Current River Conditions: You will find the best fishing in the early AM hours, then again near sunset. There are plenty of 16"-22" rainbows out there, just not in every single riffle and run. Fish deep and concentrate on fast, bubbly, choppy water. The more split-shot the better. All the nymphs found in the side bar offer success. Your best flies will be small #16-18 dark colored nymphs.

UPDATE: On June 25, 2012, the Forest Service will begin repairs on the Delta Bridge, crossing the upper Sacramento River on Fenders Ferry Road 34N17 three quarters of a mile from the intersection with Dog creek Road (exit 707 of I5). Construction is anticipated to take 60 days, during which time the bridge will be closed to all traffic.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips: Near sunset, there's a caddis hatch that can produce a flurry of top water feeding rainbows. It's amazing to see the size some of these rainbows obtain! Fish going 20" is common. They can be found cruising the skinny, low water, around the boulders, looking for crippled caddis. One of the better producing nymphs in mid-summer is the Gordon Amber Wing Prince in #18.

When nymphing on the Upper Sacramento River, always use double the amount of shot in order to get the flies down to the fish in the faster, bubbly water. If a run calls for one SSG, put on two. If you're not ticking the bottom from time to time (yes, this means losing a few flies), you're probably not getting down to where the fish are feeding. Use stronger tippet like 2X-3X for bigger flies in the #6-10 range, 4X for smaller #16-18. Keep your first fly within 6-8 inches of your split shot. Stronger tippet means fewer flies will be left on the bottom of the river. Sink tip lines with streamers attached are a good plan when there is room to cast.

Water Flows:
• Upper Sacramento River Flows

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:
• Yellow Stimulator #8-16
• Parachute Adams - #14-16
• Royal Wulf - #10-14
• Elk Hair Caddis - #16-18
• Adams - #16-18
• Cutter's E/C Caddis #14-16 (any)

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Mercer's Glo-bubble Caddis
• Micro Fox Poopah - Black
• Zack's Pseudo May - Black #16-18
• Zack's Thurmanator Dark Stone
• Sexy Souka #6
• Sexy Girdle

• Mercer's GB Dark Stone #8
• Pat's Rubber Legs - Brown #6-8
• Bottom Roller - Psycho Rycho #14
• GB Birds Nest - #12-14
• Gordon's Amber Wing Prince #12-18
• Poxyback Golden Stone - #8-14
• Swink's BTS
• Micro Mayfly - #14-18

Streamers/Leeches:
• Sheila Sculpin
• Woolly Buggers
• Muddler Minnows - #10

Fly Fishing Gear:
• The Fly Shop's ? Tapered Nylon Leaders
• The Fly Shop's ? Tough Nylon Tippet
• Simms ? Dry Creek™ Chest Pack
• Patagonia's ? Double Haul
• C&F S Series Waterproof Fly Boxes
• Dr. Slick/TFS Quick Release Forceps