After what seemed like an eternity I actually got out and wet a line. This semester at FRC was more demanding than I would have liked and I had to put my guide service and personal fishing on hold. I read fishing reports religiously and lived vicariously through friends posts on Facebook...and I almost went insane! While I was very happy for my buddies who were getting after it this fall, it was hell not having the time to fish or guide for that matter.
As the semester was winding down, I finally bit the bullet and went to the Trinity River to fish for steelhead. I made my way to Pidgeon Pt where I like to camp and got settled in. It was raining lightly and in the mid 50's...pretty nice steelheading weather. I rigged up my Sage Z-Axis 6110 switch rod for the next morning and drank down a couple of Steelhead Extra Pale Ales by the campfire.
The next morning I fished the camp water for no luck. It took me a bit to get my rhythm, but eventually the meditation like cast, swing , step washed away the stress of school and I felt like I was where I needed to be. I spent the day swinging flies through a few favorite runs without so much as a tap-tap. The rain was off and on throughout the day and before it got too late I decided to return to camp to dry out and warm up. Bruce showed up in camp later in the evening and we proceeded to swap lies and drink more Steelhead Ales than was necessary around the campfire. Bruce and I have been steelheading together for a few years now and each time we get together it is always a good time!
We fished the camp water in the morning where Bruce lost the only fish he hooked. We decided to head up river to fish and explore a little. Pressure on the river was light and we got into a run that I hadn't fished in a few years. A few casts in my line comes tight! After 3 jumps and 2 solid runs I get the fish into shallow water to land it. A decent 25" hatchery fish. I blow the photo op and only have this pic as proof.
I didn't have another grab and Bruce had to take off that afternoon so I fished my way back to camp and more beer and campfire.
I fished for a few hours the next morning before driving home to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family.
The next week would fly by and I made my way back to Pidgeon Pt to meet up with my longtime fishing partner Greg. Greg and I met at Pyramid Lake years ago and have spent lots of time on the water together. We haven't been on the Trinity together for a few years so it was a great opportunity to fish this awesome river again.
Greg was first to hook up that morning at a spot that I had explored the week before.
A colored up hatchery buck of about 25". The best part is he picked the pocket of two guide boats that had just fished through this spot!
My chance came later as I hooked and landed a nice hatchery hen at the same spot that I got one the week before.
This fish ate a green butt spey fly that I had been carrying in my box for a couple of years. Pretty sweet! It was very satisfying to get a fish on a spey fly that I tied.
Did I say it was cold? This trip was clear and cold with freezing fog and ice in the guides in the morning. So we chased the sun in the early afternoon to try and warm up.
Greg landed another nice fish at the spot he caught one the day before.
On our final morning it was so cold that my reel was frozen and I had to spend 10 minutes to get it somewhat operational. I had to continually pull line off the reel to keep it working. Unfortunately when I hooked a fish a bit later I was unable to keep it on as my reel froze on its first run. Man that sucked,but what can you do
It was great to get in a few days of fishing and now the semester is at an end and I should have a bit more time to spend on the water. Yay!!
A colored up hatchery buck of about 25". The best part is he picked the pocket of two guide boats that had just fished through this spot!
My chance came later as I hooked and landed a nice hatchery hen at the same spot that I got one the week before.
This fish ate a green butt spey fly that I had been carrying in my box for a couple of years. Pretty sweet! It was very satisfying to get a fish on a spey fly that I tied.
Did I say it was cold? This trip was clear and cold with freezing fog and ice in the guides in the morning. So we chased the sun in the early afternoon to try and warm up.
I recently had the pleasure of guiding in a high country spot that I spent many summers at as a child. This year the wildflowers are outstanding and the fishing wasn't bad either!
Theses skunk cabbage blooms were almost 6 feet tall!
An amazing lily!
This was the best and prettiest fish of the day.
Anyways, the fishing is good to great depending on the day and the river.Get out and enjoy this fine summer here in the Northern Sierra!
This Hex cripple was found near shore just before the hatch started in earnest.These are BIG bugs and the fish just hammer on them. Unfortunately the hatch is short lived, but it is something to behold!
I fished for two evenings landed a total of 3 fish. One on each of the patterns tied for this trip including a foam bodied dun pattern and a foam emerger.I hooked four other fish that I lost or broke off and missed as many other grabs.I am itching to get back before the hatch ends, but I don't know if it will be possible. If not, there is always next year!
These lovely wild rainbows were in the 10-12" range with a couple pushing 14" and were confidently eating comparaduns and parachute adams fished on the surface.I also had takes fishing a PMD emerger and a Quigly's Cripple, but the fish were mostly interested in the duns.
Friend and fellow guide Jon Baiocchi, reports that the last two hours before dark have been money with fish rising in the tailouts for PMD's Golden Stones and caddis flies. This is just the start to what is shaping up to be a great summer on the MF Feather River and I expect solid fishing throughout the season as the runoff subsides and the bugs starting hatching in ernest.
