The Russian is one of those rivers that takes a while to clear. A decent rain will cause it to swell and a muddy mess is the result. Considering the downpours we've had this winter, I've been waiting a while for a chance to visit. Even though Tuesday's conditions were still muddy, with only a foot or two of visibility, the level was down enough for safe wading. That was as good as it may get. So I took the plunge.
| Access | Above/Below Healdsburg | |
| Air Temp | Low 52, High 70 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~? F / 1-2 feet | |
| Weather | Sunny | |
| Flow | ~1200 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 6:30am, 6pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Skagit | |
| 10ft of T10 | All day | |
| 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Various steelhead flies | 0 |
| 3” steelhead trailer | 12 fish | |
I'm okay with swinging flies if there are a couple of feet of visibility. Just tie something larger and brighter on and the fish will see it if they are in the neighborhood. Lucky for me, my most recent fly design is bright and colorful. And at a little more than 2 inches in length, it is decent sized as well.
I arrived at the Dry Creek access well before sunrise. There was only one car there ahead of me. And considering the popularity of this spot, that is saying something. I wandered down to the water and stepped in. Within 5 minutes, I had caught my first fish. It was about 16 inches long and bright. He was sitting in a slow section, just out of the current. He grabbed the fly just before the dangle.
I was getting bumps and plucks on almost every cast. Several short lived hookups as well. None of the ones caught were that big. Probably juveniles or half pounders. Twelve to sixteen inches seemed to be the range.
I moved up and down this section for a bit before the crowds started rolling in. Anyone familiar with this area knows that it gets filled up with guys flinging gear or bait. I get the impression they don't take kindly to people with fly rods. They certainly don't respect anyone stepping down a river swinging a fly. They have no problem moving in right below you. Frustrating. So I moved upstream out of this rats nest of knuckle heads.
I continued to get bumped and catch another fish or two. I may of gotten one decent sized grab, but he never latched on. I stepped downstream until another gear guy moved in right below me. Enough is enough. I decided to leave for a less popular spot.
My next stop was about 15 miles up highway 101 to Cloverdale. Just off Crocker Rd there is a long gravel bar with some decent water if you look in the right places. Nothing great, but something I had visited on a previous trip and felt worthy of another try. Unfortunately, the water seemed even more cloudy here. There might of been a foot of visibility!
I walked upstream quite a ways until I found a decent spot. By now, the wind was blowing and it made casting an interesting experience. I wasn't only backed up against the trees, I was actually underneath them. Branches were well within striking distance of my rod tip. Stepping further out into the stream was risky. I couldn't see the bottom and the flow was a little fast for comfort. So, I played it safe and made more of a side arm cast. I couldn't hit the other side of the river in this manner, but I got it out there enough to find fish.
It started out slow, but the bumps picked up. On a previous post, I wrote about testing my new "cotton candy" fly. This is where it happened. I won't rehash what has already been said, so if you are interested, please take a look.
After catching several fish, I moved back downstream closer to where I was parked. After crossing river, I started casting and stepping only to be interrupted by a group of 3 bait chuckers. You know what happened, they moved in right below me. This was my cue to leave.
I drove up Geysers Rd until it it met up with 101. Parked my car and walked into the canyon. The fishing sucked here. However, I continued to abuse myself by walking downstream through thick thorn bushes and traversing steep dirt slopes. No bites or bumps in this entire section. So, I decided to cut my losses and exit the canyon. I practically needed rock climbing gear to get out. But once I did, I could easily walk back Geysers Rd to my car. Considering the rough terrain, I was amazed at how far downriver I had gone. It must of been a good mile. During that lonely walk back, all I could think about was the waste of time I just spent here.
At this point, I was contemplating calling it a day. I had caught a good amount of fish and I was beat. However, on the drive back down Geysers, I decided to park my car back at Crocker Rd and fish it again.
Finding a new spot, the water looked much more fishy than what I had visited earlier. I went straight for a tailout as the daylight was fading. Within ten minutes, I was back to getting bumps and plucks. Several hookups and a few fish to hand. All of them were in the 12-15 inch range. I got one solid grab when the fly was dangling downstream. I wasn't prepared and missed him. That might of been the biggest fish of the day. I tried several more casts to get him back, but it never happened.
It was a long 12 hour day of fishing. For my troubles, I caught at least 12 fish and had many more hookups. No adults, but one or two broke the 16 inch mark. Not bad.
I have mixed feelings about this river. Given the right conditions and some space from the crowds, it ain't a bad place to go. But, the frustration level can be high if you don't find solitude.
