20 years after the spill on the Upper Sac....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...t_7&id=8126390

[Jaybinder]

It would be very interesting to read any firsthand accounts you guys have. What were the days and weeks following the spill like? Was Trinity lake affected? Anyone on the river the day it happend? Tell us your stories.

[Dave Neal]

Whoa. Hard to imagine that WAS 20 years ago! Time is really flying by...

Glad they stuck to the plan of letting the wild trout repopulate, instead of rushing in to re-plant with pellet fed junkies.

If I remember correctly, many of the wild trout were up the tributaries spawning, but the aquatic insect food base was impacted by the spill. Nature is an amazing fixer when we just leave it alone.

I don't get an opportunity to fish the Upper Sac, but very rarely, it's such a beautiful river. Anyone within a couple hours of there... you are so lucky to have that river!!!

[NorCalDrifter56]

I agree! Having the Sacramento river (upper and lower) as my fishing backyard is a luxury.

The upper Sac is a jewel and the spill was like a sucker punch to the gut for all of us locals. Its hard to explain but I remember feeling disrespected by the southern part of the State. I understood that it was an accident...but with other environmental accidents fresh in my memory and the the politices of how California uses (misuses) its water made it feel like no one really cared. It was devistating. The railroad put up a little planted pond near the Railroad Park (little resort) and the debate about how to recover raged on.

New protections were placed on the bridge and over time the river has recovered spectacularly, and my skepticism has subsided.

Of course recently the 'powers that be' have decided to raise the flows on the McLoud and the Pit...hmmmm......(insert the sound of exasperation here).

I am sure that over time we fishermen will adjust to the new conditions.... and nature will cover our tracks much like it did with the upper Sac.

Curtis Cole
NorCaldrifter56@yahoo.com
California Guide, Licensed and Bonded

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My 2 favorite times to fish the Upper Sac are somewhere around June, depending on the weather and snow pack each year and in the late fall, mid-October to mid-November.

If you go up there be sure to contact the "Ted Fay Fly Shop" before you go to get some accurate info.

There are lots of places to stay and camp too.

Lots of good restaurants.

If you want to really learn the river I would go the first day with a good local guide.

The fact that this river is open to Shasta Lake and has a great cold summer flow from underground springs make it a winner.

[JayDubP]

I remember visiting the Upper Sac about 3-4 weeks after the spill- the river looked like it had been scrubbed. No vegetation at all, just really clean rocks-- and no signs of life in the water.

The about 6-8mos later I drove by and stopped at Simms-- and saw one trout swimming and then some fish feeding on the surface (mosquitos?)-- Can't tell you the pleasure that gave me-- sign that the river was recovering.

Now to me the Upper Sac is a magical place-- a place that is owed respect for coming back.
I am not an overly religious man, but I am glad God chose to let us fish it again.

[Rich Morrison]

Boy do I remember when I heard what had happened. My Dad and I had been up there for three days camping at Sims Flat and fishing all over the area just two weeks before the spill. I remember being heartbroken as well as thankful that I had a chance to fish it before it was gone forever. I'm glad to know I was wrong about that bit.

[Brig Jones]

I live in Redding with a wealth of excellent waters close at hand. Despite this, the upper Sac is my favorite. I usually fish it once per week after run off. I was fishing at simms three days before the spill. From my perspective, it has made a good recovery, far better than I dared hope back then.

This not a scientific observation, but I think the spill has affected the hatches and insect "demographics." Gone are the prodigious caddis hatches near dark. They hatch now in smaller numbers, and seem to share the waters with more stoneflies and mayflies.

I am glad that hatchery trout were not used to restore the fishery. I also enjoy the new regs allowing fishing year round, despite the fact that I rarely do well in the winter on the upper Sac.

Brig Jones, Redding.

[Jgoding]

Maybe it's changed since I fished it last, but we fished it the first year it was open after the spill I believe. I remember being amazed on a couple evenings. We caught lots of fish in the 14"-16" range and the caddis hatches were epic.

I just remember taking a break from fishing one evening and looking upriver.... There was a cloud of caddis coming off along with some octobers I think (something really big). At the peak of the hatch there must have been 10-20 fish coming completely out of the water at any given moment along with tons of rising fish... it was amazing to see. I remember tying a huge deer hair winged bug and tossing it into a riffle... I got a huge grab and for two seconds line just screamed off my reel as the fish tore upriver and then it was gone.... my heart was pounding for a bit after that one....

[Brig Jones]

I seem always to fish Simms, but do fish as high as the canyon on occassion. So maybe my experience is affected by location.

Here the difference as I see it. Pre spill, you could take you time driving up, because you could absolutely bank on clouds of caddis coming off about 45 minutes before dark. Now, such happens but far less often. Some nights just fizzle out.

Fly list is short: elk hair caddis, prince nymph, size 18 or smaller may fly nymph--black, dark lord, stonefly nymphs, and caddis emerger.

according to calendar, add stonefly adults, green drake, and October Caddis

lots of others work; these are consistently good.

Best of all: strong pre spill fish have returned.