The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

On Friday, 6/20/08, I drove up early in the morning towing my teardrop to Potato Creek campground to fish Deer Creek. This was the annual Golden West Women’s Lake Almanor fishing trip. Reportedly the Hex hatch had started on Butt Valley Reservoir. But I really wanted to fish the smaller creeks that abound in this area.

My friends Kate and MaryAnn were also driving up later on Friday with their new pop up camper. I arrived at the Potato Patch campground on Hwy 32 with the girls Ruuby and Vamp. As I unhitched my teardrop I notice that the 7 way ply for the tow light was unplugged and shred by being dragged on the highway. How did that happen. However,I know that for trailer, tow lights are a source of a big problem. While caravanning with another friend who was towing a vintage trailer last September, she was stopped by the Los Banos police since her running lights weren’t working. Her brake and turn lights were working but after taking the trailer back to the repair guy to get the light working, they worked only at the shop but as soon as she drove, the running lights stopped working. The only reason that she didn’t get a ticket is that I was following her. So I told her to buy towing lights to avoid another police stop. I took my own advice and had magnetic tow lights kit in my car.

While I was waiting for my friends to arrive, the girls and I hike down the trailhead to the creek. It was absolutely beautiful with lots of riffles and pools. When Kate and MaryAnn arrived late on Friday evening, I took them down to trailhead so we could hike down to the creek. Kate noticed that there were lots of golden stoneflies on the rocks everywhere. There were huge. The last weekend in May, all three of us took the fly fishing 2 day clinic taught by Ralph and Lisa Cutter. This was a chance to practice the techniques that we learned in the clinic.

We fished the wild trout section at Potato Patch campground on Saturday morning. It was a blast. All three of us must have had 20 hits on dry flies, orange and yellow stimulators, parachute adams, irresistibles, elk hair caddis. While Kate hike further upstream to fish, MaryAnn and I fished with for 5 hours within 200 feet of the trail beginning. It was just great. While many of the fish were small, there some 8 inches and they were all gorgeous. Most were LDR but some were brought to hand. But since this was a catch and release area are, the LDR’s didn’t matter.

At about 1:30pm we decide to stop and go fish the Deer Creek Meadows. We were having a potluck dinner with the other GWWF members who were staying at the Cedar Lodge in Chester. We arrived at the Deer Creek meadows on Hwy 32 at the same time as the thunder,lighting and rain hit the area. We waited out the storm in our cars. Since it didn’t let up, we drove instead into Chester to pick out some supplies for the potluck dinner.

After a great dinner of BBQ tri tip and various other great foods, a couple of GWWF members Chris, Joan and myself headed down the Deer Creek meadows to fish the evening hatch. There were 3 other cars parked at the bridge. It didn’t matter, the fish were still biting on dries, ants, irresistibles, stimulators, humpies and bivisbles. The small fish loved the irresistibles and ants. First casts, they hit those flies. Since I was wearing shorts and have forgotten the bug spray, the fish weren’t the only things that were biting me. But I survived. Again all of us got lots of bites and brought fish to hand. While not large, they were very aggressive. While we were fishing, we could see the fire trucks stopped and parked on hwy 32. We could tell that they were staked out waiting to be sent to locations where the afternoons lighting strikes had started fires.

I got up early Sunday morning to get ready for the drive home. Kate and MaryAnn were staying over Sunday so they got up early to fish the creek behind the campground again.

Thank God for duct tape! While the towing lights have a magnetized bas, the teardrop has an aluminum skin except for the bumpers. The wiring between the lights wasn’t long enough to stretch over the teardrop so that each light could sit on the metal fenders. So I attached the lights to the metal rail at the bottom back of the teardrop. Then I draped the extra wire around the NCFFB hitch cover and then duct taped both the wiring and the base of the tow lights. I then duct taped the wiring up the back, down the front of the teardrop, over the spare tire moon hubcap and to the towing hitch. The I plug the end into the Subaru’s 4 plug. My teardrop, whose name is Lake Dawg Fish Camp looked like she have staples in her skin.


Loretta

wish I had known you were in the area.

Paul

Another great report. Often passed Deer Creek, never stopped to fish. Sounds like a great place, sure looked nice every time I passed by.

On the trailer plug, you did better than I. Once on a trip from Anchorage to Wasilla Valley, I also lost the plug from a 25' trailer. Discovered it at the end of a rainy July day. Wow was I upset, and totally un-prepared. Unlike you. Good Job.

I drove around to several auto parts stores, Napa seemed the best, and they tried to sell me the wire and a new metal plug. Finally I found a Napa store that had the molded plug and wire conections. All in one piece. Took me the better part of a afternoon to finish the wiring. One lead at a time. I am a dunce with wiring and most other things.

Once done, I "duct taped" the plug around the cap after inserting it in Again the receptable. Also made sure the plug was properly indexed in the receptable. Since then, I ALWAYS secure the plug to the receptable with a couple of small bungie cords. After hearing your alert, I will use a "cable tie" (panduit) sp

Those tear drop trailers are the way to go now, saw a couple in Bryce Nat'l park in May of this year.

Thanks for the heads up.

Tow lights are cheap insurance. I got mine at Harbor freight. I like you will be duct taping and cable tying to make sure that plug stays securely in. I always carry duct tape but now got Gorilla Tape" just in case. In some of the smaller towns, it may be hard to find tow lights.

For a longer trailer like yours, you probably can find the tow lights with a longer cord online (url below)or at a truck stop.

http://www...6Su__wkpQCFQ4RnQodMF_iBQ

Luckily, my Subaru's plug is a 7/4 plug. Because my teardrop is narrower than my Subaru, you could still see the Subaru's turn signals driving behind the trailer.

My friends also fish Warner Creek and Nelson Creek. They caught fish at both of those creeks. It was hard to me to leave Deer Creek to fish elsewhere since the fishing was so good there.

Loretta

Paul we drove up and fished it last Monday night with a friend who had never even heard of it. I told him he was in for a real treat. Unfortunately the little guys had decided tonight wasn't the night - maybe it was all the smoke. Yes some bugs did come off but it was nothing significant. We fished until dark and never did get into any fish. If time warrants I want to try and get out there again and see if I can't hit it when the party is in full swing. As you know it can be a real kick and those big fish do like those big bugs.

Great report Loretta - I've never fished Deer CRK but an familiar with the Nelson. It's a fun creek to fish but watch out for those buzz-tails.

Pete

I am hearing varying reports...some good, some not so good..

Paul

Thanks for the link, lots of interesting items. Need to go shopping soon.

Never fished Warner Creek, my brother used to camp there for years, I did pass by on the way west from Eagle on a whim. It was mid-Sept, so decided to look around. Got within about 2+ miles of Drakesbad towing my trailer and the sign said to turn around. I did at Drakesbad! Proceeded onto the Klamath for some steelheading. Looks to be early season favorite,never been back.

Nelson (red bridge) is another story. Good early season, and very late. But fording it at the confluence in the spring can be tricky. Below the confluence was where I spent most of my time. The Jackson creek area below 2 rivers, the all time favorite. All areas in that neighborhood , including Carmack mine, should have been fishing well this year.

You were wise not to leave fish, to find fish. After the holiday crowds, the still waters should produce.

Love that little creek!I've fished it since the early 70's and have never had a bad stop there (not always fish, but just a wonderful little canyon to sit back and enjoy a nature).For some like the Carpmeister I think it qualifies as a great area to nap in his camper.......a few year back.

Great report!