Literary accounts of fishouts in the recent past,
to make you sorry you didn't go.

Damsel Fishout, Fall River, June 22nd - 27th
by Cecilia Stipes

This year's adventures to Fall River, Hat Creek and Manzanita Lake were enthusiastically enjoyed by 3 intrepid, sport-loving women: Cindy Phinn, Kennette Roberts, and Cecilia Stipes. Our primary goals were to have a lot of fun and catch fish timing this trip around the fabled "hex hatch", the early summer emergence of the 1-plus inch Hexagenia limbata mayfly from their burrows in muddy banks of CaliforniaÕs northern rivers and lakes.
Due to this year's long winter and late spring, the hatch had barely started in our area and the fishing reports were not favorable. Undaunted, we still went out 4 out of 5 evenings by boat to our favorite area on Fall River. Contrary to reports, we had fish rising all around us by 9:00 PM, peaking outrageously from 9:20-9:50. We were all satisfied, having caught fish ranging from eighteen to twenty inches. The takes were on emerger and dry imitations of the hex. We did notice most of the fish were not plump as they were last year. It probably was because they were late coming off their spawning beds and hadn't fattened up yet.
Every day we spent hours fishing in very hot weather. At Hat Creek, standing in the icy water was our only relief; at Manzanita Lake in Lassen National Park, it was sitting in our float tubes. Other days fishing from our boats on Fall River during the PMD (pale morning dun) hatches, we found cooling relief only by cruising up and down river or taking a couple of mid-day trips to the local tavern for icy cold beers. On account of the extreme weather, Cindy, Kennette and I never played a round of golf as we had intended, and instead took time to visit the local fly shop (Shasta Anglers) and tour one of the antique shops.
In addition to the joys of fishing these northern waters, we took away with us wonderful memories of Fall River's beautiful scenery and diversity of wildlife.

Lake Almanor, June 16th - 30th
by Tim Loomis

Out of the eighteen club members who signed up for the Lake Almanor fishout, seven eventually made it. Our guide, Lincoln Grey gave an informative demonstration on all facets of Lake Almanor fishing. Most of us were able to at last use the "quick tie" tool after Lincoln demonstrated its many uses from tying fly to tippet to connecting a leader butt to a fly line. I must have at least four of those tools lying around and never spent the time to learn how to use one until then. Lincoln provided a professional quality student handbook for us to use and study. Study you say! Yep. There was a test at the end. We all passed, thank God. Everything you need to know about fishing Lake Almanor was included. What was missing and needed most (especially by the fishmaster) was a way to accurately gauge when the hex hatch was going to occur. We were too early for the heavy hex hatch. We saw maybe six hex flies a night reach the surface and take to flight. Jim Livingston drove over from his new home in Manton to land the only trout (24" brown) of the fishout. Pictures were scarce, as depression from being too early caused the photographer to lose all feeling in the button finger. If anyone hears of a lucky angler who's dredged up a TFO 6-wt rod with a Tioga/Teton 6-wt fully loaded reel attached, please report it to said depressed photographer and just maybe the feeling will come back to said finger. In another story it will be related how a salmonid of outrageous proportions was reported to have been on the catching end of that 6-wt outfit and was last seen headed toward the dam at the south end of the lake.

Thanks to Lincoln for the informative day and to the seven brave but too-early club members for making the trip.

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