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Skunked again
09-26-2009, 04:22 PM
I feel a little out of place asking for advice on this board, as I've never really posted much, though I have been a quiet wallflower for several years. After living in Davis for 8 years (school related for most of that) I moved to the Rogue Valley in Oregon this June to help my father who is suffering from lung cancer. I've been learning the Rogue (slowly) and have tied into some nice fish this season, but that's beside the point. I'm going to be breezing through the Sacramento area later this week and will have a few hours Friday(the third) morning to hit the American for old time's sake. From the posts on this board I gather that the "catching" has been predictably spotty as it often is this time of year. I obviously haven't been able to put my time in this season to find the fish so any advice would be welcome! You don't have to tell me your favorite spots. Feel free to be as vague as you like, but a "low, middle, or high" might help. I'd also be up for meeting someone on the river if that would please too.

Thanks!

Neil

P.S. Maybe an embarrassing self deprecating story will help elicit some sympathy....

Several years ago, when I was first learning how to steelhead fish on the American, I had two favorite spots (the only two spots where I would ever hook fish) The first spot was the upper access to Goethe (above the entrance) I'd walk straight down to the river and start fishing right there. The second was at William B Pond Park on the other side of the river. I'd cross the bridge, walk way downstream, and beat my way across the river, sometimes stopping to fish the gravel bar in the middle of the river (when it was still there). In both of these spots I had a "secret slot" (no one else ever seemed to fish it at least) where I would always (well okay, maybe 1 in 10 times) hook fish. Every time I would head to the river it was a big debate for me whether I'd go to Goethe or WBP. It was only after fishing these spots for two seasons that I realized they were the SAME DAMN SPOT! My "secret slot" you guessed it. SAME ONE.

Darian
09-26-2009, 08:34 PM
Seems to me if you caught fish there in the past, you should fish there Friday AM.... :D :D

Jgoding
09-26-2009, 08:47 PM
Rofl, that is an epic story. Don't know when you fished there last it's changed a lot and it's not as good as it was years ago. I think I know the slot you're talking about....

Skunked again
09-26-2009, 09:28 PM
Yeah, I've fished there since. The riffles below have produced for me (occasionally), but my favorite spot dissappeared in '05. From the Goethe side it if you headed to that small island (the one with 6 inch-1 foot deep water on the bank side) which is still there, headed to the bottom of it and cast out about 40' into the seemingly uninteresting too fast water that was the spot. I couldn't cast real well then and it was the absolute limit of my casting with a chuck and duck rig. It's where I hooked my first steelhead and had my first steelhead heartbreak (line around the reel). I hooked two that day and several more there in the days, months and years after that. How I wish I could go back in time with the knowledge and skill that I have now. I bet I could have had some epic days.