[jyl]

Haven't tried the Russian River.

I'm more comfortable on smaller streams with well-defined pocket water, pools, riffles, runs, etc. I know where the fish are and can be 70% certain they've seen my fly, the short ranges don't stress my feeble casting skills, and I can use a floating line / dry fly instead of throwing lead. With bigger rivers - like the Yuba below Hwy 20 - you often have to fish deep with a "search pattern" which leaves me pretty clueless. And with my light gear, a salmon would just break me off - heck a big bass would break me off (6-wt flyrod with #6 tippet).

The problem w/ stream fishing from the SF Bay Area is that you have to drive pretty far to get to good water. Either 4+ hours north or 4+ hours east.

The N. Fork of the Yuba is off Hwy 49 north of Grass Valley. I hear it is a decent smaller river, and it doesn't get much mention in the "where to fish" books.

I've had good luck in the smaller streams around the Yosemite area. Small fish though - a 12" trout would be large there.