Carpin..

Reserviors have been been fishing slow as of late. Hot water on the flats and sluggish, spooky fish with dropping levels so I moved my operation for the mean time, to the creeks and small rivers..Better average quality and rarely do I run into anyone. Anyone fishing that is.  Down side is Poison Oak is everywhere I want to be. Mid morning seems to be when they move up out of the deeper holes and work over the shallow runs till about 4 and then i'm losing good light anyway. Getting one to eat is tough, but with consistantly getting good shots and being persistant one can expect a grab or two. The fish are averaging 10-15lbs with a few pigs n the high teens low 20s so the pay off can be nice. The real challenge on these creeks is landing one with the very steep banks and river bottom substrate, with a few exceptions is soft and not wadeable. Especially the closer you get to the SF Bay.  I did land a pretty blonde fish of about 12lbs the other day and broke of an absolute pig about a week ago. Horsing these fish will almost always result in a lost fish. 7-8wts are mandatory.

She stands out against a darker fish

There she is up close



I had the chance to spend the morning with Loren Elliot of http://www.lorenelliottflyfishing.com/  on the Central California Coast for Surf Stripers on the fly. I had a blast and took a pretty solid beating by the surf in the process. Ive never spent much time in the Surf despite how close I am. I'll be back for sure! I learned a lot about reading water and what not to do in just a few hours with him. The rest is just mechanics and proper gear and I can sort that out. If you find your self in the SF Bay Area during the summer give Loren a shout. He's a good angler and dude. You won't regret it! Almost time to give the Carp a rest and hit some Fall Stripers and Bass for a few weeks. Maybe throw in another Sierra trip or three. Boats have been sitting a lot this summer and I'm starting to miss being ON the water as apposed to near it.