Explore NorCal's Fly Fishing Paradise: Thriving Hatches, Loosened Regulations, and Rising Youth Talents
Late spring river time here in NorCal has been nothing short of perfection. Mario over at Taco Fly Co. just wrapped up his 2025 season on the Middle Fork Feather River, and man, the stories coming out of Plumas National Forest are all locals are talking about. The weather’s dialed: sunny, a touch of wind, some cold mornings—you know, exactly how we like it. The Lower Sac’s been reliably productive, even when flows spiked from 8,000 to 11,000 CFS—nothing like showing up to good current, especially when the hatch is “big-ass and epic,” as Mario puts it. PMDs, March Browns, Yellow Sallies, and some surprising green drakes have been going off. Even got two anglers their very first fish on a dry fly, which, let’s be honest, is as good as fly fishing gets. Memorial Day pressure was heavy, but if you know the secret spots—and all the best guides do—you still get solitude and screaming reels.There’s another bit of news shaking up more than just the trout. On August 14, 2025, the California Fish and Game Commission loosened some groundfish rules, which means us fly fishers can get after rockfish, cabezon, greenling, and lingcod in all depths statewide through December. That used to be locked down because of low quillback rockfish numbers, but the latest surveys show the population bounced back nicely. You’ll want to keep an eye out for the final word from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife before heading out, but when the green light flashes, it’s going to mean a heck of a lot more choice for all-depth combos—think mixing our fly boxes for nearshore and offshore in a single day. Canary rockfish comes in with a two-fish limit, and if you’re chasing vermilion or sunset rockfish, they’re now managed as a single species complex. The bottom line: wider access, more variety, and more stories for the next campfire.Speaking of stories, if you’ve been following the youth scene, Team USA crushed it at the World Youth Fly Fishing Championship. According to USAngling, five American anglers finished in the top seven, locking in the gold before the final session concluded. The US Youth Fly Fishing Team is hosting regional clinics in Idaho Falls this July, bringing young guns from all over the country to learn, compete, and keep the stoke alive. A couple of those top finishers hail from Pennsylvania, showing that the east coast crews know their bug game just as well as anyone throwing dries out west.Meanwhile, the gear heads are getting restless in spring 2025. Hatch Magazine just ran their big new gear roundup, putting Scientific Angler’s new striper lines at the top of the list. So if you’re dreaming about chasing salty fish—especially anywhere along the Northeast coast or up the Snake River—those intermediate and full-sink heads are catching buzz. And in case you missed The Fly Shop’s update, expect even more new rods, reels, and apparel drops this summer. Fresh kit always gets people talking down at the shop or swapping tips at the ramp.That’s your fly fishing fix for the week—clean water, looser rules, rising youth, and shiny new tackle. Thanks for tuning in, and if you want more stories like these, swing by next week. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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