NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FLY FISHING GUIDE TRIPS FOR STEELHEAD, TROUT & SALMON STARTS NOW!

SHASTA DAM STUDY FOR SALMON & STEELHEAD FISH PASSAGE, INFO ON 8/27 MEETING IN LAKEHEAD.  

(Pardon my grammar and punctuation, I’m trying to guide and be a reporter where no wears a tie.)

 Castle Crags is a great place to visit and camp out when planning your adventures up here in north state.

Our local version of Half Dome and Yosemite, a solid piece of granite pushed up from the center of Earth. In 1855 Poet Joaquin Miller

was wounded in the Battle of the Castle Crags, but later was nursed back to health by a Wintu’ Indian girl who later became his wife and later lived together in Squaw Valley near McCloud, California.

Read more here > http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25240

 Many things in life can change and adapt, take for instance this domesticated horse that escaped the fires of 2006 and is now living out in the wild surviving on it’s own in the Shasta/Trinity Forest. I see these horses young and old about 3 or 4 times a year since 2006, I called the USFS and they told me there are many animals that escaped or were set free by there owners back in that horrible fire season. This horse seems very healthy and I have seen two or three young colts too. I guess what I’m leading up to is that nature has a way of re-kindling life, if survival is the answer, the desire to live will lead you many more days as there are many more carrots in life just around the bend. We threw the horse an apple and I dreamed about how steelhead and salmon could possible some day in the future make it over the Shasta Dam and repopulate the upper sections of the Sacramento River, something that hasn’t occurred since 1945. I thought about John Muir and how he fought most of his life for all of  Yosemite to be protected as a National Park and later at the end of his life was crushed when Hetch Hetchy was erected as a dam and a water supply for the city of San Francisco. John Muir felt as though he half-failed in life, even though his previous private meetings with Teddy Roosevelt in the Yosemite Valley, the greatest outdoorsman in Presidential history resulted in getting the Yosemite Valley protected from the many profiteers of that era. But he couldn’t save that dam from being erected as Woodrow Wilson signed the construction into law and San Francisco got their badly needed water supply.

With the potential fish passage being studied in Shasta Dam, it’s like the same kind of fate for steelhead and salmon getting up to their native grounds, to me it seems inevitable. In life, some things happen you have no control over, all you can do is study it and see if its a viable plan, everyone has a right to their opinion. It will be the community of all of us who will have an interest and will ultimately voice their thoughts as the goal is to get it right in the end for all of those who care, especially the fish who deserve it. Should be interesting folks, stay tuned. jt

 I float the areas closest to Shasta Lake and I always see runs that look similar to the Trinity river. Mount Eddy proves it, one side of Mount Eddy at 9500 feet above the town of Mt Shasta gives birth to the Upper Sac and the other side spawns Trinity Creek and heads out in the opposite direction eventually becoming the Trinity river.  

Very deep holes perfect for spawning salmon, with increased flows from PG&E, I think the McCloud river would be the best location for spawning steelhead, historically the McCloud was favorited most often by spawning salmon on their Facebook page…

My dad’s fishing license when he was 14 years old. I myself being raised in Portola, California my dad was the greatest guide, fisherman & hunter I knew as he took me around weekly to all the rivers including the McCloud River and taught me history and how to respect nature. I played all the schools around the Mount Shasta area in sports and won the North Sections Championship in the 200 meter dash at College of the Siskiyous in high school at age 15. Later that day when the bus rolled into Round Table Pizza in Mt Shasta and  I took one look at the mountain and my heart melted in awe and I knew I would live here one day.

 I remember the stories my dad always told me of how he remembered the salmon and steelhead making it up, I mean way up into the the thousands of tributaries that used to deliver the new eras of salmon and steelhead and these fish all co-existed with native rainbow trout populations. When we drove by the McCloud River later that month after I won those races, pops talked about how he taught Leighton and Gray Hills former owners of the Bollibokka Club who sold the river and the 1901 club to the Westland’s Water District in order to raise the Shasta Dam in the future. It’s incredible to think what they sold away and why did it have to be sold to the Westland’s Water District? How could it happen? It should of been sold to the many club members of the private McCloud so they could of preserved the McCloud River, not the Darth Vadar of rivers WESTLAND’S WATER DISTRICT,

 My pops fishing near Yosemite in 1939, with some catfish, salmon and trout, definitely a different era as described by the fishing fly fishing master. Head  fishing fly guide and hunter safety  instructor at Walton’s Grizzley Boy’s Camp from 1960 to 1970. “I love you pops and miss you badly, you’re the greatest father a child could of ever had. My pops Trout Raymond (Dusty) – 1920 to 2010 – Died with all of his family by his bedside on his last breath at 90 years old, a true north state legend.”

 What could be better than being out with pops on a nice sunny day in Northern California.

 I have noticed more bass coming up from Shasta lake, but all the kids sure love catching them.

 On the Upper Sacramento River there are great places to fish right now, especially with the colder mornings and lack of people.

 Nice big fight on the fly rod is always a welcomed adventure, if we get a huge rainstorm this week everything could break wide open folks!

 We catch trout on buggers too, some of biggest trout we catch are on buggers, especially in the fall.

 Now those are racing stripes!

 This is a resource worth protecting, October should be a great month to catch one of these beauties give us a call 530-926-4540

 Miles has a fish on and pops David is on his way! This was very exciting as the fish fought hard and Miles loved every minute of it.

 Beef Dog has the best view, hold on Miles!

 Way to go little dude, what a great day you’re having.

 Then he hooked up on double digits folks, on his first day out fly fishing with Pops. (I remember those days, out with my Dad, you never forget.)

 The next Northern California Outdoorsman – Miles Hatch of the American Team Ladies and Gentlemen!

 

 Now that’s so cool, he then up-chucked a crayfish- folks. I have caught bass on crayfish patterns, this adds a whole new dimension.. Now if he ate a stonefly would that be surf & turf…?

 Dad’s Double Hook-up, I can see for Miles and Miles!! For a parent and a youngster it just doesn’t get better!

 Great entertainment for all the kids in your family, heck tell your friends. I want to teach all the beginners how to fly fish. Jack Trout  (Thanks to Ducan and Dugan Barr for all their personal fishing referrals!)

The trout that inhabit the Upper Sacramento River are awaiting you arrival, you shine you crazy diamond!

 Ian Parrott is making new plans with his good friend Mark to make it back to the Mt Shasta area for steelhead fishing October through December.

 Oh yea! I could get use to this stuff!

Mark with a nice bass on his fly rod, liked catching both bass and trout on his adventure.

 Beef dog ready for action!

 For Ian and Mark, it was a great day to be out on the river.

 Mark with a trout he caught with a hopper – double – dropper – Size 16 black copper johns. We have had takes on the hopper also along the banks. Great fun!

 And another, hear the reel scream our favorite song.

 Out in our backyard on a well deserved day off with Carola my wife, enjoying a BBQ and fresh veggies from our garden. BIG BEER, BIG GUT!!

 Next we got a call from two folks from Japan, Takashi & Heromi, who wanted a scenic tour of the area, so we headed up to the Lakin Dam, where the McCloud river comes streaming out of the ground from aquafir springs. These springs extend from lava tubes from the interior of Mount Shasta that flows underground some 10 miles away.

 We headed into the town of McCloud and pulled over to witness this lovely 1957  Chevy Bel Air, which we all gasp in awe. I laughed when our clients mentioned that Toyota never made anything like this!

 They liked the hike into Castle Crags and also enjoyed touring Gumboot Lake.

 Rob and Anna enjoyed their day and this trout out on the Upper Sac float.

 Guide Forrest Brizendine and our client Jeremy Snow who on his first day fly fishing caught many trout.

 Way to go Jeremy, you’re our Sizzler of the Week Award Winner! Congratulations Sizzler!

 Do you need a rig & rod!

 So many trails to explore, where are you planing to head next?

 The next day out on the Lower Sac, the Snow family had a great time and caught some nice trout too.

 The Lower Sac now is a good option as the fishing got kind of slow there for a while with the extreme dry conditions, but in the past few days the bite has picked up with the cooler mornings and it looks like it’s going to be even better with a possible rainstorm this weekend.

 Mount Shasta after a recent rainstorm proved to be a snow dumper on top of the summit. Hope we get a whole lot more than last years winter drop.

 One of my favorite places in the whole wide world is to enjoy a deli sammy or a beer and pizza is at Granzella’s in Williams, California. (My dad caught that sail fish.)

www.granzellas.com

 All the mounts you would never see in any other restaurant in the USA, plus a great staff that are like family to me and Carola. Those bull horns were my dads, I don’t how or where he got them but we gave them to the restaurant in addition to many fish mounts you see in the bar that my dad and I caught on trips together or clients.

 We always appreciate the free beers and food when we arrive, these folks are the greatest to hang out with and talk shop. The pizza is extremely good here!

 They even gave us a wall to display our best catches by you the audience. If you catch a lunker trout with Jack Trout Guide Service we’re going to display it at Granzella’s in their bar in Williams, California. The huge 9 lb trout that was caught by Chris Siess on the Rio Enco in Chile in 2012 is on its way, come in and check out our fish mounts I think you’ll like them.

 The muffaletta sandwiches are my personal favorite, but don’t forget to pick up some pasta to go!

 Ever since the fire that destroyed the old buildings, things have been looking up big time and the restaurants, bar and lodging is off the charts, please come visit.

 When we come down we like to hang out then walk over to the hotel which is priced reasonable.

 Wow! Fish passage meeting for the State of California, how cool is that.

 Caleen Sisk talked about how the Wintu’ tribe has never been the same after the Shasta Keswick Dam was put in place in 1945. She explained that the Wintu’ think that salmon that were introduced to New Zealand from the McCloud river from 1873 to 1900 would be the best salmon to re-introduce since they have not been exposed to our modern day local diseases and they think the salmon would naturally reintroduce themselves into the 4 drainages of  Shasta Lake. The Sacramento, McCloud, Squaw Creek and Pit River.

The Wintu’ Winnemem (Middle McCloud River Indians) had been the longest living undisturbed tribe of Native Americans until their main winter food supply was completely shut off with the construction of Shasta Dams. It’s kind of sad to think they have to now beg to have some access to native lands along the McCloud River for ceremonial purposes never being recognized as formal tribe. My suspensions has always been the rich landowners along the McCloud made sure they weren’t acknowledge by the U.S. Government.

(These folks are not building or interested in casinos, just heritage and rebounds.)

Surviving Shasta Dam: Winnemem Film Events Sept. 14-21

http://www.winnememwintu.us/news-and-media/

 Here’s the scoop, the dams that were placed all over California from 1894 through the 1960’s and the loss of spawning grounds of 15 different types of salmon runs lost. More info below just check out the photos and the black is what has been lost since that date. Blue is good and what existed before the dams were placed.

Now here’s the past in blue and black represents modern day and what has been lost due to dams, about 80 to 90% habitat loss. It’s brutal people and with the dry years we’ve been having and low water in the Central Valley, we might have to really see what we could do for our future generations of anadromous fish that inhabit the Sacramento River. Good grief, that black map looks like a fricking bowling lane, no wonder they are on the decline.

 Now here is the Shasta Soda Springs Resort from about 1905, you can see the Upper Sacramento River running on the left hand side. I have this as part of a post card collection.  You can see its winter flows aren’t too much more than we receive now, probably a couple hundred steelhead, salmon and trout in the vicinity. Makes my mouth water… (Flows looks like about 1300 to 1800 CFS.)

Here’s the spring shot – Pretty neat to think they had a trolley or a palma lift cart you can see in the previous picture that took you to the top of hill to the another resort area. This was always a welcomed place when heading on your way up to the Pacific Northwest to Portland or Seattle. It faded away with the invention of the automobile and families became more independent and traveled alone without the accompany of other families like more popular in the past. Remember before Iphones you and your family……

 

Mossbrae Falls, I bet the steelhead really loved it there, maybe someday it will be like Shawshank Redemption for a salmon when Andy Dufresne escaped down that long shitty pipe that led him to freedom in the rains!  Yea baby, the salmon & steelhead are coming home. Can you feel it, are you with me people.

    Read it and weep, we have to do something these species has been on the decline ever since these walls were put up.  (CV means Central Valley California.)

 We need to think about what the future holds and what studies we can do to see if this can really work.

 

We need public input, you deserve to be heard no matter what your opinion is, we need to keep this an open topic and work together for the best results. Of course if this study went forward maybe some rivers would be off limits to fishing for some years, we don’t know. How would it affect the McCloud River Rainbow, they survived together before, could it happen again? These are all hot topics and everyone’s opinion counts. Here’s more info > http://www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice/Documents/Shasta_Fish_Passage/index.html

 The fate of the McCloud River Rainbow is an important one, I hope not one that the study would be compromised because of the landowner interests like the Hearst Family (As part of the C.R.M.P,) McCloud River Club (Fisher Family) or the Bollbokka Club (Westlands Water District), that could try to block attempts or not to cooperate in the studies to reintroduce these native species out of the notion not to disturb rich club interests. So as long as all interests are fair and cooperative, we should have a very fair outcome hopefully for the deprived salmon & steelhead that need access to cold springs and native grounds. I do know a few years back the Dolly Varden was on scheduled to be reintroduced to the Upper McCloud River and one family socked their attorney’s on the DFG and put a kabosh to that thought. The McCloud River at one time was the most southern Cascade river to have native Dolly Varden or Bull Trout they went extinct in the river in the 1970’s. Just because these families are longtime land owners doesn’t give them the rights to alter creeks, shut down native restock programs and manipulate policies through politics and attorneys.’This time I really think, just like Hetch Hetchy, the place where most of these landowners drink their water from not the McCloud River, they need to leave their politics and trust funds in the Bay Area do the right thing and cooperate. It’s time to put things back if that’s what right. Jack Trout

 McCloud River ~ Bull Trout or Dolly Varden

 Chris Snow of  Davis, California came up and stayed at the McCloud RV Park  with his family and Forrest and I fished them around for a few days. He caught this nice brown trout on a small nymph, even though the water was off color.

 http://mccloudrvpark.com/

 Nice non-native brown trout from Scotland, introduced here in the early 1900’s.

 

 His wife Lauren caught a nice brook trout her first day fly fishing on the McCloud River. These trout are native from the east coast of the United States and are not native either to the McCloud River. Is it me or does this seem backwards, we should be catching native

species, I thought?

 Nice trout though…

 Here’s Geoffrey Snow with a nice hook-up and landed trout on the Lower Sacramento River. It’s just starting to heat up now, call us for a date in late September.

************************************************************************

CHILE * CHILE * CHILE * CHILE

 Maybe this is the year you might be coming down to Southern Chile & Patagonia Argentina.

 One reason the food!

 Big browns from Germany on location here in Chile.

Your guide has been guiding Chile for over 20 years and is one of three guides ever to guide all 3 regions of Chile, has great equipment and a Chilean wife that runs the show.

Lunkers are being caught during certain times of the season, we know when and where.

 We have successful outings all the time because of our experience and local know how, plus private places no one else guides on.

 McCloud River Rainbows in Chile, now that’s something you’ll like.

 Then We’ll take you over the Andes Mountains into Argentina where my guides and I will fish, wine, dine and entertain you like no other outfit. We mainly target couples and guide them fly fishing daily but non-anglers enjoy the tours we provide to local destinations as well as shopping with Carola. Dinners are out at the best restaurants nightly.

 Lodging is at this 4 star resort with indoor pool and spa, a massage daily is included with your lodging and meals after fishing.

 This will be a great place for you and your love one, let us be the outfitter who take you to all the great fishing in the Lake’s District, River’s District of Chile, then over the Andes to fly fish in Patagonia Argentina.

Email me to discuss this trip: info@jacktrout.com   * 530-926-4540    www.jacktrout.com/chile.html

 Every night waiting for you when you get off the river, of course that’s after your massage.

 Oh yea! See you there in January through April 2014 ~*~  Jack & Carola Trout & Team Trout Guides International.

 Here’s your room, hope you like it.

Breakfast is served here in the mornings and the private bar is open in the afternoons.

 

This is a great place Carola found and we have had many happy clients here this past season, we hope you are one of them in 2014 Chile & Argentina. There is very limited space so call us now to reserve your 10 to 14 day trip.

 Will sure approves of his time he had fishing, eating and site seeing in Argentina.

 Why that looks like a McCloud River Rainbow to me.

a  brown trout that looks like he’s been on a drinking binge, a lot of drink not much food..

 Our beloved clients Clyde & Davida Robinson on their second trip with us to Chile and Argentina, loved their trip.

“Jack and Carola Trout are the ne plus ultra of Chilean fishing hosts”

 

 Wow, I love when we catch those gold bar brown trout, it’s like tapping into Fort Knox.

John & Diane Rappaport who came back for second year in Chile and Argentina also enjoyed their trip and adventures with us.

Way to go John, thanks for using us we really appreciated it and hope you and Diane take care, Jack & Carola

 

“Another superb fishing and touring experience with Team Trout”

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32755-d1641287-Reviews-Jack_Trout_Fly_Fishing-Mount_Shasta_California.html

 Every meal you will love we promise as we hit all the best places each night.

 Yea, we got something great planned for you for 2014 in Central & South America, give us a call so we can start working on your Personal Customized Fly Fishing Adventure Vacation. Look forward to it,

Jack & Carola Trout

 

                                       

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The Fight For The McCloud River The McCloud might be California’s most-loved (and most-beautiful) river, yet despite its protected status, it faces multiple threats — including the raising of Shasta Dam and a FERC dam relicensing. Here’s what we’re doing to protect the McCloud: Raising Shasta Dam: We’re opposed to the raising of Shasta Dam, which would flood 1-2 miles of the Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers. (To read CalTrout’s position on dam raising, click here. To read our detailed comments on the BOR’s draft feasibility report on raising Shasta Dam, click here.) McCloud River Dam Relicensing: We’re protecting flow regimes on the lower McCloud during the FERC relicensing of the McCloud Dam. (click to learn more in our screencast.) McCloud Documentary: CalTrout’s short documentary Enough is Enough combines stunning photography with information about the threats to the McCloud (film accepted into the The Wild & Scenic Film Festival and the Fly Fishing Film Tour). You can view the trailer and read an interview with the filmmaker here. The McCloud River is an icon — a Blue Ribbon trout stream that enjoys special legal protection, yet faces threats anyway. We’re committed to keeping it that way.

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