Steelhead skunk and some Stripers

Weather has been awesome! Gave it a solid try on the coast for steelhead the other day and never felt like I was with in a mile of a fish. I fished hard, humped my ass up, down and through some beautiful Coastal Redwood forest so it wasn't a loss. Also scoped out some carp water on the way home so a productive day though fishless.  Ive been messing around with the Carp every chance I get since they are less than 5 minutes from home. Tough is all I can say. January is always tough but i'm optimistic with more warm weather in the forecast. They are really keyed in on something small and nothing like the bugs i'm feeding them. Lots of pea size Clams in the mud and I have feeling thats what it is. Got a Clam fly??

Ive had some fantastic shots & dead on presentations for one eat in four or five outings. Unfortunatly the fish came unbuttoned for no damn reason. It wasn't a big fish but I worked hard to get that fish to eat and was heart broken when everything went slack. Carp just DON'T come off..wtf! I'm stoked to get back after them later this week. Barring any major cold snaps and as long as i'm still getting shots, i'm going. Just getting some good shots is a lot of fun and really what it's all about. Lots of life on the urban ponds enjoying the killer weather too.

I was in rod length several times of this fish..couldn't get a clean shot!

Lizards are everywhere!

Stripers conitnue to eat and eat well! Last trip was a lazy late start and on the water around 11am. By noon I had 4 nice keepers and by 4:30 when I called it, I had put 21 Stripers in the boat on fly with 9 of those 20-26" keepers. Temps is in the high 50s and the fish are strong and worthy. Lots of fun! Thats a pretty good good January half day around here. Two guys can really rack up some good numbers right now if they stay on them. Nothing of any great size but steady grabs and 70 degree windless weather made for a great day.

We need rain bad but more importantly we need a decent snow pack in the Sierras. It still hasn't happened. The only up side to dry years is the reserviors are down and the Carp flats fishing will be fantastic all summer fall and with no back cast obstructions. I would rather have water any day but I'm trying to be a glass half full guy this year.

I hiked to the bottom of this gorge for Steelhead. Kicked my ass!

So little time..

I've been busy with work and also getting boats serviced and worked on before things take off in 2012. It's January, fishing is a little slow but the weather has been really mild so far in our neck of the woods. We are getting our first front, with any measurable rain and snow in the Sierra's as I write this report. It's dry here folks, really dry. Hell, there was a wild fire in Reno while I was in the area and vertually NO SNOW in the high country. We need this one bad. With that said, I have had a few days on the water since my last report. California Delta for Stripers and also a quick solo session at Pyramid Lake yesterday, and also this morning, before the front pushed me back on this side of the Sierra's. Fishing was OK for Jaunuary and weather at the lake was unseasonably warm and increadibly windy.

Mud Hen Juction on the Delta

Slow, but steady fishing for small Stripers on the river

An Egret taking the plung for baitfish

An ultra lite making a touch down on the river

Great day on the Delta!

Pyramid Lake, Nevada

Lohanton Cutthroat

                                      

Tough fishing..

But unbelievably nice weather! T shirt and shorts today. Warm north west wind about 15kts was stubborn all day. I didn't get on the water until 10:30 so I had it coming. It's been a morning bite so I went looking for new water. Fish were deep in almost every location I found them. Most of the grabs were in 20+'. Clear water with about 9' vis so I suspect those fish were coming up from 30' to eat. I marked schools of Stripers as deep as 60  and the majority of the fish were right around the 35-45 mark in tight schools. Bright moon and no overnight fog may have had the fish eating all night. I managed 7 fish for a short day with most in the 19-22'' class. It was one here one there. One or two fish from school would spook the area. They were a little on edge. They will be back to wolf packing soon.

2012

A new year brought a nasty flu/cold bug. I probably should have stayed home but I traditionally fish new years day. Have for years and decided to give it a shot. I had plenty of medicine running through my system and put in a long day. Fishing was ok for a January day with awesome weather and  boat traffic was non existant.

I spotted a Road Runner actually being stocked by a raggedy ass Coyote. So, I guess it does happen Ha! I wasn't exactly sure what this one was creeping up on then I saw the Road Runner head up the hill. I dont see a many of the birds but there is a population here. He booked it up the hill and I was able to get a poor shot.

On the Carp front. They started moving around with the warm weather. I was able to get 3 shots on about a dozen fish sighted in a small city retention pond. access isn't that great but i'll be hitting it again in the next couple of days. There metabolizm is really slow and they are really a test of patience in the winter but they will eat if I stay after them.

look close

Winter Sunset

Xmas Day 2011..