The Trout Underground’s Early Spring, Highly Suspect Fishing Report

The temperatures said Spring. The time change said Spring. The sun said Spring.

The L&T Nancy took one look at me and said… get the hell out of the house.

So much for spontaneous artistic repetition.

This is the Upper Sacramento River (in B&W) on the first day of spring. Really.

With temperatures in the upper 60s in Mount Shasta, I decided to fish the canyon stretch of the upper river, even knowing the water temperatures were probably better mid-river and below.

I may be stubborn, but at least I’m not fishless (though just barely).

Spring?

I know this is probably the faux-first-day-of-spring that always pops up this time of year–a weather-based seduction that always leaves me abandoned, cold and snowed on only a week or two later, but for now, I’m playing the role of willing sucker.

It was shirtsleeve weather, a handful of bugs flew over the river, and the river’s in gorgeous shape.

After a cold, dark winter, the first day of spring shouldn’t be wasted on indicators and split shot, so I tied on a dry fly and hung a small red brassie under it (I’m either cheating on the dry or nymphing poorly, but either way, I’m casting the thing instead of lobbing it).

I had five grabs and managed to get two of the fish to my feet before they wriggled free (no action on the dry at all), but a working body count wasn’t really the measure of the day, which was pretty damned perfect.

I fished a just-built 8′ 5wt Diamondglass (fiberglass) rod that was tres sweet. A report soon.

Some of the local guides are already out on the river with clients, pointing at the water where the fish should be, desperately hoping the sport has enough game to actually catch one.

For those actually expecting a real fishing report, I’ll say this; I saw a handful of small brown winter stones, a very light afternoon hatch of BWOs, a smattering of what looked like a #18 caddis, and three #16 sized mayflies that were just out of ID range.

If I was the kind of fly fisher who was immune to the charms of early spring and just getting out of the house, I’d fish the middle and lower parts of the river, thinking there would likely be more (and bigger) fish there right now.

If I was that kind of fly fisher.

Next time I probably will be.

We offer this photo of underwear suspended over a side channel of the Upper Sacramento River without further comment.

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