* November 4th, American River
Duwayne Norton and I fished the American River at Howe Ave. for stripers from my boat. We found very fishy looking 8 to 10 feet deep frog water. Drifting and using the electric motor we were able to cover all of the good water, casting large flies to the banks, letting them sink and retrieving close to the bottom. We also tried poppers. This was our first time fishing the American for stripers. We caught none but agreed we wanted to try again. We did hook a surprisingly fresh salmon on a white/chartreuse and turquoise flashabou whistler. It was a nice male, about 20 pounds, and it put up a great fight in 10 feet of water before we released it. - Harry Petrakis
* November 9th The Delta near Frank's Tract
Gil Santos invited me to fish with him in his boat. We were on the water early at 8:30AM and fished till past sundown. It was windy when we launched at the same time as Ed Marcillac, Doc Crompton and Pat but by 10AM it had turned into a beautiful and nearly windless day.
We used fast-sinking shooting heads and 20 to 30 pound leaders 5 to 9 feet long. The best fly was a white over hot pink Clouser minnow that Gil tied, about 4 inches long on a 2/0 hook.
We fished Frank's Tract, the waterways around it and the San Joaquin. Had a great day of catching with lots of fish from 2 to 4 pounds and we weighed one at 6-plus pounds. I usually fish from my own boat and I rarely have the chance to fish from bow so this was a much-appreciated special treat. Thank you, Gil, for your generosity and for a great day. - Harry Petrakis
* Last chance for the season, November 4th, McCloud River
I signed up for Bruce Dau's Upper Sac fishout, but last moment obligations kept me from going. My enjoyment of this fishout each of the last 5 years and the close of season on 11/15 looming spurred me to get one last bit of fishing in for the year.
I left early Friday for the Upper McCloud in light traffic. Seeing a dozen wild turkeys jump out of their roost and run off next to the freeway added interest to the trip drive. Fowler's campground was deserted when I arrived around noon. The skies were overcast and the inch of snow on the ground made a nice contrast under newly fallen golden oak leaves.
I got no hits with the usually dependable Parachute Adams, but I thought, "October Caddis," and switched to an Elk Hair Caddis, which did the trick. I landed 3 small rainbows with twice that number of strikes and left the park completely cleansed of the worries of the world.
I had no luck Saturday morning, but enjoyed watching an American Dipper (water ouzel) hunt for breakfast in front of me. Lunch with an old friend in Redding and an uneventful trip home rounded out an excellent end of the fishing season. - Tom Dwyer