The Upper Sacramento River has fallen a sizable 500 cfs in 24 hours (down to 2600 now). It’s always a guessing game as to what will happen, but with the weather not warming much and most of the low-level snow gone, we could be looking at river-wide fishable flows next week.

The McCloud? The gauge is showing 1400 at the lake, which means the upper reaches could be fishable. It’s creeping downward (probably the tribs pumping less into the thing).

I’m fishing tomorrow, though the smart money could find Steve Bertrand and myself on a lake.

See you on a boat, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: flow report, Fly Fishing, mccloud river, upper sac, upper sacramento river

It was gratifying to see the Friday night broadcast of Trout Unlimited’s “On The Rise” episode – the one focused on the McCloud River and Nestle Waters of North America’s cavalier approach to the water. (The show is being re-broadcast Saturday 2/14 at 1pm PST.)

Regular Undergrounders know of my distaste for Nestle Waters, their predatory approach to small towns, and their apparent lack of concern for the McCloud River.

And yes, t’s clear to me the McCloud River is a favorite among my readers (soneone said if the McCloud’s not a favorite, it’s because you haven’t fished it yet).

Curtis Knight of CalTrout filled the early part of the show deftly outlining the threats to the river, and yes, I made an appearance in the last segment, where I successfully didn’t soil myself.

In fact viewers were treated to an inside view of the the Underground’s Brown Trout Mobile (the slowly deteriorating brown Bronco), and you probably also got a good glimpse of the river, which – as host (and new daddy) Frank Smethurst put it – was still somewhat TU (totally unfishable).

Thoughts

The show did an excellent job covering the threat to the river, and maybe now you know why CalTrout’s Curtis Knight is an Underground favorite.

The show would be a ton more fun if they’d broadcast some of the interaction between the crew and Smethhurst. It’s pure guys-on-a-fishing-trip entertainment, even if it doesn’t fit into the show’s format.

From a purely personal perspective, it’s a glimpse back into time – a look at a couple months and a couple pounds ago, on a river that you can’t legally fish right now.

I hope this places a little more pressure on Nestle to start playing fair with rural towns, and while it’s a small victory, it’s a shame that every town facing Nestle can’t get its own TV show (interesting fun fact: Nestle is the most-boycotted corporation in the world).

Now that my brief broadcast career is over, see you back on the river, Tom Chandler.

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Because we enjoy jerking our McCloud River-addicted readers around like hooked hatchery trout, we’re posting a followup to all our other McCloud followup posts, only this one suggests the McCloud’s clearing and in fact, we have a pair of it’s fishing “OK” emails.

Clearly, it’s going to be a busy last week on the McCloud (a good reason for me to stay on the Upper Sac), and everyone should be careful about wading into Brown trout spawning redds (careful about not wading into them, that is).

And while you’re busy avoiding those redds, you’ll do yourself a favor if you bring some warm clothing; there’s still hail on the ground here in Mount Shasta from last night’s storm, and more “weather” is forecast for the week ahead.

And just a reminder to everyone who rushes to the McCloud and then fails to catch a trout, please forward your angry, spittle-filled emails to someone else (say East Tennessee’s Ian Rutter, if only because he’s catching big Brown trout and I’m not).

See you on the McCloud, Tom Chandler.

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McCloud groupies will want to break out the crying towels – local guide Steve Bertrand just called with bad news. A friend drove to the McCloud, but returned without fishing, saying it was too off-color to fish.

Mud Creek, it seems, strikes again.

Will it clear before the season’s end? I’m not holding my breath.

If you were headed up this weekend, I’d give it a look – but be prepared to fish the Upper Sac, Pit, Fall River or Baum instead.

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From somebody at PG&E (via Curtis Knight at CalTrout):

The James B. Black Powerhouse is back in operation and PG&E is completing start up procedures.  Spill from McCloud Dam has stopped and the flow at the Ah-Di-Na gage is back to base flow.  As the powerhouse returns to full operation, no further spills are anticipated.

Have at it, Undergrounders. I expect to see quite a few of you on the McCloud this coming weekend.

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[UPDATE: I've been contacted by a reporter who asked about my feelings and those of my readers about PG&E's handling of this mess. Essentially, I said this emnity towards PG&E's McCloud operations dates back years (remember those times they turned flows up the day before or after the season opened?). I don't think anything tricky is happening here, but PG&E's communciation through this fiasco has been abysmal (like it always is), and some are asking questions about why they didn't inspect all the couplings while replacing the first. Readers should leave comments in the comments section.]

This just received via email (I’m placing it in the “could have been worse, but only a little” category):

Dear McCloud-Pit Project Relicensing Participants:

Testing of the other James B. Black Powerhouse penstock couplings has identified one additional coupling that needs to be repaired before the powerhouse can be restarted. The coupling repair work is proceeding and should be complete in the next couple of days. Once repairs are completed it will take 2 to 3 days to refill the water tunnel between Iron Canyon Reservoir and the powerhouse. Once water is flowing through the powerhouse, it will take an additional 3 to 4 days to bring the water level down in Iron Canyon and McCloud reservoirs.

As a result the current estimate to reduce water spill flows from McCloud Dam to Lower McCloud River and return to a base flow of approximately 210 cfs at the Ah-Di-Na gage is 11/7.

Of course, the Underground offers a hearty “Thank you” to PG&E for mucking up the McCloud during a big chunk of the spring, and now during almost all the Fall.

I’m sure the towns surrounding the river appreciate your contribution to the well-being of the economy.

Of course, I thought long and hard about keeping this information to myself, then showing up to fish the still-deserted McCloud on the 7th, but I couldn’t (stupid conscience!).

See you in a couple weeks, Tom Chandler.

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Fly fishing might be labeled the quiet sport, thought it’s anything but when you’re looking for enough footage to populate a half-hour fly fishing show.

To get that footage, you might find yourself climbing up on a rock in the middle of a flood-stage river, casting into a tiny gap in the trees, then throwing a weighted streamer back over your shoulder.

At least, you would if you’re uber-fly fisherbum Frank Smethurst:

Crazy Uber-fly fisherbum Frank Smethurst doing what it takes on the McCloud (kids, don’t try this at home)

At times I’m reminded why I’m much happier writing about fly fishing than shooting video of it. Writing leaves you in complete control of the story (history, after all, is defined by those who write it), and writers are famously good at forgetting the embarrassing details.

Video leaves you at the mercy of the universe, your own shortcomings, and makes little allowance for conditions bent on handing your own ass to you on a platter.

Welcome to the Flood. Now Here’s Your Ass.

I invested last Saturday getting pounded by the McCloud’s record-high flows with Frank Smethurst and a Barrett Productions video crew, shooting an episode of Trout Unlimited’s “On The Rise” TV show.

How’d you like one of these looking over your shoulder? Smethurst did, but I didn’t…

Nobody with a firm grip on reality would hammer out a quality fly fishing show on a river running high enough to flood the footpaths running alongside, but Smethurst and the video crew were on a mission.

TU’s On The Rise is unique in that it prizes fly fishing footage, but also highlights hot-button conservation issues.

Smethurst travels the country in a trout-painted Airstream trailer (which they left at home, damnit), and this time, he was looking into the threats to the McCloud River (perhaps the best-loved river of the assembled Undergrounders – and one of the prettiest).

These threats, of course, include the Underground’s close, personal friends at Swiss Multinational Predator Nestle Waters of North America (how do I love thee Nestle? Let me count the ways).

That’s why the effette, low-modulus, dry-fly fishing me found myself standing on the banks of the fast-moving, Nature Conservancy section of the McCloud (running at historic highs due to a broken PG&E powerhouse), 9′ 6wt Orvis Zero-G graphite fly rod in hand.

Attached was a streamer that weighed approximately the same as a Trident nuclear missile sub, which in all likelihood was more dangerous to the man casting it than it was to the trout (note to Undergrounders: when depth-charge streamers are involved, wear a hat, and fish something with a warranty.)

This, my friends, was not going to be pleasant.

Welcome to the World of Video. Now Here’s Your Ass.

Complicating matters was the presence of a two videographers and a sound man; people whose express purpose in life was to tape every embarrassing move, bad cast, odd utterance and trout I farmed.

While waiting for me to screw up (and tape it), the crew shot the pretty stuff.

Well, OK. Maybe that wasn’t what they said they were doing, but it’s clearly what they were trying to accomplish.

They also foolishly believed I’d be able to talk intelligently about Nestle issues while I fished, when instead I mostly was focused on not soiling myself on camera.

Expectations, it seems, are rarely our friends.

Clearly – with Smethurst capable of busting out a couple good trout even under awful conditions – they were looking to the Underground for something else, like… comic relief.

Welcome to the McCloud. Now here’s Your Ass.

Ultimately, Smethurst – a fly fisherman with more than two decades of guiding experience – pounded up good half-dozen nice trout and few smaller ones using techniques I’m willing to classify as “manly.”

Meanwhile, your hero acquitted his comic relief role beautifully; at our first stop, I got one ponderous wiggle from a nice fish on the streamer, didn’t hook up, and got halfway through the big fish temper tantrum before remembering the camera.

Later, I had another “feelgood” on the streamer, but figured I had the world by the tail when we found a couple rising fish.

This, my friends, was the kind of fishing I’m supposed to be good at; a hand-to-fin confrontation with the wily trout at the intersection of our native habitats.

Welcome to Rising Trout. Now Here’s Your Ass.

In one sense, I set the stage for my own humbling; we were headed for a spot I thought would fish well at high flows, but found another angler already fishing it. Turns out he was an Underground reader (therefore, his sanity is suspect), and he rather urbanely left when he saw us coming.

There my Underground friends, we found fish actually working a foam line, and while Smethurst went headhunting with the big stuff, I watched a big trout roll on (but not actually take) my first cast with an October Caddis.

My confidence swelled. I was going to catch nice trout while somebody recorded it for the rest of the world to see.

I stepped closer to the edge….

Welcome to Greek Tragedy. Now Here’s Your Ass.

Anyone with a working knowledge of Greek drama knows what’s coming; hubris is always rewarded with disaster (thus concluding today’s highbrow literary reference).

First, I lost my footing and narrowly avoided a swim.

Then I missed two grabs on the October Caddis.

Then switched to a small parachute (closer to the bug they were really eating).

Then missed four of those. Then hooked a small trout… briefly.

Then hooked another small trout… briefly.

Suddenly, soiling myself on camera was looking a lot better, and probably wouldn’t have been as damaging to my reputation.

Ultimately – while Smethurst landed a handful more nice trout on the big, heavily weighted October Caddis nymph – I banked exactly one ten-inch trout, an act which only made me feel like the dullard cousin at the family reunion.

No way that tiny McCloud rainbow trout makes the show.

I did, however, distinguish myself nicely as the day’s netman; apparently, netting an already-hooked fish is more within my skill horizon.

So Mom, break out the VCR – I think I’m going to be on TV.

Welcome to Television, Nestle. Now Here’s Your Ass.

Comedy aside, the conditions sucked and the crew was really cool (thought apparently underpaid to the point they were foraging in the blackberry bushes for food), and yes, I did get a kick out of the chance to talk about the McCloud River, Nestle, and some of the other water-related issues facing my area.

After all, within an hour’s drive of our meeting point, I’m looking at three significant trout-and-water-related problems (McCloud/Nestle; Klamath/Pacificorp; Shasta Dam/Westlands).

Still, the always-gorgeous McCloud River and Nestle were the main topics of conversation, and it’s nice to know both will get the recognition they so richly deserve come next June or July, though for entirely different reasons.

Fall color on the McCloud kept the crew busier than the fishing.

Welcome to On The Rise.

My first review of the On The Rise TV show was lukewarm; it felt stiff and unnatural, and yes, my expectations for the conservation angle were probably unrealistic.

Still, it was promising enough that I taped the whole season. Sure enough, as the season progressed, the shows got better, with Smethurst relaxing and enjoying the fishing.

The episode on the Gunnisson was pure fun on a stick; watching Smethurst laugh his way through an electro-shocking survey might be one of the better moments in fly fishing broadcast history.

I don’t know what the next season holds for On the Rise, but I give Trout Unlimited (still the other, less-famous TU) credit for mixing in a conservation angle.

That’s why – when Smethurst asked me exactly what the Trout Underground really was, I told him it was originally just one writer’s perspective on fly fishing – but that it had morphed into something bigger pretty quickly.

And yes, I did say it was time for fly fishermen to step it up a little on the conservation front, and that the Internet offered far more opportunities for that than did a magazine or even a fly fishing TV show, quick action being impossible with the latter two.

Welcome to the McCloud… Well, Wait...

My recent encounter with the McCloud suggests it’s not very much fun, and that despite fishing the few hand-picked spots I thought would offer the best chance.

Until the flows drop, I’d stay the hell away from the McCloud – something Smethurst heard me repeat several times. I was dying to put those guys on the Upper Sac October Caddis hatch, if only because you could actually stand in the river.

Then again, the Upper Sacramento’s been pretty crowded the last couple weeks, and though I’ve busted out a couple of big evenings there lately, it’s possible I’d have spent the day letting video nerves drive a way-too-fast, way-too-soon hookset – and without the existence of a handy excuse (say, raging flood waters).

See you on TV, Tom Chandler.

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Despite the inhospitable flows (courtesy PG&E), I’m fishing the McCloud tomorrow, throwing streamers and hope in equal quantities. (Why? More on that next week).

In the meantime, let’s admit it’s been a hard year on the McCloud; springtime fishing was disrupted by PG&E’s months-late flow studies (they were supposed to take place prior to the season opener).

Then – right when the fall fishing was starting to break loose – a broken powerhouse and the resulting high flows nullified the McCloud’s typically excellent BWO and October Caddis hatches.

No olives. No hummingbird-sized caddis. No big trout (well, no easy ones anyway).

The McCloud is a special place for a lot of fly fishermen; it’s impossibly beautiful, the fishing can be great, and the fish are typically gorgeous.

With the fishing aspect stricken from the list of possibilities, and with the high flows slated to (possibly) last through the end of the season, it’s safe to say PG&E has generated a lot more enemies than it has power on the McCloud.

Expect a report next week. And don’t forget – there are other great places to fish near the McCloud (despite what some of you believe).

See you on the McCloud, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: mccloud river, october caddis, pg&E

The McCloud River’s flows remain high – courtesy a failed PG&E powerhouse – and according to one of the Underground’s highly placed sources, it may not be coming down any time soon.

Yes, it’s been a hell of a year for the McCloud; PG&E’s flow studies originally slated for a pre-season slot were delayed, and ultimately mucked up some of the McCloud’s typically stellar spring fishing.

Now the McCloud’s suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous flows in the fall (another peak time), and anglers aren’t happy.

In fact, the frequent emails I receive suggest they’re pretty damned unhappy, which speaks volumes to the McCloud’s place in the hearts of minds of NorCal’s fly fishing population.

Keep the digits crossed, Tom Chandler.

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This notice from PG&E (via CalTrout):

Since James B. Black Powerhouse was shut down on September 19 due to a leak at the penstock, significant progress has been made toward repairing the problem and returning the powerhouse to operation. The repair plan is to weld a re-enforcing pipe section around the penstock in place of the cracked coupling that was leaking. Welding on the repair section began yesterday, October 1. If repairs go as planned the powerhouse should return to operation by next week.

Current flow in the Lower McCloud River at the Ah-Di-Na gage (MC-1) is approximately 700 cfs. A storm is currently forecast for Friday and Saturday. Depending on storm runoff, this flow could increase.

If the repairs go as planned and the powerhouse returns to operation next week, PG&E will begin ramping down the flow in the Lower McCloud River and the flow at Ah-Di-Na should return to the normal 200 cfs level by 10/10/08.

See you on the McCloud (but not right now), Tom Chandler.

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The news on the McCloud River isn’t all sparkling and shiny my fishy Underground friends. In fact, it looks a little grim.

A couple days ago I posted about PG&E’s equipment issues – and their boosting of the flows on the Lower McCloud to 650cfs.

[UPDATE: Curtis Knight of CalTrout just sent out an email suggesting flows are closer to 500cfs than the 650cfs mentioned in PG&E's email]

[Yet Another Update (Can’t These Guys Get it Straight?): PG&E is now saying the flows (at the dam) will slowly be increasing over the next 1.5 weeks to an anticipated maximum of 750 cfs to match the 750 cfs coming into the reservoir. Given that time frame, it doesn’t sound like a quick fix is in the works)

“It’s not unfishable at those flows” I said (with just a hint of sanctimony).

It is, however, largely unfishable when visibility is only a foot or so, which is what local guide Craig Nielsen told me is the unhappy reality.

Damn.

The source of the silt isn’t immediately apparent, and it may not be the product of the famous Mud Creek silt plume. The rumors suggest it has more to do with PG&E’s operation of the reservoir.

I’m trying to uncover more information, but for now, Nielsen’s probably right when he suggests an alternate venue.

“It’s a real shame,” he said. “The McCloud always fishes so well this time of the year.”

(Of course, a cunning blogmaster might publish misinformation to run the riff-raff other friendly, talented fly fishers off the river – and don’t think I haven’t given it some thought – but sadly, I’m not lying this time).

See you anywhere but the McCloud, Tom Chandler.

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The Lower McCloud’s flows are about to be bumped from 250 cfs to 650 cfs (starting Sunday, 9/21).

I just recieved this via email from Steve Nevares (PG&E McCloud-Pit Relicensing Project Manager). Planning to fish the Lower McCloud? Read ‘em and weep.

Yesterday, an equipment situation was identified at James B. Black Powerhouse that has required PG&E to shut down and stop all water flow through the powerhouse. Currently it is estimated the powerhouse will be shut down 2 weeks.

Due to this, starting tomorrow Sunday 9/21, at approximately 10am, PG&E will progressively increase the flow in to the Lower McCloud River from McCloud Dam.  The water flow will increase approximately 100cfs per hour.  The current base flow as measure at the Ah-Di-Na gauge is approximately 200cfs.  The flow will increase by approximately 450cfs to 650cfs at Ah-Di-Na to match the current inflow to McCloud Reservoir.

PG&E understands the effect the increased flow will have on fishing access on the Lower McCloud River and will work to resolve the situation ASAP.  More information should be available by Monday and I will communicate more information as soon as it is available.

The planned flow of 650cfs isn’t the fishiest of flows, but it’s not unfishable either. And as the flows are bumped up, it’s very possible that throwing some big, big streamers might be productive help you hang a big brown trout.

More news as I get it.

See you at the news desk, Tom Chandler.

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Sorry Undergrounders, I forgot this one – the McCloud River flow testing is again underway, which could affect this weekend’s fishing plans.

At Ah-Di-Na or MC-1 gage; Planned flows over the next few days are:
6/20 Fri 400
6/21 Sat 400
6/22 Sun 440
6/23 Mon 600
6/24 Tue 300
6/25 Wed 300

The numbers don’t look that unfishable, though Monday could get interesting (consider a small stream that day). Technorati Tags: mccloud river flows, mccloud river relicensingAlso, a meeting for anglers is slated for June 25:

The angler meeting on flows and fishing conditions is still planned for Dunsmuir City Park and Botanical Gardens on June 25th at 7 pm. The meeting will be held at the picnic tables next to the stage down by the river; there is nearby parking.

There’s more information about the McCloud relicensing process here.

See you on the McCloud, Tom Chandler.

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More than one guide has passed along information that the Lower McCloud — the subject of flow control testing by PG&E — is a "muddy mess."

Any onsite reports from the Undergrounders?

Right now, projected McCloud River flows (at Ah Di Nah) should be 800 cfs.

They’ll hold through Saturday. Sunday they’ll be bumped to 1000 cfs (which could be wild), and will remain there through Tuesday (600 Wednesday), then back to "normal."

The McCloud might not be your best bet this weekend, and with the Upper Sac bumping up past 2000 cfs, that’s not looking so great either.

I’ll be in the Bay Area, but for the sake of those looking to catch some trout, any ideas from the Undergrounders?

See you in the big city, Tom Chandler.

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