Beaver graciously takes the credit for “conserving” pretty much every trout on the Eastern Seaboard, yet fails to mention he also unlawfully prevented access to many of those trout to all but his big-dollar “club” patrons.

From the Beaver’s mouth:

In the 1970s, I noticed two major changes in the landscape along my favorite trout streams in Pennsylvania - developments and subdivisions, and “No Trespassing” signs.

By the late 1980s, I decided I wanted to do something to prevent development and gain access to these trout streams. At first, I leased access from private property owners as a hobby for my family, friends, and business associates. In 1995, I decided to approach the acquisition of blue ribbon trout streams as a full-time business.

The Trout Underground’s pretty much wetting himself right now (I think I just shot Coca-Cola out my nose) at the sanctimonious tone of The Beaver.

Clearly, he considers himself the Albert Schweitzer of the fly fishing world (well, maybe if Schweitzer wasn’t interested in helping people as much as making a lot of money for himself).

Yet his Spring Ridge Club recently lost a court case because it was trying to block river access to Pennsylvania’s Little Juniata River in violation of the law which permits public access to “navigable” rivers.

He fought the law, and the law won.

Given that there’s no mention of that little incident in this bought-and-paid-for Helium interview, I’d suggest we all visit the interview page and leave a comment at the bottom (I already did) suggesting the interview failed to tell the whole story.

Be nice and respectful so there’s no reason for the comments to be censored, and let’s see what happens. It should be amusing.

Technorati Tags: spring ridge club, donny beaver, little juniata

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I don’t know about you, but bouncing around inside my head are detailed (and mostly unrealistic) plans for 2007’s fishing trips, and while some of them might actually come to pass, they almost certainly won’t happen the way I imagine them.

Which - if you stop to think about it - is probably the point.

It’s the kind of rainy day, lay-around-the-house leisure activity that could waste a whole afternoon, assuming such a thing could ever be a waste.

What’s the plan?

The Early Season

Winter fishing on the Upper Sacramento hasn’t been stellar, but with the snowpack far below normal and no real storms in sight, we’re looking a drought right in the eye.

That’s not the best news for salmon, steelhead and the California delta, but it’s not the end of the world up here in the mountains.

With a little luck, we could hit a few good hatches before the runoff even gets going, and once started, it won’t last long.

A drought would also open the backcountry earlier, and if I sound almost giddy at the prospect of a drought, so be it.

One man’s tomato stake is another’s priceless bamboo fly rod, and complaining about the weather rarely changes it.

I’m just making lemonade.

Tennessee

About the time the runoff gets out of hand I could be winging my way to Tennessee.

You’ll find me headhunting Tennessee’s rich tailwaters, and enjoying my time on the smaller rivers and streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

I might even tumble for an overnight trip into the park’s backcountry, and scarf a few slawdogs at the local Phillips 66.

I’ll even have a chance to test fly the lies which don’t work in California any more, but might find a new audience in the Southeast, where they’ll make a worthy addition to the Southern oral tradition.

Consider me a verbal philanthropist.

Tennessee’s key attraction is the fly fishing diversity; one day I’m casting for tiny brook trout in tiny streams, the next I’m fishing a blanket caddis hatch on a rainbow tailwater, and yet another I’m chasing Brown trout with streamers the size of squirrels.

The bonus? All this happens while the Upper Sacramento fishes poorly.

Idaho? Wyoming? Montana?

This summer, I’m mulling over a tour of the trouty fleshpots in the Rocky Mountain West. A new trip.

Sure, Yellowstone’s famous rivers call, but I’m looking for destinations not found on the travel plans of the well-to-do angling set.

Instead, lesser-explored parts of Idaho beckon, as do some of the more interesting bits of Montana and Wyoming.

A handful of covert hints have come my way, and the old saw about killing you after telling you applies.

More on this as it happens.

The Backcountry

Last year I fished the backcountry’s lakes and tiny streams more than usual, and had so much fun I expect more of it.

Starting in early summer, the backcountry loses its snowbound status, and all the underfished Brookie lakes open.

I even bought a shiny new ultralight backpacking tent, and have been turning equipment lists over in my head.

Modern day backpackers prune away excess weight seemingly at the subatomic level, and though I won’t exhibit that level of mania, I’m learning that a 45-pound pack takes all the fun out of backpacking.

The goal? Pare the backpacking equipment list down far enough that a float tube is a possibility.

Of all the trips I’ve listed, the backcountry wanderings offer the greatest potential for solitude - a solo appreciation of beauty that

Maine

Every year I’ve gone, Maine has delivered a different fishing experience. It’s not a 100% lock that we’ll go this year, but I hope we do.

It’s textbook smallmouth bass water, and smallies are pure fun on the fin.

Plus the lakes are beautiful, the Grand Lake Canoes are beautiful, the smallmouth bass are beautiful, and the whole setup is just plain, well… beautiful.

It’s not the kind of vacation where you fish until you drop, but it’s the perfect vacation when fishing is a main course on the menu, but you want to spend a lot of time with the L&T Spouse too.

Salt Anyone?

I admit to a long-distance fascination with redfish, and keep idly speculating on the costs of a Gulf Coast redfish trip.

Complicating matters is the need for a boat and guide, which run upwards of $450 a day.

It’s hard to imagine coughing up several grand (flight, rental, hotel, guide, slaw dogs) for a couple days of fishing, but this is how trips happen.

I start with the seed of an idea, and the whole thint eventually dies on the vine or grows into a full blown idea.

The Usual Suspects

Naturally, I’ll be fishing all the local hangouts: the Upper Sacramento, Rogue, Klamath, McCloud - and a few smaller venues which I am not going to mention in print.

Of course, once you compile a list of all the places you want to fish, you realize you couldn’t possibly do so outside the confines of a trust fund or winning lottery ticket.

It’s a reality that hovers around the periphery of any wintertime “places to fish” list, but if you let it slow you down then you’re taking life too seriously.

One thing is true: driving 15 minutes to fish for an evening is something done (or not done) on the spur of the moment, but epic trips to places you’ve never been require some small amount of planning, or they simply don’t happen.

So what’s your plan for 2007? Where are you headed?

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fishing, 2007

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Flows are good, but it’s been damned cold. Neither of us has a clue what’s happening. Flavs? BWO’s? Nothing?

In truth, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to fish some nice bamboo fly rods - maybe even catch a steelhead.

Back Tuesday with a report (maybe). See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: rogue, upper rogue river, steelhead, dave roberts

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Most of it was due to fears about damage to the resource (e.g. anglers trampling the spawing beds), some fish and game promised to monitor.

The Underground loves winter fishing.

It seems like that those fears haven’t been realized, and I just noticed an article about Fish & Game proposing a Catch & Release season on a few Sierra waters. From the North County Times Article:

Early this month, the new winter regulations were adopted, allowing trout fishing in such prime places as Hot Creek, the East Walker River, the upper Owens River and Carson Creek. If allowed to go into effect in March, the regulations would allow for Sierra fishing all year, though winter regulations would be catch-and-release only.

I believe that - on many waters - the concept of a trout “season” is an obsolete one, and I’d like to see the implementation of winter catch-and-release regulations on the trout streams that can handle it.

Winter fishing is a unique, technical, and (still) largely solitary aspect of the sport that I’ve always enjoyed.

See you in the snow, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: hot creek, east walker, owens river, carson creek, sierra, fly fishing, regulations, catch and release

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To that end, he’s been chasing California’s native trout for years, and chronicled the completion of his quest in this California Heritage Trout post.

It’s definitely worth a read.

Technorati Tags: california trout, california heritage trout, trout

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His latest post chronicles his descent into madness when brown trout attack his indicator instead of his carefully chosen nymph.

Here’s the Money Quote:

Or maybe I should gang my flies: a BWO under a woolly bugger, which is under a floating muddler, which is next to a… what, I’m not sure. I think I have to stop at the muddler (unless I wanted an indicator, too).

As always, it’s worth a visit (more so than those porn sites you’re visiting).

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, brown trout

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Talk about front-loading the conversation.

In truth, it didn’t matter - it was Thursday and I was going fishing, good omens or not. And frankly, things looked pretty good. The weather was gray and damp, with drizzle coming and going.

One of two landed yesterday. This was 12″ (that’s a #22 dry). My second fish was 14″.

It was, in fact, perfect BWO weather, though flows were a concern.

The last two years have taught me that conditions can be great, but the bugs and trout might not show if water levels have fluctuated dramatically (this free theory is worth every penny you’re paying for it).

As you can see, we’ve experienced some significant fluctuations in flows the last several days. The river itself was much higher and picked up some color, which was fine with me.

A little more water (and a little more dirt in that water) would mean less-spooky fish, and I went with 6x on water that required 7x a few days ago.

Where are the bugs?

The stage was set for a truly epic day of dry fly fishing, but the bugs largely failed to show.

A light hatch kept a few fish working sporadically, and those fish were a far cry from last week’s spook-meisters, but we spent a fair amount of time standing around and waiting for a rise.

I landed two, lost another at my feet, and - frustratingly - had five other grabs that didn’t lead to a hookup.

I also experienced several of fly fishing’s equivalent to getting slapped in the face - the refusal rise. These were later explained when I realized the leader was furling a bit on landing.

Bad tippet. Baaaad tippet…

The changing water level could have brought this down upon us, but it’s also possible the hatch - tentatively identified as the pseudocleons by the Underground’s Long-Distance Bug Whisperer Sully - is petering out.

Two years ago the bugs started small and got bigger as fall progressed into winter, and perhaps we’re seeing that process starting now.

The bug of the day was nothing more than a quill bodied #22 dry with a clipped mallard tail (trailing shuck) and medium dun hackle.

I use mallard dyed woodduck for a trailing shuck on a lot of flies, but wasn’t happy with the durability. Sully mentioned tying it in longer and clipping it square, which seemed to work just as well but held up better.

But enough fly fishing reportage. It’s back to work writing for those who pay the bills. I’ve got a couple good things in store for the Underground, including a report from Baja from the Underground’s “I’m fishing someplace warm and taunting you about it” Saltwater Correspondent.

Plus another article guaranteed to make you shake your head and wonder what the hell we’re smoking up here.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

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I will say it was beautiful out there, and throwing an October Caddis dry worked well enough, though the bite tailed off once the sun left. The later it got, the slower it got. (And the colder I got).

Several nice fish but nothing huge. I’ve gotta learn to fish where they release the hatchery brood stock, thereby plumping my ego and impressing the babes.

Also, the Underground’s Minister of Keyboard Destruction (Ian Rutter) finally got it all together enough to post a fall fishing report from Tennessee. It confirms my worst fears: someday I’ll need to travel back there in the Fall too.

Damn.

Later! See you at dinner, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: Upper sacramento river, ian rutter, october caddis, fishing, fly fishing

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But first, a rainy moment of zen:

The Upper Sacramento River. What a dump.

With the rain coming down lightly and steadily (that’s BWO weather if ever anyone described it in print), I struggled through a trying morning, threw on the cold weather gear, and headed downriver.

The forces of evil conspired to keep me working later than I wanted, so I didn’t hit the water until 1:00. which is when the bad decisions began.

With the skies leaden, the rain drizzling, and the water picking up a teensy bit of color, I assumed 6x tippet would do the job - even though it was marginal yesterday. Glug glug.

I could detail the next 45 minutes in graphic, whiny detail, but let’s just suggest I tried a *lot* of flies and only hooked up with two fish, both of whom escaped.

Stellar? Not.

Chandler Makes a Move

Still, I finally got the drift (heheh). I changed to 7x tippet, switched to the least bushy #22 BWO I had (a simple quill body with hackle collar, no wings), and started catching fish.

Ha! Damnit, I’m slow, but I’m steady.

Four fish later, the fly disappeared without a swirl, the rod lifted without a thought, and the water exploded without delay. Holy sizzler, Batman.

This is a wide-angle view of a broad-shouldered, into-the-backing, 19″ Upper Sac bow.

It’s been a while since I saw backing (and that one was foul hooked), but I saw it pretty quickly today.

I’d love to give you the Hemmingway rundown on the extreme manliness of the angler (in tiny, adjective-free sentences), but I basically wore him down, did a two-step when he made a last ditch dash between my legs, and netted him.

And just so there won’t be a repeat of the irritating “no way that fish is XX inches” e-mails, I measured him. (Twice, you bastards.)

It Ain’t Over ’til It’s… OK, it’s Over

After the big fish was released, the hatch had largely dried up. One more smaller fish got fooled, and then I waded back to the Bronco Fishmobile in the rain.

A little fish tale.

Tiny Flies Needed. Few Found.

The bugs are definitely #22s, something in short supply in the Underground’s fly box. Tomorrow the forecast is a little clearer, but we’re still talking about what could be stellar BWO weather, and if the stars align, I could be out there again, this time armed with 7x tippet and - hopefully - a couple of freshly tied #22 dries (donations accepted).

The big fish was thrilling, the bumbling start was frustrating, and the grey, drippy weather was strangely exhilarating.

The colors saturate in the wet weather and the sounds deaden, and what’s left is purely the essence of the place and the moment.

I’d go back again even if the fish were small.

Technorati Tags: rainbow trout, BWO, blue winged olive, fiberglass fly rod, Upper Sac, Upper Sacramento River

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That’s when the spent-wing October Caddis patterns really work, but everybody’s gone by then (I’m fine with that).

For now, the upper half of the river just keeps looking like this:

A river runs through it, and the river has fish, so why am I shooting instead of fishing?

Yesterday (Friday) was my chance to hit the river, though the usual combination of work stuff kept me in the office two hours later than my planned 1 pm escape.

I was concerned because the river’s hosting a lot of fly fishers right now, so I was planning a pretty serious hike top clear the crowds. Of course, when you’re hiking you’re not fishing, and when the skies are dark at 6:15 and the walk out is long, getting on the river late really squeezes you…

Close Encounters of the Dry Fly Kind

On the way down the tracks I stopped and talked to a very nice fly fisher who said he’d had a tough day nymphing. This is where the sport’s current focus on nymphing really hurts fly fishers, and I’d encourage many to read this next sentence carefully:

Even if there aren’t a lot of bugs on the water, that doesn’t mean you should automatically start nymphing. Pocket water dry fly fishing is a very productive way to go, and - unlike three split shot and a fright-wig indicator - you can actually cast the dry. (It’s fun, eh?)

Another 13″-14″ Upper Sacramento Rainbow - one of three last night.

What are they bitin’ mister?

Last night’s 2-hour tally came to 10 hookups, eight landed. Three of those were healthy beggars in the 13″-14″ range, while most of the rest filled the 9″-11″ slots (the footlong fish were apparently on strike).

In a little bit of reality that should surprise no regular Trout Underground reader, I caught more fish (and the bigger fish) on a #16 yellow stonefly than the monster October Caddis dry I also threw.

This kind of thing happens all the time; the skies above the river will be clotted by October Caddis, and yet the fish are eating something much, much smaller.

Last night, I had a lot of splashy rises on the October Caddis from small fish, but the big fish in the current tongues ate the yellow stone with a calm assurance.

I won’t even bother to write a “moral” to this story.

Off to Bamboo Land

Chris Raine’s hosting the Great Western Bamboo Rod Gathering in Dunsmuir, so I’ve gotta gather up a few of my better-casting rods, grab a shower, and head down I-5.

Expect a short report, and maybe a few pictures of an exotic grass…

See you on the casting pond, Tom Chandler

Technorati Tags: upper sacramento river, october caddis, stonefly, bamboo

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Of course, fall has its darker side. The river’s often crowded, the weather can be touchy, and there’s simply too much to fish, and too little time to fish it all.

There’s so much happening from a fly fishing perspective that no human - even one with a trust fund and a seven-day-a-week fishing habit - could possibly cover it all.

Start at the Top.

The backcountry isn’t exactly closed yet, but all those alpine lakes (and a few small streams) are getting awfully cold at night.

A week ago a storm rolled through and left behind a light dusting of snow, and while nothing’s impassable, it does remind you that time is spinning out of control if you’re a high country fanatic.

It’s worse because you know what’s coming (a little like anticipating surgery - you simultaneously don’t want it to happen while wishing it was happening right now). Winter closes the higher roads, freezes over the backcountry lakes and keeps them that way until late spring.

Down Low

Meanwhile, the Upper Sacramento is fishing well, but the really steady BWO hatches are typically a month away (as are most of the cloudy, drippy BWO days), leaving you to chase the bad weather as well as the October Caddis and PED hatches.

The October Caddis is a big bug and you’d think the trout would be climbing all over the thing, but success on this fly comes sporadically and never quite how you think it would.

Meanwhile, the McCloud is forced to contend with the crowds of fall fly fishers jamming its banks, and the Lower Sacramento is experienceing the daily traffic jams of drift boats.

Steely Resolve

Steelhead are happening just to the north, and given the price of gas, I can say that I’m happy I’m largely a troutmeister; the local steelheaders are burning up a lot of gas running to places I can’t mention for fear of finding a burning spey rod on my front lawn.

Still, you have at least pay homage to steelheading, and admire those who catch big, big steelies and then somehow keep their mouths shut about it.

The Big List

To list everything that could happen here in the fall would bring down my Web server. What’s clear is this: if you’re looking for the big days, you’re doing a lot of driving based largely on rumors and raw hope.

Suffice it to say each fishing outing isn’t a carefree jaunt as much as an agonizing decision where you weigh a handful of contradictory “facts” and rumors, all of which is run through the fevered calculator that is the mind of a fly fisher.

The results, of course, are wholly random - you’re sometimes where you should be, but just as often you’re not, a condition that can lead to the cruelest of all emotions, regret.

Even a quick afternoon trip to the river becomes a mental wrestling match; the 6wt to boss around the big October Caddis dries, or a 4wt to throw the #22 BWOs or #20 PED spinners?

Downriver for the spotty-but-could-be-cosmic BWO or PED hatch? The McCrowd? Pocket water? Run north to the Rogue?

My head is spinning. Maybe I’ll just stay home.

Technorati Tags: fall, october caddis, steelhead, essay

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Just recently I checked back with our metaphorically hyper-charged friend and it looks like Hugh has cleaned up his act. Minus the hyperbole, his columns are quite readable and interesting.

So in the interest of fair play, I present the latest Hugh Koontz column, which skirts (but never crosses) the line of wholly overblown metaphor with this line:

A breeze brushed my face soft as a baby’s sigh,

That’s relatively mild stuff for Hugh, and the rest is a good read for us.

Technorati Tags: koontz, shelbyville, north carolina

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No need to go ringing the Gongs of Drought yet, but if you’re looking for things to worry about on a Monday, this one’s not bad.

And speaking of worry, the Underground is officially glad it’s not Ian Rutter, who - in addition to guiding almost every day in the month of October - is also putting the finishing touches on his new house, and then moving out of his old one by November 1.

Of course, it’s rude to make snide comments about the unfortunate timing of others, so we’re going to be helpful and suggest that Ian could accomplish all this only with the help of enormous quantities of caffeine, and this helpful Web site (via the Piton) will let him know exactly how much caffeine he can ingest before it kills him on the spot. (I can drink 620.45 cans of Barq’s Root Beer before toppling over.)

At the Underground, we’re all about the helping.

Hibernating

The astoundingly prolific folks over at the Fly Fishing in Yellowstone Park blog are threatening to blog on a weekly basis in the off season, and given the sheer tonnage of words produced over there this year, I’d say it’s a well earned hibernation. Give the digits a rest, and come back next year ready to hook and cook.

In the meantime, we’ll be looking for our weekly park fix.

As always, there’s more to come from the Underground. This is a writer’s week over here, and there are one or two articles in the works. Plus, there’s much more fishing right on the horizon. Time to have fall fun.

Technorati Tags: ian rutter, caffeine, yellowstone park

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It’s a color riot right now - even in flat light.

The latter best describes Saturday’s venture, where I hiked down the river from Cantarra, despite reports suggesting other parts of the river were fishing better.

I didn’t need a boatload of fish, I just needed out, and whether the heebie-jeebies are the result of too much work-related angst, a long week of “business development” activities, or just too much Internet was unclear. I just wanted out.

The Escape

When it’s time to get lost in my fishing (as opposed to getting lost period, which happens a lot too), I instinctively head for pocket water, a wholly absorbing style of fishing that combines a sniper’s precision with the rough and tumble of a rugby scrum.

The fall color in the canyon is exceptional, and every bend in the river reveals something beautiful, odd or simply breathtaking.

Remember the pink grass from weeks ago? That clump is dead but I found this one just under the surface.

Less-than-breathtaking was the dry fly fishing, but there’s reward even in the getting the tough drifts right, and enough fish ate my October Caddis dry to keep it interesting.

In truth, it’s a little early for me to score heavy with the spent October Caddis; my best spent caddis days involve a canyon that’s already turned that post-fall, pre-winter shade of steely gray.

The scorecard shows five grabs and three landed - the last of which was a broad-shouldered 15″ fish that I hooked in my “big fish” stretch.

This is a largely innocent-looking stretch of water (don’t even ask) that’s reliable enough that I slow down, saunter a bit, and then look both ways before darting off the tracks and into the brush. (Always watch for a sauntering fly fisher. A too-casual saunter says a lot.)

The Geary Details

The gear-obsessed among my readers will no doubt be relieved to hear the following: I fished an 8′ 5wt Steffen Fiberglass rod that was just beautifully refinished by Rich Margiotta. It’s light enough in the tip section to cast nothing but a well-designed leader, but has enough in the tank to handle a decent fish.

This time of year can make for difficult equipment choices; I want to use a rod and leader that can handle everything from a #8 October Caddis dry to a #22 BWO - an uneasy compromise.

I’ve struck gold with Sully’s Big Bug leader (see the Underground Post about this remarkable leader design), which is a little longer than optimal for pocket water (10 feet), and a little shorter than I’d want for technical fishing, but it splits the difference so well (and turns over big bugs with remarkable aplomb) that it’s become my go-to hunk of terminal mono.

Coming Up

Next weekend will find Chris Raine’s rod shop overrun with bamboo rod builders courtesy the Great Western Bamboo Rod Gathering. While I’ll be driving up property values with my sporadic appearances at the festivities, I hope to get out and fish a little before then.

See you where the pink water grass grows, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: pocket water

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Right now, I’m writing new business pitches (a periodic exercise for any freelancer), which are time consuming and more than a little ego-deflating. Still, it’s how I contribute to overall GNP (propping up the US economy for all you bums who go off and fish while I’m slaving away).

It’s kept me indoors the last couple evenings, though I’m hitting the river any night now…

Today’s Entertainment leads with MidCurrent, who found a good article about sight fishing for big Ozark brown trout. Given my “stealth” article, a timely topic.

Then the newfound Mad Fishicist stumbles upon an essential truth of catch & release fishing.

And finally, on a more serious note, Bish on Fish relates catching a trout for a friend’s dinner, an innocuous enough topic - until you find out his friend is ill and this is his last trout. Well done, Bish.

As always, there’s more coming from the Underground. While I’m tied up cooking up a living, I’m still whipping up some new word souffles sure to entertain.

Technorati Tags: brown trout, catch and release

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