Spring Source Waters
As a devout California fly fisher it's almost embarrassing to admit the first time I visited Fall River was only 5 years ago when I started working with CalTrout. While on a tour of CalTrout projects in Northern California, I was invited to a talk by our Mt. Shasta Regional Director Andrew Braugh and Carson Jeffres from UC Davis Center for Watershed Science. It was eye-opening to hear all about the volcanic aquifers that feed thousands of gallons of cold spring water into the Fall River and how some of the water is sent to the valley for agriculture. The rest then goes on to generate power through several stations along the Pit River, eventually making its way into Shasta Reservoir. From there, it moves down the Lower Sacramento River and into the State Water Project, the nation’s largest state-built water conveyance system that fuels urban hubs, even all the way down to Los Angeles! That's when I began to view the river as more then just a fun place to fish. Turns out that the Fall River is one of California's most valuable spring source water resources and, as such, deserves special management and protection. California Trout has been an instrumental force in protecting the wild trout and cold water resources for over 40 years.
Fall's World Class Fishery
As far as the fishing goes, it's world class! The cold spring waters support a huge biomass of aquatic insects. There are hatches every month of the year that provide anglers with opportunities for dry fly fishing in the morning, evening, and sometimes all day long! If the fish aren't rising you can always entice a bite with well-presented nymphs or slowly swung and stripped streamers. Dead drifting nymphs under an indicator with a downstream bump mend feeding line is the most effective technique. A variety of bugs will produce fish, but your most consistent eats will usually be small mayfly patterns and beatis imitations.
As you slowly motor, row, or drift along through the crystal clear waters you can see dozens of trout hovering around and moving above the weed beds and muddy shoals. You'll soon realize that if you’re not getting bites, it's not because a lack of fish. You just need to refine your technique or wait for a hungry one to see your bugs.