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From the monthly archives:
I took Mike B. and his son Travis, who you will recognize as the Inter-Galactic Squawfish Record Holder, out on a little mixed bag saltwater mission along the Central Coast Friday. Though Trav is King Squaw and future host of Squaw TV, even he was humbled by the beasts that we were to encounter… [click to continue…]
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JD,
For Father’s Day, my wife and mother-in-law wanted to organize a camping and fishing trip for my father-in-law and I.
We’d like to stay within a 4 hour drive of Granite Bay (near Sacramento, CA), and we’d like to camp in our trailers (so moms+kids can come along and play while dads fish).
We are both novice fly fisherman. Can you recommend a good spot at that time of year and also a good fly shop to hook up with on what to use? Thanks, Mike R.
Hey Mike,
I’d probably check out Martis Lake near Truckee. Good trout fly fishing and plenty of other stuff nearby to do. There’s no RV camping there, but you can stay nearby at the United Trails
For info: Tahoe FlyFishing Outfitters
Have fun!
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Well, we had a good day on the ol’ Rio Americano Wednesday…I have a couple of shad/striper trips — a half day morning run and then a full day mission until dark after that…and the fishing was about as good as you can get!
We started off throwing swimbaits for stripers and caught a couple dandies…the 20ish pounder above taken by Bryce Roberts of Auburn, CA and then another nice one, caught by Jay Lopes, who was taking the day off from running halibut charters in the Bay…
Even the salty skipper needs to get bit once in a while!
But that only tells half of the story…
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John St. John loaded the Remington .12-gauge with 3-inch Magnum No. 2’s and, from 20 feet, pumped two rounds into the port side of the driftboat’s aft quarter. The boat’s tough core absorbed the pellets and not a single one passed through.
Not satisfied, St. John then set the shotgun down and went to work on the boat with a chainsaw. In a few moments of determined cutting, he liberated the aft end of the vessel — just behind the rower’s seat – from the bow section. He then loaded the now two-piece boat onto a trailer and drove it down to the river and hopped aboard. Amazingly, it floated high and dry as if nothing had ever happened.
Was this the work of a maniacal sociopath? A random act of violence? Had the owner of the boat stolen St. John’s girlfriend?
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Well, I didn’t exactly have a wild Memorial Day Weekend, what with cleaning out the garage and all…but in the deep recesses out there, I found some pretty funny old pics like this one of me and my bro (I’m the surfer dude on the right) with a Lake Tahoe rainbow we tag-teamed one summer morning many, many moons ago.
Are you digging those short-shorts as much as I am? Damn, I wish those were in style again…NOT! Oh wait a minute, my wife just told me that she just read in GQ Magazine that they actually are in style this summer. See what a trend-setter I am?
I also found this awesome page from my personal fishing records book…check it out:
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They’re silvery and come from the ocean in huge numbers. They fight great on light tackle and they’re in West Coast rivers right now. Yep, we’re talking American Shad here. But do you really know these guys?
Take our first-ever (and last) American Shad Quiz and find out how much info about these scrapply little battlers you’ve got locked up in your noodle.
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JD,
I am going to be in Juneau on the 28th of June 2009. I have been told that I can fish along Fish Creek for salmon. I am a very experienced fly fisherman, but my gear is geared toward trout. What do I need for gear, (flies, waders, etc) and is there anyplace that will rent it for a day? All I want is a king and I have to do it on the cheap. All I want to do, is catch one, take a picture of it and let it go.
Thanks, Scott R.
Scott,
When the kings are in Fish Creek, it’s a bit of a mob scene, particularly around the Pond area, where snagging is legal. In the creek itself, there’s no snagging or bait allowed and that’s where you should go. I’d head above the bridge to seek some peace and quiet.
Anyway, you’re going to need at least an 8-weight rod to wrestle a king out of that creek. Big, bright attractor patterns with chartreuse and hot pink as the main colors work, but honestly, I’ve done best in Alaska on kings with black leeches fished on the swing with short strips.
As far as rental gear goes, I’m not sure about that one. I guess in a pinch if you have a 7-weight you use for larger trout, you could get away with that.
Good luck!
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JD,
After 30 years in the union as a Air Conditioning tech, the last 19 years with one company…I was laid off! I’ve got to tell ya, I am a little burnt out! I could care less if I don’t ever see another HVAC product in my life!
I bought a North River a couple of years ago and have been fishing a lot due to being out of work, mostly New Melones and Lake Pardee, in the Motherlode! Yesterday I entered a derby at lake Pardee put on by CIFF. That was a kick ass time. We were 5th place in the trout division.
I would much rather make a living doing something I want to do Instead of something I have to do, no what I mean? My wife tells me I am a lot more happy these days! Any advice?
Thanks, Jim
Hey Jim,
Sorry to hear about you getting laid off…man, tough times right now! As far as making a living doing something you love, I assume you’re considering the guiding route.
Well, here’s my two cents worth on that subject:
Your wife is on to something — do what makes you happy…that’s pretty much what mine said when I dropped the little “honey, I think I’m going to become a guide” on her back in 1997. Well, what I can tell ya is it is the greatest job in the world…I mean, damn, you get to get out there and be on the water every day. How cool is that, right?
However, there are some wake-up calls that every new guide gets, too. In most cases (myself included), you find out really quickly that you don’t know nearly as much as you thought you did about catching fish when you have to do it every day, under pressure and under all conditions. Before I was a guide, we’d quit fishing when the wind kicked up or the river got muddy or whatever….but you can’t do that when you’ve got 4 paying clients in your boat.
Dealing with the public can be a bit of a test some days, too. If you get a personality or two on the boat that doesn’t mesh with yours (it’s guaranteed to happen), it can make for a loooong day.
The other thing to consider is that, despite what most people think, you don’t actually get to do any fishing when you’re guiding. It really does change your outlook on the sport. When I was busy running 2 salmon trips a day, seven days a week for 30-40 days straight, the last thing I wanted to do when I had a day off was get near a boat!
With the economy being super suckalitious right now and fishing in many areas kinda on the same track, starting a guide business at the moment is a tough road. However, if you dedicate yourself and have passion for it, you’ll be fine. And again, it’s still one of the coolest jobs you can have!
My best advice to new guides is this:
Remember it’s what you do between the bites that makes or breaks you.
I’ll leave you with that one to digest. Good luck with whatever path you decide to take and please let me know if I can help you out if try the guiding thing.
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