Feather River

Steelhead Streak

by Matt

Nothing beats the feeling of having a hot hand swinging flies for steelies on the Feather River. My steelhead card is marked with at least one steelhead landed for each day I fished which is the best I’ve ever done. All of the fish I’ve caught are hatchery fish which means winter steelheading tactics; cover water and be prepared at all times.

Cloudy Day. Perfect Steelhead Weather

I recently bought a new switch rod outfit.
Rod: Echo SR Switch 5WT 10’8”
Reel: Hardy Marquis Salmon I
Line: Royal Wulff Ambush Line

This would be my second switch rod aside my Redington CPX 7WT. I was in the market for a lighter switch rod that would be perfect to fish my local waterways such as the Yuba and the Feather River. My 7WT CPX rod worked well but I wanted something a bit lighter that would cast well and give the fish a better fight. I’ve never been more satisfied with the Echo SR. The sweet singing of the Hardy Marquis is icing on the cake. Steelhead beware!

Darker Fish But Legit Eater

I broke in my new switch rod a few days ago on the Feather River. There are still a lot of fish in the hatchery section however most of them are still in spawning mode. With exception of one, all of the fish I’ve caught have been fresh looking hatchery fish. You can usually tell whether or not they are fresh from their coloration and the way they fight. Fresher fish are brighter, have more energy, and will give you a good strong fight; spawning fish are usually darker, don’t often pull as hard, and will quickly succumb to defeat after a few short runs. When swinging you always want to be targeting the freshest fish in the system as they are more aggressive and willing to bite.

Alevin Eater

I’ve been doing well swinging with my EZ Alevin with an attractor nymph. When swinging flies always tie on flies that you have confidence in. Doubting your fly selection quickly results in a downward spiral in confidence. You’ll start to question everything, “Is it my flies? Am I getting down deep enough? Should I make my leader longer? Am I swinging through that run slowly enough?” Confidence, patience, and persistence is the key to a steelhead on a swing.

I ventured further away from the hatchery section in search of spring-run steelies but haven’t found any yet. Spring-run fish on the Feather River are usually wild fish with adipose fin intact. Hopefully a few more winter storms and warmer spring temperatures will bring them up.

Feather River, Yuba River

Swinging Alevins On The Feather

by Matt

As the main source of where the Oroville Dam diverts its water, the Lower Feather was pushed to it’s limit at 100,000 CFS last year during the flood crisis. Trees were ripped from their roots, gravel was flushed downstream to the delta, and the town of Oroville was close to being underwater. The faucet was kept off and on for months after the flood crisis in efforts to control the devastation of mother nature’s gift of rain.

Unlike the Yuba River much of the Lower Feather River surprisingly remains the same. Many of the same riffles, runs, and pools are still there and holding fish. We have the riparian habitat surrounding the river to thank for that. The Feather fished well last year during the fall salmon run and continues to fish well.

I’ve come to terms with just purely swinging flies on the Feather to challenge myself and give the fish a good fighting chance. February is alevin time and getting a grab from a baby eater was what I was looking for.

Baby Eater

The hatchery section that opened January 1st still looks and fishes the same despite the flood. There are a lot of fish out in this section at the moment; perhaps the most I’ve seen in a long time. Most of them are spawning but there are a few that are willing to eat. I swung an alevin throughout the day and got a few takes but only one solid grab.

In many areas of this section I noticed fish rising however when I swung my pattern to them they wouldn’t take. I’m thinking this is them acting more twitterpated than hungry. Similar to how salmon will jump three feet in the air for no reason during the run, these trout are only interested in one thing at the moment.

Spawning Grounds

The Feather will only get better as the spring-run steelies make their way up river. The spring-run is my favorite run to fish because they tend to fight harder than their fall-run cousins. Lets just hope we get some rain soon to help aid them on their journey upstream.

The Yuba also continues to fish well. High pressure and windy conditions can make it tough to fish but the bugs are still poppin. Make long downstream drifts, target slow foam lines, and keep an eye out for risers. Skwalas are still on the menu but there have been a few good PMD hatches out. I’ve seen pictures of a few bigger fish out there so at this point you’re never know what you’re going to get.

Pretty Little Dry Fly Action
Solid Dry Eater
1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 29

Keep Calm and Fly Fish™