First Striper! (photos)

[Blueracer]

For what seems like a while now, Jeff has expressed his passion about fishing for stripers when we talk about fly fishing. Being from the midwest, he has been wanting to get me hooked into my first striper on the American and show me the type of big fish fly fishing that can be found right close to Sacramento.

After a first trip last week, seeing a fish follow the fly in and another dart out from cover and bite my fly but not get hooked I understood where he was getting his excitement from.

Yesterday morning we met at the river with a full moon still up and put in at Roosmoor. It was a shockingly empty river for a Saturday and only saw a few kayaks and one boat anchored in a back channel drifting some live bait. We got lucky and had the hole river quietly to ourselves to work. We drifted some good water without even seeing a fish let alone getting any follows. We all started saying things like, hmmm maybe things haven't settled down since the flow changes mid-week. And that moon has been pretty full for 2 nights in a row now, hasn't it?

But the Goding brothers were encouraging and we just moved to another place and kept casting. And then out of no where, on a cast and strip like so many others I feel this heavy pull and tug on the line. The fish hit and ran, immediately setting the hook. The fish was down too deep to see and as he ran I carefully fed him a few inches of line at a time until I got him on the reel. It felt like a solid fish, but being my first striper I was unsure how big it could be. After turning him from a few deep runs toward the current, I was able to keep him in the slower water and get him up to the surface where Kevin lipped him in some slower current.

Mission accomplished! First striper and it was a blast! Now I know what all the fuss is about. Those fish are some strong tanks.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8bpl2u-X0G0/TkdeIbHaYnI/AAAAAAAABoM/Cz1RIuundkY/s640/P1000755.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EP5bmlS37S4/TkdeKU1CPTI/AAAAAAAABpY/0R3OmcXRjeA/s512/P1000756.JPG

Kevin saw plenty of fish and nearly got into some big ones that were chasing and slashing at his fly. He landed a nice schoolie.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CQxXT6CTnGo/TkdeNAyfLuI/AAAAAAAABoY/vn9kIzzjm2o/s640/P1000766.JPG

Jeff saw fish too and had a good one that he set the hook on a little early. So almost all three of us landed a fish yesterday during a float that started off slow.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FRykSluQE_U/TkdeGQSBFbI/AAAAAAAABoI/b4w_zJux8YQ/s640/P1000753.JPG

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks for the excellent post and wonderful photos.....


According to Lower American River "Striper Commando" Andy Guibord, the next few months are prime time for Stripers in our little river.

http://andyguibord.wordpress.com/

[Tony Buzolich]

Blue,
That's a really nice fish for your first striper on a fly. Most guys start with a few dinks before getting onto something with shoulders. A few more like that and you'll be another addict too.
Tony

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Great post and you were certainly in great company as well... The Goding brothers have been doing this a while!

Hubby and I were out on the Lower end of the American River yesterday afternoon and evening. Paul landed a nice 3-4 lb'er right off the bat and then we got nothing but dinks until about 7:30-ish when he hooked into a nice fish on his chartreuse super minnow (the Godings know what this is - LOL). He pulled that fish in and we were both astonished that it wasn't a striper at all, but an 18" [hatchery] STEELHEAD! :eek: WHAT???

He'd been pretty grumpy up until that point and tried to continue, but I told him, "You can be grumpy, and you can outfish me, but you can't doin' both! So, quit grumpin'!" :lol:

All I ended up with were 5 or so dinks - HMPH. Thought I was smart trying an olive over pink/white super minnow... guess I'll switch to that dang chartreuse. I just don't get why they like 'em SO boring... :-k

Ah well... maybe next time will be my turn!

[SHigSpeed]

Atta boy! Nice fish for sure. Never have done the striped thing. Might never. Could end up like golf or skiing (expensive and all consuming!).

_SHig

[Charlie Gonzales]

Good job guys! I've had some great times on the water with those boys.

[Hatch]

Your life is changed forever. Wait till your wife and family finds out that within 30 miles or so from Sac. You can catch those bad boys about 10 months out of the year.
Welcome to the addiction.
HATCH

[gene goss]

Hey Bryan nice first striper.....your hooked now.

[striper33]

Nice going!
NE this year has been a mixed bag. Fine early during the initial migration up the coast but have headed off to deeper water more recently and unless you have a boat has been very slow.
Keep up the good work,
striper33

[BillB]

Not sure if I should congratulate you or send you condolences! I took my first striper on the fly last year with the help of Charlie G and have been an addict ever sense! I've dropped more than a few bucks on tying materials two new rods, two reels and lines . . . and the list goes on. Not a day goes by that I don't think about tossing a big bug at those critters. Glad you were successful!

[Blueracer]

Thanks Tony and everyone. I know I certainly had some good direction from the guys I floated with. They got a few pointers from Charlie more than a few times as well.

Thanks Mrs Fins, Gene and Hatch. Mrs Fins, don't let him be a grump - you're right about that.

Having that memory of the deep heavy tugs, is certainly addicting. Definetely gets you thinking about when it may happen again.

[Jgoding]

Sorry for the late reply! Just got back from a short vacation in Yosemite. I chased some "bait" the first day but the Merced was just crystal clear and people were swimming in all the good water so I didn't bother after that.

It was a pleasure to get Bryan on his first stripe. We got skunked the week before but had our chances. I had my doubts with the full moon and the water fluctuations just a few days earlier but I decided to change it up and tied some flies based on the first striper fly I ever tied.

Rossmoor through Riverbend was pretty dead... no hits, no follows, and didn't even see a fish unlike the trip before....

But hey, plenty of good water still ahead, we hit up our next spot and were getting settled in when Bryan called out fish. From the bend in the rod I knew it was a decent fish and was figuring it was going to be bigger than what it was as it just sat hard. Bryan did a great job getting the fish in and unfortunately we got sucked out of our spot and didn't get a chance to see if anyone else was home but we were pretty stoked regardless.

I missed my chance shortly after, had about a 22"er just come in and eat but didn't stick on the hook set. Kevin landed his 19"er shortly after that which has me holding the fish in the pic.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Robin and Charlie G. Extra Kudos to Charlie since you showed us the ropes on the float we're doing. Robin, will have to get together with you guys for some fishing again one day. We had a great time will Paul a few years ago on the lower river. I still owe him some flies! Now, we just need to get dad on his first fish for his boat....

I remember my first stripe too..... about an 8"er just above Harrington during that first high water year about 6-7 years ago.... Not the biggest, but hey, had to start somewhere. Have to thank our own David Lee for passing on his addiction to me. Definitely need to repay that favor with a float soon!

And if anyone didn't know, Blueracer and I usually chase the half pounders together. He'll probably tell you fishing for me is just an outlet to test out all the flies I come up with.... Maybe this year I'll have a fly for Bill to share with everyone from the shop... about time to start sharing some knowledge I guess.

[Kevin Goding]

Charlie,we need to get you out there one day when you're not too busy, we promise we won't make you row haha. I wish my first striper was that big as well, I think the first one I ever caught was a dink too, but either way, it still makes you a believer you can catch them on a fly. I think it also makes you a better caster overall to throw the bigger flies and sinking/shooting lines, at least more rounded anyway.

[Charlie Gonzales]

I will definately take you boys up on your offer! I have sundays and mondays off. If we can do a sunday then I will buy the pizza and beers at OneSpeed.