My parents want to stay somewhere (cabin or hotel) in april no more than 3 hours from oakland, and I want to go to a place with good fishing. we are all thoroghly stumped. anyone have some suggestions?
I know that it's more than 3 hours, but I would head out to Dunsmuir to fish the Upper Sac. Drive in shifts. Play your favorite tunes loud on the car stereo. It will make the drive seem shorter.
April . . . early for the Sierra's . . . how much do you like Redding??? Bridgeport is not a bad cal either, or how about Bishop??? If you want to Fly Fish, the more rustic towns are the place.
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.
I can offer no argument there! A good place no more than 3 hours from Oakland . . . I must have missed that point last night. Maybe Sonora or Jamestown. Along I-80, you could try Auburn, Nevada City or Grass Valley.
Theres a ton of places to go but your timing isn't to good. Chnaces are runoff will be an issue or there will still be snow. Maybe the upper sac. will be ok. Stay in dunsmuir and theres a heck of alot more river then you'll be able to cover in 3 days.
-- Edited by shon42073 on Tuesday 24th of March 2009 05:33:32 PM
Hey Codym, you may want to consider the NF of the Yuba. Several cabins, hotels and resorts between Downieville and Bassetts and can be great fishing too this time of year. But, all depends on the water flows as Stlhr suggests. Can be dicey. Check with Nevada City Anglers for river conditions and info. They known it well and are fairly close in Nevada City.
www.nevadacityanglers.com
(530) 478-9301
Here's an example of the kind of fish you'll meet. Not huge, but mighty pretty.
-- Edited by iFish on Friday 27th of March 2009 09:30:19 AM
The NF Yuba tends to fish well around 200-300 CFS. It is now over 900 CFS. This will make for dangerous wading and poor fishing conditions. The Lower Yuba still has lousy visibiity as it's very off-color. I'd think about other options right now if you could.
Thanks Bob, i was actually going to head up there tomorrow but will now wait. ifish, were did you get brookies on the north yuba ? I have only fished it from downieville up to haypress creek and if I rememer right only got into rainbows.
Hey Shon, the Bassetts area of the NF has brookies. Actually, even more as you head up above into the meadow section above Bassetts. Lots of willows though. There's even a old beaver dam, definite Brookie territory. The headwaters for the NF Yuba also has tons of pretty little brookies, though nothing of any size.
This guy in the pic was a complete surprize around where Salmon creek joins the NF. Oneweight knows the river well and can attest to my surprize of a "grand dad" brookie there. But, they are there, just not as prolific as the 'bows.
BTW - there are lots of brookies up Haypress Creek, but you have to hike up a bit to get to them. If you head up there (about 4 miles in), look for a green fly box full of assorted nymphs near the creek. That would be mine.
Shon, if you like catching Brookies, head up Gold Lakes Road above Bassetts when the road opens. I had an amazing two days last October floating Lower Salmon Lake with BIG brookes fighting over my soft hackle emergers. Crazy business, they were everywhere. Lots of lakes ... lots of Brookies.
Yeah, NF Yuba is a bit high right now, as Oneweight mentioned. Anyone hear anything about the Silver Fork of the American lately? Runoff issues too?
Might as well get out the pontoon boat and find a lake.
Russian River may work for you if the shad are running. Lots of places to stay and camp. Cassini Ranch has good fishing for shad and also near Johnsons Beach. Call Kings Sports in Gurnville for a update on the shad.
