Pit River
Current Report
- call Vaughn's
in Burney, CA
This is one of the best wild trout streams in Nor Cal.
The
wading is not easy but the fish are wild and can be large.
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Stream Information
The Pit River has many
dams on it but still comes out on top as a world class wild Rainbow
trout fishery. It does have more than it's share of rough fish with
tons of squawfish and suckers in the pools. Normally
June is a target month depending on the snow pack and weather.
The Fall is very good to with the famous
Isonychia mayfly emerging in mid-September
on. We recommend going with a good fly fishing guide for your first
time to the Pit unless you have a good friend who is familiar with
the river. The river has fairly good access with a gravel/paved
road running along most of it's length. Some places you have to
hike down to the river. Fish the big runs coming into the big pools
and then all the pocket water above each pool. The water just below
Lake Britton is usually the most crowded especially on weekends.
Most fish it from the town of Big Bend upstream to Lake Britton.
There is some water above Lake Britton just passed the Pit River
Lodge.
We like to camp at Deep
Creek Campground which is pretty much abandoned by the State. The
road in there is a little rough at times too. Once you are in there
it is usually pretty quiet with good fishing for miles in both directions.
There is a trail on the right side of the river heading upstream
for many miles.
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Tackle
Most use a 9' #5 weight
rod for the Pit with a floating line. Have a sinking line for throwing
streamers in the big pools. This is 90% upstream indicator nymphing
in the heavy pocket water. Have some Fresh 7.5' 3x leaders and some
matching 3x to 5x tippet. Have some #14 BH Princes and some large
#8/10 black Isonychia nymphs. Some will try dries in the pocket
water so have some #10 Royal Wulffs, Stimulators and Irresistibles.
Try some large olive or white Zonkers in the pools.
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Pit River Map
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Article
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Books
- CA Blue Ribbon Trout Streams by Sunderland & Lackey.
- Fly-Fishing Northern CA Waters by Lily Wong
- Fly Fishing Guide to Northern California by Seth Norman
- Headwater Guides:California's Best Fly Fishing by Chip O'Brien
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Fishing Guides
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Lodging/Camping
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Private Water
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Points of interest
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Some old 'Pit
River people'...........
- The oldest group I knew locally who frequented the Pit River
was comprised of Cappie Kramer, Frank Scofield, Bob Burrows, Gary
Ellison, Frank Laprezioso and Dick Hume. I think Frank Laprezioso
is the only one still with us.
- Jerry Lyerly told my friend Neil Hanson about the river many
years ago.
- We came along in the 1970s with my brother Dick Kiene first
finding about it from some of his friends from the Bay area.
- Our group was myself, my brother Dick Kiene, his friend Vince
Dutcher, my brother's son Chris Kiene, then we had George Innes,
Skip Orr, Galen Geller, Paul Keel, Phil Romig, Fred Gordon, Frank
Pipgrass, and Alan Barnard.
- Mike Mercer from The Fly Shop in Redding, California is an old
Pit River guy.
- E.C.Powell and the entire Powell family
and friends all fished the Pit River for many years going way,
way back too.
- When
I first saw "The River Runs Through It" I thought of
my brother Dick and I fishing the Pit River.
- This is my favorite trout
stream, period. It has some 5-10# wild Pit River Rainbows in it
but we won't land them.
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