Caddis to rising fish.. Streamer fishing is good for the big fish in deep holes. Use a type 2 sink tip and a crayfish or sculpin pattern. Imitate an injured fish with an erratic jerk/strip retrieve. With the cooler weather and shorter days, fishing will only get better.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Call the 'Sportsmen's Den' in Quincy, California for a current report. 530/283-2733.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stream Information

The stretch of the North Fork of the Feather River that is the most popular with fly fishers is from Lake Almanor downstream to Lake Oroville. Much of this is paralleled by the railroad tracks and Hwy 70 so it is fairly accessible. It has a number of power stations which negatively effect the river. Some of the best water is from Gansner Bar upstream to the Belden Forebay. The river actually has a population of wild trout only being planted by some of the campgrounds on the road to the Belden Forebay.

It is usually good early and late season as it has lots of big slow pools that don't hold many fish in the summer. Try any place you see a good heavy riffle there will be plenty of oxygen through the summer months which are good places for trout to hold. Fish any place where a tributary enters the North Fork as it will be cooler and hold fish. Fish will even run up in the tributaries a ways, like on Grizzly Creek, to get cool. Early season you have stonefly hatches and late season they seem to like grass hoppers. Try nymphing in the deeper riffles with a long leader so you will get very deep where the trout are hanging in mid-summer.

PS: Watch for rocks and deer while driving the along the river.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yellow Creek is also very near which is a beautiful spring creek in the Humbug Valley southwest of Lake Almanor.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

North Feather River Maps

• Courtesy FlyFishNorCal site.
• Stream Time map available.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Books

• Plumas National Forest Trout Fishing Guide by Andrew Harris - excellent
• Flyfisher's Guide to Nor Cal by Seth Norman
• Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada by Bill Sunderland

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Local Shop

• Allan Bruzza's Sportsmen's Den - 530/283-2733 - Quincy, CA

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fishing Guides

• Kiene's North Feather Guide recommendations.