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.

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-Ku 12-26-2014

Along the edge, We,

searching, fish watch hidden.

Luna and I.

Wind, skittered surface,

Along soft edges, they gather.

Tiny gray sails.

High ride the riffle,

my Baetis dry drift, mend.

Moon over Pisces.

Follow the green,

you'll find chrome.

Laughing river flow.

Quadra-Ku 8-16-2014

Between the corduroy
fur and feathers float.
High elevation, head dizzy.

Four strips of cane,
sudden rise in the bucket,
full of authority,

him, hooked and run.
Me, rock hop, balanced,
from the Gap back.

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.

Yuba renga, December 2013

12-1-2013
Osprey on the wing.
Pillows of white in blue.
Northern Migration calls.

Clutched talons,
scales spectrum reflecting.
Dinner,
enroute to wintering grounds.

12-20-2013
Konkow,
Maidu,
Nisenan and
Miwok
their foot steps followed.

Upriver.

Stand and cast,
in the flow, sudden chill.
numb toes.

12-27-2013
Today Catching?
as certain as the sky?
Like Neutrinos?
My fly untouched.

Osprey darts.
Eagle swirls and dives steeply.
his trout,
a stolen meal.

On my glasses,
view blocked, this strange stick.
A Skwala, too early.

12-30-2013
Back again,
your treasure like nicotene.
Today before dawn,
Venus rising,
the mornning star.

To the Narrows,
following,
Black Phoebes' work the next glide.
Their periodic aerial sallies entice.
Always on the move.
From willows,
they dance,
they catch.

Following.

Soon,
their secret now shared?
more early stones,
an Uva phantom,
todays code, unlocked?

I behold three,
unlike the eagle,
these set me free.

Emigrant Wilderness 2013

9-10-2013

The trail,
Forested white fir.
Inner laced of roots and earth exposed,
Like fingers of an ancient wizard.

Split in two but not.
Nearly identical from germination,
Limbs, bark and trunk.

Hot cider, carefully stirred,
Up to my fingers tips.
This spoons handle,
cut off.

9-11-2013

Serenaded by cowbells.
All,
night,
long.

9-12-2013

Majestic twins,
Together above us, hovering.
Reaching arms, lobed.
This limbed canopy,
Like the river systems we’re traveling.

Traverse, up sloping benches.
Contour south, now west.
Dark dihedrals of Granite Dome,
Finally in view.

9-13-2013

Willows and meadow,
lakes fringed with snags,
A study in patient line untangling.

High rocky cirque, lakes,
Emerald blue and green.
They’re magnetic to my feet.

From Corral Canyon,
a ribbon of Foxtail pines and fir,
as if they were guides,
we follow to camp.

9-14-2013

With confident feet,
along granite slabs.
Higher we clamber,
steeply,
steadily,
finally,
a spectacular perch.

In this tidy bowl,
Frequent breeze blowing.
We’re grateful for our,
cozy hats.

Along the border,
Granite sidewalks, undulate into
sky blue water.

Casting along,
Looped into silver snags.
Another lost fly.

Above me cliffs brood.
Scampering and climbing.
A fish I chase,
for dinner.

two 7'6" Phantom 5's for sale

BOTH RODS ARE NOW SOLD! 9-16-2013

I decided that its time to clear the rod building rack of my last two prototypes of the Phantom 5, 5wt taper i've been working on this summer. The taper is a blended/hybrid of the Wayne Cattanach "Sir D" and the old Hardy "Phantom" taper.
Both rods have identical action, a very true casting, moderate fast action comparative to bamboo rods. They're of a progressive nature for casting dry flies well, roll casts easily and handles nice mends with a Scientific Anglers 5DTF line. Both rods are flamed toned, with nickel silver components,light amber Agate guides, olive and java wraps in Gossamer silk. flor-grade cork rings for the grip. there is 4 coats of spar that seals the rods. and the reel seat spacer is hand turned of Curly Koa. One rod has a hook keeper the other has not. since these two rods are prototypes with single tips i'm offering them at $500.00 each plus tax. They'll also come with an olive sock with a hang tag. For another $150.00 i'll include a bamboo rod tube as well or i'll provide a simple black ABS plastic tube. If your interested send me a pm through my profile or just give me a call in my shop @ four15-279-two707

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

No Scales, Just Bamboo.

I haven't gone fishing for a bit. the weather has just been too good, but sometimes thats kinda bad for fishing. My home river has been in that summer stretch when the fishing is best super early or early evening. With the temperature hitting easy 90's on the river i just as well as stay home and focus on my rod building. Last year a good friend retired from building rods and gave me all of his equipment as well as three bundles of bamboo. since January i've finished three rods. one is a short spey,switch rod, another is a medium fast single handed dry fly rod thats a taper from Wayne Cattnach, and finally a Paul Young parabolic para14. not sure if i like this para 14 its very soft and one of my rod R&D casters thinks its crap. Where as he thought the Cattnach sir D taper streched out to 7'6" 5wt was nice.
I think tomorrow ill try the para 14 out as a nymphing rod rod, next to the Cattnach with dry flys up on Beaver Creek for the day
Theres some basic issues in the building process that i haven't been able to figure out as of yet. I'm getting some twisting in the tips from the binder. a number good of friends suggest using a lighter weight on the feed cord when binding the tips. But also a number of friends said they always get some twisting and need to do some straightening after the glues dried. all in all however i feel pretty good about these first three prototypes.
heres some pics of them and work in progress in my shop.

Yuba Tanka 4-21-2013

On the airs current,
lumbering.
Isoperla fulva drop,
dapple the surface.

With accuracy,
uninhibited,
trout leap to this bounty.

My puppet?
Palmered catskill style and biot.
Another rainbow rodeo.





meat and potatoes:

ya you know... bamboo rod, dry flies and lots of fish.

photos by Roger Williams