Steelhead Abuse!
April 21, 2006
It’s no secret that steelhead anglers are a masochistic lot.
Those of us who are card-carrying members of this freakish society will — gladly, I may add — stand chest-deep in frigid water for hours on end in inhospitable weather, casting thousands of times with frost-bitten, roe-slathered fingers to fish that often seem only to exist in our dreams.
Giant British Columbia Steelhead
March 15, 2006
If the steelhead of a lifetime is something you’ve been dreaming of, look no further than the streams of Northern British Columbia — the home of the largest steelies in the world.
My top pick for an outfitter in the area caters to small groups of 4 anglers and has many, many, many fish over 30 pounds (including this jumbo hawg in the photo) to his credit. He’s also hooked at least one steelhead that would have gone over 40 pounds and guided an angler to a 28-pound world line class record.
Winter Bass at Clear Lake
December 3, 2005
“There’s a lot of big bass in this lake, Chief,” says guide, TV personality and tournament pro Big Fred Contaoi of the Orange County Choppers fishing team after I set yet another fat largemouth free. “A lot of bass and not many people – a good combination in my book.”
Mine too. And that’s really the story with Clear Lake in the winter. It’s bustling with activity in the warmer months but the place is a virtual ghost town in the winter – except when there’s a tournament going on. On this particular winter day, there’s a grand total of two trailers in the parking lot when we launch and we never run into another basser the entire day.
Salt Water Paradise: Milbanke Sound
September 6, 2004
While on assignment for Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine over Labor Day weekend, I had the great fortune of visiting one of the most spectacular fishing destinations I’ve ever been to: Milbanke Sound on British Columbia’s northern coast.
Located approximately 360 miles north of Vancouver, Milbanke Sound is incredible - not only from a fishing standpoint, but also in terms of scenery. Hordes of migrating king and coho salmon annually pass through the area and the sound is also home to incomprehensible numbers of rockfish and some extremely large Pacific halibut.
BC Steelheading
April 8, 2004
“Sorry about the slow fishing today, guys,” said our guide Justin Gyger of West Coast Fishing Adventures after our first day of steelheading on the Kitimat River in Northwestern British Columbia last Thursday. “It’s normally not this tough.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Our “slow” day of fishing consisted of four steelies hooked and two landed. As any steelheader from the States would attest, that’s not at all a bad day of fishing. Especially when you consider that my fish, at 14 pounds, was the minnow of the day.
New Year’s Steelhead on the American R.
December 18, 2001
Holidays treat you nicely? Hope so — I sure had a good time, though I must admit, I’m feeling a little spawned out after doing various family functions for the past 9 days in a row. This year, our holiday tour made stops in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Yucca Valley, and of course, Sacramento and Auburn. After all that, it’s certainly nice to be home! With Christmas out of the way, it’s time to start thinking about the next really big event of the season…the opening day of steelhead fishing on the American River!
The Toe Drain
September 27, 2001
Sometimes you find paradise in the strangest places. If I could be anywhere this time of year, it would probably be on the Trinity River, with its surrounding hillsides ablaze with fall colors and its own crystalline flows blackened by wave upon wave of migrating salmon. However, my busy guiding schedule keeps me close to home in Autumn, and while I love being on the local rivers, I occasionally need to get away from it all.
One of the oddest sanctuaries I’ve found is a small waterway near Woodland called the Toe Drain. Considering the name sounds a lot like something you’d need to cure a foot infection, you’d think that this hidden body of water would be, well, less than scenic. And you’re absolutely right.
Beat the Summer Heat at Lake Tahoe
July 12, 2001
The heat getting you down? I’m okay as long as the mercury stays in the double-digit range, but I lose it when the temperature breaks the century mark. Anything over 100 degrees and all I want to do is hang out in a bath tub full of ice, drink about 10 gallons of Gatorade and eat Peppermint Patties all day long with the air cranked down to minus 30. When it’s hot enough to melt your hair to the top of your head, it’s hard to think about fishing. However, there’s a place you can go to beat the heat, enjoy some amazing scenery and have some excellent fishing this time of year: Lake Tahoe.
Northern California Gem: Bullards Bar Reservoir
July 5, 2001
I get a lot of calls from people who are looking for places to go fishing. Some ask for suggestions on day trips, while others want to get away for a week or more. So, over the next few weeks I’m going to take some in-depth looks at places where you can have a little summer fun in the north state. Today, we’re going to stick close to home — Bullards Bar Reservoir — which is only an hour or so from Sacramento and makes for a great day trip.
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Big Spring Trout at Shasta
April 12, 2001
Looking to catch a bunch of big trout this spring? Head for Northern California’s Lake Shasta, where football-shaped rainbows, browns and landlocked king salmon all await your line…
