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RETURN to Putah Creek Trout -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing Forum -> Other Rivers, Streams and Lakes -> American River 01/28
Post Info TOPIC: American River 01/28
ChucktheDuck


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American River 01/28
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Well, had another fun day on the American.  This time I had the pleasure of fishing with two good guys Brian and Eric (Lilwhippersnapper).  We hit the river before dawn only to find that the spot we were supposedly going to "hog all day" already had some hardcore steelie hunters fishing it.  I silently smiled as I walked up to meet the other guys and saw Brian rollcasting on the opposite bank (no offense man I just love the irony) but it only gets sweeter.  Thank the fish gods for angling etiquette because the dudes fishing there just so happened to be Dave Sloan from American fly and one of his clients.  Dave is a great guy and an awesome guide, he let us know that he'd be getting out of there around noon and we could jump in after him.  We gladly obliged and fished some other areas for a while with no takes.  Around noon those guys shoved off without a nibble and let us take over.  We spread out along the lower run and took turns fishing the best seams.  After about an hour I hooked up and landed a nice 23" wild buck that took a #12 flying circus caddis.  After that it got slow again for another couple of hours.  Towards the evening I hooked up with another steelie, this time a fat hatchery hen  around 22" that put up a good fight.  As it got dark morale was low and it looked as if I was going to be the only one that hooked up today, but low and behold Brian stuck into another hog and after a short battle brought to net a dark colored 30" wild buck.  It was a very exciting moment and for a second there we scrambled like kids at recess trying to net the thing and get a picture taken, but we ended up with a good release and some nice photos to finish off the day.  Lilwhippersnapper had a rough day, but I know he'll get one next time.  Overall it was really great having some friends around and it made me wish those guys were there when I caught my beast on saturday.  Here are some pics from a day well spent. 
Chuck

p.s. If you have any opinions about etiquette or actions of any person involved in this thread please keep them to yourselves or PM that individual.  Those of us that use this forum to enjoy ourselves, learn new things, and let others share in our experiences find that criticisms and personal attacks only take away from the board.  On a personal note I always try to be courteous and friendly out on the water.  I think one thing we can all agree on is that fishing IS about more than just catching fish.

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shon42073


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Sounds like you guys had some fun, Way to go ! Nice fish Brian !

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JT


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Chuck,
Nice fish.  Thanks for the report and for the pictures.  I wish I could have been out there as well, but family and school kept me off the water this week.  We'll have to hook up again soon.

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Chris Laskodi


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Nice fish guys. I especially like the 2nd fish, talk about a chrome chunker. And we see Brian with a steelhead! Finally shuts up all those doubters.



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ONEWEIGHT


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The thing that's neat about what you guys have done . . . steelhead fishing is tough going.  You don't always get fish.  Man, you guys have had some nice fish the last few times you've gone!!!!!!  What a blast, way to go.

Bob

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dtp916


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Very nice, that's what i like to see, PICS.

Right on guys.

What happen with Sloany, did he get his client into fishies?




-- Edited by dtp916 at 22:33, 2008-01-28

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Lahontan


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Nice one's Chuck...great report.  Beautiful fish!

BC ... that thing looks prehistoric ... AWSOME! I bet that one gave you a tussle! What kind of stick you gents using? Spey rod(s)? 8 wt?

Hey Whipper ... law of averages, brother...your past due! When your number comes up, hold on tight ... it'll be one heck of a ride!

Thanks for the effort chuck!



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timmosazz


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Right on. Puting in the time payed off. I was hoping to hook up with you guys but gat stuck at work. Hey chuck are you tying your own flying circus caddis? If so is the hackle black saddle or what? If you dont mind sharing. Tim

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LilWhippersnapper


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Thanks Lahontan. I know I'll hook up sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.
Chuck was using his 7wt. I was using Brian's telephone pole, and he was using his 6wt. And if anybodies gonna give him flack for using a 6wt, he got that biggen to net in about 3 minutes. Actually, all the fish came in pretty quickly.

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brian clemens


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thanks chuck for puttin up the pics, thanks eric for the backin on the 6wt. it aint easy but it sure is fun on the 6wt. and most of all thanks for being there guys. its a blast fishing and gettin away, but its much more fun when you have friends there with you to enjoy it.

that 2nd fish that chuck got was so bright it wasnt funny, i was swinging some streamers with a sink tip, and all of a sudden i see chuck walkin backwards, and by the look at his rod it was a nice fish. so i moved as fast as i could to get back to our spot to help him out, he finally landed the fish right before i got there. maybe 1-2minutes. and it was soooo bright i need my sunglasses, took a pic of the fish and released it.

all in all a great day. trust me eric, as lahontan said your time will come. i used to fish for steelies with roe and spoons with gear for about 2 yrs and never got a single one. so far this yr since i started fly fishing i have been very lucky. those fish that i have landed, i have put my time into.

ill be out on friday if you can make it eric let me know. i know chuck is already to go.

sorry about the telephone pole eric, better you break that, than you nice 6wt. but ya chuck had a sweet medium action 8'6" 7wt, and my 9ft 6wt fast action, and i guess from what chuck told me, is that i need to put 7wt line on it. guess it doesnt fully load up. oh well. whatcha gonna do.

i will have pics up soon guys, only 13 pics on my disposable to go, then i will post them all.

bare with me though, dont have a digital yet. but thinkin that i need to get one about 6 months ago.
 
hey chris that was funny. but yes thats me with a nice wild 30" buck.

so the phrase for the day....
"Some times fishing isnt about catching fish, but the bonds that you make with others while fishing."

-- Edited by brian clemens at 12:21, 2008-01-29

-- Edited by brian clemens at 12:24, 2008-01-29

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cole


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Way to go get em boys.  Glad to see some pics too.  That water isn't looking so bad after what I have been looking at all week.  Nice one.

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Swinger


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Nice fish guys, good report. I have to agree with cole that water looks pretty good considering all the rain we've had lately. You might see me swinging my spey rod up there on friday. I'll be sure to come up and inroduce myself.

Sorry if I offended anyone with my emails yesterday as you can tell I am very passionate about improving stream etiquette.

Anyone heard any recent reports for the lower Sac?

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Daara


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NICE FISH. I havn't caught a steelead yet but when i go out and try I use a 6 wt, RIGHT ON BRIAN!!

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Matt R


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WTF CHUCKbiggrin  Nice fish you guys.  I'll see you up there as soon as I can get off my snowboard too much pow now



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ChucktheDuck


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Yo Timosazz I hate to admit it but I needed a variety of steelie flies cheap so I ordered those ones online from BigYFlyco instead of tying them. The upside is they were effective! The abdomen looks to be some kind of chartreuse buggy dubbing (looks like hareline) with a copper rib and a natural partridge hackle for the legs. The thorax is ostrich herl and it is finished off with a gold bead head. Correction for DTP i think Sloan mentioned that his guy did hook up with a good fish before we arrived at the spot but lost it. From the looks of it the client was on a steep learning curve! I wouldn't doubt they got into a fish or two though. Yo Matt I feel you about all this snow I was up in Heavenly over the first storm and it was EPIC. I know we were supposed to go get some steelies, I kinda got preoccupied when school started up again but we will definitely have to get out there and hook some chromers. I'd still like to make a trip somewhere up north for steelhead so hopefully we can find some time to make that happen.
later
Chuck

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brian clemens


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id would be down for a trinity trip say during the week, i could get tuesday wednessday off, which i know chuck those are your days off. matt r what about you. just let me know id ill get them off someway somehow. i need to do a trinity trip.

chuck on of these days, sometime soon, i think instead of you crashing at my place i should crash at your place the night before we hit putah or something, and you should show me a few tying tips, i would like to get into it soon, and i have been looking at a few cheap starter kits for fly tying. i probably wont spend a fortune, but if i can do simple flies on say a 50 dollar starter kit, that will work for me.

see ya friday chucky.


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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
WytEurp


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Nice fish guys....Brian its a monster.....its funny how things workout......

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brian clemens


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hey wyteurp you just tell me the day and the time and you know i got a spot for you infront of me while i watch. anytime, it was a pleasure fishing with you. cant wait to get you on a hog over 30"s.

i will be out there this friday, and probably next weds and friday as well. got to get the steelies before the closure. then back to good ol putah after that.

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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
timmosazz


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Hey chuck did it look like this

FFLYS_UMPQU_109898.jpg

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ChucktheDuck


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Yeah that is what it is supposed to look like. The ones I used have dubbing instead of larva lace for the body and a partridge soft hackle instead of black but the rest is the same. I just tied a few of my own version using ice dub for the bodies and olive rooster saddle for the hackle. I'll post pics if I can get some detail out of my camera.
chuck

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ChucktheDuck


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so here are some pics of the flies I tied:
The first one is a standard flying circus caddis tied by Umpqua Feather Merchants.  The second is one of mine.  The third pic displays one of the imitations I used on monday in the top left, a real FCC on the top right, and a small batch of my own creation. 
enjoy
Chuck

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"when you put your hand into a flowing stream you touch the last that has come before and the first of what is still to come" -DaVinci
dtp916


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Nice bugs!

Try Hogan Brown's Steelie Caddis, its very similar but easier to tie. Pulsating Caddis are nice too.

I hooked JT up with top secret nor cal caddis pupa patterns.







Ok maybe they're not top secret, but they are local ties. Hope they get nail big ones smile

-- Edited by dtp916 at 22:48, 2008-01-29

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Chris Laskodi


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I have a very similar pattern that I created before I had even heard of the circus caddis. Its similar but definitely different. Funny how that works.

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JT


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Chuck,
What size are the caddis that you tied?

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brian clemens


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hey chuck, you better bring those flies out on friday. i sure wouldnt mind gettin my hands on a few of those that you tied.

i am hoping that my new bach of flies that i just picked up comes in by friday, but probably not, should have paid 3 bucks more to get them on thursday. oh well, ill have them for next wednesday. chuck you got weds off right, you down, shoot i dont even have to ask, ill see you next wednesday for sure.

cant wait for friday, the weather is supposed to be just like monday. cant wait for the water to get above 50 deg, it will be money then. steelhead are most active between 50-60 degree water, it might even be 55-65, cant remember where i read it, oh ya DAN BACHER wrote about it in one of his steelhead salmon editorials for this yrs closure. ill see if i can find it. but might take a minute, i have a 8000 dollar car deal that i have to work. gotta make that money to feed the fly fishing hunger.

brian

-- Edited by brian clemens at 10:09, 2008-01-30

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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
dtp916


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Chris, that fly is way better than a circus caddis IMO. Freakin sweet.

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ChucktheDuck


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yeah that is a sweet tie Chris. Have you been getting any steelies on those?
chuck

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ChucktheDuck


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oh yeah btw JT those are size 12 flies
chuck

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brian clemens


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hey chuck the duck, you have been busy. very very nice,

i cant wait till thrusday night, so i can tie some flies for some steelies on friday. it would be sooooooooooooooo SWEET to tie a fly the night before, take a pic of it then catch a big ol steelie on it the next day. man i cant wait. already gettin anxious.

oh by the way there will be a crowd with us on friday. EZ with be joining us bright and early at 6:45, then emerger said he might be "SICK" on friday, and said he would be around 10-11am. so guess we got our work cut out for us. maybe we should buy some steelies from the hatchery, ill put some scuba gear on, and when their line comes through ill stick up on a steelie. hahaha.

honestly though, if this weather holds we should have a good time on friday. 30% chance rain, so that means partly to mostly cloudy, kinda like monday. thats prime time steelhead weather.

MAN I CANT WAIT.


-- Edited by brian clemens at 13:20, 2008-01-30

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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Ehammer


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man i am soooooo jelouse of you guys thoes are some awsome fish.cant wait i get my drivers licencse back in 2 monthes i know it wont be the AR but hope theres room for me on the banks of whatever river you guys are fishing because you guys seem to be havin a blast........

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