As promised...every two weeks....give or take a day or 3

Fishing Reports

Spent the last week guiding. Did a few days on the inland ocean of Lake Oroville and the Lower Yuba River as always there was highs and lows…

Lower Yuba River – With the rain last weekend deer creek blew out pretty good Monday and Tuesday adding some serious color to the river on Monday. Right to the point where I would usually loose some confidence in catching fish. Keep in mind that I LOVE the Yuba off color and have confidence more so on the Yuba then any other river catching fish in some pretty off color water. Fishing was pretty good on Monday with standard off color flies…bright eggs, san juan worms, big stones and attractor dries. Flows didn’t go up to much as the dam release stayed around 850 but Deer Creek jumped up to 400 something…

By Wednesday when I was out there again it was nearly gin clear and low at 850cfs. Completely different game. We were fishing 5x size 18’s and struggling to set the hook on some pretty selective and short strikes. We scratched some fish out and even got some fish at the end of the day swinging streamers in some deeper water but it was tough. There was some sparse hatches in the flats that brought up some of standard pods of fish and we got a few to rise which is an accomplishment in it self. Most fish were eating small micro mays and S&M’s but there were a few caddis around but I couldn’t get any fish to eat a small olive pupa which is usually the secret…nothing on eggs or stoneflies.

In general I like the Yuba this time of year with some color and flow. It is hard fishing out there if it is low and clear in the winter. Looks like some rain coming in this week so hopefully that helps get some water going down the river and colors up the flow a bit.

Lake Oroville – I have spent a few days with my the family and clients out on the Lake the last few weeks. Now I know that most people don’t get to excited about fishing indicators in still water but the lake is such a unique and cool place and the fish are pretty darn fun to catch I like it. Learning and figuring out environments and their fish that are so different then anything else I have ever fished or spent time on is really cool and challenging. We have been finding good numbers of 1-3 pound fish most days and as long as the rain keeps coming and the tribs keep flowing fishing should only get better over the next few months.

Winter Striper Fishing took a pause as the river blew out last week with the rain but has come back into shape around 6500 cfs and the rain coming in looks to not be as heavy so hopefully it will hold for a few days next week to get some time out there. Fishing had been good and big water events usually mixes things up a bit and gets the bigger fish feeding. Should be a good few weeks here on the back end of the full moon.

Butte Creek – Drove over Butte Creek a few times this week and looked more then fishable and even talked to a few people that have had some luck up there. I have yet to get out on the creek. Maybe next week if I have a morning to get up early and go. May even drag the boys out there to pound the banks and get it done….or may just take a morning to myself. Usually after the first rain and blow out is prime time.

Music –

Timing is everything I think when it comes to music. I have been searching for new music to connect with the last few months. Nothing was really getting me excited or hitting home. Of course all the old greats are always nice but, I need new music and songs to connect with or I feel some what lost…A good album that I connect with last years some times in how it speaks to me. It speaks to me through out all times, situations, up downs, everything… I do realize that is a lot to ask from an album. Not sure anyone else has this experience or “thing” in their lives, but a good album inspires me, gives perspective on life, takes me away at times, and says the things I feel but can not say or didn’t even know I was feeling.  

Sometimes music finds you at the right time…I follow a ton of musicians, bands, record labels, instrument companies, and such on instagram and literally search out music. I found one guy name David Ramirez a while ago and I follow him on social media and even downloaded his album on ITunes and gave it a listen...I think I deleted it and moved on as it didn’t really click or just wasn’t for me then…I downloaded it again today just on a whim and holy cow did hit me. It literally spoke to so much of what is on my mind right now and what I have been thinking/going through. It is amazing how things go, albums find you at the right time I guess.

If you like Ryan Adams, Ryan Bingham, John Moreland and just good honest music check out David Ramierez and his new(er) album We’re Not Going Anywhere.

BEST of 2018 Also there are many many “Best of 2018” album lists coming out and while I usually just blow them off and pay little attention as to many are just lists of BS or so crazy eccentric out there that I never find anything off of them….There is ONE though that is a treasure trove of awesomeness and variety each year and that is the Bitter Southerner List of Best Southern Albums https://bittersoutherner.com/best-southern-albums-of-2018 I would highly recommend checking it out…really diverse and well rounded list and always some new finds on it. I pulled 5 albums on to my Apple Music off the list to listen to just based on reading it over.

Taking the kids fishing – Been taking the boys out to the great inland ocean of Lake Oroville. If you want a report read above … and I will be honest taking an 8 and 10 year old fishing does not generate the most accurate reports so reader beware. As taking your kids fishing it really never ceases to amaze me how much the whole experience is what it is all about…We have been starting with a home made waffle and sausage breakfast and getting up early. A BIG breakfast is crucial and to be honest the only sales pitch that is going to get them up at “school wake up time” on a Saturday and rush them out the door earlier then school in the frigid December weather. It always seems to work out where we catch some fish or I hook some fish and pass off the rod to them. That said I have worked hard to make sure they struggle and I am not always there to help them or clean up their mess so to say. I let my 8 year old work on a tangle with his indicator rig this last weekend for atleast 10 minutes before I stepped in. I also made him sit down with a backlash on his bait caster a few weeks ago and un tangle it. I have never helped them to much so they know the struggle is part of the deal BUT I always make sure that the whole experience is fun…untangling sucks and not catching fish is not always fun but hot French fries, candy, and just hanging out makes it all worth it. That said I am always surprised by some of the stuff that makes it fun for them.

This last weekend we were fishing way up in one of the arms of the Lake, basically a canyon, and they started to notice there was an echo. Both boys started yelling at the canyon walls and thinking that the echo was the coolest thing in the WORLD!!!! Who doesn’t love the sound of their own voice saying fart face echoing off canyon walls. Also while up in the canyon we found a few land locked Chinook salmon that they hooked and landed but on the car ride all they talked about was the echo. Finding fun in the small things with your kids is sometimes what it is all about.