August 2009 Archives

To defy the rigid orthodoxy of contemporary fly fishing and eliminate fur, feather and hair from the artificial lure or "fly" brings to mind Hemingway's protagonist flipping live hoppers in his short story, Big, Two-Hearted River. My own father fished the Sierra-Nevada creeks and streams with a South Bend fly rod, but he never carried anything resembling a fly, preferring instead to head out to his favorite creek with live crickets, grasshoppers, grubs and, of course, worms. During the past decade many outdoor writers, searching for another writing angle to add to the plethora of expanding advice, have looked to the past. Guess what they have discovered? Many of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers thought of themselves as fishermen or anglers rather than rigidly identifying themselves as spin fishermen, bait casters or fly fishermen!

The outdoor writers churn out mind-numbing challenges for greater fishing prowess and finesse. In fairness, however, some writers are rediscovering that a plastic creature dangling at the end of a fly rod is not a mortal sin. My own creature of choice is a Berkley Power Bait Atomic Teaser or a small Gitzit (tube bait). My own journey of discovery began over thirty years ago when I watched a young man stick a good-sized largemouth using a ten-foot fly rod and a weighted deer hair abomination. He was flipping to dead treetops during a low water year on Lake Orville on the South Fork arm of the Feather River. During that same period of the early 70's, I caught small mouth bass with my fly rod and a Woolly Worm on the Russian River with a friend . My duck-hunting partner, Bill DeWalt, took me to a farm pond where we caught bass on poppers during the evening bite. I had great fun, but I looked at the sport with disdain, preferring instead to drive four and five hours into the Sierra Mountains for the supreme rainbow trout. What an idiot I was to ignore bass for more than thirty years. Equally stupid was to set aside my fly rod for two or three years as I learned conventional bass fishing with a bait casting rod. Now I never leave home without both conventional gear and fly-fishing gear. It doesn't get any easier than flipping out a Gitzit, a one-inch plastic-lipped minnow or a three-inch worm or grub at the end of a fly rod.

Plastic Creatures on the Bottom

Keep it simple. Take one of your old leaders that has been broken off to about three or four feet and about 1X or 2x in strength and attach a #1 Mosquito Hook or a #2 Gamakatsu hook. Better yet, tie on a three or four foot piece of 20-lb monofilament with any old hook that is available to you! Thread your plastic creature on the hook Texas rigged or with the hook exposed such as it is with an Atomic Teaser or a small jig. Use a dry fly line or a sinking tip line and fish the same structure as you would if you were fishing with conventional gear. Remember what you learned when reading Gary LaFontaine's book, Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes? If you didn't read this excellent book on trout fishing, let me sum up his stillwater nymph fishing advise. Be still! Don't be impatient. Bottom crawling creatures barely move!

It is one thing to know this and quite another to practice it. A couple of years ago I was fishing with my son on Davis Lake, a fly fishing only lake below Bend, Oregon. Our strikes and fish landed were few and far between. I backed off the boat from the tulles and slowly stood up after I made a cast. I was using Denny Rickard's Sealbugger. As I watched it hit the surface, I could see smaller bass skedaddle and then tentatively reappear in the vicinity of the fly after about thirty or forty seconds. After about a minute or two, I watched as two larger fish slowly swam from cover to inspect the offering. They too never closed in on the fly, but instead they circled and headed back to their lairs. When I gently twitched the fly or crawled it one or two inches, the bigger fish would re-inspect the plastic creature. Sometimes I would repeat this procedure three or four times with long pauses in between before a fish would suck up the offering. Many times I would be spotted peering at them through my Polaroid sunglasses from a distance of thirty feet. No matter--I had learned my lesson and went on to catch upwards of 20 fish in the next couple of hours. Bass are explosive on the surface, but they are quite timid when bottom feeding, much like a brown trout on Montana's Rock Creek.

Tick! Tick! --Who's There?

Awh, the subtly and nuance of knowing when a fish has glided up to your offering, flared his gills and gently sucked in your lure only to spit it out as non-edible. One thing that you learn in bass fishing, regardless of gear, is to watch your line for any slight, telltale movement. Set the hook! Always keep your line straight and taunt. When I can't stand it any longer and I want to twitch or walk my creature a couple of inches, I first gently lift up on the rod and allow the plastic creature to settle back to the bottom where I wait again before moving it a couple of inches. I am always surprised when I feel resistance as I lift the rod tip up from its lowered position.

Surface Action

Lest anyone think that I have great success every time I go bass fishing, think again. I have plenty of days in the spring where I fish for hours, try every thing I have in my tackle box or vest and still go home skunked. In July and August fishing slows down during the heat of day. Really good fishermen tough it out and catch fish under these difficult periods relying on skills and techniques honed over the years. Many of us prefer the shade of the afternoon, an early dinner and the anticipation of top water action as the sun sets on the horizon. Unlike the action on the bottom, surface strikes are violent and swift. A rule of thumb for floating deer hair creatures, sliders, chuggers and poppers is to cast and not move the fly until the last ring of surface disturbance has disappeared. Most of the experts call for slight movements of the fly with l-o-n-g pauses, and I concur. I have read a number of sources that contend that bass prefer calm water conditions when fishing with poppers. I have not found that to be true when the water is rippling from a gentle breeze, much the same as fishing a stillwater lake in Montana.

Streamers and Minnows

Why would a bass ignore a perfectly healthy minnow imitation crossing its path? Perhaps the healthy minnow could escape, and the bass would have expended great energy for naught. Perhaps that fat old bass is lazy and just wants easy pickings. With that in mind, your streamer or lure (and I mean lure) should imitate a wounded or struggling minnow. We all know this, but sometimes we fail to focus on the crippled minnow and begin stripping in the fly or lure like it was in escape flight. Denny Rickards, the author of a number of books on stillwater trout fishing, extols the importance of the pause or stall in retrieving a fly. Many insects pause from over exertion. As they regress in the water column and slip downward, trout move in for the easy take. Crippled minnows or dying forage fish will often struggle valiantly, over exhaust themselves and pause to regain their strength. It is the pause that often triggers the strike. Strip! Strip! Strip - Pause. More and more I turn to a Clouser minnow fly, which is a pattern developed for small mouth bass by Bob Clouser. Universally acclaimed for a plethora of species, this simple streamer pattern rides with the hook up and offers two bulging lead eyes. The pattern may also be utilized as a jig. When a Clouser doesn't work, I tie on a one-inch Crankbait.

I am not trying to reach depths of 12 to 15 feet. I use a dry fly line to fish just under the surface, reaching a depth of two or three feet. Recently I fished the John Day River in eastern Oregon. Renown for its small mouth bass fishery, I arrived too early in the spring. The water was high and roiled. I had the most success that day casting a small crankbait back into the eddies and protected waters along the bank. Stripping in the line immediately pulls the crankbait to its designed depth. I always got the strike on the pause.

So there you have it. If you like dogma and you want to be a purist, stick to hair, fur and feathers when casting to bass. If you want to catch more bass, think plastic! Finally, on the question of whether to spray fish attractant on your plastic or traditional fly, a little dab will do ya just fine when no one else is around. Being too un-orthodox might have unintended consequences.

Dave Archer
www.fishingtips101
www.glaciertoyellowstone.com
www.guidetohighway395.com

After spending almost twenty-five years exploring and fishing Montana, my retirement in Oregon poses a singular challenge. I don't have the time or energy to fish all the waters of my new adopted state. I initially purchased a couple of Oregon fishing guide books and found them helpful. Craig Schuhman's book, Moon Outdoors - Oregon Fishing, however, is my go-to-bible on Oregon fishing.

Having written a Montana fly fishing and camping guide a number of years ago, I am in awe of the expansive coverage Craig has included in his 470 page book. The content is rich in details, and he does not generalize or gloss over hard to reach watersheds. Having already explored a number of creeks and streams in southeast Oregon, I immediately went to the pages covering the upper Sprague River, the Sycan River, Thompson Reservoir, Dogg Lake and a number of other smaller fishing waters I had already covered. Two of the books I had previously purchased gave fishing information that were inflated and generalized. I tested Schuhman's information with my experience, and his credibility soared. Oregon Fishing is indeed a Complete Guide to Fishing Lakes, Rivers, Streams, and the Ocean.

Although I missed not seeing photographs in the guide book, once I began using the book, I was appreciative of the well thought out organization and keyed maps. Each featured body of water covers the species of fish, facilities, directions and contact information for tackle shops and other related businesses in the area. As a new resident in Oregon, I especially liked that I never got lost while I perused through the book. Organized by geographical sections, each body of water is given a site name and number, along with a general location of the site in relation to the nearest town or landmark. Under this information is a reference to the map with the page number. If you are serious about fishing Oregon, this book is a must have guide book!

Dave Archer

Brookings, Oregon and Gold Beach (Rogue River)

July 26, 2007 "I am not Worthy!"

Creeks, streams, rivers and lakes beckon me, but of late the Pacific Ocean whispers promises of bigger water and bigger fish. My growing fascination for ocean fishing caught me by surprise. Bloody bait and endless trolling never appealed to me, but in truth, it is fishing that requires more patience than what I could have endured in my younger years. Had the label "Attention Deficit Disorder" been around during my school days, I certainly would have qualified. It is not that I elevate trout fishing or bass fishing above bottom fishing or salmon fishing, it is simply that the former both offer continuous casting and mobility. As I grow older, however, the appeal of trolling and catching a large salmon prompted me to head for the coast to investigate this logical extension of my angling experience.

Living only four and a half hours from the coast, the allure of salt water fishing began with my first crabbing excursion on the Charleston Bay last fall. Had it not been for my wife noting that many of the crabbers were out trolling for salmon in between checking on their pots, I would probably still be concentrating my efforts on bass and trout. However, like all new endeavors specialized equipment and new skills have to be learned. The learning curve for conventional bass fishing was tough enough after a life time of fly fishing for trout. Ocean fishing will be a commitment of money and time, as well as learning boating safety. With that in mind, my first stop was Brookings, Oregon where I could prowl the docks while my wife visited her sister.

My first mistake was to purchase a rod and reel from a woman in the fishing department at Bi-Low in Grants Pass. Before you howl in protest at my seemingly sexist or chauvinist leanings, let me explain. I wanted a sales person who was an old sea dog, someone with real ocean fishing experience. When a woman stepped forward to help me, I tossed out a quick "sizing up her experience" question on salt water fishing. The question went directly to my task at hand, "Do you sell salmon rods and reels?" Quick to push down any further judgmental queries, I ended up walking out the door with an 8.5 foot Ugly Stick and an Abu Garcia level wind reel. Certain that I would be gouged in the tackle shops along the coast, I choose to save money and buy from an inexperienced sales person who answered my question with, "Yes, here is a popular reel."

"Penny saved, pound foolish" echoes in the recycle bin of my memory bank. I had purchased a popular river rig for salmon and steelhead fishing. The rod was too long for bringing a salmon to net while in a rocking boat out in the ocean, and the reel was too small for the minimum 300 feet of line required out in the ocean. My 18' skiff was not in compliance with the Coast Guard requirements. I did not have a proper throwable PFD. I did not have a VHF marine radio, nor did I have a magnetic compass or sound producing device, not to mention a visual distress device. I was only going to venture a mile out and test the boat I reasoned. I also noted that most small boat anglers had a back-up trolling motor. I cancelled any notion of just going out past the jetty to test the sea worthiness of my boat. I was not sea worthy. I also discovered that I need to take an Oregon test on safe boating procedures. I tried to book a bottom fishing trip, but the ocean was too rough so I headed up to Gold Beach to fish the mouth of the Rogue River for the first salmon arrivals for the fall run.

The owner of Rogue Outdoor Store in Gold Beach, Jim Carey, makes his living with repeat customers, both local and from out of the area. Like any good fly shop or tackle shop owner, Jim makes his living passing on information, providing instruction and helping people get set up properly. If he isn't too busy, he goes out of his way to help beginners, which in my case included setting up my rod when I showed some confusion on how to set up a sliding spreader and a Rogue Bait Rig by Luhr-Jensen. Designed for a 4" to 6" anchovy, the main line attaches to a spreader rig. The spreader rig is a V-shaped springy steel contraption that separates the dropper line and sinker from the running line to the bait rig. Jim set me up with a Glide-O spreader. The simple practicality of this rig is that if you tangle while playing a fish, the main line runs free. Since the spreader has a drop leader on lighter pound test line to the weight, the weight can be broken off without the loss of the fish. Additionally, the fish do not feel the weight when they take your bait or lure. From the second tip of the V- spreader the line extends 40 to 50 inches to a swivel. Below the swivel are a rotating blade and a single hook on a slip knot. The single hook adjusts to the baitfish length and body bend for correct rolling action. The single hook is threaded up under the jaw and extrudes out of the mouth. Jim told me that a good bending angle for an anchovy is the natural bend of your leg just above the knee. Using a slender, rigid wire with a notch at the end, the wire is pushed up the anus until it exits the mouth. The wire is notched on the terminal end of a perfection loop and then pulled back out the anus. A treble hook is then attached with one of the three hooks sunk into the flank of the anchovy just above the tail. Jim may be reached at Rogue Outdoor (541-247-7142) or online at www.rogueoutdoor.com.

The next morning I headed to Lex's Landing to launch my boat for $5 and wolf down a breakfast burrito, which was delicious. I learned a lesson pulling a camper and a boat. It was an invaluable lesson if you travel to fishing grounds with a non-angling spouse. Pay for a mooring spot so you can head out early in the morning and not disturb your wife! I trolled for three or four hours dodging boats coming at me from all directions. Standing on the levy the previous day, it looked like the boats, for the most part, were traveling in an elliptical orbit in the same direction. When I got on the water early in the morning I had a half mile between me and the next boat. By nine o'clock I counted close to forty boats. By eleven o'clock my wife and I counted close to 60 boats, and I could detect no discernable pattern. By noon the coast guard was herding the small boats back into the safer water. Although I didn't have any action, it was a good trial run for later.

Fishing tip: Jim Carey recommends an Oregon blade, which is made locally. Information may be found at oregonblade.com.

Dave Archer

Basic Fly Patterns and Presentation

I always drop by a fly shop if I am away from my home waters, especially when I am fishing in Montana. The price of bugs is generally the same, but the information is invaluable. Shop owners frequently buy regional and specialty flies from their guides.

Keep in mind that each day shop outfitters send out their guides with the simple goal of getting their clients into fish, and everyday information is traded back and forth on what works, where it works and when it works. Shop owners and clerks readily pass on this information to first-time customers for half a dozen flies or less! Naturally, every shop has their killer flies that they use to expand the sale, but I don't believe that I have ever been duped. Fly shops have short seasons. In order to survive, they depend on customer loyalty, which in turn depends on their credibility. Regarding published hatch charts, take them with a grain of salt. Although I personally admire the dedication and perseverance that it takes to compile a hatch chart, the vagaries of Mother Nature generally render them in the category of "You should have been here last week." The best source of information will be from the local fly shops. Regardless of where you buy your flies, stay out of the bargain basement. Not all flies are tied equally.

For years I would shake my head in puzzlement when a client fishing with me on the Bitterroot River would open up his fly box and pull out a cheap and poorly tied fly. Rather than upset a client's out-of-state purchasing acumen for Montana trout flies, I would just resort to some swaps if I knew I was dealing with a tightfisted bargain hunter. Look for stiff neck hackles that will keep the fly high and dry. The next simple test is to look at the body to see if it is slender and proportionate. Finally, a good dry fly should have a three-point landing. When the fly is resting in the palm of your hand, the hackle and the tail should be aligned so that the bottom of the hook is barely resting on your palm. If the tail is too short, the fly will not land as well, nor will it offer the same profile to trout.

It is the fly that triggers the strike. The one topic guaranteed to generate instant conversation among fly anglers is the mention of fly patterns. No other facet of fly fishing evokes so much enthusiasm and reverence. Through the years many surveys have asked prominent fly fishers to share their favorite fly patterns. Lefty Kreh, in an article in Field and Stream, published February 1972, polled 12 expert fly fishers. The following list of dry flies, nymph flies and streamer flies represents a composite of the most frequently used flies for each category among these 12 experts.

* Dry Flies: Light Cahill, Adams, Royal Wulff, Irresistible, Quill Gordon, Humpy
* Nymphs: Trueblood Otter Shrimp, Quill Gordon, Ed Burk, Yellow Stone Fly, Muskrat, Woolly Worm
* Streamers: Black Nose Dace, Spruce Fly, Muddler Minnow, Gray Ghost, Black Marabou, White Marabou

Dan Abrams, in a similar type survey published in Sports Afield, October 1975, polled 30 notable fly fishers regarding their top four fly patterns. Seven of the 30 were prominent Rocky Mountain fly fishers. A generalized list of the most popular patterns produced the following: Adams, Royal Wulff, Humpy, Muddler Minnow and Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph. Add the Woolly Bugger and a Light Cahill in varying sizes and I would be content for quite some time. Well, of course, I would need to add a hopper pattern and a PMD and maybe a....

One of the great joys of fly fishing is sharing what works. If you are a beginner and meet a friendly fly fisher, pull out your fly box and ask, "Which one should I use?" I fondly recall many occasions when someone took me under their guidance and shared their secret fly for the day. Through the years my own collection of fly patterns grew in direct proportion to my fly fishing budget. Like most of the fly fishers I know, I can never have enough patterns. I have a number of match-the-hatch patterns for those special days, and I have my reliable stand-by attractor patterns and generic patterns that I started out with 40 years ago.

I have prioritized the following recommendations for the young beginner who has an empty fly box and a thin wallet. If you would like to begin tying your own flies, I highly recommend Jack Dennis's manual, Western Trout Fly Tying Manual. For a more in-depth approach to matching hatches, I recommend The Complete Book of Western Hatches by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughs.

For those of you who are new to the sport of fly fishing and have never fished in Montana, I offer 20 patterns that will cover about 90% of the fishing from Glacier to Yellowstone. Be observant of what the trout are feeding on and use a small aquarium net to scoop up the bugs and look at them closely. Purchase a fly box with a foam backing and sort your dry mayfly patterns by color and size. For example, I start out with light, cream-colored Cahills and pro-gressively move across in increasingly darker shades to pale yellow, bright yellow, yellow-green, green, olive green and into the green-browns and finally mahogany and rust colors. I set up a separate row of gray and tan mayfly patterns. Personally, I am less concerned with Latin identification as I am with finding the right sized imitation in as close to the natural color as possible. Organizing my fly box in this manner helps me to locate a pattern quickly. It also reminds me what colors I am missing or what sizes I am missing. The following 20 patterns are the ones that "I never leave home without." If you plan to fly fish in the Eastern Sierras or the Cascades, be sure to stock up on these patterns.
Dry Fly Patterns

Royal Wulff: Sizes 10-16

The Royal Wulff is the definitive attractor pattern. Created by the famed Lee Wulff, it imitates nothing, and yet it of-fers to the trout an equivalent of an exquisite Julia Child masterpiece. Derisively called the "Dude Fly" because of its white calf-tail wing, this extravaganza brings the fish up! Best of all, it is a fly the caster never fails to see. To digress for the beginner, keep in mind that you have to set the hook, as the trout will spit the fly out on its dive back into the water. Most beginners miss the take because by the time they react, the fish is safely on its way. Wear Polaroid sunglasses so that you can begin to train your eyes for underwater movement. Early detection allows you to react more quickly.
Presentation: Classic, upstream dead drift.

Humpy (Goofus Bug): Sizes 10-16

The Humpy's origin, according to Jack Dennis, is shrouded in controversy. Whether the fly originated in Jackson, Wyoming, or elsewhere is really unimportant. What is important to the beginner is that this fly works, and it is an indispensable pattern to have in your fly box. Although it is an attractor pattern, it may imitate a large caddis or stonefly in larger sizes. The fly is ideal for fast-flowing waters because of its inherent buoyancy. The Royal Humpy is especially easy to track in fast water. When sparsely tied, the Humpy works amazingly well on slow waters and can be used to imitate a Little Yellow Stonefly. The great advantage of this fly for the beginner is that it is almost unsinkable, and it offers great visibility in fast water for both the fisherman and the trout. It is, however, a most challenging pattern to tie. The best directions for tying this pattern may be found in The Second Fly-Tyers Almanac by Robert H. Boyle and Dave Whitlock.

Presentation: Classic, upstream dead drift. However, since this pattern closely resembles a caddis fly and floats so well, try drifting the fly downstream under willows or overhanging branches. As the fly drifts to the targeted area, lift the rod tip up to create an erratic skipping motion on top of the water, and then lower the rod tip quickly to allow the fly to drift once again on top of the water. Await the strike!

Renegade

It would appear that the Renegade attractor pattern has faded in popularity over the last 20 years, but it is a great fly for late evening fishing, as the white hackle in the front helps to see the fly on darkened waters. The second advantage is that the dual hackle design keeps the fly afloat when it is difficult to see after sundown. If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, be sure you have a good supply and a range of sizes for the Royal Wulff, the Humpy, the Renegade, the Adams and the Elk Hair Caddis.

Adams/Parachute Adams: Sizes 12-22

The ubiquitous Adams is probably the most widely used dry fly pattern on the North American continent. It imitates any number of gray mayflies. I highly recommend acquiring as many Adams in various sizes as possible. Because of the difficult visibility with this pattern, I have switched over exclusively to Parachute Adams for sizes 16-22. Although this is a generic type pattern, a size 20 Parachute Adams performs quite well during a Trico or Baetis hatch on slow moving water with a nine-foot leader and 6X tippet.

The Trico spinner imitation has a small black body with divided white poly wings in the spinner position. During the heat of summer, get out on a Rocky Mountain river like the Clark Fork between 7 and 9 am (varies) for the Tricorithodes or Trico hatch followed by the spinner fall.
Although one of the smallest of mayfly species, nonetheless, this is a staple for feeding trout primarily because of the preponderant numbers during the spinner fall. Generally found in slower waters, the trout settle into a sipping, rhythmic rise form. Do not be deceived by the small rings and the dark noses - big fish! Fish in the morning during those dog days of August. I'm sure you will be delighted with the experience regardless of how many fish break off and get away. Because I have trouble seeing a small Trico, I often add on a small Trico as a trailer behind a small Parachute Adams.

Presentation: Classic, upstream dead drift.

Gray Drakes (Heptagenia and Siphlonurus) typically hatch throughout the summer starting in early June. Sizes 10-18.

Tricorythodes typically hatch late in the summer, usu-ally at the beginning of August. Sizes 20-26.

Light Cahill or Light Variant: Sizes 12-18

A light cream color Heptagenia mayfly imitation is another must have pattern. The Light Cahill pattern may also be used on slower waters and lakes to imitate Callibaetis. The Callibaetis dun body is olive-brown, however, so you may want to darken a few of your Light Cahills with a magic marker.

The Light Cahill can be used to imitate Ephemerella or Heptagenia mayflies, but be sure to closely inspect the size and color of the insect, and then match it with your color coded fly selection.

PMD - Pale Morning Dun

Pale Morning Duns are probably the most prolific and reli-able hatch from Glacier to Yellowstone. These Ephemerella drake patterns should be part of your must-have patterns in sizes 16-22. PMDs hatch from June through October. Lighter in color from their cousins the Green Drakes, their bodies range from olive green to pale yellow and tan. The wings are generally slate gray to yellow. PMD cripples should be part of your collection. Nymph patterns such as the Zug Bug, Gray Nymph and the Hare's Ear generally work well. The darker green patterns will work well during a Baetis hatch as well.

The famous Green Drake hatches (Ephemerella grandis) are typically from mid-June through mid-July. If you are in an area with a Green Drake hatch, be sure to stock up on a number of these drake patterns at the nearest fly shop. The hatch is generally not heavy, but if they are out, the trout are looking for them. Reports from guides returning to the shop will determine if you should buy traditional drake patterns or Compara Duns or Green Para-drakes. All of the above patterns range in color from pale yellow to green to olive brown. Stock up.

Elk Hair Caddis: Sizes 10-18

Unlike the graceful rise and gliding fall of the mayfly, a cad-dis hatch looks like a burst of kindergartners swarming over a playground. An accompanying soundtrack for a mayfly would be a Viennese waltz. Conversely, the caddis dance would be a rap soundtrack by Snoop Dogg. Generally, the caddis will hatch in the evening. The most popular body colors are brown, olive, green, gray and tan.

Caddis flies are not easily missed, and in the pupa and winged stages they are an important part of the trout's diet. Look for them in the quiet pocket water under willow branches or overhangs, especially in the evening. You may also want to select a few patterns for the emergent phase such as a sparkle pupa. For larger caddis imitations use a Humpy or an X-Caddis. Use a Goddard Caddis for fast, heavy water.

One of the Montana guides I worked with collected the caddis cases and tied them on a Mustad hook with a peacock thorax. He fished them on a dead drift on the Big Hole, and I was impressed! Beginning with the Grannom Caddis hatch in May, caddis emerge throughout the summer and fall. The most consistently popular pattern is the Elk Hair Caddis.

Presentation: Classic, upstream dead drift or erratic ac-tion produced by rod tip action.

Blue-Wing Olive: Sizes 16-22

The Baetis (Blue-Wing Olive) is an important pattern in Montana, as Baetis hatch from May through October. They are generally smaller than a PMD. The body color for a Baetis pattern is olive brown with gray wings and light gray hackle. It is not uncommon for trout to be sipping the smaller Baetis during a hatch of PMDs.

Salmon Fly

Montana's favorite hatch calls for big bugs that hold up under heavy water conditions. They need to stay high and dry. The Salmon Fly pattern is constantly being reinvented and im-proved. During a Salmon Fly hatch, local shops have these flies displayed in tubs and buckets. The Salmon Fly hatch generally emerges late May and is essentially over by mid July. Water temperatures need to be in the low 50s.

Stimulator

The Stimulator represents a pattern for stone-flies in orange and yellow. When the trout quit hitting the big Salmon Fly patterns, they tend to strike at smaller stimulators long after the Salmon Fly hatch is over. The Stimulator is best used during a Golden Stonefly hatch.

Streamers and Wet Flies
Muddler Minnow: Sizes 4-8

Popularized by Dan Bailey of Livingston, Montana, the Muddler Minnow should always be in your fly box. I have met fly fishers who fish almost exclusively with Muddler Minnow patterns. Along with its offshoot, the Marabou Muddler, this pattern has probably taken more large fish than any other fly, especially on the Yellowstone River. The Muddler may also be greased up and used as an effective hopper pattern, and I have used it both dry and wet on the same cast with interesting results.

Presentation: Fish the Muddler slightly upstream or down-stream in a quartering action. Retrieve the Muddler by simultaneously pumping the rod tip and stripping in the line in quick, little jerks which imitates the darting action of a sculpin minnow. Allow for pauses, and add weight if necessary.

Woolly Bugger: Sizes 4-8

This pattern is a must for late spring and early summer when the water is high and off-color and the hatches are sporadic. If you are fishing from shore, make short casts around all the rocks and boulders. Be sure the fly is actually sinking to the bottom. Add lead to your leader if necessary. Use a short 2X or 3X leader. Make short casts and keep the rod tip high so that you keep the Bugger bouncing along the bottom. Lift the rod tip when you feel a bump. Do not assume it is just a rock. If it is, lower the rod tip and let the bugger sink again.

Yuk Bug and Girdle Bug: Sizes 6-12

I love this bug! I have caught so many beautiful fish during early summer when the water is still high but clear. I float along until I find a logjam or flooded backwater eddy. I usually select a size 10 Yuk Bug. The Yuk Bug has a dark body wrapped with grizzly hackle. Protruding from the body are white rubber legs. I find I generally have to cut back on the length of the rubber legs. I want them to pulse, and I want them to flare at the sides rather than collapsing backwards. I do not use weight. I fish it like a dry fly, allowing it to gradually sink. Most important, I cast from a kneeling position. I am always amazed at how adept large trout are at hiding. As the Yuk Bug sinks into quiet water, the trout will slowly emerge from its hiding spot. I have had large trout appear from under a small tree trunk in shallow water. They never rush to the Yuk. They take their time. It also works well in creeks and small streams. I love this bug!

Nymphs
Hare's Ear Nymph: Sizes 12-16

In my opinion, this is the best of the small nymph patterns for spring creeks, beaver ponds and slow, flat stretches of river. When I fish high-elevation lakes, I always bring along the Hare's Ear Nymph and a Zug Bug in smaller sizes. They work wonders. If you have someone along who is not an accomplished fly caster, use a plastic water-filled bubble with as long of a leader as possible. Attach a Hare's Ear or Zug Bug and cast out as far as possible and retrieve with a spinning reel. If the fish are rising to the surface, be sure to cast way over them, as the splashdown from the water-filled bubble will spook the fish in the near vicinity.

Bead-head Prince Nymph

This is perhaps the most popular nymph in the region! If you don't have any, head to the nearest fly shop. They work great as a dropper off a hopper pattern during the heat of August.

Pheasant Tail

The Pheasant Tail Nymph is an excellent soft hackle nymph for slow water. The key to this fly is a slender silhouette and a sparely-tied hackle.

Terrestrials
Hopper (Joe's, Dave's, Jay's, Dan's): Sizes 6-12

As you can see from the partial list of Hopper contributors, grasshopper imitations are recorded in the "Who's Who of Terrestrials". Rarely, however, will you find such citations on the bins in a fly shop. For beginners I recommend a clipped deer-hair collar. This feature adds stability and superior floatation. Although the grasshopper is meant to have a low silhouette, without the deer hair the buoyancy is drastically reduced and the caster generally struggles with a sinking pattern.

Presentation: The best source of information on hoppers can be found in the September 1985 issue of Fly Fisherman. In this issue Dave Whitlock, in his article "Hoppertunity", discusses hopper behavior, pattern characteristics and Hoppertunity Techniques. Here are a few of his suggestions: Being a terrestrial insect, the grasshopper is on unfamiliar "ground" when he gets blown on the water. No gentle landings here. Make a splash with your hopper. Strip the hopper in with intermittent twitches from rod-tip action. Use a heavy tippet, and use a twist piece of lead to sink the hopper in those promising pools. Cast close to undercut banks and overhangs where trout hide during low water periods. Fish during the heat of the day. Carefully pick your targeted area. Although a smashing hopper on top of the water will trigger a strike, it also quite often spooks fish in the outlying area. Keep moving and practice stealth.

Beetle Patterns

The deer hair patterns dyed black work wonders. Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes in their outstanding book, The Complete Book of Western Hatches, point out that the Woolly Worm is also a good pattern to imitate a water beetle in still or slow moving water.
Ant

Although ant patterns are difficult to see in small sizes, ants are a staple diet for trout during the summer.

Bead-Head San Juan Worm

I have always had a certain amount of disdain for the San Juan Worm, but I have a growing appreciation for this pattern during the spring and again late in the fall. I favor the bead-head version with the bead in the center.

Well, there you have it - the 20 patterns that I would never leave home without!

If you actually got this far, and you are a beginning fly fisher, be sure to check out "Mastering the Basics of Fly Fishing" by following the link from this site to my Montana site.

www.techvest.biz

I recently purchased a high tech fishing vest that may be the organizational design that I have needed for over forty years of fly fishing. Designed by Les Zuck, a Montana native and ardent fly fisher, his Tech Vest accommodates all the gear you commonly need in a highly engineered compact vest. I especially like the rod holder and the custom designed tool box in the center with four retractors for tools such as nipper and clamps.

I hope you will visit the Tech Vest site. You will note that on all three of my web sites I do not have product sponsors, and all the products that I endorse I paid cash for the product and enthusiastically endorse. I have been waiting for a cloth vest to wear out for over fifteen years, but I couldn't wait more years - I bought the Tech Vest. Check out all the well thought out features.

www.techvest.biz

Part I: Safety, Preparation and Rowing Techniques
Part II: Advantages of Kick Boats and One-Man Rafts
Part III: Float Fishing Strategies

Note: The Waterstrider rafts depicted in this article are build by Dave Inks in Hamilton, Montana.

When I moved to Wyoming in my twenties, I signed up for a hunter's safety course. At least thirty people of all ages shuffled into the Game and Fish meeting room and took their seats on the folding chairs. People talked quietly, as if they were in a church. Presently a uniformed spokesman, after some preliminary discourse, asked a profoundly simple question. "How many of you attending this Hunter's Safety Class have experienced an accident or a near accident involving firearms?"

I was shocked with how quickly at least three-fourths of the attendees raised their hands. I was also struck with the honesty and quickness in raising their hands. My own hand had been slow to rise, in part from some deep seated shame of having pointed an "unloaded" gun at an adolescent friend with my finger on the trigger. Fortunately, a respected family member's instruction a year or two previous to this horrific moment came to the forefront of my senses, and I lowered the .22 rifle. I opened the chamber for my friend's inspection. When the .22 shell ejected, I apologized and made a hasty retreat to the bathroom where I quelled my nausea.

I would submit that any assemblage of river floaters, if asked to raise their hand owning up to a water accident or boating accident, would be slow to respond, not from a lack of honesty but out of sheer ignorance. Unlike firearm accidents, boating accidents do not have a smoking gun. They do not have a pulled trigger. What they do have is a perilous temptation with death or injury that is perpetrated out of ignorance or carelessness. Unlike the discharge of a firearm, with its instantaneous report of death or injury, potential river tragedies often go unnoticed. Float fishing from a personal water craft rewards anglers with increased fishing success and miles of scenic beauty; a successful outing, of course, requires safe preparation, good rowing skills, self-rescue knowledge, along with effective fishing techniques.

Safety
Anyone who has lost a loved one from a boating accident knows the importance of wearing an approved life jacket. I have always distained wearing a life vest, as they are hot and get in the way of my casting. After a near drowning accident at age 60, I wear a suspenders vest with an inflatable C02 pull-string. I don't even know that I have it on, and I do keep it on even in shallow, innocuous looking water. Keep a lifeline or throw rope handy, especially if you are floating with a group. Bring along plenty of rope and a first aid kit. A dry bag for extra clothes is essential. Keep this bag where it can be easily reached. Add to this bag the necessary provisions for starting a fire, and be sure to throw in some extra batteries for the flashlight. For years I carried a flare in my dry bag when I floated in the late fall or winter. A flare is a quick fire starter. Beware of the vagaries of weather. Hypothermia is always a present danger in the mountain states. Even water temperatures in the 50s can drain one's strength and rob the body of heat. Being immersed in water temperatures in the high 40's is an instant shock to the system. Strong swimmers without life jackets have perished under these conditions, especially when the air temperatures are in the high 60's or low 70's and floaters have shed outer garments.

A good knife and rain gear is essential. The biggest safety tip is the most obvious and most often overlooked: the oarsman should be completely sober and alert at all times. This means scanning the river ahead 100 yards at a time and pulling over to scout any difficult passage. Taking your eyes off the river or helping a buddy land a fish is the primary factor in many river accidents. Prior to launching, examine all of the equipment for damage.

The next step is preparedness. Call the local fishing shops or rv parks close to the river and ask for updated river information, or ask for the name of a local guide or ranger. Each year after spring run-off, professional river runners navigate stretches of the river noting new channels, strainers and sweepers. This information gets passed around locally and shared with everyone who asks for it. Beginning floaters need to understand the power and dynamics of moving water. The most common obstacles or dangers are in-stream obstacles such as rocks and boulders, strainers, pillows, hydraulics, chutes and cliffs, which deflect the full force of the current. Shoreline obstacles also include rocks, strainers and sweepers, commonly found on all Montana Rivers.

Broaching and obstacle sideways in a boat creates "a clear and present danger." With the possible exception of allowing the current to spin the boat backwards with the rower facing upstream, broaching a boat or raft is clearly the most dangerous position a rower faces. Sweeping broadside into an obstacle requires instantaneous reaction. Any delay and a rower is at risk of the obstacle sucking the boat down under the water, sometimes creating a wrap-around effect.

Broaching Escape Maneuver: In the following photograph, Dave Inks, inventor of the Water Strider one-man raft, demonstrates how to escapes broaching a rock on the Blackfoot River. He quickly pulls on his right oar, which spins him around to the side of the rock. He has already pulled in his left oar, and with his left hand he can push off the rock. What he doesn't do is lean too far into the rock, nor does he panic and shift his weight upstream, which could easily flip the boat, as he completes the maneuver. (

(Note: When I realized that Dave did not have a life jacket on him, I asked him to wear a life jacket and he declined. I was wearing mine!)

When I was a young fly fishing guide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I was guiding an elderly couple on the Snake River early in the summer. The water was very cold and still flooding its banks. I decided to take a small side channel. The tall meadow grass spilled sparkling rivulets of water into the side channel, and the pebbled bottom cast glittering rays of stream light. Wildflowers were abundant, and the cottonwoods showcased their new, yellow-tinted foliage. The Tetons loomed over us still snow-capped with their majestic, cragged peaks. We all sat in silence just taking in the scenery.

Rounding a corner we picked up speed as the gradient dropped. Suddenly in front of us was a strainer, a bare, single cottonwood trunk angling up out of the water and facing upstream. Strainers are extremely dangerous because the current is pulled downwards as it courses over a partly submerged tree. Wrapped around the strainer underwater was a green, seventeen foot Coleman canoe. We quickly glanced up to the bank overlooking this scene of disaster and observed three sullen men. I pulled into the eddy under the verdant bank they were resting on and asked, "Is everyone alright?" They were drenched. One man avoided our gazes entirely by resting his head between his knees. Apparently, we had just missed the accident. One of the men soberly replied, "We're alright now, but it was a close call."

The lady client turned to me with a quizzical look. I too was perplexed. At the deepest spot in this side channel, and on both sides of the strainer, the depth of water was no deeper than two and a half feet. Below the strainer the water welled up across a shallow riffle. The entire pool was less than ten yards long, and yet these men had ashen complexions and were clearly in shock.

It was impossible to extricate the canoe with four strong men. I thought it was a useless folly, but I joined in to help the men, as I sensed they needed to do something besides silently staring at the water. The force of water kept the collapsed canoe in place. I offered them a ride to the highway bridge. The nearly drowned victim said nary a word. The other friend was also reticent about sharing information on their mishap. The third man spilled his guts. He couldn't stop talking.

Captains and titans of the business world, these three imagoes were on a mission to buy a ranch or spread in Jackson Hole. Since it was a warm day, on impulse they decided to float the river. They stopped in at a sporting goods store, picked up a canoe and some paddles, bought a cheap ice chest and stocked up on beer. Life jackets were considered a frivolous expenditure for this spontaneous expedition. They drank heavily all day. By their own admissions, they had a number of close calls and near misses with the canoe. Each incident they roared with laughter and reached for another beer. Wanting to slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery, they took the side-channel and let their guard down. After all, it was shallow water.

On one of the turns through the meadow, the canoe turned sideways. The men laid down their oars and drank their beer, laughing out loud at all the anecdotal stories they would be able to tell their friends and family. Coming around the final corner, the water compressed into a fast riffle. Their view was obscured by the tall grass on the banks. They made no effort to straighten their course. Dropping down the riffle into the pool, they saw the strainer. The men clumsily grabbed their oars knowing they were going to capsize, get drenched and pull their laughing bodies up on the shore. It worked just as they had planned.

Into the water the man at the bow of the boat and the stern of the boat fell. Gasping for breath from the cold water they slipped and fell and dragged themselves up to the shore laughing like boys who had just pushed each other into a swimming pool at a birthday party. It was more than a minute before the duo realized they weren't a trio. They bolted upright and were stunned to see a scene completely absent of their friend, who had been seated in the middle of the canoe. The canoe was now under water and completely wrapped down both sides of the strainer. The top of the cottonwood was bouncing in agitation, as if it was in pain from the foreign obstacle enveloping it. The men shook off their stupor and charged for the capsized canoe.

They could feel the body of their friend under the canoe. He was wedged at the waist at the bottom of the tree trunk in less than three feet of water. His upper torso and his legs divided the strainer's sweep from the bottom to the surface. The two men could neither budge the canoe nor extricate their friend. Finally, one man pulled his friends legs downstream, while the other friend dove under the water and pushed the head and trunk up and around the trap. At least three or four minutes elapsed. The victim, thankfully, had just taken a deep breath as he glanced below the tip of the outreached tree trunk. He fought with all of his might to turn and twist free while under the water. At the moment his lungs gave out, he felt his friends tugging and pulling on him. He regained consciousness when they pulled him ashore.

Many years later I pulled a baby from a cottonwood tree in the middle of a slow section of the Bitterroot River, in Montana, just behind Hamilton High School. In their panic, the mothers kept diving into the water only to be swept below the tree and the stranded baby. When I came into view around a turn in the river, the women were screaming and waving their arms hysterically. I began pushing on the oars. I couldn't understand a word they were yelling, and then I spotted a year old baby.

The mothers had been inner tubing on a hot summer day with their children. None of them had life jackets on them or tied to their tubes. The hysterical mother with the lost baby had prudently prepared her baby for the float trip behind town. She placed Angel Wings on her baby's arms. In truth, the Angel wings saved the baby's life. When the current sucked the baby down between the branches, the arm floatation devices jammed in the branches. When I pulled up close to the drowned tree, I observed that the baby was face up. Her mouth was barely above water. She was coughing and spitting up water. The rescue was neither gallant nor noteworthy. I did not calmly return the baby to the mother. My own shock set in, and I found myself angrily lecturing this poor, sobbing mother as I delivered the baby to her arms. Later I felt miserable about my reaction. It was clearly not appropriate for the situation.

One nemesis for float fishers is sweepers. As the name implies, half-fallen trees overhanging the water lie in wait for anglers who concentrate more on their fly than the river ahead. After I gave up guiding in western Montana, my wife and I opened up a bed and breakfast establishment for fly fishers. I offered guided float trips on gentle sections of the river. Since I was not operating as a guide or operator of a boat or raft, I felt I was free of any liability in case of an accident. I gave a presentation the night before on oaring and safety. I repeated all the points prior to launching the next day. I insisted everyone wear life jackets, and I reminded them that we were all captains of their own little boat, and they were fishing and floating independently. In one summer I had a teenage boy and an elderly man knocked out of their small boats by sweeping branches. My son Darin was taking a business law class at the University of Montana. When the professor heard about these two incidents, he impressed upon Darin that I was risking a major law suit that I would lose. I ended the trips. I too have been surprised by sweepers on occasion. The advice seems too simple. Keep looking up and targeting obstacles for at least a hundred yards!

. A Hydraulic is a powerful, deep hole, which is usually found below a diversion dams (weir) or at a confluence with another river, when the water drops over a ledge. They should always be avoided. Sometimes they look very safe. Avoid them by portaging.

As a beginning rower, the beginner should immediately look for his or her first obstacle. An obstacle can be a mid-stream boulder, a strainer, a sweeper, a narrow chute, partially submerged rocks, current breaks, hydraulics and any other potential danger. It can even be the bank or shoreline that the current is moving towards. Once the first obstacle is established, the rower should position the boat so that the bow is facing the obstacle with the stern of the boat partially facing up stream. The rower is now in a position to row away from the first obstacle. As the rower faces the first obstacle, he or she should glance downstream for the second and third obstacle. Note in the following photograph that the first rower has allowed her boat to turn sideways, a dangerous position. Although Dave Inks' rafts are quick to respond, one should stay in the correct position to immediately row away from an obstacle. Note the angle of Dave's boat.

Look at every obstacle closely. Don't over react and expend a lot of rowing effort when a few pulls of the oar will be sufficient to slip by the obstacle. However, if the current is swift, and you are on a collision path, start ferrying your water craft laterally across the river away from the obstacle. Many beginners make the mistake of allowing the stern, or the back of the boat, to slip downstream ahead of them, which leaves them facing upstream in a dangerous situation. To avoid this keep the bow downstream with the stern at a 30 to 40 degree angle. In this position the rower will make progress across the stream away from the obstacle. Keeping the stern of the boat at an angle allows the boat to make progress laterally without danger of the stern of the boat spinning around. Rowers should never get in the habit of trying to push a boat to safety. To row away from an object, begin by thrusting your arms and the oars directly facing the object.

Dip the oars into the water (not too deep), and pull the oars to your chest. Most of us have more muscle, pulling power than pushing power.

Prior to floating a Class II or Class III river, practice spinning your craft 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 360 degrees from both directions. My son Brandon Archer demonstrates this technique in one of my Little Dippers on the Bitterroot River. In the photograph below, Brandon pulls on his left oar while simultaneously pushing on his right oar. Practice these maneuvers until they become second nature or reflexive.

High Siding is an accident waiting to happen on the water. When passengers shift to one side of the boat, the weight shift tips the boat and robs the rower of his control. It is not uncommon to have someone spill out of a raft or drift boat when embarking for shore in shallow water. Someone falling and hitting their head on a rock can easily be avoided. The rower should take charge when he anchors the boat near the shoreline to exit passengers. The rower should exit first. If the water is not too deep on the outside, the rower should stand a thwart towards the middle of the boat and steady the boat as one angler at a time exits without rods in their hands. The easiest maneuver is one leg at a time with a shift in weight balance. Hold on to the gunwale or raft frame firmly. The rower can lift or tilt the boat slightly to help the departing passenger.

High Siding while the boat or raft is in motion rarely happens. People just know the obvious. High Siding on a strainer or a pillow seems to be a natural reaction that places everyone in the boat in danger. My first boating accident was when I had been guiding for three years in Montana. It was spring and the waters were high, fast and cold. Although the white water enthusiasts were enjoying themselves, it was folly to fish. My outfitter had out of town guests who wanted to fish large nymphs. I insisted they wear life jackets and belts on their waders. One of the clients did not have a belt, so I gave him mine. When I went to put on my own life jacket, I was surprised to discover that I had inadvertently grabbed a child's vest. This was probably twenty-five years ago, and I was wearing Seal Dry waders, a thin latex plastic wader that stretched and ballooned out like a sea anchor.

I was being as cautious as I could be. The clients were asking to move in closer to the shoreline and the spring sweepers. One of the gentlemen was fishing with a rod he had built. He was clearly proud of his creation. He was fishing with a lead-core shooting head with weighted Woolly Buggers. I repeatedly reminded him that he was catching the bottom, and with the speed of the current, if he hung up, the rod would be jerked right out of his hands. Right after the second caution, he hung up. His rod bent in an unbelievable arc, and he shifted the rod to the upstream side of the raft. He uttered something between a sigh and a short whimper and reluctantly surrendered the fly rod to the swift current.

I shot a glance downstream and noted the strainer towards the shoreline. I was convinced I had enough distance to save his rod. I spun the raft around using the push-pull oaring technique, flung the oars to the center of the raft, dropped to my knees on the bottom of the raft, leaned overboard and grabbed the tip of his fly rod. I jumped quickly to my rowing seat and gauged the distance to the outstretched tree trunk looming up in the middle of the river. I was lined up to broach the strainer dead even on the side of the boat. No problem I thought to myself, but when I leaned on the oars, I was shocked to discover how fast I was floating and how little progress I was making.

I faced a dilemma that all beginners should understand without equivocation. Never try to push the boat with the oars. Always pull away from the obstacle. I correctly reacted to the situation once I realized I was going to broach the strainer. I spun the boat around so that the bow was now facing the obstacle straight on. I yelled to the two men up front to reach out and push us away from the tree trunk, while I tried another hard pull on the right oar. It was a successful maneuver. We were just going to take a glancing blow. I didn't even need their help.

Just as I touched the strainer on its side, the two men stood up in the bow of the raft. I went mute as I watched in astonishment. Standing on the soft floor of the raft, both men leaned over the side and pushed. We were instantly high sided, and the bulging water along side the strainer pulled the boat under and flipped the 14-foot raft, all its equipment and three men like paper dolls. The two men floated over to the shoreline easily. When I came up to the surface, my waders had ballooned out with water, and I immediately began to sink, but not before I grabbed a roped which was tied to the side of the raft. Dropping down into a set of waves, I got spun around under the tipped raft. Then I lost my rope grip on the left side of the raft when I large wave pulled me completely out of the water.

I dropped under the water like a cannon ball falling off the poop deck. My eyes were open, and I could see trailing branches from a willow tree. I managed to grab a thin branch no thicker than my thumb. It was the last bush I could have grasped. A few yards downstream a log jam pulsed and shook from the current.. After I dropped off my two clients and filed a report, I went home to an empty house. I had just gone through a divorce. I was in shock for hours and couldn't sleep. The news of my accident spread through the guide ranks up and down the valley. I was ashamed of my incompetence and poor judgment, and I dreaded meeting the other guides. Strangely, no one ever made reference to my accident over the next fifteen years or asked me about it. I should have talked about it. It still haunts me to this day. I jeopardized the lives of my two passengers for a fly rod.

When you need a rowing break, and you find yourself in dangerous, boulder strewn waters, look for an Eddy - a pocket of quiet water behind a large boulder or a narrow slice of shoreline from a slope or boulder field. The water tends to circle around and move upstream. Here you can rest quietly by just feathering the oars before you push off again.

Always scout the river ahead. If need be you can easily tie a line to your boat and safely walk the boat through a dangerous section. If you are in a group, the most experienced rower should be the lead rower. He or she can wave the group on if the route is safe. Let the leader navigate through the rough section first, and one-by-one the rowers behind may follow his or her path to safety.

Sometimes a Pillow, which is an up surging pillow of water when a strong current is pushed up against a bridge abutment or large rock, can actually deflect you away from the wall, abutment or cliff. However, they are, nonetheless, dangerous and the rower should take action to avoid them.

These are just some of the challenges of floating a river. Beginning float fishers should begin on slow, moving water in order to practice good rowing techniques and casting techniques. Only experienced rowers should attempt to navigate mountain streams strewn with boulders.

Instead, practice boat handling skills and fishing skills on slow moving waters that hold big fish. What follows is a quick summary review.

Summary Review: One of the best books that I have read on river floating is Stan Bradshaw's book, River Safety. ISBN: 1-890373-08-7

1. Wear a Life Jacket at all times.

2. Stock your Dry Bag with safety provisions. Include the following: a first aide kit; a pocket knife; extra clothes and rain gear; a stocking cap; rope; flash light; food; a plastic tarp; water bottle and water filter; patch kit.

3. Obstacles: Look for your first obstacle, such as the current pushing into the approaching bank. Other obstacles are rocks, side-currents, sweepers, strainers, hydraulics, log jams, bridge abutments etc.

4. Practice ferrying across current, and practice the push-pull oaring technique for quick boat maneuvering.

5. If you are thrown or tipped out of your raft, roll on your back with your feet facing downstream. In this position you may push off rocks and other obstacles. Once you are in the clear, swim for shore. (Bradshaw's book is filled with self-rescue techniques, as well as assisted rescue. It should be required reading!)

6. Check out river conditions prior to launching, and be prepared for adverse weather changes.

7. Always scout challenging or dangerous water. If necessary, line-out your boat or portage around the section.

8. Always keep your boat pointed at the next obstacle. Be prepared to PULL the oars. Your boat should be at a 30 to 45 degree angle.

9. Keep looking ahead as far as a 100 yards. Do not allow your fishing to interfere with safe boating practices.

10. Never drink or take drugs prior to floating a river, and certainly not while you are on the water.

What's wrong in these photographs?

The answer, of course, is that I am the angler holding up the small largemouth caught on a plastic worm. My old friend, Bill DeWalt, proudly displays a hefty striper caught on a fly rod using a Clouser Minnow pattern that he had tied. While I doggedly preserved with my conventional gear hoping to catch a nice largemouth, Bill stayed the course with his fly rod. He caught a couple of small stripers and encouraged me to switch to fly fishing. I grumbled that I have fly fished my entire life, and I now wanted to fish with conventional gear. Besides, the fishing was slow, and I thought I had a better chance with my bait casting rig and a jig. Although I wished I was holding that big fish, I was thrilled that it was landed in my boat. I am now convinced that fly fishing for bass on the delta is a viable alternative to slinging hardware. I am also intrigued with the notion that largemouth bass rarely see a presented fly, unlike the constant barrage of spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic that drop in on them everyday of the season.

I traveled to the Sacramento-Delta this spring only to find myself in the middle of a cold-front. It occurred to me that fly fishing anglers from Montana undoubtedly would enjoy a fly fishing trip to the Sacramento delta. It is a wonderland of waterways. Built over 100 years ago to control the Sierra snow melt from the Sacramento River, the Mokolumne River and the San Joaquin River, the system claims almost a thousand miles of river, tidal lakes, sloughs and cuts. The delta has attracted the attention of tournament bass fishers for decades, and some experts predict that a world record largemouth bass could very well be lurking there now, especially with the introduction of a Florida strain of LMB. Striped Bass can be found in the delta year-around, but the migratory Striped Bass coming into the delta from the ocean and San Francisco Bay attract anglers from all around the region. The bass arrive in the spring for their spawning. By mid-June these migratory bass return to the San Francisco Bay and the ocean, but they return again in the fall. With so much water available, and so many fish, where would a new visitor launch for the first time?

The first step is to buy a map of the delta from one of the following sources:

Department of Fish and Game, Central Valley-Bay Delta Branch, 4001 Wilson Way, Stockton, CA 95205. (209) 948-7800. Go on line to view maps from the Department of Fish and game: http://www.delta.dfg.ca.gov/stripedbass/

www.frankomaps.com

www.fishnmap.com

I believe that the best chance for success, good camping, and the least chance of getting lost is to target one of the tracts, which were once farming tracts. Through the years flooding conditions caused major breaks in the levies flooding farmland and creating large lakes. One area that I especially like to launch from is B&W Resort, just across the Sacramento River from Rio Vista on High 12. For reservations call 916.777.6161 or email them at info@bandwresort.com. B&W does not have camping, but they let me stay in my camper in a parking area. I like this resort because it is close to Frank's Tract, the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River. Continuing on Highway 12 east towards Lodi, Tower Marina has a KOA next door, and it offers good fishing for stripers and largemouth in the Beaver Slough, Hog Slough and Sycamore Slough area. http://www.towerparkresort.com/
It too is within reasonable distance to Frank's Tract. Another great destination is Mildred Island, which offers good fishing on the lake and all around the track.

Here are some links for further information

http://www.californiadelta.org/

http://www.fishsniffer.com/

http://www.deltastripers.com/

August 1, 2007

Our targeted hatch, often misidentified as a Green Drake or a Pale Morning Dun, was the genus, Emphemerella, the species doddsi. Leisurely gliding down the Williamson River in south-central Oregon, the dark green waters silhouetted the unmistakable sails of mayflies, but we were on a mission to locate the doddsi and test Sid's latest nymph pattern. Pushing on to the frog water, Sid gently rowed his drift boat while scanning the river ahead for the chameleon of Mayflies. I would learn that the doddsi posed a serious challenge to fly tiers in that within an hour of breaking through the surface and transforming to a dun, the body would take on an entirely new hue from yellow to dark, mottled green or a greenish brown. Large fish were nudging the surface and sucking down a variety of mayflies. Although the sippers and boiling trout quickened my heart rate, Sid, impervious to the obvious potential to cast to fish forty feet from the boat, kept his attention on the water. "There's one, no two," he exclaimed. "Up against the opposite bank just below that log. OK, let's see how long they drift before being gulped for breakfast."

I looked across the river straining to see the bugs that he was watching. "Yes, I see one I proudly concurred."

"Gone! Look at that boil. That was a nice fish," Sid said.

"Well, I saw the rise, I saw the boil, but I am confused because I still see the bug floating unmolested," I replied.

Sid turned and looked at me. Noting that I was squinting through my glasses he asked, "How many bugs did you see floating?"

"One," I replied.

"What you were looking at was a Hexagenia limbata, about five times the size of a doddsi."

"No wonder I could see it," I mumbled. Later we would catch a Hex, and it would measure a full inch from the head to the end of the abdomen. Although typically emerging at dusk and into the night, we observed numerous Hexagenia drifting along with the doddsi. I was floating on a world class trout river famous for its huge trout with a quintessential world class fly fishing guide, Sid Mathis of Free Spirit Guide Service in Klamath Falls (541-884-3222). Earlier in the year I had asked to interview Sid, and now here I was in his drift boat watching Sid catch and release Klamath Lake rainbows on a beautiful section of the Williamson River. The only floating section on the lower river stretches no more than three miles from the county boat launch just outside of Chiloquin to the Wagon Wheel Campground below. Unlike the freestone rivers of Montana that I guided on, float fishing the Williamson River is akin to stillwater fly fishing. We anchored in one small area for two hours. During that period I would estimate that I saw between forty and fifty rises. When we drifted further downstream, Sid had me hang over the bow and count the trophy size trout darting out of the shadow of the boat. In two holes, within a forty yard stretch, I counted over twenty fish, weighing two to five pounds. Awestruck, I took my seat, opened up my briefcase and took out pen and pad along with a tape recorder. Earlier I had explained that I wanted to write a good article on fishing the Williamson River and Klamath Lake. I wanted to avoid the glib generalities that I had encountered in numerous articles that I had collected, and I wanted to gather this information from an authoritative source.

Q: How long have you been a guide, and did you have a mentor to help you launch your career on this challenging water?

Sid: I started fly fishing in 1976. By 1978 I had adopted the principle of Catch-and-Release. In 1980 I learned from an inside source that they were going to shut down the mill that I worked at. I had been running shuttles for Rich Henry, a Native American and local guide on the Williamson River. Rich grew up in the Beatty area and began fly fishing and fly tying in the early 70's. He was a great caster and an innovative tier. He asked me if I would be interested in guiding for him when he had more bookings than he could handle. I got the overflow, but I soon discovered that I had clients that would bring along a thousand bucks worth of flies and argue with me if I tried to steer them to one of my favorite patterns. Although I knew what I had was a better offering, I didn't have the experience or knowledge to change their minds. When my clients persisted in using poor fly selections and didn't catch any fish, I knew I had to master my craft. I went to Rich and told him that if I was going to continue as a guide, I had to do it right and master this new career.

I asked Rich if he would teach me all that he knew. Rich took a long pause before answering. He reminded me that he made his living guiding and that to take me on as a student would cut into the days he could otherwise spend on the river guiding fly fishermen. I pressed him and asked him how much he wanted. I would need $25,000 he said. That was a lot of money in 1982, and I was at a loss of words. I told him it was a lot of money for a year of tutoring. He replied that it would take maybe three years. I agreed to pay him half at the beginning and the other half when he felt I was done. I won't describe my wife's reaction, but after 27 years of guiding, I never spent $25,000 on anything as valuable as those three years studying under Rich Henry.

Q: Is he still alive? What was he like? What was your training like?

Sid: Yes, he is still alive. He lives in Brookings, Oregon. Although the fly fishing community doesn't know much about Rich, the fly fishing gurus know Rich Henry. Rich is a kind-hearted man, a conservationist. He is a short, muscular man with broad shoulders, big arms and enormous hands. How in the world he could tie a fly on a miniscule #32 hook is beyond me. When he took me on he made me swear never to kill a fish intentionally and only use primary sources for my aquatic entomological research. Rich placed the most emphasis on aquatic research, learning all about fish food. We would go out on the rivers and the lake and gather specimens to bring back to Rich's trailer and identify. I learned about environmental factors that influenced the hatches. Then I learned how to identify nymphs by their swimming actions, and where and when they hatched, and we studied the insect migrations. It was as intense as any college program, but like many students I got myself in trouble.

The intense studying and note taking and cataloguing my drawings became tedious. One day when we were in the field, I spouted off some information that I had just read in a book. Rich looked at me quizzically and told me to finish up my sampling and then he wanted to talk to me back in his trailer, which was not too far from the river. I had no idea what he would want to talk to be about back in his trailer rather than there on the river bank. When I got back to his trailer, he had a serious look on his face, and I knew that somehow I had made a mistake. He asked me if I had been reading secondary sources. I admitted that I had. If you are going to take short-cuts and read secondary sources, he said, you don't need me to guide you. If you are going to read books on aquatic entomology and follow their recommended fly patterns, than you should be reading Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes' book, Western Hatches and Mayflies, the Angler and the Trout by Frank L. Arbona Jr. . He slammed the books on the table. Then he reached over and dropped Needham's Aquatic Entomology on the table and asked which it was going to be. I sheepishly picked up Needham's book. Rich turned and left the room. When he returned he gently laid three college degrees on the table. Two of the degrees were in the field of biology.

Q: You had an apprenticeship with a master! Your Yoda was a college educated, Native American fly fishing guide! You have told me that you guide on Klamath Lake and the Williamson River, and then you guide steelhead anglers over on the Chetco. What I want to learn, and hopefully my blog readers will want to learn, is how to cut this huge lake down to size and not lose too many seasons fishing in the wrong spots. Let's start with the best time periods for the well-known fishing spots on the lake that a new comer can find on the Graphic Press map of Upper Klamath Lake. Start with the area around Pelican Marina at the outlet to Link River.

Sid: Many trout spend their winters in Lake Ewauna. They move up the Link River into the bay around Pelican Marina in early March through the end of April, sometimes into the first part of May.

Q: What about the waters surrounding Eagle Ridge?

Sid: Many of the fish moving up out of Lake Ewauna eventually move up the lake to the Eagle Ridge area. Although some migrations reach the area towards the end of March and the beginning of April, most reach this stretch in May.

Q: After you round Eagle Ridge, two bays, Ball Bay and Shoal Water Bay, dominate the area. When should I target this area, and what should I use for patterns?

Sid: Ball Bay is a good bay to fish April and May. Both bays are big water so you have to search and locate the fish. Ideally, water temperatures should be 50-52. Look for evidence of caddis shucks on the water after a wind. Look for Callibaetis and PMD's. Some years the Caddis will predominate in this area and provide good fishing.

Q: Pelican Bay with its underground springs provides a sanctuary for the trout during the summer, and its small tributaries provide spawning grounds for the trout. What should I know about this area?

Sid: During the spring the trout move up Harriman Creek, Crystal Creek and Recreation Creek. It is a critical spawning area. After they leave the spawning beds and hold up in Pelican Bay, they are not in good shape. When the lake heats up to the low sixties to the mid 60's they move back into Pelican Bay to survive.
August is iffy?

Q: I keep hearing the locales making reference to the "fishing banks." I can't find a reference on the map. Where is it, and what should I know about this area?

Sid: The Fishing Banks area is the north end of Upper Klamath Lake from the entrance to Pelican Bay to the straights between Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake. It is a good area to fish much the same as Ball Bay. The Straight is a productive spot to fish.

Q: The recent articles that I have read on fishing Klamath Lake always tout the mouth of the Williamson River. Is it as good as they say?

Sid: Sadly it has been declining for a number of years, just as we are now seeing at the mouth of the Wood. I would favor fishing the Fish Banks or the Straight before I spent time at the mouth of the Williamson River.

Q: I am new to this area, but already I have heard some grumbling about the Wood River Restoration. I've heard of fewer and fewer reds on the feeder creeks going into the Wood River, and this year I saw a dramatic drop in boats lining up around the outlet of the Wood. I detected a note of despair. What are your concerns regarding the Wood River.

Sid: Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Wood River Wetlands Restoration were very beneficial. The third phase, however, was devastatingly unsuccessful. When they eliminated the numerous entrances from the lake to the Wood River, they did not anticipate that the mouth would form a delta of silt and gravel so shallow that the trout are reluctant to cross the bar. In addition to some serious fish kills, the fish have one less cool water retreat when the lake's water temperature reaches into its seasonal deadly highs above 65 degrees. It is not just that the Wood River is no longer a sanctuary and a loss of critical spawning habitat, the loss of the Wood River is impacting the Williamson River.

We are now observing an increase of spawning fish moving up the Williamson River. Areas in the drainage that are conducive to spawning are finite. Larger fish chase the smaller fish out of critical spawning areas, and the total numbers of reds drops with a corresponding impact on the number of trout in the lake. The loss of the Wood River as a migratory river for the lake's trout has created a secondary problem. More and more boats are now plying the Williamson River and the trout are being pounded. It's no rocket science here. It is black and white, and the agencies involved have run and ducked for cover.

Q: I hate to ask this question, as I know how many qualifying factors go into a question like this, but what do you consider the best time period to fish the lake?

Sid: I would have to pick mid June through mid July, subject of course to all those qualifying factors that you alluded to. The surface area of the lake is huge. Once the lake temperatures heat up to critical levels, the trout locate small springs that they seek out for refuge. The algae blooms and the expanse of the lake make it tougher to locate fish.

Q: How about the fall?

Sid: Generally, late September and October the water begins to cool. But it is the first cold rain storm that triggers a good bite. I like to get out on the lake a day or two later after Crystal, Recreation and Odessa Creeks start raising and dumping cold water into the lake. Those first good rain storms trigger a movement and a feeding response.

Q: What are your go-to patterns?

Sid: In May I am looking for PMD's and Caddis. In early June I am looking for the Callibaetis hatches, but I am fishing the nymph form. With warming water temperatures, we get a lot of PMD activity, and we also start fishing Chironomid patterns. Generally we need that first hot spell for the midges to pop, especially the blood, yellows and blacks. By late June I began switching to leeches, damselflies and dragonfly nymphs.

Q: With such a shallow lake, what is your count-down for your line and fly to reach the target zone?

Sid: Ninety percent of the time my count-down is from 3 to 5 seconds, and mostly 4 or 5 seconds.

Q: What about fly lines?

Sid: My first choice is Cortland's Camo intermediate full sinking line. For shallow water fishing, my choice is a greased floating line rather than a sink tip. I use sink tips for steelhead fishing, but I don't like them for stillwater fishing. They are heavier and less sensitive to feel. Plus they have that hinged effect. I much prefer a greased line for stillwaters. Basically, I just take an old dry line with cracks and add some abrasive action to the line by smearing it with silt or mud. The line sinks uniformly at about one inch per second and holds in the two to three foot target zone. It's an old steelhead method from the 40's that works great for shallow, stillwater nymphing. The clear advantage of the Greased Line Theory is the line does not spook fish like a floating line with a strike indicator. A strike indicator can spook fish right out of the area.

In between watching Sid land a number of trout in the 16 to 18-inch range, and quietly mutter to himself when he missed a number of really big fish, it was time to shift the interview to the waters at hand, the Williamson River. I spent two years building my house and shop so I had only fished the river three times. Each venture I caught two or three fish from sixteen inches to nineteen inches. Sitting low in the water in my one-man raft, I had not seen the enormous fish that I had seen on this day standing in Sid's drift boat. We glided by a rock formation that my son Brandon had fished the previous year. He had lost two or three really big fish in the run beneath the rock wall. When I pointed it out to Sid, he quietly informed me that it was a known spawning run and none of the guides ever fish it. I continued my interview.

Q: That spot will be off-limits to me as well. Let me begin with my most pressing question, when do the Klamath lake trout spawn, and when do they enter the Williamson River to escape the heat?

Sid: Spawning activity is sporadic and extends over a ten month period. Regarding when runs of new fish push up into the river, I've given up trying to find an answer. I've kept records trying to match surges with hatches, water temperatures and time periods, but I have found no corresponding factors that will predict when trout move out of the lake into the river system.

Q: I have been surprised to learn that fishing the Williamson River is similar to fishing the lake. It's basically stillwater tactics. Give me a summary statement to help get me started fishing the Williamson River.

Sid: I use a five weight rod. I have my clients use my G-Loomis GLX rods. They are more forgiving, and they have less line shock. I use Cortland's Intermediate Sinking line in the camouflage version. I use Orvis Mirage 6x fluorocarbon leaders. I mostly use Seaguar Brand Max fluorocarbon tippet material. Search out working fish and target them with the appropriate bugs, either nymphs or emergers. I interjected, "And be willing to spend two to three years perfecting one pattern, such as the Emphemerella doddsi."

Most of us claim to be passionate about some aspect of our lives, but it is only when we dedicate our lives to study and make a life-time commitment to learning everything we can about the passion that drives us do we attain the status of a master. Few of us achieve that level. Sid Mathis is a master fly fisherman.
Dave Archer

Free Spirit Guide Service, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Sid Mathis
(541) 884-3222
Email: sidmathis@aol.com

Redding, California - Oct. 25, 2007
The Sacramento River from Redding to Red Bluff

So where does a former Montana fly fishing guide residing in Chiloquin, Oregon get his float fishing river fix. Perhaps the nearby Williamson River, maybe the Rogue or the Klamath or even the Trinity, but my choice will probably be the broad, big muscled lower Sacramento River. Flowing from the Keswick dam at the outlet of Lake Shasta, the lower Sacramento River flows through the town of Redding on its way to the San Francisco Bay. Miles of prime trout habitat line both sides of the river all the way down to Red Bluff. Offering four separate salmon runs, along with steelhead, the trout are healthy and fat. According to Michael Caranci, director of outfitters for The Fly Shop in Redding, California, when the dam operators were required to control flows and water temperatures to protect salmon runs and salmon fry, the trout benefited, and the fishing gets better year after year. I met with Michael at The Fly Shop, which may be seen from I-5 just north of the Churn Creek Exit. With October being their busiest month, Michael estimated they would finish the month with close to 400 trips. In spite of the hectic flow of anglers asking to book if there were any cancellations and the phone ringing constantly, Michael took the time to describe and promote the lower Sacramento River. I was impressed, but then maybe that is the reason The Fly Shop was voted the "Top Shop" by the fly fishing industry in 2003.

Two of the most productive months of the year are April and October. March and April basically kick off the season with prolific hydropsyche caddis hatches. The "Mother's Day Caddis Hatch" bursts on the scene blanketing the air with millions of bugs on warm, sunny days. Michael said, "The trout gorge themselves and eat, eat, eat, but the problem sometime becomes too many of the real thing surrounding an imitation." The caddis continue to hatch throughout the season and into the summer during the last hour of the day, which provides some good dry fly fishing. Many guides, in spite of the hatches, continue to fish under the surface with sparkle pupas, peeking caddis, Bird's Nest or bead-head nymphs in size 12 to 14, along with smaller emerger patterns. In May sporadic "hatches" of salmonflies appear through out the system but not on a predictable basis. Each year the salmonflies presence in the river grows.

With rising temperatures of summer often exceeding 100 in July and August, the pressure of anglers on the river wanes, but the fish continue feeding in water temperatures from 55 to 60 degrees. I met a preacher working on his sermon on his tailgate at the Bonnyview Bridge near the water's edge. He said he liked fishing from his kick boat during the summer. With his legs submerged in cold water and his torso absorbing the hot rays of summer, he said he experiences heaven and hell in the same moment. He told me to emphasize to readers that sitting this close to the water was actually about ten degrees cooler. He said he keeps himself hydrated with lots of water and very busy with good fishing. Typically, however, the first and last hours are the most productive fishing of the day. By late August the nights are cooling and day time temperatures began dropping to the nineties.

By September the first salmon runs appear. By October the salmon are busy building reds and kicking up debris and dislodging nymphs. The trout move in behind the spawning beds and feast on nymphs and the loose eggs that get washed downstream. Michael described it as "salmon omelets." Michael advised me to be especially vigilant when wading so as to not disturb or destroy the beds, which are easily identified by the light-colored depressions in the gravel. One successful technique to employ during October is a strike indicator, lead split-shot, a single egg pattern and one or two nymphs.

In spite of the increased pressure during October and November, guides spread themselves out over seventy miles. Michel stated thattypically by Thanksgiving or earlier the rains sweep up the valley and blow the river out below Cow and Cottonwood Creek, but it is rare that the upper stretch will be gone for more than a day or two at a time. That is actually one of the big assets of the Lower Sac, that it remains a viable fishery almost all winter long.". Most anglers wait for spring, but Michael pointed out that late winter on the lower Sacramento River offers good fishing between storm fronts. The latter part of the winter does not have the impact on water flows that November and December experience. Although air temperatures hold in the 50's and 60's and the fish slow in their feeding activity, more larger fish in the 18-inch range are caught during this time period with an added bonus of late winter baetis hatches. By early spring trout are gorging themselves on alevin, salmon fry, and gaining up to one pound a month from these tiny fish with the egg sacks still attached. If there is a dry fly period, it is in March and April when the caddis return and a new season is heralded.

To contact Michael and book a trip with The Fly Shop, you may reach him by phone at 1-800-669-3474 or at Michael@theflyshop.com or www.theflyshop.com

Launch Ramps and Access Points: Keep in mind that the time of year and the water levels flowing out of the dam determine whether wading is a viable option. Because the current is so strong, I recommend inflatable suspenders and a wading staff. For a detailed guide to the river, I recommend that you purchase the map, Sacramento River Fishing Access & Accommodations. The map may be purchased at The Fly Shop in Redding or by visiting their web site at www.streamtime.com. I welcome all scrutiny, corrections and advice, as this article will be a work in progress over the next year. Contact David Archer at dave@glaciertoyellowstone.com

2007 Shuttle Fees from The Fly Shop:
Posse Grounds as far as Sacramento RV Park...$25
Posse Grounds to Anderson...$30
As high as Bonnyview to Balls Ferry...$35
As high as SAC RV to the Barge Hole (Balls Ferry road near old mouth of Battle Creek)
...$40
As high as Balls Ferry to Jelly's...$45
As high as Balls Ferry to Bend Bridge...$50
Add map 1

1. Posse Park Boat Launch + Wading: From I-5 take Highway 299 West and make a right onto Auditorium Drive (convention center). You may also reach the Posse Grounds from Cypress Street by turning north on Park Marina Drive, which ends at the convention center. This is the first launch past the A.C.I.D. Irrigation Dam a couple of miles below Lake Shasta's Keswick Dam. The launch site is behind the rodeo grounds near the convention center and provides good parking for all sized rigs and excellent access to Posse Riffle, as well as the numerous riffles and runs down to Redding's famous Sundial Bridge. During low water periods in the fall, wading anglers have numerous hot spots they may reach in a half mile stretch below the launch. During the summer months the numerous shaded, picnic spots provide welcome relief when temperatures climb to three digits. Turtle Bay Trail, across from the convention center and downstream from the launch, also provides access.

Two of Redding's bridges are under construction for the next couple of years. The river has restricted passages in two places.

2. Cypress Street Bridge Area: Exiting from I-5 onto Cypress Street in downtown Redding, move to the left lane and turn left on Hartnell at the light just short of crossing the bridge. This is a business section. Make the first right turn onto Henderson. Look for the sign "Road Ends 400 feet ahead." Turn right here and drive behind the businesses and park. Take the dirt path towards the Cypress Street bridge or turn downstream fifty yards and fish the riffle and pool by the old bridge abutment. This is a popular spot for the float fishing guides before they cross over and fish the western bank of the river. Crossing the bridge, anglers will find some water above and below the bridge.

3. South Bonnyview Road (Bridge) Launch: This is an excellent boat launch and parking area, although it doesn't provide good water for fly fishing in the near vicinity. From Posse launch to South Bonnyview is a half day float.

4. Cascade Park: Exit I-5 west on South Bonnyview Road. Turn left on Market Street or Highway 273 and then left again on Girvan and proceed a short distance to Cascade Park. I did not get far without waders. The park is adjacent to islands, although the channel was very shallow. South of the park is Niles Riffle, but I never made it - another time.

5. Anderson River Park (launch): This is another spot that I missed. The Fly Shop provides maps to local wading spots, and this is one of them. South of Redding on I-5, take the Deschutes Road Exit (Factory Outlet Stores). Go west and turn left (north) on Balls Ferry Road and then right on Dodson Lane to Anderson River Park. Follow the trail down river for good riffles. An improved boat launch is located on Rupert Road, which may be accessed from a loop off Dodson Lane.

6. Deschutes Road Bridge: From I-5 take the Deschutes Road Exit a couple of miles east to the Deschutes Road Bridge.

7. Balls Ferry Bridge (Bridge) Launch: From I-5 take the Gas Point Road Exit and follow Balls Ferry Road until it intersects with Ash Creek (sharp corner). Follow Ash Creek about a mile to the boat launch. (The bar here serves a good burger.) It is five miles to Cottonwood, a quaint little town close to I-5.

8. Reading Island: From I-5 take the Gas Point Road Exit and follow Balls Ferry Road until it intersects with Adobe Road. Turn right and proceed to the parking area less than two miles. Maps are not always accurate; the public campground has been closed by the county, and the launch is only good during high flows onto a side channel, and even then for smaller boats. Now, I did talk to a lady who lived close by and was walking her dog. She said she often sees fly fishermen casting on the main stem a short distance from the parking lot.

9. Old Mouth Battle Creek (Launch and primitive camping): The primitive camping is just that - primitive and rocky! Look for a drop off onto a dirt road. There are a couple of water holes to cross, but they are solid underneath. Nonetheless, after a rain this could be a potential mess without four wheel drive. The beach is hard packed cobblestone, and during October it is a popular spot for local salmon anglers (especially during the weekend). It is also a launch for boaters heading up to the Barge Hole just upstream. This section offers a beautiful riffle that left me frustrated and perplexed. I chalked it up to a full moon - not my skills! I talked to two neighborhood river watchers who said that during the caddis hatches the riffle comes alive with trout just at dark. From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road, cross the bridge and continue until you crest a plateau and see the river stretching out below you. From the crest, some anglers hike down to the river and fish Lawrence Riffle. As you drop off the crest down the slope, you will see on your left a long beach with a primitive boat launching spot. Just ahead on the left in the trees is the turn-off to this primitive site.

10. Jellys Ferry Bridge (Launch): From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road to the bridge and parking area and boat launch. (No camping.) This is a rough boat ramp; during low water periods you will be launching in wet sand and mud. I would recommend 4x4 vehicles after a rain. The site is run by the Department of Interior, but it does not allow camping.

11. Bend Bridge (Launch): From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road Exit. Turn right on Bend Ferry Road by the Bend RV Park (916-527-6289) and store and cross the bridge to a county launch site. Fish the Lower Bend Riffle or take the trail on the north side of the parking lot to riffle water upstream.

RV Camping Parks

JGW RV Park: The JGW RV Park is located on Riverland Drive on the west side of Interstate-5, south of the Knighton Road exit. Exit 673 is approximately five miles south of Redding. (530) 365-7965. Reservations: 1 800-469-5910. www.jgwrvpark.com. Email: jgwrvpark@charter.net. (In the north corner of the park is a 5-strand, barb-wire fence. Go around it at the river's edge and walk upstream 100 yards to a great riffle, where I met a couple of fat rainbows. The resort provides a rough boat launch.

Sacramento River RV Resort: The Sacramento River RV Resort is located on Riverland Drive on the west side of Interstate-5, south of the Knighton Road exit next to JGW RV. Exit 673 is approximately five miles south of Redding. (530) 365-6402. www.sacramentoriverrvresort.com. Email info@sacramentoriverrvresort.com. Beautifully shaded, the resort offers a concrete boat launch for high water conditions and a dirt launch for low water conditions. Launch fees for non-guests is a bargain $3.

Marina RV Park: The Marina RV Park is located at 2615 Park Marina Drive. Although it is not a park like setting with lots of shade, it is within walking distance to restaurants and movie theaters. The launch fee for non-guests is $22.

Redding, California - Oct. 25, 2007
The Sacramento River from Redding to Red Bluff

So where does a former Montana fly fishing guide residing in Chiloquin, Oregon get his float fishing river fix. Perhaps the nearby Williamson River, maybe the Rogue or the Klamath or even the Trinity, but my choice will probably be the broad, big muscled lower Sacramento River. Flowing from the Keswick dam at the outlet of Lake Shasta, the lower Sacramento River flows through the town of Redding on its way to the San Francisco Bay. Miles of prime trout habitat line both sides of the river all the way down to Red Bluff. Offering four separate salmon runs, along with steelhead, the trout are healthy and fat. According to Michael Caranci, director of outfitters for The Fly Shop in Redding, California, when the dam operators were required to control flows and water temperatures to protect salmon runs and salmon fry, the trout benefited, and the fishing gets better year after year. I met with Michael at The Fly Shop, which may be seen from I-5 just north of the Churn Creek Exit. With October being their busiest month, Michael estimated they would finish the month with close to 400 trips. In spite of the hectic flow of anglers asking to book if there were any cancellations and the phone ringing constantly, Michael took the time to describe and promote the lower Sacramento River. I was impressed, but then maybe that is the reason The Fly Shop was voted the "Top Shop" by the fly fishing industry in 2003.

Two of the most productive months of the year are April and October. March and April basically kick off the season with prolific hydropsyche caddis hatches. The "Mother's Day Caddis Hatch" bursts on the scene blanketing the air with millions of bugs on warm, sunny days. Michael said, "The trout gorge themselves and eat, eat, eat, but the problem sometime becomes too many of the real thing surrounding an imitation." The caddis continue to hatch throughout the season and into the summer during the last hour of the day, which provides some good dry fly fishing. Many guides, in spite of the hatches, continue to fish under the surface with sparkle pupas, peeking caddis, Bird's Nest or bead-head nymphs in size 12 to 14, along with smaller emerger patterns. In May sporadic "hatches" of salmonflies appear through out the system but not on a predictable basis. Each year the salmonflies presence in the river grows.

With rising temperatures of summer often exceeding 100 in July and August, the pressure of anglers on the river wanes, but the fish continue feeding in water temperatures from 55 to 60 degrees. I met a preacher working on his sermon on his tailgate at the Bonnyview Bridge near the water's edge. He said he liked fishing from his kick boat during the summer. With his legs submerged in cold water and his torso absorbing the hot rays of summer, he said he experiences heaven and hell in the same moment. He told me to emphasize to readers that sitting this close to the water was actually about ten degrees cooler. He said he keeps himself hydrated with lots of water and very busy with good fishing. Typically, however, the first and last hours are the most productive fishing of the day. By late August the nights are cooling and day time temperatures began dropping to the nineties.

By September the first salmon runs appear. By October the salmon are busy building reds and kicking up debris and dislodging nymphs. The trout move in behind the spawning beds and feast on nymphs and the loose eggs that get washed downstream. Michael described it as "salmon omelets." Michael advised me to be especially vigilant when wading so as to not disturb or destroy the beds, which are easily identified by the light-colored depressions in the gravel. One successful technique to employ during October is a strike indicator, lead split-shot, a single egg pattern and one or two nymphs.

In spite of the increased pressure during October and November, guides spread themselves out over seventy miles. Michel stated thattypically by Thanksgiving or earlier the rains sweep up the valley and blow the river out below Cow and Cottonwood Creek, but it is rare that the upper stretch will be gone for more than a day or two at a time. That is actually one of the big assets of the Lower Sac, that it remains a viable fishery almost all winter long.". Most anglers wait for spring, but Michael pointed out that late winter on the lower Sacramento River offers good fishing between storm fronts. The latter part of the winter does not have the impact on water flows that November and December experience. Although air temperatures hold in the 50's and 60's and the fish slow in their feeding activity, more larger fish in the 18-inch range are caught during this time period with an added bonus of late winter baetis hatches. By early spring trout are gorging themselves on alevin, salmon fry, and gaining up to one pound a month from these tiny fish with the egg sacks still attached. If there is a dry fly period, it is in March and April when the caddis return and a new season is heralded.

To contact Michael and book a trip with The Fly Shop, you may reach him by phone at 1-800-669-3474 or at Michael@theflyshop.com or www.theflyshop.com

Launch Ramps and Access Points: Keep in mind that the time of year and the water levels flowing out of the dam determine whether wading is a viable option. Because the current is so strong, I recommend inflatable suspenders and a wading staff. For a detailed guide to the river, I recommend that you purchase the map, Sacramento River Fishing Access & Accommodations. The map may be purchased at The Fly Shop in Redding or by visiting their web site at www.streamtime.com. I welcome all scrutiny, corrections and advice, as this article will be a work in progress over the next year. Contact David Archer at dave@glaciertoyellowstone.com

2007 Shuttle Fees from The Fly Shop:
Posse Grounds as far as Sacramento RV Park...$25
Posse Grounds to Anderson...$30
As high as Bonnyview to Balls Ferry...$35
As high as SAC RV to the Barge Hole (Balls Ferry road near old mouth of Battle Creek)
...$40
As high as Balls Ferry to Jelly's...$45
As high as Balls Ferry to Bend Bridge...$50
Add map 1

1. Posse Park Boat Launch + Wading: From I-5 take Highway 299 West and make a right onto Auditorium Drive (convention center). You may also reach the Posse Grounds from Cypress Street by turning north on Park Marina Drive, which ends at the convention center. This is the first launch past the A.C.I.D. Irrigation Dam a couple of miles below Lake Shasta's Keswick Dam. The launch site is behind the rodeo grounds near the convention center and provides good parking for all sized rigs and excellent access to Posse Riffle, as well as the numerous riffles and runs down to Redding's famous Sundial Bridge. During low water periods in the fall, wading anglers have numerous hot spots they may reach in a half mile stretch below the launch. During the summer months the numerous shaded, picnic spots provide welcome relief when temperatures climb to three digits. Turtle Bay Trail, across from the convention center and downstream from the launch, also provides access.

Two of Redding's bridges are under construction for the next couple of years. The river has restricted passages in two places.

2. Cypress Street Bridge Area: Exiting from I-5 onto Cypress Street in downtown Redding, move to the left lane and turn left on Hartnell at the light just short of crossing the bridge. This is a business section. Make the first right turn onto Henderson. Look for the sign "Road Ends 400 feet ahead." Turn right here and drive behind the businesses and park. Take the dirt path towards the Cypress Street bridge or turn downstream fifty yards and fish the riffle and pool by the old bridge abutment. This is a popular spot for the float fishing guides before they cross over and fish the western bank of the river. Crossing the bridge, anglers will find some water above and below the bridge.

3. South Bonnyview Road (Bridge) Launch: This is an excellent boat launch and parking area, although it doesn't provide good water for fly fishing in the near vicinity. From Posse launch to South Bonnyview is a half day float.

4. Cascade Park: Exit I-5 west on South Bonnyview Road. Turn left on Market Street or Highway 273 and then left again on Girvan and proceed a short distance to Cascade Park. I did not get far without waders. The park is adjacent to islands, although the channel was very shallow. South of the park is Niles Riffle, but I never made it - another time.

5. Anderson River Park (launch): This is another spot that I missed. The Fly Shop provides maps to local wading spots, and this is one of them. South of Redding on I-5, take the Deschutes Road Exit (Factory Outlet Stores). Go west and turn left (north) on Balls Ferry Road and then right on Dodson Lane to Anderson River Park. Follow the trail down river for good riffles. An improved boat launch is located on Rupert Road, which may be accessed from a loop off Dodson Lane.

6. Deschutes Road Bridge: From I-5 take the Deschutes Road Exit a couple of miles east to the Deschutes Road Bridge.

7. Balls Ferry Bridge (Bridge) Launch: From I-5 take the Gas Point Road Exit and follow Balls Ferry Road until it intersects with Ash Creek (sharp corner). Follow Ash Creek about a mile to the boat launch. (The bar here serves a good burger.) It is five miles to Cottonwood, a quaint little town close to I-5.

8. Reading Island: From I-5 take the Gas Point Road Exit and follow Balls Ferry Road until it intersects with Adobe Road. Turn right and proceed to the parking area less than two miles. Maps are not always accurate; the public campground has been closed by the county, and the launch is only good during high flows onto a side channel, and even then for smaller boats. Now, I did talk to a lady who lived close by and was walking her dog. She said she often sees fly fishermen casting on the main stem a short distance from the parking lot.

9. Old Mouth Battle Creek (Launch and primitive camping): The primitive camping is just that - primitive and rocky! Look for a drop off onto a dirt road. There are a couple of water holes to cross, but they are solid underneath. Nonetheless, after a rain this could be a potential mess without four wheel drive. The beach is hard packed cobblestone, and during October it is a popular spot for local salmon anglers (especially during the weekend). It is also a launch for boaters heading up to the Barge Hole just upstream. This section offers a beautiful riffle that left me frustrated and perplexed. I chalked it up to a full moon - not my skills! I talked to two neighborhood river watchers who said that during the caddis hatches the riffle comes alive with trout just at dark. From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road, cross the bridge and continue until you crest a plateau and see the river stretching out below you. From the crest, some anglers hike down to the river and fish Lawrence Riffle. As you drop off the crest down the slope, you will see on your left a long beach with a primitive boat launching spot. Just ahead on the left in the trees is the turn-off to this primitive site.

10. Jellys Ferry Bridge (Launch): From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road to the bridge and parking area and boat launch. (No camping.) This is a rough boat ramp; during low water periods you will be launching in wet sand and mud. I would recommend 4x4 vehicles after a rain. The site is run by the Department of Interior, but it does not allow camping.

11. Bend Bridge (Launch): From I-5 take the Jellys Ferry Road Exit. Turn right on Bend Ferry Road by the Bend RV Park (916-527-6289) and store and cross the bridge to a county launch site. Fish the Lower Bend Riffle or take the trail on the north side of the parking lot to riffle water upstream.

RV Camping Parks

JGW RV Park: The JGW RV Park is located on Riverland Drive on the west side of Interstate-5, south of the Knighton Road exit. Exit 673 is approximately five miles south of Redding. (530) 365-7965. Reservations: 1 800-469-5910. www.jgwrvpark.com. Email: jgwrvpark@charter.net. (In the north corner of the park is a 5-strand, barb-wire fence. Go around it at the river's edge and walk upstream 100 yards to a great riffle, where I met a couple of fat rainbows. The resort provides a rough boat launch.

Sacramento River RV Resort: The Sacramento River RV Resort is located on Riverland Drive on the west side of Interstate-5, south of the Knighton Road exit next to JGW RV. Exit 673 is approximately five miles south of Redding. (530) 365-6402. www.sacramentoriverrvresort.com. Email info@sacramentoriverrvresort.com. Beautifully shaded, the resort offers a concrete boat launch for high water conditions and a dirt launch for low water conditions. Launch fees for non-guests is a bargain $3.

Marina RV Park: The Marina RV Park is located at 2615 Park Marina Drive. Although it is not a park like setting with lots of shade, it is within walking distance to restaurants and movie theaters. The launch fee for non-guests is $22.

One of California's Best Freestone Streams

About 35 years ago while I was attending Sonoma State College and residing in Santa Rosa, I picked up the San Francisco Chronicle and read Jim Freeman's outdoor column. He had just returned from a fishing trip on the Upper Sacramento River, and he outlined his success on the river fishing with Ted Fay, a Dunsmuir angler and fly tier who had gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable anglers on the Upper Sac. Black and brown weighted Woolly Worms and Woolly Buggers in tandem dabbed and dropped along the sides of boulders both submerged and rising above the water column were tactics that produced then and will produce today. The next weekend I rushed up to the Upper Sacramento River to Dunsmuir and located Ted Fay's home. Ted was on the river fishing, but his wife invited me inside. I asked if I could buy a few of Ted's flies. The small living room was cluttered with fly tying equipment and supplies. In the center of the living room was an "Archie Bunker" chair with a table and vise which faced the television.
"Do you know what pattern, size, color that you want?" his wife asked.
"No," I replied. "I only know how to fish with dry flies. I'll just take whatever you recommend."
"Well, I would recommend whatever he has left next to his vise. That's what he will be using today. When I returned home, I immediately ordered a Thompson vise and supplies from a Herter's catalogue, and along with a book on fly patterns began copying my few remaining Ted Fay flies. With the river's recovery after the infamous chemical spill by the railroad in 1991, I could find little change. What I did find was beautiful stretches of a small, freestone stream that stretches almost thirty-five miles from Lake Siskiyou to Lake Shasta. The only difference I experienced was my own difficulty in wading and scrambling down embankments. When I see men in their 70's out in the middle of a rocky-bedded stream, I sigh with resignation uncertain if I will be able to do the same in ten years.

Although I trekked up and down the river in November and managed to catch a late afternoon caddis hatch and some lone giant October Caddis which put the little fish on the bite, most authorities recommend waiting for spring run-off to subside, noting that late May and June are the early summer kick-off months for fishing the Upper Sacs riffles, runs and beautiful pocket water. Considering the vagaries of snow melt and arrival of insects, anglers in the early summer months are typically greeted by hungry trout and plentiful hatches of stoneflies, caddis and mayflies. Wading in November, my cold, numb feet reminded me that the river is a tailwater, freestone river, and the water that comes out of the lake and drops down into the dark canyon remains cold, in spite of the balmy 70-degree air temperatures. The river also gains more volume of water from tributaries before it meets the lake.

With the help of the Shasta /Trinity Forest Service website, and the StreamTime map, Upper Sacramento River Access, I was able to discover numerous good access points right off Interstate 5. The Forest Service website also offers a hatch chart with suggested patterns courtesy of The Fly Shop. Almost every exit off the interstate leads to good fishing waters. I have included most of these exits. The fishing map can be purchased at Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir or The Fly Shop in Redding. Ted Fay Fly Shop's new address is 5732 Dunsmuir Ave., Dunsmuir, CA 96025, or they may be reached at (530) 235-2969. www.tedfay.com.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/recreation/st-main/st-fishing/rivers/upper-sacramento.shtml

Access Points Northbound on Interstate 5 from Lakehead to Box Canyon Dam above Dunsmuir

Note: Much of the phrasing for directions is taken directly from the forest service website, which is not copyrighted.

1. Dog Creek: Traveling I-5 Northbound, take the Vollmers exit #707. Turn left on Dog Creek Road/Delta Road, and go under the freeway. Travel 0.3 miles and turn left on Fender Ferry Road. Travel approximately one mile down Fender Ferry Road under the freeway bridges, cross railroad tracks and cross a one-lane bridge over the Sacramento River. Park along road after crossing bridge. Walk down the dirt road to the right for river access. You will find some long runs and slow pools during low water.

2. McCardle Flat: Take Vollmers exit 707. Turn left onto Dog Creek Road/Delta Road. Turn right on Delta Road, then turn left onto McCardle Flat Road. Travel 1.0 mile down McCardle Flat Road and turn right onto a gravel road. Go approximately 0.4 miles down the graveled road and park in widened area near railroad tracks, or you may take the dirt road to the right that leads to a parking area downstream with a turn-around and a primitive spot for camping. (The railroad track is very close for those of you who are light sleepers or have sleep disorders!)

3. LaMoine: Take the LaMoine exit. Travel 0.5 mile and turn left at first dirt road (across street from school bus sign on right). Dirt road forks, take right over bridge (Slate Creek). Travel approximately 0.2 miles on dirt road and park along road at top of hill. Walk down the dirt road to the left and head east to the river.

I watched this angler catch two small trout in less than ten minutes on a small dry fly.

4. Pollard Gulch: Take Pollard Flat exit. Turn right at the stop sign. Turn left on Eagle Roost Road. Take an immediate right and follow to a parking area for seven vehicles (Note: No parking spaces for large RVs or trailers). This is a USFS picnic and day use site.

5. Gibson: Take the Gibson exit #714. Follow the road as it circles over the freeway heading south; the road parallels the freeway heading south, then goes east under the freeway, and then parallels river. Park along Gibson Road and walk to river. The further the road heads south, the higher the road is from the river. If you continue, it will meet up with the Pollard Gulch access.

Sims Footbridge, a Civilian Conservation Corp project

6. Sims: Take Sims exit #718. Turn right on Sims Road. Cross railroad tracks and bridge over Sacramento River to a parking lot near a pedestrian bridge. The Sims USFS campground is beautiful and right on the river. The cost per night is $12, but the daily fee will rise to $15 for the 2008 season. The campground closes on the last day of the general fishing season, November 16. I really liked this old campground, but just at the base of the hill is a dirt road that leads back to some railroad land and a primitive camping area with shade. Hey, when you are retired, these are the spots I look for to camp. Right across the tracks is a mini rock gorge, and above it is some nice riffle and run water. (I had some smaller trout torment me here.)

7. Flume Creek Exit: Just before Flume Creek Exit #720, is a large pull-out just off Interstate-5. Follow the open gated road down the hill and downstream along the railroad tracks to Flume Creek. This area offers some great fly fishing water downstream, but I never checked upstream.

8. Conant: Take Conant Road exit 721. Turn right on Conant Road. Turn right at first dirt road. Park on the west side of railroad tracks. Walk east to the river.

9. Sweetbriar: Take exit 723. Trailers and RV's are not advised on this paved road. Do not cross the one-lane bridge. Park before the bridge. Here is a community that is open to sharing their section of water as noted on a sign. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable fishing with someone peering down at me from a deck as I muffed a cast or slipped on a rock.

10. Castle Crags State Park: Take the Castella / Castle Crag exit #724. (Chevron gas station) The state run campground is open year-around on a self-register payment system of $15 per night and $6 for day use parking. It has sites that will accommodate 27' RV's and 24-foot trailers, as well as tent camping. During the summer it can be filled up. For reservations call 1-800-444-7275. The park also has a picnic site across the river. Late in the fall there is not much water here, but in the summer it supposedly fishes very well. Fork up the six bucks because there is no other parking at the picnic site.

11. Soda Creek: Take the Soda Creek exit #726, about 2.5 miles below Dunsmuir. I had two friendly residents of the area direct me to Soda Creek. This was especially heart felt since I had a local give me the "Kiss-my-ass" gesture when I was exiting Scarlet Way! Since I was stopped, I was puzzled by his animosity. Was it the Oregon plates? Well, there are assholes everywhere that don't want to share. I will remember the two people who gave me unsolicited fishing tips - thank you, guys. Park in the dirt pull-out just before the bridge. Walk downstream past the chained fence and follow the path to a curve in the river that offers a big pool up against a cliff at the base of a riffle.

12. Dunsmuir City Park: Traveling I-5 Northbound, take Central Dunsmuir exit. Turn left onto Dunsmuir Avenue. Travel 0.5 miles and turn left at "Dunsmuir City Park" sign. Follow the road down to the park. Note: The town of Dunsmuir offers numerous access points to the river such as the I-5 Pool and the access at Financial Avenue. Tauhindauli Park is in central Dunsmuir and a paved road leads down to the water. No RV's, buses or semi-trucks allowed. (This is close to Ted Fay Fly Shop.)

13. Scarlet Way, Dunsmuir: Take Central Dunsmuir exit. Turn left onto Dunsmuir Avenue. Travel 0.8 miles and turn left on Scarlet Way. The road sign is easily missed, but you will see the brass metal sign for Shasta Retreat that arches over the road. Turn right on Cave Avenue. Cross river and railroad tracks, turn left after tracks to dirt parking area. The road here is narrow and winds through a neighborhood.

14. Prospect Avenue, Dunsmuir: From the northbound lane of I-5, take the Dunsmuir Avenue exit #732. Turn left at the stop sign. Travel 0.3 miles and turn right on Prospect Avenue. (Look for the Prospect Avenue Fishing Access sign.) Turn right when the road forks and proceed to the bridge and the parking area. (Narrow road.)

15. Cantara: To locate the Cantera Fishing Access area, exit from I-5 at Central Mt. Shasta. Turn left at the stop sign on Lake Street and proceed over the interstate until it intersects Old Stage Road. Travel 2.5 miles and cross Azalea Road, veering right to continue on Old Stage Road. Travel 0.25 miles and turn right on Cantara Loop Road. Follow the dirt road down some switch-backs to the dirt parking area. (Picnic area) Note: Just as you are descending down the road, you will note a road on the left with an open gate and no restrictive signs. This rough road leads down to the railroad bridge in a picturesque meadow. A commemorative sign acknowledges all the efforts that went into the clean up and restoration of the river after the chemical spill that took place in the vicinity. I found a nice unimproved campsite with no restrictive signs, but don't tell anyone I said you could "park" for the night. This is a beautiful area, and if you are cautious and wary, you can hike the railroad tracks upstream or downstream to reach less pressured areas of the river. Keep in mind, however, that some of the bridges and narrowing restrictions provide no escape for old farts like me who stumble along watching their feet. When you are my age, you have to hark back to kindergarten warnings: stop, look and listen!

16. Ney Springs: Although the forks of the Upper Sacramento River above Lake Siskiyou offer small fish in small water, for all practicality the Upper Sacramento River is considered to be the outlet of Lake Siskiyou as it plunges out of the lake and down into the steep Box Canyon. The basalt gorge is, practically speaking, impassable. A couple miles down this twisting 100-foot steep walls of rock is the first access to the river. Ney Springs, with its cold water pulled from the bottom of the lake and its infusion of cold spring water, offers a prolonged mayfly hatch during the summer. Conversely, in the fall more optimum water temperatures may be found below the town of Dunsmuir. To locate the Ney Springs access area, exit from I-5 at Central Mt. Shasta. Turn left at the stop sign on Lake Street and proceed over the interstate until it intersects Old Stage Road. (Directly ahead is a fish hatchery.) Turn left on Old Stage Road and then veer right on W.A. Barr Road and cross over Box Canyon Dam. In less than two-tenths of a mile, turn left on Castle Lake Road. Take the first available left turn on a dirt road and travel 1.25 miles, and then turn left at sign that reads Cantara / Ney Springs Wildlife Area. The dirt road is narrow and leads down through a series of switch-backs. (No camping restriction)

General Fishing Regulations 2007:
Open last Saturday in April to November 15
Zone 1: Dam to Scarlet Way in Dunsmuir; zero trout, artificial lures, barb less hooks
Zone 2: Scarlet Way to Sweetbriar - 5 trout, no special gear
Zone 3: Sweetbriar to Lake Shasta - 2 fish, artificial lures, barb less hooks

Zone 2 and 3 are open during the winter with zero limits, artificial lures only and barb less hooks.
Please read current regulations for any changes or restrictions.

Hey! Yes, you! I'm writing all this stuff and wondering if anyone actually reads it. I'd love to get some feedback on any of my articles. Email dave@glaciertoyellowstone.com. Thanks!

Straddling the Cascade divide between Four Mile Lake and Crater Lake, the Sky Lakes Wilderness encompasses 113,590 acres. Six miles wide and twenty-seven miles long, the lake basins provide almost 200 lakes, although most are shallow and do not support fish. Some of the lakes are more aptly described as shallow ponds, and the average size lake is between 30 and 40 acres. The largest lake is Fourmile Lake, which exceeds 900 acres and can be driven to from Highway 140. It is not surprising than that I would pack into this wilderness on two occasions with my two pack donkeys, Harley and Lately, and get skunked because I didn't do my homework.

To check on stocking programs for the area, I learned from Dan Van Dyke at ODFW that a number of lakes are stocked with fingerlings every other year from helicopter. Of the Blue Canyon Group, Blue Canyon Lake, Carey Lake, and Horseshoe Lake are stocked. In the Seven Lakes Group, Alta Lake, Cliff Lake, Grass Lake, Ivern Lake and Middle Lake are also stocked every other year. Van Dyke went on to say that the growth of the fingerlings are slow, but it is not uncommon to catch rainbows and brooks up to seventeen inches with a string of moderate winters.

Statistics on the Lakes

Blue Canyon Group
Blue Canyon Lake - 2.5 acres; 18-feet depth; elevation 6,340
Carey Lake - 5 acres; 31-feet depth; elevation 6,020
Horseshoe Lake - 20 acres; 18-feet depth; elevation 5,230

Seven Lakes Group
Alta Lake - 32 acres; 13-feet depth; elevation 6,850
Cliff Lake - 10-acres; 15-feet depth; elevation 6,340
Grass Lake - 25 acres; 8-feet depth; elevation 6,040
Middle Lake - 20 acres; 12-feet depth; elevation 6,120

Van Dyke commented that Grass Lake typically held the largest fish, but they are known to be picky. Middle Lake took second place for fish size. Cliff Lake usually holds the smallest average sized fish, and the survival numbers go to Alta and Ivor Lakes. I also spoke to Jeff Von Kienast, wildlife biologist at the Prospect Ranger District. In years past both men have had good fishing in Grass Lake and Middle Lake. Jeff said that he had success fishing Middle Lake on the far side of the lake, and that a number of years ago he did very well at Grass Lake. Dan said that he took a number of Medford fly anglers into Grass Lake a few years ago and that anglers with float tubes did well while the shore anglers really struggled.

My first trip into the wilderness was from the trailhead at Fourmile Lake in early October, 2008. Our destination was Long Lake. We passed the first lake, and I noted that the shoreline was very shallow, and there was no way I could reach deeper water casting from shore. It was a harbinger of what was yet to come. Long Lake is beautiful, and we had a wonderful camping spot. From every elevated vantage point, I could see the shallow bottom for thirty yards and more. I never spotted a cruising fish. For two days and two evenings, I never spotted a rising fish. On October 25 I packed up the donkeys and headed into the Seven Lakes Basin.

This trip started out badly when I discovered the perverse machinations of the Forest Service. The Sevenmile Creek trailhead is two-fold - one for equestrian users and one for hikers. "No trailers beyond this point" read the sign, so I pulled into the equestrian trailhead parking lot. Towering above me was a steep mountain. Up and up we went traversing the switch backs to the crest. My mantra, taken from the children's book, The Little Engine that Could, began, "I think I can, I think I can, " and ended with sighs, coughs and grunts. Up over the ridge we went and spiraled down slope until I could see a sparkling spot of blue peeking through the dark forest. I was puzzled because I had only been hiking for fifty minutes, and my map showed no lake this early in the hike. Trudging down the trail, the forest thinned enough for me to see a dark blue Ford truck. Fifty-five minutes of hiking over a mountain top, and I had arrived at the hiker's trailhead!

Further in I met a hiker carrying a spinning outfit. He said that he had no luck at Grass Lake or Middle Lake, although he said that he had caught a few skinny fish at Cliff Lake. I camped at Grass Lake late that afternoon. From the hiker's trailhead, I made it to the lake in three hours, which included a 15 to 20 minute lunch break. The sign at Grass Lake pointed to the trailhead at 6.5 miles. Too pooped to fish, thanks to my extra hour of hiking, I studied the shoreline of Grass Lake and Middle Lake. Like Long Lake, the shoreline was very shallow, and I could see mud for thirty to forty yards. I never saw a rising fish that evening. The next morning I fished Middle Lake casting as far as I could, but I had no luck. The fact that I could not spot a single fish nagged me until I wondered if the severe winter of 2008 killed off a lot of fingerlings.


Dave Archer