Stripes on the American

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Paul and I took the boat out of Broderick and up the American Wednesday night after work. Wow :eek: - I haven't been out on the American since last summer. The whole thing has changed with all this water coming down the last 6 months! The water wasn't less than 8 ft [and more often > 12-15 ft] anywhere unless we ventured near an island that used to be exposed...

We had no clue where to find holding fish... We did finally find a bunch of dinks and played there for a couple hours. I think I got about 10 of them up to 15" and Paul ended up with about 4 or so - but he was using a bigger fly.

We have to re-learn the whole stretch from Discovery on up.... #-o

[Mike Churchill]

My dad and I have been out on the Lower A 4 or 5 times this Spring without any significant success. It's very different at 7000-10,000 cfs (and now more) than it was the last couple of years at 2200-3500. (Not to mention how the higher flows in the Sac affect the lowest part of the American.) Hungry fish are not where they were before and we're still trying to figure out where to put my flies and his lures.

We have picked up a few small fish while trolling the lowest part of the river near I-5 while sitting under the canvas during rain squalls.

We're finally going to pay for the gas to pull the boat to the Delta tomorrow. We haven't been down there since last October.

Mike