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Yuba With Ken Hanley

I had the pleasure of guiding/fishing with Ken Hanley on the Yuba not too long ago and we had great day. We had a nice start to the day with a few bugs hatching around us with fish working the surface. The goal of the day was to hang out, chat about fly fishing and see if we could fool a few 'bows. Without a doubt the day was a complete success, I had the pleasure of learning about Ken's recent travels and stories of the great fly fisherman that are still casting, tying, speaking, teaching and fishing. In between stories we were able to fool a few nice trout under 'cators and got a few solid tugs on the swing. I always enjoy days spent with Ken, I learn a ton and laugh my butt off with all the great stories.

Ken holding Yuba gold
Last fish of the day... good way to end it

A few months back Ken's new book, Tying Fureld Flies, was released and has been well received. If you have not checked out Ken's work I highly recommend you do. Most fly shops carry the book, check it out soon.

Thanks for a great day Ken, hope to fish with you on your turf soon!

Yuba on the swing

I have been spending a great deal of time on the Yuba and am happy to say that it is fishing well. During the winter months the Yuba can be one of the best fishing rives in Northern California for trout and steelhead. Lately I have seen a nice push of steelhead throughout the river and expect more to come in within the next few months. The last week or so the fish have been receptive to flies on the move, both emergers and streamers.

Nymphing egg patterns with caddis and mayflies under and indicator has also been producing a few fish. One of the highlights of this time of year is the BWO hatches that happen almost every day, they are especially thick on overcast days. The days that the fog was socked in the BWO's went crazy and so did the fish. There were stretches of river that had hungry fish sipping constantly. They got all over parachute adams size 18.
If you would like to try the Yuba , I highly recommend doing a walk and wade trip. While on foot we can really dive into technique, reading water, bug ID and how to use your spey or switch rod. Check out my current special and pick a day you can sneak out.

When in doubt, fish!
Ryan

Click image to get the Northern Waters

It is time... British Columbia

Now is the time to get in on fishing BC because the exchange rate is currently in our favor. Look forward to 5 full days of guided fishing in BC for world-class steelhead surrounded by incredible scenery. 2009 rates for Nicholas Dean Lodge are $3,695 CAD, convert it today and see what it will actually cost.

Join this hosted trip, we can discuss the economy in the lodge over copious bourbon

Fish with me as we hunt for massive steelhead on several world famous rivers.

Space is limited and filling up...

Corner offices rule

Mark October 4 - 10, 2009 on your calendar, you are busy that week
Visit Angling On The Fly for more details.
Contact me directly for the skinny...

If you have been fishing the Trinity lately, this is what a steelhead looks like.
If you like food... battery died before the steak came out...

Yuba Winter Special...

I would like to offer a Yuba winter special...

Here are the conditions:

1. Yuba only
   
2. Spey or switch rods only
3. Walk and wade only
   
4. $300 for one or two anglers
5. 8am to dark (flexible)
   

I will still be offering full guided trips out of my drift boat that can include fishing on the swing.

This offer is for the angler who is really looking to tackle our valley rivers with spey and switch rods, we will dive into the pools of swinging flies and look for a solid tug! I encourage anglers with all skill levels to check it out.

Please contact me for more details. Thank you!

Feather... Friday Dec 5

Guiding the Feather was fun that Friday, mainly because of the company at hand. We fished hard all day and were rewarded, overall we hooked a few stout half-pounders and two nice adults. Many of them fell victim to mayfly nymphs. Over the last few days we have had spectacular fishing weather,... cold, balmy, foggy, calm, quiet, mysterious and so on. It was very cool not being able to see 50 yards in front of you. We had a very good day, I am not sure about my clients for that day, but my sides hurt from laughing. Thanks for a great day!

Steelhead fishing will continue to be ok through Dec and Jan, look for big, bright fish to move in during these times. All the fish hooked were dime-bright!

Feather... Thursday Dec 4

I went out with a friend and hit the Feather with the long rods. We had indicator rods as well, however, we really just wanted to swing. We did nymph several of the classic holding spots to no avail. We were equally as successful swinging various flies. One of the last spots on the low-flow did produce this nice hen, she fell for and egg.

Klamath: The Whole Shebang

The Klamath is "The Whole Shebang," it has awesome scenery, good fishing for resident rainbows, steelhead, and incredible water. I had an opportunity to float with my good friend Steve Pereira out of Chico, CA and Craig Nielson of Shasta Trout down the Klamath in search of metalheads... this was my first time on the Klamath and it was one I will not soon forget. We floated the upper river and were accompanied by a few other guide boats. Not very long into our float Steve cranked on a few half pounders and got the skunk off the boat. After Craig back rowed several times in the sweet run I was able to jump a nice steelhead and manage to get rid of it. Not too long after that we continued down the river and continued to hammer on chrome. We had close to 40 opportunities and landed about half that. Steve was the king of the day landing one nice 5-6lb hen and lost another one that may have broke the 10 mark.

If you are looking for a great experience on the Klamath I highly recommend Craig, additionally, he currently has a few prime-time spots open.

Craig and Steve

Halfie

Steve and the Victory Dance

The Billy Goat Rules

Delta: Top-Water... Do You Have the Faith?

Do I have the faith....hmmm... when it comes to top-water stripers in November I had no faith until I fished with Kevin Doran of Delta Adventures. I had an opportunity to fish with Kevin and my good friend Mike Reymann on the Delta. Within minutes after we launched we were at our first spot... Kevin asks us, "Do you have the faith"? Mike and I said..."uuuuuhhh... what do you mean"? Kevin wanted to see if we had faith is raising stripes to the top... first spot, first few casts, WHAM, Mike got a good eat and nice schoolie. At that point Mike had the faith. I on the other hand did not have the faith yet as I had not gotten eaten. We went over to another spot and again... WHAM, Mike gets eaten, another 4-6lber. After the sun had a chance to get up we left the faith (against "guidance") and went down with clousers. Once again....WHAM, Mike gets another fish, this one was HOT, it took him for a sweet ride. Mike landed the purple-back, pink-lipped razorback and she came in around 7lbs (we were shocked how hot this fish was). We proceed to hammer on fish subsurface until the tides changed....

The afternoon was sweet, I finally found the faith... As we approached this spot Kevin asked us again." Do you have the faith"? Mike and I knew what that meant... TOP-WATER! We worked the water for a while and out of now where a nice swirl toilet-bowled my fly, Kevin walked me through the enticement process... keep popping, keep it moving, don't speed up... then like a Great White shark breaching on a seal a nice striper blasted me. I missed several others do to my awesome "trout-set". We got a nice largey on top as well.

One of the best eats of the day came on Mike's rod, this fish swirled his fly, Mike worked the fly all the way to the boat with no follow. He hucked it back in and began to work the fly back to the boat. All three of us were frozen, my heart was beating like crazy, Mike couldn't stand still and Kevin knew what was coming... right at the boat-SWOOSH, this balisitc striper ripped Mike and took him for a ride.

All in all a great day, thanks to Mike and Kevin for a much needed day on the Delta. I highly recommend Delta Adventures to anyone who is looking to spend a fulfilling day on the Delta and see what the top-water game is really all about.

A few top-water fish pics...

Mike bent

Kevin and Mike... "yup, top-water... ya gotta have faith"

Not on a clouser

Sweet boat

Where was this fish durring the tournament STARR?

Fishing Reports: Lower Sacramento

Overall fishing on the Sac has been good. The egg bite has slowed down, but the feeding still continues. There are good numbers of steelhead from Balls Ferry south. Almost everyday we hook fish that go well into the backing and are never seen again. There were a few days last week where the water flows were very inconsistent and made for some tough days, however, the flows are in the process of stabilizing now. The flows are now below 4k, if have been waiting to wade the Sac, now is the time.

I will post images when I get them.

Fishing Reports: Feather

Overall the Feather has been very slow... I spent 8 days on the Feather and had a wide range of results. I guided Ron Lewis and Lincoln Gray of Tie-Fast a week ago and hooked into more than a dozen fish, we hooked fish of all sizes; halfies, juveniles and adults. I was hopeful for the next day... The next day we hooked 3... the day after that 2... day after that 6... and so on. There was one other day where we hooked 10. I am not sure where the fish are but I am hopeful the fish are on the way. I will be looking into December for prime conditions. There are decent numbers of fish in upper river; however, there has been a fair amount of pressure. For those of you that are looking to hook steelhead this year keep an eye on the Feather, I have my fingers crossed that the end of November and most of December will be on.

If you are planning on fishing the Feather arm yourself with egg patterns, caddis and small mayflies. With warmer water temps give the swing a go...

Here are a few shots from the Feather....

Fishing Report: 10 Days Worth

Being on the river everyday is demanding and does not leave me with much energy to post everyday. The following is a summary of fishing reports from the Lower Sac, Feather and Yuba. I will be on the river most of November as well and will try to get you more up-to-date reports and information.

The following are summaries by river:

Lower Sac:
Overall fishing has been great, the egg bite has been strong throughout the river as well as the runs of steelhead. I have been floating mostly the lower river and having great days hooking 20-40 trout and a few steelhead everyday. Myself as well as several other guides have watched clients hook huge chromers in the Barge hole area. In 5 days we hooked 12 fish that were over 6 pounds, one might have pushed the 12 pound mark... of course that one got away, so we will call it 13 pounds ☺! Fishing will continue to fish very well for the next few months, look for bigger trout to move in to the feeding lanes during these colder months. I have had insane days all the way through January.

Flies: Brown Rubberlegs, eggs patterns, PT's, Hare's Ear, Poxyback Micro Stones in black (size 12), Amber wing prince, and Hogan's S&M nymph.

Technique: Nymphing under an indicator.

A few digital memories

The All-Mighty 'Bow

Nice Sac Steel


Injured Bald EagleBarge Hole SteelNice fish Sasquatch They were made for each other.

Yuba River:
The Yuba has improved since the last time I fished it. I was on it a few days over the last few weeks and was pleased to see that we are still landing some fat rainbows. I am anxious to get out there after this rain to see what came in and what moved around. Fishing should improve dramatically with a few more storms and higher water. There have been some incredible dry fly fishing opportunities thus far. If you are looking for dry fly action in the winter months don’t forget to try the Yuba.

Flies: Egg patterns, rubberlegs, golden stone patterns, midges, PT’s, Hogan’s S&M pattern and leeches in black and olive.

Techniques: Nymphing under indicators and swinging with light spey rods(switch rods).

Quick Pic

Yuba McFatty

Feather River:
Overall fishing has been tough, there are a few big fish in the river, however, the numbers of fish are currently low. I will be on the Feather tomorrow and expect to find some big, fresh steelies. The number of salmon that are in the low flow looks to be normal, currently the numbers in the high flow are low, but I feel that with the last shot of rain we got the big fall-run chinook should be on their way if they are not there already.

October Chrome:

Muy Caliente

Classic Feather River Steelhead

One of the coolest features about this time of year is just how quickly things change. In a matter of hours a salmon can cut a redd and begin spawning. This goes for all the rivers with spawning fish. The key to success this time of year is time on task, if you have a poor day on the river don't sweat it, just get back to the river as soon as possible. The Feather will fish well through November and even into the first few weeks of December.

Flies: Egg Patterns, Pt's, Kyle's Beerhead Baetis, Sloan's Mighty May, green caddis.

Technique: Nymphing under and indicator.

Well, thanks for checking back in! I will be on the water most of November, if you would like to book a trip I am currently taking names for a waiting list. If I have a cancelation, I will contact the next person on the list.

Please contact me with any questions.

Thank you and take care,
Ryan

Current Canadian to US dollar Exchange Rate is Favorable Now!

Currently the exchange rate for US to Canadian dollars is very favorable making the trip of a lifetime to any of Canada's premier fishing destinations a steal. Nicholas Dean Lodge in British Columbia is one of the world's premier salmon and steelhead destinations. This season's return of steelhead was incredible, one of the best in over ten years. Anglers experienced excellent fishing and many anglers hooked steelhead of a lifetime.

Take advantage of this current exchange rate by securing your spot for 2009 now. Angling on the Fly has several Hosted Trips available, plus you can book your own week. I am hosting October 4-10, 2009 which is THE week for big casts, big flies and big fish. Current packages include 6 nights / 5 days of guided fishing, lodging and meals.

Contact us for more information and to reserve your spot today.
Phone: 530-913-8312
Email: rhmiller@gmail.com

Slabs of the week

Lower Sac: October 16 and 17

The Lower Sacramento is in FULL swing, the egg bite is on and fish are keyed in to the program. On the 16th I floated Anderson to Barge and felt that the upper river was a little slow. We hooked a few fish here and there, but it wasn’t quite red-hot. There were several spots where the fish were stacked up and we had a good time picking them off one by one. Once we headed over the white water below Ball's it was on, we hooked 12 or more right away. We continued to hook sweet 'bows for the rest of the float; almost every spot we fished gave us a fish to fight. Once we got into the Barge area we were able to sneak in behind the other drift/jet boats and stick a nice steelhead (pictures to come) out of the "hole". Overall the day was good, the afternoon sealed the deal. Great weather (for sun tanning), great clients and crazy tout...

Today, the 17th, I floated Ball's to Jelly's and was pleased with the fishing. I had a cool father and son team that tackled the big waters of the Sac for the first time. The dad, Kenny, was fairly new to fly casting... especially the Krusteez, 2-3 flies and 2 spit shot and I must say that he did a great job. After figuring out the fly cast we quickly got into fish. His son, Justin was rifling off casts in the back of the boat and nailing aggressive slabs. All in all we landed enough fish to loose count and hooked enough to last a year. Justin and Kenny were a dynamic team that fished hard all day and were handsomely rewarded.
Thanks to all for two awesome days on the Sac.

Tomorrow, I will be on the Sac again, then on to the Feather. Stay tuned!

Yuba: October 13, 2008

She gave us glimpse of glory! Overall fishing was slow, however, we did managed to hook some fat 'bows and LDR'd a few more. There were still very few eaters over the course of the river. One of the last runs of the day really produced. We landed 4 or 5 and hooked 6 or 7 out of one run. It sure is nice to have a few crazy moments in the day like that.

Flies that worked: Eggs, poxyback stones, pt's...

The Yuba is improving. Flows appear to be dropping a little.

Yuba: October 12, 2008

The Yuba showed her temperamental self to us. She threw us for a major curve ball not yielding very many hungry fish. As you may have read the fishing was great over the last few weeks, and then things came to a screeching halt. I guided Rob Elam as we pounded the water with indicators and spey rods. We worked every nook and cranny and threw the kitchen sink at them, with limited results. We managed to hook a few on egg patterns, but not much else. I will say that we did not mind the slow fishing, we had a blast working different spey rods with different lines, playing with flies and generally working hard to crack the code. We were accompanied by other boat who also drew up a blank... crazy river. The salmon continue to stack up and cut more redds, it is only a matter of time before fishing is back on!

Flies that worked: Kitchen Sink, color: stainless, tied by Moen

Gotta love the Yuba-

Putah Creek: Ocotber 11

Adrian Psuty and myself lead a group of 4 anglers through the trails of Putah creek in search for resident and migratory trout. We did a half-day and were able to stick several dozen resident rainbows. Many of them came on larger mayfly and caddis patterns. We fished many smaller insects with little success. The flows were great (280cfs) and fishing pressure was low for a weekend. Fishing this creek can be fun if you get water to fish.

October 8, Guide Day Off-

A much needed thing in the world of guiding. Spent time at Costco, cleaned the boat, stocked up on terminal supplies at Kiene's and then did what any normal guide would do... fish. I hit a local piece of water with a 2 weight and hammered some awesome wild rainbows!

Lower Sac: October 7th

Floated Anderson to Barge and found good numbers of fat trout eating with authority. Right off the bat we hooked several smaller fish on tiny mayflies. From there I was able to maneuver the boat into a tight run and hammer on a few monster slabs. It is fun when we find fish balled up looking to chow. We has a blast as we whacked fish throughout the river. We did not get a clear shot at the barge run so we spent time in the "hole" and was not able to prick any chromers. Maybe next time!

Pictures to follow soon.

Flies: Usual Suspects!

Gotta love that river!

Lower Sac: October 6th

Our day on the Lower Sac was great, we had very clear, warm conditions that kicked off a few hatching caddis and several active fish. We floated Bonnyview to Anderson and found fish scattered throughout the whole float. I would say that fishing was not red-hot, we went through several nice runs with no grabs; however, there were plenty of spots where the fish were schooled up and anxious to eat. I was a little disappointed in the number of spawning salmon in that section, with a little time we should see full redds. My clients Barry and Linda Allen were a pleasure to guide, we spent plenty of time taking in the rays and solving the world's problems. All is all another great day on the Sac.

Flies: Amber wing prince, fox’s poopah, eggs, micro mays, gidget and PT’s

Chillin'
you get the idea

This is by far one of the best video clips I'v seen. This says it all... why we fly fish, why we endure the elements and what keeps us sane. I am anxious for the release!


Hustle and Fish "Fishporn Teaser" from dave wilson on Vimeo.

One Hour From Sactown

An hour outside the hustle and bustle of the city lay one incredible tailout... the Yuba. Fishing continues to stay strong while more salmon have moved in and posted on redds. The egg bite was still on, however, I noticed they changed what colors they ate. Make sure to play with color and size. With nearly 20 fish in the boat, not one came on a bug. This may change so stay on it. Here a few picts form the day.