JohnS
07-23-2010, 10:26 AM
My financial advisor, Doug Pease, called me up and said he had a open seat on a guided trip for the upper and lower sac. Having an open sat, I took him up on it. We drove up to Anderson and stayed at the Gaia Motel (very nice) and got up early Sat to meet our guide, Mike Corley at 7:30 at Starbucks in Redding.
Mike took up up to Conant on the upper Sac to a very nice looking piece of water. After demonstrating proper high sticking, he sent me up to a very fishy looking run while he worked with Doug on some lower pocket water.
Following his method, I hooked up with a nice 14" bright silver fish that came out of the water like a torpedo and proceeded to spit the hook upon re-entering the water. I went 1 for 2 after that, both being slightly bigger than a good sized bait fish. Doug also hooked and lost a nice fish. Mike worked back and forth between the two of us.
At noon, we moved downstream to another area and fished with not much luck (at least the area was cooler than the 109 degrees back in Redding). About 3:30 we took a break for a late lunch (with home grown tomatoes).
At 5:00 we moved to the Lower Sac where we started our drift at the Posse grounds. Both Doug and I had several takes but no hookups until we passed under the Sundial bridge. Doug then hooked up a nice size rainbow. Mike warned me to watch my line and sure enough I hooked up too. We got Doug's fish to the boat first and it was nice sized. When we landed mine, Mike said it went 20" (I think it was more like 18" but whom am I to argue with an expert!!!). I told Doug his fish was nice and probably went 19 & 3/4..... almost as nice as mine.
We continue our trip. Both of us were not having a lot of success with our hookset but Doug did manage to land one more, a fat 21" rainbow. We finally pulled out about 7:15.
Our guide did a wonderful job. Not only were we out for 12 hours but Mike provided a lot of information about the geography and geology of the area and well as info about the hydrology of the river system. You could tell he had studied the area.
He was constantly changing our flies as conditions changed. He was patient with me and worked with me on two problem areas: mending and using the rod tip properly. He got a good tip!!
I have pics but don't have a service to use to place them in the post
Mike took up up to Conant on the upper Sac to a very nice looking piece of water. After demonstrating proper high sticking, he sent me up to a very fishy looking run while he worked with Doug on some lower pocket water.
Following his method, I hooked up with a nice 14" bright silver fish that came out of the water like a torpedo and proceeded to spit the hook upon re-entering the water. I went 1 for 2 after that, both being slightly bigger than a good sized bait fish. Doug also hooked and lost a nice fish. Mike worked back and forth between the two of us.
At noon, we moved downstream to another area and fished with not much luck (at least the area was cooler than the 109 degrees back in Redding). About 3:30 we took a break for a late lunch (with home grown tomatoes).
At 5:00 we moved to the Lower Sac where we started our drift at the Posse grounds. Both Doug and I had several takes but no hookups until we passed under the Sundial bridge. Doug then hooked up a nice size rainbow. Mike warned me to watch my line and sure enough I hooked up too. We got Doug's fish to the boat first and it was nice sized. When we landed mine, Mike said it went 20" (I think it was more like 18" but whom am I to argue with an expert!!!). I told Doug his fish was nice and probably went 19 & 3/4..... almost as nice as mine.
We continue our trip. Both of us were not having a lot of success with our hookset but Doug did manage to land one more, a fat 21" rainbow. We finally pulled out about 7:15.
Our guide did a wonderful job. Not only were we out for 12 hours but Mike provided a lot of information about the geography and geology of the area and well as info about the hydrology of the river system. You could tell he had studied the area.
He was constantly changing our flies as conditions changed. He was patient with me and worked with me on two problem areas: mending and using the rod tip properly. He got a good tip!!
I have pics but don't have a service to use to place them in the post