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Native charm
Season opener is a chance to find out about state's trout
Thom Gabrukiewicz, Redding Record Searchlight
CAST-MASTER: Eric Gunter of Portland uses a roll cast to fish the McCloud River near the Ah-Di-Na Campground Saturday during the general trout stream opener. The fish illustrations below are courtesy of the Department of Fish and Game. Thom Gabrukiewicz
May 01, 2003
ALONG THE MCCLOUD RIVER — Frolicking springtime flows, plenty of deep pools and interesting stretches of riffle — this was as good a place as any to begin an intriguing quest Saturday to bag the 11 native species of wild trout in California.
The 2003 general trout stream season opened an hour before sunrise with fly anglers wading streams and rivers swollen with storm runoff — and battled snowfall, which was heavy at times — and bait fisherman angling for an evening trout feast. The McCloud offered opportunities for both fishing philosophies.
Parts of the river are planted each year with hatchery trout, but the river also is home to two California native trout species — the McCloud redband and the coastal (common) rainbow. Anglers had some good luck catching rainbows Saturday (both planters and wild fish), but the redband took a lot of work — it's a resident of the upper reachs of the river.
But what a challenge.
The California Fish and Game Commission approved a new education program that will honor anglers who can catch at least six of the state's 11 species of native trout. Anglers who meet the minimum requirement will get a colorful certificate recognizing their accomplishment as part of the new California Heritage Trout Challenge.
To qualify for the certificate — which will be numbered and will feature artwork done by noted fish illustrator Joseph Tomelleri — anglers must first catch six different trout from their historic drainages, then document their catch on an application form. Anglers must verify when and where the trout were caught and must include photographs of each fish.
With the historic drainages designation, catches of certain native trout that are present in locations not part of the original native range, but are within the trout's native drainage, will count. This will make catching some species, like the inland cutthroats, more feasible for anglers fishing for a certificate.
"I think it's a great idea, a good program," said Bob Madgic of Anderson, president of the Shasta Fly Fishers and author of "A Guide to California's Freshwater Fishes." "Anything that helps the native fisheries.
"You'd be surprised by how many fly fishermen don't know about our native species."
The 11 distinct California species include: the coastal rainbow, McCloud redband, steelhead, Eagle Lake rainbow, Lahontan cutthroat (lake resident), Lahontan cutthroat (stream resident), coastal cutthroat, Paiute cutthroat, California golden trout, Kern River rainbow and the Little Kern golden.
Drive short distances from Redding and you'll have the chance to bag five of the six required fish in the next month.
Try the McCloud or upper Sacramento for rainbows, the McCloud or Trout Creek for redbands, then fish the lower Sacramento River for steellhead (and mor rainbows). Head over to Eagle Lake near Susanville (the lake opens for fishing the Saturday before Memorial Day through Dec. 31 each year) for the chance to hook a famed Eagle Lake rainbow. Then head over to Del Norte County for an adventure.
"The coastal cutthroat fishery on the Smith River is fantastic," Madgic said. "And it's hardly fished."
An information and application leaflet on the challenge will be available from the DFG soon; the application form also will be available for download at the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov.
Despite the weather — snow fell all Saturday morning above 4,000 feet in elevation along the McCloud — anglers said nothing beats the spring trout opener. Heritage trout challenge or not.
"It's not all about catching fish," said Eric Gunter of Portland, who joined his brother-in-law for an annual fishing trip on the McCloud River near the U.S. Forest Service's Ah-Di-Na Campground. "Just being here makes it worth it. This is just such a pristine river, a special place. Catching fish is a bonus."
Still others were out to do exactly that — fill out a stringer of fish for dinner. The bag limit for planted trout is five per day and 10 in possession. Downtown Dunsmuir teemed with parents and their children, trying their luck in the upper Sacramento River with Powerbait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers and marshmallows.
The general trout stream season lasts until Nov. 15. The DFG plants hundreds of lakes and streams each year, including many of the high mountain lakes in the Trinity Alps, Marble Mountain and other north state wilderness areas. These plants are done by air, usually starting in May, when the lakes start to become free of ice.
"These fish will be pretty hungry," said Siskiyou County DFG warden Brian Boyd.
To get a list of weekly trout plants, call the DFG's automated plant hotline at 225-2146.
Reporter Thom Gabrukiewicz can be reached at 225-8230 or at tgabrukiewicz@redding.com.
Season opener is a chance to find out about state's trout
Thom Gabrukiewicz, Redding Record Searchlight
CAST-MASTER: Eric Gunter of Portland uses a roll cast to fish the McCloud River near the Ah-Di-Na Campground Saturday during the general trout stream opener. The fish illustrations below are courtesy of the Department of Fish and Game. Thom Gabrukiewicz
May 01, 2003
ALONG THE MCCLOUD RIVER — Frolicking springtime flows, plenty of deep pools and interesting stretches of riffle — this was as good a place as any to begin an intriguing quest Saturday to bag the 11 native species of wild trout in California.
The 2003 general trout stream season opened an hour before sunrise with fly anglers wading streams and rivers swollen with storm runoff — and battled snowfall, which was heavy at times — and bait fisherman angling for an evening trout feast. The McCloud offered opportunities for both fishing philosophies.
Parts of the river are planted each year with hatchery trout, but the river also is home to two California native trout species — the McCloud redband and the coastal (common) rainbow. Anglers had some good luck catching rainbows Saturday (both planters and wild fish), but the redband took a lot of work — it's a resident of the upper reachs of the river.
But what a challenge.
The California Fish and Game Commission approved a new education program that will honor anglers who can catch at least six of the state's 11 species of native trout. Anglers who meet the minimum requirement will get a colorful certificate recognizing their accomplishment as part of the new California Heritage Trout Challenge.
To qualify for the certificate — which will be numbered and will feature artwork done by noted fish illustrator Joseph Tomelleri — anglers must first catch six different trout from their historic drainages, then document their catch on an application form. Anglers must verify when and where the trout were caught and must include photographs of each fish.
With the historic drainages designation, catches of certain native trout that are present in locations not part of the original native range, but are within the trout's native drainage, will count. This will make catching some species, like the inland cutthroats, more feasible for anglers fishing for a certificate.
"I think it's a great idea, a good program," said Bob Madgic of Anderson, president of the Shasta Fly Fishers and author of "A Guide to California's Freshwater Fishes." "Anything that helps the native fisheries.
"You'd be surprised by how many fly fishermen don't know about our native species."
The 11 distinct California species include: the coastal rainbow, McCloud redband, steelhead, Eagle Lake rainbow, Lahontan cutthroat (lake resident), Lahontan cutthroat (stream resident), coastal cutthroat, Paiute cutthroat, California golden trout, Kern River rainbow and the Little Kern golden.
Drive short distances from Redding and you'll have the chance to bag five of the six required fish in the next month.
Try the McCloud or upper Sacramento for rainbows, the McCloud or Trout Creek for redbands, then fish the lower Sacramento River for steellhead (and mor rainbows). Head over to Eagle Lake near Susanville (the lake opens for fishing the Saturday before Memorial Day through Dec. 31 each year) for the chance to hook a famed Eagle Lake rainbow. Then head over to Del Norte County for an adventure.
"The coastal cutthroat fishery on the Smith River is fantastic," Madgic said. "And it's hardly fished."
An information and application leaflet on the challenge will be available from the DFG soon; the application form also will be available for download at the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov.
Despite the weather — snow fell all Saturday morning above 4,000 feet in elevation along the McCloud — anglers said nothing beats the spring trout opener. Heritage trout challenge or not.
"It's not all about catching fish," said Eric Gunter of Portland, who joined his brother-in-law for an annual fishing trip on the McCloud River near the U.S. Forest Service's Ah-Di-Na Campground. "Just being here makes it worth it. This is just such a pristine river, a special place. Catching fish is a bonus."
Still others were out to do exactly that — fill out a stringer of fish for dinner. The bag limit for planted trout is five per day and 10 in possession. Downtown Dunsmuir teemed with parents and their children, trying their luck in the upper Sacramento River with Powerbait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers and marshmallows.
The general trout stream season lasts until Nov. 15. The DFG plants hundreds of lakes and streams each year, including many of the high mountain lakes in the Trinity Alps, Marble Mountain and other north state wilderness areas. These plants are done by air, usually starting in May, when the lakes start to become free of ice.
"These fish will be pretty hungry," said Siskiyou County DFG warden Brian Boyd.
To get a list of weekly trout plants, call the DFG's automated plant hotline at 225-2146.
Reporter Thom Gabrukiewicz can be reached at 225-8230 or at tgabrukiewicz@redding.com.
