The 2010 general trout season opener is fast approaching, and while I'm the first to admit it doesn't have the cachet it used to (more and more of California's trout waters are open to C&&R fly fishing year-round), it's still a point in time that demands a little recognition.

This year - due to an above-normal snowpack in California's mountains and rainy/snowy spring weather, a lot of rivers will likely be high.



(Note I said "high" and not "unfishably high." The last time I pronounced the Upper Sac "blown out and unfishable," someone wrote to say they'd had their best day ever on the river.)

What follows is a loose assemblage of rumors, half-truths, guide promotion and outright lies.

At no time should any of my readers actually believe anything they read in this forecast (I'm a fly fisherman after all), nor change their carefully laid plans based on this information.

Void where prohibited by law.

The Upper Sacramento

It's high. And with all the low-level snow still piled up in the hills, it's likely going to stay high.

As of this writing, the Upper Sacramento is running around 3000 cfs at the Delta station (the bottom of the river), which means you'll find fishable spots, but the midsummer program - wandering up and down the riverbank fishing every likely spot - is a non starter.

That said, local guide Craig Nielsen has reported some monster fish hookups, though I'd suggest some local knowledge of the best high-water holes is needed before you're going to get your net slimy.There are also rumors of a midday BWO hatch - which (according to Wayne Eng) went largely unmolested due to the speed of the water.

There were even rumors of salmonflies in the air during the warmers days, though the cooler weather has put the brakes on that hatch.

My take? There are going to be better opening-day opportunities than the Upper Sacramento, but if you're bent on fishing it (tradition, jonesing for Dunsmuir, etc), be prepared for some heavy nymphing, pick your spots carefully, and recognize the simple fact that trout are often in the slower margins of the river, not the mid-summer central spots.

Click Here for the Upper Sacramento Flow Gauge

The McCloud River

For those who fish the McCloud River (and there are a lot of you), it really is the season opener, and if you go, you may come to realize the local's nickname for the river (The McCrowd) isn't entirely in jest.

Still, it's one of the prettiest rivers on the face of the planet, and you ignore that reality only if your soul is already dead.

The rumors are flying thusly:

Bob Grace of the Ted Fay Fly Shop says a boulder blocks the road between the main drag and Ash Camp. The feds are supposed to blow it up before the opener (everyone who wants to see that please raise their hand), but that remains unresolved.

As usual, a big snow drift blocks the road to Ah Di Nah, though Grace thinks someone will blast through it by the opener (much of this comes via Rick Cox).

Finally, PG&&E's playing its usual games with the McCloud's flows.

They've turned flows from the dam down to criminally low levels - something they do whenever Hawkins Creek is going good.

This preserves more water for power generation, everything looks OK on the flow graphs, but it can hammer the spawning trout population above Hawkins (this is one of the things CalTrout is fighting in the McCloud relicensing).

New this year is a McCloud River flow gauge at Ah-Di-Nah - a handy resource for anyone interested in fishing the McCloud. (Scroll down below the river stage numbers for flows.)

Obviously, there's no fishing report for the McCloud, but the river's so beautiful, it'll draw a crowd despite the looming access issues.

The Upper McCloud used to be an opening day secret, but those days are gone, and in fact, my recent early-season forays there have found anglers camped on every rock.

Thus, I'm going to play up the dangerous wild animals that frequent the Upper McCloud instead of the fly fishing in the hopes I'll one day get to fish it again (without taking a number for the prime runs).

Accordingly, the only real rumor I've heard was about the small scouting party who went in, but never returned.

They were reported attacked by a rare California wolverine before a herd of moose stampeded over their campground and a pack of wolves moved in to eat what was left.

Sad, sad stuff. Don't go there.

The Pit River

The Pit's fishing about as well as ever does (which is really good), and unfortunately, the word is out.

Pit River specialist Allen Blankenship told someone (who told me) that the Pit is fishing phenomenally - if you can find some open water.

Last weekend, every turnout hosted a couple of cars, though with more choices, perhaps the Pit - no longer a spring fishing secret - will loosen a little.

And oh yeah - bring your wading staff.

The Fall River

According to the rumor mill, the Fall River is in really good shape and generating some really good dry fly hatches, though the word is they may not last long.

A lot of snow sits near the head of Bear Creek - waiting to melt - and once it does, the river tends to muddy.

In other words, if you want to fish the Fall River, you might want to do it sooner rather than later.

Hat Creek

I have no information about Hat Creek. You're on your own, Undergrounders.

The Klamath River

According to Craig Nielsen, conditions are perfect and a few steelhead are still hanging around (you can always fish for trout), but he's been fishing the thing all winter, and like most folks, his attention is directed south to the Pit, McCloud, Fall, etc.

The Lower Sacramento

This industrial-looking river is apparently on fire right now (not in the same sense that the Ohio River once burned), and one normally reserved guide suggested it "was the best day of fishing I've ever experienced there."

They couldn't catch a small fish because the 17"-20" trout were at their baits.

Naturally, the Lower Sac doesn't offer the scenery or wildness of the surrounding rivers - and it can see a parade of drift boats - but the fish are big and the catching is good.

Your choice.

The Little Stuff

Most of the smaller streams are going to be high, and those that aren't may be hard to access (no, I'm not telling).

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See you on the water, Tom Chandler.