Bill Kiene semi-retired
08-08-2017, 08:13 AM
I was fishing the fall Half-pounders with night crawlers and spinners as a teenager on the river.
Made my own one piece light spinning rods with fly rod blanks from Ewoldt's Rod & Reel Repair.
I had an old pair of cheap chest high boot foot waders that were very slippery on the rocks.
Watt Avenue and Howe Avenue where my old places that seemed to work for me.
It was always in the Fall for me and the river was full of conventional salmon fishers too.
Many trollers in boats and bank anglers where down near Sacramento State College in the 1960s.
I soon transitioned into fly fishing for them with my brother Dick and I using trout outfits.
We used floating line and dry flies and wet flies in the surface.
We evolved to Seal-Dri latex chest high stocking foot waders with Converse canvas felt sole wading shoes.
In a few years of being in the sporting goods business in the 1970s near the river we acquired a group of other fly fishers who loved Half-pounders too.
It got to be a real social event on the weekday evening after work in the late summer and fall.
Key players where young commando fly fishers Al Perryman, Jim Potter, Al Fong, Larry Cullens, Cal Guin, Bob Long and Hal Janssen.
Local old timers where Joe Shirshac, Walt Bennett, George Martin, Chuck Campana, Neil Hansen, Joe Patterson and other who were the original founders of the local fly club, the CFFU.
The younger bunch where local high school friends were Galen Geller, Kyle Keaton, Stu Health, Phil Romig and Paul Keel.
My brother Dick and I fished also fished with Bob Giannoni, Mike Ziem, Mel Jeffs and Don Rotsma.
Today Andy Guibord and Jim Christensen are experts at chasing Half-pounders,
A few years ago local two handed pro Jeff Putnam started using Spey rods for Half-pounders that started this huge new technique on our river.
We look for these fish to show up in schools in the lower river starting in the lower river around Cal-Expo and River Park. in late August.
September can be a huge month going out very early and very late for a few hours.
At that time we use floating lines, leaders as long as the rods with dry flies and wet flies.
In the day time you can use a sink tip or sinking leader with 4 feet of mono and a wet fly or nymph.
Watt Avenue is one of the top destination for fall Half-pounders.
We have used very light trout out fits with floating lines and dry flies right at dark to drift caddis adults imitating the egg laying caddis.
My go to set up after they have been in the river for a while is a caddis pupa swung in the surface early and late in the day.
The big variable is he size and timing of the runs each year.
The old variable is how many fish are holding in the run that you are in that day.
This message board will be the best place to get info on this falls run.......
I will be taking some of my almost adult grand kids ( taller than me) out to get them started on these wonderful fish.
Start going down to the river from Watt Avenue down stream to Paradise Beach to look for them in the riffles.
Made my own one piece light spinning rods with fly rod blanks from Ewoldt's Rod & Reel Repair.
I had an old pair of cheap chest high boot foot waders that were very slippery on the rocks.
Watt Avenue and Howe Avenue where my old places that seemed to work for me.
It was always in the Fall for me and the river was full of conventional salmon fishers too.
Many trollers in boats and bank anglers where down near Sacramento State College in the 1960s.
I soon transitioned into fly fishing for them with my brother Dick and I using trout outfits.
We used floating line and dry flies and wet flies in the surface.
We evolved to Seal-Dri latex chest high stocking foot waders with Converse canvas felt sole wading shoes.
In a few years of being in the sporting goods business in the 1970s near the river we acquired a group of other fly fishers who loved Half-pounders too.
It got to be a real social event on the weekday evening after work in the late summer and fall.
Key players where young commando fly fishers Al Perryman, Jim Potter, Al Fong, Larry Cullens, Cal Guin, Bob Long and Hal Janssen.
Local old timers where Joe Shirshac, Walt Bennett, George Martin, Chuck Campana, Neil Hansen, Joe Patterson and other who were the original founders of the local fly club, the CFFU.
The younger bunch where local high school friends were Galen Geller, Kyle Keaton, Stu Health, Phil Romig and Paul Keel.
My brother Dick and I fished also fished with Bob Giannoni, Mike Ziem, Mel Jeffs and Don Rotsma.
Today Andy Guibord and Jim Christensen are experts at chasing Half-pounders,
A few years ago local two handed pro Jeff Putnam started using Spey rods for Half-pounders that started this huge new technique on our river.
We look for these fish to show up in schools in the lower river starting in the lower river around Cal-Expo and River Park. in late August.
September can be a huge month going out very early and very late for a few hours.
At that time we use floating lines, leaders as long as the rods with dry flies and wet flies.
In the day time you can use a sink tip or sinking leader with 4 feet of mono and a wet fly or nymph.
Watt Avenue is one of the top destination for fall Half-pounders.
We have used very light trout out fits with floating lines and dry flies right at dark to drift caddis adults imitating the egg laying caddis.
My go to set up after they have been in the river for a while is a caddis pupa swung in the surface early and late in the day.
The big variable is he size and timing of the runs each year.
The old variable is how many fish are holding in the run that you are in that day.
This message board will be the best place to get info on this falls run.......
I will be taking some of my almost adult grand kids ( taller than me) out to get them started on these wonderful fish.
Start going down to the river from Watt Avenue down stream to Paradise Beach to look for them in the riffles.