Pit River Report

[jhaquett]

I fished the Pit on Saturday from about 11:00 to 5:30. We just parked our car a little more than a mile down Pit Canyon Road and hiked down to the river and then made our way upstream all the way to the Pit #3 dam (over a mile on the Pit River is not easy by the way!). This was about half way through our trip when I could finally see the dam.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/PitRiverDam3.jpg

Here's the view from the top of the dam

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/PitRiverViewFromDam.jpg

I was suprised that the wading was not as difficult as people make it out to be. I've had harder times on the upper sac wading. Everyone I talked to and everything I read made it sound like a wading staff is absolutely necessary to not break an ankle or a wrist but neither my friend or I had one and we were fine :roll: .

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/PitRiver.jpg

Anyways, the fishing was slow, I only hooked three. They were all beautiful fish that put on wonderful little fights on my 4 weight. This one was the average size (about 13"). The fish was sitting too deep in the net and I was holding it too high for this pic, it makes the fish look really small! :oops:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/PitRiverRainbow.jpg

There was no hatch to speak of, we caught everything on nymphs. The moon is just coming off of being full, it was hot, and the water was really murky, I believe all of these things attributed to the fishing being slow. Cut up legs and stinging nettle blisters aside, it was an awesome day! 8) 8) 8)

By the way we also fished some lakes in Burney (Baum, Nora, and Grace). All were incredibly weedy and slow, no fish caught and any of them! Baum still has some aesthetic value though.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/BaumLakeSpillway.jpg

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Mid-September is supposed to be the timing for the Isonychia mayfly emergence.

I think that around June depending on the runoff and mid-Sept through October are top times for the Pit River on average.

__________________________________________________ __________

Some years ago we use to fish Baum, McCumber, Manzanita, Grace and Nora.

[Adam Grace]

Nice pics, thanks for the photo report, I love photo reports.

I also found the "tough wading" on the Pit to be over exaggerated. I too have had a more difficult time wading the Upper Sac, those slimy slippery rocks feel like they are cover in oil.

[jhaquett]

Yea, exactly :lol: . I fished Castle Crags Park a few weeks ago and I could hardly move an inch without feeling like I was going to biff it, and I was only in knee deep water (it was swift granted). I asked the guys at the Fly Shop in Redding if they felt like the wading staff was necessary for the Pit (their "most reasonable" one going for $45 of course) and they said yes. Obviously I didn't pay $45 for a stick. Not too sure about that place I only go in there when I'm with someone who wants to check the store out... :? .

[dtp916]

Nice report!

I'm with you, if the wading is really THAT hard, I'll try to stay out of the water or in shallow water. I never use wading staffs.

[Hairstacker]

Nice report and beautiful pictures! Interesting to hear about the wading, as you always read how the Pit is notoriously difficult to wade. Maybe it depends on the section?

[MrBig]

Yea, exactly :lol: . I fished Castle Crags Park a few weeks ago and I could hardly move an inch without feeling like I was going to biff it, and I was only in knee deep water (it was swift granted). I asked the guys at the Fly Shop in Redding if they felt like the wading staff was necessary for the Pit (their "most reasonable" one going for $45 of course) and they said yes. Obviously I didn't pay $45 for a stick. Not too sure about that place I only go in there when I'm with someone who wants to check the store out... :? .

I feel 100% the same way about that shop. The people are super-nice but I get some really ass-backward and wacky suggestions and stuff from them. I don't know where you are located but there are some great shops in Lewiston and Dunsmuir. The Trinity Fly Shop has to be my favorite. Herb is super-nice and realistic about stuff. Ted Fay is great too. Awsome folks there.

Great report/pix! I think I am going to hit the Pit the weekend after Labor Day. I can't wait.

[bonneville54]

I never use wading staffs.

Oh....to be young and strong! :D

Yeah they're kinda goofy and get in the way sometimes, but helpful in many ways too.

[SteelieD]

Nice report.

I use an old ski pole for wading sometimes, but not much. Never fished the Pit, but the Up Sac IS a slippery beast!

[jhaquett]

Hairstacker,
The wading is not difficult, it is just tedious. You have to move slowly and carefully and beware of the river's namesake, pits. The hardest part however is when you don't GET to wade and you have to blow through berry and other various types of bushes (plus tons of large, mature stinging nettle plants) just to get to the next section of river. Its an awesome experience to fish a place with absolutely no water side trails and very thick covering!

P.S I don't know if it depends on the section, I think Pit 3 is the most popular so you would probably hear about the nasty wading from people fishing this section. It could potentially be very difficult if the water was higher also.

MrBig,
I'm located in Chico and the Chico Fly Shop is a excellent place. I have also been to the Trinity Fly Shop and they seem to be very nice and helpful.

Thanks for the complements guys I'll be sure to post all of my reports as picture reports since everyone seems to really enjoy them. :wink:

[flyfshrmn]

I have fished the Pit a few times and found the wading as bad as anything in California. Every time I've been there the water has been murky and you can't see anything, so it's wading by feel. I have a total knee replacement and for many years that knee was so unstable that I could not wade without a staff, so I always use a staff. I have fallen in a fair number of times, and the falls almost always occur when I try to move too fast without the staff. I use old push broom, rake or even shove handles for my staff. Drill a hole in the end about four inches from the top, thread a stout piece of nylon rope, 5/16 or larger through it, tie it in a big loop, and run the loop around your wading belt. Alternatively, you can run a rope loop over one side of your chest, and loop the staff rope to it. They last forever, are cheap and easy to replace, serve as a walking stick out of the water, very handy for rocky banks, and for prodding rattlesnakes out of the path. They're also very handy for tangling your leader up when trying to bring a fish to hand and the rope makes a dandy place to hold your flies (barbless are much easier to remove). :roll: