Upcoming Fishing Outings

September Surf Fishout
Fishmaster: Rob Dumford

Set your alarm clocks so you can get to Palm Beach (Pajaro Dunes) at 06:30 AM, Saturday, September 6th. Robert Dumford, who varies his beach catch between perch, jack smelt, stripers and halibut, is fishmaster. (Sam's gone to Kamchatka to prepare a fishing program for the Club).
Sunrise is 06:36, high tide is at 05:20 AM +3.2, low tide is at 08:30 AM +3.0, almost no difference between high and low tides. This is a long beach with lots of opportunities for fish and the favorite of some members.
From Santa Cruz, take Highway One to Riverside Exit in Watsonville, turn right along the frontage road and come back to the stop light at Beach Street. Turn left and follow it straight to the end. Parking outside the State Park is always available.
Questions? Call Robert Dumford (831) 246-4709, or e-mail at robert.dumford@gmail.com.

We will have a joint club fish out with the Peninsula Fly Fish Club on Saturday morning, November 8. We will meet at Rio Del Mar State Beach at 06:35 AM (sunrise is 06:35 PST). High tide is at the same time at +4.7, so we will fish a very high high ebb tide. Sam Bishop, our Surf Fishmaster is coordinating the event, and more detailed information will be available in the October newsletter, so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you want to find out more about it so you can make plans ahead of time, contact Sam by phone at 274-4024, or home at 476-6451, or email sambishop@totlcom.com.

San Luis Reservoir and the O'Neill Forebay are nearby striper fisheries, an hour and a half drive from Santa Cruz. The fishout is scheduled for Saturday BUT if you want to camp please let me know and I will co-ordinate. The map at www.parks.ca.gov/pages/558/files/SanLuisMap.pdf shows the reservoir and the forebay. It is a PDF file, so it may take a while to load. Use the pull-down menu to increase the size 150-200% so you can see details.

I will be at the boat launch at 7:00 AM on Saturday with my boat to scout for fish and to offer support to the float tubers. Call me when you get there if it's after 7 and I will tell you where we are. Past years have not been very productive and I hope to improve our chances of locating and catching fish by networking and being ready to pack up and head somewhere else even if it means driving up to the dam. Basalt, Willow or Bay Of Pigs on Big Louie above the Forebay can be readily acessed with a car and fished easily with float tubes and they offer other options. If you are bringing a boat please stay in touch. If you find fish please call me on my cell. I will return the favor.

Driving directions to boat launch area:
Take Hwy 152 to the O'Neil Forebay and look for the San Luis Creek Recreational Area entrance which is marked by a sign on Hwy 152 as you descend down the hill that is near the face of the dam. The turn-off will be towards the bottom of the descent.
Driving Directions to camp grounds:
Take Hwy 152 to the O'Neil Forebay. Use the Hwy 33 exit and head north. Enter at the Medeiros Recreation Area, 1/4 mile on your left. When you get to a T-intersection, turn left and drive up the shoreline, keeping the lake to the right of you. We will camp along the lake (Hwy 152 should be on your left), near the big power line towers. Camping/parking fees are paid at the entrance self-pay station. Note that two vehicles can "share" a "site" (there aren't any sites per se, but you can list a second vehicle on your camping fee slip). Make your own arrangements to pair up with another camper to split the cost.
Campers' Headquarters: We will be staying at campsites on the south shore of O'Neil Forebay, just east of the large power line towers visible from highways 33 and 152. Look for a 10 mph "No Ski Zone" dotted line on the on-line map. We will park at a small finger bay, shown just to the right (east) of the "No Ski Zone" boundary. An additional landmark is a group of trees under the towers. There aren't very many trees here, so they will stand out.
Gear:
5-7 wt rods, sinking lines (type IV thru VI, Rio striper lines, T-140, or leadcore will all work), floating lines
Flies:
Topwater: bass poppers, gurglers, and crease flies -- all especially in white, yellow or silver.
Underwater: Clousers, whistlers and deceivers, also in white/yellow, flashy white, white/chartreuse, blue/white, grey/whiten'pretty much whatever you have. These should be 11/2 to 3 inches long.
Float tube, pontoon boat or pram. Be safe - BRING A PFD! Don't forget hat, sunscreen, sunglasses/eye protection.
Food, if we camp:
Potluck Friday and Saturday nights: we will barbecue, so bring something to cook for yourself and also something to share (such as salad, dessert, a side-dish, hors d'oeuvres, bread/butter, etc.). Bring your own paper plates and any other utensils you need for yourself and to serve your dish. BYO drinks. There are picnic tables at the campsite. You are on your own for breakfast and lunch.
Nearby Amenities:
Motels, fast food, gas, and restaurant are within a 3-10 minute drive, in Santa Nella. If you plan to launch a boat, the boat launch is at the San Luis Creek Recreation Area. See the map for directions.
Campers please bring:
A small BBQ grill and fuel (charcoal or propane) . We will need three or four grills.
WATER - THERE IS NO WATER FOR DRINKING OR WASHING DISHES
Extra roll of toilet paper just in case - only porta-potties available
Large black trash bag - please take trash and recycling away with you.
Wood for a campfire.
We need one or two Coleman-type stoves - to boil water for coffee in morning and maybe to reheat food to share.

The Mammoth Fishout is full. If you wish to be put on a waiting list, for possible cancellations, please call and leave your name and phone number, and the week you would like to go, at 688-1561.

News about the road going in to Crowley Lake: Joe Contaldi, from Performance Anglers, says the gate going to Greenbanks, Six Bays, North Landing and McGee Bay will be a fee road, and will cost $5 per vehicle. This is being enforced by L.A.D.W.P. The fish camp was required to close all roads west of the Owens River. They claim they need to have less inpact on the area and stop people from making their own roads. The east side of the north end Bart's Bay, Leighton Springs and Alligator Point do not have a gate yet and will probably not be gated till next year so the east side will be the no fee zone.

Davis Lake is on its way back! The poisoning of the lake to kill the pike did not hurt the vegetation or the bug life. And, a ranger told me, by the end of this year, nearly 3 million fish of varying sizes will have been planted. Davis has always fished well in the fall and the campgrounds are usually not crowded. Sign ups will be at the Sept and Oct meetings. If you don't sign up, but decide to attend, no problem...just show up.
Camping: We will camp at Grasshopper or Grizzly campground, depending on which one is open. These are on the east side of the lake. Check the bulletin board of the campground on your way in and look for a notice to see where we are. Camping is either $16 or $18 per night and two vehicles can split that cost. It probably will be chilly at night so bring your warmies.
Food: Bring your own everything. BBQ Friday and Saturday nights. Bring whatever you wish to BBQ for yourself and also a dish to share.
Gear: 5-6 wt rods. Floating (for indicator fishing) and sinking lines. Most fishing will be subsurface. Float tube and a PDF is mandatory (it is the law). Probably 3x to 5x tippet. A folding chair, rain gear (just in case). Wood for the fire.
Flies: Snail and blood midge patterns particularly. Standard wooly buggers in olive, black and rust. Hornbergs and other streamer patterns. Standard nymphs (PT's, hare's ears, prince, etc). Other midge patterns.
If you need to speak to the fishmaster, call before Sept 15th. I will be out of town from the 15th thru Oct 12th.

When: Friday, October 24th-Sunday, October 26th
Where: KOA N. Mt. Shasta Blvd., Mt. Shasta, CA 1-800-562-3617
Signups: call starting Saturday, September 13th, Payment due by Saturday, September 20th.
Cost: $65 for Friday/Saturday nights/ stay in rustic log cabin (including breakfast/lunch/snacks/drinks) or you can arrange for your own campsite or motel room nearby. We go to different restaurants each night for dinner. A warning to tent or car campers: The weather can be unpredictable at this time of year and elevation (3,500 ft.). Some kind of heated accommodations are recommended. (the prices for lodging are approximate, the exact amount will depend on the number on the fishout, but in years past these numbers are pretty close).
This is a great time of year to fish these two rivers, and see some beautiful fall colors. I've always had my best luck of the season in this time period. The October caddis should be active, with the rainbows trying to fatten up for winter. Additionally, the brown trout will be starting their spawning run in the conservancy section of the McCloud. Medicine Lake outside McCloud is reputed to fish very well in late fall...if you can reach it.
I will provide a simple breakfast, ingredients to make a sack lunch, and soft drinks and snacks for apres fishing. We will go into Mt. Shasta (five minutes away) for dinner, where there are a number of good restaurants. When you call to sign up, please let me know if you will be camping on your own, or staying in a cabin. Please send me the appropriate funds by September 20th.
The log cabins have two rooms, with a double bed in one, and four bunk beds in the other. They have electricity, and portable electric heaters. You will need to bring your own sleeping bags/bedding and towels. There is a big, heated common bathroom area by the office, with showers.
I will be up scouting the area starting earlier in the week if you want to come up earlier. If you arrive on Friday before I return from fishing and want to get into a cabin, you can go to the office and tell them youÕre with the Santa Cruz Club group and get a key. Around dark we will make plans to hit a local restaurant.
Call me if you have any questions.