Welcome, New Trout Season (and, Good-Bye, Joe)

The L&T is on a biz trip and I’m Mr. Mom all this week, which means this blog post gets written during Little M’s short afternoon nap.

After which I bundle her into the car and we get the hell out of the house, because:

1) The weather’s nice (much nicer than yesterday), and

2) If we stay, she’ll drive me crazy

So much for the sensitive father.

The Opener

Yesterday’s general trout season opener saw crowds on the McCloud, a fair number of bodies on the Upper Sacramento, and a generous turnout at Joe Kimsey’s remembrance at Dunsmuir City Park.

(Which is a lot to cover during a short nap.)

A "Rough Skinned Newt"

Here’s the fly fishing story: Wayne suggested a place where he thought we could catch some trout despite the high water, and I knew exactly where he was talking about.

We’d both fished it independently over the years, both liked it, and this time, it produced (as it has in the past).

No real shortage of trout or rafts

With Joe Kimsey’s remembrance at 3:00 — and us the victim of a Meski-delayed start — we basically fished 150 feet of river — and had six grabs between us.

I even got one to eat a dry, but speed set him. Later, I nymphed one up, but he was downstream, and neatly wrapped me on a branch (I saw him just before he broke me off, which I assume was on purpose).

Just in case anyone forgot what I look like just before losing a trout...

Wayne got four grabs, landed one, and our time was up.

My take?

It’s pretty much as advertised; the river is high but wholly fishable… in places.

And in those places, the fish could be pretty good.

Still, with temperatures finally set to hit 70 degrees this week, we’re seeing the Upper Sacramento in what is probably the best shape it’ll be until most of the way through June.

In other words, enjoy it.

Joe Kimsey

At the Dunsmuir City Park gathering for Joe Kimsey, one person noted that all the elements of a successful Joe Kimsey day were present: cookies, cake, a trout river, and women…

Those that knew Joe will miss him. Those that didn’t might wonder what all the fuss is about, but how do you explain a true character?

Instead, here are a few photographs:

A few photos of Joe -- right in front of his Upper Sac (he let the rest of us fish it)

I could only fit a portion of the attendees into this photograph

See you on the river,
Tom Chandler