The Pit

[Jeff Fisher]

Gearing up for our tri-annual trip to the Pit this weekend. Of course it will be incredible fishing as usual.

However, I was just thinking about how different the Pit is compared to the other rivers in CA or anywhere, actually. I've fished 100's of places and have never seen a river like it. The most defining charateristic is not the amazing #'s of fish, or bugs, or lack of people, but the actual river bottom itself!

In my experience, there is no river that has such a unique wading experience as the Pit. Those of you who have fished it, know what I mean. Even though I've fished it many many times, I still come away thinking how unique it is (and how sore I am after).

So....here's the question. Anyone know of a river (CA or elsewhere) that is similar to the Pit. The only one I can come up with that is only vaguely similar in some spots is the remote canyon section of the Calaveras.

[Jeff C.]

Hey Fisher! Hope you and EDawg slay em' as usual. Maybe this time you'll school Eric high sticking.

[fj40]

The only one I can think of is the Crooked river in Oregon but it is not as deep as the pit. It has the big/slippery boulders and no visability but rarley does it go higher than waders. I usually have sore shins and get wet at both places! Let us know how it goes

[bigfly]

Can't think of another river like the Pit.
I got some kids soccer shin guards for it (worn inside waders).
And, don't forget your staff.
Too me, whats tuff about that water, is the likely-hood of not being able to chase Walter if you do hook up.
You just do the queens wave. LATER!

Jim

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My brother Dick, myself and some special old friends have fished the Pit River for about 40 years.

It gets in your blood.

It will probably never be crowded because the wading is very difficult, it has poison oak and most don't understand the river.

When I first saw the movie, "A River Runs Through it", I thought of my brother and I fishing on the Pit River.


We like to fish it around June and again from mid-September through October.

[wineslob]

I still have dreams about the sections I fished (James B Black PH and the reach above Big Bend.. 3.. I think?) Tough, tough, fishing, but watching the rainbows rising makes your blood boil, in a good way.
I'm still in awe of the fish that schooled me just above the PH.