Fishing on the Pit River was great this week, & best in the AM hours

Pit River - CA (Modoc County)


by The Fly Shop
11-12-2013
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Current River Conditions: Fishing great this week! Best in the afternoons. Small dark nymphs ranging from #16-18 are working great. Try a black A.P. in #10-12 as the top fly in a 2-fly nymph rig. A small midge or pheasant tail can go on bottom. And then there's October Caddis. Fish October's big orange caddis fly nymphs and dries. The dry version can work best near sunset. The Pit has been fishing great! From experience, this river continues to make happy anglers all the way through December or the first big winter storm. Go!

Bring the wading staff! We highly recommend wearing a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) too. The Pit River is a demanding river to wade thanks to slippery, bowling-ball like boulders and rocks. Keeps the crowds down!

The Fly Shop's?? Tips: A good fly selection consists of #6-8 brown or black rubber legs, #14-16 Pheasant Tail Nymphs, #18 Zebra Midges or any dark midge for that matter. When fishing indicators suspending #14-16 nymphs, don't put the flies so deep that your hitting bottom every drift. Put the flies up where the fish can see them. Show the rainbows a fly enough times and they will come to it. A #14-16 Pheasant Tail Nymph is a very consistent fly on the Pit. Under a medium sized indicator, fish a #6-8 Pat's rubber Legs and a #14 pheasant tail nymph or #14-16 prince nymph. Mercer's #16 black Micro-Mayfly is another great fly. High-stick and short line angling techniques are very, very effective on this stream.

Be ready for supremely tough wading conditions when fishing the Pit. Flat ground DOES NOT exist here! A wading staff really makes a difference for every angler who fishes here. Pack some dry clothes, snake kit and don't forget to dry out your fly-box at the end of the day! The Pit River rainbows will eat all day most of the time. These feisty fish can be found holding in fast bubbly water and in slower, smooth flowing water as well. High-stick and short line nymphing techniques are the key to finding the biggest rainbows on this river. Have plenty of BB, AAA and SSG split shot in your vest pocket. Feed lots of line and go for long drag free drifts, using an indicator and suspending flies 3 - 6 feet deep, in the long smooth glides between boulders and broken riffles. An there is no shortage of boulders, riffles, runs and pockets.

Water Flows:
Pit #3 Flows
Pit #4 Flows
Pit #5 Flows

Suggested Fly Patterns:

Dry Flies:

• Adams #14-18
• Elk Hair Caddis - Tan #12-16
• Mayfly Cripples - #12-16
• Yellow Stimulator #8-16
October Caddis Dries:
• Orange Stimulator - #6
• Goddard Caddis - #8
• Morrish Adult Oct Caddis
• Mercer's Skating Oct Caddis
• Turk's Tarantula - #8-14

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Dark Lords #12-16
• Zebra Midge #18
• Zack's Pseudo May
• Deceptive Cray
• Sexy Souka - #6
• BH Hellgrammite #6
• Mercer's Poxyback Dark Stone #6
• Copperback Stone Black #6
• GB Black A.P. - #10-12
• Micro Mayflies - #14-18
• Red Copper Johns - #16-18
• Zebra John - #16-18
• Pat's Brown Rubberleg - #6-8
• Amber Wing Prince - #14-18
• GB Bird's Nest #10-16
October Caddis Nymphs:
• Mercer's TB Oct Caddis
• Morejohn's Comeback Caddis - October
• Skip's Bead Head October Caddis
• Tungsten Oct Pewpah
• Zack's Oct Zaddis

Streamers/Leeches:
• Beaded Lite Brite Bugger - #6
• Zack's Swimming Leech - #8

Fly Fishing Gear:
• The Fly Shop's?? Landing Nets
• Pit River Hardwood Wading Staff
• Simms?? Headwater Stockingfoot Waders