Last week, I made another trip to the Russian. Because of my previous experience on this river, I decided to take a little more time pouring over maps. If you recall, the last time here, I had difficulty finding decent access. I just didn't want that to happen again.
The Russian takes a while to clear. And since we had that big rain a little over a week ago, I decided to go further up river, trying to avoid the mud. My first access was a few miles North of Cloverdale.
It was a pleasant surprise to see that the river was less urban here. Canyons, cliffs, big boulders providing cover to the fish and replaced the flat wine country lands below. It was quite the contrast to downstream of Healdsburg. As far as the water clarity, it was a nice “steelhead green” color. Visibility was 3 to 4 feet. Perfect.
I stopped at 4 or 5 spots that were easily accessible. I found plenty of runs to swing through on this almost 70 degree day. Long story short, I didn't catch anything beyond a smolt. I didn't even hook an adult fish. The only thing I did get was a good sized bump near the end of the day.
There were fish though. I saw a 32+ inch buck in about 3 feet of water at the end of a tailout. However, beyond him, I didn't see anything. Nor did I talk to anyone else that caught a fish. It was pretty quiet.
This part of the river is far more enjoyable than the lower section, imo. When I go back, I'll probably return to this area.
No comments:
Post a Comment