The summer is a good season to fish Keswick

Keswick Reservoir - Redding, CA (Shasta County)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Fly Shop

by The Fly Shop
8-17-2021
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The summer is a good season to fish Keswick. Higher flows will draw fish up towards the dam, you can get some good Caddis hatches in the evenings. With the flows up, throwing olive Wooly & Crystal Buggers on a sinking line is a great way to hook these rainbows. Midges and San Juan Worms are also dependable patterns on this river / reservoir.

Stripping leeches and buggers on a type VII full sink line works great here. Fish going over 20" happen! Releases out of Shasta Dam have been stable. Good place to hire a guide though. Finding these fish requires some special knowledge and a boat.

Indicator suspended Birds Nests, Midges, PT Nymphs should work along the edges of the fast water near the Dam. Suspend your flies about 2-3 feet below the indicator. These fish like to come up to the fly. Fish the shallow edges. Stay low!! You will need a motorized boat to get to where the good fishing exists.

Hot Flies: 
Dry Flies:
Mercer's Missing Link #16-18, Adams #14-16, Mercer's Parachute Profile Spinners #16

Nymphs/Wet Flies:

Bubbleback Caddis - #14, Mercer's Glo-Bubble Caddis - Tan #14, Chromie - #16-18, Mercer's Gidget, GB San Juan Worm - #12, Mercer's Biot Epoxy Golden Stones - #8-12, Chironomid Bomber - Any color #12, Mercer's CB Micro Mayfly - Brown #16-18, Pats Rubberlegs - Brown #6-8, CB Birds Nest - #10-14

Streamers & Leeches:
Crystal Buggers, Freshwater Clousers - #6, Zonkers - Natural #4, BH Halebopp Leech - Olive/Dark Olive #8




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