Yuba-Ku 7-24-2016 Yuba on fire!

Sparrow, swung pulses.
Big flash, rainbow kype-jawed.
Oh, what a monster!

Yesterday I fished the Yuba River with no expectations, just really going to field test this new ‪‎bamboo‬ quad ‪‎spey rod that I've been making over the past few months‬, to this date I revised the mid and tip section three times. Each time making the rod faster and faster. It really likes a 435 scandi head with a floating poly leader, effortless casts to about 90 feet. Well I guess with the results I think I'll go ahead and take off the masking tape wraps and put some silk on her! I just can't settle in on the color.... I sort of like the idea of Black against the auburn cane,sort of how my buddy Dave does of his switch rods, but then again I like the dark olive translucent wraps I've been doing on the single handed 6wt Quadrates. What do you think?

A new small brewery opened down the street from my workshop here in Oakland so my buddy Jacob who is a rod maker had a few of their IPA's while talking tapers.... a very good time!

Upper Sac-Ku, touch of evil.

Above the loop,

river rush and froth. Stirring,

fins golden dart.

Spots black, red and

haloed. Sudden jolts, viscous shake.

Back into the depths.

Dry and dropper,

today, I a bit evil.

To hand, a rivers annals.

I never really liked to fish this one section of the Upper Sac, its stunningly beautiful, but I have never really done that well catching. After working with Chris for the day Friday making ferrules in his shop, I took Saturday morning to visit this section above Cantara Loop. Its tough going, but the spots are nice. Often the accessible reaches get fished often. This morning there was a fellow leaving the spot I was headed to, I thought well give it a go, he’s different, doesn’t mean anything, I’ll be fishing different from him, just give it a shot. After getting into the “secret spot” its evident from the stud marks on the rock faces that it’s not secret, I started to rig up a 4wt cane rod. Watching the water for bugs and clues, a few golden stones flew over so I went for that, plus out of a whim I decided, a touch of evil was needed today, a dropper stonefly nymph that I’ve had good luck with on the Yuba from the days I used to nymph fish a lot. Upon the third or forth cast out into the middle bucket of the cascade, the large stimulator violently jolted back into the fast water and I set up! A few minutes later, what I was leading to the net was a very large Brown trout. The throat of my net is 20 inches and I guess she was 18 inches. Fishing alone I got this kind of crappy proof of life picture with the cascade behind. Any local will know where it is to verify. I seem to remember that Brown trout a very rare in the Upper Sac, maybe the McCloud being blown and turbid last year encouraged some to spawn in the upper reaches? Maybe she came over Lake Siskiyou one spring? Who really knows but Hope you enjoy this story and picture.

Fall Color, Headwaters of the Stani 2014

Harvest moon rise,
color in the trees quake.
The creek's hidden leopard strikes.

Camouflaged golden,
fallen leaves conceal, speckled salmonid.
Baetis spinner dance.

Through canyons
into valley
My guide, a hawk,
beckons me onward.

Skinny water,
fishy water,
where brown trout lie
waiting for opportunity,
like me, stealthily stalk.

Yuba-Ku 2-20-2014

Waxing Snow moon sets.
Salmoniods rise, the Skwala beat.
Oh mighty boo!

Dry fly perigee.
Methodical drifts, mend.
The Princess screams.

Middle Fork Stanislaus 11-4-2013

Swirls and glide,
my fly and fish together.
like peanut butter and jelly.

Brand new waders.
leaking in the leg, sloshing.
Me so cranky.

Twilight above.
On an Ashen Light wing,
a Bald eagle,
up canyon, soaring.

Forks of the Stanislaus

August 2013

Big trees and sour grass,
We hike under giants of old.
Towering cathedral,
shade and light filtered.

In this rivers flow,
Swirls and bubbles,
then babble.

Like a brook.
ancient voices.
stories told.

Even tiny stones can erode big stones.

Granite speckled.
Silver and black with iridescent shades,
as does its fish.

Stani renga-ku 3-14-2013

North Fork Stanislaus River

Black oak and cedar,
dappled light sparkles.
Through big trees, glimmers the sun.

Over polished granite slabs.
Silver bright and speckled,
igneous in nature.
Cascades and tumbles, turbid water races.
Between steep canyon walls.
With the fishes we play.

Along the evening trail,
through coyote mint, ankle deep, hiking back.
A day shared,
with friends true.
Some new, some old,
and to a few,
a new,
farewell.

Upper Sac, 6-18-2013

Under the bright heart of Scorpio,
standing farthest north.
With the wavering wild rhubarb,
Rainbows porpoise.
While Calineuria Californica lumber about.

Watching from my circle,
but far from Nabta.
Flower
Strawberry
Rose or
Honey,
This moon, under Jupiter together
with Antares rising.

One of four guardians,
like me,
withen Castle Crags I cast,
into the Sacramento.

Boo on da'Beaver

Discomoecus, creep.
Granite stones swept and polished,
spotted friends hover.

Like this Honey Moon,
precious trout agresivly rise.
Each pool I hopscotch.




meat and potaoes:

Beaver Creek, 5N02 near Calaveras Big Trees State Park
weather, sunny warm,
Water temp 48 degrees, air temp 70 degrees
Flows 30cfs
water visability, gin clear
Hours fished, 10:30am til 4:30pm
bug activity; sporadic caddis
5wt single handed bamboo rod 7'6"
25+ trout landed, size; 12-6 inches

Yuba-Ku 3-8,9-2013

As the Osprey kites.
Brodiaeas and Ceanothus along the way.
Teal and rabbit fur glide and rise.

My cast web, connected.
Maybe it's me who's really netted?
Moon in Pisces,
go figure.



meat and potaoes:

Yuba River, friday below Hwy 20 bridge, saturday UC property.
weather, friday sunny warm, saturday am partly cloudy pm sunny
Water temp 48 degrees, air temp 70 degrees
Flow 1300cfs
water visability, gin clear
Hours fished, 9:30am til 4:30pm
bug activity; friday sporadic Skawalas. saturday March brownand PMD hatch 10:30am-1pm Skawalas about pm
5wt single handed bamboo rod, 4/5wt bamboo spey rod, now broken from a big fish not landed.
245 scandi line 12 foot furled leader. dry fly furled leader 16 feet long 4lb tippet.
3 fish landed swinging March Brown wet fly, Teal and rabbit
4 fish landed on March Brown Para/dry fly/emerger size 12
3 fish landed on Skawala dry size 12

Yuba Renga 2-1,2-2013

White tail and talons,
above the river's way.
Soaring and gliding.

Trouting with friends,
some old, some new.
The Yuba's bounty, we catch.

Fluid flow,
full of wonder.
My speckled friend rises.

Sloshing and casting,
soggy socks, leaky waders.
Along river's edge.

Ring of the rise.
BWOs skitter the surface.
Little brown fly, the code.

My own private
super bowl.

meat and potaoes:

Yuba River, friday below Hwy 20 bridge, saturday UC property.
weather, friday sunny warm, saturday am partly cloudy pm sunny
Water temp 48 degrees, air temp 70 degrees
Flow 1450cfs
water visability, gin clear
Hours fished, 9:30am til 4:30pm
bug activity; friday abundent Skawalas. saturday BWO hatch 10:30am-1pm Skawalas about pm
5wt single handed bamboo rod, 6wt bamboo spey rod
scandi lines various poly leaders. dry fly furled leader 16 feet long 4lb tippet.
6 fish landed swinging royal coachman wet fly
3 fish landed on Baetis CDC dry fly/emerger
9 fish landed on Skawala dry

Yuba-Ku, Fall Caddis

Shits and giggles,
even the Osprey's paying dues.
Swing-en and drifting.

Twilights fading day.
Under the scorpius marker,
its Rainbows rise.

Soon,
Fish and I,
like Perigee.


The Steak and Eggs;

Yuba River, below island to Hammond Grove. lots of walking.
Hours fished: noon to 7pm
2 fish total: 1@18" 1@14"
Water temp 54 degrees, flow 1000cfs, air temp 80ish degrees.
Method: Dry fly, Spey cast swung wet flies.
Gear: 6wt 11 foot Bamboo spey rod 350 grain scandi line, 10 floating polyleader.
Sage 5wt 9 foot XP
Flies: Fall caddis emerger dry size 4 "Dr. Octo" and "Poison Spider", wet fly size 14
Observed insects, Caddis, Caddis and more Caddis. lots of Caddis.

Dr. Octo,    fall caddis emerger

Poison Spider,   caddis emerger wet fly

I'm Planning a trip to the McCloud River in a few weeks, and for "Shits and Giggles" I wanted to try some of my new Fall Caddis patterns. I had a good number of fish rise and hit the Dry but only hung onto one, and my wet fly only got one fish. A slow day until the very last two hours of the day. The four runs below the island, down river towards Hammond Grove was really pop'en with big fish until dark, especially by Rattlesnake Hill.

Yuba-Ku 8-31-2012

Mars and Saturn Set.
Fruits of the rise, Salmonoids tail dance.
Once in a blue moon.

Steak and Eggs:

Yuba River, below Parks Bar Bridge
Clear and sunny weather, windy
Water temp 52 degrees, air temp 85 degrees
Flow 1000cfs
Hours fished, 10:30am til dusk
Zero bug activity
9'5wt single handed rod and 5wt graphite switch rod
13 fish total, 4 on dry fly, 9 on swung soft hackles
Successful flies: Black and orange Stimulator size 8,
Partridge and pheasant soft hackle size 14,
Partridge and copper soft hackle size 14,
Golden Stone nymph size 2

Yuba-ku 6-8-2012

Your scales, dappled light.
Reflecting spectrum I wish to hold.

Mano-a-Mano.

The Mac and Cheese;

Yuba River above Parks Bar Bridge
Hours fished: 9:30am to 8pm
9 fish total: 1@20" 1@18" 3@10" 3@8" 1@4"
Water temp 53 degrees, flow 1650, air temp 91 degrees
Method: Spey cast slack nymphing, and Spey cast swung wet flies.
Gear: 6wt 11 foot Bamboo spey rod 350 grain scandi line, 10 floating polyleader.

Flies: Isoperla stone "Tasty Bite", Caddis puppa "hydropsycho" and infrequens CDC emerger "spitznatz"
Observed insects, Yellow Sallies, sporadic PMD's and Spotted Sedges.

Hydropsycho

Spitznatz

Tasty Bite

Prototype 6 wt Yuba Swing Boo

Since i've been catching some really nice fish on the Yuba river lately i though i should have a photographer take some nice photos of the 6 wt spey rod and the tube before i gets to banged up from fishing.
last week i caught several nice rainbows one 18 and a 19 incher on the swing with variants of north country soft hackles. At the end of the day i landed a super, riffle charging 22 inch spring run chrome that really made the bamboo yahoo!
The Spey rod I wrapped in Olive Gossamar silk and tipped in black Gossamar silk. The guides are all Snake and H&H that i gun blued. I made the ferrules all of Brass on my lathe then those were gun blued as well. The bamboo was impregnated and after the guide wrapping with 4 coats of satin spar.
The rod case i built as a prototype for the rod is fabricated out of a product called PlyBoo from Smith and Fong. Its a 1/4 inch plywood, i then built the hex tube and the leather straps i crafted to hold the tubes top. the small acorn top i made on the lathe to match the ferrule toppers as well gun blued brass and maple.
Here are some pictures.

Swing Boo with the 22 inch chrome on the other end.