SoCal: Where to fly fish

[Kingdink18]

Hello all

First post here on FNN! With the Sierras opening up this weekend I have been itching to dust off the fly rod! This late summer/fall in the sierras is going to be a great one, so I need some practice before heading up north and was wondering the best place to shake the rust off. I was thinking the castaic lagoon since I have a float tube setup, but have never had success there in the past. Any recommendations on flys for targeting LMB? I have a moderate assortment of wooly buggers and some poppers, but nothing else for bass really.
Any fly suggestions are welcome, including other places to fish.
Thanks again and tight lines!

[Stinkbait]

Clouser minnows and crawfish flies.

[Viejo]

wooly buggers and some poppers.....covers both top water and deep water.

[seal]

I'd suggest Silverwood. I've had great success in years past in Miller Canyon stripping buggers for holdover trout in the summer and the occasional largemouth. With the extra plants Silverwood is getting and the better creek flow in Miller keeping the oxygen level better and water cooler I'm hoping that this summer will be a return to years past (dry weather and lack of holdover trout has affected that bite negatively I believe the last few years).

Big black buggers with a red head will kill largemouth, stripers and trout there.

[Kingdink18]

Thanks for the advice! I'll invest in some craws and minnows.
Where do you guys buy your flies? I usually order mine from flyshack.com but must admit I am not particularly impressed with the quality of the flies.
Never been to silverwood, are float tubes permitted?

[Ornery Bob]

Yes, they allow float tubes, but you need to tell them you have one when you enter and they will inspected it for Quagga and Zebra Mussels. Be sure it is clean and dry. As far as they are concerned, a float tube is a boat.

[noleash]

Hello all

First post here on FNN! With the Sierras opening up this weekend I have been itching to dust off the fly rod! This late summer/fall in the sierras is going to be a great one, so I need some practice before heading up north and was wondering the best place to shake the rust off. I was thinking the castaic lagoon since I have a float tube setup, but have never had success there in the past. Any recommendations on flys for targeting LMB? I have a moderate assortment of wooly buggers and some poppers, but nothing else for bass really.
Any fly suggestions are welcome, including other places to fish.
Thanks again and tight lines!
Halibut are on the move to the shallows ... any so cal beach with rip tide cutouts is a great place to start! 4 inch bait fish imitations green back / white flash bodies ... silver and blue etc...etc will work. Pulled lots of flatties up and out of the water a meer stones throw from the sand! Corbina and yellow fin croakers will hit the same type of custome flys! Good luck and bring lots of quarters!

[noleash]

I'd suggest Silverwood. I've had great success in years past in Miller Canyon stripping buggers for holdover trout in the summer and the occasional largemouth. With the extra plants Silverwood is getting and the better creek flow in Miller keeping the oxygen level better and water cooler I'm hoping that this summer will be a return to years past (dry weather and lack of holdover trout has affected that bite negatively I believe the last few years).

Big black buggers with a red head will kill largemouth, stripers and trout there.

Sounds like a good time!

[seal]

Yes, they allow float tubes, but you need to tell them you have one when you enter and they will inspected it for Quagga and Zebra Mussels. Be sure it is clean and dry. As far as they are concerned, a float tube is a boat.

Well they really don't enforce this very strictly to tell you the truth. There is no paperwork to fill out on a float tube last I checked there so there is no way to verify inspection on float tubes since they don't have you do the paperwork. Now things change often but as of recent this really has not been "enforced" at Silverwood.

[seal]

Never been to silverwood, are float tubes permitted?

Yes and although a bit of a kick Miller is very reachable from a tube (as long as you don't get blasted by wind on the way back).

[Ifishtoolittle]

Well they really don't enforce this very strictly to tell you the truth. There is no paperwork to fill out on a float tube last I checked there so there is no way to verify inspection on float tubes since they don't have you do the paperwork. Now things change often but as of recent this really has not been "enforced" at Silverwood.

Are they pretty lenient with kayaks as well?

[seal]

Are they pretty lenient with kayaks as well?

I have never had mine inspected and it usually is on my rack on top. But even if checked all they do is look for it to be clean on outside and no water inside, kayaks are pretty easy to pass inspection. I always think it ridiculous when I get stopped at the California checkpoint after a Mead or Willow run, they pat it a couple times then send you on your way pretty much a waste of time but hey State employees are good at that.

[Kingdink18]

I'd suggest Silverwood. I've had great success in years past in Miller Canyon stripping buggers for holdover trout in the summer and the occasional largemouth. With the extra plants Silverwood is getting and the better creek flow in Miller keeping the oxygen level better and water cooler I'm hoping that this summer will be a return to years past (dry weather and lack of holdover trout has affected that bite negatively I believe the last few years).

Big black buggers with a red head will kill largemouth, stripers and trout there.

UPDATE: Went to Silverwood and did great! You were right on with the lake choice and fly selection. Miller is definitely a kick, but worth it. I had a black (think its technically a Krystal bugger because it has some estaz in it, whatever) bugger with an orange head, and absolutely killed it. The first cast was a fish and the bite was basically non stop from then on. I also caught a few on a san juan worm. Very little surface activity and dries were pointless. All the fish I caught were rainbows and most in the 8-12 inch range. A couple 12+ sprinkled here and there. I felt like stripping the bugger in faster produced better results, but the bite was really on so its hard to tell. The kick back is bad, your against current and if the wind picks up good luck. Still hands down best day of fishing this year, and Silverwood is going to be my new go to lake. Thanks for the help!!