The Seasons of Bollibokka

Over 7 miles of the renowned McCloud River flow through the famous Bollibokka property. 5 miles of this (from the McCloud River Bridge upstream to Chatterdown Creek) is accessible to guests staying at the Clubhouse/Rock House, while the upper 2 miles above Chatterdown Creek is reserved for guests staying at the Way Station. A system of trails follows the entire ranch section of river, with some trails on both sides of the river. This section of the McCloud is comprised of deep emerald pools, riffles and pocket water, all full of wild rainbow and brown trout ranging from 6 inches to over 6 pounds. The average size of the wild trout is 12-14 inches, while much larger fish are not at all uncommon. Daily opportunities abound to target – often sight casting – these fish on either dry flies, nymphs, or even streamers.

The McCloud River opens to fishing on the last Saturday in April and remains open through November 15. The McCloud is controlled by dam releases from McCloud Reservoir, which generally maintains consistent flows throughout the season, making the McCloud a good option when other local rivers are subject to runoff.

May and June

May and June are generally considered the “prime time” months on the river. Starting as early as Opening Day (last Saturday in April), myriad insects begin to hatch on the McCloud, creating consistent opportunities throughout each day to catch fish on both nymphs and dry flies.

The most important hatches on the McCloud are from the order Plecoptera: stoneflies. The massive salmonflies are the first of the stoneflies to appear, hatching sporadically throughout the month of May and sometimes into early June. They are followed by numerous Golden Stoneflies and Little Yellow Stoneflies, all of which can get the McCloud River’s numerous rainbow and brown trout rising on the surface. And even when the fish aren’t focused on the flying adult insects, they’ll readily take dead drifted stonefly nymphs in the McCloud’s many pockets and deep pools.

In addition to the stoneflies, there are many other insects hatching on the McCloud during this time of year, including several species of caddis, PMD mayflies, and several other varieties and sizes of lesser mayflies. With so many different kinds of insects in the air, there are dry fly opportunities throughout the day, and many different kinds of nymph patterns will also produce strikes from aggressive fish.

July and August

Summertime on the McCloud River sees the lightest fishing pressure of the season. Though much of Northern California can be baked in sweltering heat, the McCloud remains shaded and cool at the bottom of a deep, heavily forested canyon and can continue to fish well all summer long with nymphs, streamers, and dry flies.

There are generally less insects hatching later in the summer, though Golden Stoneflies and Little Yellow Stoneflies will still be found throughout much of the summer and caddis continue to come off every evening just before dark. The best dry fly opportunities will come late in the day, though nymphing the pockets and pools remains productive throughout the day. Summertime can be a great time of year for fishing streamers, too, targeting some of the bigger brown trout that reside in the McCloud’s deep pools.

September, October, and November

The Fall Season is a standby favorite for long-time McCloud River fanatics. The cool nights of fall bring out the giant October Caddis hatch, there can be stellar blue-winged olive hatches on overcast days, and the big bad browns begin to migrate upriver from Shasta Lake.

The first of the monstrous October Caddis larvae begin to appear on the rocks and boulders near the edge of the river in mid September, and by October there are literally millions of the inch-long cases decorating the river bottom as they prepare for emergence. The adult insects hatch at dusk throughout October and November, providing brief flurries of dry fly activity every evening and enticing trout to rise to big attractor patterns sometimes even in the middle of the day. Moreover, they’ll eat the larvae and pupae of the caddis like trout candy all day long.

On overcast days, there can be some phenomenal blue-winged olive hatches. These tiny mayflies respond to changes in barometric pressure, and hatch whenever a storm front moves through the area, stimulating some great midday dry fly action on all of our regional streams, including the McCloud River.

And one can’t forget the big brown trout that migrate upriver from Shasta Lake in the fall. These brutes can be a real adventure, chasing big streamers on sinking lines in the deep pools and often measuring better in pounds than inches. They’re not easy to find and take true devotion to catch, but are an exciting option for big fish anglers willing to work hard for quality fish.

To make a reservation, please give us a call at 800-669-3474 during business hours any day of the week. We can give you the answers you need or the detailed explanations to questions you might have, or check on guide availability and confirm your guide reservation in minutes.

If you prefer to correspond on-line simply e-mail us at info@adventuresinflyfishing.com and we will respond promptly.