Saturday, December 4, 2010

Winter fishing options






Winter arrived in full force the week before Thanksgiving with lots of snow and some brutally cold temperatures for November. The temperatures have finally moderated, but local fishing options have become very limited. Access to the Truckee and Little Truckee is limited and I have not made it over that way lately so I have no first hand information. For stillwater enthusiasts the only game in town at this point is Pyramid Lake.



Needing to fill the void of not being on the water lately, I headed out to the big water to fish with my good friend Ernie. We met at the North Nets around 9 am and were fishing shortly after. Stripping beetles and buggers was the way to go and I had a decent day landing all 5 fish that I hooked.Ernie only had one fish and his friend Ed landed 3 of 6 that he hooked.Popcorn beetles were by far the best fly but a few fish came ate the old standby,a black wooly bugger. The fishing was pretty good by early winter standards and it was very nice to be out of the now for a few hours.



I have one more week of classes then the fall semester will be in the books! It has been a long,difficult semester and I am ready for a break. I am planning on a couple of steelhead trips during the break and will be fishing Pyramid a bit as well.

Get out there and fish!!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Winter is almost here...


The weather has taken a decidedly cold turn towards winter.Nighttime temps are running in the teens and ice is starting to form in the margins.With this change, my focus on fishing venues changes.Pyramid Lake is fishing well right now with fish to 13lbs being landed. Reports are starting to roll in from the Trinity with a mixture of wild and hatchery steelhead being caught. Swinging flies is my preferred method to catch steel, but whatever method you choose to fish is cool and as long as it is legal I say go for it!!
Lake Davis has been fishing well for the past few weeks with fish putting on the feed bags.Water temps have been in the upper 40's but that is quickly changing. If you plan on fishing Davis in the next week or so,dress warm and have a great time! One recent report said to use a 20' leader with a floating line.This is absolutely not necessary to be successful right now.I have been having great days there with only a 9-12' leader to 4x.Theses fish are NOT leader shy! Sheep Creek's, cinnamon wiggle tails, and buggers have produced lately.
November 15 brings the end to the general trout season on the Middle Fork Feather River and tributaries.It has been a great season this year!
Thanks for all of the support this season! I look forward to fishing with you all again next season!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Time for reflection


Sitting at home rehabbing a knee injury has given me some time to reflect on my life as a guide and fly fisherman. This season was really good for me as I had an increase in business of 300% and enjoyed some special days on the water. All of this bodes well for my future as I continue to grow my business and learn better ways to help my clients become the fly fishers that they seek to be.

Fall fishing has been going off locally and all venues are fishing well. I am unavailable to guide until my knee heals but I cannot recommend Jon Baiocchi(www.baiocchistroutfitters.com) highly enough so if you are in need contact him. Jon is super knowledgeable about Lake Davis and the Middle Fork Feather River,he is a patient teacher as well as a superb fly tyer!

Time to tie up some new leaders and refill some of the flyboxes and get the knee ready for steelhead!

Enjoy this lovely fall and get out and fish!

Friday, October 15, 2010

No More Plastic Bottles






I am proud to introduce my new stainless steel water bottles that will replace all plastic bottles on my guide trips. We, as a culture, need to reduce our reliance on the use of plastic water bottles, so I am affecting change where I can. These bottles are free to my clients and I was going to charge a nominal fee to non-clients,but after further thought they are free for the taking to anyone!

Fall is here and I have ventured north for my first steelhead trip of the season. I spent 2 days on the Trinity swing prime water with my new Sage 6110 Z-Axis switch rod. Pretty nice rod that casts well, but I didn't get to feel how it handles an adult steelie.Though it totally dominates smolts!!

With plans to meet Brian Slusser (Four Seasons Fly fishing 530 386 0525) for a drift on the Klamath changing due to his continued success with clients on the Rogue, I made the 4 hour drive to Grants Pass,Or. We did a short drift below town where I landed 2 half pounders and two coastal cutthroat, but no adults. Brian hooked two adults that he couldn't keep on. Zac Kaufman, head guide for Morrison's Lodge ( 800 826 1963) was also fishing with us and he landed a beautiful coastal cutthroat. The fish were there,but we weren't connecting with adults.

The next day Brian and I fished below Hellgate Canyon at a spot called Carpenters Island. Big beautiful pocket water that was fun to fish. I was confident that we would find fish this morning but alas no adults were hooked.The Rogue is a large river that has perfect steelhead water and is ideal for Spey fishing. I am heading back that way next week for a few more days.

If anyone is looking for a guide for the Rogue, I highly recommend Brian Slusser! He is super knowledgeable, a great teacher and can put you on fish in a mudpuddle! He still has some available dates left this month before he heads back to the Truckee so if your interested in tangling with Rogue steel give him a call;530 386 0525.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Feels like Fall




Got a chance at a few hours of personal fishing on the Truckee river the other day.I recently purchased a Skagit head for my 10' 6# single hander and wanted to try it out.The Truckee was the perfect destination to launch single handed spey bombs and swing a few runs.

The weather was a bit unsettled with rain showers and cool air temps.Felt like a good steelheading type of day.The first run I fished had a consistent current and swung very well.I had 4 grabs in this run but only hooked up with a log in mid current.I worked my way through another couple of runs that were ok but not exactly good swing water without any grabs,pecks nudges or bumps.

After working my way past a couple of white water sections I began swinging my way through a boulder strewn run.A couple of casts down my line came tight to a fish.As it rolled on the surface I knew I was into a nice fish.Then it ran right at me.I just reeled in keeping at tight line to the fish as it got closer..Not much of a fight so I grabbed the leader and led the fish into the shallows.Nice Fish!!

After a quick photo shoot I measured the fish at 22" and then released the gorgeous brown back into the river.I continued to swing my way downstream but had no other grabs.Satisfied with the new line and the one fish I called it a day and headed back to the truck.

This fall looks to be good for fishing with more water than most years and perfect water temps.Get out and fish!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Back in the Saddle


Time flies when I am having fun!Hard to believe that today is the first day of class for the fall semester.Should be fun!

So ends my most succssful summer as a guide and begins my fall season.Lake Davis will get most of my attention but I will also be spending time swinging flies for steelhead on the Trinity River.My availability to guide is mostly limited to weekends(Thursday-Sunday), I will have some midweek trips available.So school becomes my main focus for now.

I am also judging interest in Pyramid Lake for the upcoming season.If anyone is interested in fishing for trophy Lahontan Cutthroat Trout let me know and I'll get my guiding permit for the lake.Pyramid's season opens Oct 1 and prime fall fishing is through November.

Thanks to those of you who have helped me have such a great summer guide season and I look forward to fishing with you again!

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Dog Days Of Summer






August is upon us and the dog days of summer are starting to appear.Normally this would make for challenging fishing conditions but because of the tremendous winter this year water conditions are near perfect.

This past week my office was Nelson Creek and the Middle Fork of the Feather River.Nelson Creek is a rough and tumble spring fed creek that flows into the Middle Fork Feather. Wild rainbows abound averaging 10-12" with a few larger 14"+ thrown in for good measure. The fishing isn't easy but there was enough top water action to keep my clients busy all day.



Most attractor patterns work here, with a red humpy being the most productive.There were a number of very small golden stoneflies hatching and a few mayflies as well.Caddis hatches in the evening are getting the fish to be a little less selective.

The Middle Fork Feather has been the biggest surprise this August as water temps are still in the low to mid 60's and the fish are crushing Little Yellow Sallies with great fervor.Tom from Newark Ca had a great morning recently moving over 30 fish and hooking about 15 in a short 4 hour half day. We didn't change the fly once as we were getting crushed on almost every cast in some of the riffles!

I have also been spending time guiding on the Truckee and Little Truckee Rivers in the past month. Brian Slusser of Four Seasons Fly Fishing(www.flyfishingtruckee-tahoe.com) has had me helping him teach his 2 day fly fishing schools.These schools are a great introduction to the sport of fly fishing and give us time to delve into the nuances a little deeper.Brian is a great guide and all around great dude!If you are interested in fishing the Truckee area I highly recommend Brian!

With only 2 weeks before classes start I am enjoying this fine summer that we are having.Soon my focus will shift to my continuing education and guiding will be restricted to weekends.As fall returns and water temps fall we should experience some great fly fishing!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Craig's Trout Battle II

Craig's Trout Battle I

The heat is on...





Summer is in full swing here in the Northern Sierra's with warm daytime temperatures and beautiful evenings. The Middle Fork Feather has gotten a bit warm and some algae is starting to grow.Best fishing is early and late with plenty of wild rainbows aggressively attacking dries.

The damsels have finally shown up at Davis but the water temps are too high and I have stopped fishing there until temps come back down in the fall.Reports have been encouraging with fish feeding in the shallows.If you do fish here right now,please use 4x tippets and land the fish as quickly as possible as they may not survive an extended battle in 70+degree water.



I've had a few trips on the Truckee River lately and have had mixed results.Craig from Orange County caught this awesome brown on a Fox's Pupa while fishing some amazing pocket water.He also landed also smaller brown a few minutes earlier.

Lenny from New York didn't have as much luck on the Truckee,but he did land a couple of small rainbows on a hotwire caddis.




Unfortunately we had to contend with a bunch of rafters that were floating the river and made for some challenging interactions.Everyone was polite but fishing became tougher after one rafter decided to disembark and walk her raft right through the pocket we were fishing.Fun times on the Truckee!



Milton Lake is fishing well as of this writing. Small para adams are getting consistent action as well as callibaetis emergers early in the day.The callibaetis hatch has been minimal at this point but should become the more consitent as the summer deepens. A size 14 mahogany dun is the ticket during the hatch.Midges are everpresent and size 18 snocones under an indicator also has been producing.Remember this tailwater impoundment is VERY cold so dress appropriately under your waders.

The small creeks are still a little high but are fishing very well.Tons of hungry wild trout providing almost nonstop dry fly action.Nothing like wet wading a small high country stream in the heat of the summertime!

Get out there and fish!




Monday, July 5, 2010

MF Feather Report 7-3-10



Picked up a last minute trip for the MF Feather and the river didn't disappoint.Fish were looking up all day and we had action on dries from start to finish. Elk Hair Caddis and Little Yellow Sallies were the hot ticket,but fish also smashed small stimulators. Wire body caddis nymphs caught fish in the deeper pockets when the action on top slowed down.



Water levels are perfect right now and the fish,while small, are very agressive and a ton of fun to catch.

We fished from Graeagle down to the Two Rivers area and found active fish in the riffles. From 2-4pm a very solid Little Golden Stonefly hatch took place with fish hammering Little Yellow Sallie dries.To fun!!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Fishing my brains out...




It has been a while since my last post.I have been very busy with life,guiding and fishing.Now for the good ,the bad and the ugly!

Lake Davis has finally started to fish well,although the damsel hatch has been pretty slow to get going at this point.We have been having good success fishing Sano's Rootbeer midges and blood midges under a bobber in about 10' of water.Fish have also been caught on Rickard's stillwater nymphs,sheeps creek specials and wiggle tails fished on an intermediate line.


Client Doug Haut caught this monster on a blood midge yesterday! Guideline rep Tim Loomis also caught a nice fish but for the most part the fish were cookie cutter 14" specimens.



Water temps are hovering in the low 70's and I will be guiding the river and the Lakes Basin until the water temps come back down in the fall.

Last week I had the pleasure of guiding Al Delco and Charlie S from the Merced Fly Fishers. After picking up a fish here and there we finally got into fish around 5:30 pm and for the next hour we just hammered them.Rootbeer midges were the hot ticket.



The Middle Fork Feather River has dropped into shape around the Graeagle area.I had the pleasure of guiding the Reber's from the Bay area last week.We had plenty of opportunities throughout the day both nymphing and with dries.There was a nice Little Yellow Sallie hatch in the early afternoon that had fish looking up and chowing on small elk hair stonefly patterns.



The Reber's were a great,fun family to fish with and I look forward to future trips with them.




With the wet cool spring we experienced the river should fish well this July for small wild trout.The Lakes Basin lakes will be fishing nicely as well.I will fish Lake Davis for another week or so until temps get into the mid 70's then I will not be back until the fall.

Come on up the fishing is FINE!



Monday, June 7, 2010

Lake Davis and other waters June report





With the weather finally turning into summer the season is starting to heat up.I have been busy fishing and guiding on various waters lately.On Saturday I donated a half day trip on Lake Davis for the Sierra Nevada Partnership (http://www.northernsierrapartnership.org/) and Trout Unlimited.After a bit of planning shenanigans I met up with my clients,John and Shanna from Albany, at the Honker Cove Boat ramp and we were off.While the fishing was slow the company was fantastic and I was able to learn a great deal about the NSP and what they are trying to accomplish.Please visit their website to learn more.It was a fun day on the water and John and Shanna were wonderful clients!

I got back out on Davis for a bit of personal fishing yesterday with the awesome women from the Sierra Nevada Women Fly Fishers from Reno.These girls are super fun to fish with and are all very talented fly fishers.I had my best day on Davis this season going 6 for 8 hooked.The fish came on Sheep Creek Specials and cinnamon wiggle tails stripped on an intermediate sinking line.Not only was the company great the lunch provided by the girls was unbelievable!!I truly enjoy fishing with this group of fishers!

Last week I had a chance to fish Prosser Creek near Truckee.I was swinging seal buggers and had two solid takes connecting with one of them.The fish was well over 20" but came unbuttoned after a brief battle.The flows were a bit high but fishable.That has all changed due to the runoff finally taking place.As of this writing most rivers in the area are blown out with the exception of the upper Middle Fork Feather and the Lower Little Truckee which was low and clear and CROWDED.Pyramid was still fishing well as of last week but my attentions are elsewhere at this point.

The damsel migration at Davis is slow starting this year,but should pick up with the nicer weather. The rivers will take a while to drop back to fishable levels but all the water this spring was badly needed.

Time to fish!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Lake Davis 5-13-10


Got out on the lake with new client Adam and his uncle Mark yesterday for a laughter filled day in the boat.It was Marks' first day fly fishing and by the end of the trip he was casting well and he even got to tangle with a fish!Unfortunately the fish broke him off after a short battle.Adam lost his only hooked fish shortly after the hookset.Each angler had multiple opportunities as fish were taking a #14 bead head PT under a bobber,but getting the fish hooked was challenging on this day.Next time will be better I am sure.All in all it was a great day!As far as wildlife goes,we saw ospreys,a bald eagle,canadian geese,pelicans and lots of other birds.

Water temps were 54 degrees and there were a good amount of blood midges hatching.The lake is way up from last year and it seems as though it will stay higher longer than last year.

Come on up!Let's fish!!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Lake Davis


The rain has returned as of this writing.Looks to be a great water year and the rivers may be prime well into the summer.

Reports are coming in from Lake Davis and it seems as if the veterans who know the lake are averaging between 1-5 fish per outing. Blood midges under an indicator have been producing, but don't be afraid to try PT's and hare's ears as well.A few damsels are starting to show so damsel patterns are worth fishing. Olive,cinnamon,and black buggers as well as wiggle tails are all productive flies stripped in on an intermediate line.My personal favorite, the Sheeps Creek Special,is always the first fly I fish because it catches fish like no other.Give it a shot,you may like it!!

Please leave the false spawners in the backs of the coves alone to do their thing. It is a bad habit for fishers to target actively spawning fish in any lake or river.Please leave these fish alone!!

In closing,come on up and enjoy the beautiful Sierra Valley and Lake Davis!!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Gone Goodbye


Another day passes as though time is standing still. I am standing on my balcony overlooking White Rock Falls enjoying the aroma of this fine fall afternoon. The crispness in the air is a reminder of the imminent return of Old Man Winter, but for now all I have to worry about is the fish in the river. Or lack thereof. What has happened to the once great runs of king salmon that filled the White Rock River to the point of spilling over every fall. Gone are the rotting carcasses and the bears gorging on the flesh of live salmon. Nothing has grown in there stead and this is worrisome for so many reasons. What was once a time for harvesting the mighty salmon has turned into idle hands finding mischief in the passing wind. Ultimately I will have to make the decision but for now I carry on biding my time until the snows fall. The decision that has been hanging over my head like a leaden blanket smothering all forms of rational thought. Why should I leave this picturesque river valley prematurely when all I know is here flowing beside me in the river of life? Can’t I hang on until the fish return? Will they? This I cannot answer but will make my mind available to the thought that what is gone is gone forever. Never to return. Such is the history of human occupation on this lonely rock. Use it all up. Gone goodbye.

The first cold night of autumn wraps itself around the river valley. Tendrils of smoke rise lazily from the rock chimney and ascend into the star filled night sky. I place another log on the fire and return to my desk. Attached to the edge of the desk a vise is secured with a screw clamp to the old weathered wooden top. Pinched tightly in the jaws of the vice is a small fishing hook. Dangling from the shaft of the hook is a spool of 6/0 black thread. Various feathers litter the back of the desktop as do fly tying tools. I grab a few strands of a magpie tail feather and lay it alongside the shank of the hook. With a few wraps of thread the feathers are secured and I tie in a length of copper wire. Wrapping the feathers forward toward the eye of the hook I am mindful to make a tapered body that closely resembles that of a mayfly nymph. The copper wire is spiraled forward and secured.

I look up from my work and notice that the snow has begun to fall outside my cabin. Like down feathers from a torn pillow the snow will be piling up in a short amount of time. Returning to the fly that is starting to take shape in the vise I dub a bit of peacock Ice Dubbing to the thread and wind it forward to just behind the gold bead at the front of the hook. Securing the dubbing with three wraps of thread I gently pull the remaining magpie feather over the dubbing and tightly pull thread around three times and trim off the excess feather. A drop of super glue and the fly is finished. This pattern has caught many fine trout and I expect it will produce results in the morning.

Although the salmon have not returned, there are plenty of resident trout to be had. The morning can’t come soon enough and I’m sure sleep will be tough to come by tonight. Embers glow as I place yet another piece of lodgepole pine on the fire. Sparks rise up into the chimney as the fire roars back to life. Stepping outside I shake off the chill and brush the light snow from the railing of the deck. Each flake slowly spirals down to its final resting place among the thousand of other flakes. I tamp my cherry wood pipe and light it with my trusty Zippo lighter. I inhale the fragrant smoke deeply into my lungs allowing the pungent aroma to fill my senses. Exhaling the blue-gray smoke into the falling snow it is soon consumed wholly. I take another long pull on the pipe while my mind thinks back on the first fish taken on my trusted Magpie nymph.

It was a warm late summer morning and I had been meticulously working my way down a boulder-strewn stretch of pocket water. I was high sticking the nymph through every conceivable piece of holding water when I noticed my leader straighten slightly. Lifting the rod tip I felt the weight of a fish on the tensioned line. The silver rocket exploded out of the depths and somersaulted through the air like a whirling dervish. Running towards the white water below I had to apply the brakes to this fish and convince him to stay in the pocket water in front of us. A short run followed but his will to survive was slipping out of him like a slow leak in a tire. Finally I was able to slide the 20” trout into shallow water and gently remove the fly from his mouth. After a few moments reviving the fish he gave a strong sweep of his tail and returned to the depths from where he came. And so the legend of the Magpie nymph was born.

Back on the porch in the falling snow, I empty my pipe and place it back in the velvet pouch and store it in a jacket pocket. I return to the comfort of the inside of the cabin and lay down on the old feather bed. I drift off in a fitful sleep dreaming of the return of the salmon. Watching their chrome bodies’ fly out of the water only to drop back again as their attempts to get over the falls often come up short. The bright orange-red meat cooking on a cedar plank over an open fire sends wild aromas into the night air. I wake with a jolt and a sudden hunger for fresh salmon. Closing my eyes again I drift back into the dream world where the salmon are thick in the rivers and life is good.

In the early pre-dawn of morning I get up from my cozy bed and stir the remnants of last nights fire. Throwing a couple of small pieces of wood on the fire I am reminded of the coming winter, as there is frost on the windows. The snow from last night’s storm is about half a foot deep and won’t be much of a hindrance this morning on my way to the river. Donning my waders, I sip from a strong cup of French press coffee sweetened with a touch of hot coco. I can feel the immediate affects of the caffeine and become more awake with every sip.

I wrap myself in my Simms jacket and step into the early morning chill. I grab my favorite rod, a 9.5 ft 6 weight Scott A2 already strung up with a Magpie nymph. Walking down to the rivers edge the snow crunches beneath my boots in a symphony of crushed snowflakes. The edges of the river has a new sheen of ice that shines like a thousand diamonds spread across a blue blanket in the first rays of sunshine filtering through the forest above. The water is cold and swift, but the fish are hungrily looking for protein before the long winter settles in earnest.

Stripping a few feet of fly line from the reel I lob the fly upstream into the current. Lifting the line off of the water I began leading the fly through the pocket of water in front of me. No fish takes the first cast so I repeat the process. Lob. Lift. Lead. Again and again until satisfied that I have covered this water thoroughly then I wade downstream a few feet and repeat the process all over again. This next bucket holds a reward to my efforts as a fat 14” rainbow trout inhales the bug and battles ferociously to save its life. I work the fish into shallow water and gently unhook it. The colorful fish swims away in a hurry and heads back from the depths from which it came. I recast to the same bucket and once again a fish likes my offering. This time the fish is well over 20” and is a native coastal cutthroat. Heavily spotted and colorful this fish is not as easy to land. Running downstream the cutthroat leaves this run and wraps my fly line around a boulder. The line goes limp and I know the inevitable has happened. The leader has broken on the boulder below and the fish has gotten away.

I reel in the slack and tie another leader together. Four feet of 12# monofilament friendship looped to five feet of 6# mono. Ten inches of 6# is knotted on and a Magpie nymph is tied on the end with a clinch knot. A small splitshot is attached above the fisherman’s knot and I am back in business.

The new snow has all but melted in the warmth of the autumn sun and I am starting to overheat. Working my way downstream, I catch a brace of trout keeping two small rainbows for my supper. I fish about a mile below the cabin through the canyon that constricts the flows of the river. My legs are starting to get worn out from the boulder hopping and cold of the river. I stop for lunch on a flat table like piece of granite and quietly enjoy my dried salami and sharp cheddar cheese. I wash it all down with a smokey bourbon from that metallic flask that is always in my fishing jacket. The whiskey warms me from the inside and relaxes my psyche. Ah, this is the life! If only the salmon would return to this slice of heaven.

Many days I have spent submerged to my waist in the cold waters of this river. Each and every time I am amazed by the complexities of this place. How the bears are tied to the salmon and the otters tied to the bears so forth and so on. Nothing is wasted in nature and the circle of life continues on into infinity. We are all one and interconnected to each other. When the salmon are gone, we too are not far behind.

I work my way slowly back upstream towards home taking in all of the natural beauty. The air is filled with the aroma of pine and once in a while the scent of fishiness. The last of the aspen leaves cling desperately to their branches as if a child holding onto a mothers embrace. Falling so close to home they too will become a part of the circle. The tall grass of summer has long since turned golden brown and waits for the heaviness of the winter snow to lay them down for the long slumber.

In the pines a few remaining chickadees compete for seeds with the wily gray squirrel. He squawks at the birds in an endless tirade as they flit and flutter about stealing seeds when Mr. Squirrel is looking the other way. Down by the edge of the river an otter makes his way upstream looking for fresh water clams and the occasional tout that is too slow to escape. All around me Mother Nature has her children preparing for the coming winter which is only days away.

Back at the cabin I change out of my waders and jacket and start to sharpen the knife that I will use to clean the fish I brought home for dinner. Taking the fish out of my wicker creel, I slice the fishes belly open from the anal fin to the gill plates. A quick slash near the tongue and I am able to pull the innards out in one long slow pull. With my thumb I remove the remaining blood sack along the spine and rinse the meat with cold water from the river. I repeat the same process with the second fish and place the cleaned fish on a plate. Taking the guts down to the rivers edge I toss them into the tumbling water continuing the ongoing circle of life.

Seasoning the fish with salt and pepper I place a thinly sliced lemon onto the pink meat of the trout put the fish onto a cedar plank. Lowering the grill over the mesquite coals I place the cedar plank close to the front edge and sit back to enjoy the aroma of cedar and trout.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Wind and Rain

Another powerful storm is plowing into the Northern Sierra's this morning with very strong winds and heavy rain.We need the rain but I could do without the wind!

The general trout season opened on Saturday,but due to some familial issues I was unable to fish.My thoughts on this coming season are that the streams and rivers will fish well into late summer before succumbing to warm and low water conditions.Runoff is starting in earnest and will take the rivers out of shape for at least 2-3 weeks.I am looking forward to the Grey Drake hatch on the streams here in the Sierra Valley and the blood midge hatch on Lake Davis.

As of this writing the ice has come off of Davis and it is fishing pretty well for false spawners in the inlets,if that is your game.Fish are also being found along the eastern shore.Small buggers,sheeps creeks,wiggle tails and green hornets are producing fish.Midges and PT's under an indicator are also producing quality fish in the 16-18" range.Lake levels are fairly low as of today but that will change as snowmelt fills the lake.

The Lakes Basin is covered in a thick blanket of snow and will be a while before the lakes are accessible for fly fishers.The Middle Fork of the Feather is high and cold but fish can be found in the upper reaches above Portola.As the water warms with the weather look for carp tailing in the shallows or sucking bugs near the weedbeds.Largemouth bass will be eating poppers on the surface and other large offerings in the weeds near the lilly pads.

I am looking forward to warmer weather and great fishing!See you all on the water!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Home Again


After a whirlwind trip to Bozeman over the weekend I am home and sick.Figures that I would get sick on my long drive home.I spent the past 2 days in bed but was able to rally this morning and got my ass to class.Should I have stayed home?YES,but a midterm review in my hardest course was mandatory so...

Thinking back on my Montana experience one thing stands out.Montana is the most beautiful place that I have ever visited.Huge mountains and rivers and hard fighting wild fish!What more can a fly fisher ask for?

The folks at Simms Fishing Products put on a great event for us guides.The highlight for me was the Marketing seminar that was a roundtable with Eric Adams from Montana Fly Fishing Guides llc (http://www.montanaflyfishingguides.com/) and Dan "Rooster" Leavins from Stonefly Inn and Outfitters (http://www.thestoneflyinn.com/) and one other outfitter whos name escapes me at this time.Eric and Rooster had lots of great info and even had the time after the seminar to talk to me in person and share some more marketing ideas.Thanks guys you rock!!

I did get a chance to fish a bit but only landed one small rainbow on the lower Madison.I was humbled by the upper Madison where a combination of laziness and frustration led to lost fish and broken off fish.I hate breaking off fish!!I guess I better elaborate...After fishing dries for a bit with one solid hookup I decided to switch over to nymphing.As I unwound my nymph leader I got in a hurry and created a royal mess.The 10 second rule took over and I had to scrap the whole leader.Looking through my fanny pack I realized that I left a major component of my rigging back in the truck so I decided to use my tapered 5x dry fly leader.This worked ok at first until I hooked into a hot fish that promptly broke me off.After retieing again another fish broke me off.By this point I was hot under the collar but it didn't matter as my cutoff time had come.I had to start for home .The lesson I learned (that I already know) is be prepared for any kind of fishing condition that you may come across.I was unprepared and paid the price!The drive back to California was uneventful and became routine after leaving the beauty of Montana behind.I know I will visit there again someday and I hope it is sooner rather than later!
I need to say a quick thanks to the wonderful people at Simms Fishing Products for their continued support of fly fishing professionals and for the great products that they produce!Thanks Simms!!

Friday, April 16, 2010

A long ways from home...


After what has seemed like a long season at Pyramid I packed the truck and headed for Montana.13 hours on the road and I have arrived at my destination,Bozeman.I am here to attend the inaugural Ice Out event being hosted by Simms Fishing Products,a three day event with filled with seminars and fishing.I am most interested in the seminars about marketing and building relationships in the fly fishing industry but I definitely will be fishing the Gallatin River and possibly the Madison.It should be a fun 3 days!

The drive through Idaho was interesting although boring at times.As I crossed the border into Montana the terrain changed a bit becoming more mountainous.The western edge of Yellowstone is stunning in its beauty and I was awestruck by the Gallatin Mts.Well, its time to attend a happy hour event so I'll post more about my Montana adventure at a later date.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Late March...


School has been a lot of work but I am still getting in some fishing time.I spent a few days on the coast last week chasing steelhead and while I didn't land any, I had one solid hookup and plenty of grabs to keep me satisfied.The rivers were in great shape and I was able to swing through some amazing runs.And the camping facility was awesome!

With the steelhead season ending my focus now switches to Pyramid.Fishing has been good lately and I was able to spend a fun day fishing with my wife a few weeks ago.She landed her first cutthroat and was all smiles!Her overall fly fishing skills improve each and every time we hit the water.All I can say is look out trout!

So winter returned this morning with snow but soon enough I'll be guiding on Lake Davis!A few early bookings has me confident that this will be my busiest season yet!