The best sort of family tradition

Four generations of the Smith and Scott families of Sonoma have been fly-fishing the Bighorn River in Montana every year for a half-century. This week Sonoma resident Amee Scott sent me some background information and photos from her family’s most recent outing last month:

“My husband, Gary, has been fishing the same stretch for 26 years. He was inaugurated into the family’s men-only annual outing when we got engaged,” Amee said.

“My father, Lee Smith, and grandfather, Fred Werder, have fished this same spot for more than 50 years with the same guiding family. It is a right of passage when you turn 13 and get to go on the annual trip. Now, it is fabulous as all boys are teens and early 20s. They all absolutely love fly-fishing (actually all fishing). It is a family tradition of the best sort.

“Everyone is from Sonoma and my older two sons now live (and go to school) in Boulder, Colorado. They fish three to four days a week. My oldest son loves it so much he is apprenticing with a fabulous store in Boulder called Rocky Mountain Anglers to become a guide. That massive trout that is in one of the photos was caught after he was given permission to float on five miles of a private stretch of the Blue River where these huge trout play.”

“During COVID lockdown when all four sons were home, they had a ball fishing any private pond they were invited to in and around Sonoma and journeyed out to the Carson River and Hat Creek.”

“In August of 2020, after my father passed away, the family held a beautiful memorial to him, drank his favorite Jim Beam and sprinkled his ashes in the river he loved most – the Bighorn.”

* This week, big salmon are once again rewarding anglers off our coast. Capt. Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportsfishing had a fantastic week with most of his clients catching at least one salmon, plus full limits of rock fish and many ling cod. “The salmon are huge,” Rick said. On some trips the average is 16 pounds with many fish over 20 and one nearly 40 pounds.

Rick’s salmon, rock and ling cod combo trips cost $200 per person. Right now it is possible to bring home two king salmon plus full limits of rock and ling cod, cleaned and put on ice in the boat for you to enjoy. When you consider the high price per pound of fresh caught seafood these days, that is one heck of a deal, especially when you add in the recreational value of the experience. On most recent trips Rick’s clients are also entertained by schools of humpback whales and orcas. Call Rick at 875-3344 to book a trip.

Salmon are now also being caught inside San Francisco Bay off Cal City along the Marin County Shoreline. Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael says the fishing in the bay is gradually improving, with more salmon, halibut and striped bass showing up every day. The weather conditions have also been excellent and he has lots of live bait. Call Keith at (415) 456-0321 for updates.