Trout Source

Out West, a cold storm has crimped trout fishing, but helped nudge the steelies along.  In California, the October Caddis are widespread.  Out East, fishing continues to slow due to the cold and an epic storm is expected to make landfall beginning Sunday.

CALIFORNIA UPDATE (*** = best bets)

The egg bite has begun on the Trinity and Klamath

Lower Sac has slowed, but the egg hatch continues

October Caddis hatch is stronger on the McCloud but more fish are taking them on the Upper Sac, Pit and Hat Creek

The Fall is producing mixed reports

The Feather’s egg bite appears to be a notch better than the Yuba’s

The American has no new reports

The Truckee seems to have slowed temporarily with the snow

Lots of activity on the Lower Owens, but the Upper is over the banks in sections

Hot Creek is low, making fishing tough

Soup Day (Upper Delaware, NY/PA)
It was dark. It was gloomy. It was even rainy at times. So yesterday was a great day to stay the hell inside and find a nice soup for lunch.

Trout Love (Au Sable, MI)
Once the browns are in full spawn and the fish are on redds, the trout will become much less interested in biting and much more interested in trout love. Let the trout on the gravel relax and do their thing.

Taimen (Mongolia)
Jako continued to land big ones in his beat. He got at least one 4-footer each week. 

The Vacuum Cleaner (CA)
[Mike Mercer] is that good [at catching fish]......and a great guy too.  They call him "the Hoover" as in vacuum cleaner.

Nasty = Good (Au Sable, MI)
This is the time of year of the many follows, shadows, swipes and swirls.  Of the hook-jawed browns and the disinterested females.  It is great, constant sport on the good days.  And even on the worst days, there are still a few good hours of fishing.  The worst days, by the way, are the beautiful ones.  The good days are, of course, the nasty ones.

Dirty Little Secret (CA)
Everyone has a dirty little secret. Mine is bass fishing with gear.

Cast and Blast (Au Sable, MI)

Trout Decision-Making (Catskills, NY)
while there were large numbers of Hebes and Isos, the trout certainly weren’t going to move through 5,000+ CFS to get them.

How Turbid? (Catskills, NY)
it’s definitely not chocolate milk, but certainly has visible staining.

Fly Fishing Appreciation (San Juan, NM)


How many miles is it? All of us hunt it, but none of us really knows for sure. Two?, two and a half?, three? Probably more like two as the crow flies, but it sure seems like a lot more with this heavy pack. If you're not in shape by the time season begins, you sure will be by the time it ends, or else they'll find your emaciated carcass lying somewhere along his trail. Just a couple more seconds to catch your breath, you think about this year's past surgeries and wonder if all the stitches, mesh, and metal parts hammered into bone, are all going to hold, then rise, arch your back to stretch your aching muscles, and push on. I love to hunt, but it's days like that from last week that really make me appreciate fly fishing.

Deep Thought (Catskills, NY)
Please don’t drive through this stuff when this happens – you never know if the road is washed out underneath. Photo: Bart Larmouth

Priorities (CA)
Spent two nights in the hospital after spinal surgery. Not fun. The first 24 hrs. were hell, but I’m feeling pretty decent today, walking around a bit(slowly).  Won’t be pulling on oars until at least December, but will eventually be back on the water.  Bummed I can’t get out this week.  These next two weeks could be the best two weeks of the year.

It Begins (Missouri, MT)
At times it was a little Western out there on the river with the north wind blowing icy crystals right in your face.   Coffee, soup, a buff and handwarmers where needed throughout the day, as were BWO cripples and various nymphs.  This afternoon, one could have spent hours fishing dry flies to skinny water sippers and big head rises.   Tomorrow?  Well first we’ll have to scoop out the snow that is falling into the boats, drink another cup of coffee and then talk about how cold it is…..before we hit the river.  The forecast tonight for the Missouri Area is up to 16 inches of snow in the high country and 2-5 inches in the river bottom.  I love Tuedays on the Missouri in October when it snows……it’s gonna be swell.