Fresh Hex

Rumor has it that the Hex hatch has begun. Seeing is believe so I set out to the Afterbay to check if the big yellow bugs are out.
The Lower Yuba’s flow was going down but have since been rose to a high 2,300 CFS. So much for fishing a normal summer flow. Nevertheless there are still fish to catch out there.

Thermalito Afterbay
I recently purchased a Caddis Pro 2000 float tube to replace my U-Boat 2000 that is currently punctured. To try out the new tube and check whether the Hex were around I planned an evening at the Afterbay.
Once I arrived at the Afterbay I immediately scrambled around the banks looking for any signs of Hex. Kicking a few bushes and shaking a few trees revealed exactly what I was looking for, the Hex!

Adult Molted Hex

Windier Than It Looks

The evening was cool and very windy. I definitely wasn’t going to catching anything tonight but I might as well try while testing out the tube. The heavy wind is not your friend when your in a float tube; getting blown all over the place sucked.
There were a few Hex that were able to hatch during the last few minutes of light but other than that not a whole lot of activity this night

Shiny Yuba Bow

Yuba River
A flow of 1850 CFS was the lowest the Yuba has been since February. I fished these flows and hooked a few but didn’t land any. The Yuba has since rose to 2,300 CFS which is beginning to look more and more normal.
The day was windy and overcast which helped produce a nice PMD hatch at noon. The birds were all over them but the fish weren’t. I had a tough time out there but managed to hook and land a gnarly silver bow before leaving.