A couple sunny days have put everyone at Trout Underground World Headquarters in a better mood. With flows slowly falling on the Upper Sac (4000+ cfs right now), Mother's Day Caddis flying on the Upper Rogue, and a Tennessee plane ticket waiting for me in 1.5 weeks time, there's a lot to be excited about.

Wayne Eng called to say his recent Upper Sac trips had been tough but not dismal; he's spied a small handful of March Browns, and even managed to scare up a few to the dry.

Right now, I'm proving that old adage true -- if you're self-employed and work is slow, schedule a vacation. Then stand back and watch everyone come out of the woodwork. Though it's killing me, I may not hit any of our rivers until this weekend. Over the years, I've heard tales of wild fishing (and wild disappointment) during the Rogue's spring caddis hatch, but it's always been a "drop everything and get here now" kind of gig. I'm hoping to hit it right purely by accident before I go. I'm sure you can see the difficulty...

This week and the next, I'll be in the grips of my ritualisitic, pre-trip rod jones, where I carefully whittle down my rod choices to the bare minimum of bamboo rods I'll need in Tennessee -- before freaking out at the last minute and trying to cram them all into my duffle bag. It's not pretty. See you at the rod closet... Tom Chandler

P.S. - don't forget to join the Upper Sacramento River Exchange (or renew your membership) to be eligible to win the Chris Raine bamboo rod they're giving away in an Opening Day drawing.