Shad are at the mouth of the Feather now.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

In the next 6 or 8 weeks or more you need to get there, probably in a boat.


Some of us old timer have had some wonderful experiences at the mouth of the Father river, entering the Sacramento river.

It has been a famous Shad destination for over 50 years but Stripers can be caught there too.

The Feather river has Smallmouth all the way upstream from the mouth to Gridley.

There are some spring run Stripers in the Feather river right now too.

When both rivers are low you can wade the big sandbar at the mouth.

We not only use to be albe to part all along the levee but actually drive down on the side of the levee.

This might be a year for doing that. It can be a little dangers so don't walt off the end of the sand bar.

In spring time during the draught of the late 1970s there might be 30 fly fishers wading there for Shad.

Today it is mostly anchored boats with some famous local guides there too.

Access in very limited today so you might have to launch a boat to get to the sand bar?


_______________________________________

One afternoon in the late 1970s Don Rotsma (Davis Lake Don) and I went to the mouth of the Feather river.

We parked on the levee and walk down onto the giant sand bar to meet up with a large bunch of CFFU members.

They were all wade fishing for Shad and it was very good as you can imagine "back in the day."

At sunset most of them went home but Don was breaking in a new 9 weight fiberglass fly rod he had just made.

Earlier that day he bought a new Scientific Angler "System 9" fly reel (Hardy made).

We loaded it up with backing, mono shooting line and a fast sinking 30' SA #10 HiD shooting head.

At about 10 pm as we were giving it our best to hook a Striper and huge school of Line Side showed up at the mouth.

We landed about a dozen Stripers from 10 to 20 pounds and then Don got a back lash in his mono running line.

We went back in on dry sand and got out a flashlight to try to get the snarl out of his new mono running line.

After we got it straightened out in was midnight and Don said let's cast a few more.

I said OK and Don hooked a monster Striper that was only going one way, down stream.

Don waded out and down the sand bar to the top if his waders and it finally brought off.


Right after that in the pitch dark local fly fishing legend Larry Cullens rowed over in his pram to say 'hello'.

I guess in the quiet he could hear us laughing and screaming. Behind his pram, floating on a streamer, was some 30lbers.

https://www.billkiene.com/forums/sho...ns-passes-away


We loaded up 6 Stripers in the middle floor of my new 1978 VW bus and headed home.

Don had a crazy idea so at 1PM we stopped at Bob and Peggy Giannoi's home and woke them up.

Bob came and looked at the carnage and we were all laughing link crazy.


_____________________________________________

One morning back then at one of my little fly shops professor Bill King from Sac State parked at my front door.

I walked out side to say Hello and Bill open the front trunk of his old VW bug to show me a 32# Striper.

He had just caught it wading at the mouth of the Feather river and said he was going to try for the 8# World fly record.

He had the fly, leader and one foot of his fly line saved to send in to the IGFA after he got a good certified weight.

______________________________________

All Perryman had the 6# fly IGFA record for Striped Bass with a 25#er back then (American in December?)

Ron Hayashi (merchant marine) had the 44# fly record on 10#? back then too.(Mouth of the Feather river)

Both of these guys are World Class fly fishers........

________________________________________

I spent 50 plus years in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento so I caught write a story like these every day for years.

[Carl Blackledge]

Bill,

I love all those old stories.....after hearing them , It might be why I claim the fishing ain't worth a crap now a days, and it isn't compared to then

Carl

[Dave T]

Thanks Bill! Great Stories indeed!
Is it fairly obvious over there by the mouth where there's decent access, if trying to wade?

Thanks!
Dave

In the next 6 or 8 weeks or more you need to get there, probably in a boat.


Some of us old timer have had some wonderful experiences at the mouth of the Father river, entering the Sacramento river.

It has been a famous Shad destination for over 50 years but Stripers can be caught there too.

The Feather river has Smallmouth all the way upstream from the mouth to Gridley.

There are some spring run Stripers in the Feather river right now too.

When both rivers are low you can wade the big sandbar at the mouth.

We not only use to be albe to part all along the levee but actually drive down on the side of the levee.

This might be a year for doing that. It can be a little dangers so don't walt off the end of the sand bar.

In spring time during the draught of the late 1970s there might be 30 fly fishers wading there for Shad.

Today it is mostly anchored boats with some famous local guides there too.

Access in very limited today so you might have to launch a boat to get to the sand bar?


_______________________________________

One afternoon in the late 1970s Don Rotsma (Davis Lake Don) and I went to the mouth of the Feather river.

We parked on the levee and walk down onto the giant sand bar to meet up with a large bunch of CFFU members.

They were all wade fishing for Shad and it was very good as you can imagine "back in the day."

At sunset most of them went home but Don was breaking in a new 9 weight fiberglass fly rod he had just made.

Earlier that day he bought a new Scientific Angler "System 9" fly reel (Hardy made).

We loaded it up with backing, mono shooting line and a fast sinking 30' SA #10 HiD shooting head.

At about 10 pm as we were giving it our best to hook a Striper and huge school of Line Side showed up at the mouth.

We landed about a dozen Stripers from 10 to 20 pounds and then Don got a back lash in his mono running line.

We went back in on dry sand and got out a flashlight to try to get the snarl out of his new mono running line.

After we got it straightened out in was midnight and Don said let's cast a few more.

I said OK and Don hooked a monster Striper that was only going one way, down stream.

Don waded out and down the sand bar to the top if his waders and it finally brought off.


Right after that in the pitch dark local fly fishing legend Larry Cullens rowed over in his pram to say 'hello'.

I guess in the quiet he could hear us laughing and screaming. Behind his pram, floating on a streamer, was some 30lbers.

https://www.billkiene.com/forums/sho...ns-passes-away


We loaded up 6 Stripers in the middle floor of my new 1978 VW bus and headed home.

Don had a crazy idea so at 1PM we stopped at Bob and Peggy Giannoi's home and woke them up.

Bob came and looked at the carnage and we were all laughing link crazy.


_____________________________________________

One morning back then at one of my little fly shops professor Bill King from Sac State parked at my front door.

I walked out side to say Hello and Bill open the front trunk of his old VW bug to show me a 32# Striper.

He had just caught it wading at the mouth of the Feather river and said he was going to try for the 8# World fly record.

He had the fly, leader and one foot of his fly line saved to send in to the IGFA after he got a good certified weight.

______________________________________

All Perryman had the 6# fly IGFA record for Striped Bass with a 25#er back then (American in December?)

Ron Hayashi (merchant marine) had the 44# fly record on 10#? back then too.(Mouth of the Feather river)

Both of these guys are World Class fly fishers........

________________________________________

I spent 50 plus years in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento so I caught write a story like these every day for years.

[Darian]

Dave T.... Not sure but immediate shoreline access at Verona (mouth of the Feather) may be restricted as the property is in the hands of tribal ownership. Owners of surrounding properties appear to be restricting access as well. Boating access is more reliable. Can't confirm it but I've been told that current owners allow launching for a fee....

[Dave T]

Dave T.... Not sure but immediate shoreline access at Verona (mouth of the Feather) may be restricted as the property is in the hands of tribal ownership. Owners of surrounding properties appear to be restricting access as well. Boating access is more reliable. Can't confirm it but I've been told that current owners allow launching for a fee....

Thanks! I’ll figure it out

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would so much love to see someone fishing the mouth of the Feather river.

Maybe some pictures?

I can post them?

[Dave T]

Hey Bill,

I was out at the Feather river mouth on 4/9, but only had an hour or so to fish. I met two guys also looking for access and a good spot to fish. They said they had local info and that the shad were only found in the Sacramento and did not come up with the feather river. So I followed them about a mile south down River. Plant Growth was heavy all along the levee and river but there were numerous access trails, cars parked on the levee, etc. While I couldn’t cast far enough out into the Sacramento to fish it effectively, there were about ten bankies spin fishing and catching some, plus a few boats anchored.

There were two or three right at the mouth but on the Sacramento Channel side. And, sorry I did not see your photo request or I would gladly have taken one. I would rather have stayed, in hindsight, And fished at the mouth. It looked quite shallow enough to wade out the spot you had mentioned. And of course, the feather looked clear next to the darker water in the Sacramento and the spot just looked fishy to me. Any idea if shad also run up the Feather. My hunch is that they would, but I’ve no direct experience or info…?

If I get back over there, I’ll take a photo for sure!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

and Stripers?