First time on the Delta

[jbird]

Thanks to Jerryinlodi, A quick family trip to sacramento included a day of exploring the Sacramento Delta. An impessive waterway indeed! It seemed a guy could spend several lifetimes exploring it all.

We saw close to a 40 degree air temperature change from morning to afternoon. The fish were a tad hard to find for us, but we managed to scratch out enough to have a wonderful day. I think we landed over 10 fish. both stripers and largemouth. I caught my first striper ever!....several for that matter. I always look forward to fishing for a species that aggressively feeds. Something you can throw big flies at and strip fast.
I really enjoyed the day and owe Jerry a dept of gratitude for his unmatched hospitality and kindness to some fish bum he met on the internet :D

Thanks again.

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[JerryInLodi]

Jay, as I understand it, it was one of those, "you should have been there 'later' days." The fish apparently really went on the bite about the time we had to quit. We kind of could see that coming from when we pulled in our lines for the last time. They worked the water hard until dark.

Thanks also for not telling anyone I lost the biggest fish by trying to be stubborn and put it on the reel.

It was my pleasure and I'm certainly looking forward to the exchange on the Rogue next September. It will be fun to re-visit some places I've fished in years past.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Jerry & Jbird

This is wonderful.......you two getting together.

Now when JB reads about all this chatter about the Delta he knows what their talking about.

Isn't that a wonderful place down there? You could spend a lifetime in that water way and probably never see it all.

It is great that many of us just love to get out in nature and fly fish for anything now days.

Boats are cool...........

Photos are wonderful.

[Hairstacker]

Jerry, those are some decent largemouths. 8) Did you get 'em on your chartreuse/white super bugger?

Jay, those stripers are fun, aren't they? Good fighting fish. Good to hear you got a chance to see and experience the Delta and get an inkling of why we enjoy it so much. In most places, it's sloughs and waterways. In other places, it's like a lake. And in some places, it's like being on a farm pond. Gotta love the Delta!

Jbird

Looks like you guys had a nice day out on the Delta. Some good fish pictures too. If anyone can find Bass out there, it will be Jerry. You guys are making me home sick with this talk about an exchange for the Rogue. What the heck, I have a boat sitting here all gassed up and ready to head out to the Delta for some Stripers.

Here are a couple of exchanges I would be interested in:

The middle Rogue usually comes in in about the 15th of January and runs through March. I like to start with breakfast at Buzz’s Wheel-In Café in Merlin. Drift from Indian Mary down to Almeda. During this time of the year in the Medford area I like a drift from Denman Wildlife Area down to Tou Velle State Park. (the gate key used to be available at the ODFW Office in White City)

Side Drifting Flies is great because the Rogue has channels that the steelhead travel up (deep one side) I stay in the slower current. Excuse me for getting carried away about steelhead fishing. :lol:

[JerryInLodi]

Hairstacker, no, we were DEDICATED striper fishermen who just seemed unable to get away from the LMB. They're like vermin, EVERYWHERE!

Jay started out with a smaller gray clouser pattern but after I stuck a few fish on my 2/0 chartreuse clouser, he switched over and used the same. I think the super flashtail bugger would have worked just as well but since Jay only had a short time, (about 8:30-2:30 actual fishing time) we wanted to stay with something that worked rather than experiment. We spent the first half of the day looking for big fish and then, the second half, just looked for any fish!

P.S.: Why is it that I look like Brad Pitt in my mind and Broderick Crawford in photographs!

[sculpin]

Jay you dog. :roll:
Great report guys. It's great to hear you had a decent trip on the Delta.
Jay told me he was heading down there and I have been waiting for the report to show up.

Mark

[jbird]

Jerry

It doesnt suprise me the fishing turned on after we quit. Thats pretty much my life story :lol: I kinda had a feeling that would happen with how cold and still it was in the morning. A warm afternoon breeze can do wonders for ANY water.
In retrospect, Those first places we fished, we werent using the hot fly. Things may have been different if we were.

Hairstacker. You are right! I was pleasantly suprised with how hard they do fight. They also hit really hard. I hooked one that I really felt like I had to get it on the reel cause it was really pullin. It turned out to be about 15". They remind me of smallmouth.

Bill. I REALLY wanted to stop by your shop. Just got too pressed for time. I like to collect hats and at the VERY least wanted to get a Kiene hat. I'll just have to come back :wink:

Mark. It was really fun down there. The first striper I caught was on the exact same fly that had been in the mouth of a roosterfish in June. Those little stripers are NOT afraid of a big fly.
If you and I go down there, we'll have to look up Jerry again. That place is such a maze, I might as well have been blind folded and taken there. I couldnt find where he took me if my life depended on it.

Jay