Jack Trout’s Weblog

***HAPPY NEW YEARS ON SATURDAY, SPRING CONDITIONS PERFECT***

After 9 years of rafting the Upper Sac, I’m looking forward to what looks to be the best opener ever! This is a picture of my new raft on the Upper Sac this past week. I Still haven’t thought of a name for my new Sotar raft, so I’m leaving it up to you, the viewers to name her….. I will give a free Jack Trout Hat, for anyone who emails me the winning name. So there you go, play and it might pay my friends… I like funny names…..jt

We started up at Sims and rafted halfway down to just above Gibson, and saw this huge rock and decided to have lunch with my friends, Tim, his brother Sean and Lauren (boat babe). The views were awesome, and from above I could see trout feeding on nymphs, flashing and holding in a swirling eddy, faced backwards against the current. I thought to myself, what a great season this is shaping up to be. The water was clear, the level was perfect, and the opener was only a week away!! (Did you see Shasta in her doggy life preserver!!)

Lauren (boat babe) from Mt Shasta, really enjoyed her first rafting trip on the Upper Sac. she was an excellent deck hand, and was also pretty good at downing a few beers to really enjoy the Walt Disney color’s effect, the river had to offer that day. We rafted from Sims to Dog Creek Beach, an 11 mile journey. We witnessed scenic beauty beyond belief, and saw how the Spring bloom was going off more and more as we floated down to lower elevations. We saw Wild Azalea, Monkey Flowers and Dog Wood Trees in their annual highlight. Wow what a great day, I sure am looking forward to rafting and fly fishing the Upper Sacramento River again this year!! JT

Here’s Mike and our customer Jack Taylor chasing a 3 1/2 steelhead on the Klamath River this past week. What a great honor it is to have Mike Hibbard working with me, he is a true example of what a well rounded guide should be like. If you ask me, I think he’s one of the best in the golden state
and the best guide who’s ever guided for Jack Trout Guide Service! Way to go Mike, you’re a class act guide all the way! (That’s right girls, he’s single, and rows all day!!!)jt

Mike and I, had the day off last week so we decided to check out the Lower Sac at 10,000 cfs. I farmed fish all day long and Mike laughed. That’s why I never get on the customers for fishing mistakes, even guides farm fish Sizzlers! I did land this lunker though, and Mike laughed at me again! (He calls me a TROUT PIMP!) We love water, rivers, the outdoors and even on our day off, it never gets old, it just ferments in our minds, and becomes cabernet over the years…(Now the Lower Sac is at 6400 cfs. To get Lower Sac flows call 530-246-7594)

Gary Craft was referred to www.mtshasta.com by a friend who watches weekly! We caught 5 floating below the new expansion bridge near Turtle Bay Museum. The bridge floor is made of glass, supposedly to watch the salmon on their annual spawn as they head up the river. Gary loved the Lower Sac and the morning was fishing hot using caddis nymphs and small mayflies, Gary got so excited after the 4th fish in a row he called his girlfriend Anne on the cell phone!! Shasta just smiled and went back to sleep…

Nice fish Gary! We had on as many as a dozen that morning, and landed 1/2 of that. And as fast as it heated up in the morning, the sun left us towards 2pm and the fishing shut off like a antsy producers finger on a light switch, for a Janet Jackson incident. The Lower Sac can be moody at times
but is worth the reward everytime. Mike Hibbard is now guiding on the Lower Sac as I will be guiding the tribs with Chuck, John, John and Tory. Give us a call for the 8 rivers we guide on in the north state. 530-926-4540 or email info@jacktrout.com, All the rivers are in good shape for the opener!

I took Marty Wilson and his girlfriend Gabriel out on the Klamath this past week. The flows were lowered to 1760 cfs
and the river was running clear. I knew there would be some steelhead in there, cause the Spring run had just started!! Sure enough, it didn’t take long before we had a double hook up!

This was Gabriel’s first Steelhead! We caught 1/2 bers from 10 inches to 16 inches, but it was the one with big lips that we were all looking for. Lurking in the Klamath like
a fish who had ate at too many fast foods restaurants, and only ordered burgers. Big fat cheese burgers, and had a spare Good Year Tire he had swallowed last Christmas. That’s the one we were looking for….

Things were kind of quiet for a while, when out of no where Gabriel hooked into a monster, she was really excited, and so was the fish, as it came leaping out of the water 2 feet in the air next to the boat. Gabriel let out a scream of delight, as she allowed the fish to run it’s course.

Gabriel, you are most definately, SIZZLER OF THE WEEK!! CONGRATULATIONS SIZZLER, WITH THIS LOVELY 5 LB KLAMATH SPRING RUN STEELHEAD, IT’S WILD SIZZLER, AND SO ARE YOU AND MARTY!! Enjoyed our trip very much, and your big catch made the trip, including all the others we caught also!! Jack Trout (Not a bad first fly fishing trip!!)****ALRIGHT THE SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WHERE WILL YOU FISH? LET ME KNOW AND THANKS FOR ALL THE EMAILS. I HAVE MY NEW FLY SHOP OPEN AT 1004 S MT SHASTA BLVD. MT SHASTA OPEN TIL 10 PM ON WEEK DAYS 11 PM ON WEEKENDS THROUGH OUT THE SUMMER!!!
JACK TROUT***