BACK IN SHASTA TROUT GUIDING ON APRIL 22ND FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL UPPER SAC FLY FISHING RAFT SEASON!!
SIGN-UPS START NOW FOR; McCloud River, Upper Sac, Lower Sacramento River, Klamath River Spring Stone Fly Hatch.
Check out the Team Trout International Guides at http://www.jacktrout.com/teamtrout.html
2013 season has begun, call us for information regarding Chile, Argentina, Belize or Northern California
Chile Fly Fishing Season is going strong and thanks to all of
you out there we guided & lodged so far..Thank you ~ Trout
Call us at SKYPE: jacktrout24 or from outside Chile 011-56-65-243022 Home number in Chile our cell is 94671995 from USA 011-56-9-94671995 Email us at info@jacktrout.com for fastest response
Thanks, Jack & Carola Trout & Team Trout International Fly Fishing Guides
(Affordable guiding lodging & guiding in the best places in Chile & Argentina)
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NEW STORY ON OUR WEBLOG http://www.mtshasta.com
Check out after you read below for Chile updates!!
Chile the land of breathless wonders and towering peaks of solid granite. Forests out of proportion, drunk and high reaching magnetically for the Southern Cross while the shoulders they grow on look over into two separate countries as opposite as Atacama is to Patagonia. Chile one of the most affluent countries, blessed rich in water, has decided to start damming their Patagonian rivers for hydro-electric power for the energy hungry north in Santiago and the northern copper mines. The plan to me seems ridiculous since so much power will be lost on its journey northward. Earthquakes and volcanoes should be considered and the fact that the United States has learned that dams can be very damaging to fisheries including salmon, trout and steelhead returns.
Take it from us here in the USA, 50 years after the dams were put in, the consensus is dams can be helpful and harmful. If I were in the shoes of any interested Chilean, I would thoroughly consider development of wind and solar power as they are existing natural resources in the north. In the long run, it makes more sense. Dams will cause the demise of salmon runs, cuisine, farming and sales if not stopped now. Consider the alternatives and look beyond your country and see what other countries have learned, don’t make the same mistakes we have. The Westland’s Water District and their Arch Evil Commander Tom Birmingham, head of the richest water district in the world is a pure demonstration of what water profiteers can do the State of California. This guy and their associations with anyone who supports their efforts are aiding the “Chevron of Fly Fishing”.
So be careful Chile, and consider your options, a loss of salmon could be very crucial in the future. Likewise Californians have tough environmental issues to consider and possibly a soul searching quest about where ones heart really lies. I left the Bollibokka on the McCloud River when I was faced with doing business with Westland’s Water District and Tom Birmingham. See I know the whole story, Tom Birmingham never fly fished when he first met me, I took him out on his first trip on the Bollibokka and all he talked about was how the Westland’s owned the rights to the water on the McCloud River. When I caught wind about them secretly purchasing the Bollibokka Club I contacted the San Francisco Chronicle and the story made the front page. I felt I had a duty to every Californian that they should know what was going to happen to California rivers and in particularly the McCloud River. I walked from $50,000 gross a year selling days and weeks at Bollibokka, but I never sold my soul to the devil. I was the first person they banned from the property when Tom Birmingham and the Westland’s Water District purchase was finalized. So I can tell you first hand these water power companies can be ruthless and will do whatever it takes to get what they want.
Even if it means losing out to the Nature Conservancy who at the same time had a buyer who was willing to pay Leighton & Gray Hills full price for their property their grandfather had bought back in 1900. Tom Birmingham in a underhanded deal came up with 5 million more and stole our river loving souls. So if it could happen here in California, it could happen here in Chile too. Dams are cruel and what people do to build them and control the water it stores is even more ruthless. Drown whoever gets in the way and put a hose down their throat just to make sure they stay on the bottom. If you want to be environmental, look to the Winnemum Wintu Indians who have lost everything to the families of Leighton & Gray Hills, Dean Whiter, Alfred Schilling, Randolph Hearst and countless others who made sure they were never recognized as a formal tribe, never given compensation for land that was taken from them. If you want to give back, at least these Native Americans are trying to get salmon & steelhead back into the McCloud & Upper Sac rivers now. The rest of what many people are saying is all bullshit…. Many Rivers, Jack Trout
Visit this link for more details www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21tribes.html
Carola and I are having a great time in Chile! Maybe you can come down next year and stay at our place. $375 per day for two in my drift boat and we’ll lodge you at our bed and breakfast home for $150 per night, includes breakfast and lunch for two!
Thanks to all who we guided this past season and lodged in Chile, we are truly grateful in these ever changing times. We want you to know we are always looking for ways to save you money on your trips to Chile. Carola gets huge discounts on airfare for Chile and Argentina so let us help plan your next vacation here, we’ll make you dollar go farther..Promise!
Saludos de Chile, Jack & Carola Trout
Rent our home near Pucon and Panguipulli, Chile for only $150 per night for 2 with spectacular views on a 1300 acre honey bee farm. Go to www.jacktrout.com/chile.html to see the lodging, meals and fly fishing packages we offer.
Smelling flowers is a good thing folks!
Fish on December 2011, our private access to this river makes it one of the best to fish in Chile, give us an call at info@jacktrout.com
Caught on December 17, 2011 on a river between two lakes near Pucon and Panguipulli, Chile By Alastair Dudman of Ireland.
All trout must be released on this and many other rivers that have now become catch & release. That’s a great thing, fishing is now outstanding in Chile!! We caught three huge trout in this one spot.
We have some dates open so give us a call and we will make sure your fly fishing trip is an excellent experience in Chile in our 18th season outfitting, lodging and guiding. We have all the gear, knowledge and best guides.
Get ready for the freshest and most tasty seafood dishes! This is deep Congrio with cream sauce mixed with king crab, abalone & shrimps. So yummy, if you like seafood this fresh dish is for you! Don’t forget the terrific German Kunstmann beer or possible some Chilean wine..
Call Jack & Carola Trout in Chile at 94671995 in Chile or info@jacktrout.com
One more for the show! Alastair loved his day this past week in the Rivers District of Chile. We can outfit you, guide and lodge you here in Chile, just give us a call.
“Some great fly fishing in the Lake District of Chile” TRIP ADVISOR
I spend several months a year in the Lake District of Chile. I am a life long angler but just in the last few years have taken up fly fishing. I hooked up with Jack last year and we did about 10 guided trips on several different rivers in the area from Panguipulli to Puerto Varas. We had a ball and caught a lot of trout. Jack was a great help to me getting my fly casting up to speed and having access to so many rivers he always has reports of where the fishing is best at any given time. Also did some trips with Jack’s guide Edgar and he was first rate. I can’t say enough good things about Jack and Carola. Always a joy to be around and Carola’s riverside lunches are excellent. On my last trip in April I landed one of Chile’s “jackpot” rainbow trout, 5 kg.+ and it was the thrill of my fly fishing life so far. I am just back in Chile and Jack and I are going fishing next week. Very much looking forward to this season on the rivers down here and some more great fishing with Jack Trout. I can highly recommend his services to anyone interested in fly fishing in this part of Chile. Andrew Swann
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32755-d1641287-r145650468-Jack_Trout_Fly_Fishing-Mount_Shasta_California.html#REVIEWS
Didn’t I see something like this on one of the Beatles albums…? It’s Smiley Curtis from SF arriving in Pucon Chile to do some fly fishing with me.
A quick bite at the Mamma’s and the Tappa’s turns into a munch fest and soon more beers are ordered!
Pucon Chile – Mamma’s and the Tappa’s Restaurant & Pub ***** Stars for atmosphere and party. (tappa is Chilean for mexi-food)
When you come to Chile bring a lot of different lines with you. We nymph, we dry fly fish, but sinking lines are very important to consideration also.
February 27th, 2010
Yea we felt the earthquake here in Chile. This happen just a mile away from our home here in Los Lagos. This over pass fell on the load of a big-rig and was sliced in 1/2. Luckily no one was hurt.
Where we live the epicenter was 5 hours from us, we only felt about a 5 on the richter scale. It was a shaker alright but nothing happen in our house and we weren’t really effected in our area at all. It’s sad what has happen near Concepcion, Chile and the wine growing regions in the center of the country. Our hearts go out to those people most effected and devastated by the Chilean Earthquake of 2010.
Catching trout out on a Patagonia Lake in Chile, what a nice way to spend a summer vacation in the Southern Hemisphere. Smiley Curtis sure thought so..
Damsel Nymph immitation right in the old yapper! Good on ya Yank…
Rivers that feed into bigger rivers, lakes that lead into rivers that finally reach the Pacific Ocean.. Now that’s the Chile we know in love!
A lovely trout caught on a barbless fly that originated from the McCloud River in Northen California and made its way down south to flourish in Chile and Argentina streams and rivers.
Check out this quick youtube video on fly fishing Chile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P34IyXTONS8&feature=related
Then Smiley’s childhood friend showed up Pat Connelly from Fresno folks!
That night at our favorite pub in Los Lagos ~ The City Pub & Hub! A great place for beers and food after we get off the river.
Then we headed for the Rio Maullin for a guided adventure fly fishing near the port town of Puerto Montt, Chile.
Brownie points my friends!
Then Smiley hooked this Atlantic Salmon in the Rio Maullin in the private section we float here in Chile.
Smiley way to go bro! She’s got lips like Olivia Newton John…
How now Brown Cow? Pat nice Chilean brown trout!
Enjoy this video of a nice hook-up on Youtube and the Rio Maullin in the Lakes District of Chile.
Way to go Sizzler!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_CA5LnEDhQ&feature=related
I have lodging in Chile on a wonderful spring creek with dry fly fishing right out your front door and a great price!
Smiley & Pat loved the place…
A nice getaway for whom ever…
With cool properties all over the 10th regions of Chile. A real European influence exists here in the Lakes District of Chile. Of course my favorite things are the German Beers and great cake pasteries.
On our private section on the Rio Petrohue, Pat hooks and lands 5 in a row!
Nice Chilean Brown Trout caught on a fly….
Sure love my Brodin Net! So does the trout for revival…… Brodin makes the best nets in the world!
http://www.brodin.com
We had so much fun on a perfect day with no clouds and no wind.
Trout looks fine for the release…..
Lets all go fly fishing in Argentina!
Ruca Hueney Restaurant in Junin de los Andes is a must!
Can you say… The best BBQ you ever tasted! Thought you could……
Mighty Warriors ready to fish on the Rio Malleo in Argentina.
We all went off in different directions to try our luck on this very special dry fly hopper river.
I heard Smiley yell he had a large one on and just about the same time I hooked a beauty on my Parachute-Hopper that took me on a magic ride.
Anything on a dry fly is always better in my eyes! The Rio Malleo delivers folks, don’t miss this river when you travel to Argentina. Give us a call, I know all the best guides that don’t charge an arm & and a leg for a fly fishing guide trip.
Here’s one of Smiley’s many catches that day…
But no one had a better day than Carola Trout on the Rio Chimehuin where she hooked 7 trout in one spot nymphing and 3 were lunkers far into the backing of the fly line!
Underwater the hook-up looked solid! I was so excited for my gal, it was amazing to see how far she had come from the first time we fly fished together. This was the most exciting fishing I ever felt for anyone. The fish were great hook-ups and I was so proud of how she handled every trout she had on her line that day. I knew that day Carola was not only my wife and the one I love, but a true fly fishing bum! It’s destiny folks! I love her big-time….
Sweetness comes in many shapes and forms my friends…
What a babe! That’s my wife I’m )*&^@!!^^##(*& ing lucky my friends!!
There she goes again and another hook-up!
Carola Trout congratulations you are the sizzler of the week award winner!! Congratulations Sizzler!!
Your loving husband, Jack Trout
I’m proud of you!! SWEET!! This might be the best hook-up of my life and I didn’t catch it!!
Carola Trout on the Rio Chimehuin in San Junin de los Andes, Argentina.
The next day I fished on the flats under these trees and a mayfly hatch occurred. When I switched from a Parachute Adams to a size 14 Pink Cahill I caught 3 trout in a half hour on the surface.
That also made my trip a pleasure!
So many of these medium sized silver bullets sipping dries in the morning and afternoons…
Back in Chile, we took Pat to Valdivia, Chile to take the airplane back home to California, so Smiley and I went out again and he had a fine day hooking double digits on one of our favorite rivers in Chile…
We landed 3 in a row in this one riffle. I fish on similar riffles we guide on the Lower Sacramento River back home in Redding, California.
Guiding this and fishing this same way in Chile proves to be rewarding for me and Smiley…
Nice 3 pound trout Smiley Landed that I thought deserved the respect of the underwater pic.
We stayed out until the final light was lost and we used a flashlight to find our way to the dock. Not before one more hook-up.
That was a great day out on any river – in any country! Thanks to you Smily!
8 rivers 2 Lakes in two weeks & too many trout to count!
Thanks to Smiley Curtis and Pat Connelly for a great two weeks! Friends since 5th grade and all the stories we heard that made me and Carola laugh and smile. These are two great guys to hang out with just about anywhere their adventures takes one.
Saludos de Chile, Jack & Carola Trout
Check out our new books due out in July 2010, on Fly fishing Chile and Argentina.
HTTP://WWW.JACKTROUT.COM/CHILE.HTML
Jack Trout International Fly Fishing & Scenic Tours ~ Argentina * Belize * Chile * Nor Cal
1004 SO. Mt Shasta Blvd. Mt Shasta, California 96067 www.jacktrout.com www.mtshasta.com
530-926-4540 email: info@jacktrout.com
SKYPE: jacktrout24
Chilean RUN: 14.634.029-6
Chilean RUT # for Business: 48122714-3
(Lakes District Office)
Parcela Los Avellanos, ruta T39, Km.4
Los Lagos Chile, Rio San Pedro
Cel: 011-56-9 94671995 Jack in Chile.
Hopkins Village Belize
Home: 011 -501-603-2970
Cell: 011- 501-662-0873
Argentina, Bariloche Office
650 Bosquelindo S.C.
Patagonia, Argentina
EMAILS FROM YOU:
Hi Jack and Carola,
Congratulations! You haven’t been around Seven Suns and I rather expected you to have returned by now. Logged on your web page and learned you and Carola are married. That is great news. Best wishes to both of you.
Hope to see you soon.
Mark Foster – Mt Shasta
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SO YOU WANT TO IMMIGRATE YOUR FOREIGN WIFE TO THE UNITED STATES AFTER MARRIAGE AND 3 YEAR RELATIONSHIP.
Mr. Trout, congratulations on your marriage.
At this juncture we need to prepare and file the I-130 and 485 petitions. I can charge you $1800, plus the filings fees.
The list below refers to initial documents I will need to get started.
1) Marriage certificate
2) Photographs
a. Courtship period
b. Wedding ceremony
c. Vacations
d. Family events (birthdays, anniversary, trips, etc.)
e. Gatherings with friends
3) Declarations from family, friends, and/or religious leader addressing the following:
a. How they know you and your spouse
b. How long they know both of you
c. How long they are aware you courted your spouse prior to marriage
d. Whether they attended the marriage ceremony
e. Specific events you were seen together
f. Ever visit your home (if so, number of times and dates)
4) Plane tickets or flight confirmation receipts when you went to visit her and she visited you
5) Copy of your wife’s passport and along with any issued I-94’s
6) Divorce decree, if either one of you were previously married
7) Birth certificates for any children together
8) Income verifications:
a. Tax records from 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006
b. Property records
c. Recent paystubs, etc
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NEW YORK TIMES
SAN FRANCISCO — On Friday night, more than two dozen Native Americans embarked from here on a spiritual mission to New Zealand, where they will ask their fish to come home to California.
Max Whittaker for The New York Times
Caleen Sisk-Franco, the chief of the Winnemem Wintu tribe.
The unusual journey centers on an apology, to be relayed to the fish on the banks of the Rakaia River through a ceremonial dance that tribal leaders say has not been performed in more than 60 years.
The fish in question is the Chinook salmon, native to the Pacific but lately in short supply in the rivers of Northern California, home to the Winnemem Wintu — a tiny, federally unrecognized and poor tribe supported by some Social Security payments, a couple of retirement plans and the occasional dog sale.
As the Winnemem see it, the tribe’s troubles began in early 1940s, with the completion of the Shasta Dam, which blocked the Sacramento River and cut off the lower McCloud River, obstructing seasonal salmon runs, and according to the tribe, breaking a covenant with the fish.
“We’re going to atone for allowing them to build that dam,” said Mark Franco, the tribe’s headman. “We should have fought harder.”
As luck would have it, the United States government once bred millions of Chinook eggs from the McCloud and shipped them around the world in hopes of creating new fisheries, including a batch that went to the South Island of New Zealand, where the fish thrived.
And so it is that the Winnemem — who have used their spiritual powers in the past to try to stop dam construction, heal the sick, and sway the votes of Senator Dianne Feinstein — are on an 11,000-mile vision quest whose itinerary, according to the tribe’s chief, came to her from a higher plane.
“The spirits came into the fire area here,” said the chief, Caleen Sisk-Franco, referring to the tribe’s circular, open-air meeting room. “And they said, ‘You’ve got to get it done.’ ”
About 30 tribe members live in trailers and small houses on the hilly compound outside Redding, Calif., which is also home to 10 horses, dozens of dogs bred for sale, and a traditional bark house, which is used for puberty ceremonies. A murky, frog-filled pond comes and goes depending on rainfall, and bits of obsidian, a volcanic glass, litter the dirt and gravel. Big chunks of the glass also sit behind the meeting hut used by tribe’s younger generation to practice making arrowheads. “They’re not very good at it,” said Mr. Franco, who is married to Ms. Sisk-Franco.
As smoke from a manzanita log drifted out a hole in the ceiling, Ms. Sisk-Franco said the tribe and the salmon were intrinsically linked. “What happened to the salmon happened to us,” she said. “The fish have been diminishing in numbers, and so have we.”
The group had to scrape to raise the $60,000 for the trip by selling trinkets, soliciting help from richer tribes, and using a Facebook page. Mr. Franco said he had made it clear to the delegation that the trip was not a vacation, but a mission. “We have a job to do,” he said.
The tribe had hoped to ship their drum, but FedEx wanted $600 for that. So they checked it in at the airport, along with several manzanita logs, a container of sacred water and a collection of ceremonial weapons, including spears and bows and arrows.
“I don’t think they will be too worried,” Mr. Franco said of airport security. “All of that will be under the plane.”
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service denied the tribe permission to take much of its ceremonial regalia — including hawk, woodpecker and vulture feathers — though its eagle headgear was approved. “Win some, lose some,” Mr. Franco said.
Such battles are commonplace for the Winnemem, whose population once numbered more than 14,000. Their conflicts with the federal government date to 1852, when Congress refused to ratify a treaty that would have given the tribe and more than a dozen other Indian groups a 35-square-mile reservation along the McCloud.
Another insult came in 1985, when the tribe lost its federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, something Mr. Franco attributes to a clerical error as well as a change in bureau policy.
While the Winnemem hold on to tradition, they have not been shy about using more modern means. The Francos regularly commute to Sacramento to lobby policy makers at the Capitol. They also recently donned their regalia to protest a proposal by Senator Feinstein that they felt would loosen restrictions from the Endangered Species Act to allow more water for farmers south of the capital.
Last year, the tribe also sued the federal government for protection of a variety of sacred sites, and a copy of the lawsuit sits in the fire room where the tribe meets for religious ceremonies. “We pray for our lawsuit all the time,” Ms. Sisk-Franco said.
The trip to New Zealand is not the first time the Winnemem have turned to ancient methods to try to change policy. In 2004, while fighting a proposed plan to raise the Shasta Dam 18 feet, the tribe staged a war dance, a four-day, round-the-clock ceremony carried out by their dwindling numbers of warriors. “We were exhausted,” Mr. Franco said. But in the end, the dam was not raised.
Once in New Zealand, the Winnemem plan to rendezvous with local Maori leaders and stage a four-day ceremony starting March 28 that will culminate with the rare “nur chonas winyupus,” or middle water salmon dance.
The Francos say they intend to ask local fish and game officials if they can bring back some of New Zealand’s salmon eggs — once of California stock — back to the McCloud. “We have to do more than pray,” Ms. Sisk-Franco said. “We have to follow through.”
A version of this article appeared in print on March 21, 2010, on page A14 of the New York edition.
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Hi
Memorial Day weekend….trout..need something 2-4 hours out of Sacto so I can take my son fly fishing. Not lower Yuba—we want scenic and more remote. Your pic on web says “will catch fish”–right? We need a guide!
Cabin rental??? We probably want to camp but info appreciated.
Love the Upper Sac so fine if away from the highway–Trinity, Hat, Pit, other if it’s within a few hours.
Beginner-Intermediate– I have some experience on Bitteroot, Galatin, Clarks Fork for me but I’m not so good. Son, 23, just starting but we have fished most NorCal rivers/streams with (uh-oh) bait for 20 to 55 years). Like dry flies best. Memorial Day weekend…Sat. probably 9 a.m. to ?, Sun anytime. Float good if we do a part of the river that shows us places we can reach from shore. We have fly equipment…
Thanks!
Tom
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How about if I come down on Thursday night to Los Lagos and we fish Friday and Saturday? My polola may come with me if that´s all right. I can pay for her share. She doesn´t fish but may want to go out in the boat with us. Let me know.
Chao!
Donald D
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Hi Jack
We are set for Tuesday April 6 for half day for the lower Sac. Loran, my father, Ryan, my son and myself will meet your guide at 10AM. I look forward to hearing from you to confirm.
Thank you.
Chad Covington
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Jack-
I just called Don, since he did not answer my email, and we are a go for 4/26 & 27. I like your plan for the two days. Should we plan to stay in Mt. Shasta City or Dunsmuir? Call me and I’ll give you my card number for the deposit. Thanks for the follow-up. Regards, Bob
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Hi Jack, Thomas, Craig and Malena,
Klamath Riverkeeper recently received in the mail an invitation to apply to the Siskiyou Media Council for creation of a PSA for free.
Visit www.SiskiyouMediaCouncil.org/PSA to learn more about the opportunity and how to apply.
This got me thinking that we could use the opportunity to create a short version of the pro dam removal commercial we’ve been wanting to air. Something like Siskiyou Citizens for Dam Removal PSA possibly?
What do you all think? Should we jump on this?
ET
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Hi Jack
I would like to know how much the rental is on fishing gear is?
My friend and I have never fly fish before and have no fly fishing equipment, including waders and boots. I need to know what you can supply and what I would need to buy.
We are looking to book a reservation on May 18, 2010 for the day. We will be camping at Lake Siskiyou, starting on May 17.
Could you also tell me what river we will be fishing at?
Sincerly
Jim Daniel
Jack and Carola,
Hi Jack
I would like to know how much the rental is on fishing gear is?
My friend and I have never fly fish before and have no fly fishing equipment, including waders and boots. I need to know what you can supply and what I would need to buy.
We are looking to book a reservation on May 18, 2010 for the day. We will be camping at Lake Siskiyou, starting on May 17.
Could you also tell me what river we will be fishing at?
Sincerly
Jim Daniel
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Jack and Carola,
We are deeply sorry!
It’s so unfair!
Chile does not deserve it!
Wish you keep your enthusiasm.
Best Regards,
Felipe, Fernanda and Santiago- Brasil
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Jack,
Morning.
I was curious if you could accomodate 4 anglers, three novice and one amateur? I was also interested if you could suggest any close accomodations to Hat Creek area?
If possible please let me know availability in August and September.
We’re looking for a 2-3 day trip, Thursday- Sunday.
Thanks, -Colin
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I would like to know the availability of float trips on the upper Sac for May 8, 2010. There will be two anglers. One proficient and one beginner. If you have a trip available can you tell me the cost and give me details about the trip.
Thanks
Steve Eckert
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From: Walter Jorgensen <WJorgensen@icumed.com>
Subject: Bollibakka .doc file
To: “Smiley Curtis” <smileycurtis1952@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 8:26 AM
I had my IT guy turn it into a doc file. You can read what Dusty saved. Michelaks response letter(idiotic) and dustys response. Michelak says directly he represents westlands interests! Forward to Jack please.
It all got started b/c I asked how everybody felt. By the time it was done the thread had over 2000 views.
I am glad you all are having fun! And catching fun fish!!
How are you liking that rod and reel? Do you have enough backing on that redington reel, or do you have yet to find out?
Walter Jorgensen
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Hello All,I just had dinner with my good friend Mike Michalak and he is concerned that many out there don’t fully understand his involvement with the Bollibokka Club on the lower McCloud River.I heard about this old private club and even had customer go there as guest over my 45 year history in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento.Here is an email Mike sent me to address our concerns about his managing the club for the Westlands.Bill Kiene__________________________________________________ __________________________Dear Bill, I don’t normally respond to blog issues, since addressing critics that air their concerns (usually) anonymously isn’t exactly a level contest field. But issues have been raised on your site that cry out for clarification. If you’d post this response for me, along with your comment, I’d appreciate it.Regarding Worg’s question: Certainly, I can see why you’d ask the question as to why in the world I would align myself and my company with WWD when they are perceived as the environmental anti-Christ by so many of my friends in the angling and conservation community?In a nutshell, while WWD may be a target of criticism for exercising all their influence with regard to water diversion in other regions, and while their motives for purchasing the Bollibokka Club are transparent, none of what they have done on the McCloud property reflects anything but the best interests of the fishery and its riparian property. The eventual expansion of Shasta Lake, if it ever happens (and certainly not in our lifetime) would inundate only a very small, lower portion of their property. It is critical then, for the welfare of the entire river, that their property be managed by environmentally conscious, angler-oriented, professionals.It isn’t that I have no concern for their diversion policy with regard to the Trinity River, the direction that they have taken with regard to Delta diversion, or other water management issues that will be the battleground in California for decades. My decision to work with WWD and aggressively pursue the management contract is based on a sincere belief that TFS would be able to help make a difference in the uphill fight to preserve the McCloud. That there is a modest profit incentive does not contradict my motives, or my ethics.Westlands has empowered The Fly Shop to attend every meeting regarding the FERC re-licensing of the PG& E facility on on the McCloud and we’ve been there, battling for reasonable water flows that will serve the best interests of the McCloud and the fishermen that line its shore from the headwaters to Shasta Lake. We have worked hand-in-hand with The Nature Conservancy, CalTrout, TU, California’s DF & G, and other environmentally conscious organization, local guides, landowners and businesses in a fight whose conclusion is not yet determined. Westlands, as an adjacent landowner of a large section of this river wields considerable clout. Their mandate, from the beginning, has been simple and direct. “Do what is best for the Club and the river.”Tom Birmingham, the CEO of Westlands, is an ardent fly fisherman and has directed us to reduce the number of anglers/guests/club members on the Bollibokka portion of the McCloud in order to improve the fishing and preserve both the quality of the experience and the well-being of the fishery. It would be impossible to misinterpret or question those motives. Certainly profit is not the incentive. That someone in his position would take the interest that he has shown in Bollibokka and the McCloud says volumes. His devotion to the McCloud has lead me to seriously question the criticism of WWD on other issues.Now, with regard to the proper husbandry of the McCloud, I believe that working with Westlands benefits everyone involved, particularly those of us the have a heartfelt and sincere concern for that fishery. With Westlands help, support and encouragement, we have teamed with all those other organizations and fought for months against well choreographed, well-financed efforts and lobbying by the whitewater interests that would all but devastate the McCloud. Disturbing is that we’ve been at those meetings with little or no support from anglers that have sat on the sidelines and criticized.WWD is a billion dollar, publicly held concern. While the losses they have suffered these last three years with regard to the poorly subscribed membership and amateurish promotion of the Bollibokka Club are insignificant on their grand radar profit/loss screen, they have a responsibility to their shareholders and it is no secret that unless the color of Bollibokka ink changes, they will close the gates to the place. The result would be that one of the most important and valuable fisheries in California, and one of the most historic trout fishing legacies in the American West would be without the husbandry and environmentally conscious management that we believe The Fly Shop can provide. If we are unsuccessful, I have no doubt that is exactly what will happen.While it is certainly everyone’s right to patronize or criticize as you see fit, I hope you might re-visit your strongly held opinion regarding this issue. My credentials as a sincere servant of our natural resources precede my ownership of The Fly Shop. I’ve put my money, my mouth, my dedicated staff, and my time behind issues that most of these correspondents and I hold dear, and I hope they’ll consider that before rushing to judgment regarding my scruples. Unfortunately, I met none of these critics when I was, for nearly a decade, a member of the Board of Directors of the Sacramento River Preservation trust. Neither did I see then in attendance at any of the hundreds of (the post-spill) meetings on the Upper Sacramento, Pit River, recent FERC McCloud re-licensing or Department of Fish and Game hearings on angling issues that I have attended. I don’t see any of their names on the list of donors adding to the nearly $10,000 The Fly Shop has spent and donated opposition to the Pebble Mine. None are members of the influential North Coast Fly Fishers (Humboldt region fly fishing club) that I helped found and served as its first president before moving to Redding. I don’t remember any of them in attendance at the first Steelhead Genetics Symposium that I personally underwrote in Eureka long before I opened The Fly Shop. Come on to one of the monthly meetings of the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (advocate for all northern California outdoor resources) and I’ll excuse myself as one of the Board of Directors (for more than a decade) and discuss all this in detail.I truly believe that The Fly Shop’s association with Westlands allows us a position and bully pulpit for effective advocacy regarding the McCloud. It is as simple as that. If you disagree, fine, but if you really want to support the fly shop in California that has done the most with it’s profit dollars to support our communal outdoor interests, then I look forward to meeting you at The Fly Shop.Now for those of you that can’t read:” (Bob Laskodi), take a look at the Bollibokka prices, bob. 7 miles of the McCloud, accommodations, private access, and a week on the most historic water in the Golden State costs $7,500 for 10 anglers (and you can bring along 4 non-fishermen). That’s all membership and fees. $125 a day for God’s sake. You can’t get a hotel room in most places for that, let alone access to one of the best spots on the California river map.( David Lee): Most of the property adjacent to the McCloud is private. The Bollibokka portion encompasses most of the valley to the upstream boundary with the three other similar private properties that separate them downstream of the Nature Conservancy. Get a map. BLM? NO!(troutdog1973) I’m sure I share your disappointment that your studies on the McCloud Bull Trout were fruitless and that the critters are now extinct. As a professional, I’m sure you are tuned into the fact that salmo shasta are slow growing, slow reproducers, and that unrestricted angling access to the McCloud might put the most famous strain of native rainbows on the planet in the same category as the bull trout.(bigfly/Truckee fly fishing guide) If you can find a shop in California that has done more to support our Golden State fisheries, I’ll kiss your ass and bark like a dog. If that’s your criterion, I look forward to your business. Ask your buddy, Andy Burk, if what I say is true and if you’re off base.(Oceanfish) Read the above. I’m sorry that I didn’t have the space in the catalog to make a complete explanation. While you may have arguments regarding WWD and other waterways, there’s no room for criticism of Westlands regarding the McCloud. Very sincerely,(SGR, Junior member) Bollibokka has been private for 107 years. Since it took two days to get there from Redding. None of our private fisheries have ever been open to the public, and they are now. Admittedly, with a modest fee attached. But to accuse usor Westlands of sewing up an inch of fishing water and privatizing it is not true. I don’t know what a junior member is, but if it means kid, then take a look at our Kids Camp. We’re the only shop in the American West doing something for kids, and nearly a third of our campers are scholar shipped.(Wjorg) Rich? Read the reply to Bob Laskodi. And we’re not just guiding it. We’re managing the property, soliciting memberships, and representing WWD and fly fishing interests .( To all of you) While this may be time consuming, I am quite willing to talk to you about all the issues above. Call me or e-mail personally any time.Mike Michalak, founder and owner The Fly Shop__________________ Bill KieneKiene’s Fly Shop 800/400-0359 shop USA toll free 916/486-9958 local shopThanks for participating! |
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#33 Yesterday, 11:22 PM | |||||
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In a nutshell, while WWD may be a target of criticism for exercising all their influence with regard to water diversion in other regions, and while their motives for purchasing the Bollibokka Club are transparent, none of what they have done on the McCloud property reflects anything but the best interests of the fishery and its riparian property. The eventual expansion of Shasta Lake, if it ever happens (and certainly not in our lifetime) would inundate only a very small, lower portion of their property. It is critical then, for the welfare of the entire river, that their property be managed by environmentally conscious, angler-oriented, professionals.So I guess with this logic..if rape is occurring, simply apply lube and make it a better experience for the victim.Tom Birmingham, the CEO of Westlands, is an ardent fly fisherman and has directed us to reduce the number of anglers/guests/club members on the Bollibokka portion of the McCloud in order to improve the fishing and preserve both the quality of the experience and the well-being of the fishery. It would be impossible to misinterpret or question those motives.You are right mike, it is impossible to misinterpret this..he wants his private water to be even better for when he wants to fish it…would hate to have to worry about those other pesky fishermen on the water…and remember, Dick Cheney is fly fisherman too…what a champion of the environment he is..I truly believe that The Fly Shop’s association with Westlands allows us a position and bully pulpit for effective advocacy regarding the McCloud. It is as simple as that. If you disagree, fine, but if you really want to support the fly shop in California that has done the most with it’s profit dollars to support our communal outdoor interests, then I look forward to meeting you at The Fly Shop.Remember the McCloud is not what has us pissed..it is what Westlands is doing to the rest of the state. So while you are sitting comfy on your private water mike we will be fishing for…oh wait..we wont be fishing for anything..(especially not salmon or steelhead as there will be none left) Last edited by huntindog; Today at 12:23 AM. |
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(03-31) 18:52 PDT Fresno, Calif. (AP) —
A federal judge on Wednesday turned down farmers’ emergency request to lift water pumping restrictions in California’s delta, saying continuing with current pumping levels risked killing chinook salmon.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger means regulators will cut back the amount of water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta starting at midnight.
The restrictions were put in place to protect endangered salmon and steelhead as the fish migrate through the delta into the Pacific Ocean, but farmers argue that the cutbacks are causing devastating crop losses.
The sweeping San Joaquin Valley grows most of the country’s fruits and vegetables, but a three-year drought and restrictions on pumping from the freshwater estuary have hammered the region, creating drastic job losses and other economic woes.
The pumping restrictions are part of a plan by federal biologists to safeguard endangered salmon.
Environmentalists and fishermen have sued to get those protections in place, arguing that the collapse of one of the West Coast’s biggest wild salmon runs two years ago foretold the extinction of related species.