Mr. Wada, Once again you leaving me drooling and dreaming. Maybe next year I'll find a way to try out your beloved Sugar Creek Ranch. This year has been almost fishless for yours truly but hoping to be over your way in Sep. If I do make it over I'll let you know in advance.
Jim living vicariously through vfb fish stories ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wes Wada" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 5:49 PM Subject: [VFB] Heatstroked in California > Hi VFB: > > Back from a week at Sugar Creek Ranch, a private stillwater fishery > (and client) in northern California. This was my long trip for the > summer. Was able to stay an couple of extra days because I was camping > instead of occupying a room in the lodge. The camping area was really > cool...heavily shaded, a small trailer for storage, picnic table and > fire ring. The South Pond was a two minute walk away, and a secluded > side channel of the Scott River made for a refreshing bath tub when > needed. > > The weather (finally) turned hot a couple days before my arrival, and > the sudden intense heat put the fish into shellshock. They only > started to get used to it the last three evenings of the trip, when the > terrestrial patterns started working consistently for the first time > this season. I was arising and fishing for a few hours starting 4:30 > a.m. most mornings. Most of the daytime was scorching hot and was > avoided as the fish were in a general funk. I would then start fishing > around 6:30 p.m. and fish til dark. A real summertime mode. > > One of the benefits early a.m. fishing is that Rich Lewis's mouse > pattern (discussed earlier) worked for at least one fish every morning. > Biggest was a modest 4 pounds. Interesting to fish in such low light. > Striking at a take is almost instinctive as you can barely see a > shimmer on the water. As visibility comes with the dawn, the fish stop > taking the mouse and try drowning it instead. > > The evening rise got better and better every night. One fly that > produced a little every evening was one given me by Welsh flytyer Paul > Slaney. The main feature of this fly is a white plastizote foam wing as > shown here (but smaller and thinner proportions): > http://www.danica.com/flytier/pslaney/surface_lure.htm > The fly he sent did not have the treble hook and in its place had a > sparse tail of orange and white bucktail and a couple of strands of > pearl Krystal Flash. The body is wrapped pearl Flashabou, and there is > a collar of additional white and orange bucktail and Krystal Flash. > Paul said the fly represents an injured minnow. I think, in some > cases, the fish take it for a large insect like a white moth. Fish > tend to take this fly hard and fast or not at all. It brought in a 5# > rainbow, the best fish of about 10 caught on a couple of different > patterns one evening. > > Finally, the best fly of the visit was the same as the best fly of all > of last season, a large black winged foam terrestrial tied on #10 light > scud hooks (Daiichi 1130). This fly starts working with the onset of > terrestrial season and is effective into November. It fooled numerous > big fish, including the last rainbow of the last night, an 8-pounder > caught at nightfall. I was really happy to net this one, as it took me > into the backing, wedged itself into a moss bank to be carefully pulled > free, bolted 'upriver' into the inlet channel, and ran line out several > times before being brought to hand. Really felt I had earned that one! > > I am not a sunshine and hot weather fan, so this trip will not rank up > there with the best. But I truly enjoyed being back doing van camping, > and learned fine points about the fishery for future visits. While this > place can turn out 25 fish days, it also can demand finesse and a long > learning curve. The challenge and opportunity are enjoyable. > > Wes Wada > Bend, Oregon > > > > > > > > > >
