Yellow Creek/Humbug Valley

[bearflag]

Anyone out there had a chance to get in here for a look since the post-fire logging began last fall? The fishing has certainly deteriorated over the past few years and I can't imagine this will help.

Seems that both Cal Trout and DFW have had their interest reawakened of late to this deterioration. Upstream habitat degradation, whirling disease, and questionable erosion control have taken their toll on what was once a truly unique California spring creek. It has always been tough to fish but persistence was rewarded. Now the trophy rainbow/brown fishery has turned into just another brookie chase. They make a good seviche but that ain't why I go there. Thanks to Bill Wickliffe and Jerry Balasek for building a fire under the bureaucracy. Maybe this prize stream can be revived.

[Barnett]

Anyone out there had a chance to get in here for a look since the post-fire logging began last fall? The fishing has certainly deteriorated over the past few years and I can't imagine this will help.

Seems that both Cal Trout and DFW have had their interest reawakened of late to this deterioration. Upstream habitat degradation, whirling disease, and questionable erosion control have taken their toll on what was once a truly unique California spring creek. It has always been tough to fish but persistence was rewarded. Now the trophy rainbow/brown fishery has turned into just another brookie chase. They make a good seviche but that ain't why I go there. Thanks to Bill Wickliffe and Jerry Balasek for building a fire under the bureaucracy. Maybe this prize stream can be revived.

I was there recently and it didn't look very different than the pictures I had seen from the time before the Chipps fire (but I had not seen the area in person before). I only fished for about an hour, with no signs of life. I poked around at a few more spots to try to at least see evidence of fish, but couldn't even spook any.

[EricO]

I've been there several times. Sure is one gorgeous setting. If fishing isn't important, camping there sure is nice. Only 10 or so
sites and all pretty close to the creek.

Having said that, for fishing I won't go back. Too many dinks, and sounds like it may be dead now. I'd always heard of big browns
in there, but all I ever caught were several 10" browns. But again, one gorgeous setting.

EO

[bearflag]

I've been going there every spring for 20+ years and my friends for close to 30. Cal Trout volunteers put an enormous effort into instream works and building a split rail fence to keep the cattle out and it paid off. Up until about 10 years ago the fishing was tremendous, a mix of rainbows and browns, with only the rare brookie in the mix. Then something happened and the fishery began to collapse. What troubles me is that this was pretty common knowledge to both CalTrout and DFW but as far as I can tell, nothing was done about it beyond documenting it. I'm hoping that these agencies follow through with promises to remedy the situation. I know this won't happen overnight and I urge interested folks to carry on with the cage rattling. It is a very tough place to fish without crawling on your belly but the rewards were often great. We made a point of keeping pretty quiet about Yellow Creek but the only way we will see recovery is to get a few more folks agitated!

See, I'm not making this up!

[EricO]

So the old stories are true!!

I agree....I'd love to see it come back. One of the prettiest places I've fished.

EO

[ycflyfisher]

I don't remember the specifics of who, but someone was going to do a ~half million dollar pond and plug restoration project on Yellow Creek and the meadow last year but the Chips Fire happened and I'm guessing that work was postponed until this year. Google "pond and plug" for the specifics.

[bearflag]

Last I heard Plug&Pond is on hold indefinitely. Also a concern is PG&E deeding their interests in the Valley to the Mountain Maidu Consortium some time in the next year. What this will mean to the public's future use is anyone's guess.

[thekid]

They did exist in the 90's. Here's a real legend holding a dry fly caught beauty.

[Troutstalker55B]

Nice grab out of the archives Kid, Yoda is looking rather young in the picture. Dad and I used to fish there quite a bit as well in the 70's - Good memories and good fishing.

We got to fish soon, give me a shout when you're free.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

A old friend Bob Long use to fish it every June for decades. He said it got a Green Drake hatch. He said you had to be very quiet because the fish were spooky.

We all read about the great work they did on it back in the 1970s.

http://www.plumasnews.com/index.php?...-news&Itemid=6