Local guide Charlie Gonzales calles in report today

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Charlie called the shop today and reported he or a client had just landed a 24 inch Steelhead while swinging a #10 Peacock Soft-hackle on a floating line on the Lower A.

**Like I sad, get your tackle in the car and go out every evening you can for the next month or so.

Andy and I will be getting out tomorrow, Saturday, after work.

[Charlie Gonzales]

Mr Charlie Webb had called from Bakersfield on Monday and said he would like to float the Yuba while he was in town visiting his mother. I said great, but if your just looking to put a bend in the rod we could stay in town and play with the squeezers in the American, but if your looking to get a big fish on top, we should head to the Yuba. He decided to stay in town and said he would like to have breakfast with his mother first, so we got on the water about eleven. Started out the day with 10' fast sinking poly leaders and two of my soft hackles since the first hatch was over, within about 20 inutes he had a grab and his first fish...cool. He pretty much stayed into fish most of the day at least getting a few grabs at most of the spots we stopped. After lunch we saw a couple rise'rs so I took of the poly leader and we went full floating and the soft hackles. After a few minutes I saw what I thought was abouta 16" fish rise in front of the boat and on Mr. Webbs second pass we see the fish come up for his fly....Nice! We both think its maybe 18 but then it takes of in a blazing run and I have to pull anchor and start rowin. We caught up to it, slid over to the bank so he could get out, and after a couple more runs we get the net under it..... it wasnt 18"!

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/BigValleyGuide/CWebb4-9001.jpg
http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/BigValleyGuide/CWebb4-9002.jpg

Thanks for a great day Mr. Webb

[Steelie-Stalker]

Nice fish! and a plus on the floating line

hey Bill, maybe i'll see you and Andy out there i'll be out saturday evening as well

[matt johnson]

That is totally cool in so many ways. Nice work Chuck! Matt.

[Bryan Morgan]

Charlie- What are the ingredients for the Peacock Soft Hackle ? Other than Peacock of course.

[SHigSpeed]

Does it look anything like this?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4509185280_c4c933b2db.jpg

I tied some of these after reading of Charlie's report. Peacock herl abdomen, gold flat tinsel ribbing, black ostritch herl thorax, partridge hackle, mallard flank tail.

_SHig

[OceanSunfish]

My interest peaks when I can catch steelhead on a nice warm spring-like day! (As opposed to Central Valley January morn...) This is something I'm going to have to look into a bit more.....

A question: Two handed rod or single handed rod?

I know either would work, but I'm just curious.

As for Scott's rendition.... certainly a fish-catcher.

[SHigSpeed]

As for Scott's rendition.... certainly a fish-catcher.

Hope so! Plan on swinging a couple of hours tomorrow morning in the wind whipped rain... Maybe the winter-like weather will reward me with a winter-like steelie? :)

_SHig

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think there are some spring Steelhead and a resident trouit in most all the low elevation "valley" rivers every spring and it is good this year becuase we have low water with bugs hatching.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Does it look anything like this?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4509185280_c4c933b2db.jpg

I tied some of these after reading of Charlie's report. Peacock herl abdomen, gold flat tinsel ribbing, black ostritch herl thorax, partridge hackle, mallard flank tail.

_SHig

That is a one of the nicer versions I've seen of that pattern. Classy..........

It will work well in the Klamath and Trinity for Half-pounder steelhead too.

[Blueracer]

Nice catch guys!

SHig - our soft hackles are look alikes but I used a few different materials. It got attention last Thursday for me, so I would be willing to say you'll probably get just as many grabs if not more on that versus the others you've been swinging. IMO it just better represents their grub.

[Charlie Gonzales]

Scott, your fly is definately preattyer than mine, this time I went big and ugly. Its actualy a size 12 2302, and I didnt even use real peacock, just a dubbed body to save time, and hen hackle.

Johnson, you knowyou(and Sylvester Nemes, through his writings) taught me 90% of what I know about tying/fishing soft hackles.

Here's the fly...
http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/BigValleyGuide/peacock005.jpg

[SHigSpeed]

Risked piercing waders and ears in the wind this morning and got a couple of grabs, no fish. The bane of my existence these days:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4511239213_7d4d568d06.jpg

Swung my standard behind the peacock and seems like at least one liked this one better.

Guess that's why it's not called "catching"...

_SHig

[Blueracer]

Way to give it a go in the conditions SHig.

Charles, exactly. I dub it up, easy to change color or add some spice, save time and be effective.