Since my last post, I have been busy as usual. Sorry to those of you that email me asking when I will write another newsletter or update my report on the website. I used to just sit down at the end of a day and type up those things, but my little boy Conrad gets all the attention these days. I will send out a newsletter soon. Before steelhead season gets in full swing.
I'm really enjoying my October this year. Not that I didn't enjoy previous years, it's just that this year there's a predictability that I am comfortable with. I definitely feel more at ease on the river these days. The fish seem to come more easily now, but there are still those tough days. Thankfully, I still sit in wonder when I'm on the water behind the oars. I still observe. I still guess. I still discover. I still enjoy it.
October is a month of transition. The spring and summer season on Fall River has passed and the memories cause me to look eagerly forward to next year on a river that really saved my angling spirit in so may ways. Trout fishing on the Lower Sac is in all it's glory. The fall run of King Salmon populate the Sac digging redds and laying eggs. The rainbow trout this river is so famous for take up positions in and around the salmon redds. The chance of hooking one, two or more can be had with almost pinpoint accuracy. A good presentation and sheer fish fighting ability will take any angler into rainbow bliss. More often than not, many anglers loose count of "the one that got away".
Fly anglers cast an assortment of fly patterns from yarn eggs (not really a "fly", but a disguised hook) and nymph imitations like #18 black micro mayflies, #12-14 stone fly imitations, big & small bird's nests, tan poopahs, various prince nymphs, assorted copper johns and all kinds of pheasant tail nymphs. Some anglers choose to fish lures instead of a fly or yarn egg. Plastic egg imitations called "beads" work well, but don't fall under the rules of fly fishing which is basically by definition presenting materials that are tied to the hook in an effort to disguise it. A bead can be melted to the hook, so in fact that's a disguised hook. But it's not a hook with material tied to it. I only fish with yarn eggs these days. I certainly find fewer mangled fish in my net using yarn, but not fewer fish. Yarn works great! But, I can't blame anyone for fishing beads. There is some controversy surrounding fishing beads, but I'm not going to debate the rights and wrongs of angling here. I'm just sharing my belief and philosophy. I don't think it's evil or done in bad character as some feel. There are far worse things in angling than fishing a bead. Like it or not, beads have become an accepted deviation just like indicators, sinking lines and graphite rods. You don't have to agree with it, but it's a fair way to fish. A true purist fishes using a tree branch, cat gut and a soft hackle. Fly fishing continues to evolve. As for beads, it's really a mental thing that rests on confidence. Confidence in the fly or lure on the end of the fly rod. I have proven to myself that yarn eggs are better for catch/release fishing. That's where I stand. I'm not going to try and prove it to the world, but I will and have set an example. If I believed beads worked better, I would fish them. There are exceptions, but again fishing yarn is more in the spirit of fly fishing. Yarn is tied to the hook just like feathers. Beads are lures and when melted to the hook, the hook often penetrates the fish deeply and unfairly. But yarn isn't perfect. I have found my yarn egg buried deeply in the fishes gullet on occasion. Things go wrong. You decide. I'm an example that there is life beyond beads. I know. I fished beads for three Fall/Winter seasons. I recently heard a guide say that only in Redding are there people who feel beads are unethical, or problematic. I dare not go down the proverbial path of what's ethically acceptable in angling. There are a ton of gray areas and double standards in the angling world. But for the record, Redding has produced some of the most innovative and forward thinking anglers in the world. Anglers that are extremely passionate about fishing, fish, rivers and the flies we tie and cast. I like knowing that there are guides and anglers in Redding that are not afraid to speak their minds and analyse the angling process. Before I move on I will say this....I'm a fly fisherman at heart. I enjoy the craft of presenting something tied to a hook that imitates a source of food a fish might eat. If all I cared about was catching fish, then anything from bait to soaked eggs would be acceptable. I simply do not fish beads anymore. I like to fly fish.
There, I have planted the seed. Water it if you wish. BTW- The Fly Shop sells only flies and yarn eggs.
So, that's fishing on the Sac from October through December. It's all about salmon redds, egg patterns and rainbow trout. All in all it's fun. October fishing on the Sac has been popular for a long time. Some have been lead to believe it is the best time to fish the Sac. No doubt the weather is good and the fishing is good, but the Sac is like ice cream. There are many flavors and October is just one of twelve to choose from. The fishing is always good on the Sac.
