Bollibokka – McCloud River

Bollibokka was established as a private fishing property on the McCloud River early in 1904

The property surrounds more than 3,000 acres, and slightly more than seven miles of some of the best wild trout fishing in the American West.

The seven private miles of the majestic McCloud on Bollibokka tumble through beautiful, rugged mountain terrain and, arguably, some of the finest fly fishing water on the continent. Bollibokka is bordered upstream by more than a dozen miles of other private property. All of it extends to the high ridges on either slope of the McCloud and, collectively, this has been some of the most jealously guarded angling in the nation for more than a hundred years.

The McCloud River is famous for its breathtaking beauty and its trout. The river itself is a classic freestone stream, with one set of terraced riffles, and deep rainbow and brown trout-filled pools after another. Bollibokka is surrounded by Shasta-Trinity National Forest but located just 36 miles north and east of Redding on the south slope of Mount Shasta.The McCloud’s rainbow trout (salmo shasta) were used to successfully stock New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and to establish healthy rainbow populations in many of our western states. These beautiful, native rainbows are noted for their strength, aggression, and are the most famous and widely distributed trout in the world.

The pristine waters of the McCloud River and their famed hard fighting, beautiful Rainbow trout are unspoiled and thriving in this majestic wilderness.

Dry fly fishing can be good to amazing from April through November, with late spring, early summer, and fall being traditionally the strongest times of year for hatches. Caddis, Stoneflies, and a myriad of mayflies thrive in the nutrient-rich emerald water. Midsummer days with a hopper dropper or Turk’s Tarantula can also be rewarding. Nymphing all season long can be very productive and the variety of water holds a challenge for all levels of angler. Many nice fish are also caught each year on streamers. Bollibokka is a wild, fly fishing only, catch and release fishery.

The property has an extensive and well maintained trail system along the entire river, with side trails providing easy access to many of the best pools and riffles. Fishing on the Bollibokka property is a combination of hiking and fishing the terraced pocket water and casting into broad, deep pools, often sight-casting to individual feeding trout. Guides are available upon request through The Fly Shop® Guide Service and have extensive knowledge and experience at Bollibokka.

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Reservations and Rates

Weekly rates are as follows:
• Historic Main House & Rock House - $8,925.00 per week & 10% County Tax
• Way Station - $5,775.000 per week & 10% County Tax
• Day Fishing - Mid-November - March $350.00 for one or two anglers, $175.00 additional anglers + Guide Fees

Historic Main House and Rock House (Maximum 14 guests or 10 anglers):
The Historic Main House and Rock House are packaged together as the main angling compound at Bollibokka. The Historic Main House was built in the 1920's. It has five bedrooms and sleeps ten guests. Adjoining the Historic Main House is the Log Cabin (circa 1860), which is the historic dining room and fully-equipped country kitchen. Across the rolling lawn, the Rock House perches on the shoulder of the McCloud riverbank. The Rock House cottage has two bedrooms that sleeps four more guests and a small kitchen, dining area, and small living room.

Together the Historic Main House and Rock House will accommodate up to fourteen guests, but the compound is limited to no more than ten fishermen on their "beat" at any one time. An angler selecting a week at the Historic Main House & Rock House may bring as many as fourteen guests, (but no more than ten anglers), at any one time during their exclusive week at Bollibokka.

The Way Station (Maximum 6 guests):
The 'Way Station' is located five miles upriver from the Historic Main House. It was built in the early 1970's by a master German craftsman, and features mortise and tenon joinery and open beam construction, conveniently perched on a rock outcrop overlooking a deep emerald pool full of wild McCloud River rainbow and brown trout. The Way Station sleeps six and has its own fully-equipped kitchen, dining room, and living room. The dining, housekeeping and itinerary are identical to the Historic Main House compound. There is a separate housekeeping and dining room staff available at the Way Station when it is used independently from the Historic Main House.

Not included in your stay at Bollibokka are food, items of a personal nature, fishing license, and fishing gear.

The Fly Shop® is not in the insurance business, but we recommend Travel Guard (AIG) and Global Rescue (IMG) coverage as a service with a desire to see your best interests protected. It is impossible to know when an unfortunate situation (loss of luggage, fly rods, illness in the family, or an accident) may occur. However, such things can and do happen, and this insurance can provide a means of recourse against non-refundable financial losses.

Travel Insurance Information

Non-fishing companions have the run of roads and trails on their respective beats on the property. The Bollibokka property is a wonderful natural resource for photography, painting, hiking, birdwatching, and more. And that's not to mention relaxing at any one of the different cabins with a good book and the sights, sounds, and smells of the McCloud River just a stone's throw away.

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Seasons at Bollibokka

The McCloud River opens to fishing on the last Saturday in April and remains open through November 15.

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 Historic Main House/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.

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.

Bollibokka closes its doors for the season on November 15th and reopens the last Saturday in April.

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Lodging at Bollibokka

Anglers and their guests are welcome to arrive for their week anytime after 11:00 am on the Wednesday morning of their designated week.

There generally will not be staff there to check you in upon arrival - unless you've arranged for Bollibokka staff to be there during your stay - so make yourself at home! Towels, Linens, soaps, and almost everything you need are provided for your stay.

Bollibokka guests will be provided with a very complete information packet of the ranch, with simple regulations and maps along with recommended fly fishing flies, tackle, and equipment.

Each cabin at Bollibokka has a fully stocked kitchen, and many guests choose to bring in their own food and cook all their own meals.

The Fly Shop® also works with the long-time Bollibokka staff, maintaining a list of people available to members for menu planning, shopping, cooking, and cleanup. The arrangements are made directly between the member and cooking personnel. Please contact The Fly Shop® at 800-669-3474 for more information on arranging for a cook during your stay at Bollibokka.

A few points to remember:
Bollibokka is a serene, natural setting in a remote landscape, and wildlife abounds. Be aware of black bears, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes, and be cautious to avoid poison oak. Young children shouldn't be unsupervised or out alone after dusk. There hasn't been any problem in this regard in Bollibokka's 100+ years, and we want to keep it that way.

The Historic Main House, Rock House, and Way Station are all non-smoking (including vaping) facilities. Guests are welcome to enjoy cigars or cigarettes on the deck or anywhere outside the lodge on the ranch. Please keep in mind that this is a fire-prone region, so be extra careful with any ashes from cigarettes on the ranch proper, and never, ever discard a cigarette butt anywhere on the property.

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Getting to Bollibokka

Bollibokka has more than 7 private miles of the majestic McCloud River that tumble through beautiful, rugged mountain terrain and some of the finest fly fishing water on the continent.

From Redding:
Head north on Interstate 5 for approximately 20.0 mi until you reach the Gilman Rd exit (exit 698). Turn right and stay on Gilman Rd approx. 17

miles. Just before you cross the bridge there is a metal gate on the left side of the road (we will provide you the combination upon reservation). Follow the directions below to reach the residence you have reserved.

From Mt. Shasta (or North):
Travel south on I-5 for approximately 40 miles to the Salt Creek/Gilman Rd Offramp (Exit #698). Turn Left onto Gilman Rd. Follow Gilman Rd for approximately 17 miles to the McCloud River Bridge. Just before you cross the bridge there is a metal gate on the left side of the road (we will provide you the combination upon reservation). Follow the directions below to reach the residence you have reserved.

Historic Main House/Rock House:
• Follow the dirt road paralleling the river. You will pass the caretaker's cabin on the right. There will be two dirt roads cutting up the hill to the left; be sure to stay to the right, and the road will take you right to the Historic Main House. If you're staying at the Historic Main House, you can park underneath the tree. To continue on to the Rock House, follow the road around to the left, past the Historic Main House, and around the lawns to the Rock House.

Fishing beats: Historic Main House & Rock House = The lower 5 miles of Bollibokka (from Chatterdown Creek downriver to the Main Gate/McCloud River Bridge).

Way Station:
• Follow the dirt road paralleling the river. You will pass the caretaker's cabin on the right. Take the second left road up the hill. (If you end up at the Clubhouse, turn around and take the first right.) Follow this road for approximately 20 minutes. You will pass two dirt roads cutting down to the right, but stay on the main road. Eventually you will come to a fork in the road. The right branch goes down to the river at Chatterdown Creek. The left branch will take you to the Way Station Cabin. Please do not drive past the Way Station Cabin.

Fishing beats: Way Station = The upper 2 miles of river will start at Chatterdown Creek upriver to Trail Crew Camp. Please respect boundaries.

Additional Information


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Making Reservations to Bollibokka

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