Opinions, musings, ideas, pearls of wisdom
It's Here!
By Dougald Scott
It's Here!
By Dougald Scott
All of a sudden it's here...Spring! One of the amazing things about this time of year is that spring just seems to pop out of nowhere. There have been subtle signs: songbirds starting to show off their breeding plumage; the days getting a bit longer; and allergies flaring up from the acacia trees. But only last week the days were dark, wet and cold. That all changed a few days ago; today (March 11), we're enjoying our fifth warm, balmy day in a row, and everything outdoors is bursting with life. By the time you read this, we may be back in a cold, wet spell, but we've had a taste of spring and know it will soon return in full.
I can't begin to express what this does for the attitude of a fly fisher. Goodbye cabin fever! The trips we've been planning for months are ready to be taken. We can use the flies we've been tying and storing up through the winter. And for us lucky Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen, we have some really fine fishouts coming up.
The Pyramid Lake trip is our first club fishout of the year. I can hardly wait, because in just a few days I'll be on my ladder casting the deadly beetle/bugger combo to those beautiful Pyramid Lake Lahanton cutthroats. But by the time you read this article we will have returned, ready to share many tall tales and a taste of this new season (see the postscript below).
The Los Padres Reservoir fishout on the upper Carmel River is next in line and coincides with the opening of the general trout season on April 24th. It will offer fine float tubing for good sized trout in a beautiful setting. The Roostercomb Ranch bass trip in the hills east of Gilroy is on the following weekend (April 30th). On this trip you get a chance to try out those gorgeous poppers you learned to tie in the club's March fly tying class. The fishing on these private ponds is phenomenal! The spring wildflower bloom will also be in full swing, the beauty of which you will never forget.
The Green River fishout is May 8th-15th. This is an opportunity to fish a world-class, blue ribbon river. The trout are plentiful, big and a challenge, but you can expect success no matter what your skill level is. It is a long drive to North Eastern Utah, but well worth the effort. Some of the club members take the train to Salt Lake City, then rent a car for a fairly short drive to the river.
On June 12th, there will be a fishout on the O'Connell-Bourdet Reservoir. This is a private bass fishery near Casa De Fruta, east of Gilroy. There will be a new fishout June 25th-28th; a ladies only "Damsel" trip to the Bear Valley area in the Sierras. There are many fishing opportunities in this area, and although the date of June 25 is "officially" summer, spring will still be in full swing in the high country.
If you can't get away on the club fishouts, don't forget our biggest fishing hole, the Monterey Bay. The ocean salmon season opens on April 3. Although this is not usually a fly fishing event, it is a lot of fishing fun and a chance to get out on the bay. If you would like to go, but don't have a boat, run an item in the "Hook-ups" column, or just announce at the next club meeting that you would like to go salmon fishing. There are many club members with boats who would be happy to oblige.
May 1st marks the opening of the rockfish and lingcod season. In addition, the halibut, striped bass, and possibly white sea bass will be making their appearance in the shallower waters of the bay. All of these species can be taken on the fly with a little knowledge and practice. The stripers and halibut may be taken in the surf. There is also San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos. This can be an excellent fly fishing opportunity for large stripers through the spring.
So there is no excuse for not making the most of this wonderful spring, and going fishing. Check the Fishout Schedule for more details, and call the Fishmaster if you are interested in a trip. And as I said before, use the "Hook-Ups" column if you want to find someone to go with. Have a great spring!
Postscript: This is how I welcomed the first "official" day of spring at Pyramid Lake: I walked down to the water's edge at sunrise, made a decent first cast out onto the glowing surface, and hooked a 24" Lahanton cutthroat while the fly was still sinking.