American Report

[WinterrunRon]

The water has cleared considerably and the flows keep dropping. I'm always have a couple guys upstream and down from me at Sailor's Bar, fly and gear, and I have yet to get a tug or see someone else hook up. Four boats launching late this morning as well. Another two hours of casting resulting in zippo. Are there actually any fish in that river? Seems like just a few short years ago I was hooking some real toads every week in January! Man, have times a changed or what! :confused:

[Mark Kranhold]

Got played for a fool this a.m. Had a take on the f#*#in dangle. I hate that take, that's one of the hardest hook sets to play[rollin the dice]. Ohh, Ahh, Nope, Nadda ,,,DAMN it#-o. Oh well ,fished some beautiful water nice to get out. What a spectacular day tho!

[flyguy1]

fished salior bar area from 7:30 to 11:30. tried black and purple leach and small egg sucking leach (black) for nothing. Tried a small spoon on the spey, hooked one briefly on the dangle. Ran at me, felt a little pull and then ran at me again, then gone. At least I briefly felt a fish. First one in 5 times out since the opener. Mark, I hate the dangle too. I may have to try the small spoon again, especially if i don't get them to take the fly.

sk

[Dan Harrison]

Now these are the kind of reports that only a steelheader can respect. Talking about thinning the crowds more reports like these and we will be on are way. Only a few would want to head out after hearing about skunks from good steelheaders. Nice reports guys.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you live here in Sacramento, not far from the river, I would go down and put some time in.

When I was first fly fishing for Steelhead in the American River those old timers, the "Geezer patrol", told me to "keep my fly in the water" if I wanted to catch them.

There are maybe a dozen guys who just fish the river all the time and they catch fish.

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We have really big winter-run steelhead in the river every year in December through February.

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Then in March/April/May we have some wild medium size adult wild spring-run Steelhead (4-6#) and a new batch of Half-pounders (12-16").

If the water is down below 3,000 cfs these spring fish will be eating small salmon, crayfish, sculpin and caddis.

Andy Guibord and I really love that spring fishing.

It goes on in all the "valley rivers" each spring as long as the flows are down.

[Jed Peters]

I think I must be lucky.

This, from yesterday am.

[Mark Kranhold]

Nymphin or the Swing?

[Jed Peters]

Nymphin or the Swing?

All the fish this year have been nymphing.... I know, "dirty nymper...."
:D

[Troutsource]

Fished mid-river 6:30-9:30 this morning, got zippo, not even a hit, swinging an articulated leech on a switch rod. Didn't even see any fish. Saw one other guy with a spey rod, but didn't see him get any action either. Encountered a spin caster who claims he caught 14 steelhead the last 2 weeks. He was using a spinner with a bead above it and has been fishing the river for 40 years.

[Bruce Berman]

I think we're in one of those tough, closed windows when fish were caught before and will be caught after. I heard that when the flows were under 8K, there were fish caught close to shore. You've got to keep them out of the heavy flows, though, or they're 1/4 mile downstream before you know it. As the flows dropped the fish moved further into the river. I don't know where they are now. Fished 3 days and landed 2 wet fly fishing egg patters. Now that the river is clearing it's gotten tougher. Feb. is always good. Fresher fish should come into the system at some point. Things should pick up then...we can hope!

[Jeff Fisher]

Don't underestimate the power of the dangle! Seriously, in all my years fishing the American, I would say that 90% of all the steelhead I caught took the fly on the dangle. Now when I say dangle, I don't mean walking upstream with your line in the water, or lighting a cigar, or watching drunken coeds float down on rafts. I mean actively, purposely fishing the dangle.

I would position myself above the fishy-est spots, cast across and let the fly swing down into the fishy spot where I would then start the dangling and twitching. Small strips, let it float back down, etc. I'd use the rod tip to twitch also.

The grab on the dangle is violent and the fish usually hook themselves. I'd always use a little bit heavier tippet though cuz you have a greater chance of getting snapped off on the dangle.

For those of you who know or have fished with my good friend Jeff C., will notice his technique (when he used to use a single-handed rod anyway). After years of coersion, I converted him to a certifed Dangler. I'm sure he can attest to the power of the dangle!

[Tiger]

I just saw him danglin the other day...

[WinterrunRon]

Love the dangle! I caught some real toads in years past on the dangle.

There used to be some big boulders at Sailor's Bar about 10ft off the shoreline that, under normal January flows, were just under the surface in about 4-6ft of water. If you looked close, you could read the water surface for the clue if you didn't know they were there and there were 2-3 of these boulders parallel to the bank about 15-25 feet from each other. I'd cast a big leach pattern out normally, let it swing over the rock and let it sit there and slowly sink in the back-eddy created by the boulder and on more than a couple of times... WHAM! Always a BIG fish. They must have smacked that thing out of anger for entering their domain because it was always a violent take!

The big rocks were either removed or the gravel brought in covered them so those days are gone, but I fished that area with focused intensity every time believing I would hook another monster on any given day. Lately I've been fishing with no expectation of hooking anything. Maybe that's my problem. :-k

[flyguy1]

Nice fish Jed. Looks like you got that fish in the same area that I briefly hooked the fish swining the a small spoon on the spey rod (maybe the same fish, ha ha). Hey there is nothing wrong with the indicator method, whatever works. Probably going to hookup more on the winter fish using an indicator anyways. Although I am preferring the swing and grab more and more.

scott

[DV8]

lighting a cigar and watching drunken coeds float down on rafts is essential in the dangle. The fish key on your absentmindedness. Like the old man told me, best way to find pheasant on a slow day is put down your gun, take a piss, and ignore your dog.

[Darian]

:lol: :lol: Ever wonder of those Pheasant weren't snickering as they flew off :?: :?: :confused:

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think that shade, fog or overcast days are better with the clear water.

[OceanSunfish]

lighting a cigar and watching drunken coeds float down on rafts is essential in the dangle. The fish key on your absentmindedness. Like the old man told me, best way to find pheasant on a slow day is put down your gun, take a piss, and ignore your dog.

Must be careful...... relieving oneself in public may lead to becoming a 'red dot' on a particular website ;)

[jbird]

lighting a cigar and watching drunken coeds float down on rafts is essential in the dangle. The fish key on your absentmindedness. Like the old man told me, best way to find pheasant on a slow day is put down your gun, take a piss, and ignore your dog.


Aint this the truth!