STEELHEADFAN

Lady Luck

2015-04-19T15:56:00.001-07:00

My wife won't touch the fish. No sir, no way, no how. But she loves to fish. So we headed out to Little Grass Valley Lake to chase some German Browns. We left home at 4:00am and got to the lake just as the sun was waking up. We put in at the ramp, and I set up our rods with our go-to lures. On our first pass of the day, Nicole hooked this nice 18-1/2" brown as our lures were running over a hump. I managed to get a nice 16" brown later, but lady luck is on a roll.

There Otter Be A Law

2012-02-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

I think most fishermen would agree that it's great to catch fish, but often just getting out and enjoying nature is a blessing. It was like that for Rod and I yesterday. We met on the American River at 4:15, dragged the boat upstream a bit and started fishing. Besides noticing how beautiful it was on the river with 67 degree weather, we spotted another boat downstream using a motor in a "No Motor" section. As we proceeded downstream, the other boat came up through our run and then turned and headed back downriver. Well, we only got one strike in an hour and a half, but nature blessed us. Halfway through our first drift, we spotted these three otters rolling in the dust on shore. We may not have caught any fish, but watching the otters play and slide into the water near the boat was a nice surprise!

American River Steelhead

2012-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

After not having fished yet year to date, it was great to have three days off and hit the American River. I called my buddy Rod on Tuesday and we planned on drifting the river Thursday and Friday. Wednesday I hit the river at Sailor Bar and swung flies for a couple hours, my first day fishing of the year. No action, but I definitely got amped for the next couple days. Thursday Rod and I started our drift at Sailor Bar about 9am and floated to Rossmoor Bar without a strike. Pretty frustrating considering we saw four other adult fish landed. After spotting lots of fish on Thursday, Rod and I hit the river earlier Friday morning, again starting at Sailor Bar. We worked the water hard all the way down to the Sunrise area until we got our first strike. Rod was on the oars, I set the hook and the battle was on! We fought the fish for about 10-15 minutes and netted her, a nice wild hen. Not too shabby for the first fish of the year! Later on we hit some riffles downstream and had luck swinging flies. The first strike I got I fought about five minutes and he finally came off in the shallows. A few minutes later I nailed a darker female in the shallow riffles above a ledge. Nice to be starting the year off with some quality fish!

Late Evening Rainbows

2011-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Nicole and I hit Lake Natoma Saturday evening for an hour and a half and SHE did really well. I got skunked, but anytime someone in my boat catches fish I'm happy. The first fish was taken headed upstream just above the walking bridge, the second headed downstream in the state record pool. Beautiful colors on the fish this time of year. The water was really low and tinted a bit green, visibility to about 6 feet. Looking forward to the water coming up a little, the fish should return to their normal spots.

Smallies In The Fall

2011-11-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

I've heard rumblings over the years that Natoma was once a great smallmouth fishery, and I have caught them occasionally while chasing trout. But the last month they are really coming on, and the average size is surprising. The first one I got recently was 16 inches long, and had to weigh 4 pounds EASY-at least 2 inches thick at the shoulders! Nick hooked up with an even bigger 17 incher that was also quite fat. Although I am targeting the trout on most occasions, I now have a fall-back method for catching more fish. Too bad for now, the weather just got perfect for the trout bite, expect pictures soon!

Smallmouth on the Fly

2011-08-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Friday evening Nicole and I fished Lake Natoma. I was expecting to see a dozen novice kayakers and a couple boaters but the dock was empty. We got on the water at 7:00pm and headed upstream. I brought my fly rod out to sink some flies and try stripping some streamers. We anchored above Rainbow Bridge and I cast my quick-sink line with four feet of leader tipped with 4x fluorocarbon. The first bump felt like a bite but I wasn't sure, so I let the streamer sit for a couple seconds, and BAM! I lifted the rod and hooked into the smallmouth bass pictured here. It was 16" long, fat like a football, and easily the heaviest smallie I've ever caught. I got another little smallie about 8" long that completely inhaled my streamer. I've read that Lake Natoma at one time was considered a great smallmouth fishery, and we are definitely going to target them more often.

Little Truckee River

2011-08-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

Me and the family decided to go camping for a few days, so we headed up to Truckee and camped on the Little Truckee River at Boyington Mill Site. The weather was outstanding, the fish were flying out of the water chasing emergers, and I figured out fairly early what would work.

I found a nice run above the mouth at Boca, and started out with a caddis dry since I saw a few flying around. Not a bite. Switched to a PMD for 5 minutes without success. Threw a woolly bugger and got zilch. Finally, I decided to go to a two-nymph drop under an indicator, which is how I expected to fish e when I was sitting at home tying red and green Copper John's in size 12 and 14. My second cast got me a nice 12" rainbow on the green. Tuesday I landed 5, lost a couple. Wednesday I got the same, landing 5 and losing a few, including a nice 15"-16" thick rainbow, they all took the red Copper John's. Thursday was the best day, landing 14 and losing at least ten other takes. Almost everyone of Thursdays' fish took the green flies in size 12.

We hit the Truckee River on Thursday on a side trip into town, but at midday the water was too warm, gotta hit it early or late.

Digging for Gold

2011-04-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today I took my son Nick gold panning to show him some basics and get out for the day. We grabbed some Subway sandwiches and headed down Salmon Falls Rd. We parked at the Sweetwater Creek parking spot and hiked downstream about a half mile almost to Folsom Lake. Due to all the rain and snow we got this winter, the lake is really high, but nice and clear. We set up on a little side creek and plinked around for a couple hours. Found only a couple flakes, but the scenery was worth the trip.

There are no snags

2010-05-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

At least you have to think that way out here. Yesterday Nicole and I came out and lost five lures, all snags. Or maybe not. Probably. But the funny thing is, the two largest fish we have caught out of here at first seem like snags. Nick's giant that we lost was at first assumed to be a snag, and today we got an awesome reminder of how the fish here fight! We started out at 6pm and headed upstream. At the top of our first pass, just as we were in the thick of things, I said to Nicole, "We're gonna hook up now." A minute went by and Nicole's rod took two small dips and set firm but steady. Line stripped out at a smooth and constant rate. I asked her if it felt like a fish but she couldn't tell. I reeled in my line and headed downstream as she reeled in hers. Just as the boat got even with her line, we saw her fish fighting about six feet below the boat. Nicole got her to the boat very quickly, and after two attempts to net her we got her in. There were several people on the walking bridge watching all the action, and they gave us a standing ovation! Definitely Nicole's largest fish ever, and it certainly gives Nick's record a run for his money. Here I am with Nicole's fish since she wouldn't hold it. This is not a snag!

Time to go!

2010-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Will tomorrow never come? After last Sunday's successful outing I can't wait to hit the water tomorrow. It seems all conditions are lining up perfectly; a light rain came through today on the back end of an unseasonably cold spell, temperatures are expected to warm to the low 80's with sun, and flows should be relatively stable. Hoping for evening skies like this!

My Fishing Spot

2010-05-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Most people don't even notice it. When I speak it's name, I am invariably confronted with one of three mutterings: 1) Lake what? 2) Where's that? 3) There's no fish in there! You may be wondering why I would be willing to share my fishing spot with anyone, but therein lies the beauty of the place and the reasons I fell in love with it.

As a young boy, my brother and our friends would hike down to "My Fishing Spot" and explore the ponds, rockpiles, and cliffs only 1/2 mile from the house. We would see huge fish and turtles sunning themselves in the ponds, with herons, egrets and hawks nearby. The lake always seemed so big when we were kids, although it's only 4 miles long and maybe half a mile wide at most. We knew there were big fish in there, but we had NO IDEA until we became teenagers!

The east side of the lake has flat cliffs, perfect for summer rope swings and jumping off. My friends and I would hang out during the summer days, sometimes fishing. When we needed tackle or bait we would go to Wild Sport. It was there that I got my first lesson of how tight-lipped a great fishing spot can be protected. Posted on the wall were pictures of fish from all over the region, but mostly from Folsom Lake or the American River. And there were pictures of rainbows, MONSTROUS RAINBOWS! Ten pounders, twelve pounders, sixteen pounders! Surely these fish were caught by surly old-timers, yet the pictures told a different story. These fish were being caught by kids and adults alike, and in my lake! I told myself that one day I would catch one of those monsters, and I believe I can beat 16 pounds!

I started fishing my lake on a regular basis in 1992. My wife and I would take our daughter out for the evening and sink nightcrawlers with a marshmallow to keep them off the rocky bottom. Fishing can be very slow and difficult from shore, so landing anything in three trips was okay. I remember one special day with my wife and daughter, where we caught two beautiful rainbows in the span of an hour, the first a two pounder and the second a four pounder. I remember thinking I could do well from shore, but that changes during the summer months with all the people. Several years later a boy was fishing from shore with a nightcrawler and caught a 23 pound rainbow, which was then the lake record. Eventually, I ended up with a boat and now am determined to get my big one!

Although I will give up the name of "My Fishing Spot" on occasion, my methodology is staying right between my ears. Over the years I have gleaned information from multiple sources, the most important from my friend Steve Chitwood. Steve was a customer of mine and fishing buddy, and we shared a love for the big rainbows on our lake. After much coercion, Steve gave me one tip that has been key to my success. His fishing enthusiasm also helped spark my unquenchable fire to land that double digit rainbow.

Now armed with a boat and new-found wisdom, I began to take my son Nick with me. The kid is blessed with the fishing luck like his uncle - he could throw a hookless, paintless, dented lure on tangled line and catch the biggest fish of the day! To give you a better picture, other than a 12 pound steelhead, my largest rainbow to date is about 8 pounds (my lake). My son owns the family record (3 generations) with an 8 pounder, a 9 pounder, and one over 10! But these pale in comparison to THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

Any fisherman worth his weight in sinkers has one of these stories. I am blessed that it happened with my son, and cursed because, well...it got away. We had been fishing our favorite spot all evening, and had caught and released a couple of nice fish. It began to get dark, so I idled the motor and we began to reel in our lines. Almost immediately, Nick says, "Dad, I think I'm snagged." I found that hard to believe because we were in 25 feet of water and fishing in the top five feet. We switched rods and Nick reeled in mine while I checked his. I reeled in what I could and tested the snag. It felt stuck, kind of mushy. I cranked down all the way on the reel, and just as I went to pop it loose I felt a thunderous head-shake! This was definitely no snag, and I could tell instantly that Nick had hooked another big one. Since Nick was only 6 years old,I had to steer the boat AND fight this fish at the same time! My heart was already thumping pretty hard knowing we had a large fish on, but after ten minutes of fighting my heart almost stopped! The fish was about 15 yards behind the boat, at least 30" long and at least 20 pounds! It looked like a salmon, and here we were with 4-lb P-line test! As I got the monster near the boat, Nick handed me the net and I reached with one hand while holding the rod in the other. I got the net just to it's gill plate, and our dream popped off, rolled over and looked at us, and swam to the depths! Expletives followed, and all the thoughts I had of "lake record" rapidly escaped my short-term hopes. But I will not be deterred, for only four days later, Frank Palmer caught the present California State Record only 100 yards from where we lost our fish!

Many of the folks who ask me one of those three questions generally don't believe a word of it. I have told many people the name of my lake, and although I haven't experienced a rise in fishing pressure, I think I will begin to keep the name to myself. There are certainly enough clues here to decipher for yourselves, but for now I'll simply call it "My Fishing Spot".

Lake Natoma

2010-05-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

I finally got the boat/motor tuned up and ready to hit the water after sitting in the garage all winter. My wife and I decided to give the tune-up a test run for the afternoon at Lake Natoma. We launched at Negro Bar and started trolling with our favorites just below the Auburn-Folsom bridge. Right on cue, three redneck kayakers decided to paddle behind us right on top of our lines! As a result, I decided to cut over to the side of the channel and let them pass. As soon as we got back on our favorite line, my rod started flopping with a fish on! The fish just swam right to the boat, only starting to fight within 10 feet of us. Caught and released the 15" rainbow and decided to start the run over. After dropping downstream a few hundred yards, we put our lines out and started upstream again. Just as we were getting above Rainbow bridge, my rod started thrumming under the strain of a larger fish! As I started to bring it in, she jumped about three feet out of the water to give me a look! I tried to crank her in, but we were in the hard current and it was difficult to hold the boat and reel in the fish. Just as I got her in halfway, the lure fell out softly and she was gone! I estimated her to be about 5-6 pounds, not a bad start to fishing this year! I have to note that the weather has been unseasonably cold, and the water was gin clear. I'm sure that the carburetor idle adjustment I made that quieted the motor didn't hurt. Expect some great fish pictures soon!

Sly Park

2008-05-12T10:55:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning I got up at 4:30am, hitched up the boat and headed for Sly Park, a.k.a. Jenkinson Lake. I got to the lake at 6:00am and launched by 6:15. The wind was coming across the lake pretty good, so I started out trolling by the first dam and islands. First I dragged broken-backs but switched to mid-depth plugs after an hour or so. I headed over to the second dam and trolled along the south shore. There was a huge hatch of mayflies and trout were lazily rolling all over the surface. I have never seen a lake hatch as thick as this one, and it went on for quite awhile. After seeing that the fish were near the surface in deep water, I put on a Kastmaster and a Mepps Syclops. I took my first rainbow right at the point of the narrows with the Kastmaster, a beautiful 13" wild rainbow with big black spots. I took a planter about an hour later on the Syclops. As I trolled back towards the second dam, a bald eagle swooped down and took a trout about 150' in front of the boat, then turned and went right over the boat about 50' up, pretty cool! By now the wind had picked up again so I headed in to the dock. My buddy Arnie was tooling around in his new pontoon boat, we chatted for awhile and I headed home. A nice day all in all!

Lake Natoma

2008-04-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday my wife and I got out for a couple hours. Near the end of the evening we were discussing what had previously been effective in catching the trout out here, but as of late nothing. Just then Nicole says "look at that fish jumping out there". I saw my rod bouncing and set the hook. Nice 16" rainbow trout, first one of the year!

Lake Natoma Lunkers

2008-02-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's time to start chasing the huge trout out at Lake Natoma. Today my wife Nicole and I are gonna give it a try! My son with an 8 pounder he brought in himself. Nice Fish!