Yuba River

Stupid For Skwalas

by Matt

It’s been a little over a month since my last fly fishing outing. My fishing gear and fly tying table have been collecting dust due to my work and family schedule however I was fortunate enough to sneak out this week to check out the Yuba for the first time this year. The flows are in the 900 CFS range with makes for easy and comfortable wading. The big talk of the town right now is that the skwalas are out and are making for some good fishing. With the early spring-like weather we’ve been getting it was time to check it out.

Dinks on Dries

A while back I made a prediction that the big flows flattening out much of the Lower Yuba would make for great dry fly fishing and my prediction was true. I saw and was able to rise several fish throughout the day in some of the newer flats of the Yuba. It’s currently bug city out there with midges, mayflies, and skwalas fluttering about and the fish are on them. The only downside to this great dry fly fishing is that most of the fish are smaller and not so smart therefore they’re pretty “stupid for skwalas” at the moment. This has been the best skwala hatch in a while though so get it while it’s hot.

The best time to fish was from noon to about four with peak activity around two. Dry flies were the name of the game whereas I only had one grab on my nymphing rig.

Skwala Riser

I believe that some areas are fishing better than others but I won’t give any locations because good dry fly fishing news on the Lower Yuba spreads fast. So if you have some time and don’t mind rising a few small bows on a dry then definitely give the Lower Yuba some of your time.

Bugs Are Out And Crawlin On Me
Yuba River

Lower Yuba Fall Check Up

by Matt

Mid-fall to winter is usually when the Lower Yuba will fish at its best. The river is still rebuilding itself from last year’s calamity flows so the fishing could either be a hit or a miss. Curious about what’s out there I took some time in the morning before work to see what I could find.

The flows on the Lower Yuba are at a stable and gin clear 1,000CFS. I started the morning at Hammon Grove and fished the riffle with a nymph rig. Just like the rest of the river this section was flatten out with little to no pockets for fish to hold in. I fished both sides of the riffle and couldn’t get a single nibble. The tailout above Hammon Grove riffle typically has a few salmon spawning in it but I didn’t find a single fish nor any signs of salmon in the area.

Empty River

The next spot I explored was the Aquarium. If there were going to be salmon anywhere in the river it would be at the Aquarium. As I hiked towards the rivers edge I stopped at the bluff overlooking the Aquarium and was surprised to find it completely empty. If this is any indication on river’s health then it’s going to be awhile before it starts getting any better. I fished around Miner’s Corner and despite how fishy the deep slots and runs looked I couldn’t interest any fish.

I’m going to leave the Yuba alone for the rest of the year so that mother nature can do its thing. I’m sure that if you were to float the river and cover more water you’d have a better chance to catch a few but that’s pretty typical. There were a few good signs I observed such as risers in the flats, stub-wing stonefly shucks on the banks, and aquatic insects hitching a ride on my waders. Here’s to hoping that the winter storms this year carve out some better slots in the river.

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Keep Calm and Fly Fish™