Here's hoping Jim gets out on that trip. A long time VFB staple who has had some job changes.
--- J&A Burbank <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail for Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail
