First Upper Sac Experience...

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

WOW... what a different way to fish!

Spent the weekend at Lake Shastina and fished the upper sac near Dunsmuir. Got my workout for the week, that's for sure! LOTS of climbing over boulders and rocks in the river bed. Only fell once, got the softball-sized bruise on my left shin to prove that one! OUCH!

Got LOTS of casting practice in, let me tell ya. Roll casting has never been my thing, but boy, did I do a LOT of it. We went a on a total of 3 outings, and I FINALLY landed a little guy on the third trip. I think it was about 6" long (rainbow - still had its large spots across its side). Actually got him on a swing at the end of my drift. I missed a few that I felt and I know I missed a TON more than that.

Paul did a little better, landing a 15 incher Sat morning, and had several more nice ones hooked. I didn't feel so bad after that! LOL. Not sure how many more he landed, he'll have to chime in later.

They were all after tiny midges, mine was a red zebra and Paul was using a green copper john, I think.

Sorry, no pics... couldn't risk dunking the camera, not knowing where everything was....

All-in-all, I don't think we did too bad, not knowing ANY of the terrain. I think we were out a total of 8-9 hours, but a lot of that was navigating the river and levees.

A LOT of work.... But, I can officially say, I've caught a fish on a fly in the upper sac!

[Jet]

Glad you made up to the USac. Joey and I love it up there and with so many possibilities the fun never runs out. When I hear a train horn I always think of Dunsmuir. Thanks for the report. We almost went up Friday and Sat.

Joe

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

On average, June is the best time to be there.

Oct/Nov is good too.

We had a cabin there for about 10 years and we loved that place.

We just got too old for wading the river.

[Don Powell]

Hi Robin,

Glad you experienced the fishery up there! Bill is exactly right...June (salmonfly hatch) and October (October caddis) are the best times.

June 11, 1994, I stopped at Ted Fay's fly shop in Dunsmuir and Joe Kimsey told me to park at Scarlett Way and hike up to Mossbrae Falls and fish orange humpies (he sold me a few!).
Between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM, I cast those humpies to close to a hundred rising fish. I have never had a 50 fish day anywhere in many days on the water all over the globe. But that evening, the Upper Sac rainbows were keyed in to and gorging themselves on Pteronarcys Californicus, the salmonfly! I hooked 24 and landed only thirteen...but I have never in all my years of fishing seen action like that! That averages out to a fish hooked every five minutes! I missed a lot of them, lost eleven, but I sure got my share. My right elbow was so fatigued from false casting to dry the humpy between takes I had to switch to my left hand and cast that way, even getting a few left handed! Over the last 15 years, I always remember that fantastic experience and think of the Upper Sac when the calendar rolls around to June. I've gone many more times but never have I been able to duplicate that one magical evening!

Go back in June or October/November and you'll discover the true magic of that river...

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Our fly-fishing club is hosting a fish-out in Dunsmuir Oct 8-11 that I might try to get to...

Sounds like it would be much better then....

I really do want to get the hang of this fly-fishing for trout thing.](*,)

I guess practice makes perfect.... LOL.