Strip Leeches & Buggers on a Full Sink at Keswick Reservoir

Keswick Reservoir - Redding, CA (Shasta County)


by The Fly Shop
8-23-2018
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Report: We have not heard anything as of recent but it should be fishing good. You can expect a standard summer day! Look for damsel flies and water boatmen, as well as calibaetis and midges. Summer also means terrestrials, so have a good selection of hoppers, ants, and beetles. Also, you can expect to catch fish subsurface on woolly buggers, balance leeches, and nymphs. 

Fish going over 20" happen! Releases out of Shasta Dam have been stable. Good place to hire a guide though. Finding these fish requires some special knowledge and a boat. 

Indicator suspended Birds Nests, Midges, PT Nymphs should work along the edges of the fast water near the Dam. Suspend your flies about 2-3 feet below the indicator. These fish like to come up to the fly. Fish the shallow edges. Stay low!! You will need a motorized boat to get to where the good fishing exists.

Hot Flies:  
Dry Flies:
Mercer's Missing Link #16-18, Adams #14-16, Mercer's Parachute Profile Spinners #16 

Nymphs/Wet Flies:

Bubbleback Caddis - #14, Mercer's Glo-Bubble Caddis - Tan #14, Chromie - #16-18, Mercer's GidgetGB San Juan Worm - #12, Mercer's Biot Epoxy Golden Stones - #8-12, Chironomid Bomber - Any color #12, Mercer's CB Micro Mayfly - Brown #16-18, Pats Rubberlegs - Brown #6-8, CB Birds Nest - #10-14 

Streamers & Leeches:
Crystal BuggersFreshwater Clousers - #6, Zonkers - Natural #4, BH Halebopp Leech - Olive/Dark Olive #8