This report just posted by local guide Anthony Carruesco:
I have been back and forth between the Upper and Lower Sac the past five days and both rivers continue to fish very well. The bite on the Lower Sac has been pretty insane between about 11:00 and 2:00. The best bugs for me have been Silvey’s Pupa, Prince variations, and your favorite little mayfly nymph (preferably with some flash).
Up the hill a ways on the Upper Sac we have been finding active fish from mid morning all the way until late evening. Nymphing will be your best bet on this freestone right now as well. Tie on a little soft hackle mid day and swing it – it’s been a fun and productive alternative to high sticking or indi nymphing. Read more:
Rick Cox also posted this Upper Sac Report on the Ted Fay Flyshop site on March 11th:
Looks like this great run of weather and fishing is unfortunately about to end for a bit. All the weather folks are saying storms over the next 7-10 days bringing rain, rising rivers and snow …… or as we say in Dogpatch “it is what it is”. In any event bring it on, the whole state can use a major dose at this stage including the rivers which need a bit of the old purge. Those who have had the opportunity to get out on the USac continue to have excellent results. As mentioned before winter fishing here offers you the opportunity to get into a large fish. The numbers will not be a lot for the most part but size is impressive ….. still a mystery though where those dinks of summer go though. Read more:
March 12, 2012 – 10:06 am 
Klamath River, March 2012
Local fly fishing guides Craig Nielsen, Alan Blankenship and Anthony Carruesco have been spending several days a week on the upper Klamath River recently and report continued good to great fishing for mostly wild winter run steelhead as well as a few hatchery fish. Anglers are enjoying multiple hooks ups and several fish to net each day with most averaging two to five pounds along with an occasional larger brute. Anglers new to steelhead fishing are enjoying success as well as our more seasoned guests as conditions are not proving too technical.
Most fly fishers are typically side drifting nymphs and eggs from driftboats targeting fish holding in deep water and often found together in pods. Rubberlegs and egg patterns, along with large and small nymphs including Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, Birdsnests, Fox Poopahs, Pheasant Tails and Micromays have all produced. Changing flies to find what these moody creatures want to eat each day has been key. With water temps in the lower 40′s nymphing has out produced swinging by a noticeable margin. Anglers dedicated to the swing will find improved action as air and water temps warm. Larger, slowly swung flies are managing the most attention with multiple grabs per day and a fish or few to hand the norm.
Flows below Irongate Dam remain steady, low and very fishable at 1300 cfs. The National Weather Service is forecasting a storm this week which may move even more fish upstream and improve the already superb bite. We continue to see fresh bright fish and expect the excellent conditions to continue for a few more weeks before the fish move into the shallows and tributaries to spawn. Boat traffic has been very light and on most days we have had the river to ourselves.
While mornings and evenings have been cool, afternoons have been unseasonably warm and comfortable, requiring a second application of sunscreen. No need to get an early start as the action picks up as the sun hits the water and slows as the sun disappears over the horizon. Not often that we enjoy sunburns with steelhead this time of year, we recommend you get here now. Drop us a line for the latest conditions or to schedule one of our fine local guides for another steelhead fishing adventure before the season ends and our trout season moves into full swing.
Tuesday, March 13th @ 6:00 – 9:00
Golden West Women Flyfishers
Craig will be presenting a program on fly fishing the Klamath River called ” Seasons on the Klamath” at a monthly meeting of the Golden West Women Flyfishers. The presentation features proven techniques and strategies for the Salmonfly hatch and dry fly fishing in spring, as well as swinging and nymphing for wild and hatchery steelhead and half-pounders in the fall, concluding with successful approaches for targeting the wild Klamath River steelhead run in winter.
Craig and the great local guides who work with us at ShastaTrout spend as much time on this stretch of the Klamath individually as our largest competitor’s guides spend collectively. Discussing this intimate knowledge with a group of fun and seasoned anglers who willingly share their experiences makes for an informative and fun evening. We hope you will join us as well!
February Freestones from AC on Vimeo.
Video by local guides Anthony Carruesco & Matt Formento
A few of us have been fishing the Upper Sacramento River again this week and it continues to to fish exceptionally well with near ideal spring like conditions. Flows remain exceptionally low and clear and fish are active from Cantara all the way downstream to Lake Shasta. Small spring caddis are popping on sunny afternoons along with some lingering Blue Wing Olive Mayflies. While nymphing has been most productive, some searching may put you on a pod of rising Rainbows. Pick any section of river you like, you will undoubtedly have it to yourself, and wet a line! A number of large fish have come to hand as this is the time of year when landing a trophy from this classic freestone is most likely. With more great weather in the forecast consider this your complimentary notice to get here now.
Drop us a line for details or to schedule a day with one of our great local guides.
February 28, 2012 – 11:40 am 
Several great local guides featured by Shasta Trout including Craig Nielsen, Gabe Duran, George Durand, Kevin Price, Matt Formento and Anthony Carruesco, have hosted a number of guests recently on the Lower Sacramento River and found the river to be fishing exceptionally well. While we are still finding some steelhead on the Klamath and Trinity, the exceptional bite and incredible spring like weather on the Lower Sac has been hard to pass up. Flows below Keswick have dropped to 4,500 cfs which concentrates the holding water, making this the place and time of year when a trophy Rainbow is likely to find it’s way into your net.
Hatches are running weeks early, with the famed blizzard spring caddis coming off on the sunny afternoons. We typically do not see this hatch until well into March. Some March Browns, PMD’s and lingering BWO’ mayflies are mixed in making for an aggressive bite. The vast majority of fish have come nymphing with small imitations but a few fish are still showing up on rubberlegs, and for the savvy angler on dries. A few guests have experienced outstanding dry fly fishing and though this can be a rewarding experience, it is most often technical and challenging.
Trophy Rainbows are stacked in pods on the upper drifts on their annual migration to spawn. The lower floats from Anderson to Jelly’s Ferry have been consistently good from early morning until late afternoon. The grab has been slowing in the afternoon and evening. Multiple hookups on all drifts have been common as of late. The trout down river are a generally smaller (10″-16″) on average than up river but we usually find a few trophy Rainbows over 18″on the lower floats as well.
The weather forecast is calling for a storm system to pass this week, with clear, warm sunny skies by the weekend. Consider this your invitation to get here now! Drop us a line for details or to schedule a trip to get your trout season off to a great start!
February 27, 2012 – 11:22 pm 
Guide reports from Anthony Carruesco & Matt Formento
We have been out on the Upper Sacramento River a few times this past week and the fishing has been VERY solid. The early spring like weather has the bugs and the fish active. Right now the larger rainbows in the Upper Sac are dominating the pools and runs – pushing out the smaller fish so that they get first dibs on the food coming downstream. Fish seemed to be in all the spots you would expect them to be, heads of runs, seams and on the edges. Caddis pupa definitely were the hot fly but smaller stones, micro mays, and some attractor type nymphs (red headed step child) picked up some fish as well. Quite a few fish were taken with caddis on the swing after the drift too.
On the warmer days the fish have been keyed in on mid day caddis hatch as well as rubber leg stones and smaller mayfly nymphs in the morning and evening. Bob Grace at Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir ties a killer little soft hackle PT that has been very effective as well (See Craig’s article on Winter Flies for tips on fishing this fly).
The afternoons can also provide for some nice dry fly opportunities. Keep an eye on the soft seam lines and foam lines for noses poking through the surface. Flows remain exceptionally low. Now is the time of year to be stalking the banks of the Upper Sac, it’s hard to beat solitude and big fish on a freestone in February or March.
Drop us a line for details or to schedule a day with one of our great local guides.
February 25, 2012 – 11:44 pm SKWAL-icious from AC on Vimeo.
Video and report by guides Anthony Caruesco & Matt Formento
Flows down on the Lower Yuba have been hovering just above 700 cubes for the last few weeks. These are VERY low flows for this time of year, which has kept the fish pretty spooky. That being said, there is still good fishing to be had. The low water combined with the unseasonably warm weather has started the Skwala Stonefly hatch a bit early. Along with the Skwalas there have been a mix of Blue Winged Olives, PMDs, March Browns, and Gray/Slate Drakes along with a few Caddis. The Yuba can be a fickle river, generous one day and handing you your lunch the next.. that’s what keeps us coming back. Tie up some Skwala Dries, or purchase a few at your favorite shop and test the banks of the Yuba, you might be pleasantly surprised at what happens.
Feel free to drop us a line for details.