Originally Posted by
yubaman
Daguerre does have 2 fish ladders, but removing the dam would be great! It's main purpose is for debris control as well as a hydraulic monitor to help regulate water distribution to agricultural uses. I would bet it would entail one hell of a fight with the rice farmers to make anything happen with a removal?
I have fished the private water above the UC property for a few years now. I was really disappointed in the changes up there myself. Some of the best water was just ground into these featureless, straight runs. The first turn out of the narrows was fantastic the last few years . . . not much there now. Below that about 400 yards was the section of water I liked the most. Again mostly ground out. It seemed like the area where the water has really improved, especially for wade fishing, is below the island, well downstream. The Foundation hole has lost most of the great riffle that dumped into the hole. The best section of salmon redds on the river were up here as well, at the Upper put-in on the private property. It was just packed with fish only a year ago. I was wondering what would happen up there as the gravel was replaced with large sized cobble. It's part of the life of the river unfortunately.
When the river had another epic blowout, I want to say in about 2007(?), fishing was very tough for a couple of years, and then it exploded. Hopefully the same will happen here.
I cannot theorize on why the salmon have not returned to the Yuba. I heard the return was almost non-existent this year? I wonder what the final count was that went through the ladders at Daguerre? My educated guess for the trout is a severe depletion of food source resulted in mortality and a movement of the population. The streambed was really moved, and with it went much of the food in the system. In turning rocks when I have been up, the food source has become so minuscule right now, I am sure it would not support the previous population of fish in the river. I would bet the ranch that in a few years, the Yuba will be back as good as ever. I hope that is the case.
One good thing that has come of this for me, is diversifying my fishing locations. I got to where I was grabbing my gear and heading to the Yuba, Truckee or Trinity. This has helped get me searching out and fishing new waters once again.
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