Upper Sacramento High and Rising: Getting Worse Before It Gets Better

It rained all Thursday night, but – in what fly fishermen amusingly call hope (the rest of the world calls it desperation) – I figured the dry earth would soak up the rain, leaving the river low, clear and fishable.

The real world, it seems, doesn’t always accommodate mad men.

Fall color on the Upper Sacramento River
Fall on the Upper Sacramento isn’t always easy, but it’s typically pretty.

On Friday afternoon (mid-river), the river wasn’t blown, but it was headed that way. With more rain last night and today, the flows are spiking (2300+ as I write this). Visibility? Yesterday I waded knee deep and my boots simply disappeared.

Today would be worse.

If it was trying to fish up here this weekend, I’d head for a lake.

I fished a while – hitting the bank with a big October Caddis dry – then took a few pictures and drove into Dunsmuir where I lobbied the Burger Barn to add the slaw dog (the Official Tube-Shaped Processed Meat Meal of the Underground) to the menu.

Fall Color on the Upper Sacramento River

Since I was in town, I paid a visit to Bob Grace and Joe Kimsey at the Ted Fay Fly Shop.

Defying the economy and the industry at large, Bob’s had a pretty good year, and probably has another coming given that he hasn’t really bought into the thinking that fly gear has to be expensive.

Rain’s forecast at least through Monday (Tuesday & Wednesday 30%), and temperatures are on the way down. Time to get a few flies tied.

See you indoors, Tom Chandler.

fly fishing, fishing, upper sac, upper sacramento river

Posted in Fishing Report, Upper Sacramento and tagged fishing, Fly Fishing, upper sac, upper sacramento river.

7 Comments

Heddon17 November 1, 2008, 5:43 pm Reply

Thanks for the update Tom, as I was planning on heading down there tomorrow but will pass and hit the fly tying vise instead.

Even the lakes are no sure thing right now. I tried to hit a lake near here yesterday but the wind was so bad that trying to fish the thing in a float tube would have been a battle for survival more than anything else. This lake is at 6,000 feet elevation so you have a pretty good idea of how cold it would have been with the wind (some of the gusts were in excess of 40 mph).

The thing that actually worried me more than anything was that a tree would blow down on the road in to the lake and I’d be SOL in terms of being able to drive home before dark yesterday.

My gut feeling kept telling me to get the heck out of there before something bad happened so I turned around and headed home.

Did you ever sell that bamboo fly rod that you posted on the Classic Fly Rod forum earlier this fall?

Brian

Heddon17(Quote)

David Roberts November 2, 2008, 4:40 am Reply

TC,
At least you got out. I hope Nancy got home alright last night.
It did rain up here most of the day, but the river is in good shape. For you fly rodders thinking of coming this way. Hold off a few days, They opened the river back up to Bait on the 1st and the river looked rush hour traffic in LA. All boat ramp parking lots where full. Yes it is “Rape of the River Time”. Thank God it only last a coupe of days, then the cold gets to them and they head back to the bar for more beer.
David

David Roberts(Quote)

John Soares November 2, 2008, 5:24 am Reply

Hello Tom.

Gorgeous close-ups of the autumn leaves. I recently posted some fall foliage shots taken in Lithia Park (Ashland, Oregon) and at Sims Flat on the Upper Sac. You must have a very steady hand to get such definition.

Do you ever eat at the Cornerstone in downtown Dunsmuir? That’s my favorite restaurant there.

John Soares(Quote)

Larry Swearingen November 2, 2008, 5:36 am Reply

Slaw Dawg ???? You gotta be kiddin me ! The Barn don need no steenkin
Vegitarian food !
Besides, Sandi would have to change the menu.
Don’t mess with Sandi !

Larry Swearingen
Fort Wayne, IN (Not Fort Jones)
New Hoosier

Larry Swearingen(Quote)