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Upper Sac Fishout Report:
(see
photos below)
by Eric Palmer
We had
another very successful Upper Sac (Dunsmuir) fishout the
weekend of October 8-11. Bill Carnazzo did his ever
popular Short Line nymphing clinic for an enthusiastic
group who then proceeded to apply the deadly technique
to catch fish. Flows were optimum at 200 cfs and the
weather was perfect in the mid 70’s with the expected
nippy evenings in the 40’s. We had dinner at local
restaurants each of the three nights where we swapped
stories on hot flys, productive (or not) locations and
difficulties in actually beaching hooked fish. The
river treated some better than others as is typical on
this challenging stream, and the usual suspects did
really well.
Sturmer White hooked 15 and landed 10 in 90 minutes at
Soda Creek on Saturday morning. His son Rex hooked 20,
landing 10 in the city park by the bridge within a two
or three hour period. Bill’s Stick Caddis was the go-to
fly for the Whites. Corley Philips hooked 13, landing
7, some to 18”. He lost a 20 incher on a black wooly
bugger. The “Stick” was also good for Corley along with
a large Caddis Stimulator. Besides hooking 12 and
landing 8, Sam Pettinato had a huge fish on below the
foot bridge in the State Park take him into his backing
twice before throwing the hook. I witnessed the
spectacular event, and it took Sam a couple hours to
come down from the high.
Besides landing four fish conventionally, Wendel
Edwards, with an assist from Mel’s net, got a 14 incher
that was lassoed with several loops of leader and nary a
scratch from a hook. Some claim this gentler but
difficult to master technique allows the fish to avoid
the humiliation of falling for a fake bug. Dennis Baker
led the pack with 14 fish in hand on a #16 black Zebra
Midge and BH Birds Nest. The mean count of fish in hand
for most, including the fishout leader, was in the 5-7
range with fish averaging 10-12 inches and some hitting
20 inches. A report on the most productive flies and
locations for this trip is available on request.
Now
having reported on the good news, I must close on a more
serious note. We did have a major injury on this trip
with Gary Rhea losing his balance with a foot lodged
between some rocks, and breaking his leg. Fortunately he
was fishing with Dennis Baker who immediately came to
his aid and Gary was rushed to a local hospital where he
received first rate treatment, and is now on the road to
recovery. This illustrates the importance of never
fishing solo on a remote stream. I think I’m safe in
saying that any of us who have spent any time navigating
well greased river cobbles have found ourselves in
situations similar to Gary’s, where, but for good
fortune could have suffered a similar fate. I’m also
sure I speak for everyone in wishing Gary a smooth
recovery and quick return to his favorite stream.
Eric
Palmer
ejpalmer@pacbell.net
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Before you know it, this summer heat will be a memory
and it will be October which means time for the Upper
Sac fishout at Dunsmuir. We have selected the second
weekend in the month, and again Bill Carnazzo has
graciously agreed to present his popular Short-Line
Nymphing Clinic on Saturday morning. This presents an
opportunity to learn this technique from the master
himself, or if you have experienced it before, perhaps
it’s time for a refresher. This nymphing technique was
perfected on this water by Upper Sac legend and Grand
Master Ted Fay in the mid 20th century, and
when properly applied is deadly on the large but
cautious trout lurking in the depths below the pocket
water froth.
October is “prime time” on this Blue Ribbon freestone
trout stream with moderate flows and temperatures and
fishing at its best. Trout average 12” but often reach
over 20” even in the city park with some browns
encountered. Close proximity to the McCloud, about a
50-60 minute drive from Dunsmuir, is an added bonus.
Weather can be variable in October, ranging from warm to
light rain, so plan accordingly. We will have the usual
dinner get-togethers at local restaurants for the first
three nights for those interested. There is no charge
for this fishout, and details and other information will
be emailed to all participants. Since there is
virtually unlimited river access for miles above and
below Dunsmuir, there is no attendance limit. The
sign-up sheet will be available at the August and
September meetings.
For
more information contact me at 916-987-1359 or
ejpalmer@pacbell.net
Eric Palmer
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