FALL STEELHEAD SIGN-UPS FOR TRINITY & KLAMATH RIVERS
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INFO@JACK TROUT.COM * 530-926-4540 * WWW.JACKTROUT.COM
The Shasta Valley is a lovely place to view Mount Shasta from the north side of the mountain. Supposedly, an outlaw from our area named Rattle Snake Dick Barter robbed stage coaches out near here in 1852 to 1856 and with his team of bandits they buried the $40,000 in loot somewhere around Sugar Loaf Butte and Iron Mountain on the Shasta -Yreka Mule Trail. Makes me want to huddle out in a low flying drone and look for some these buried treasures with my inboard gold detector and on board drone safety deposit box!! (How cool would that be folks. Doesn’t seem that unbelievable these days, Elon Musk probably has one.)
On to more realistic dreams, like huge monsoons hit California and all lakes and rivers are filled to the brim!
Though it is much drier than previous years witnessed, the hope that some huge rains will come along before too long and wipe out this grapes of wrath, because I don’t know how much more my state of California can endure. I figure if we get one more season of this and no snow this winter like last, the state of California is in big trouble. When the Shasta Dam was completed in 1947, who would of thunk we’d be facing this terrible dilemma. But it’s here and we’re dealing with it best we can. I still have places to guide people and I’m still floating the Upper Sac, Lower Sac, Klamath & Trinity rivers. So kick back and enjoy this past months pics as you deserve it. I also wanted to add that the McCloud River is blown out, check out the pics from the very bottom of this site. Mud Creek is running from Konwokaton Glacier on Mount Shasta and this makes the river run milky color. Though I did get two hits fishing it yesterday on July 27th for about a half hour. Best bet is fish down stream as far as possible and fish the edges with bright nymphs. jt
Over on the Klamath River the stone fly hatch was going on and we caught some nice trout that day on dry flies. That always happens annually from about June 1st til July 10th. The flows this year on the Klamath were excellent averaging about 1000 CFS or better, so my hats off this year to the Bureau of Reclamation on the increased flows, of course every little bit counts. The salmon are dying on the Lower Klamath right now just like 2002, but the difference is this time is we just don’t have the water to increase flows anymore, so that’s a damn shame for the Klamath Salmon of 2014.
Pops with a nice trout from the Klamath River caught on the surface on a stonefly.
This time of year we like to guide folks early, then take a mid-day break and go back out from the afternoon til dark for best action.
The McCloud is a special river that was once the home of the Wintu’s Winnemem Tribe, then the clubs came along river and everything changed. The history of the Wintu’s Indians is a fascinating one, maybe some day they will retain some section of the McCloud River for their own ceremonies. I’m sure everyone would love to see that happen.
Sure is some great trout fishing for wild trout on the McCloud River.
Many people call on me for their first lessons in fly fishing and we seem to always catch something.
Another happy client on the McCloud River, way to go!
The McCloud River is a great place to learn how to fly fish.
Your first trout on a fly rod is one you can scratch off the “bucket list.”
The famous Rocky Suess out for a day with me on the McCloud River.
Hey Rocky, Got to love those McCloud Redband Trout.
Out in the raft on the Upper Sac we just started up where we left off the day before.
I look forward to fishing and guiding Rocky in March in Chile! Should be terrific folks as March and April are traditionally good months to fish Chile and Argentina.
I think that’s her best side folks.
One more for the road is ok by us! Thanks for coming up Rocky, look forward to seeing you in Chile.
One of the greatest places on Earth and a place I suggest you stay and enjoy is the historical town of McCloud.
The Mercantile Store and Bed & Breakfast from 1894 is always a highlight with my clients!
http://www.mccloudmercantile.com/
Hope you come up this year and stay in the town of McCloud, you be glad you did.
The McCloud River Mercantile Co. & The Mercantile Hotel
241 Main Street, PO Box 658~ McCloud, CA 96057
Ph: 530.964.2330 | F: 530.964.2846
Turning kids on to fly fishing is one of our specialties here at Jack Trout Guide Service. Felipe from Brazil liked his first adventure.
This time of year i mainly suggest using very small nymph flies in oxygenated water and streamers in the tail-out for browns. Joaqim is also from Brazil and thoroughly enjoyed his time with his dad Robert Knox and their great adventures together in California.
This trout looks like it has leopard spots, very healthy too. Way to go Joaquim!
Out on the Upper Sac we caught bass on streamers that looked like minnows, it was a real hoot as we landed over a dozen. Great fun for first timers learning to fly fish.
A few trout too, this was a day to remember for these two future sportsmen. This Joaquim looks like he could be a great future fly fishing guide in the USA! Start checking out rivers in Brazil and send reports, it would be great for you to do the same thing I’m doing between Chile and USA and you could possible guide the US and Brazil.
(Just a thought for a great kid.)
Fly fishing is a sport that many are learning, maybe it’s your time to come up and learn how to fish?
www.jacktrout.com * info@jacktrout.com * 530-916-4540 or 530-918-8879
The McCloud River is the most southerly Cascade rivers to have indigenous Redband Trout, the Bull Trout unfortunately has been extirpated from the river because of the McCloud Dam and the inability to reach the Big Springs in the very Upper part of the McCloud River.
The Bull Trout also known as Dolly Varden are no longer in the McCloud River. Numerous reasons caused their extinction, here is the list.
1. Building of McCloud Dam by PG&E, to move water 11 miles over to Iron Canyon Reservoir then it’s run through 6 dams for more power on the Pit River. This cut off the lower Bull Trout populations from McCloud Dam down 34 miles as JB Campbell an angler turned fish culturalist living with his family on the McCloud River since the 1850’s reported in 1874 that the Bull Trout were caught 5 miles above his trout farm and 5 miles below the present day Bollibokka Club and on up its entire length. In my opinion the building of the McCloud Dam was greedy by PG&E and should of never happened when you consider the history of this river and its fish. I might add they still had the benefit of its power when the McCloud flows out of Shasta Dam, so to get twice the use out of the water source at the expense of the Bull Trout population in retrospect was an ingenious laid ground work of the American Greed..
2. Because of the McCloud Dam being built the lake was over harvested in the 1960’s and Bull Trout were like sitting ducks and the other half perished below the dam in higher water temps not conducive to a char’s natural water temps or what they were used to before .
3. Brook Trout and Brown Trout were introduced from Germany and the East Coast and they spawn at the same times as Bull Trout, they also feed and try to occupy the same habitat as Bull Trout.
4. Bull Trout take longer to mature so they got caught faster than they could reproduce, being caught at an average length of 10 inches per fish or smaller. They need to grow 14 to 16 inches to reproduce on average.
5. Bull Trout love worms.
6. In 1991 a study was going underway to reintroduce Bull Trout into the Upper McCloud River on the Hearst Estate, but the train car spilled into the Upper Sacramento River with toxic chemicals and this supposedly took all the funds necessary for this reinroduce Bull Trout Program of 1991. (This study should be reintroduced.)
Source of Information: Michael Rodes Reports DFG – Bull Trout Reintroduction Program Review March, 27th, 1995
Michael Rodes Reports DFG- Bull Trout Extirpation from McCloud River 1990
Livingston Stone, A.M – Washington Government Printing Office U.S. Fish Commission Report 1896.
The Bull Trout were caught in large numbers in reports I have read as far back as the 1870’s and as far down as present day Shasta Lake. It’s a shame we lost this lovely trout with unique colors and look. Of course it’s sad when we lose any specie that has lived out its existence, I guess it’s the extirpation part I don’t like. The Bull Trout or Dolly Varden and the Wintu’ Winemem Indians have a lot in common on the McCloud River.
This picture is from 1874 on the McCloud River, a Wintu’ spearing a salmon where present day Shasta Lake is now. Very near the confluences of the Pit and McCloud Rivers, then the heart of Wintu’ Country. Back then there were 18 traditional salmon runs during the course of the year, so there were always salmon present to fish for.
There were Chinook or King Salmon (Quinnat Salmon) , Coho or Silvers, Chum Salmon or Dog, Pink Salmon or Humpy, Sockeye or Bluebacks as Livingston Stone Called them. Now because of Shasta Dam and the climate changes, what once was Calaska, is now a couple of runs of Chinooks and a few Coho Salmon with their medical marijuana cards trying to make it up a bowling lane and get over the hard rock cafe. I would be depressed and declining too if I got stuck on my honeymoon in Redding or Oroville, California.
Trying to make love as a salmon on Interstate 5 is not a turn on, back in the upper rivers and having access to springs is where they belong prospering. Also naming trout steelhead did not help with them penetrating dams as once thought. They should of named them “ladder leapers!” from day one.
Like right here! The fly fishing continues as these great folks come up from the Bay Area to learn fly fishing on the McCloud River.
Sid out enjoying himself on a rock dry fly fishing.
His daughter Mina her first time out catching a few trout and enjoying the catching!
The holding is another story…..
Ok Mina, a little better.
Now on to Tom Keiser form the Bay Area, who had a great tiem floating the Upper Sac in my raft.
Fish on brother!
Nice profile if I don’t say so myself.
I always like the release part of the adventure!
Ana Hayashi with her first fish on a fly rod, a Speckled Small Mouth Bass. Congrats!
Our daughter wanted to learn how to fly fish and we always wanted to explore Mt. Shasta on our way to Oregon. Jack was AWESOME! We were complete rookies. He provided all the gear, took us to the upper Sacramento River and the McCloud River in one day. We caught Bass and Rainbow trout and Jack took us to gorgeous and very private locations. We had a complete blast and would highly recommend Jack to the novice and advanced fishermen. Great Family Fun!
I like this girl she convinced her parents she wanted to learn fly fishing and get out into the outdoors of nature. Not enough kids are asking for trips into the outdoors. She was rewarded with this trout.
I have been fishing many times with Jack and have always had a great time. This time I took my wife on the upper sac with Jack. We floated on a his raft on of the hotter days of the year. I have to say the trout fishing was a bit off due to the heat. In spite of this Jack did his best and he made sure my wife caught some bass and at least had some success on the fly rod. She had a great time and enjoyed all his knowledge of the area. We got off the river early because of the heat. Jack then met me later up on the McCloud were the fishing was better. I thought the extra effort on his part was fantastic. Jack will always make the extra effort
Look it’s Cascade Cat, the mascot of Mount Shasta and the Cascades. Mount Shasta 4th of July Parade is a great event annually.
Out on Lake Siskiyou with Beef, fish on!
I let the girls real it in while Carola took the picture.
My presentation on July 22nd at the Mount Shasta Museum went well and Michael from the Wintu’ Tribe who recently graduated from Cal Berkeley said he enjoyed it. In the background a picture from the 1880’s where the McCloud used to dump into the Pit River.
I’ve been guiding Tom Lupori for over 20 years and this time he brought his son up with him Nick. We caught lots of fish on the Upper Sac but the Klamath that day was slow with only two trout all day, but they loved it in spite of the slow fishing and the high summer heat.
Deer are always nice to see.
Pelican looking for an easy meal of course.
McCloud Reservoir looks ok from the top but Mud Creek is running hard from Konwokaton Glacier in the old ancient river bed before the lake was built.
Below, since PG&E is only willing to spill from below and not skim from the top of the lake. Their reasoning was they said the surface temp of the water is too high for fish to survive in. I say ask the fish, the surface temp when I checked the other day was 58, that doesn’t seem too hot to me? The other was it might not be safe for the clubs down stream. I don’t believe that either as the clubs are all far enough up from the river for this to not effect a single thing negatively. This has to do with their Alaskan Pipeline over to Iron Horse Canyon, they’re running this swiftly through the lake’s river bed so it doesn’t plug up their plumbing over to the Pit. Remember in the eyes of PG&E, the McCloud River means nothing to them, they make no money off the MCloud Dam, it has no power, it’s considered waste water I’ve heard numerous times over the years rumored from inside sources.
Anyone for a little skimmed milk?
The Pit River is a viable option folks and is fishing good early more than late.
Pit 5 looked great to us as we checked it out 2 days ago, I plan to take some of you over there until this McCloud debacle clears up.
Yummy, having a fun summer! Check out the new and improved Jack Trout Web Site! www.jacktrout.com
Many Rivers to You, Jack & Carola Trout
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McCloud River Rainbows – Well Traveled Trout
By; Jack Trout – Entire history of fish culture, to and from California as well the history of the McCloud River, pics from 1800’s.
Mount Shasta – Sisson Museum – July 22nd 2014
Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen (Walnut Creek) – August 12th, 2014
San Jose Fly Casters – August 13th, 2014
Mount Tamalpais Fly Casters (Larkspur) – August 26th, 2014
Long Beach Fly Fishers – August 27th, 2014
Deep Creek Fly Fishers – (Redlands) August 28th, 2014
Santa Barbara Fly Fishers – September 9th, 2014
Santa Lucia Fly Fishers (San Luis Obispo) – September 11th, 2014
I will be covering the history of trout, steelhead and salmon as well other fish that made it to California after the 1870’s
Officials urge people to avoid blue-green algae
The Times-StandardPOSTED: 07/31/2014 03:49:58 PM PDT0 COMMENTS| UPDATED: ABOUT 16 HOURS AGOPress release from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board North Coast Region:Swimmers, boaters and recreational users are to urged to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), now blooming in the Klamath River in Northern California.Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs and the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam down to Weitchpec on the Yurok Reservation are now posted with health advisories warning against human and animal contact with the water. Residents and recreational water users can still enjoy camping, hiking, biking, canoeing, picnicking, or other recreational activities at the reservoirs and along the Klamath River, taking precautions to avoid contact with waters near these bloom areas and any scums along the water’s edge.Klamath River reaches from the I-5 bridge downstream to Weitchpec were posted with health advisories on July 30 and 31, based on the presence of cyanobacteria scums. Copco Reservoir was posted in June due to cell counts exceeding public health thresholds for cyanobacteria (Anabaena and then Microcystis aeruginosa). Iron Gate was posted on July 25th due to scums as public health thresholds; these advisories remain in effect.“These conditions in the Klamath River and reservoirs today are very concerning. Blue-green algae can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets,” said Matt St. John, Executive Officer of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. “We urge people and their pets to avoid contact with water in locations with blooms, and particularly avoid swallowing or inhaling of water spray in an algal bloom area.”The algal blooms appear as bright green in the water, and blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats can float on the water and accumulate along the shore. Recreational exposure to toxic blue-green algae can cause eye irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcer, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold and flu-like symptoms. Liver failure, nerve damage and death have occurred in rare situations where large amounts of contaminated water were directly ingested.The Statewide Guidance on Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following for blue-green algae impacted waters:· Take care that pets and livestock do not drink the water, swim through algae, scums or mats, or lick their fur after going in the water. Rinse pets in clean drinking water to remove algae from fur.· Avoid wading, swimming or jet or water skiing in water containing algae blooms or scums or mats.· Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with untreated surface water from these areas under any circumstances; common water purification techniques (e.g., camping filters, tablets and boiling) do not remove toxins.· People should not eat mussels or other bivalves collected from these areas. Limit or avoid eating fish; if fish are consumed, remove guts and liver, and rinse filets in clean drinking water.· Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your pet, or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with blue-green algae.Water quality monitoring is done biweekly in the summer from Link River Dam in Oregon to the Klamath River estuary in California. Sampling continues late into the fall to determine when toxin levels are low enough for water contact to be safely below the public health thresholds. This sampling is conducted collaboratively by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; PacifiCorp; the Karuk Tribe; the Yurok Tribe the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and U.S. EPA. These postings are supported by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), Department of Public Health, as well as the U.S. EPA, and the Yurok and Karuk Tribes.Water users are encouraged to check most recent sampling results on the Klamath Blue-Green Algae Tracker (see link below). Even when blue-green algae blooms are not present, still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow the water.For more information, please visit:California Department of Public Health:State Water Resources Control BoardOffice of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment:Klamath Blue-Green Algae Trackerhttp://www.kbmp.net/maps-data/blue-green-algae-trackerU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyThe State Water Boards are now on Twitter! Follow us at: https://twitter.com/h2oboardsnews_______________________________________________
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Workshop set for Shasta Dam fish passage
08/15/13 — The Bureau of Reclamation in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Water Board, and the University of California, will be hosting a landowner and stakeholder workshop focused on initial planning tasks to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing Chinook salmon into tributaries above Shasta Lake.
The Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation Landowner and Stakeholder Workshop will include an overview of the project background, purpose and approach, and seek to collaborate with attendees on topics such as fish health and genetics, existing habitat, fish passage techniques, and experimental approaches.
The workshop will be held at:
Lakehead Lions Club
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 6-8 p.m.
20814 Mammoth Drive, Lakehead, CA 96051Reclamation initiated the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation in response to the June 4, 2009, issuance of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) Action V in the Biological and Conference Opinion (BO) on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The BO concluded, in part, that CVP and SWP operations were likely to jeopardize the continued existence of salmonids protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. For CVP operations, the BO set forth an RPA that obligates Reclamation to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing federally-listed Sacramento River winter-run, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead upstream of Shasta, Folsom and New Melones dams. Reclamation has begun the process of evaluating the feasibility of fish passage over Shasta Dam, and is in the process of collecting stakeholder feedback and relevant Chinook salmon habitat data in the key watersheds upstream from Shasta Dam. Reclamation is also looking at potential fish passage options to determine the feasibility of passage over Shasta Dam.
For additional information on the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation visit Reclamation’s website or contact John Hannon, Fisheries Biologist, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay Delta Office, Science Division at 801 I Street, Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 95814-2536, jhannon@usbr.gov, or 916-414-2413.
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