Salmon/steelhead near Fort Bragg?

[Natekursow]

Thinking of heading up to the Fort Bragg/Caspar area around Thanksgiving and just wondering if there are any steelhead/salmon

streams/locations anyone knows about.

Thanks!

NK

[fishing&beyond]

I've been fishing in that area for 2 years now so I think I can help you out a little. You will be going at a very early time of the year. If we get enough rain by then the sand bars should be popped. Fish as close as you can to the mouth of the stream at this time and you might get a shot of some early run fish coming in. The run starts to trickle in late December-Jan and continues until March.

Ten Mile River, Big River, and the Noyo River are the main fisheries around FB that have the largest runs of fish. There are some smaller streams that fish well just north of them as well. Fish the estuary sections (slow-moving tidal water 250 ft upstream from the mouth) with a bright streamer on a sink tip or an indicator with a bright pink worm or egg. This is the most productive way I catch adult steelhead and they fight the strongest here. Call the Low Flow Hotline for the region before you go out (707)-822-3164 as the wardens up there will be out looking for fishermen if the water isn't high enough. To find the other streams in the area use the Fishing Regulations Map, it shows where streams are in blue that you are allowed to fish as well as the regulations for that water.

https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/sportfishingregs/

Good Luck!

[DPLee]

Our new book California Winter Steelhead includes information on all Northcoast rivers and creeks that provide fly fishing opportunities including historical streamflows (when USGS data is available), public access, run timing and steelhead run sizes if available. Unfortunately, the book will not be shipped from the printer until sometime in December. The historical information should be of interest to most steelhead fly anglers, and the book includes information on equipment, techniques and presentation specifically for California steelhead rivers and creeks for both in flowing water and estuarine situations.

You can check it out and pre-order a copy at www.dennisplee.com

Dennis

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Anyone who is interested in fly fishing for Winter Steelhead this book would give you some great info.

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November is a good time for King salmon in some of the tide waters like the Eel, Mad, Smith and Chetco rivers.

If there is not enough rain/flow they have low flow closures.

Too much rain then the salmon shoot way up the rivers.

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Dec/Jan/Feb/March is timing for Winter Steelhead.

Winter Steelhead is very challenging with no rain or too much rain....or you just miss the fish.

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I was so lucky to fish the lower Gualala, lower Garcia and lower Eel rivers in the 1970s with old veterans.

We fished all tide water which in like a slow moving lake so we used a selection of slow to medium sinking shooting heads.

Most used Comet style flies in sizes and colors to adjust to the ever changing visibility.

If you are ambitious and want to catch real hot wild Steelhead just get some intel and go as much as you can every winter and

eventually you will hook one. To start get some StreamTime maps and try to find some shops to call.

King's is on the Russian river for the Russian, Gualala and Garcia rivers.

Should be some general tackle in Eureka.

In the 1960-70s ~200 drift boats would be on the Eel River pulling plugs or back bouncing roe with limits every day.

Logging, dams and the drought of the late 1970s killed the Eel river......



To give you an idea how hard it is, nobody ever guide fly fishing for Winter Steelhead on the Coast until about 20 years ago.


I was on the Gualala river around Christmas in early 1970s and heard some guy say, "This Steelhead is terrible, Alaska is way better".

Get a copy/DVD of the movie...."Rivers of a Lost Coast".

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Get a time machine and go back 100 years on the Russian river?

My old fly fishing friends from the Greatest Generation said nobody needed to drive any further north than the Russian river.

I think they said it had summer and winter steelhead, salmon, stripers, shad and smallmouth bass before the dam.

It was Internationally famous with people coming from all over the world. I think Ted Trueblood use to fish there.

[avidangler]

My grandpa fished the russian a lot. It was combat fishing. I would like to go back 200 years and fish the klamath!


Access on many of those streams near FB is limited. May wanna do your homeowork. Maybe try the SF Eel . Hell everybody else is.

[amoeba]

Thinking of heading up to the Fort Bragg/Caspar area around Thanksgiving and just wondering if there are any steelhead/salmon

streams/locations anyone knows about.

Thanks!

NK

too early. maybe try the russian but only if the bar is broken, which is sometimes done mechanically, and there is some decent flow.

[noyo55]

Access will be the major problem for you in the Fort bragg Area.Ten Mile, Noyo and Big river are controlled by a timber company which will not allow access to most of the water. Navarro is your best bet as the lower end, near tidewater, is State land. Before the Pinniped explosion the upper tide water pools were the chief areas we fished. Back in the 50s dad and I would start Steelhead on Thanksgiving morning . We were late for dinner many times.

[boomer4]

Noyo55 is correct about the access. I grew up in Fort Bragg in 70's and 80's and access was still pretty tight back then, but being kids, we always found ways to get in, especially on the Noyo. We would walk along the railroad tracks between Fort Bragg and Willits where the Noyo ran along and gained access from there. Yes, we spent some time running from the patrols. Some really nice fish came out of that river. Even then Ten Mile and Big River were behind locked gates and nearly impossible to access, but sometimes the gates would be open and the fishing was great. I haven't been back there in 30 years, so I can only imagine the access is much tighter.

[noyo55]

Boomer4. Are you one of the kids that I used to give a ride up the hill at the end of the day. I was fortunate to have exclusive access to the top of tidewater and could drive to that part of the river. Tom Ugrin

[boomer4]

No that wasn't me. We used to get to the Noyo by either driving out to southfork when the gate was open, which was often back then, or we would hillscramble off Sherwood Road. Ten Mile was a very difficult to get into, but my folks got access one time and my mother caught a beaut of a steelhead. Do you still live in Ft. Bragg, Noyo55?

[noyo55]

I do caught my first Steelhead in 1949, on the Ten Mile Moved to the bay Area for 15 years, and did a lot of traveling. Argentina for Sea Run Browns, Russia for Atlantic Salmon, Mexico for Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit, Dorado in Baja.

[John H]

Noyo55 - Tenmile River in 1949? That is fascinating to me . A window into the past. I have been there and on other rivers in that area and I look at them and wonder what they were like. Would you mind talking about that a little? I assume you were young, you went with your dad or mom, gear fished and took it home. I expect everyone worked at the mill back then and fished on the day off. Thanks.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Tom might be our oldest member, around 80ish?

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I was so happy when they did the movie, "River of a Lost Coast" and got lots of the info saved.

I knew many in the movie, lots of them have passed since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmo_q6fh2gw

[boomer4]

I was raised in the Beachcomber Motel. About the time you caught your first steelhead, the motel was just a few years old or maybe was under construction. My folks bought it in 1971. I haven't been back there in nearly 30 years. I heard it has changed a bit and I'm sure you have seen alot of undergo dramatic changes. I saw the other day, the Russians are Coming, the Russians are coming, and reminded me of how tranquil the place used to be.

[avidangler]

Access and timing on those rivers are your two greatest obstacles. Most folks stick to the Gualala. And that isn't as good as it used to be.

[John H]

I have stayed at the beachcomber a few times. I ran into a woman up there a couple of years ago who watched the filming of the Russians are Coming. Her mom took her down to Mendocino to see the filming.

[boomer4]

That's great! The little summer cottage on the beach was on the logging road behind the Beachcomber, but up near Ten Mile. I used to ride my bike up on that road long before it was open and fish some of the creeks that flowed into the ocean, like Wages Creek and Virgin Creek. I also used to abalone pick on the rocks before school. We'd roll our pant legs up and pick them. Years later, after the road was opened up, I would hear that people had to snorkel for them if they wanted any. Couldn't believe it.

[John H]

That is wild. Good times on the coast back in the day. A great place to roam free as a kid. Thanks. Maybe Noyo will chime in.

I biked on the beach once from FB up to ten mile and came back on the Highway. The old road is mostly washed out. I went at low tide and had to wade across ten mile. I dove for abalone before it closed. I am happy I got a chance to do that. My dad did it some in the 70’s. We used to go to buckhorn cove. I remember my parents drinking, smoking pot and eating abalone. That was probably fun for them.

[Bob G]

In 1954 my parents started their 10 year annual lease of a multi-room cabin on the Ten Mile River, upstream from the bridge on the North side of the River, and just to the south of Ferestees’ House. My Great Aunt and Uncle rented a one room cabin on the Ten Mile River starting from the 1930s that was located just downstream from the bridge, also on the north side of the River, and also rented from the Ferestee brothers. In the mid-1960s we dropped our annual lease on the multi-room cabin, and took over the annual lease on the one room cabin from my Great Aunt and Uncle, at $25 per year. Both cabins were right on the River, had outhouses and ice (real ice) boxes. No electricity in the multi-room, so the one room cabin’s electricity was a luxury. Always had boats and a couple of Sea King (?) motors...to reverse the 1 1/2 horse outboard we simply spun the motor around, taking care not to get our clothing caught in the open starter spool...the separate starter ropes for the 1 1/2 and 5 horse were hand-wound then pulled.

We were fishing fools on the Ten Mile, and I also loved the Navarro River. We rarely fished the Noyo.

In the early 1960s my cousins moved to Point Arena which opened up the Garcia River with the Stornettas and Brush Creek with the Biaggis. A little father north were the Golettis. Not real sure that I have spelled these names correctly. I spent a few glorious summer weeks haying and milking cows with Mike Biagi on their ranch along Brush Creek. They had one of the Honda Trail bikes that we would ride out in the morning and the cows would know that it was time to start their walk back to the barn...the ice cold whole milk was glorious. This area was also great for our hunting adventures.

It is getting late back here in Fort Collins, Colorado. After it warms up tomorrow afternoon I will be fishing a Midge hatch on the Poudre River 4 minutes from my home...a rebuilt 1970s graphite Fisher 9’ 2-3 wt paired with an Orvis CFO III lined with a Masterline Chalkstream DT-3-F.

Best, Bob

[boomer4]

Great story, Bob. Thanks for sharing.

[John H]

Memories like that are priceless. Cabin living on the Tenmile cannot be done again. Live well now. Thanks.

[Bob G]

John and Boomer - Thank you for your very meaningful posts. Best, Bob