Posts tagged: mccloud river

Fly Fishing The Upper Sac or McCloud This Weekend? Better Pack The Cold Weather Gear.

October 21, 2010, by Tom Chandler No comments yet

This is one of those fall weekends where you can have trouble finding a place to park along the more popular stretches of the Upper Sac and McCloud, only this time, the hordes are arriving just in time to meet the first hard weather of the fall:

Bring the cold weather gear (all of it).

That’s how it is. You’re getting ready to head north for your favorite fly fishing trip of the year, and somewhere upstairs an entity throws a few levers and pushes a few buttons and suddenly some blogger is writing an article warning you to bring your cold-weather gear, but to come anyway because it shouldn’t rain enough to blow out anything.

Naturally, the first nasty weather of fall tends to light up the fly fishing a bit, and cloudy, drizzly days can do wonders for the BWO hatch, though clearly, I’d rather not share the wonder of my favorite BWO runs.

It’s the kind of thinking that qualifies a lot of fly fishermen as hypocrites; we’re happy as hell when everyone else has a good time on the river, but we’re happier when it doesn’t intrude on our good time.

See you on the river (maybe), Tom Chandler.

The McCloud River Relicensing Process Turns Ugly, And Why You Should Care (or, The Apocalypse That Wasn’t)

September 16, 2010, by Tom Chandler 19 comments

I kept receiving the emails, which grew more apocalyptic as time passed.

If you believed them, the McCloud Hydropower relicensing process was about to deal the McCloud River a death blow: “eliminate up to two and half months (April to July) of our licensed fishing season in order to create an amusement park for whitewater kayakers.”

Worse yet, the relicensing process was going to “damage the 24 miles of near-perfect aquatic habitat throughout the McCloud below the reservoir and will destroy what is a unique, world-renowned and historic fishery.”

Then – to my growing astonishment – I “learned” that the CalTrout and the state TU reps were “closet” whitewater activists working in the service of a shadowy whitewater lobby with more juice than the Trilateral commission.

Fearsome stuff.

Which happened to be almost wholly false.

[sigh]

Don’t Make Me Pull This Blog Over To The Side Of The Road…

Major dams undergo a relicensing every 50 years, and flow regimes are a part of that process.

It’s an impossibly complex process whereby every stakeholder on the planet has a say (including utilities, irrigators, state water board, forest service, user groups [like anglers & whitewater types], extraterrestrials, etc), and a cynic might suggest that nobody will ever really get what they want.

Where the McCloud’s concerned, the stakes for fly fishermen are high; the McCloud remains one of the most scenic – and popular – rivers in the “real” west, and things can get a little heated.

In this case, somebody went way, way over the top.

In a nutshell, CalTrout, California’s Trout Unlimited chapter and FFF have been deeply involved in the relicensing process for almost four years.

More recently, another group of anglers have become involved, and while I’m all for participation in conservation issues, I’m unwilling to sanction the fearmongering, misinformation and personal attacks offered up by the McCloud Riverkeepers (MRK). In fact, I’m even unwilling to give them a link to their site.

On their website and in a series of increasingly apocalyptic emails, the group – led by Dennis Amato – have sounded increasingly shrill alarms about the McCloud’s imminent demise, and continue to tar and feather the state’s conservation groups with some absurd charges.

Finally, I investigated for myself, and discovered a reality was far from the one painted by MRK’s emails.

In simple terms, McCloud definitely needs the help of every fly fishermen who fishes it (or wants to).

But the dire predictions, alarming emails and character assassination have almost no grounding in fact.

In fact, I’d suggest a lot of California’s anglers were the targets of an over-the-top fearmongering campaign.

So what’s really happening?

What’s Going On With The McCloud?

Several flow proposals have been tendered during the McCloud relicensing process, including one from American Whitewater, which in fact would have rendered the McCloud unfishable for big chunks of spring.

Fortunately, that proposal was Dead on Arrival, and it now appears that American Whitewater – the seemingly omnipotent Bad Guys according to MRK – have abandoned it, throwing their support behind the more reasonable US Forest Service proposal.

That hasn’t stopped the MRK from using that original proposal, raising the specter of scouring flows, a dead fishery and scores of happy kayakers paddling past frustrated fly fishermen.

In truth, the group’s dire predictions are beyond the scope of even the most harmful whitewater proposal. And just to be clear, pulse flows and the like simply aren’t on the table at this time.

Meanwhile, CalTrout/TU/FFF have submitted a flow proposal that recognizes the “90% users” of the McCloud (that’s you and me – fishermen), and tries to rectify the more glaring problems with the existing flow regime.

What’s astonishing in all this is that MRK’s stated goal is to maintain flows at the status quo – a fairly reasonable stance, though given what I’ve learned about the relicensing process, a largely impractical one.

Which truly makes me wonder why it’s being propped up by so many lies.

I’m willing to debate the merits of the CT/TU/FFF proposal vs status quo flows vs the Forest Service proposal (and we’ll do that someday soon).

But I won’t debate anything in a toxic environment charged with invective and misinformation.

And though I’m unwilling to dignify the personal attacks with a lengthy rebuttal, I will suggest MRK’s charges are absurd, serving only to sink the credibility of MRK into the realm of negative numbers.

So Why The Fly Shops?

Almost as painful as the emails has been the willingness of several of California’s biggest fly shops to hitch their drift boat to this particular anchor.

MRK’s emails tout the support of Bob Marriot’s (Southern California), Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters (San Francisco), and The Fly Shop in Redding (which manages the old – and still seriously private – Bollibokka club for Westlands Irrigation District, who bought it to remove another obstacle to raising Shasta Dam).

You only have to read the Background/Positions section of the MRK website to get a sense for the bombast and personal attacks involved, and why the shops didn’t perform that due diligence – when even a local (and tiny) fly shop managed to do so – reflects poorly on somebody.

So Who Am I Backing?

So after wasting time writing this post (the kind of post I’d happily avoid), I’m supporting the CT/TU/FFF proposal over the “status quo” flows (the gist of the CT/TU/FFF support request is placed at the end of this post).

The CT/TU/FFF flows appear to fix many of the problems that plague the McCloud, including the springtime dewatering of the first mile below the dam, and the too-rapid fluctuations (hard on insects and fry).

Local Shasta Trout guide/outfitter Craig Nielsen actually fished the McCloud during the flow regime testing, and also supports the new CT/TU/FFF flow proposal on his website.

We spoke on our way to and from our alpine lake fishing trip, where Nielsen asserted said that higher flows (up to a point) will actually open up more water to anglers, increasing the “carrying capacity” of the river and improving the habitat for trout.

In simple terms, he thought fly fishermen would “lose access to a few spots, but gain many more new spots in the process.”

That’s not a bad start.

Summary, and More Information

These issues are rare easy or clear cut, but nobody’s served when the facts are obscured under a heaping mound of fear, exaggeration and character assassination.

You can advocate for a status quo on the flows without any of the above, which is how I wish this was playing out.

It’s clearly not. Still, perhaps it can, if we stick to the facts at hand.

Excerpt From the CalTrout/TU/FFF Letter

We have proposed an alternative flow regime with the intent of protecting, if not enhancing, the McCloud River fishery and improving its world class angling. Our recommendation calls for increased flows in the late-winter and early-spring during the critical time that rainbow trout are spawning and fry are rearing. Our proposal provides a more gradual down ramping of flows compared to how the river is managed now and will decrease the risk of rainbow trout fry stranding and reduce fish mortality.

We also believe that by releasing more water in the winter and early spring months we can minimize the amount of uncontrolled spills from the dam that create unexpected blow out conditions. These rapid increases and decreases in flow are detrimental to both fish and anglers.

While today some think the McCloud is as good as it can be, we believe that by addressing some detrimental flow issues we will both protect and improve the health of the famous McCloud River for years to come, and maintain wading access and fishability of the McCloud that anglers have come to expect. And, ultimately protecting the fish will enhance the overall fishing experience.

To understand the impact on anglers we reviewed over 30 years of McCloud River flow data. Our proposal would have impacted wadability in only the early weeks of the season in only five of those years. We believe that is a reasonable compromise in providing an even healthier fishery. We have consulted with dozens of anglers and guides who agree our proposal is the best for the fish and anglers.

Bottom line:
1. Our flow proposal will maintain world class angling conditions in the Lower McCloud River.
2. Our flow proposal will improve rainbow trout spawning conditions during early winter and
spring.
3. Our flow proposal will minimize flow fluctuations that can strand fry.
4. Anglers that know the McCloud best agree with our proposed flows.

Yes, we need your support. It’s easy to make your voice heard directly to Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission. Click here to comment and make sure you file under the McCloud project number which is P-2106-047.

Tell them how important the McCloud River’s angling heritage is. Tell them you support the CalTrout, Trout Unlimited, and Northern California Federation of Fly Fishers proposal to improve the way the river is managed and protect McCloud River’s fishery.

Your voice can be heard (and yes, FERC is listening (sorta)).

Like many things in government, the process is easy, but convoluted.

Go here.
Click on the “eComment” button.
FERC will ask for an email address, then send an email with instructions to that address.
Click the link in the email.
Paste this project number in the space (it’s there): P-2106-047
Write, or copy & paste your comments in the text box.
(I told them I supported the CalTrout/TU/FFF proposal because it protects fisheries and supports the biggest recreational use of the river.)

See you on the McCloud, Tom Chandler.

Lower McCloud River Transformed From Fly Fishing Hot Spot Into Brownliner Heaven?

June 6, 2010, by Tom Chandler 14 comments

Alert Underground Reader Bill sent us this muddy nugget of McCloud River fly fishing news:

There’s a horrible muddy spill below the Res! The entire stretch from the dam to Shasta Lake is blown. No visibilty whatsoever. Happened about noon today. Not the creek either. Starts at the dam. Did you know?

Once Mud Creek begins running with water colored by its namesake, the river turns muddy in a hurry.

With a whole reservoir between the Lower McCloud and Mud Creek, it’s a counter-intuitive event, but Curtis Knight of CalTrout once explained it to me.

Essentially, once Mud Creek starts flowing with runoff, the muddy water stays more or less in a coherent stream through the reservoir and right to the dam.

Put like that, it sounds like a bad thing, but as Curtis explained it, it’s probably better than muddying up the whole reservoir, which would then take a long, long time to clear.

More on the Mighty Mac is it flows into the Underground (Undergrounder comments encouraged).

UPDATE – This from PG&E:

“However, in response to increasing inflows of melting snow as air temperatures continue to increase there is still a possibility that PG&E will need to bypass an additional 400 cfs of water from McCloud Dam within the next 40 hours.”

The Underground’s 2010 Season Opener Preview Post (or, We Prevaricate and Lie)

April 22, 2010, by Tom Chandler 12 comments

The 2010 general trout season opener is fast approaching, and while I’m the first to admit it doesn’t have the cachet it used to (more and more of California’s trout waters are open to C&R fly fishing year-round), it’s still a point in time that demands a little recognition.

This year – due to an above-normal snowpack in California’s mountains and rainy/snowy spring weather, a lot of rivers will likely be high.

You Are Now Free To Move About Our Rivers

(Note I said “high” and not “unfishably high.” The last time I pronounced the Upper Sac “blown out and unfishable,” someone wrote to say they’d had their best day ever on the river.)

What follows is a loose assemblage of rumors, half-truths, guide promotion and outright lies.

At no time should any of my readers actually believe anything they read in this forecast (I’m a fly fisherman after all), nor change their carefully laid plans based on this information.

Void where prohibited by law.

The Upper Sacramento

It’s high. And with all the low-level snow still piled up in the hills, it’s likely going to stay high.

As of this writing, the Upper Sacramento is running around 3000 cfs at the Delta station (the bottom of the river), which means you’ll find fishable spots, but the midsummer program – wandering up and down the riverbank fishing every likely spot – is a non starter.

That said, local guide Craig Nielsen has reported some monster fish hookups, though I’d suggest some local knowledge of the best high-water holes is needed before you’re going to get your net slimy. Read more →

For Those Trying to Squeak In One More McCloud Trip Before Closing Day…

November 10, 2009, by Tom Chandler 10 comments

With California’s general trout season almost over (15th), fly fishermen all over the state are no doubt considering one last run at the McCloud River – or some other favorite water.

Frankly, it’s a great idea – but bring foul weather gear, because the Mount Shasta forecast suggests wet and cold.

Mount Shasta weather forecast

Sure, the optimists among you are already thinking “that’s BWO weather” and you’d be right, but don’t forget the big October Caddis dries.

In fact, it’s possible I’ll make one last pass at a certain mountain stream (heavily edited pictures if I do).

Any Undergrounders making last-ditch plans for the season closer?

The October Caddis Arrive Back In Town Before The Trout Underground (Damn)

October 13, 2009, by Tom Chandler 9 comments

It was late Saturday and the L&T and I were blasting our way up the Upper Sacramento River canyon – new, cranky daughter in the car seat and two barely conscious adults piloting – when the October Caddis started bouncing off the windshield (more on the trip later).

Sometimes, an unfortunate group of pumpkin-colored caddis sometimes mistake the I5 freeway for a river, forming up over the asphalt ribbon in ill-fated mating flights, and while cruel ironies are always appreciated at the Underground, I truly have little interest in seeing what an October Caddis looks like from the inside.

Big trout on October Caddis dries? Yep, but not as often as you think...

Still, the caddis were flying, but after better than two weeks spent literally on the other side of the globe (completely without Internet access), the disconnection struck me, and I had to ask: “How did the caddis happen without me?”

The Caddis-Go-Round

The October Caddis have become a milestone event on the Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers; the October emergence of these amberish-colored, small-hummingbird-sized caddis often occurs in front of the year’s biggest crowds of fly fishermen (several fly fishing clubs plan outings), yet the weather – while often cold at night – is still pretty comfortable during the day.

The result are a lot of fly fishermen throwing big, big dry flies (#6-#10s) at trout, some of whom will actually eat the things in splashy, aggressive takes.

Of course, no fly fishing hatch comes without its “gotcha” moment, and what’s true is that often, the big October Caddis don’t generate much in the way of interest from the trout. In fact, it’s common to fish a #18 PED through an October Caddis hatch and catch more trout.

It’s also true – when I first wrote about the October Caddis in 2007 (“Fly Fishing the Upper Sacramento in the Fall: An October Caddis Primer“) – that the best October Caddis fishing might be found in early winter, when the bugs are dying and falling into the water.

Presumably, the trout “know” that dead bugs won’t make a last-minute getaway, and the party (as they say), begins.

Now For a Real Expert

Everything I’ve told you about the October Caddis I’ve said before (but oy, nobody listens, nobody writes, nobody calls, especially you kids with your iPods and fancy-pants phones, and hey get off my lawn).

Still, I’ve always stopped far short of claiming expert status around the October Caddis, mostly because I may have caught a fair number of big trout during October Caddis season, but never with the kind manly, chiseled-jaw confidence I have when hitting the Green Drakes of spring.

And while it seems that becoming an online commando is all the rage these days, I’m going to defer to someone who hasn’t spent the last month on kid-related stuff: Craig Nielsen of ShastaTrout.com, who does the responsible adult thing and posts real fly fishing reports while I’m over here changing diapers and ruminating on the power of bikini photographs to change our lives for the better.

Right now, it’s raining hard at Trout Underground/Man Cave/Soiled Diaper World Headquarters, and the river’s starting to come up, though the line between an unfishable river and a refreshing plug of water that turns on the trout is finer than you’d believe; at some point, both conditions may be true. (What, you wanted easy? Take up checkers…)

Simply put, I’m back, and there’s more to come, though what “more” looks like is yet to be determined.

See you fishing the October Caddis, Tom Chandler.

Is Nestle Pulling Out of McCloud – And Leaving Our Trout Water Behind? Maybe…

July 30, 2009, by Tom Chandler 5 comments

Longtime readers know of my deep and abiding dislike of Nestle Waters of North America – a small division of one of the world’s most (deservedly) boycotted corporation.

They’re like the Enron of the bottled water world, only better run – and perhaps even less ethical (this is the same multinational that knowingly tricked third-world moms into a dependence on their baby formula in the 70s and 80s – a practice they haven’t quite stopped today).

I got tired of their divisive, behind-the-scenes antics in the nearby town of McCloud, and after a little research revealed the depths they seemed happy to sink to in other small towns (they sued the tiny town of Fryeburg, Maine five times [losing the first four] before they found the legal loophole they needed to force the town to permit a 24/7 truck loading station in a residential area).

They even inspired one of the Trout Underground’s better April 1 posts.

Now it looks like they might finally be getting the hell out of McCloud. (They just recently had their asses handed to them in Mecosta County, MI.)

Either way, I like the sound of this (from my StopNestleWaters.org site):

We knew that Nestle Waters of North America’s just-announced water bottling plant in Sacramento, CA, might have an impact on their long-delayed McCloud bottling plant.

From the Mount Shasta Herald:

â€œIn four to six weeks, we will let McCloud know if we will continue with our McCloud plans,â€ company representative Dave Palais said Monday night, noting that a recent article incorrectly stated that the company would be dropping its McCloud proposal.

Woot!

Well, maybe.

This is also reeks of a seen-plenty-of-times-before negotiating tactic used by Nestle in McCloud and other towns, whereby they hope to stampede yokels into accepting Nestle’s typically rapacious deals.

I’d like to point out that Nestle – and the bottled water industry at large – are suffering the effects of a sizable downturn in the bottled water market, which used to grow at double-digit rates.

They blame the economy, but public backlash against bottled water continues to grow, and with the US bottled water market shrinking 3% in just the first quarter, it’s pretty clear that Nestle’s promises of jobs to McCloud could be turning to vapor as we speak.

See you on the Nestle-free McCloud river, Tom Chandler

Many Fly Fishermen on the Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers: Local Guides Suffering Horribly Under Strain

June 20, 2009, by Tom Chandler 7 comments

I won’t mince words: The Upper Sacramento River’s been seeing a *lot* of fly fishermen the last two weeks, and this weekend, there are a pair of sizable (30+ anglers) groups in town.

The McCloud River – which may be earning its “McCrowd” nickname – is also seeing a lot of fly fisherman.

Apparently, it’s getaway time in the mountains of Northern California, and I might suggest we’re seeing a lot of fly fishermen who are ending up here instead of more exotic locales.

I’m always happy to see the local economy acquire a little spring in its step, but for some among the guiding community, the strain of guide trip after guide trip takes a terrible (terrible!) toll, leading to heart-wrenching scenes like this:

Wayne Eng at the Underground's Corporate Ideation Center

Yes, that’s Frequent Underground Character & Local Guide Wayne Eng crashing at the Trout Underground’s/Man Cave Official Corporate Ideation Center, where he napped (untroubled by killer Chipmunks) until it was time to eat.

The Underground Escapes

With so many fly fishermen apparently enjoying the Upper Sacramento, I’m heading off Sunday to a small stream in the area, hoping to escape some of the crowds.

It’s a gamble; it only takes one or two good (or clumsy) anglers to pretty much chew up a small stream for those who follow, and I tend to stay away from that kind of water on the weekends.

But damnit, there’s fish to be caught. And this time, I’m taking the camera.

The Wading Boot Testing Continues

And don’t think we’ve forgotten our wading boot tests – especially now that Korker has thrown its boots into the fray. They sent along a pair of wading boots and many, many pairs of their interchangeable soles, and we’ll see what happens in light of the Underground’s somewhat unhappy experience with a pair of much older Korkers (I wasn’t thrilled with the ankle support, but these look sturdier).

See you (anywhere but) a small stream, Tom Chandler.

The “I’m Too Busy to Go Fly Fishing But Everyone Else Isn’t” Fishing Report

May 20, 2009, by Tom Chandler 5 comments

Even though I’m too deadlined to leave my office and go fly fishing (the beautiful spring weather is clearly designed to taunt me personally), I’m cursed blessed with friends eager to relate their fly fishing news.

Sure, friends like that could drive a lesser blogger to drink to excess (and don’t think I haven’t considered it), and with that in mind, I’m taking those lemons and turning them into hard lemon cider (hic).

Here’s the Underground’s Local Fly Fishing Forecast & Report (hic).

The Upper Sacramento River

On the Underground’s Ancestral Waters, the flows barely bumped up during the recent hot spell and the visible snow is going fast, so there will be no big runoff event this year. Right now the Upper Sac’s running 1300 and falling, and while the river’s far from comletely wadeable, it is plenty fishable in places – and it will get better every day.

This weekend might be OK; next week will certainly be better, and while the Harmonic Convergence of Work won’t clear for me until the end of next week, expect an evening or two worth of reports between now and then.

The McCloud River

Hawkins Creek flows are diminishing fast, and as a result, the McCloud’s fast becoming fishable, though it’s the most fishable (by far) between the McCloud Reservoir dam and Hawkins.

Someone in my Online Marketing Boot Camp class said he saw/photographed/worked rising fish two evenings ago, and that plenty of salmonflies were in evidence. (I think I don’t like him very much now either.)

UPDATE: A little birdy tells me the McCloud’s fishing was hot the last couple days. (We report, you cast.)

The Pit River

Local guide Craig Neilsen hit what he described as an “epic” hatch on the Pit, and while guides do have a vested interested in getting you hyped about the fly fishing, Neilsen’s not really in that category.

Want to catch fish? the Pit’s your best bet right now.

UPDATE: A little birdy tells me the Pit’s fishing even hotter than the McCloud. (We report, you salivate.)

The Rogue

Dave Roberts reports the Rogue is running high (4800 cfs), an amount he considers borderline unfishable. The salmonflies aren’t really showing yet. Before they kicked up the flows, the Holy Water looked interesting, but now it’s awfully high too.

The Small Stuff

A lot of the smaller streams in the area are rounding nicely into shape, though don’t think for a second I’m going to point you directly at any of them.

Let’s face reality here: I believe all the small streams in the area are mine to rule as I see fit, and the fact that others get to fish them is simply an unfortunate reality based on my inability to cheat the laws of physics and be in two places at one time. (Tomorrow’s post: Living With Megalomania in the Age of Blogging.)

Still, if you’ve had your eye on a small stream, consider giving it a shot earlier rather than later; the third year of low snowpack means a lot of the small streams will be running thin and hot come summer, and while “thin and hot” is an admirable description for a girlfriend/boyfriend, it isn’t a prescription for fly fishing success.

The Bugs

At this point, you leave the house without a fair number of stonefly patterns (both the salmonfly and the golden stones) at your own peril, though it is a little early for most rivers.

You might expect to see some caddis in places, and the Pink Alberts were already starting to pop on the Upper Sacramento.

The Trout Underground’s Secret Fly Pattern Tip of the Day

Ants.

And not the tiny little ones, but the decent-sized carpenter and flying ants. I’m looking at one right now on the outside of my office window (the teasing bastard). They work, and they work well. Don’t leave home without ‘em.

Bob Grace at the Ted Fay Fly Shop reports seeing most of his ant patterns go otu the door, though more are due tomorrow (now today).

See you in my office (you dirtbags), Tom [I'm not Bitter] Chandler.

The Quickie Upper Sacramento/McCloud Fly Fishing Update

May 12, 2009, by Tom Chandler 1 comment

The Upper Sacramento River’s running right around 2000 cfs, and – despite two days of warmer weather – it hasn’t increased (though it’s no longer falling at 500 cfs per day).

That offers all sorts of implications (e.g. – we’re not going to see a big runoff even this year), but to honest, 2000 cfs still renders large chunks of the river unfishable.

The McCloud’s flows are hovering around 1000 cfs at the lake, so it remains fishable in its upper regions – and it’s apparently not spilling over the dam – but Curtis Knight of CalTrout forwarded this semi-chilling message:

As previously indicated, PG&E is closely monitoring the inflow to McCloud Reservoir and is assessing the need to make additional flow releases below McCloud Dam to manage water surface elevation in the reservoir.Â To date, flow releases from McCloud Dam have not increased significantly and inflow to McCloud Reservoir appears to be stabilizing.

The current instream flow release from McCloud Dam is 168 cfs, and the current flow at Ah-Di-Nah is 470 cfs.Â McCloud Reservoir is at maximum storage.Â Since McCloud Reservoir is at maximum storage, the need for increased flow releases from McCloud Dam is still probable, and is dependant on the rate of reservoir inflow experienced over the next several day.Â Although additional precipitation is not likely, warming temperatures and saturated ground conditions may cause increased inflow to the reservoir.

OK. That’s not bad, and with no precipitation forecast until Saturday, I’d suggest the McCloud is fishable in its upper portions. And it’s quite likely the Upper McCloud is at least partly fishable, though again, one man’s “fishable” is another’s “let’s go get drunk.”

Me? I’d love to get drunk, but I’m teaching yet another series of online marketing classes, and will therefore largely turn into a pumpkin for the next three weeks.

Life, it seems, is often dark.

See you in class, Tom Chandler.