And if not, when will they be here? Also is it even ethical to fish for them this year? Thanks!
NK
And if not, when will they be here? Also is it even ethical to fish for them this year? Thanks!
NK
Ours usually show up in the lower American river from Watt Ave down to Paradise Beach in late August.
Early and late in the day is the best timing for them with small flies swung in the surface.
The lower Klamath and lower Rogue rivers are the most famous for Half-pounder Steelhead.
They could be in any Valley river in the Fall below the first dam from the ocean.
Bill answered your question about half-pounders. Back when I was fishing for them, I started in mid to late August. So with that in mind, Salmon may already be in the American. You can spot where they're holding seeing them roll on the surface of deep holes or you can go up to the hatchet area and look for them in those pools. I almost always fished for them where the old foot bridge in Fair Oaks crossed the river.
As to the Feather River, Tony Buzolich made a post about this in another/earlier thread mentioned that Salmon were located downstream from the after bay outlet. Didn't appear to be too many in the low flow area. There was some discussion about water temps in that thread as well.
I'll leave the ethics of fishing for them under these conditions to you/others.
Maybe 15-20 years ago Andy Guibord, Chuck Campana and Joe Shirshac were wading for Fall King Salmon below the Goethe/River
Bend bridge on the lower American river. I believe they said that the salmon came in all summer in small numbers but Oct/Nov was
when they were in large enough numbers to catch them on a fly rod while wading.
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As Darian mentioned there is a big salmon hole above the Sunrise highway bridge. Al Perryman use to fly fish for salmon there in the
fall from a small anchored pram. He said he tied up a Gold Comet with a soft hackle and marabou tail to give more action in the very
deep still water.
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About 50 years ago hundreds of boats would be trolling for salmon right at Sacramento State College where the water pumping station
is now. Some where even going out very early with electric tiller trolling motors. There were many bank fishers too on the college side.
I watch a troller run his boat right up on the bank, get out and break a bank fisherman's rod into.
Back in those 'good old days' there were hundreds of boats trolling at the mouth of the American river and all the way up to Hwy 80.
50 years ago almost anyone could catch stripers, salmon or steelhead around Sacramento because the numbers of fish were so high.
It was so good back then that many bank fishermen did well too.
Bill,
I started counting backwards and I graduated from Sac State College fifty years ago too. Yes, my dad and I fished the American a lot way before that. Used to walk over to the Hwy.80 bridge and watch salmon and stripers swimming by as it was being built.
Here's a nice salmon I took a couple of years ago just below the power lines at Ancil Hoffman park. There was plenty of water then in July and you could see fish stacking up behind big rocks in the fast water. I was using a large Popsicle fly in orange and purple marabou. I'd cast and as the fly drifted by his rock he'd come out and try to chase it away. After several passes he finally got ahold of it and it was game on. I wish I had a 10wt. in that fast water but he did finally come in for a quick picture.
Tony
https://i.imgur.com/4gfUBj7.jpg?1
This time of year, August, I would be on the water as early as humanly possible.
Real early most fish a little higher in the water column with a dark fly.
Top water is usually good with low light levels and low wind too.
My old buddy Al Perryman starts fishing the middle Rogue river for Steelhead in June/July, I think.
He goes out extremely early every morning through October.
Fisheries veteran Denis Lee told me that Al has changed the definition of "Dark Thirty"......he is driving with he headlights on.
If you fish with top local skiff guide Maury Hatch you will be on the water before anyone else.
Especially in the warmer months.
Get out real early and be done by noon to beat the heat.
I was kayak bass fishing the delta out of Arrowhead Harbor yesterday and saw a few schools of 25-50 "little fish" that looked like baby salmon or trout. I could not figure out what they were and they got spooked by any baits I threw. I thought maybe they were squawfish...
Could it actually be half pounders? or baby salmon??
I went to the AR this morning in search of half pounders. No takes on indicator fishing or swinging flies. Saw a salmon (or something else huge) midway up the river, holding in a deep pool. Saw another fish jump at the tail end of a riffle, at the top of the same pool.
At least it was a beautiful day. And the first chilly morning I've experienced in a while.
All the Valley rivers might get too low and too warm for salmon or Steelhead except the Sacramento river.
Just saw that the current flows are about 650 cfs - I have to think that the temps are above 70 in most of the river. I’d hope everyone thinks twice about stressing fish at those temps. I’m not planning on hitting it until the flows pick back up, which may not be until mid -winter (and please let it happen then).