It is the heart of summer here in Chico, CA…with weather to
prove it. It has been a hot few weeks up here. Weather in the triple digits and
high 90s have been the norm. With that comes good striper fishing, the opening
of salmon season, and exoduses to the mountains or coast to escape the heat for
most people….myself I embrace the heat and go striper fishing.
Striper fishing – Mid summer is prime striper time! I try to
spend most of July –September chasing stripers on the Lower Sac from Butte City
up through Los Molinos. Fishing so far has been good. There are plenty of
“shakers” and “keeper” size fish with most days an angler on the boat will get
a shot at a 10-20lb fish whether that is getting the fish to chase the fly to
the boat, pull the fly out of the fisheses mouth right at the boat, hook and
loose the fish, or if we are lucky land one. It just depends on the day it
seems as to how the big fish behave.
Salmon season opens this coming week and that should change
a few things on the river. From what I have heard the salmon run is going to be
late this year with the low water which means warmer water, which from what
some the guides I know have said will be a later run as the fish wait for
colder water temps to move out of the day and up the river. I am going to be taking the next week off and
heading to Santa Cruz with the family as no matter how the fishing is or what
the predictions are the river will be CROWDED for a few days until people
realize there are no fish in the river yet. I will be back on the river on July
23 to see what is happening out there. As the salmon show up though most years
we began to get more and more shots at bigger fish so if the beginning of the
season is any indicator it should be a good year.
Trout Fishing…Lower Yuba: I did spend a day on the Lower
Yuba this last week and it was a nice change of pace to get out and trout fish
for a day. I would say the fishing was fair. The hooking of fish seemed to be
fairly spaced out as we hooked fish in most runs. Seemed to hook smaller fish
in the morning in the top part of the float and bigger fish during the
afternoon lower in the float, I got no idea why. Fish seemed to be in the
riffles and shallower water, we didn’t have much luck in the flats, most fish
were up in the riffles or in some of the deeper slots. All our fish came on
nymphs, S&M PMD nymphs, Brown and Coffee/black rubber legs, Hunch Back
Flashback PT’s, and Olive Birds nest. I did have my clients throw some hoppers
in a few of the best “hopper runs” I know of on the river and didn’t rise
anyone. River is just about high enough to possibly move some fish into typical
hopper water but I didn’t see one hopper. I also got out of the boat in a few
spots I usually see hoppers most years and didn’t see any…I am not really sure how
the whole hopper life cycle thing goes to be honest I just know that some years
are really good hopper years on the Yuba some are terrible. Feast or famine for
both the fly fishermen and trout.
Beer Report – I have been busy with the Sierra Nevada Beer
Camp 12 back. Full of 12 different beers brewed in conjuncture with 12
different breweries. 12 different brewers came to Sierra Nevada and brewed
these 12 different beers….I have been trying to drink 2 a night and take some
notes on them…here is here I am so far.
Myron’s Walk a Belgian Style Pale Ale brewed with Corriander
brewed with Allagash Brewing Company – This is the first beer I tried and I
won’t lie…it didn’t do much for me. Tast like the title…like someone mixed a
pale ale with a Belgian ale. Had a nice fruity after tast but I though there
might be a bit more furit flavor to it. On first taste it is nearly impossible
to detect. Makes me wonder what those east coaster are doing and what they
consider a good beer.
Yvan the Great a Belgian Style Blonde brewed with Russian
River Brewing Company Now this saved the first tasting from mediocrity. This
thing is good. Nice Belgian style fruitieness but not enough to linger and a
nice hoppie finish. Pretty obvious these guys have the IPA American Grown Hop brew
down to a science. 2 beers in to the 12 pack this thing is going to be hard to
beat. I would buy a 12 pack of this and could drink this session style or with
a meal.
Chico King Pale brewed with 3 Floyds Brewery – Not
bad…tastes like a milder Sierra Pale Ale with a little more fruity finish
instead of the hoppy finish of Sierra Pale Ale…I would buy a 6 pack…maybe not a
12 pack. It doesn’t seem to have a lasting taste, good but not great.
Torpedo Pilsner Hoppy Pilsner brewed with Firestone Walker
Brewing Co. – This one is a hoppy kinda fruity lager with a nice malt body to
it. I really liked this one. The big deal on the label says that it uses New
Zealand hops…not sure those taste but I like the beer. I could drink these a
few in a row. Good beer.
Baseball – Yes I know the giants are struggling but they
finished strong today by taking 2-3 from the AZ D-Backs. I could go on about
all the giants problems but lets just keep it real and say on most nights they
are down right terrible…like I can’t make it past 4 innings. The real thing
that blows my mind that now ones talks about is that as bad as the giants are
right now they are still holding pace with the Dodgers, only one game back from
them in the NL West and tied in the National league wild card race with 3 other
teams. Lets have a good All Star Break, get healthy, and make a run here
July-Sept!
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