Sadly, my fishing trip is over. I'm now back from my three days on the North Umpqua. As a bonus for me and you, I also spent time fishing on the Klamath.
For those counting, that is four days of fishing in about a weeks time. Probably a record for me. Over the next week I'll be making some posts covering my days on the water. The three on the NU, and then my time on the Klamath.
Additionally, I'll relate my time with Lee on Steamboat Creek. Probably one of, if not the world's authority on steelhead behavior. This guy has watched more hours of steelhead doing their thing than probably anyone else around. I learned a great deal about the critters and what makes them tick. It was eye opening. That will be a post in itself.
And guess what? I actually took pictures/video this time! Yaah. I have something to color up the writing.
Stay tuned.
Aug 14, 2010
Aug 6, 2010
Fly #56, 57, and 58. Umpqua
It has been a while since I've posted a "Fly of the Week". As I'm about to depart for a trip to the North Umpqua, I quickly tied up some flies. Here are three of the patterns I put together. Perhaps I'll post the others another time.
The first two are on size 4 hooks. The last on an eight. As always, click on the image to see them bigger.
I'll let you know how they do in a week or two.
The first two are on size 4 hooks. The last on an eight. As always, click on the image to see them bigger.
I'll let you know how they do in a week or two.
Jul 30, 2010
Yuba Report
These long Summer days can really take a toll. Beyond the time I spend on the water, from sun up to sun down, I have a pretty good commute to the water. We are talking almost 20+ hours from when I leave my driveway and when I get back. It can be a real drag.
Last week, I had -what lately is a rare opportunity- to go fishing. The Lower Yuba was my choice. The reports were for high water flow and lousy fishing. A perfect combination! One of the purposes of going was to dial in my rod/line combination for an upcoming North Umpqua trip. Actually catching fish would of been nice, but not my ultimate goal for the day.
The water was unusually cold. Despite the hot 100+ degree air temp, it wasn't bad at all. My setup was a floating line/leader with unweighted flies. Exactly what I'll be using up in Oregon. I'm not used to casting a 15+ foot leader, so this was a good chance to get myself re-acquainted.
Started the morning above the bridge with a size 4 generic steelhead fly. Managed a few hookups that didn't last very long. The fish were in there, but most of the ones that were willing to play, were small. Under 15 inches. I continued stepping downstream to try and find a player. Hopefully someone bigger.
I noticed early on that the rocks were super-slippery today. Even with my studded boots and fancy rubber soles, it was treacherous. Funny enough, the North Umpqua is known to be a very slippery place too. Perhaps someone was trying to get me prepared in more ways than one!
The rocks in this particular run were bowling ball sized and super smooth. Covered in some sort of goop, it wasn't a good idea to step on top of them if you could help it. The water was waist deep when I stumbled and planted my foot on the top of one. Exactly what I didn't want to do. Down I went! I floated only a few feet before I regained my foot hold and stood up. But it was too late. Water had gone over my wader tops and I was now feeling the 50 something degree water filtering down to my legs. Brrrrr! This is the first time ever I've taken a dunk and had water go over my wader top. I guess I should consider myself lucky to have lasted this long.
It was still early morning. And even though the day would soon top 100 degrees, it was now very cold. I pressed on for another hour or so trying to catch a huge fish that was surfacing right in front of my eyes. But, eventually, I had to go back to the car to change. Too much shivering.
After drying up, I went back to the water. But this time below the bridge. No fish. Not even a bite. The water is a little high here and the fish-able spots were a little tough to get to. After an hour or so, I decided to go back above the bridge. I walked much further upstream before getting back to it. This is when the fun began.
At some point, I put on a single size 12 soft hackle. I'll try to post a picture sometime. It is bright red body. I'm not sure I have ever used this fly before. But, it just looked like a good one. Literally on the first cast, I had a small 12 inch fish on. Finally, the first fish of the day. I caught a few of his friends further down the river too. This fly was hot!
The window of time where I was catching fish started to close. I took this opportunity to go back downstream to where I got my dunking. I wanted that big fish that I saw earlier. He must of been in the upper 20's. And he was fat! As I approached that section, two other fly fisherman stepped in below me. Argh! No respect. Typically BS I see around here.
Instead of causing a scene, I chose to go back to the car for water and food. It was now late afternoon/early evening. After filling my stomach, I didn't really want to huck it back upriver, so instead I went down.
I still had that small red soft hackle on and nothing else. No two or three fly rigs today. Keeping it simple. The leader was a hand tied 15 footer. Perfect size for my 12'6" two hander and compact scandi line. It was casting amazingly well. Normally I use poly leaders, but I had an itch to do it the old fashioned way. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was casting big and small flies alike. I may be tossing my poly's aside for floating work.
I'll skip the details, but the rest of the evening went great. I caught two 20 something inch fish almost on back to back casts. They both fought hard and provided several minutes of entertainment. The one even took a run and peeled off some line. Before it got dark, I ended up getting a dozen hard tugs and a few more fish to hand. What a way to end the day.
What started off as a chance to dial in my rod, ended up being a great day of fishing. Good thing I didn't let those bad fishing reports and high flow complaints scare me off.
Last week, I had -what lately is a rare opportunity- to go fishing. The Lower Yuba was my choice. The reports were for high water flow and lousy fishing. A perfect combination! One of the purposes of going was to dial in my rod/line combination for an upcoming North Umpqua trip. Actually catching fish would of been nice, but not my ultimate goal for the day.
The water was unusually cold. Despite the hot 100+ degree air temp, it wasn't bad at all. My setup was a floating line/leader with unweighted flies. Exactly what I'll be using up in Oregon. I'm not used to casting a 15+ foot leader, so this was a good chance to get myself re-acquainted.
Started the morning above the bridge with a size 4 generic steelhead fly. Managed a few hookups that didn't last very long. The fish were in there, but most of the ones that were willing to play, were small. Under 15 inches. I continued stepping downstream to try and find a player. Hopefully someone bigger.
| Access | Hwy 20 | |
| Air Temp | Low 61, High 100+ | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~49 F / 8-10 feet | |
| Weather | Sunny | |
| Flow | 3,500+ cfs | |
| Time in/out | 5:30am, 8:30pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| 15ft poly floater | Morning | |
| 15ft mono leader | Afternoon on | |
| 8lb Mono tippet | ||
| Flies | Various sz 4-8 steelhead | some tugs |
| Sz12 red soft hackle | 8+ | |
I noticed early on that the rocks were super-slippery today. Even with my studded boots and fancy rubber soles, it was treacherous. Funny enough, the North Umpqua is known to be a very slippery place too. Perhaps someone was trying to get me prepared in more ways than one!
The rocks in this particular run were bowling ball sized and super smooth. Covered in some sort of goop, it wasn't a good idea to step on top of them if you could help it. The water was waist deep when I stumbled and planted my foot on the top of one. Exactly what I didn't want to do. Down I went! I floated only a few feet before I regained my foot hold and stood up. But it was too late. Water had gone over my wader tops and I was now feeling the 50 something degree water filtering down to my legs. Brrrrr! This is the first time ever I've taken a dunk and had water go over my wader top. I guess I should consider myself lucky to have lasted this long.
It was still early morning. And even though the day would soon top 100 degrees, it was now very cold. I pressed on for another hour or so trying to catch a huge fish that was surfacing right in front of my eyes. But, eventually, I had to go back to the car to change. Too much shivering.
After drying up, I went back to the water. But this time below the bridge. No fish. Not even a bite. The water is a little high here and the fish-able spots were a little tough to get to. After an hour or so, I decided to go back above the bridge. I walked much further upstream before getting back to it. This is when the fun began.
At some point, I put on a single size 12 soft hackle. I'll try to post a picture sometime. It is bright red body. I'm not sure I have ever used this fly before. But, it just looked like a good one. Literally on the first cast, I had a small 12 inch fish on. Finally, the first fish of the day. I caught a few of his friends further down the river too. This fly was hot!
The window of time where I was catching fish started to close. I took this opportunity to go back downstream to where I got my dunking. I wanted that big fish that I saw earlier. He must of been in the upper 20's. And he was fat! As I approached that section, two other fly fisherman stepped in below me. Argh! No respect. Typically BS I see around here.
Instead of causing a scene, I chose to go back to the car for water and food. It was now late afternoon/early evening. After filling my stomach, I didn't really want to huck it back upriver, so instead I went down.
I still had that small red soft hackle on and nothing else. No two or three fly rigs today. Keeping it simple. The leader was a hand tied 15 footer. Perfect size for my 12'6" two hander and compact scandi line. It was casting amazingly well. Normally I use poly leaders, but I had an itch to do it the old fashioned way. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was casting big and small flies alike. I may be tossing my poly's aside for floating work.
I'll skip the details, but the rest of the evening went great. I caught two 20 something inch fish almost on back to back casts. They both fought hard and provided several minutes of entertainment. The one even took a run and peeled off some line. Before it got dark, I ended up getting a dozen hard tugs and a few more fish to hand. What a way to end the day.
What started off as a chance to dial in my rod, ended up being a great day of fishing. Good thing I didn't let those bad fishing reports and high flow complaints scare me off.
Jul 9, 2010
Slicing and Dicing
Wow. This had to set the record for my longest blog post in the making. I set out to write this months ago, but one thing led to another and it just didn't get done. Until now! Yay!
If you've spent any time with two-handers, you'll quickly see that there is a large contingent of people out there that like to slice and dice lines. Trying to come up with that perfect setup- to improve their casting. From the outside, it seems like a fun thing to do. However, the last thing I need is another hobby to take up more time that I don't have. So, for now, I'll live vicariously through the people that do. And any knowledge they share, I can use when picking off-the-shelf lines.
The problem with off-the-shelf lines are that you pretty much pick a line type (i.e. skagit, scandi, etc) and then a grain weight to match your rod. That is about as customizable as it gets. Well, at least that is what I thought. Keep reading to see how I was wrong with that conclusion.
Back to people cutting up their lines. While perusing Speypages, I eventually came across Steve Godshall's name. People seemed to invoke his name whenever an expert opinion was needed on lines. So when I was browsing Meiser's website and saw that Steve builds a Scandi line for Bob, and not much longer, learned that my friend was using one (and got a chance to cast it)- I became curious to know more.
Steve lives up in the Rogue Valley and has been fly fishing for more than a decade. As a rod builder he had a chance to learn a lot about rods and how unique each one is. In fact, he came up with something he calls "blue printing". It is a system to quantify rod casting quality. This has become part of the prototype process for new rod designs from Gary Anderson, Bob Meiser, and of course Steve himself.
At this point, Steve realized that the rod is only part of the equation. So, he turned his focus to lines.
A couple of years ago, Gary Anderson started including a line with every spey rod he built and sold. Because clients were making poor line choices, he wanted to get them off to a great start. Steve was asked to develop a Scandi head to fit a couple dozen of his rod models. Also working with Bob Meiser, Steve further developed a base Scandi head to something that he could offer to his clients as well. (Meiser sells them as "SGS" and Anderson as "Steel Heads".)
Here's how it works. And this is the cool part. From 9 base line sizes, Steve can produce 100 lines for 100 different rods. And to get even more of what you are looking for, if Steve is available and if you are in the neighborhood anyway, maybe you can go to the river and cast a handful of lines. From that, Steve will write you a custom line prescription. Just like a doctor. But less painful.
Besides the Scandi lines, Steve also has a Skagit. Although, according to Steve, he looks at casting styles as the difference between skagit and scandi. Not so much the line themselves, because both are basically shooting head systems. As someone who casts both lighter scandi and heavier skagit lines with the same sustained anchor casting, I'd go along with that.
I know what you're thinking. What's up with the advertisement? Just to be upfront, I'm not getting paid for this or getting any freebies. I just think what Steve is doing is pretty slick. I mean, you aren't going to find this sort of custom stuff from the big manufacturers. Don't know about you, but I haven't the time to figure all this out on my own.
The whole reason for writing this to begin with is really because of his "Skandit" lines Steve builds for Meiser. This is what got me excited about what he is doing. The Skandit system is a multi tip short shooting head with a floater and 4 sinking "zink" tips. He doesn't stock the system on a shelf. It is built for each caster because, as Steve says, “the magic is in the match”. The idea is, put on the floater and you have yourself a power Scandi line. Put on the zink tips, and you have yourself a light Skagit. Nifty.
Maybe sometime in the near future I'll pick up one of his lines and report back to you on my feelings and how it compares to my current skandi and skagit lines.
If you've spent any time with two-handers, you'll quickly see that there is a large contingent of people out there that like to slice and dice lines. Trying to come up with that perfect setup- to improve their casting. From the outside, it seems like a fun thing to do. However, the last thing I need is another hobby to take up more time that I don't have. So, for now, I'll live vicariously through the people that do. And any knowledge they share, I can use when picking off-the-shelf lines.
The problem with off-the-shelf lines are that you pretty much pick a line type (i.e. skagit, scandi, etc) and then a grain weight to match your rod. That is about as customizable as it gets. Well, at least that is what I thought. Keep reading to see how I was wrong with that conclusion.
Back to people cutting up their lines. While perusing Speypages, I eventually came across Steve Godshall's name. People seemed to invoke his name whenever an expert opinion was needed on lines. So when I was browsing Meiser's website and saw that Steve builds a Scandi line for Bob, and not much longer, learned that my friend was using one (and got a chance to cast it)- I became curious to know more.
Steve lives up in the Rogue Valley and has been fly fishing for more than a decade. As a rod builder he had a chance to learn a lot about rods and how unique each one is. In fact, he came up with something he calls "blue printing". It is a system to quantify rod casting quality. This has become part of the prototype process for new rod designs from Gary Anderson, Bob Meiser, and of course Steve himself.
At this point, Steve realized that the rod is only part of the equation. So, he turned his focus to lines.
A couple of years ago, Gary Anderson started including a line with every spey rod he built and sold. Because clients were making poor line choices, he wanted to get them off to a great start. Steve was asked to develop a Scandi head to fit a couple dozen of his rod models. Also working with Bob Meiser, Steve further developed a base Scandi head to something that he could offer to his clients as well. (Meiser sells them as "SGS" and Anderson as "Steel Heads".)
Here's how it works. And this is the cool part. From 9 base line sizes, Steve can produce 100 lines for 100 different rods. And to get even more of what you are looking for, if Steve is available and if you are in the neighborhood anyway, maybe you can go to the river and cast a handful of lines. From that, Steve will write you a custom line prescription. Just like a doctor. But less painful.
Besides the Scandi lines, Steve also has a Skagit. Although, according to Steve, he looks at casting styles as the difference between skagit and scandi. Not so much the line themselves, because both are basically shooting head systems. As someone who casts both lighter scandi and heavier skagit lines with the same sustained anchor casting, I'd go along with that.
I know what you're thinking. What's up with the advertisement? Just to be upfront, I'm not getting paid for this or getting any freebies. I just think what Steve is doing is pretty slick. I mean, you aren't going to find this sort of custom stuff from the big manufacturers. Don't know about you, but I haven't the time to figure all this out on my own.
The whole reason for writing this to begin with is really because of his "Skandit" lines Steve builds for Meiser. This is what got me excited about what he is doing. The Skandit system is a multi tip short shooting head with a floater and 4 sinking "zink" tips. He doesn't stock the system on a shelf. It is built for each caster because, as Steve says, “the magic is in the match”. The idea is, put on the floater and you have yourself a power Scandi line. Put on the zink tips, and you have yourself a light Skagit. Nifty.
Maybe sometime in the near future I'll pick up one of his lines and report back to you on my feelings and how it compares to my current skandi and skagit lines.
Jul 2, 2010
Happy 4th
Happy fourth of July weekend. I hope everyone is getting more fishing in than I am!!
My current project is about to end. So, I'm hoping to get a day in before the end of the month. And... drum roll please... In early August, I'll be spending two days on the North Umpqua for Summer Steelhead. I can't wait. More later.
My current project is about to end. So, I'm hoping to get a day in before the end of the month. And... drum roll please... In early August, I'll be spending two days on the North Umpqua for Summer Steelhead. I can't wait. More later.
Jun 2, 2010
Shad on the American, Part 2
Either something went totally wrong, or totally right. Depends on how you look at it.
I arrived on Upper Sunrise before the sun came up. Was in the water trying to catch shad just as there was enough light to keep from taking a swim. After about 30 minutes of casting practice, I decided I was in the wrong place.
Next stop was below the bike bridge on Upper Sunrise, then the footbridge on Lower Sunrise. All netting the same results. Zero shad!
I did watch some kids pull out around 10 shad from the bridge. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough weight to even bother fishing from up there. And swinging out to where they were catching the shad would of surely caused some tangles. And maybe even a fight or two.
At some point, I don't doubt that I was fishing where the shad were. I just couldn't get their interest. On the car ride home, I deducted that I wasn't deep enough in the morning. I'm still a shad newbie. Eventually, I'll figure it out. But right now, my shad attempts aren't much to speak of.
As the heat of day began, I decided to give up on shad and put some soft hackles on. Maybe I'll fair better with trout. I drove to El Manto and fished a big long stretch of water from Lower Sunrise to Rossmore. What a tiring day. That adventure was fruitless as well. No half pounders.
Go back and re-read the first sentence of this post. Did ya? Okay, now you can continue on...
Late in the evening, I was getting a little frustrated by not catching any shad. I had 10feet of T10 and a weighted fly. I even put a couple split shot on the leader to move it closer to the bottom. I tried various strip techniques, casting way up stream and letting everything sink. Nothing!
On about my 1,000 cast, I was stripping like a mad man. Wham!! I was hit. I felt the tug, tug, pause, tuuuuuugggg. Whoo hoo!
Finally caught my first shad of the season. This guy gave one heck of a fight. They have plenty of spirit. And boy was she heavy. Lots of power. After a fight that lasted several minutes I got her to my hand.
What the??!! It wasn't a shad. It was a 23" steelhead. What the heck was she doing chasing a shad dart that was being stripped across the current? Keep in mind, I wasn't stepping and swinging. I was swinging and sitting. Sitting in one place for more than 45 minutes. What made her take the fly? Did she just get sick of seeing it. Or all of a sudden thought, "Hmm, that looks tasty." Or did she just happen to move near it.
We'll never know. But I put her back and started casting again. A few minutes later. Whomp. Another fish. Alright, I got myself a shad. Cool! The fish came unbuttoned while I was trying to untangle the coils of line wrapped around around my body as I was standing in chest deep water. A few casts later, whomp, again! This one came off too! Argh. At least I found a school of shad. I'm going to get one.
Another few casts later, I was ready, a fish grabbed on and I quickly reeled it in. Another steelhead! Are you kidding me? What is going on? This isn't supposed to be happening.
I never did catch a shad.
I arrived on Upper Sunrise before the sun came up. Was in the water trying to catch shad just as there was enough light to keep from taking a swim. After about 30 minutes of casting practice, I decided I was in the wrong place.
| Access | Upr/Lwr Sunrise, El Manto/Rossmore | |
| Air Temp | Low 54, High 75 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~? F / 6-8 feet | |
| Weather | Cool morning, Sunny/Very Windy afternoon | |
| Flow | ~? cfs | |
| Time in/out | 5:30am, 8pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Skagit | |
| 11ft of T10 | All day | |
| 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Soft Hackles/Steelhead Flies | 0 |
| Shad darts | 2 | |
Next stop was below the bike bridge on Upper Sunrise, then the footbridge on Lower Sunrise. All netting the same results. Zero shad!
I did watch some kids pull out around 10 shad from the bridge. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough weight to even bother fishing from up there. And swinging out to where they were catching the shad would of surely caused some tangles. And maybe even a fight or two.
At some point, I don't doubt that I was fishing where the shad were. I just couldn't get their interest. On the car ride home, I deducted that I wasn't deep enough in the morning. I'm still a shad newbie. Eventually, I'll figure it out. But right now, my shad attempts aren't much to speak of.
As the heat of day began, I decided to give up on shad and put some soft hackles on. Maybe I'll fair better with trout. I drove to El Manto and fished a big long stretch of water from Lower Sunrise to Rossmore. What a tiring day. That adventure was fruitless as well. No half pounders.
Go back and re-read the first sentence of this post. Did ya? Okay, now you can continue on...
Late in the evening, I was getting a little frustrated by not catching any shad. I had 10feet of T10 and a weighted fly. I even put a couple split shot on the leader to move it closer to the bottom. I tried various strip techniques, casting way up stream and letting everything sink. Nothing!
On about my 1,000 cast, I was stripping like a mad man. Wham!! I was hit. I felt the tug, tug, pause, tuuuuuugggg. Whoo hoo!
Finally caught my first shad of the season. This guy gave one heck of a fight. They have plenty of spirit. And boy was she heavy. Lots of power. After a fight that lasted several minutes I got her to my hand.
What the??!! It wasn't a shad. It was a 23" steelhead. What the heck was she doing chasing a shad dart that was being stripped across the current? Keep in mind, I wasn't stepping and swinging. I was swinging and sitting. Sitting in one place for more than 45 minutes. What made her take the fly? Did she just get sick of seeing it. Or all of a sudden thought, "Hmm, that looks tasty." Or did she just happen to move near it.
We'll never know. But I put her back and started casting again. A few minutes later. Whomp. Another fish. Alright, I got myself a shad. Cool! The fish came unbuttoned while I was trying to untangle the coils of line wrapped around around my body as I was standing in chest deep water. A few casts later, whomp, again! This one came off too! Argh. At least I found a school of shad. I'm going to get one.
Another few casts later, I was ready, a fish grabbed on and I quickly reeled it in. Another steelhead! Are you kidding me? What is going on? This isn't supposed to be happening.
I never did catch a shad.
May 6, 2010
American River - Shad report
This post should be titled, "Went fishing for shad on the American, but only caught half pounders". A little too lengthy, so I used something more generic. But, that does summarize the day so succinctly. I guess there's no need to keep reading!
I got to Paradise Beach before 6am. It was already 54 degrees, but with a little wind, it was cool. Water clarity was about 6-8 feet and water temp in the mid 50's. My two hander was sporting a skagit line with 11 feet of T-10 and three weighted flies. All of them were shad darts of various colors.
I entered the water just below the Fair Oaks bridge. Anyone trying to learn how and where to fish for shad, don't ask me. I'm pretty new to it. In fact, I've only been one other time. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing. Right or wrong, I was looking for slow moving water 6 to 12 feet deep. I'd cast out there and do a strip of a few inches, rest a second, do it again, etc. That is how I caught a bunch last year.
This section of the river was okay for wading. I'd be better off with a boat. In fact, saw a couple of others already in the water with theirs. While I was out there, getting no attention from the shad that may or may not be around, I was looking over at the nearby riffles. Mouth watering. I guess you can't get the steel out of my brain. I reluctantly stuck to the plan -- skipped the faster water and continued looking for shad.
I moved down river all the way around the bend. Saw more boats with people fishing. Only one guy said he caught any. And he had only caught two. The other 4 people I polled didn't have anything to show for their troubles either.
Hopping in the car, I went to Howe. This was the first time I had ever been here. The sat map made it look slow and not very good for my usual steelhead/half pounder action. But, it did look like shad water. When I arrived, I actually saw a decent riffle by the boat launch. I couldn't resist. I swung through it with no luck.
Going downstream, I found some deep water. Nada. No shad. An hour or two later, I left.
Next on the list was Gristmill. I parked on the North side of the river, a first for me. While there were people on the South side, no one was near me. I decided to fish the riffle and caught myself a few half pounders on my "prince flymph". Although none of them were bigger than 15 inches, it was still nice to get something to hand.
After the swing through the run, I went downstream, then upstream and found what appeared to be good shad water. No action. But the water seemed to be good for it. Again, what do I know??!
Eventually I left and went to Watt. I'm not a big fan of this area. Okay riffles, but nothing that great imo. Maybe I just need to catch a big fish or two here and I'll change my mind. I walked upstream past the riffles and way downstream looking for shad water. I found it, it just wasn't very good for wading. Deep water with no where to stand.
I did see a boat with a few guys in it. They were catching something. I don't think they were shad though. Much too big. I'm thinking either large steelhead (this late?!) or more likely stripers. Another species of fish I haven't gone after. But now that I saw some of the fun they were having, I think I want to give it a try!! I'll need help with it though. Anyone care to show me the ropes? :)
Speaking of help. Are any of you shad fisherman and want to meet up? I could sure use some pointers on where to look and proper technique. In exchange, I can teach you whatever I know about fishing that you'd like to learn. Or I can simply bribe you with a beer or some flies.
My 14 hour day ended with a fizzle. I hoped for sizzle, but it never happened. Of all the people I talked with throughout the (more than 12 hour) day, only 1 had caught a shad. So, I wasn't alone. Misery loves company!
I got to Paradise Beach before 6am. It was already 54 degrees, but with a little wind, it was cool. Water clarity was about 6-8 feet and water temp in the mid 50's. My two hander was sporting a skagit line with 11 feet of T-10 and three weighted flies. All of them were shad darts of various colors.
| Access | Paradise Beach, Gristmill, Howe, Watt | |
| Air Temp | Low 54, High 70 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~53 F / 6-8 feet | |
| Weather | Sunny / Windy | |
| Flow | ~3700 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 6am, 8pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Skagit | |
| 11ft of T10 | All day | |
| 6 & 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Prince Soft Hackle | 3 |
| Shad darts | 0 | |
I entered the water just below the Fair Oaks bridge. Anyone trying to learn how and where to fish for shad, don't ask me. I'm pretty new to it. In fact, I've only been one other time. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing. Right or wrong, I was looking for slow moving water 6 to 12 feet deep. I'd cast out there and do a strip of a few inches, rest a second, do it again, etc. That is how I caught a bunch last year.
This section of the river was okay for wading. I'd be better off with a boat. In fact, saw a couple of others already in the water with theirs. While I was out there, getting no attention from the shad that may or may not be around, I was looking over at the nearby riffles. Mouth watering. I guess you can't get the steel out of my brain. I reluctantly stuck to the plan -- skipped the faster water and continued looking for shad.
I moved down river all the way around the bend. Saw more boats with people fishing. Only one guy said he caught any. And he had only caught two. The other 4 people I polled didn't have anything to show for their troubles either.
Hopping in the car, I went to Howe. This was the first time I had ever been here. The sat map made it look slow and not very good for my usual steelhead/half pounder action. But, it did look like shad water. When I arrived, I actually saw a decent riffle by the boat launch. I couldn't resist. I swung through it with no luck.
Going downstream, I found some deep water. Nada. No shad. An hour or two later, I left.
Next on the list was Gristmill. I parked on the North side of the river, a first for me. While there were people on the South side, no one was near me. I decided to fish the riffle and caught myself a few half pounders on my "prince flymph". Although none of them were bigger than 15 inches, it was still nice to get something to hand.
After the swing through the run, I went downstream, then upstream and found what appeared to be good shad water. No action. But the water seemed to be good for it. Again, what do I know??!
Eventually I left and went to Watt. I'm not a big fan of this area. Okay riffles, but nothing that great imo. Maybe I just need to catch a big fish or two here and I'll change my mind. I walked upstream past the riffles and way downstream looking for shad water. I found it, it just wasn't very good for wading. Deep water with no where to stand.
I did see a boat with a few guys in it. They were catching something. I don't think they were shad though. Much too big. I'm thinking either large steelhead (this late?!) or more likely stripers. Another species of fish I haven't gone after. But now that I saw some of the fun they were having, I think I want to give it a try!! I'll need help with it though. Anyone care to show me the ropes? :)
Speaking of help. Are any of you shad fisherman and want to meet up? I could sure use some pointers on where to look and proper technique. In exchange, I can teach you whatever I know about fishing that you'd like to learn. Or I can simply bribe you with a beer or some flies.
My 14 hour day ended with a fizzle. I hoped for sizzle, but it never happened. Of all the people I talked with throughout the (more than 12 hour) day, only 1 had caught a shad. So, I wasn't alone. Misery loves company!
Apr 17, 2010
Yuba
Good thing I had my 12' spey rod with me! This is what I was thinking as I drove home from the Yuba on Thursday. Two of the biggest fish I caught on that day were a whopping 15 feet from where I was standing as I high sticked around some big boulders. A single hander would of been much more comfortable holding above my head.
This was a long one, I was on the water fishing by 6:30am, and fished until 8:30pm. I didn't even take a break to drive to another spot. This was a hard core 14 hours of fishing. The result? Three fish! Luckily, two of those fish were over 20 inches. Not many fish for so many hours, but after talking with at least half a dozen other anglers, I did pretty well. Only one of them caught anything.
The day started out peaceful, no one else was around and I had my favorite run above Hwy 20 to myself. I put in a good two hours covering a few hundred yards. I had what I thought was a bump. But, I'm not even sure that was a fish. Whatever the case, no fish to hand.
As the morning went on, and the sun came up and warmed the air, I noticed people started filing in. First it was a person here or there. And before you knew it, a group of 4 or 5 anglers would come in here, another group there. I didn't expect so many people on a Thursday.
I moved up stream and tried to cross the river. The flows were somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500. I got about half way across, the water was up to my chest, and I started feeling uncomfortable. My feet weren't staying planted, so I decided to turn back and head from where I came. I walked a couple hundred yards upstream to fish a riffle that I've caught a few in over the years.
Again, nothing. Pretty much the same story as I covered various spots that have been productive in the past. Around 3pm, I decided to head back to the car to load up on water and food. As I contemplated to whether I wanted to drive downstream, I decided to stay put and just fish below the bridge.
This area was not very conducive to using a spey rod. It was high stick territory without any space to get in the water and wade. You perch yourself on a boulder and flick out 15 feet of line. As I probed around I thought my fly got stuck on an underwater rock I was targeting. I lifted up to try and get my fly for another cast, but I felt resistance. Still, I thought it was the rock until I felt the slightest tug. I pulled harder and realized I had hooked a fish. Initially, I thought it was small, as I didn't feel much fight. But within a few seconds, she started tugging. She was a bit over 20 inches and was pretty strong. It took me a while to get her to my hand. As I admired how bright she was, I noticed sea lice attached to her. This fish had definitely come from the ocean recently.
After letting her go, I decided to move downstream as the other fish here were surely on high alert. I found a nice riffle where I could get in the water and cast out a good 60 feet and let her swing. Nothing happened here. In fact, all of my long distance swinging throughout the day proved to be pointless. Even as the day wore on and the fish started rising, I just didn't get any action.
After I walked downstream, pretty much as far as you can go on this side of the river, I decided to head back and cover previous spots. A few bites here and there. And plenty of fish were now coming to the surface. I just couldn't trick anyone. I didn't give up. Even casting line out until it was so dark I couldn't see the end of my rod tip. I caught one more fish. This twenty something was dark and looked like a trout. Although, it was hard to tell in the low light. Again, I caught her about 15 feet from where I was standing. As I high sticked around rocks that I knew were out there... ...somewhere (couldn't see them this late in the evening).
The weather was beautiful and the river was in good condition. While the fish were not in much of a biting mood, catching three fish (on top of the two 20+ inchers, I caught a small 12" fish early in the day) wasn't a horrible day.
This was a long one, I was on the water fishing by 6:30am, and fished until 8:30pm. I didn't even take a break to drive to another spot. This was a hard core 14 hours of fishing. The result? Three fish! Luckily, two of those fish were over 20 inches. Not many fish for so many hours, but after talking with at least half a dozen other anglers, I did pretty well. Only one of them caught anything.
The day started out peaceful, no one else was around and I had my favorite run above Hwy 20 to myself. I put in a good two hours covering a few hundred yards. I had what I thought was a bump. But, I'm not even sure that was a fish. Whatever the case, no fish to hand.
| Access | Hwy 20 | |
| Air Temp | Low 40, High 68 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~51 F / 4-6 feet | |
| Weather | Partly Cloudy/Sunny | |
| Flow | ~1490 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 6:30am, 8:30pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| 10 foot int poly | All day | |
| 7 & 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Various sz10 Soft Hackles | 3 |
| Steelhead- big and small | 0 | |
As the morning went on, and the sun came up and warmed the air, I noticed people started filing in. First it was a person here or there. And before you knew it, a group of 4 or 5 anglers would come in here, another group there. I didn't expect so many people on a Thursday.
I moved up stream and tried to cross the river. The flows were somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500. I got about half way across, the water was up to my chest, and I started feeling uncomfortable. My feet weren't staying planted, so I decided to turn back and head from where I came. I walked a couple hundred yards upstream to fish a riffle that I've caught a few in over the years.
Fly wrap-up: All three fish were caught on sz 10 soft hackles. One of the fish caught on an adapted bead head prince nymph (longer hackles), the rest were just generic patterns. I tried a bunch ranging from sz16 nymphs, sz12 soft hackles, to larger steelhead flies. The sz10 seemed to get the most interest.
Again, nothing. Pretty much the same story as I covered various spots that have been productive in the past. Around 3pm, I decided to head back to the car to load up on water and food. As I contemplated to whether I wanted to drive downstream, I decided to stay put and just fish below the bridge.
This area was not very conducive to using a spey rod. It was high stick territory without any space to get in the water and wade. You perch yourself on a boulder and flick out 15 feet of line. As I probed around I thought my fly got stuck on an underwater rock I was targeting. I lifted up to try and get my fly for another cast, but I felt resistance. Still, I thought it was the rock until I felt the slightest tug. I pulled harder and realized I had hooked a fish. Initially, I thought it was small, as I didn't feel much fight. But within a few seconds, she started tugging. She was a bit over 20 inches and was pretty strong. It took me a while to get her to my hand. As I admired how bright she was, I noticed sea lice attached to her. This fish had definitely come from the ocean recently.
After letting her go, I decided to move downstream as the other fish here were surely on high alert. I found a nice riffle where I could get in the water and cast out a good 60 feet and let her swing. Nothing happened here. In fact, all of my long distance swinging throughout the day proved to be pointless. Even as the day wore on and the fish started rising, I just didn't get any action.
After I walked downstream, pretty much as far as you can go on this side of the river, I decided to head back and cover previous spots. A few bites here and there. And plenty of fish were now coming to the surface. I just couldn't trick anyone. I didn't give up. Even casting line out until it was so dark I couldn't see the end of my rod tip. I caught one more fish. This twenty something was dark and looked like a trout. Although, it was hard to tell in the low light. Again, I caught her about 15 feet from where I was standing. As I high sticked around rocks that I knew were out there... ...somewhere (couldn't see them this late in the evening).
The weather was beautiful and the river was in good condition. While the fish were not in much of a biting mood, catching three fish (on top of the two 20+ inchers, I caught a small 12" fish early in the day) wasn't a horrible day.
Apr 2, 2010
Feather River
It seems that every time I go fishing on the Feather, I spend more time driving than fishing. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but man, those roads in the Wildlife area are slow going.
I arrived about 2 miles downstream of the 162 bridge (in the Wildlife area) 30 minutes before sunrise. I scoped out this spot on the satellite maps, and since I hadn't been here before, there was bound to be a little risk associated with my first destination.
As it turns out, I had to walk downstream pretty far to reach any decent riffles. I don't know how long it took, but when you are anxious to get in the water, it feels like forever. I'd guess I walked a good 20-30 minutes. Missing an opportunity to fish just as the sun was rising.
I finally found some riffles. Nothing I could step and swing through. You more or less would position yourself at the top of some riffles dumping into a pool and angle casts off to one side or another. No down stream stepping possible. I wouldn't exactly call this ideal water for how I like to work. All of the negativity was erased about 20 minutes in when I caught my first fish.
She took the fly about 70 feet away from me as it was slowly swinging through. And when I say slowly, I mean slowly. It was creeping along. When it happened, I felt absolutely no tug. There was enough bow in the line that the hook set happened automatically with no input required on my part. Actually, I didn't even know it happened. A fish jumped about 2 feet up into the air. I remember thinking to myself, "is that fish attached to my line?" After all, she was about 30 feet away from where I had guessed my fly must of been. Before I could finish my thought, I felt pressure on the line. Oh yes!
Recently renamed to - the "Blue Widow Spider"
I started gathering my wits and reeling in. She was a bruiser. She peeled off about 20 feet of line and started tugging. I recovered some line and then she shot out of the air a second time. We had a tug of war match going on for a few minutes. I'd reel some line in, and she would take off. My rod tip was pulsing up and down as she went deep down thrashing about. I finally caught site of her a little bit later and she was good sized.
By the time she was in my hand several minutes later, I held her up to my rod to get a measurement. Close to 22". Not a huge fish, but she was thick. Very healthy. If she had been to the ocean, it was a while ago. She was very trouty looking. This was no half pounder. The fly she took was a sz10 generic green soft hackle with a grey wing. This fly has been good for trout in the past. Accidentally, I bent it later on in the morning and had to retire it. I'll be sure to tie up some more.
What a nice start to the day. I decided to give the pool a rest and walked downstream. The next run required some tricky river crossings. The run produced no grabs or bumps. Several hours later, I decided to stop by the same pool from earlier, where I caught that nice fish, before heading back to the car.
I really did not like fishing this spot. But, it is hard to resist when it actually produces. I tried for another 25-30 minutes with nothing to show for it. My 10 foot intermediate poly leader was toting about 7 feet of tippet. Two flies hung off. A small size 12 generic soft hackle, and the recently re-named "Blue Widow Spider" (because it is such a killer!!). This fly has been so effective in the past, it is hard to resist in clear water conditions.
After one of my swings, I started stripping the running line back for another cast. Somewhere as I was quickly pulling line, I felt pressure. This fish was smaller. I didn't feel as much deep pull. But what I did feel is a very strong/quick fish that wanted to do anything it could to rid itself of that hook. The Blue Widow strikes again! Even stripped through the water at ridiculous speeds, it will catch steelhead.
The most recent victim must of shot out of the water a good 5 times. As she started getting closer, I realized this was a true half pounder. She was very bright. Hadn't been in the river very long at all. After picking her up, I could practically see my reflection in her 15 inch profile. Even though she wasn't a big fish, she fought with incredibly power. I was very surprised to see how small she was. I can't imagine what it must be like to catch a fresh 30+ inch steelhead. I hope I can have the pleasure some day.
It was time to walk back to the car. I was hungry and ready for another access point. Unfortunately, I didn't realize at the time, I was about to spend the next hour and a half driving around. Reminds me of the last time I was at the Feather. Too much time driving on those rough roads.
I drove up to Bedrock park and decided that it wasn't worth the time. Went upstream to see what else we had. Nothing looked ideal. I'm sure there were fish in there. But I was hoping for a true step and swing piece of water. Either it was hiding from me, or didn't exist in this spot.
Drove back into the Wildlife preserve, right past where I was earlier. Another 4 miles on the crappy roads brought me to a spot where I caught the fish earlier. Unfortunately, there wasn't an easy way to cross the river to get to the best spot to swing a fly. So, I tried to find another access I remembered from the map. No go. Back to hwy 162 and then 70 south. Got off on Pacific Heights and found another entrance to the preserve. I've been here before and figured it was worth another try. Spent the next few hours with nothing to show for it. It was now afternoon and very sunny out. The fish were probably down deep. Not willing to move for a fly just under the surface.
After debating with myself on where to go next, I decided to leave and go further downstream, outside the low flow section to a spot I'd been before. It had some decent runs. Again, nothing really happened. I messed around until the sun started going down and the little fish started rising to a hatch.
I continued to swing this area and caught some small fish and received one very strong and deep tug. I'll never know how big it was, but it felt like a good sized fish. Well into the 20's.
By the time it was getting dark, I was ready to go home. I had been on the water for more than twelve hours (minus the driving from spot to spot). Previous to the drive that morning, I had only gotten a few hours sleep. I was plain exhausted after a long day of swinging flies.
While not a crazy day of catching fish, I managed to catch a few. Two of them were great battles and exciting moments. Thanks Feather!
I arrived about 2 miles downstream of the 162 bridge (in the Wildlife area) 30 minutes before sunrise. I scoped out this spot on the satellite maps, and since I hadn't been here before, there was bound to be a little risk associated with my first destination.
As it turns out, I had to walk downstream pretty far to reach any decent riffles. I don't know how long it took, but when you are anxious to get in the water, it feels like forever. I'd guess I walked a good 20-30 minutes. Missing an opportunity to fish just as the sun was rising.
I finally found some riffles. Nothing I could step and swing through. You more or less would position yourself at the top of some riffles dumping into a pool and angle casts off to one side or another. No down stream stepping possible. I wouldn't exactly call this ideal water for how I like to work. All of the negativity was erased about 20 minutes in when I caught my first fish.
| Access | Wildlife Preserve | |
| Air Temp | Low 40, High 61 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~57 F / 6+ feet | |
| Weather | Sunny/Partly Cloudy/td> | |
| Flow | Not sure | |
| Time in/out | 6am, 7:30pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| 10ft Int Poly leader | All day | |
| 7 & 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Various Soft Hackles | 3 |
| Blue Widow Spider, sz 8 | 2 | |
| Various steelhead patterns | bumps/tugs | |
She took the fly about 70 feet away from me as it was slowly swinging through. And when I say slowly, I mean slowly. It was creeping along. When it happened, I felt absolutely no tug. There was enough bow in the line that the hook set happened automatically with no input required on my part. Actually, I didn't even know it happened. A fish jumped about 2 feet up into the air. I remember thinking to myself, "is that fish attached to my line?" After all, she was about 30 feet away from where I had guessed my fly must of been. Before I could finish my thought, I felt pressure on the line. Oh yes!
Recently renamed to - the "Blue Widow Spider"I started gathering my wits and reeling in. She was a bruiser. She peeled off about 20 feet of line and started tugging. I recovered some line and then she shot out of the air a second time. We had a tug of war match going on for a few minutes. I'd reel some line in, and she would take off. My rod tip was pulsing up and down as she went deep down thrashing about. I finally caught site of her a little bit later and she was good sized.
By the time she was in my hand several minutes later, I held her up to my rod to get a measurement. Close to 22". Not a huge fish, but she was thick. Very healthy. If she had been to the ocean, it was a while ago. She was very trouty looking. This was no half pounder. The fly she took was a sz10 generic green soft hackle with a grey wing. This fly has been good for trout in the past. Accidentally, I bent it later on in the morning and had to retire it. I'll be sure to tie up some more.
What a nice start to the day. I decided to give the pool a rest and walked downstream. The next run required some tricky river crossings. The run produced no grabs or bumps. Several hours later, I decided to stop by the same pool from earlier, where I caught that nice fish, before heading back to the car.
I really did not like fishing this spot. But, it is hard to resist when it actually produces. I tried for another 25-30 minutes with nothing to show for it. My 10 foot intermediate poly leader was toting about 7 feet of tippet. Two flies hung off. A small size 12 generic soft hackle, and the recently re-named "Blue Widow Spider" (because it is such a killer!!). This fly has been so effective in the past, it is hard to resist in clear water conditions.
After one of my swings, I started stripping the running line back for another cast. Somewhere as I was quickly pulling line, I felt pressure. This fish was smaller. I didn't feel as much deep pull. But what I did feel is a very strong/quick fish that wanted to do anything it could to rid itself of that hook. The Blue Widow strikes again! Even stripped through the water at ridiculous speeds, it will catch steelhead.
The most recent victim must of shot out of the water a good 5 times. As she started getting closer, I realized this was a true half pounder. She was very bright. Hadn't been in the river very long at all. After picking her up, I could practically see my reflection in her 15 inch profile. Even though she wasn't a big fish, she fought with incredibly power. I was very surprised to see how small she was. I can't imagine what it must be like to catch a fresh 30+ inch steelhead. I hope I can have the pleasure some day.
It was time to walk back to the car. I was hungry and ready for another access point. Unfortunately, I didn't realize at the time, I was about to spend the next hour and a half driving around. Reminds me of the last time I was at the Feather. Too much time driving on those rough roads.
I drove up to Bedrock park and decided that it wasn't worth the time. Went upstream to see what else we had. Nothing looked ideal. I'm sure there were fish in there. But I was hoping for a true step and swing piece of water. Either it was hiding from me, or didn't exist in this spot.
Drove back into the Wildlife preserve, right past where I was earlier. Another 4 miles on the crappy roads brought me to a spot where I caught the fish earlier. Unfortunately, there wasn't an easy way to cross the river to get to the best spot to swing a fly. So, I tried to find another access I remembered from the map. No go. Back to hwy 162 and then 70 south. Got off on Pacific Heights and found another entrance to the preserve. I've been here before and figured it was worth another try. Spent the next few hours with nothing to show for it. It was now afternoon and very sunny out. The fish were probably down deep. Not willing to move for a fly just under the surface.
After debating with myself on where to go next, I decided to leave and go further downstream, outside the low flow section to a spot I'd been before. It had some decent runs. Again, nothing really happened. I messed around until the sun started going down and the little fish started rising to a hatch.
I continued to swing this area and caught some small fish and received one very strong and deep tug. I'll never know how big it was, but it felt like a good sized fish. Well into the 20's.
By the time it was getting dark, I was ready to go home. I had been on the water for more than twelve hours (minus the driving from spot to spot). Previous to the drive that morning, I had only gotten a few hours sleep. I was plain exhausted after a long day of swinging flies.
While not a crazy day of catching fish, I managed to catch a few. Two of them were great battles and exciting moments. Thanks Feather!
Mar 31, 2010
Elk Hair Caddis - Animation
Those of you that know me personally, know that I work in the animation industry. You can imagine my surprise when I was checking out the work of another animator and saw what he had done. "Elk Hair Caddis" is a short film that is centered around fly fishing. Well, sort of anyway!
http://vimeo.com/9882509
The part where the frog gets, uhh. Impaled. It made me squirm. Only because that is my worst nightmare while fishing.
http://vimeo.com/9882509
The part where the frog gets, uhh. Impaled. It made me squirm. Only because that is my worst nightmare while fishing.
Mar 30, 2010
Warm up the vise!
After a survey of my trout fly box, I realized that I'm dangerously low on my best producing soft hackles and winged wets. This Thursday, I'll be targeting trout and half pounders, which means I'd like to have a variety of 'em at the ready.
I can't even remember the last time I tied a sz10 or smaller fly. This steelhead craze has had me tie bigger and bigger flies. Taking me further and further away from the flies that I became crazy about so many years ago.
Hopefully pictures will follow in the next few days.
I can't even remember the last time I tied a sz10 or smaller fly. This steelhead craze has had me tie bigger and bigger flies. Taking me further and further away from the flies that I became crazy about so many years ago.
Hopefully pictures will follow in the next few days.
Mar 29, 2010
Three weeks without
I can't believe I've gone three weeks without getting in the water. And really, I have no business fishing this week either. There are just too many other things I should be doing. However, I've decided to ignore my better judgment and spend a day on the river.
The weather calls for rain. Perhaps one of the last storms of the year. Hopefully that won't turn the fish off. That would be just my luck.
I'm split between the Yuba, American, and the Feather. I'm no longer looking for adult steelhead, but phasing into trout season (half pounders too). If anyone wants to share their opinion, please do. I'm all ears.
I can't wait to put on the compact scandi with a floating leader. Add a couple of small flies on the end and you've got to love the easy casting.
The weather calls for rain. Perhaps one of the last storms of the year. Hopefully that won't turn the fish off. That would be just my luck.
I'm split between the Yuba, American, and the Feather. I'm no longer looking for adult steelhead, but phasing into trout season (half pounders too). If anyone wants to share their opinion, please do. I'm all ears.
I can't wait to put on the compact scandi with a floating leader. Add a couple of small flies on the end and you've got to love the easy casting.
Mar 17, 2010
American Report
I've been a little busy lately and I'm just now getting around to a report from March 4th! This last weekend, I was heading to the mountains for a little skiing. While stuck on Hwy 80 waiting for the road to re-open after a heavy snowfall, I realized I never made the fish report from a couple of weeks ago on the American. Whoops!
This is going to be quick. I don't remember much from the day and details are cloudy at best.
On the water before sunrise on- Upper Sunrise. Water was clear and low. Air temp was in the 60's, if I'm not mistaken. I never took a water temp, but I'm guessing it was low 50's. Visibility was good, around 6 feet. Just an occasional showing of fish here and there, but other than that, it was eerily quiet. My conversations with other anglers revealed similar experiences.
A few hours on Sunrise, I moved down to El Manto with no results. I fished several riffles including a new one that I'll be sure to revisit in the future. Somehow, I missed it on all of my previous trips to this spot.
For the last part of the day, I went to Watt Ave and fished below the bridge. Again, nothing! This sunny day was almost a 180 from my previous two. No action whatsoever.
Upon reflection, with the sunny skies and clear water, I should of scaled down my flies and used more muted colors. I was so hung up on trying some of my big flies with heavy sinktips, I threw my better judgment out the window.
The good news is, I was able to enjoy the weather and have a relaxing time exploring some new and some familiar water.
This is going to be quick. I don't remember much from the day and details are cloudy at best.
On the water before sunrise on- Upper Sunrise. Water was clear and low. Air temp was in the 60's, if I'm not mistaken. I never took a water temp, but I'm guessing it was low 50's. Visibility was good, around 6 feet. Just an occasional showing of fish here and there, but other than that, it was eerily quiet. My conversations with other anglers revealed similar experiences.
A few hours on Sunrise, I moved down to El Manto with no results. I fished several riffles including a new one that I'll be sure to revisit in the future. Somehow, I missed it on all of my previous trips to this spot.
For the last part of the day, I went to Watt Ave and fished below the bridge. Again, nothing! This sunny day was almost a 180 from my previous two. No action whatsoever.
Upon reflection, with the sunny skies and clear water, I should of scaled down my flies and used more muted colors. I was so hung up on trying some of my big flies with heavy sinktips, I threw my better judgment out the window.
The good news is, I was able to enjoy the weather and have a relaxing time exploring some new and some familiar water.
Mar 3, 2010
Hitting the water tomorrow
Finding an opportunity to fish lately has been difficult. It has been more than two weeks since my last day out, and it probably won't be another two weeks before I go again. Luckily, I was able to work things so that tomorrow is doable.
I've decided to hit the American. My last few times on this river have been full of hookups and bumps, but no fish to hand. Hopefully that will change this time and I'll land a few. The adult steelhead season may be winding down, but the half pounders are gearing up. It has the potential for a good day.
If you will be fishing the American tomorrow, or can fish it. Send me an email. I'm going to be there half an hour before daylight and staying until dark. I've got my fishing route all mapped out and it will be a full day hitting a handful of nice runs.
On a side note, I just finished the 3rd generation of my Cotton Candy (still seeking a better name) fly. This one is bigger and uglier than the others. We'll see how it works.
I've decided to hit the American. My last few times on this river have been full of hookups and bumps, but no fish to hand. Hopefully that will change this time and I'll land a few. The adult steelhead season may be winding down, but the half pounders are gearing up. It has the potential for a good day.
If you will be fishing the American tomorrow, or can fish it. Send me an email. I'm going to be there half an hour before daylight and staying until dark. I've got my fishing route all mapped out and it will be a full day hitting a handful of nice runs.
On a side note, I just finished the 3rd generation of my Cotton Candy (still seeking a better name) fly. This one is bigger and uglier than the others. We'll see how it works.
Feb 24, 2010
Russian Report
A week ago Tuesday, I was able to get out to the Russian. Due to a sudden flu bug developed last week, I'm just now getting around to posting a report. Sorry for the delay. Being sick, sucks!
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.
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.
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.
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