Current Fishing Report

Now's a great time to be in the mountains. The temps are 10 degrees cooler and wet wading feels great. Our guides have been on the Upper Sac the last month, enjoying the mountains and the plucky wild fish, who've been eating nymphs through the day and providing dry action toward evening. If you're looking to beat the heat and hit the water, now's a good time. Come join us, because we're having fun!

I've spent quite a bit of time on the Fall River and it's connected waters this Spring and early Summer, overall the fishings been Great ! The Hex has been going off most nights and when it does you have your best shot at some of the bigger fish the Fall has to offer. Durring the morning and day time we've had dry fly action on PMD's both Spinners and Duns,fishing intermediate lines mid day has been productive as well.I have some availability on the Fall river later this month, and much of August as well as very early September before I head over to the Lower Klamath for Summer Steelhead.  August can offer up some great dry fly action with Callibaetis Mayfly's emerging in the Lower River. Come join me on this one of a kind fishery !Feel free to reach out if you have questions.Randy Hamann

Flows are dropping, opening up more wading and fishing opportunities. The fish have been cooperative, with plenty of bugs keeping them actively feeding. Nymphing has been productive, both morning and evening. Stones, caddis and mayflies are on the menu, so switch bugs if you're not getting grabs. The entire team, Brian, Colin, Kevin, Ben, Luke, Scottie, Mike, Mat and even Andrew has been on the water. Fall River, Lower Sac, Upper Sac, McCloud, Hat Creek, trout, striper, bass or shad – take your pick. June is game on and a great time to book a trip.   TIP: Especially on smaller water, that's clear like the Upper Sac, stealth is your friend. Keep a low profile and stay back from the water's edge until you've fished close. Put less line on the water, high stick. Read the water carefully, break it down into small pieces. Fish thoroughly. You'll enjoy better results. 

Spent 3 days on the Fall, last Sunday-Tuesday, the weather was variable, had clouds and wind on both Sunday and Monday, fishing was a little Scratchy, Tuesday the clouds parted and the sun came out and the fish were grabby, I would rate the morning as, as good as it gets !  Fish are spreading out now, moving down river, occupying areas that were mostly void of trout a couple weeks ago. Hex hatch is right around the corner, with warmer temps should start the Hex off in the next week or so and go into July.I have openings available, please hit me up, would love to show you around this wonderfull fishery, One of a Kind ! Feel free to reach out with any questions or to check my schedule 775-781-1058 

Awesome views abound

Shad are plentiful in the Sacramento River below Red Bluff right now.  These fish run from 1-5 pounds with most in the 1-2 pound range.  They like to hold in swift water and fight really hard.  They also like to eat ridiculous brightly-colored flies that no other fish would eat.  Luke Geraty is doing PM Shad trips this summer.  The shad will be around at least through the end of June and probably well into July.  Book an afternoon trip and see what it's all about!

Andrew with a large American Shad

Shad are bait where I grew up but I've gained a new respect for them. They're great for a day full of hard fighting action. A recent trip on the American was beautiful weather and the shad didn't disappoint either. We also target them on the Lower Sac. This is a good fish for everyone but especially newer anglers, who'll have multiple opportunities at fish – so if you miss the first few, there's likely a bunch more behind them. Trout fishing is also coming into shape. the Lower Sac remains spotty due to flows but Fall River, Hat Creek and the Upper Sac are all fishing well. Don't miss our podcasts on iTunes (the confluence podcast):iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-confluence-podcast/id1624277773 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConfluenceOutfitters

Our guides have been on Lake Shasta, the Lower Sac, Fall River, Hat Creek and the Upper Sac in the last few weeks. They've been chasing bass, shad and trout with clients looking to enjoy the spring weather and fishing. If you like chasing gorgeous wild fish, in crystal clear water, surrounded by a spectacular setting, while throwing monster dry flies, it's Hex time on Fall River. Now's the time to book Mike or Colin. These are very special trips you won't regret booking. Flows have been up and down on the Lower Sac and the trout fishing has corresponded. What trout haven't offered lately, shad have made up for. They're definitely in and are less affected by the changes. These little tarpon fight like hell and don't disappoint. Lake Shasta provided some fun, low key float and fly action for spotted bass as the spring bite winds down a bit. Hat Creek's been fishing well for several months and the Upper Sac flows are dropping, which means it's coming into shape. The weather's perfect and the fishing is good. TIP: If you're newer to fly fishing and intimidated by what seems like a confusing mess of fly choices, understand that the majority of flies imitate just three insects; mayflies, caddis and stoneflies. It's not an overly complex puzzle, you just need a little time and help to identify what's-what and to start making informed fly selections. 

Spring Greetings from the Klamath Basin!We’re thrilled to announce another successful water year in the Basin, promising excellent fishing conditions. Get ready for high water in June, perfect for breaking out the nymphs and indicators. The Williamson River opened yesterday, and the Wood River has been open for a few weeks. The season is off to a fantastic start here in the Klamath Basin. Personally, I love fishing in June; it's an ideal time to target the large Redbands staging in the lake at the mouths of the rivers and to fish Golden Stone dry flies on the Williamson.July: The Action Heats UpJuly is when things really start rolling in the Basin. The first batch of Redband trout will begin moving into all systems to escape the warm lake temperatures. July also marks the beginning of Hex season in the Basin. Swinging leeches on intermediate lines, hopper dropper setups, and nymphing are all highly effective this time of year. From stillwaters to spring creeks, everything seems to fish well in July.August: Trophy Fish TimeAugust is prime time for trophy fish! The dog days of summer are a fly fisherman’s dream in the Basin. The hotter the temperatures, the better the fishing. Break out the hoppers and be prepared to swing small damsels and leeches on light tippets for some BIG trout! If you’re a big fish enthusiast, August is the perfect time to book a trip. Though challenging, the rewards can be phenomenal!I’m anticipating another fantastic summer in the Basin chasing monster fish and would love to share this incredible experience with you!Tight lines,

Wood River Brown

Well the shad have started showing up and we have been getting into them! While some are using nymphing techniques, the primary way we have been hooking shad has been swinging flies! This is a GREAT half day evening trip and the shad pull SUPER hard. No wonder they are called the "poor man's tarpon" :) If you wanna get out for an evening of shad, hit me up! We should have shad for the next month or two! First timer's are welcome and this is a kid friendly experience!

Erik and his son Max came up to fish the Lower Sac and we had a good mid-morning to early afternoon. The flows were right around 6,000cfs and though there wasn't a lot of bug action throughout the day, the fish were pretty grabby between 10am and about 1:30pm. This was their first Lower Sac float trip and they both landed some nice wild trout and had a decent amount of grabs. Max learned quickly that you got to set the hook quickly and though we lose a few fish and missed a few fish, a lot of fun was had! The flows are about to spike up to 11,000cfs tonight and it's gonna be a few days before the river fishes good again, a lot of us are very anxious for the caddis to start popping off in larger numbers, which is usually when I like to start doing half day afternoon/evening floats. We did see a few PMD's throughout the day and most of our fish were caught on mayfly immitations... but definitely not a lot of bugs around on the surface or any hatches of note. Still a super fun day and was very fun! I think Max is hooked and he loved the constant action and attention involved in fly fishing! 

Delta report by Captain Bryce Tedford: "Another solid day on the water with Ricardo Brian. The boys got after it we caught a bunch of quality fish today. They have been Striper fishing a couple years with us now and their time on the water is really paying off! Spring Striper fishing is in full swing, Largemouth/Smallmouth Summer fishing is coming up Fall Stripers should also be good as well. Cheers!"

So, the Lower sac is going to see a bit of a reprive from all the high water this past Winter and Spring. Flows will be dropping out of Shasta/Keswick over the coming days to a very desiarable level for wading, should be in shape by May 1st or 2nd, not sure how long this will last, but the flows will be ideal for a bit, if you interested book a trip soon or you might have to wait till September till the flows drop again. Feel free to reach out to me directly, my conact info is on the site under guide team or reach out to Andrew Harris on the 800 number to book a Jet Boat trip with me.Randy Hamann 

there's a window

Despite highly variable flows in the lower river, the spring steelhead fishing's been solid. It's simple, these fish are a lot of fun. I look forward to them every year. They're on the smaller side of the steelie spectrum but so what? They run, fight and jump with the same bad attitude and intensity as larger fish. The weather's great, the day doesn't need to start at 4:00 a.m. and the fish give us their best. Expect the river to fish well through May. TIP: Try to avoid boxes that confine and limit your fishing. Common knowledge, is commonly wrong. Experirimenting with something new, even if it seems well outside the accepted norm, can sometimes lead to surprising results. 

Our guides have been on the McCloud and Hat Creek. Both are fishing well as we move deeper into spring. Mayfly, caddisfly and stonefly hatches are bringing fish to the surface and offering some nice dry fly action. Salmonflies, those clumsy, flying sausages are popping. They give you an early season chance to throw huge dries, ones you can definitely see, to hungry trout. We've reported on Hat, which is fishing well, but now, the McCloud is also coming into shape. A recent half day trip produced some nice fish. We threw dries, as well as indicator fished and tightlined. The fishing is getting better by the day as sleepy winter fish wake up. The weather's nice and the fishing is good. It's a great time to get out!TIP: Good mechanics = a good cast. The opposite is also true. Long, short or intermediate; understand, apply and trust your mechanics and you'll cast well.  

Delta Striper report from Captain Bryce Tedford: Beautiful day with Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club! Bite was tough but everyone caught some fish & had some fun!

Captain Bryce Tedford reports: Solid day on the Delta today!  My guests caught fish & had some fun!

 All our guides are on the water; Lower Sac, Hat Creek, Feather and Yuba. We're slowly emerging from months of wet, winter weather and things should stablize in the coming weeks. Look for the Upper Sac to come into shape soon too, which means dry dropper, dries, indicator and tight lining, potentially all in one day. Visit us at, www.confluenceoutfitters.com and find a trip that gets you excited. TIP: Good mechanics, make good casts . If it's not working, adding power's usually not the answer but often, a culprit. Diagnose your poor casts by reviewing the steps needed to make a good one. Now, you're on your way to self correcting.  

 All the Confluence guides are on the water. We've been out on the; Lower Sac, Hat Creek, Lake Oroville, the Feather, Baum Lake and the Yuba. Tempermental spring weather will be giving way way to stable flows, strong hatches and more blue bird days. We're out chasing; trout, steelhead, bass, stripers and shad. Now's the time to shake off the rust and say goodbye to cabin fever with a day on the water. TIP: Talk to your guide before your trip. Help them understand your goals for the day and the experience you want. Throwing dries, swinging flies, indicator fishing, euro nymphing (tightlining), stripping streamers or an educational day that combines fishing with learning, let us know. Our guides have the experience, skill and knowledge to craft the trip that fits you best. Don't be shy about letting us know, the fish bite, we don't. 

The Trinity River steelhead season is winding down but not out! I just completed a good week on the Trinity and my clients found some good fishing. Late season we see a few down runners in the mix , we also had some nice fresh fish. There was steady action on half pounders and smolts , but also some shots at bigger steelhead and an occasional brown trout. Phillip and Leeann hit the conditios well and had a fun two days. We had a good weather window until the final day. With a storm about to hit my client Dave decided to do a short day. He connected with four nice steelhead and a good brown. We left them biting and were off water by 1:30 pm. I am looking forward to the 24/25 fall and winter season!If you would like to get out with me book early! Fall dates filling fast!Thanks to all that fished with me this season.Peter Santley

My fellow Confluence Outfitters guide Kevin Kay and I spent the day scouting on the lower Sac. The flows are dropping, so the fish are spreading out after the crazy high flows. We saw very few PMD’s and caddis, so nymphs weren’t on the menu, but the fish are definitely focusing on egg imitations! Overall, the fishing was very good, and will only get better over the next couple months. It’s time to start thinking about your spring fishing trip!