Orange rocks on the Yuba

[DonCooksey]

Anyone know what the story is with the bright orange rocks in the Lower Yuba below hwy 20 bridge? It looks like bunches of rocks were spray painted orange at several locations on the bank and then placed in the river, mostly just upstream from salmon redds. Is this a DFG program?

Anyway, it was good to see quite a few salmon in there earlier this week. Most were old or dead, but some were still on the redds. I also saw several fresher ones moving upstream or jumping. I decided to leave the redds alone but tried some egg patterns in runs where I usually catch trout. Nothing on regular glow bugs, but I did catch a couple smaller ones on an Eggie Juan Kenobi. That "fly" is just about the ugliest thing I have ever tied.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/DonCooksey/IMGP1580a.jpg

I switched to standard nymphs and caught a 19-incher on a rubber leg.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/DonCooksey/IMGP1571a.jpg

Lost a couple of other nice ones that jumped and shook a Pupah nymph.

[Mike R]

I'm not sure what the orange rocks are...maybe some sort of hydrologic study with regard to redds.

That bottom fish is really a nice looking fish...almost looks a little steelheadish...you should have posted this in the steelhead section.

On second thought, maybe not because you would have caught hell for fishing with something that may have reminded fish of an egg. Were you flossing??!!! ;)

Good work!

[Darrin.Deel]

correct, the neon orange rocks are marked by DFG are for the salmon redds. Watch where you wade.

[STEELIES/26c3]

Colored rocks are placed to gather data about how hydrology affects not only redds but on a grander scale, stream bed migration rates.

Knowing what magnitude/direction erosion/deposition is occurring, can be key to making management decisions regarding habitat restoration for spawning fish.

If you go to the new spawning channel below the Sunrise Bridge on the South side of the American River... you will see that in several places, orange spray paint has been used to mark a cross-sectional line across the channel also to gauge shifts in gravel in the vicinity of redds.

Perhaps a bit redundant but with a lil more info added.

M

[big bug]

There are quite a few fish in the tailouts eating caddis and small stoneflies. :DThrowing beads at the redds should be avoided.:eek: