* * March 18th - Lake Nacimiento
I got a chance to go to Lake Nacimiento on Wednesday to fish for white bass. We left Santa Cruz at 4:00 AM and arrived at the lake at about 6:30 AM. The lake water level was lower than I have ever seen it before. We motored up to the Narrows and had the place to ourselves for about an hour. We had to beach the boat and walk up the to where we found lots of white bass spawning in the shallow pools. The water was gin clear and the fish were very leery of any movement and fly presentation. We were able to catch a couple of dozen fish before the sun got on the water. Once the sun was out, the fish went completely off the bite.
Saw Gil Santos and Tom McMillan on the lake. I think they stayed longer than we did and got to fish the Narrows after the sun was going down. I'll bet they did pretty good.
We checked other areas of the lake and did catch some more whites and spots but there was no real concentration of fish like up at the Narrows. We were using small crystal clousers and brown/white shad clousers. We left the lake to come home at about 4:30 PM. Makes for a long day. - Jeff Locke
* March 7th and March 14th - Palm Beach
After listening to the presentation on surf fishing at the confab, I went on the beach fishout March 7th, but didn't get a bite. I went out again the following Saturday morning at low tide. I tied on a double cast of a surf percher and a surf mickey. The first couple of areas I fished didn't produce anything. As I walked south I noticed a trough emptying into a flat, and I started fishing it. I started catching barred surf perch one after another. It was really fun. - Greg Foy
* Early March - Owyhee River
Richard Kline and I went on an adventure last week. Instead of just going to Pyramid Lake, we decided to head up to the Owyhee River. We had heard that a March hatch of the Skwala fly allowed some fine dry fly fishing, but we were a week early and instead got to ice fish in a river! We were camping in the Suburban and the first night it was 15 degrees, warming up the second night to 16! Woo hoo!
We did manage to catch a few fish, one nice Brown 20+ inches. Then it was off to meet the club at Pyramid, still cold but not anywhere near the Owyhee. On Saturday we managed the daily average with Richard catching five and three for me. On Sunday we stopped at the Truckee to fill out the Trifecta and under the best conditions of the week, neither of us could get anything to hit. But that's fishing and you don't know unless you try! I do believe that the 1500 miles of driving were worth the adventure! - Scott Bedell
* March Colorado Report
Hey Guys! Fishing out here has been like a light switch recently, either really turned on or you might as well be standing in the dark. I'm about two minutes from the lower Cache La Poudre River, and Canyon Stretch starts just fifteen from the door. So far I haven't traveled far but plan on hitting some of the majors (Platte, Blue, Frying Pan,etc) soon. Lately, when the bugs cooperate, the fish have been active. Midges have been the staple and a size 18 really moves fish, problem is it moves them out. Smaller is better right now, the other day I put 10 fish to net with a size 22 thread midge, hands down the smallest fly I have ever fished. The BWO's are starting to come off, so maybe in a week or two we can switch it up and fish some slightly bigger stuff. Hope the steelhead season came together for everyone, and that bass and striper are starting to move. I'm really just waiting for runoff to throw streamers for some big browns. Looks like I'll be guiding either in Rocky Mountain Park or on the Gunnison this year, I get to find out in the next two weeks. Keep the hooks sharp and the loops tight, and see ya on the river! - Rob Dumford
* Mid-March - Tierra Del Fuego
Last week marked the end of another trip to Argentina, a place that pulls me back year after year. It's the combination of extremes that keeps me interested. Buenos Aires is a bustling modern urban center with unique neighborhoods (barrios) having distinct personalities much like my old home town of Chicago. Downtown high-rises, parks with art and museums along the waterfront, neighborhood restaurants and boutique hotels along tree lines street perfect (and safe) for wandering.
After a few days it's off to Tierra del Fuego and el fin del mundo (the end of the world). Seemingly stark until you look at the sub-artic tundra at your feet and see the tiny flowers and succulents, notice the long curved bill of a nearby Ibis or realize that you're not approaching a heard of cows but see the long graceful necks of a group of guanaco, a relative of the camel. On top of that thereีs fish, many big, BIG fish! The Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta) is a close relative to the Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar) and when fishing 50 km from the ocean, the fresh bright silver fish exhibit the impressive aerial displays of their cousins. Oh, and did I say that they are big?...
Recent studies by the University of Montana estimate (with 95% accuracy) the returns of sea run browns in the Rio Grande to be a stable population of around 75,000 adult fish every year. Amazing when you put the number in perspective with the 12,000 Chinooks that returned to Battle Creek and the Sacramento River this year and even more amazing when you see the size of the Rio Grande and realize that a good spey caster can put a line across the river at most of the fishable runs and pools along the entire length of the river!
Yet this year wasn't easy fishing. The first few days went into the 65-70 degree F range with light winds until it changed to rain with winds from the North followed by strong clearing winds (with 30-plus gusts) to near freezing temps the evening of our last day. It was like having all four seasons in one week. Modern Gore-Tex and fleece do wonders to keep you comfortable and the ability to cast a spey rod will put your fly in front of fish in the most challenging conditions. Single handers go fore-warned that they mix times of complete despair with their moments of total joy!
Due to this year's low and clear water, small "trout sized" flies on ten foot long leaders were the thing to use and many fish were hooked during daylight hours. Although hooked, they weren't all landed as the size 14 hooks were not designed for fish of that size and strength. Small flies tied on steelhead/salmon hooks became prized possessions and the loss of one was mourned, often quite visibly and emotionally. For the last two or three hours of the day big leeches are the thing and the fish tend to get very active (rolling); it's an impressive visual and a rewarding time to be on the river.
So that's why I return. It's also why you should consider going before you make your last cast. - Richard Rubin