Lower Yuba wading options?

[Ralph]

I don't keep tabs on the property, yet I understand that since the river opened in December Gold Country Fly Fishers has been down twice, Granite Bay Flycasters twice, and based on fishing reports, at least two other weekends have been open. . . and it is only February. . . according to amoeba's "facts" they've provided 2 years worth of access in just 10 weeks. It is a safe bet that I'm only hearing about a fraction of the use. Bob, your buddy amoeba is playing you like a carp.

[tallguy]

A couple boy scout groups have also been using the UC access over the last two months for entire weekend campout/fishing trips, in addition to the fishing club trips.

[KJE]

Sounds more like amoeba is right on the money. Limited access for a limited group of people, provided pretty much in secret.

Sure doesn't seem like reasonable public access to me. Public access means that anyone, not just members of certain clubs, can expect to have access at some point during the season. Limiting it to a few clubs is NOT opening it to the public, especially when there is no disclosure of the process. Furthermore, the assertion that UC couldn't hold a raffle due to budget cuts is complete BS - last year they had all of their funding restored. I'm also not sure what is so costly about pulling postcards out of a jar once in a while.

I'm not knocking the clubs - they're looking out for their members and taking advantage of a good opportunity, as they should. I am, however, knocking anyone who believes that this is true public access.

Sounds like some real changes are needed.

[Bob Laskodi]

Well, to be truthful, for starters, I really don't give a poop about the Zooba (surprise huh!). IMNSHO, it's the most overrated place to fish in the state. Not my cup 'o tea fishing in a moonscape mine tailing environ with loads of people, and loads of other people with a get the he77 off my property attitude even though it's completely legal to be in the floodplain (contrary to what most land owners have to say). The Zooba fishes pretty decently, but I have fished it exactly once over the past 3 years. I have much better places to fish in the same time frame that the Zooba fishes decently, much prettier environ, much better fishing, and that no one knows about and isn't discussed on the internet. Haven't seen my favorite fishing place discussed here in years (in any way, shape, or form) and I like it that way. So that's my cup 'o tea. And I have plenty of pics of me & Chris hoisting nice fish from this wonderful place that never see the light of day on this forum. Old history here, but I've been involved in lotsa battles over the years regarding land access, more specifically river/waterway access, whilst employed by the USFS. And I see a disturbing (to me) trend of locking up public access areas to "protect them against the hordes" attitude, especially amongst FF. Again, not my cup o' tea, as that's the origin of my previous quote you took offense to. As far as old Ame playing me, not really, I'm an old dog that don't do new tricks. And any one who actually knows me (and has fished with me) will tell you that I'm a no BS kinda guy, who knows what he's talking about and not afraid to say it, and is influenced and intimidated by no one. And I just happen to agree with Ame on this. As far as opening to local clubs, I suspect that's UC's way of getting around the public access issue. And if those clubs are the same as my local FF club (that I'm VP of), you have to be a member to join in the fishing trips and I'm not really interested in joining every fly club in the state just to access a particular river. Public means public (oh wait, I'm repeating myself), and I don't think what's happening on the Zooba fits my definition of public.
And just to lighten up the tone a bit and to prove I have fished the Zooba here's a few pics of Chris swinging it down and with a nice one!

[amoeba]

From my web research the hatchery was purchased for one dollar...

...In the 1970s, UC Davis purchased the fish hatchery, which ceased operations in the 1950s, from the state Department of Fish and Game for the bargain price of $1 - a transfer procedure, Segale said. "

Nope Cyama - that's not it:

These types of mix of partial-truths and fiction aren't helpful. Truth is that UC rented it from DFG in the 1970's (which the UC-Davis website on the Polaris Hatchery project correctly states). It was a transfer, and was a whole lot more recent than that, I'm not sure about the exact price, but provision of access to the Yuba River was far more important than the money exchanged. I do believe the part about this:

""We always wanted to build a full lab here," said Heather Segale, UC Davis' education and outreach coordinator."

Interesting job title - "education and outreach" - maybe someone can check the facts and do a little bit more of that and be up front. After that, I would expect UC to keep it's end of the bargain and provide the access which was intended. No more do-overs. A deal is a deal.

[amoeba]

great post and pictures, bob (clap x 1000):

Bob doesn't have to agree with me in this case - he simply accepts the truth, and understands what the term "public access" means (which UC and it's country club/fishing club access mentality does not).

Zooba has had it's day; and that hasn't been recent. It is underaccessible, over-run with boasting guides that pound it to smithereens in boats, private land owners (and a University) which throw up barbed wire and signs. It's no wonder to me why you didn't catch fish when you got suckered into going out with a guide on the hitherto "slow day".

Unlike Bob, I do go there more than once every three years; but like Bob - I have better places to go with alot better fisheries, and a whole lot less people, and haven't seen anything written about them anywhere on the web (or for that matter, much in books). Surprising that these still exist in California; but they do - in my case - it is a short list, especially within 2 hours of Sac., and it was all self-discovery.

[cyama]

Amoeba if you are such an expert, tell us all where UC said they will provide unlimited public access to the Yuba. I doubt the agreement says unlimited public access for all....

[Mike O]

I don't think he ever said unlimited public access was part of the agreement. Just "public access". Most of his statements decry the fact that UC seems to thing "public" means "club". I am the one who thinks unlimited public access should be granted to publicly held land.

[Ralph]

Amoeba if you are such an expert, tell us all where UC said they will provide unlimited public access to the Yuba. I doubt the agreement says unlimited public access for all....

Cyama- He hasn't shown anything that mandates UC to provide ANY public access. Based on the blatant BS of much of his screed, I doubt he has ever seen such a contract.

[bigfly]

Not to hijack, but I get tired of the guide slashing/bashing too.
Generally speaking, guides do land more fish than many recreational fishermen.
Practice, practice, practice.
And, it's foolish, and not good for business to say the "product" is there, when it isn't.
I did have a client blanked once on the dooba, they raised the flows from 600 to 3000
the morning we arrived. It was a gratis trip, and will be rescheduled.
Damn dams.

Jim