Lower Sac rainbows

[mar]

Haven't floated the Lower Sac in years. My buddy and I booked a float trip with Shane K. out of TFS in Redding. The peak of the egg bite has definitely passed but there still a few spawning salmon around with some trout hanging behind them.

We didn't catch huge numbers of fish, but we did catch some quality fish. Some of these fish were obnoxiously obese and going airborne during the fight.

One fine example of such chunkage:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1397b_zps8cdac119.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1397b_zps8cdac119.jpg.html)

One of the two doubles of the day:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1408b_zpsd3fda038.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1408b_zpsd3fda038.jpg.html)

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1416b_zps0b3f4d88.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1416b_zps0b3f4d88.jpg.html)

A closer look at another chunker:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1419a_zps5be879d4.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1419a_zps5be879d4.jpg.html)


We broke for lunch Shane took advantage of the downtime.
Showing us how it's done:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1420b_zps7c4693ee.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1420b_zps7c4693ee.jpg.html)
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1425b_zps8d9f194a.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1425b_zps8d9f194a.jpg.html)

Further down the drift my buddy hooks something substantial. He couldn't budge it and Shane thought it was snagged:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1456b_zps5855146a.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1456b_zps5855146a.jpg.html)

Turned out to be a fair-hooked toad and all we could say was 'holy $@#@!'
In the net:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1460b_zpscecbe9f9.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1460b_zpscecbe9f9.jpg.html)

Yowza:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1476b_zps28ce64ce.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1476b_zps28ce64ce.jpg.html)

My buddy hooked a few more towards the end of the float.
Simply gorgeous colors:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1493c_zps93c1b497.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1493c_zps93c1b497.jpg.html)
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSC_1502b_zps4b08a6c1.jpg (http://s255.photobucket.com/user/mar224177/media/DSC_1502b_zps4b08a6c1.jpg.html)

What an awesome trip. It was a treat to float and wade the LSac again after many years of absence. I might have to do this more often.

[joshfish]

Nice job mar. I love having the lower sac a couple minutes from my house. Hunting has been slow maybe it's time to do a little fishing.

[mar]

Thanks Josh. I’d be fishing it like a madman if I was a only minutes away from the river.
My buddies and I used to do kamikaze one-day float trips out there. There were a few changes to the some of the spots we used to frequent while a few stayed the same. It definitely won’t be years before I fish it again.
And Shane K definitely knows that river. He basically called out most of the big fish we caught. Very fishy dude, lots of fun to fish with, gave us lots of valuable info and tips. HIGHLY recommended.

[wineslob]

Toads? Those are pigs!

NICE!

[EricO]

The cheek plate color on that last photo is just awesome....pink, orange, brown, silver.

Nice trip Mar. I took my wife on a float with Shane some years back. Had a great time.
Shane was a great guide and fun to shoot the bull with.

EO

[mar]

Thanks winslob and EO!
Yeah, that last fish pic is by far the most colorful LSac trout I've seen.