Fall River

[ricards]

I fished Fall River yesterday (6/15) above the CalTrout access. I caught seven fish - all of them under twelve inches. I didn't make it up as far as Zug Bug Alley, but darned close. In the last few years, it seems as though the bigger fish have moved upriver, above Spring Creek bridge. It could be that the mayfly hatches are more profuse up there. Most guides now are using gas-powered prams, so they have the advantage of getting their clients upriver in a hurry, to where the bigger fish are. I'm on a fixed income and I cannot afford the stay at Spinner Fall Lodge where I could access the upper river. Previous lodge owners (Rick's, Lava Creek Lodge, etc.) would allow you to launch for a fee. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Anyone out there have any tips on where one could pay a fee to launch upriver? Thanks.
-Steve

[mark]

sorry to hijack the thread but any reports of hex activity in the lower river yet?

[BobVP]

Steve,

There is a place below Cal Trout that will let you launch for a fee, so if you want to get up river quickly and have an outboard that is one way to go.
Their web address: http://fallriverboatrentals.com/default.aspx

I am afraid that if what you have is human powered then the best you can do is Cal Trout..... I did once canoe a long, long way up river. Not a bad way to spend the day either.

[ricards]

Thanks, Moravia. In principal, I have a BIG problem with gas motors on Fall River. But thanks for the information just the same. With my little pram and electric trolling motor, it's a long haul upriver to Spring Creek Bridge and beyond. But at this point, I don't see any other option.

[BobVP]

Yep, I know what you mean about the gas engines there. I must wonder (out loud) here if that water is 4 stroke only? I know that some of the lakes in California have banned the two stroke engines but am unsure of the rivers.

Not a complete answer to speed and misuse but it might help.

Most of the times I fish the Fall I canoe. On my last trip there I went late and fished later. Quarter moon if I remember correctly but I was prepared with my headlamp and, being the cautious type, a small hand-held light as well. About a mile above the Cal Trout landing I heard a boat coming down river so I turned on my headlamp and turned it backwards on my hat so they could see me.....then I heard the engine and looked up river and saw the speed they were coming at me.....I grabbed the flashlight and started waving it right at them at the same time thinking many thought at one time: "These guys are nuts"...."Can I survive being hit by that?"....."Why don't they have lights on?" and a few other things that are not appropriate.
At less than 75 feet away they caught my light and turned away. They barely slowed and passed me, at too fast a speed, within 20 feet.

I am going to guess and hope that this rarely happens on the Fall as every person I have ever met there has been courteous and friendly and every boater I have seen (in the daylight) has been careful.

I have nothing against boast with engines. I have been using them myself for more than 40 years and will continue to do so. But the Fall needs to be respected not only for the great fishery but also for the beauty and solitude of the place. It is the place I go to slow down and I live on the Mendocino Coast!

Get yourself and extra battery, pack a large lunch/dinner and have a great day on that river.

Robert

[Hogan Brown]

With regards to the question about the hex. Just spent the last 3 days and nights guiding up on the fall out of Clear water and the Hex started last night. First night nothing, 2nd night a few bugs, last night tons of bugs...Cleaned my truck and boat this morning and was pulling bugs outta all sorts of places. That said there was not a ton of fish keyed in on the hatch, but I imagine in the next few days it will go OFF!!!

[Darrin.Deel]

it went off last night

[fallriverfish]

On the Fall River all forms of gas motors are allowed 2 stroke and 4 stroke. It would be great if the powers that be designated the Fall River as a 4 stroke only river. It is the largest spring creek in North America after all. More important,IMHO, than the gas motors is the discharge from both the wild rice fields and the continued contamination of cow shit leaching into the river. We are starting to see parasitic algae blooms from spring creek all the way to the confluence with the Big Tule. The best thing that could happen to this river is to have it designated wild and scenic and to have 2 strokes and ranching/agricultural runoff banned. Even if this happened tomorrow it would take years for the river to clean up. The algae blooms we are seeing appear to be the affect of years of cattle ranching on the river. The political pull of the ranchers and farmers would be the biggest obstacle in getting this done. Just getting the Department of Water Resources to uphold the Clean water Act would be a start as well. At the moment they issue waivers to the farmers and ranchers allowing them to discharge as they please into the river.

We have been seeing quality fish however all throughout the system. The hex hatch is in full swing I would think it is starting to make its way above the confluence.

Bill Downs
Clearwater Lodge

[Hibbygibi]

Bill,
I believe that most of your comments were pretty much correct.
The Rice farmers have a lot of political influence.We fish the Fall many days during the season.
This year the new growth in the mid section of the river of that dark green crap is imho impacting the natural weed beds.
Looks like there might need to be a political battle staged by other interested parties aside from the Ranchers.
Have you talked to any representatives of TU/ CT? Or has your outfitter made any contacts with the politico's in the area?

[fallriverfish]

I have tried to talk with Cal Trout on numerous occasions about the condition of the Fall River and also about the conditions on Hat Creek. I get very vague answers from Curtis Knight regarding both of these fisheries. They seem uninterested in fighting for either of these fisheries. Seems strange that only 20 years ago they touted them as their crown jewel of trout conservatism. My understanding is that the monies recieved from the Ag lobby and corporations like PG&E mean more to Cal Trout than what the fly fisherman contribute.

The whole situation is very frustrating for me in that I am witnessing these events every day on the river. The muskrat is the culprit for all of the declines of our fisheries. They are also the only group that don't have a string of attorneys on retainer.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Many places I have fished over the world have a 10 hp maximum for outboard motors to help protect fragile eco systems. Lakes in Canada and estuaries in the tropics like Rio Chico in Venezuela have this 10 hp regulation.

4 stroke outboards are quieter and cleaner than the older 2 strokes.

Also many places have a 5 mph speed limit to keep things under control.

__________________________________________________ ____________________

I guess if you owned a property on the Fall River you would want to be able to run fast so you could fish the entire system depending on what is hatching, spinner fall upriver or Hex hatch down river?

This might be the reason you have outboards on the Fall River.

__________________________________________________ ___________________

Even though I love boat I still believe they need to be regulated.

[fallriverfish]

Bill, I agree about having 4 stroke regulations on the river but if that comes about there will also be regulations on the farmers who are dumping both cattle effluent and hot irrigation water back into the Fall River. My understanding is both of these actions are in violation of the Clean Water Act. The Dept of water resources and the Dept of Fish and Game have turned the other way for the last 20 years and allowed this behavior on the river.

I will admit I love the cost, reliability and lack of maintenance that a 2 stroke motor provides. They are much lighter for the amount of horsepower they provide. I would be so stoked to have the river follow the guidelines of Lake Tahoe or any of our other sensitive water sheds and have both 2 strokes and farm run off banned.

The one thing hurting us is the lack of access to the river. I think we need to have more public access so everyone can enjoy North Americas largest spring creek. I understand that Art Teters group is trying to secure kayak access on the upper Fall River this is a step in the right direction but again it will limit anglers who want to fish the river by boat.

The Cal Trout access IMHO should allow 4 stroke motors as well as electrics. The only other access to the river is at the Rat Farm off of Main St in McArthur. The farmers complained to PG&E about the new access upstream of the Rat Farm and PG&E place large boulders on the ramp to limit boat launching.

Maybe one day regulators will wake up and treat this like the priceless resource it is. If anyone has any ideas how changes can be made short of filing a lawsuit against Cal Trout and the Dept of Fish and Game I am all ears.

Bill Downs

[Hibbygibi]

I was told that the access was closed to trailers, because the out house's that were there were shot up by locals.I was also told that there was some other vandalism acts that occurred at the access.
I was under the impression that the access was given to a new water resource agency and they are the ones that placed the boulders there.

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

Fallriverfish---I agree on your assessment of what CT did 20 years (plus 20 years...) ago relative to Fall River & Hat Creek. :-k

In the Truckee area, 30 years ago, Martis Lake was CT's "crown jewel" relative to its successful lobbying in getting the lake designated as California's 1st Wild Trout lake. :thumbsup: It has been in decline for over 10 years. :( Thus far I haven't heard any word of CT's attempts to resurrect the lake...other than unrelated, newer projects it is doing on the south shore of Lake Tahoe.

Times change....

Frank R. Pisciotta

www.flyfishingcalifornia.blogspot.com