Swing-Ku, South Fork Eel, March 2017

Gett'n itchy to go. 

just feel'n like day trip'n, until the main event.

California dreaming.

Along the river trail,

the secret spot we all know well.

fern and moss, encourage hopes.

A perry poke and swing.

Around rivers bend.

Todays perfect tail out found.

Black and blue, swung into  shade

3 on 3 off.

Bend that bamboo!

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!

Forks of the Stani-ku 5-1 thru 5-12, 2016

Swallowtails and Mourning cloaks,
Along the trail, between.
Towering cedar and pine,
we waltz.

Here again,
A favorite spot, to cast and dream.
Wow! big splash.

Under bloomed dogwood,
this river spotted leopard,
My new friend.

Cascades of bubbles and foam.
Along this dark seam, in-between
faith and hope.

Ride it high and dry!
Sulfurs cruz.
Just believe.

From the first of May I traveled the forks of the Stanislaus adventuring high and low to get my fix on one of my favorite river systems. The water has been high and some of the past secret spots during low water was un-fishable or should i say un-reachable! However, like a text book lesson, fish were to be found where the fish should be. I witnessed an incredible Sulfur emergence each day from noon to 3:30pm that brought large and small brown trout to the surface. When I casted my imitation to likely spots I got an over whelming response. The average size of these Sulfurs were around the 12 hook range. The environment of the forks is truly just stunning with Dogwood in full bloom and butterflies everywhere. Wild Iris and Ginger poping up in the shade as well. The days are long and getting warm but the water is quite chilly. I found the best fishing days were the ones when cloud cover eased the brightness, trout were more willing in the shade as well. Lots of snakes are out and about, I saw two timber rattlers as well as a few colorful Kings and a Garter. Be mindful of stepping on sticks, it just might be a snake? Get out while its still cool!

Yuba-Ku 4-16-2016

Drifting dry, mend.
Lurking shadow bolts then rises.
One fly, one fish.

Lavender and green, lupine beckon.
Along the trail, memories of change.
River of change, rushes.

Again and again,
rhitogenia morrisoni, flavor of the moment.
Oh the bend of cane.

With friends, we hike,
new and old, we become,
share the stories, freshly squeezed!





It was just a fabulous day on the Yuba, tough fishing as usual however. I don't know if i could stand it any hotter around 90 degrees. Fishing was very slow going all day until the last few hours we were there, then I was able to raise fish. Most often just prospecting with an attractor fly to the soft areas along the fast water.
The flows being at that spring/summer run off level, seemed to have willing trout in the soft water near the banks under and along the willows. Abundant Salmon fly's and a few sporadic march browns were fluttering about, as well as some very dark caddis. 12 foot long leaders help get the floating line out of the range of the willing trouts view. The trout are there you just need to have your "A" game on for every approach and cast for every spot. A slight miss-step into the water and you'll see the fish of your life, a dark shadow, bolt into the deep water.

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.

Yuba Moire, April 2015

Swifts and Swallows,
dart up then around.
Swoop the spinner fall.

Ripples on the surface.
Moire tapestry, rocks and stones
camouflage my spotted friend.

An insect potpourri.
Pick your poison.
Morrisoni still on the menu.

Isoperla fulva pop.
In the willows their mating dance,
Grass moon apogee.

Ephemerella infrequens
not unlike tippet,
frequently becomes ephemeral
on the spool!

Subtle slurpers,
ease into feeding lanes.
You valiant gift.

Epic spinner fall,
set to the sound of slosh,
at dusk, my April closes.

yuba-ku 1-30-2015

Under waxing gibbous moon,
mossy rock bottom, we cross prudent.
With Kman in tow,
leaky wadders.

Riffles of rises full.
From the rock of power, Skwalas!
Virgin quad's first fish.

The Kman and I had a great day once we got to the fishing. We spent the first half of the day fucking around with batteries for the video equipment for the movie he's making. Even at the flows of 580cfs the crossing to the "Rock of Power" was dicey with all the equipment. The riffle was pretty quite until that last hour did it not fail to produce. lots of fish landed on my skwala dry and best of all, got to break'in a new splitcane Quad 4 piece rod that handled 60 foot casts pleasurably. After the long hike back to the car headlights glinting we packed up and headed to the brewery for an IPA to celibrate getting some good footage!

Yuba-sonnet-ku 1-16-2015

Yuba Rock of Power ode to Howard and Jim

Siphlonurus surface skate.

Crouching leopard, rainbows porppus.

subtle emergence.

Cast and mend,

fureld leader spider's web.

Flossed in the jaw,

palmerd hackle hooked tight.

A great day casting drys in my favorite riffle we all know about, there are no secrets, just spots we all love to share. Along the hike up river I ran into two new friends Howard and Jim, who after comparing the days notes told me they had seen fish rising were that rock is up there. Well all I can say is thanks for the tip! luckily I had plenty of size 16 gray drakes to feed the fish. Earlyier in the day I was quite content landing fish on Skwala drys along the bank up river from the boat launch. But the afternoon was silly crazy fun. Lets keep in touch maybe we can meet up and share the Rock of Power soon!

Yuba-Ku 1-2-2015

Slow slow, slow, tiny tug.

No ring, no rise.

Quite as a tomb.

Baetis tenuous in the drift.

Still no rise.

Cobbled river bed, ankles ache.

In the slot,

Sudden wink, kype jaw rises.

Mano a Mano.