American Report

[WinterrunRon]

The water has cleared considerably and the flows keep dropping. I'm always have a couple guys upstream and down from me at Sailor's Bar, fly and gear, and I have yet to get a tug or see someone else hook up. Four boats launching late this morning as well. Another two hours of casting resulting in zippo. Are there actually any fish in that river? Seems like just a few short years ago I was hooking some real toads every week in January! Man, have times a changed or what!

[Mark Kranhold]

Got played for a fool this a.m. Had a take on the f#*#in dangle. I hate that take, that's one of the hardest hook sets to play[rollin the dice]. Ohh, Ahh, Nope, Nadda ,,,DAMN it. Oh well ,fished some beautiful water nice to get out. What a spectacular day tho!

[flyguy1]

fished salior bar area from 7:30 to 11:30. tried black and purple leach and small egg sucking leach (black) for nothing. Tried a small spoon on the spey, hooked one briefly on the dangle. Ran at me, felt a little pull and then ran at me again, then gone. At least I briefly felt a fish. First one in 5 times out since the opener. Mark, I hate the dangle too. I may have to try the small spoon again, especially if i don't get them to take the fly.

sk

[Dan Harrison]

Now these are the kind of reports that only a steelheader can respect. Talking about thinning the crowds more reports like these and we will be on are way. Only a few would want to head out after hearing about skunks from good steelheaders. Nice reports guys.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you live here in Sacramento, not far from the river, I would go down and put some time in.

When I was first fly fishing for Steelhead in the American River those old timers, the "Geezer patrol", told me to "keep my fly in the water" if I wanted to catch them.

There are maybe a dozen guys who just fish the river all the time and they catch fish.

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We have really big winter-run steelhead in the river every year in December through February.

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Then in March/April/May we have some wild medium size adult wild spring-run Steelhead (4-6#) and a new batch of Half-pounders (12-16").

If the water is down below 3,000 cfs these spring fish will be eating small salmon, crayfish, sculpin and caddis.

Andy Guibord and I really love that spring fishing.

It goes on in all the "valley rivers" each spring as long as the flows are down.

[Jed Peters]

I think I must be lucky.

This, from yesterday am.

[Mark Kranhold]

Nymphin or the Swing?

[Jed Peters]

Nymphin or the Swing?

All the fish this year have been nymphing.... I know, "dirty nymper...."

[Troutsource]

Fished mid-river 6:30-9:30 this morning, got zippo, not even a hit, swinging an articulated leech on a switch rod. Didn't even see any fish. Saw one other guy with a spey rod, but didn't see him get any action either. Encountered a spin caster who claims he caught 14 steelhead the last 2 weeks. He was using a spinner with a bead above it and has been fishing the river for 40 years.

[Bruce Berman]

I think we're in one of those tough, closed windows when fish were caught before and will be caught after. I heard that when the flows were under 8K, there were fish caught close to shore. You've got to keep them out of the heavy flows, though, or they're 1/4 mile downstream before you know it. As the flows dropped the fish moved further into the river. I don't know where they are now. Fished 3 days and landed 2 wet fly fishing egg patters. Now that the river is clearing it's gotten tougher. Feb. is always good. Fresher fish should come into the system at some point. Things should pick up then...we can hope!