The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Howdy. I went out on the Lower Sac yesterday with a couple of friends to product test a donated rowing/fishing frame. We didn't get on the water until about 11:30 and it was really slow for about the first couple of hours. Then, as if by magic, the fish started hitting. There were tons of bugs out... mayflies and caddis, nothing really rising for them though. The #16 BHPT was the ticket despite the assortment of other bugs. I managed to land 4 and the boat landed about 12 with about twice as many hooked as landed. I lost a total pig, which haunts me still... something in the mid-low 20's... good to see and feel a fish like that, even if we didn't get it to the boat.

That Lower Sac is just a fantastic river... there were lots of other boats out, but there is plenty of river to go around. The river is really low at the moment and I saw people wading spots I've never seen people wading. It was a beautiful day and I even got a little bit of a sunburn.

That Cypress bridge work is a real mess... someone is going to die there at some point in the summer and it will be tragic when it happens. I can understand why they are going to close it, but I don't know how they are going to keep everyone they want to keep out from getting in.

I broke my skunk the week before, so with that behind me I can now look forward. Oh, I also managed to sort of break my #1 7 wt... so I'll be sending my rod back to the good folks at St. Croix... they probably miss my rod and it misses them... they've developed a close bond over the years.

B-

Haunted.

The pigs I lose are the fish I (now) most fondly remember . Thanks for the report.

Someday I'll get my butt off of the steelhead rivers and actually wet a line on the Lower Sac. I just can't seem to leave those hot steelies when I'm in NorCal.

Oh, even now I think of that fish fondly. You only get so many trout that big in your life and I've had a few... it was just nice to see and feel a fish that big again.

yeah, I need to do the opposite... need to get up and fish for some steelies, but c'est la vie.

How'd the boat do skippy? When you rowing me around?

The boat... roomy... comfortable... the oars were not ideal... they are HEAVY and a bit too long. We got the oars cheap... three for $125 and they are 10'. What can I say... the price was right... the composites are $115 each, but they weigh a pound, while the oars we got are more like 5 pounds... we need to change the position of the oar rights and sleaves. Beyond that, it was great. We didn't have an anchor, but with the river at 3600 it wasn't a problem.

Fit the whole thing in the mother-in-law's expedition.

It will be ready to go just as soon as I earn the credits back to earn another fishing trip... should be by 2012.

B-

Nice report, Bjorn. Glad to see you are getting out a bit more often.

Buzz

Yeah, I've been getting out a bit here, which is really nice. I count seven times so far in 2008. I may have used up a bit of my supply of chits with this last trip... but I hope to make it out again soon... things are starting to fall into shape river-wise. Out of my 7 trips, I got skunked four time... but that is winter fishing for ya.

B-