There are several great campsite dotting the Middle and South Forks of the Stanislaus river as it winds alongside Highway 108 up Sonora Pass. These sites are all situated right alongside the river and many are on a first...
72°F
Feels like 70°F, clear sky
8 mph E
1016 hPa
Waxing Crescent
39cfs
The Middle fork of the Stanialaus is currently running at 40cfs which is down just slightly from last week. This is a low flow for this area and will open up a lot of water to fish, as it will be easier to move along the edge of the water. The weather this week is going to be slightly warmer than last week with the highs in the low to mid 70s all week. However, if you plan to spend the night you will want to pack some warmer clothing as the lows will be reaching down into the low 50s overnight.
With these lower flows the best way to approach this section of water is definitely with a hopper dropper rig or even a dry dropper rig. With the smaller amount of water there will be less areas that will be deep and require an indicator rig. Running a foam hopper or even a stimulator with a small nymph about 16” underneath it is extremely effective in this area. However, with that being said there are a few deeper sections of water on wide sweeping turns where an indicator rig will be the most effective. For flies we recommend the T.J. Hooker, hares ear nymphs, pats rubber legs, foam hoppers, and elk hair caddis dries.
We highly recommend this section of water this time of year as this is its peak fishing season and can help beat the heat that the lower elevations are experiencing. With the weather starting to cool off in the higher elevations, layers will definitely be important if you are fishing or just hanging around the campfire.
The Middle fork of the Stanialaus is currently running at 40cfs which is down just slightly from last week. This is a low flow for this area and will open up a lot of water to fish, as it will be easier to move along the...