So here it is … I suck at blogging…I was ounce good, but have now seriously neglected posting. I think I have spent more time up-dating social media, emailing, and just trying to not stair at a computer screen as much. That said I feel bad as I have really neglected my blog and to my surprise I think a fair amount of people actually read this thing…So, I am now going to plan on posting 2 times a month...I think I can handle that. I will mark the dates on my calendar and COMMIT!...and maybe even edit what I write on the blog but I can’t commit to that right now.

So, what has been happening…Fishing wise first

Some reports…

Main issues our fisheries – at least the ones I guide – will be facing is the run off from recent forest fires. The Carr and Camp fire are going to be BIG issues this winter. From what I have heard the Carr fire scars have already been creating clarity issues on Lake Shasta and the Lower Sacramento through Redding. The Lower Sac mucked up this week end, but no one that I talked to was really sure why, so verdict is still out.

That said the issue is there is a lot of barren hill sides around Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville due to fire and barren hill sides create landslides and bad run off, mucking up the lakes and then mucking up the rivers.

Most of my fishing and guiding has been on the Lower Sac for winter stripers and the Lower Yuba for trout and steelhead…

Lower Sac Stripers – Late fall and winter striper fishing is never a numbers game. We are out there fishing for one or two big grabs and some of the biggest fish of the year. The idea is that as the river drops it becomes easier to target the bigger resident fish and as water temps drop smaller fish move out of the feeding zones leaving only the bigger fish on a more consistent basis. Lots of fish are lost to snags though, pulled hooks on soft grabs, and just plain lost…usually more are lost then landed. That said the opportunity to hook true 20+lb fish on a daily basis is pretty real. A lot of things have to line up though for it to happen.

This fall/winter has been a bit different though as we are getting a few 5-8lb fish as well throughout the day which has made the gaps between big fish a bit easier to swallow. Tactics change due to colder water over the winter and we are fishing much lighter lines and flies to keep flies in zones and up in the water column where the warmest water is and most active fish are holding.

Winter striper fishing should continue through March but will be really dependent on river conditions. A bit of color is not a bad thing and we can even catch fish in muddy water but blown out and trees floating down the river is a deal breaker. Gaps in the weather and steady conditions are best.

Winter tail

Lower Yuba River – Got a few days on the Lower Yuba River over thanksgiving week and had a great time. Just plain good trout fishing. Most fish are a fat 12-14” with a few bigger fish in the mix. Flows have been pretty stable around 1000cfs which is a great flow for floating or wading OR floating and getting out of the boat to fish. There are still salmon on redds and fish eat eggs though with a bit of a finicky bite most days. Really have to find the egg they want. The best thing is there are fish that will eat a nymph, fish that will eat dries, and anglers can fish dries and nymphs on any given day with confidence. Winter is truly my favorite time of year on the Yuba as there a bunch of options to catch fish and few people go out and brave the elements to fish.

Hooked Up!!!

Lake Oroville – Winter spotted bass fishing is going to be picking up with all the weather and cold air temps. This is a great winter fishery and one that fishes when nothing else does. I started spending a lot of time out there this last winter and plan on spending even more time out there this winter

Other News…

Been doing a bunch of stuff with the kids to be honest. My boys are 8 and 10 and we just finished up Hockey season with one taking the cup for his division and the other losing by a goal in the title game. Spring Hockey starts again in January so Hockey Dad Life is a real thing…

Comics – aka books with pictures.

I am also not proud to admit it but I can at least justify it rationally …. I have gotten into reading comics again…I say again because I was way into comic books when I was like in 6-8 ^th grade. I would never claim to have been “Cool” at any time in my life so this should come as no surprise. Fly-fishing, comic books, and indie rock usually do not fall under the description of “cool kid” at any time…let alone “Cool” Adult.

That said my oldest son is way into art and has taken art classes, draws in his free time A LOT, and is really passionate about Art. As most boys he has always been into super heroes so it seemed a natural thing to take him to the comic book store…Art, reading, and super heroes seemed like a natural fit. Well it fit like no bodies business and rekindled one of my old loves…so now we go every Wednesday to the comic shop, buy our comics, read them, discuss them, follow podcasts/YouTube channels, and basically go full on comic book nerd together.

Now from the point of view as a parent I am stoked and LOVE the fact that we share this “thing” with each other…I share a ton of “things” with my boys, but my oldest has really taken to this one. I do fear, in maybe a sick way, though that maybe I am setting up my son for a life of nerdom and ridicule – the stereotypical comic nerd does not do adolescence with ease if you know what I mean. That said I think comics and being a comic book nerd are way more socially acceptable now then when I was a kid…I had to hide my nerdom…and I won’t lie I kinda feel like I have to hide it now! It took me a while to embrace it and openly read a stack of comic books at my sons’ hockey and club soccer practices, but now hell with it. As the band Saves the Day ounce said, “We are through being cool”

Furthermore, some really good writers are writing comic books now. For example, I read Captain America and my youngest son and I read Black Panther…both written by Ta’Nehisi Coates who is a journalist for the Atlantic Monthly along with being published in the NY Times, Times Magazine, and pretty much every other intellectually significant publication in America. He has taught at MIT and his now a professor at the NYU school of journalism. So, I take solace that I am reading quality writing and my boys are reading some good socially conscious stories.

Other then kids stuff and nerding out reading comic books …. I have been really getting into baking bread, cooking on my Traeger, working on the next Royal Oaks album, and tying striper flies to fill my boxes…

Cast Hope has been hammering away…Just wrapped up the 3 ^rd annual benefit concert and if you want constant cast hope updates follow us on Instagram or Facebook as I have been pretty good about getting some good content up. We are opening our San Diego Branch this coming year and that is taking a ton of work and time but REALLY exciting to be working with my buddy Conway Bowman and spreading to SD. More Cast Hope news to come…

More to come…