Fishing Report,    Upper Sacramento

Pretty Fish, Clear Skies, Murky Water on the Upper Sacramento River

By Tom Chandler 8/27/2007

an Upper Sacramento Rainbow Trout

In show business, you always start big, so that's what I'm doing -- I'm "going big" with a startling picture of a rainbow trout so colorful, most would assume it's heavily doctored. It isn't.

Wayne Eng caught this 15" beauty only seconds into Sunday night's excursion to the river, and because we were in a narrow part of the canyon, the setting sun turned the canyon wall into a huge, golden reflector while the blue sky reflected from directly above.

The result was a watercolor trout (look at the way the the colors seem to bleed into Wayne's hand; it's the water reflecting the same colors), and it's a shame the light levels were low enough that the pic's a little shaky.

Still, even in less-reflective circumstances, the trout is breathtaking:

Upper Sacramento Rainbow

Can you beat that golden tint and strawberry red gill plate? Scheez.

It's just a trout, but it's also an example of a moment in nature that's far more beautiful than it needs to be, and if you're immune to that, you better take up checkers or politics.

Speaking of beauty, is this the handsomest man in fly fishing
? The Underground votes "yes."

Tom Chandler

Alert the media; Chandler's been photographed (Wayne Eng photo)

The Trip

The L&T Nancy and I considered a backcountry adventure, but we were both a little beat up and had other fish to fry, so instead, Wayne Eng took an early evening trip down into the canyon -- literally. In fact, we had to descended a very steep trail where your safety isn't a given.

It's a hot, sweaty trip, and once you're at the bottom of the narrow canyon, you're tempted to strip off the waders and dive in. You don't -- you're here to fish -- and Wayne proves it right away by catching the 15" trout pictured above.

Though the trout were beautiful, we couldn't help but notice that the water was murky. I mentioned this in an earlier report, and it's clear the water's coming out of Lake Siskiyou tainted by mud or algae.

It's hard to say whether the water quality affected the fishing, but in the end, Wayne landed two nice fish while I only caught a pair of small "suicide" trout, who threw themselves on a #18 wire-bodies soft hackle later in the evening.

It wasn't a wide open bite, but then, I never really cracked the code of the few sporadically rising fish. Wayne suspected a light hatch of microcaddis, and I tended to agree after my hare's ear parachute drew strikes only after I moved it.

Wayne Eng

Wayne Eng highsticking a current tongue.

In the end, our time on the water was short (Wayne left early, and as it grew darker, I became acutely aware I faced a climb out of the canyon without anyone to get help after I broke a leg).

Wayne test-fished the Orvis Helios prototype that Orvis foolishly sent me for testing (they sent out a pristine prototype, but they're getting back a hard-fished fly rod). Expect a review soon, though not tomorrow -- I'll be spending the day on a pair of small trout streams in Southern Oregon (unnamed small trout streams).

Of course, I won't enjoy it -- but it's the sort of thing I do for my readers. At the Underground, the taunting giving never stops. Feel free to thank me in the comments section.

Special Bonus Pictures:

Tom Chandler

See, I can highstick too (Wayne Eng photo)

Here's one for Moldy Chum and the Reel Pure Folks:

reelpurehat

See you on a small, unnamed Oregon stream, Tom Chandler.

fly fishing, fishing, upper sac, upper sacramento river, rainbow trout, wayne eng


AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

Hawdaddy: Get in line. Murdock: I never doubted. SMJ: It's the basic Orvis chest pack. I use it because it's light and relatively cool (and I got a deal on one). Vests can get pretty hot in the summer. David: Highsticking dries in pocket water is one of my favorite things, and hell, I moved here just so I could do the things I like. I'm no purist. I'm just happy to be here... Matthew: You're welcome. ... more I'm glad you appreciate the work I do on your behalf...
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That is a great photo of the trout. I have seen and tried to recreate the same effect with no luck. And I am glad someone is out there taking up the troublesome job of fishing some remote stream, while I am out here having a ball swinging my Stanly 22oz. framing hammer.
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Great pictures as always. I have to say, it is shocking to see you highsticking...not that I ever doubted your ability in that regards but you seem like such a purist at times... I can only assume that it is a dry on there, not exactly my usual fly selection for highstickin' which includes a heavy dose of subsurface flies...please tell me you aren't fishing nymphs...
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Beautiful fish Tom, and thanks for agreeing to do all that heavy lifting for us up in Oregon. It's most appreciated. Is that a chest pack you're wearing in those photos?
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Amazing picture Tom. I mean the one of the fish of course.
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Really does look like a watercolor. Sweet! Of course I will have to kill you for the taunting. That is, if someone who lives closer doesn't get to you first. take care, hawgdaddy
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