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View Full Version : another weekend AR report (not a bump)



amoeba
05-26-2009, 01:47 PM
Ice Cold on Sunday late afternoon (4-7:30 pm). Went all over the place (miles of river); didn't see a anyone else fishing besides me and the other person I brought. Funny that I read posts of "red hot" on the same day as I fish the tarnation out of the river and catch nothing; alot of the time with the same flies. Not only cold fishing, but colder water than the week prior (cooler air temps), around 60 degrees.

The fishing is at best spotty this year so far - - - for me - - - and everyone else I've seen and talked to. Funny what you read on the web sometimes - like I am fishing a different river. All this stuff about 20-odd fish, and white flies, and all these people fishing; all I can say is musta been a slightly different time of day. Not to say it ain't so, but it ain't our experience. And I've caught a heluvalotofshad in my time. Just not this year.....yet.

Charlie Gonzales
05-26-2009, 02:01 PM
So what set up are you using, maybe your not getting down to them? BTW pink and orange have been my top colors this year.

davkrat
05-26-2009, 04:51 PM
My brother and I hit the river Sunday morning. We started at Upper Sunrise and did not see anything! It was really cold that morning and the water seemed very high. It was the first time we have gone out since Steelhead fishing in February. We later moved down to Howe Ave. There were 4-5 guys fishing on the far side of the river. In the hour we were there we saw one fly fisherman land a single shad. All in all we fished around 3 hours at two locations and only saw one other person land a single fish. Don't feel too bad, you weren't the only one.

amoeba
05-26-2009, 05:13 PM
Well - I'm not fishing floating line if that's what you think:

The setup for shad is sink tip. I have six different sink tips of varying lengths and sink rates that will do anything from go just below the surface to crack boulders on the bottom.

Not getting down indeed.

I have at least 100 different kinds of shad flies. I have every color, every size, and many, many patterns. Not that I think it makes that much difference.....but it does keep me from getting bored when the fish aren't biting.

And no, I don't feel bad, at all - I've been with enough guides to know truth of some of the yarns. If I thought any guide could or did outfish me, I would post the report of my faceless skunkage while he flipped one in every minute.

Truth be told - that has never happened. Where and when fish bite is just as important as if they don't; difference is - I post all the results; show me a guide that posts a skunk and let him run for governor - he'll have my vote.

mikel
05-26-2009, 05:34 PM
I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie

amoeba
05-26-2009, 06:49 PM
I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie


Could you please provide a reference on that?

I wasn't referring to this one person, but essentially all guides in general; but now that you mentioned it, I must say I can't remember a single skunk ever reported. Ummmmmm let's see, let me search the last 100 posts. (20 minutes go by).

Nope. Not a one. Lot's of pictures with fish is all I see; if it's out there - I can't find it, and a pretty darn rare event (rare meaning rare that guides post skunks, a whole lot less rare than guides that ARE skunked).

Mrs.Finsallaround
05-26-2009, 07:39 PM
I'm probably going to get "FLAMED" for this one.... but here it goes.


Could you please provide a reference on that?

I wasn't referring to this one person, but essentially all guides in general; but now that you mentioned it, I must say I can't remember a single skunk ever reported. Ummmmmm let's see, let me search the last 100 posts. (20 minutes go by).

Nope. Not a one. Lot's of pictures with fish is all I see; if it's out there - I can't find it, and a pretty darn rare event (rare meaning rare that guides post skunks, a whole lot less rare than guides that ARE skunked).

Well, MOST people want to know where the fish ARE, not where they are NOT... #-o

Why would you choose a guide based on where he knows the fish aren't? :-k

Of course, then that brings back the subject of advertising on the BB... I say, why the heck not? Where else is a FF'er going to get a good reference on what guides may or may not be available... :roll:

All of the guides I know from this BB (and Blanton's) are very personable, and share their knowledge with those that ask for it privately and respectfully....

I thought that's what BBs were for.... sharing information with others and gaining their knowledge in return. Silly me... #-o

What happened to the Golden Rule: "treat others how you would like others to treat you"??????

Good Grief :-?

Charlie Gonzales
05-26-2009, 10:59 PM
Why dont I report a skunk? Because theres nothing to report! Last week I had a slow day, Im not sure if we even hooked a fish. So, I comp'd the guy and rebooked him for this week.
Even though I cant control what the fish do, I have a hard time charging someone if they didnt get what they came for.

Oh and by the way, we have been catching them on floating lines the past couple nights. Tomorrow Im gonna try dry flies!

Hogan Brown
05-27-2009, 05:48 AM
Shad fishing can be tough Amoeba I know for myself I post on my blog when I do bad (I rarely if ever post reports here). If you look now there is two reports of tough days (http://hgbflyfishing.blogspot.com). I think that EA is right though when he talks about the benefit of a boat. When I guide I cover sometimes 5-10 miles of river to catch 20-30 fish on a good night. I rarely if (maybe once a year) ever catch 30 fish in one spot. There are plenty of spots on the river I pick up zero fish but since I can cover so much water I think with a boat one has a better chance of finding the pods. There are a few spots I go wade fishing on my own and if I catch a hand full of fish and I have a few cold ones I consider it a good night.

Dabalone
05-27-2009, 09:07 AM
"Should have been here yesterday" Sound familiar? I take fishing reports as generalities, not many people especially guides will tell you exactly where they are currently catching all those fish. Are the reports accurate and truthful? Probably for the most part and they did get them somewhere on the river or in the lake mentioned.

How many times have you told your buddies how you slayed em and they went out to the exact same spot the next day or even later that same day and got skunked? Happens, its fishing.

ALAN MAX
05-27-2009, 09:45 AM
Amoeba The guides like EA, CG, have it right they are in water we can't reach as bank guys, I know I'v been in a line up where the guy next to me was lighting it up and I'm swinging the same setup same flies same shooting head and he's catching 5to 1, but when or if he pulls out i slide in and presto now I'm the man!! What a defference a few feet make
My Dad use to say to me " your not holding you mouth right"
I did fish thur. & fri. Thur. I did well 20+ Fri. hot so much! same places same setup.???
Thats why it's called fishing!!

amoeba
05-30-2009, 01:44 PM
The reason I posed the question is because Mike1 said Charlie gets skunked (as does anyone else, and every guide) and he posts it; but I couldn't find such a skunk post.

That was followed up by a couple posts by Charlie and EA saying they were skunked, but didn't post it; but now they always catch fish, that they have done the recon (is this something only guides do?), that they have a boat (only guides have boats?). Mike1 nor anyone else actually provided the reference I asked for.

But to me (and I'm not alone on this - other than saying it), this snarky and repetitive "I always catch fish", with the caveat that they have "days open" "come and git em" and prices and client satisfaction and such, comes off as undisguised self promotion and free advertising. Why don't you just report the fishing, and forget the rest about your guiding operation? It is old and tiresome.

And, incidentally - to the poster who covers "5-10 miles" in their boat, please everyone be reminded of the 5 mph, no wake zone for most of the American River. So that's 2 hours each way for your 10 miles. Not busting loose at 20-30 mph between fishing stops, and slowing down 100 yards from the boat ramp. Unless you think that guides have some exception to the law and the associated premises of safety and boatwake bank erosion avoidance. So please set an example and slow down, and provide for that time allowance in your guiding operation.

Kurt P
05-30-2009, 06:44 PM
WHO's snarky?

Fochetti
05-30-2009, 10:56 PM
Why so much anger??? Is it because you got skunked and others are not? Like everyone else said it is called fishing not catching. And why are you going off on tangents? You have no proof these guides on here are the ones speeding around. These things have nothing to do with your original post.

Nevada Mark
05-31-2009, 08:48 AM
I don't know shad, but I do know fish. Last weekend sucked for walleye on a local lake where the week prior we slayed 'em. It was a weak front that triggered the slowdown, probably the same one you experienced (We typically get your weather a 1/2 day or so later. With the quarter - half moon rising (and warmer temps) typically the fishing (for anything) will improve. I have had my fair share of fishless trips, but when I am fly fishing it doesn't seem to matter as much. Enjoy it for what it is.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
05-31-2009, 09:51 AM
Fishing is different every day for everyone out there, even people in the same boat?

We just fished 5 days in Baja with about 10 in our group.

Results were different for everyone, even in the same boats, every day.

We had 2 slow days, 2 OK days and one smoken' hot day.

That's fishing......

I think it's OK if the guides actually do better than we do because many of them have been out there for many days and many years.

It's not a contest......it's just fishing.


Wade fishing for shad is always better in the AM and PM.

Day time Shad fishing is best from an anchored boat but you have to anchor in one of the exact right spots and have the right sinkrate line and sometimes the right fly.

If I wanted to catch Shad for sure I would go with a guide or someone who fishes them a lot.

I think that sadly, egos really play too much of a roll in this fly fishing stuff.

I'm happy to just get out there.

PS: All the guides who post here are friends of ours so take it easy on them. I think they play an important part in the fly fishing world.