Central Valley

Lower Yuba

by Ed Hood March 13, 2014

Still one of the few rivers that you can legally fish in California right now that is producing good fishing is the Lower Yuba. While the Trinity, Upper Sacramento, and Lower Feather rivers are fishing well also, they are out of my “day trip” range that I can manage with my work schedule… but that’s ok, the Yuba continues to be an awesome river with awesome rainbow trout that present steelhead-like puzzles that I always have a fun time trying to figure out.

On March 1st and 12th, I held a couple of clinics to show people the Yuba: access points, techniques, and hopefully experience catching these one-of-a-kind rainbow trout. Yuba river rainbows are notoriously picky and their attitudes change from day to day. Fish this like a steelhead river: always be on the move, constantly switch flies, and fish water that is about as fast as a brisk walking pace.

Skwalatime!

Skwalatime!

Skwala stoneflies continue to be the main hatch on the river. They will typically start coming out around 2pm and stay out until sunset. While commercially-tied skwalas are awesome, like the Rastaman Skwala, they are just too chunky in comparison. Matching the hatch almost to a tee on the Yuba is pretty critical to success. The closest commercially-tied fly I’ve found to match the Yuba river skwalas is actually a grasshopper pattern, Schroeder’s Parachute Hopper. Clip off the legs below the joint and the slender, olive body with dark wings is almost identical to the real thing, and fish have risen for this fly, more than the chunky version.

Uncharacteristically low at 500cfs under the Highway 20 bridge boat launch

Uncharacteristically low at 500cfs under the Highway 20 bridge boat launch

At 500 cubic feet per second, this river is easily accessible. Typically winter flows will range from 2,000cfs-5,000cfs depending on rainfall. The river did hit ~7,000cfs +/- during the only significant string of storms we have had this winter. That being said, the riverbed is comprised of very loose river rocks and a wading staff is HIGHLY recommended no matter what the flow is.

The river is maintaining a visibility of ~2-feet, so fish flashier nymphs, rubberlegs, gold beadheads, and soft hackles. A few of my favorites are: The Fly Formerly Known As Prince, Jimmy Legs, Red-Headed Step Child, and Quazimodo Pheasant Tail. And the fly that was the favorite for the fish on the first clinic was, the fly that I despise the most, the red San Juan Worm… ugh…

The San Juan Worm got the job done on this rainbow.

The San Juan Worm got the job done on this rainbow.

As I said earlier, this is one of the few rivers that you can legally fish in California right now that is fishing well. With that comes fishing pressure. Weekends can definitely be busy here and many drift boats will make their way down during the day. It helps to know the drift route so you can plan your attack accordingly without being bothered by passing boats. Guides will put in under the highway 20 bridge and then take out just below Hammon Grove park. I won’t give away my secret to avoiding these boats, but it doesn’t take much to figure out how to do it.

The approximate 5-mile drift from Parks Bar Bridge (Hwy. 20) to Hammon Grove. Courtesy of Google Maps.

The approximate 5-mile drift from Parks Bar Bridge (Hwy. 20) to Hammon Grove. Courtesy of Google Maps.

If you haven’t fished the Yuba, and I know many anglers in the bay area haven’t (or even heard of the Yuba), now is the time to do it with the skwala hatches and low flows. Do yourself a favor, take a day trip out there and learn it.

Steelhead? Nah, just another Yuba rainbow.