This was excellent. If you get a chance to fish with guys like Luke, Mat, Colin, Andrew...go into it with the goal of learning rather than just catching fish if you want to become a competent angler. Mat is an amazingly gifted guide who wants to help you get better. Go fish with these guys and apply what you learn. You're gonna get better!
Great question... that happens to all of us! Couple things to consider: Sometimes they may look like they are rising on the surface but they are actually eating emergers. So they are feeding on fish just below the surface but their back is coming out of the water that might look like it's eating dries. Another thing to try is to either go down a size or up a size. More often than not, for me at least, going down in size is what will get an eat!
Reviewing setup and not mentioning RIO line head grain weight will not sit with RIO very well. Unless you want people to buy all range of heads, and then find out which one you are talking about? In that case RIO will like you a lot. 😂
Thanks for the comment! In general, we try to steer folks to a knowledgeable specialty retailer so they can get an informed recommendation for the rod they already have. We don't do retail. Let me know if you want to know which head Randy fishes on the rod in the video and I will find out for you!
@@ConfluenceOutfitters That is fine! I was just kidding. However video could have good information if included. He covered setup nicely. For many of us who have trout spey head grain weight is critically important. But it is also range of grains which make stuff confusing. My Winston Air2 trout spey 10.9 2wt have recommendation for 210 grains Skagit but I like my 180 Skagit Scout from Airflo. All this makes people roll eyes
Beautiful country. I fished thetre for many years, cut my angling teeth on Hat Creek before it became the state and then the nation's model for wild trout management. I had hoped to see, maybe, at least a still if not footage of the streams you mention, and maybe hear a little about fishing them. Had also hoped to see something about how to fish that productive water on Hat Creek below the bridge. What I saw, after a long introduction, is one cast, one smallish trout, no net in sight, over and out. I'd like to see more about effective flies and methods; you mention salmonflies and a live one is shown in the out-takes. The fish you caught apparently was caught using the old nymph-and-bobber with either a worm or Perdigon trick. It's there on every RU-vid video, it seems, and it gets old. Hat Creek offers so much more. And we seldom see the quality fish that can be taken if one fishes other, more effective methods. Salmonflies are out? Why not go for a three-pounder on a salmonfly dry? In closing, and most important, I'd really like to encourage you and your clients and viewers - all of us who value wild trout and want to take care of them, to carry a rubber or silicone netted landing and use it - rather than playing the big fish you are likely to catch to exhaustion, only to be mishandled during release. Revive before release, and please: Keep 'em wet! Thanks for reading my rant. I'm sure you want to do the best job you can, and I hope this helps.
I learned Trout Spey from Andrew on the Lower Sac. It has become my favorite way to DIY fish here. I like how you fish more by feel than sight. You don't need to stare at an indicator. So you can watch that Osprey catch a trout while you fish! The takes are really fun!
Mat is a great fly fishing guide with excellent knowledge and values. Hat Creek is a fun puzzle worth unraveling and an historic fishery that any serious fly angler should put on their bucket list!
Thanks for the information. I originally fished the San Joaquin Delta. So moving near Redding and fishing the lower sac has just been a whole other beast and it's difficult for me to find success. I use spinning gear but it's still nice to hear ppl talk about the fishing around the area and help give me insights of what's going on. I have caught trout but it seems more random and I'm trying to put together a rhyme and reason so I can be more consistent. I could type a bunch more about my experience on the river but I'll stop and just say thank you.
If you are a fly angler you owe yourself to do a drift boat trip on the magnificent Lower Sacramento River at least once. If you've NEVER had a fly rod in your hands, this is a great way to find out why it's so special to have a big, strong wild trout at the end of your line. These guys are excellent guides too. Highly recommended!
@@ConfluenceOutfitters We do! I have friends who go to all parts fly fishing. I like it right here on California's biggest fresh water fishery. Our rainbows are wild and fun!
Hey Luke, I've been wanting to take my dad to the lower sac, I've been fly fishing a long time, and my dad never has. What's a good time of year to go. I'd like to book a trip with you.
Hey! Let’s do it! Spring and Fall are pretty hard to beat on the Sac. I would say it is gonna be go time by middle of February and into April. Lots of bugs and lots of fun! You can find my contact info on the Confluence page under my name! Hit me up and we can plan it! confluenceoutfitters.com/guide-team.aspx
I would add that if, like me, you don't care about the meal aspect of the day, still plan on giving your guide a "Union Break." Let them get a chance to rest mentally and physically for a bit.
Good stuff. I don't get why you don't get more views. Since you are both guides and therefore biased, I will throw in my two cents. Hiring a guide once in a while will REALLY help you learn to be a better angler. From my experience, my fishing always goes better after a guided trip (I do at least one a year). And I have deep respect for guides. It is not an easy life. Rewarding, fun at times, but not easy. Guides that are good -- like the Confluence guys (and I will add Jason Thatcher from River Pursuit in there too -- he's awesome) -- are worth every penny. And remember the old adage, "cash is king!" Most guides really appreciate cash tips rather than gratuity added onto a credit card.
@@ConfluenceOutfitters Me and my mates fished a lot for bonefish with XP 10 footers; XP6101, 7100 and 8100, loved them for that. And favorites...mhh.. love my SPL282, RPL+590, XP6101, ZAXIS796, ONE896, Xi2990, X1090! Favorite out of those will be the SPL282. And least fished.
Haven't hit nocal yet and want to more after this, but ì lived in Colorado and now Southern Oregon. The rivers in Colorado had much better and more wading access. Sounds like Colin was content catching small fish on dries. I caught the pigs on bobbers and streamers. Average was 16-17 on my fishery including on dries. Fished year round and can catch on dries in jan if a midge hatch. Lots of big fish to be had in early spring, late fall, and definitely winter so I totally disagree on the year round aspect, but that's probably not the case in yellowstone. It was easier to get 16 than 12 or 13. Was just getting good enough to regularly get 20+ inchers. I could walk to 2 rivers and drive to 4 within 30 minutes. But i cant afford to live there now. Ha. No steelhead obviously. No trips to the coast for rockfish and perch. I couldn't agree more on the differences in access to info. I think that is partly in due to the slamon/steelhead combat fishing and secrecy. Headed skiing in Shasta tomorrow and want to do some morning ski afternoon fishing this spring. Thanks for this. No private jet to show you my old local waters that got blown up from covid, but from the sound of it I wouldn't call it better just different. Ever come up to the Wood or Williamson... we could get Luke that brown on a dry on the wood?
Hey! (Luke here)… Yeah! I love the Wood! Fished it a handful of times with one of our Confluence guides who works up there (Dylan Woodrum). We even got a nice brown on the Williamson this past year (surprise, surprise). Be safe skiing and get some fish this spring! I have done something similar up in Mt Shasta… fish all day on the Upper Sac and then go play ice hockey at the rink in town 😂
@ConfluenceOutfitters Nice. I'll have to keep Dylan in mind. I want to get a guide for the Williamson to kick start my learning since it is so different from what I'm used to in the Rockies and think it would be totally worth it.
This was a fantastic discussion. I so enjoyed Colin on the Fall River. He's a great person to fish with. I watch so many RU-vid videos of places other than NorCal. My reaction is generally "Yeah...very cool...here is very DIFFERENT." I am so blessed that I can drive 15 minutes from my door and catching a gorgeous wild rainbow that will bend my rod big time is a distinct possibility. Thank you for both entertaining and educating me. Another interesting compare and contrast would be the PNW. You guys rock. I will share!
Great idea! I know we will do one on saltwater and on Alaska soon and are gonna have some guests join us for muskies on the fly too! Taking this year serious with the podcast game! Thanks for the support!!
Totally agree. Great video, but your guide should be ASHAMED to being that net to a steelhead river like the Trinity. I am somewhat speechless . . . Not to mention hopping out of the boat to try and net these, which limits his abilities . . . Having said all that, you guys had a heck of a day!
Bonefish are a blast! My best fish took me well into my backing on the first run, I worked him in almost to the boat, and he took me well into my backing on a second run-and it was only a 3 lb fish! Amazing strength.
I've been out on the Yuba with Mat a couple of times, including recently with my 94 year old Dad. He always gets us into fish. He's patient, knowledgeable and funny. More than anything, Mat has been my mentor as I've only fished for a little over 3 years. He's always there with advice, instruction and encouragement. The Yuba can be tough, but rewarding. Every fishing member of my family has been on Mat's boat. I highly recommend Mat for either a drift trip or a walk and wade experience.
I like CalTrout as a conservation organization, and I like that they want to get rid of a lot of the river dams in California which stop anadromous fish like Steelhead and Salmon from migrating to the Ocean and back as they should naturally do, but turning the Fall River into a zero bag limit river all year round is not right. At least let us keep one trout per person during a designated time of year. I know they call catch and release “sport fishing” but for some of us who enjoy eating what we catch they are destroying the fundamental spirit of the “sport.” The primal back to basics survival aspect of fishing is what attracted many of us anglers in to begin with. Now we are not allowed to take one home to throw in the smoker from the river ever again. This sucks!!!
what's it like now? I used to fish since I am a kid, late 60's to about oh early to mid 90's when it all just dried up in the pac northwest, (skagit, snohomish, green river systems) used to do well, still have all my gear.. I wanna get back out now but really don't wanna spends 4-5 days to get skunked.. I love winter steelheading.. i'm down with drifting, centerpin or spinning reel, whatever even plunk if I have to... most of all I just really like the fish, don't trust the farm raised stuff, I grew up on pacNW fish, all of it, crabs, oysters, clams.. miss it
