Upper Sac and McCloud River weekend in Dunsmuir, CA
June 17-21, 2026
Registration button at the bottom of the page. You can arrive on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or even Saturday, just make sure you don't miss our largest PFF fishout.
This year we have been able to reserve all 12 campsites at the riverside campground at Castle Crags! If you are not into camping there are several hotels nearby in Dunsmuir.
The Upper Sac is officially a Tailwater river starting at the Box Canyon Dam, but it feels and fishes much more like a Freestone river. Map below shows the more than 30 miles of river we can fish on this river. We also have the McCloud River nearby. In a little over an hour drive we have Hat Creek and Burney Creek. For the Lake folks with float tubes or pontoon boats we have Lake Siskiyou nearby Keswick Reservoir and Baum Lake in about an hour drive. The rivers close by our camp ground are more than enough to keep you fishing for multiple days.
Camp Ground Information:
Castle Crags State Park Camp Ground Castle Crags Information
This year we have reserved all campsites on the Riverside Campground of Castle Crags State Park located on the East side of the I-5 highway. Please refer to maps below. Bathrooms and water are available here, warm showers are available to us at the Main Campground on the West side of the freeway. Our Fishout Leaders will assign campsites before the fishout.
If arriving on Wednesday please try to arrive at the camp site no earlier than 2pm, this will give the Fishout Leaders time to check in at the Ranger Station, make sure there are no SNAFU's, etc. When you do arrive please drive directly to the Riverside Campground and check in with the Fishout Leaders.
Euro Clinic:
EJ will be doing a Euro Clinic for everyone, date and time are TBD.
Nature Conservancy - McCloud River:
We don't have reserved fishing tags for the Nature Conservancy section of the McCloud River this year. If you want to fish the McCloud go there early and pickup a day tag or fish the sections outside the conservancy at Ah-Di-Na or Ashcamp.
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Fishout Details
$100 per angler for Friday night dinner, Saturday night dinner, supplies and campsite fees. Maximum campers are limited to 30 rods.
Experience Required:
Beginner to advanced for this outing.
Fishout Leaders:
EJ Melzer,Fei Xie, Patrick Stauter
Maps:
• Castle Crags - Riverside Directions
• Castle Crags Campsites
• Upper Sac Map
Gear Recommendations:
• Single hand rods: 4-6 wt. fly rod for indicators, dries, and single hand Spey.
• Euro rod: 2-4 wt.
• Waders and wading boots (with studs recommended)
• Wading staff is highly recommended (wooden staff is best)
• Wet wading is optimal
• Net
Flies:
The Upper Sac is a freestone river with fish that are impulse driven and all the basic nymphs and dries work. Most common sizes are 12-20, so bring your normal trout flies. Between all of us we should be able to figure out what works and share the info and flies. If needed we can tie some more at camp or stop at the local shop to stock up. Our personal top-4: Woven Caddis, Tungsten Torpedo, Frenchie and Perdigon. They can be easily replaced with a different Caddis or Stonefly, Pheasant Tail, Copper John, Zebra Midge, etc.
Leader and Tippet:
We have enough leader material to set up the Euro leaders for those that want to fish this technique. If you are planning on dry fly fishing (mostly evening) bring a few tapered leaders (9ft 5x/6x and Tippet: 5x- 7x
Don't forget:
• California Fishing License.
• Please pack for warm days, cool evenings, possibly rain, hat, polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and rain jacket.
• Remember to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Food and Drink Schedule:
• Wednesday evening - No plans
• Thursday evening - We will try to make reservations at the Railroad Park Resort for 5pm - https://www.rrpark.com/dining-car-restaurant
• Friday evening - Hot dogs and salad
• Saturday night - Pizza and salad at the campground from the local pizza factory.
• Individuals need to bring their own food for breakfast, lunch and Wednesday night dinner.
• This event is BYOB.
Additional Notes and Reminders:
• You will be receiving more info from our Fishout leaders as the event nears.
• Fishout Leaders will assign campsites before fishout.
• If arriving Wednesday June 17th, please do not arrive before 2pm.
• When you do arrive, please drive directly to the Riverside Campground and check-in with our Fishout Leaders.
• Parking is limited, please car pool if possible.
Please pack light and be selective when loading your stuff in the car and don't bring too much. The more we leave in our car the more likely it is that it will be stolen. One rod/reel and one hidden back-up rod & reel and the 'stuff' that you carry with you in your vest or pack is really all you need.
Ted Fay Fly Shop:
Best little store in town is the "Ted Fay Fly Shop" in Dunsmuir https://www.tedfay.com/ This legendary small-town fly shop opens at 8am and has everything to satisfy your fly fishing needs. Any business we can give them is very much appreciated.
The June Workshop will discuss gear and bugs for this fish out and update the event travels plans.
Questions: Contact Fei Xie or EJ Melzer
Tight Lines to all,
PFF Fish-out Committee
