Keswick Reservoir Trout

Took the bike and fishing gear past Keswick Dam to try for Keswick Reservoir Rainbows.

The mile long Fisherman's Trail is single track dirt with a few side trails leading to the water. I wish there were more side trails as the reservoir banks are heavily covered with brush.

The bike is a hybrid. Not expensive, it's an excellent climber, probably the best climber I've had. It does ok on packed single track. I clip in on pavement but today I was in my hikers for fishing which was a good thing. The trail was rocky in spots which was a little much for the bike. There were plenty of steep dropoffs on the water side such that staying on the track was necessary to avoid a tumble down into briars. Takes a little getting used to. Maybe someday I'll also get used to the iCamera :)

I arrived at the dam at 7:45am and it was morning calm. I started down the trail and came to the first cove. It had a side trail so I decided to start the day here. A north wind was starting to develop. Spent about 45 minutes fishing red worms suspended about 4 feet below a small bobber. Not a touch. This is a pic of the cove after I decided to move on. The access trail was just before the submerged brush on the opposite bank.

By the time I arrived at the second cove around 9:15, the north wind had freshened and was gusting to 20 mph. I was on the windward side of the reservoir so I figured the partial shelter of the cove was the best bet. Again I started with the same strategy I used in the first cove. Not a touch. I tipped the offering with a small ball of orange power bait. The rainbows are used to seeing orange from the salmon roe and orange is a good color for the river. An effective fly is tied in an egg shape with flourescent dyed wool of different colors. They're called Glo Bugs. The originators are the Bug Shop located about 14 miles south in Anderson. In this cove there was no interest in my orange tipped offering. Not a touch.

This is a view at waters edge just outside the cove facing north, into the wind, which by 10:15 had freshened further with sustained at 15mph and gusts easily at 25mph. You can see the opposite bank of the cove extended a little further out which created a small intermittent lee on this side to about 20 feet offshore. I figured I'd give it a try. I switched to a bottom rig of a large split shot with the same bait offering. Because of the low flow of the Sacramento caused by the ongoing drought, the shoreline was flat for about 8 to 10 feet and consisted mainly of drying moss. Then there was a sharp vertical rise of about 3 feet where the grass and brushes grew. That's the normal waterline. Sorry I wasn't thinking blog here so didn't get pics. I sure wouldn't want to climb that trail in the distance on the bike but I bet a walk up there would be just fine.

It is beautiful here on the reservoir. Lots of hawks enjoying the wind. Missed getting a group of five.

So at 10:15, figuring I'd call it a morning in an hour or so, this is my forward view of the final spot I was going to try. You can see the little lee created by the opposite bank of the cove. Also there's a little submerged sandbar about 15 feet out. Because of the wind it didn't make sense to fish with a bobber so I put on a large split shot and bottom fished about 10-15 feet outside the sandbar. Not a touch at 11:30 after casting to several spots outside the bar. I decided to wrap it up and started to put things into my backpack. I reeled in. The bait still looked good and I had a hunch. I put a small split shot on in place of the big one, and I casted just this side of the point of the sandbar (a bit to the right of the photo). It was deep enough between the bank and the sandbar that I couldn't see bottom. I loosened the drag, laid the rod on a tuft of grass, and continued packing. About a minute later I heard the zzzzzz of the drag and saw the rod bouncing.

After a short but spirited tussle I netted this beautiful 16" wild Keswick Rainbow. I unhooked her, took a quick pic and released her unharmed. What a nice way to end a terrific morning!

On my way out, at the top of the side trail was a very nice spot to overnight. There was a fire ring, and also this. Please don't leave your trash behind like this when you enjoy the outdoors. I packed this mess out.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time Get Outside and Play!

Mary Lake scouting trip.

I've always enjoyed having a quiet spot to lazy fish. Just to throw a line out on a summer evening or at daybreak when it's hot. I'm going to scout Mary Lake today to see if it fits the bill.

Mary Lake, is actually a pond. It's original name, which is still used by the USGS is Falks Lake. It was man made from the waters of Jenny Creek.

There's two ways to hike up to Mary Lake from my place:
1) Take Eureka to Ridge Drive up to Lakeside Drive a distance ~1.2 miles. or 2) Take Eureka to just before the cemetary and bushwack, following Jenny Creek to the pond also ~1.2 miles.

It wasn't a difficult choice.

Jenny Creek runs right behind my residence. I cross it via rocks when I'm heading east. Heading west I parallel it. The creek is crystal clear and a pleasure to have around. The water warms substantially in the summer so there are no wild trout present, but there may be a scattering of warm water species in the deeper pools. I'll leave them be.

Making good progress parallelling the graveyard on the right and private property on the left

Nice pool. Snuck up on it hoping to see a little life. Nope. I wishful thought that she was hidden at the top of the pool(deepest part) under the grass in the shade of the left bank.

What's all this then? Tulips? Will have to wait and see.

Well I think I'm getting close, better check my location to see if I'm on course.

Nice, almost there.

Up the hill and here we are.

Just your average pond, or is it?

There's concrete trails around some of the pond where the subdivision folks walk themselves and their dogs. There's also a longer West Side Trail that leaves the pond at the northwest corner and climbs a few hundred feet to a ridgeline. Should be good for a vista or two. I'll put it on my list.

I chose to get up close and personal so I walked the shoreline of the pond where I could.

The Wikipedia entry for the pond says in 2009 there were ~5 Beavers who lived here but they were found violently killed. At first the town blamed local kids, but further inquiry revealed that 2 River Otters also live here. It was concluded that the River Otters won the turf war. I wonder if newly arrived beavers, the otters, or the previous beavers built this den. The Canada Geese sure like it. I believe they are using it for nesting as well as for playing "king of the hill."

There are two feeders into the pond. An unnamed one above and Jenny Creek below. Pics are taken upstream of Lakeside Drive

Here is Jenny Creek feeding into the pond.

This was my favorite spot on the pond. It's to the right of the creek.

It's a shallow area at the head of the pond, I'm guessing it slopes gently downward.

My thought is that at daybreak, fish will come into the cattails to feed. Live bait would need little if any split shot.

Oh Oh, we're on the march. But where to?

Walking further I found the hangout.

Below the pond on the start home, blanched pic directly into the sun with the iPhone.

Not gonna bushwack home. I'll take the graveyard road down.

God bless them. Not for me all this fuss. Freeze me until the dead of winter then drop me in the woods so the animals have something to eat.

I don't know where he was going but he was way up there and makin' tracks.

So Mary Lake will be a nice spot to relax and lazy fish on a summer evening or morning :)

Sacramento River Scouting Hike

Went on an afternoon scouting hike to a nearby stretch of the Sacramento River. 5 minutes walk to the head of the Buenaventura trail and we're off.

The trail descends towards the Sacramento River.

Over a half dozen feeder streams in this short walk. We've had rain lately, not sure but these are probably intermittent. The Agave on the hill tells of a Mediterranean climate. It gets pretty darn hot here in the summer...mild winters.

First views of the Sacramento River.

In no time we're at the Sacramento River Trail. This trail starts at Hilltop and Dana Road...13.8 miles later you're at the Keswick Dam. From there pick up the Rail Trail and the next stop is Shasta Lake Dam. That's Mt Lassen in the background.

Not being fond of paved trails, this one going toward the water looks better.

I hit this little east/west oriented arroyo and the suddenly wind was whistling strong from the east. As soon as I exited the funnel...the wind was again calm.

A couple steps later and I was on the Sacramento looking upstream,

and downstream.

This stretch looks like excellent nymphing water. Reminds me of a stretch on the Esopus in the Catskills. The river is very low however running at 3250cfs which is 9% of average. For those unfamiliar with fly fishing, nymphs are the larval stage of aquatic insects. On the rocks I noticed there were good numbers of Caddis flies size 14-16 black bodies and tan mottled wings. I saw no fish activity but it was 1:30 in the afternoon; nap time for most trout.

I headed downstream toward riffles. It was slow going as the south side was boggy and overgrown. Many clear seeps and feeders.

The end of someones meal, probably a Steelhead skeleton.

After the bogs I had some boulder hopping to do. Here's a nice dry nymphing platform.

Much of this is probably underwater at 100% flow.

Almost there.

The head of a beautiful riffle stretch shaped in a U with the bottom pointed upstream.

This side the riffles spilled away from me into deeper water. On the far side of the deeper pool was a deep swift run over larger rocks. Nice.

The rocks were covered with moss. It was like walking on dry cement. My hiking boots stuck like glue.

More of this riffle stretch.

Very nice.

Moving on downstream the bank is overgrown with all kinds of thorny growth from blueberries to poison oak. Bushwacking and bleeding at it's finest. An old bridge abutment in the middle of nowhere.

Making my way towards what I'll call the Rocky Islands. Not very easy to get there...lots of thorny dead ends and detours.

But looks like it's worth a closer look.

Not a bad stretch, definitely looks like it's worth bouncing a nymph through here.

Took a snack on the downstream side of Rocky Islands and noticed there were also some size 16 olive mayflies about.

There were both Mallard and Merganser couples on the river but they were very shy. I suppose they get shot at around here in-season.

Would one call this mullet grass?

The mining and the damage done. Can't compare to the results of clearcutting.

Clearcutting at the California\Oregon Border

Nearing my street, Mt Lassen in the distance. Is that a truck for sale?

This would be perfect but I don't have $11,000 at the moment so pass.

All in all a good river scouting trip. Now I know the initial setup I'll need. Nice to have somewhere I can walk to. Until next time. Peace