American River Frustrations

[kelly]

I've been fishing all my life; started fly fishing around 1998. I still consider myself a novice, mainly because I just can't get out as much as I'd like to. I decided to try to learn to fish the Lower American River a couple of years ago but I just can't seem to ever catch anything! I figure it's so close to home and I read so much about some great fishing at times on this message board, it's got to be worth the effort, but I'm getting a little frustrated. So, am I missing something or are people talking up their experiences? I have tried several different flies, different ways of fishing at several different locations. I'm thinking I'm just not on the water when the schools are coming through??

[Jgoding]

What are you fishing for? The American can be tough so don't worry there. A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time too. My observations are the half pounders can be picky as hell, especially when you find them working a run or hatch. You can always catch a few here and there but the quality fresh fish can be tough. I started about 8-9 years ago and I remember every run would have like 10-15 fish working in the evenings but I never caught squat. And thinking back, not sure if I even wanted to hook any of those fish because most of them were probably over 5 lbs. Last few years though have been pretty lean though I would say... hardly ever see working fish where I go and part of that is the river changes so much during high flows the runs probably aren't as good etc... but I really think populations are down too so it can be tough.

I do tend to fish lower in the river though where there aren't as many people (because the fishing typically isn't as good) but I refuse to get in any line etc... or fish where everyone else fishes because well..... honestly I'm going to do it my way even if it's the hard way.

Shad and Striper can be fairly easy, but again, it's mostly about timing and finding fish where you can access them via wading or boat and if flows are right to do so safely. Again, it all changes year to year as I used to pound the shad at Goethe, but the last 4 years.... there hasn't been a school holding there like it did those few years I would fish for them there.

I did go out for half pounders last night... caught a lot of smolts and didn't see any decent fish working at all but it's still early. I know there's a few fish around though and the amount of smolts I saw was a good sign of things to come. All were wild too and very healthy.

[Tony Buzolich]

Kelly, you didn't really say what you wanted to fish for but seeing how it's listed under Salmon/Steelhead it does narrow it down a little. Both fish are in the river for a good part of the year but certain times are better for certain species.

As for shortening the learning curve, hire one of the many guides that are listed through the shop and consider it the least expensive learning experiance you'll ever have. These guides work the river regularly for years and have come to know what's going on where.

Tell them ahead of time that you want to learn areas that you can get to yourself, wading or otherwise. These guys WILL help immensely with getting you better acquainted with what to do, what to use, and where to do it for the most chance of success.

Talk with several guides and you'll get a repore going with one that you feel comfortable with and book him. Ask about half-day, or shared trips, or if you're really on a budget go visit Bill down at Watt Ave. after work. I think this is going to be a very popular happening for Bill and all who attend.
TONY

[Darian]

Good info/stuff provided so far. I'd add that you should get a good map of the river from Nimbus Dam downstream to the mouth (like a AAA map for Sacramento). Then learn each access point and mark it on the map. Next keep a written record (log?) of each trip. What works and what didn't work. Then you'll avoid making the same mistakes over and over.

Finally, as you've already mentioned, you've gotta put in the time. Keep at it, you'll be successful.

[Troutsource]

Kelly,

I've been fly fishing for 30+ years, but, like you, became very frustrated trying to catch the halfpounders (in the fall). Every evening I went down to the river, there were swarms of caddis and fish breaking the surface everywhere, but I could not, for the life of me, catch a fish or even get a decent hit. This went on for several years.

Then, one night, I started reading my old Gary LaFontaine book on Caddisflies (a great read). Based on the book, I concluded the fish weren't hitting the dries, but rather the pupa that were emerging. The dries buzzing around the surface were not insects that were hatching at that moment, but rather from a previous day's hatch. There were, in fact, caddis hatching, but they took off for the bank and did not linger on the surface. The splashy rises resulted from fish chasing the pupas to the surface, not from hitting the dries on the surface. (At least, this was my hypothesis after reading LaFontaine's book). So I started swinging a Fox's Poopah through the tailouts and began catching fish like crazy. That was big lightbulb moment for me. Subsequently, I had my 8-year old son strain the surface of the river one evening under the same circumstances, and he kept pulling out caddis pupa that had evidently been drifting in the meniscus. Plus, we saw some pupa swimming/pulsating on the surface right near the bank. I believe the the down and across swing imitates this behavior. Incidentally, a month ago, I was catching fish hand over fist on the Upper Sac by swinging a DRY Elk Hair Caddis. I haven't tried that on the American yet.

Other people have fished this river much more than I have, and perhaps someone will point out errors in my logic here, but the bottom line is that I found something that started working consistently, at least for the evening caddis.

Keep trying, something will work eventually.

Paul

[kelly]

Thanks for all the great advice and information. You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I truly appreciate the time you took to reply. I'm planning on taking many of your suggestions and continue to work the AR until I get it figured out!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

In the fall (starting late August) when the Half-pounders first come in schools in the lower reaches (from Watt down to River Park) they will hit lots of flies swung in the surface but after they have been in the river for a while they get just like trout and key in on those evening caddis hatches.

Our "old go to set up" for evening fishing in Sept/Oct is to swing a #12/14 caddis pupa on 3x-4x tippet. This would be now from 5pm till dark.

*Right at dark, especially near the willows, you might see a fish or two feeding on adult caddis that are laying eggs on the surface. At this time we will fish a #12/14 adult caddis imitation on 4x tippet. You can cast just above the place were the fish are feeding on top with a dry caddis then as it get near them I will twitch it some or pull it for a few inches quickly to get their attention.

**Also, on rare low water years, in the spring we will have caddis hatches in the riffles in the afternoons. Dries will work then too. This usually up river from Goethe Park to the hatchery.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Kelly,

This was an excellent subject and we understand your situation.

I am sad that they will messing with the flows through September to put in the gravel upriver for the salmon (and steelhead) though.

October should be better......

Some years we have good runs of Half-pounders, some years just OK and some years almost none. If you can hit a good year it is easier to get "bonded" with the fishery.

We do seem to have more "semi-resident" fish in the river now. They seem to be up river more from Goethe Park up.

Another thing to remember is that when the river is very low ( around 1,500 cfs) the caddis hatches are thicker in the evenings.

__________________________________________________ ________________________

My first experience with Half-pounders (smaller Steelhead) on a fly was in the 1960s just above Watt Avenue Bridge. On a very rare occasion they lowered the river to 500 cfs for 2 days to work on the fish ladder/fish screen at the hatchery.

I headed down to the river after work in a sporting goods store that I worked at the time.

I had a fiberglass 6 weight rod with a floating line, tapered leader and a fly that our old Cortland fly line Rep Joe Patterson gave me to try.

It was a Cortland wet fly called a "Shell Back" which was a #12 unweighted nymph that was a dubbed light green body, palmered brown hackle and pheasant tail back and tail.It looked like a shrimp but was probably someones caddis imitation.

I could wade anywhere above the bridge crossing back and forth. I was up in the area with all the clay banks that is 100 yards or more above the bridge.

In the evening, looking down stream in the sunset, you could see tons of caddis emerging with lots of Half-pounders feeding on the in the surface.

Not really knowing what to do with the fly I just stared casting it around and then I let it swing down below me for a minute and I hooked my first fish on a fly. I think it was around 18 inches and hot.

"It was like shooting fish in a barrel....."

I think I hooked a dozen fish in a short while until it got too dark. One I hooked was that rare 5 pounder that screamed down river, jumped several times and then broke me off.

Before that night I would go to the river with my spinning outfit with night crawlers and a fly rod, which I would cast some then give up and get them with the worm.

After that night I gave up the old spinning rod forever.......

.

[Tony Buzolich]

Bill, was that sporting goods store across from the old White Front store on Arden?

In high school and college I used to fish those riffles above Paradise Beach a lot with a similar kind of fly. One of my favorite spots was just below the H St. bridge. You'd cross over from the hop field and wade across to the west side of the river. I got my first good steelhead there on a fly in the 60's too.

I think there's a golf course and a Cadillac dealer there now where the hop fields used to be.
Tony

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill, was that sporting goods store across from the old White Front store on Arden?

In high school and college I used to fish those riffles above Paradise Beach a lot with a similar kind of fly. One of my favorite spots was just below the H St. bridge. You'd cross over from the hop field and wade across to the west side of the river. I got my first good steelhead there on a fly in the 60's too.

I think there's a golf course and a Cadillac dealer there now where the hop fields used to be.
Tony

We probably fished there around the same time.....

I worked at "Sports Unlimited" on Arden Way next to Marie Calendars.

We liked to park by the little golf coarse back in behind the Cadillac dealership. We would walk in and go across the golf coarse at the ditch that ran over to the river. This is the gravel island just above the log hole on the opposite side and below the H street bridge.

That is a good area but need to have a flow under 3,000 cfs.


**Al Perryman and friends ( Jimmy Potter, Cal Guin ) hit a big school there one morning near the island where they hooked over a dozen nice fresh run fish. One was 7 pounds.....

.