November 15 used to feel like the beginning of the end of the world.

The general trout season on the Upper Sacramento closed(along with most the other rivers in the state). For half the year, we were left to stare at a river we couldn’t fish (for what appeared to be no good reason).

For a few of us, the closing day gathering at Wayne and Myrna’s was more a wake than a party.

The Upper Sacramento River on November 16 
This was off limits during the winter. Now you’re free to freeze your ass off.

That was until Chris Raine spearheaded a drive to open the river to year-round angling, and now November 15 comes and goes like almost any other day (though if your home water was the McCloud, you probably feel differently).

The season opener also went the way of the homing pigeon, and though I was happy to see that wretchedly timed day die a quick death (the season always opened the day after the river blew out), I admit to missing the gradual, nervous buildup and all the anticipation.

Then again, if I really missed it, I could go stand in a closed river and not fish it. Since that hasn’t happened, I think I’m probably just being nostalgic.

waterleaves

Before the Upper Sac was opened year-round, what happened on the Upper Sac in winter tended to stay on the Upper Sac in winter, and like Las Vegas, you knew interesting things were going on, but you didn’t know exactly what they were.

More than a few times I’d take a walk along a high bank, and see trout eating BWOs in the kind of hard-clear water you only experience in the dead of winter.

Today, we have some idea what’s happening, though it’s a little like teenagers discussing sex; there are significant gaps in the knowledge base, and lot of guesswork and fantasy is involved.

What’s apparent is that the BWO hatches come and go with maddening irregularity. Three winters ago the hatches were regular and thick; the last two winters have been far more sporadic.

Midges? I was expecting serious midge hatches, and yet I’m still largely waiting. Damn.

cdccripple
A CDC BWO cripple, freshly dusted.

I’ve fished the river a couple times this last week, and not once did the hatch come off like I’d hoped. Nor did the fish rise like I so desperately wanted.

I managed a few grabs on the BWOs, but I’m pretty sure I’d have done a lot better on the big October Caddis dry. That’s on tap for my next trip, and naturally, I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some important information — the kind of information that sets the Trout Underground apart from all those other fly fishing sites, which only offer you “How to Catch Fish” advice.

Here at the Underground, we go one step further by dispensing with irritating “how-to” advice, and moving right into “Where to Catch Big Trout” information. Behold:

bigfishspot 

A really, really big fish sometimes eats bugs only 1.5 feet from that small white rock barely poking its head out of the water.

There you go. Once again, no need to thank us. See you on the open-for-winter-fishing river, Tom Chandler.

Posted in Fishing Report, Upper Sacramento, Writing and tagged , , , , .