Fly Fishing for Trophy Brown and Rainbow Trout on Iron Canyon Reservoir

Iron Canyon Reservoir is a forebay that feeds the James B. Black powerhouse on the Pit River. It is fed by an 8 mile tunnel from the McCloud River Reservoir outdoors of McCloud, California. Each initiatives are owned and operated by Pacific Fuel & Electric powered organization.

James B. Black was the president of Pacific Gas & Electrical for 20 many years and was the father-in-regulation of Shirley Temple Black.

The reservoir and powerhouse ended up accomplished in 1965 and the reservoir planted with several species of rainbow trout by California Fish & Video game. No a single can convey to me the place the brown trout arrived from.

The McCloud River is fed by springs coming off of Mount Shasta and the drinking water is really pure and cold. This is the drinking water that feeds Iron Canyon Reservoir. In addition to the key in-move of McCloud River h2o, the reservoir has four creeks that empty into it and provide as spawning beds for normally spawned trout.

Just one of the factors that sets Iron Canyon Reservoir apart from other h2o bodies is that the have in excess of of planted trout is fairly substantial. The planters survive for a longer period than the regular of three months, and in actuality they survive to spawning age and are equipped to reproduce.

1 can inform the big difference between massive planters and normally spawned Rainbow trout in that the flesh of the the natural way spawned trout is pink and agency, related to Steelhead Trout. This quality will make the trout a lot easier to fillet. The planted trout that survive and expand big more than enough have white meat and are more difficult to fillet.

Thanks to an abundance of meals and a red worm that is indigenous to the soils along the edges, these fish develop very large….they remind me of footballs. One particular brown trout produced the regional newspaper, it was 32 inches very long. As a choose for the Once-a-year Fish Derby and Liars Contest, I have weighed in a brown trout that was 27 1/4″ prolonged and 7 lbs. 6 ozs. in fat. The contestant also entered a 17″ rainbow trout.

The McCloud River tunnel sucks in fish from the McCloud reservoir and spits out fish food items. Numerous brown trout hold out in entrance of the inlet and even have a spawning location shut by. The local fishing guides use this inlet throughout periods when the local rivers are blown out and call it “River X”, and have their consumers use San Juan Worm Flies from the lender to catch browns. Trolling along the dam confront with flashers and bait also works effectively for catching big brown trout.

I individually like fly fishing the mouths of McGill, Hole and Cedar Salt creeks. The banking companies are simple to stroll, and a float tube is really handy and straightforward to launch. The brown trout are fall spawners and will stack up in the mouths of the creeks waiting for the wintertime rains. The rainbows are right down below them, feeding on brown trout eggs. In the spring, the drinking water degrees are held small for electric power era needs and the creek mouths have various rainbow trout feeding in them. I contact it “old man” fishing, considering the fact that all I have to do is place on some rubber boots, and solid into the h2o with a woolly bugger form fly.

In the summer time when the h2o degrees are held substantial, the brown trout cruise the edges and the flats while a float tube will get you out over submerged stumps where the rainbows feed. Very good Moments.