Tales of two Steves

“Do you know any fishermen other than Steve Kyle?” I hear that question a lot while I’m out and about in Sonoma.|

“Do you know any fishermen other than Steve Kyle?”

I hear that question a lot while I’m out and about in Sonoma.

Actually, several others send me reports infrequently. They’re just not as wordy as my buddy Steve.

Once in awhile, another Steve drops me a message about his angling experiences. By comparison to Kyle’s, however, these reports from Steve Arelt are blessedly brief.

For example, this week, Steve Arelt sent me this report:

“Just back from the Skeena/Kispiox/Bulkley to see a picture of Kyle hooked up on a Coho on the Stamp (River). We had a spotty trip – a couple of fish a day the first two days. All three rivers were blown out the next three days, then turned chicken poop into chicken salad by two of us going 14 for 18 on the last day on the Bulkley (River) as it was dropping and clearing. That’s steelhead fishing. Go figure.”

Kyle would not be out-done. Following up on the report he submitted last week, I got another as follows:

“Just returned from the Babine River which is somewhere close to nowhere in the middle of British Columbia. This was the year that had all that BC can dish out–weather that went from 0° to 55°, zero water visibility then clear, rain, hail, sun, more rain, and fish, lots of really big, steelhead.  

“For this fisherman, it all worked out to be the best week of steelhead fishing I have ever had. I’d like to think it was my unequalled skills but that would be a lie since all the stars were aligned in my favor, I clearly had an active good-karma patrol looking out for me. When I reached into my fly box, the absolutely best fly magically appeared on the end of my leader or at least it seemed so as for as the fish were concerned. I hooked 22 and landed 14, with the largest taping out to 40 inches and something close to 23 pounds. You should have been there.”

One of the pictures he sent provides the best part of the story.

The photo has Steve, a cigar in his teeth, holding a very big steelhead. Behind him is a guy holding the net with which he helped Steve land the fish. Steve said that the guy is not a guide, just another angler who happened to be boating downstream and saw Steve fight the big steelhead.

“He yelled out to me asking if I would like a photo and I yelled back that I would prefer his net as I was alone at that point and landing these guys solo can be problematic. He is a Canadian living in Vancouver, BC. His name is Bill but he didn’t offer his last name. He was a super nice guy who only fished steelhead using dry flies.

“Making friends of local fishermen has its benefits as I came across him and his partner a few days later on another great run a few miles up river from where this photo was taken. He and his partner had just finished doing the run skating dries and suggested that I go through using tips or grease-line style.  Man, what run. I tied on a green butt skunk and proceeded to hook eight and land five, all in the matter of about two hours of fishing one of the best runs on the river. Amazing afternoon.”

Closer to home, rock and lingcod fishing off the Sonoma Coast continues to be outstanding. There are few salmon being caught and Dungeness Crab season is just a month away. Capt. Rick Powers at Bodega Bay Sportsfishing is booking rock/ling/crab combos for October already. Call him at 875-3344.

There are lots of small striped bass in San Francisco Bay. Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop says that you will have plenty of action trolling at the top of the tide or drifting live bait. About every 10 to 15 fish will be a keeper. Halibut are still being caught. And salmon are still biting near Cal City. Keith books bay party boats. Call him at 415-456-0321.

Now is the time to head north toward Mt. Shasta for some good trout fishing. Most of the rivers, including the upper Sacramento, McCloud, Fall and Pit are clear, cold and producing fish. I talked to Bob Grace at the Ted Fay Fly Shop this week who reports the water is clear, cool and has lots of trout. Action is especially good right in Dunsmuir.

Hunting

and

Fishing

Bill

Lynch

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