| Equipment Checklist
for your
Lower Sacramento River Guided trip
- 6 or 7 weight fly rods,
9-10 feet long
The Lower Sacramento River is a large river with seasonally high
flows and occasional wind; casting indicators and heavy weights
with rods smaller than a 6 weight can sometimes be difficult work,
especially for less-experienced casters. Combine that with big-shouldered
fish, powerful currents, and even the possibility of hooking into
a steelhead, and beefier rods are good idea. Moreover, the extra
length of a 9 1⁄2 - 10 ft rod has some advantages on the
Lower Sac, too, making it easier to mend lines effectively and
with less effort, and even helping to land a big trout or steelhead
when fishing a longer leader.
- Reels should have a good
drag system and be equipped with a floating fly line. Trout
on the Lower Sacramento are large on the average and swim in heavy
currents; they can be real tackle busters. In the fall and winter,
it's not uncommon to hook the occasional steelhead and angling
tackle choices should be made accordingly.
- Every angler needs to have
a current California fishing license and Delta Bay Enhancement
Stamp, and possibly a steelhead report card for fishing
below Anderson. Both a current California fishing license and
the Delta Bay Enhancement Stamp are mandatory for fishing anywhere
on the Lower Sacramento River. Fishermen that are headed
for the sections of river below Anderson are required to have a California
Steelhead Report Card. These can be purchased at The Fly Shop
on the morning of your trip.
- Waders are not mandatory,
but may be recommended during certain times of the year. We
fish the Lower Sac from the comfort of drift boats, so waders
are typically not necessary. You can wear whatever you’ll
be most comfortable in during your trip. We do, however, recommend
wearing waders if wet weather is in the forecast, as they make
great rain protection and/or dry transportation to and from the
shore. Also, water temperatures are always cold on the Lower Sacramento,
so if you’d like to do any wading, you will want to have
waders. The Fly Shop does not rent waders or boots.
Miscellaneous Tackle Suggestions:
Fluorocarbon
tippet spools of 3X, 4X, and 5X.
Tapered
leaders are typically not necessary, as the guides will build
their own leaders out of straight tippet material. However, it is a good idea to have a tapered
leader or two (approximately 9 foot, 4X is ideal) for any dry
fly opportunities that might arise during the day.
Split
Shot (AB, AAA, and SSG) – we often have to use a fair
amount of weight to get the flies down in the heavy currents of
the Lower Sac, so bigger split shot sizes are recommended
Indicators:
Our favorite indicators are the Boles Float Rite and the Thingamabobbers
Other items to consider bringing
are:
*Hat *Sunscreen *Polarized Sunglasses *Clippers/ Hemostats *Camera
*Wading Staff *Layered clothing system, including rain gear (seasonal)
Lower Sacramento River Flies:
 The
most productive flies for fishing on the Lower Sacramento can change
throughout the season, and sometimes what
works one year doesn’t work as well the next. Listed below
are some general fly pattern suggestions, based on a few of the
fly patterns that have worked consistently over the years. For the
most up-to-date fly suggestions, give us a call at The Fly Shop
at 800-669-3474. The guides will also likely recommend some flies
in the morning before your trip, based on what’s been working
for them.
Most of the fishing on the Lower Sac, throughout
the year, is nymphing with indicators.
As much as we’d love to be able to throw dries all the time,
the fact is that there is so much food on the river bottom that
the trout don’t need to swim all the way to the top against
heavy currents just to eat a tiny mayfly when they have tons of
different foods coming right to them. When preparing for a trip
to the Lower Sac, we suggest stocking your fly boxes with nymphs,
but always have a handful of dry fly patterns, just in case.
Fall and Winter Seasons:
NYMPHS
#6
Superfloss Rubberlegs (Brown/Black)
#14-16
Fox’s Poopah (Tan, with and without B.H.)
#16-18
B.H. Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
#14-18
B.H. Micro Mayfly Nymph (Olive, Brown, Black)
#16-18
Hogan’s S&M Nymph
#16-18
Eric’s (Lightnin’) Biot Baetis
#10-12
Solitude TB Golden Stone
#14-16
B.H. Prince Nymph (std. or Amber wing)
#10
-12 Mercer’s Poxyback Golden Stone Nymph
#14
-16 Copper John (Red and Original)
#18
Black, Olive, or Red Midges
EGGS
#10
Glo-bugs
(Peachy King, Shrimp Pink & Brite Org.)
#8
MC Redd Reaper
(Pink, Orange, Golden Nugget)
#10
Clown Egg
#12
Surreal Egg
(Peachy King, Champagne, Shrimp Pink, Steelhead Orange)
DRIES
#16
Parachute Adams
#14-16
Elk Hair Caddis (Brown/Tan)
#16
Cutter’s E/C Caddis Emerger
#16
BWO Imitations
Spring Season:
NYMPHS
#12
MicroSpawn (Oregon Cheese)
#14
-16 Bird Nest (with and without B.H)
#16
King Prince
#16-18
B.H. Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
#16-18
B.H. Micro Mayfly Nymph (Olive, Brown, Black)
#16-18
Eric’s (Lightnin’) Biot Baetis
#16-18
Hogan’s S&M Nymph
#14-18
B.H. Prince Nymph (std. or Amber wing)
#10
-14 Poxyback Golden Stone Nymph
#14
-16 Copper John (Red and Original)
#14-16
Iron Sally
#6
Superfloss Rubberlegs (Brown/Black)
DRIES
#16-18
Elk Hair Caddis (Olive & Black)
#16
Cutter’s E/C Caddis Emerger
#16-18
Parachute Adams
Summer Season:
NYMPHS
#14
Fox’s Poopah. ( Tan/with and without B.H.)
#16
B.H. Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
#14-16
B.H. Prince Nymph (std. or Amber wing)
#14
-16 Copper John (Red)
#16-18
B.H. Micro Mayfly Nymph (Olive, Brown, Black)
#16-18
Hogan’s S&M Nymph
DRIES
#14-16
Elk Hair Caddis (Brown)
#14-16
Spotlight Caddis Emerger
#16-18
Parachute Adams
#16
Cutter’s E/C Caddis Emerger
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