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Thread: Ash Camp

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    177

    Default Ash Camp

    Got all the way to the Camp this time. PG&E has not closed the road yet. Pretty soon maybe, I expect I will end up driving over there soon and find the road blocked. I just hope they have opened the road to Upper McCloud at the same time, so I have a close alternate spot.
    Upper Usually opens by the traditional opening day so last Saturday day in April.

    Weather was great, Water was good but a little more color than last week, still 5-6 feet of visibility, Fishing was slow again.

    Pretty good hatch of them bugs mentioned in the last report (BWO) started around 2 but hit its peak closer to three. Good numbers of bugs, no rising fish (darn), no noted improvement in the fishing. It was still slow.

    I hooked 4 and landed two. Pic is the first fish, then my camera man deserted me to go fishing so no pic of the second landed fish (about the same size). Of the other two fish one was a little dink of 7-8 inches that jumped and threw the hook. The other one not landed was big. Really big. But I never got a good look at him, he came up and rolled a few feet under the surface out in the middle of a good size pool and then pulled hard and opened up the hook enough to get off (16 Red Copper John). Ya, I know, get your finger off the spool, fool, USE the drag. Still, I was on 5X, should have broke off before the silly a** hook opened up. From the poor glimpse I got when he rolled it could have been a big brown. Least that’s what I am saying as my excuse for losing him, uncivil words were uttered at the time.

    Lost track of my buddy, but I think he got skunked. Forgot to ask him on the ride back. D’OH

    Bats got in the outhouse again this winter, outhouse was unlocked but not usable.
    Guano everywhere.

    Prognosis for the McCloud this year color wise is poor. The lake by the launch ramp was very off color, I did not get a Pic of it but there were streaks of muddy water floating around out there. By the time we got to the Dam the lake was closer to normal color and there was very little effect on the river as noted above, but I think by tomorrow or the next day when that water by the ramp gets down to the dam there is gonna be a big color change in the river. If you are thinking about trying it towards the end of the week be sure to check on the color, probably best to give Bob a call at the Ted Fay Fly Shop.



    Some Pics added

    Should be in this order:

    The Eddys west of Mt Shasta, where all the snowmelt for the Upper Sac comes from. Pic is taken at somewhere around 4000 Ft so I would guess the bottom of the snow on the mountain is maybe 5,000-6,000 ish. Still a foot or more at Snowmans Hill which is 4700.

    At Ash Camp looking up Hawkins creek.

    Got a Water Pic this time. Including derelict cameraman.

    Bunch of these guys around, Little winter Stone I figure. Interesting bug, these guys are all over the Upper Sac in the winter, I have seen heavy hatches (?) of them, but never any indication the fish care.

    Fish Pic


    I have several more photos including a bunch of the various rocks and trees on the road.
    I seem to be running into a 5 pic limit the way I am currently attaching them. I have the rest in a Google Album. I was thinking about just posting a link here, but maybe not.
    If any members want to see the rest, email me and I will send you the link.
    That won't blow up my email will it? I dunno, 10K members, but only 200-ish active.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Sacramento, Driggs
    Posts
    1,204

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by StevenB View Post
    Got all the way to the Camp this time. PG&E has not closed the road yet. Pretty soon maybe, I expect I will end up driving over there soon and find the road blocked. I just hope they have opened the road to Upper McCloud at the same time, so I have a close alternate spot.
    Upper Usually opens by the traditional opening day so last Saturday day in April.

    Weather was great, Water was good but a little more color than last week, still 5-6 feet of visibility, Fishing was slow again.

    Pretty good hatch of them bugs mentioned in the last report (BWO) started around 2 but hit its peak closer to three. Good numbers of bugs, no rising fish (darn), no noted improvement in the fishing. It was still slow.

    I hooked 4 and landed two. Pic is the first fish, then my camera man deserted me to go fishing so no pic of the second landed fish (about the same size). Of the other two fish one was a little dink of 7-8 inches that jumped and threw the hook. The other one not landed was big. Really big. But I never got a good look at him, he came up and rolled a few feet under the surface out in the middle of a good size pool and then pulled hard and opened up the hook enough to get off (16 Red Copper John). Ya, I know, get your finger off the spool, fool, USE the drag. Still, I was on 5X, should have broke off before the silly a** hook opened up. From the poor glimpse I got when he rolled it could have been a big brown. Least that’s what I am saying as my excuse for losing him, uncivil words were uttered at the time.

    Lost track of my buddy, but I think he got skunked. Forgot to ask him on the ride back. D’OH

    Bats got in the outhouse again this winter, outhouse was unlocked but not usable.
    Guano everywhere.

    Prognosis for the McCloud this year color wise is poor. The lake by the launch ramp was very off color, I did not get a Pic of it but there were streaks of muddy water floating around out there. By the time we got to the Dam the lake was closer to normal color and there was very little effect on the river as noted above, but I think by tomorrow or the next day when that water by the ramp gets down to the dam there is gonna be a big color change in the river. If you are thinking about trying it towards the end of the week be sure to check on the color, probably best to give Bob a call at the Ted Fay Fly Shop.



    Some Pics added

    Should be in this order:

    The Eddys west of Mt Shasta, where all the snowmelt for the Upper Sac comes from. Pic is taken at somewhere around 4000 Ft so I would guess the bottom of the snow on the mountain is maybe 5,000-6,000 ish. Still a foot or more at Snowmans Hill which is 4700.

    At Ash Camp looking up Hawkins creek.

    Got a Water Pic this time. Including derelict cameraman.

    Bunch of these guys around, Little winter Stone I figure. Interesting bug, these guys are all over the Upper Sac in the winter, I have seen heavy hatches (?) of them, but never any indication the fish care.

    Fish Pic


    I have several more photos including a bunch of the various rocks and trees on the road.
    I seem to be running into a 5 pic limit the way I am currently attaching them. I have the rest in a Google Album. I was thinking about just posting a link here, but maybe not.
    If any members want to see the rest, email me and I will send you the link.
    That won't blow up my email will it? I dunno, 10K members, but only 200-ish active.
    As always, thank you for the thorough report

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2023
    Location
    Bay Area ca
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Thanks for the update.

    I had a plan myself to go up to the Mccloud the first weekend of May. Was thinking of camping at Star City campground and just parking at the road closure and walking down.

    Does anybody on the forum Have any information of exactly when they’re going to close the road before the dam in May? I just heard that it’s going to be sometime in May.

    Also, I assume that the flows from the dam still correct with only 184 CFS coming out below the dam? The flows have not moved for some time. So nothing yet over the spillway?

    Thanks for any info - guess we will see next week for any updates

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2023
    Location
    Bay area
    Posts
    12

    Default

    It looks like they closed the road from the dam to pedestrians too...

    "The Hawkins Creek Rd. (11) just below the McCloud reservoir dam down to Ash Camp and Big Bend is currently being worked on by PG&E. While construction is occuring over the next weeks, the work site is under a hard closure, meaning closed to all vehicle AND pedestrian traffic. The only way to access Ash Camp and that section of the McCloud River will be via Iron Canyon Reservoir. The closure does NOT affect access to the McCloud Reservoir Boat launch facility, Ah-Di-Na Campground, The Nature Conservancy lands, and Star City Creek Campground."

    https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/stnf/...telprdb5165648

    It also says Star City is closed

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    177

    Default not yet ?

    Ya, they are going to close the road to pedestrian access but have not yet AFAIK.
    I think that write up you are reading was from the prior road work done last fall, they did close the road to all access back then. Still it will be closed any day now.
    Just talked to Mt. Shasta forest service office and new guesstimate for Dam work is early June, so maybe road will be usable longer than I first thought.

    Verified with Forest service that currently you are allowed to walk past the closure to get to Ash Camp

    Estimate for opening Upper McCloud is May 15, I got the impression that they are waiting for the snow on the trails to melt.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Sonoma County
    Posts
    41

    Default

    Steve,

    Thanks for the update and the pics!

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