I had the pleasure to fish with good buddy and guide Tom Phillips of Big Tom’s Guide Service earlier this week on the Lower Sacramento in search of rainbow trout on the fly. The river conditions had changed dramatically since my last trip on the river, pre Covid-19.  All river waters north of the Highway 44 bridge to Keswick Dam...
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With PG&E, Forest Service, State Parks and many private concessionaire campgrounds and day use areas remaining closed, fishing in the Burney-Hat Creek region is still relatively quiet and left mainly to local residents. Access to the Baum Lake parking lot and ramp remains closed as well with some anglers parking on the road and walking into the lake area. The...
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It’s time for our yearly review of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) Review of Ocean Salmon Fisheries – and this year has a surprisingly positive twist. Each year, the PFMC publishes a report on the previous year’s salmon fisheries along the West Coast. The report details harvest totals and socioeconomic benefits for the California ocean salmon fishery, as well as escapement totals, or...
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Looks like the new Fishmas is June 1st this year. The Lake was ice-free as of yesterday, but there is still a bit of snow around the Lake. We got moved up on Friday, April 24th and watched numerous avalanches across from the Lake. Now we’re listening for rockslides – the ground is still so moist there’s no dust rising so...
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Hidden beneath the water’s surface in murky swamps, deep lakes, and rushing rivers, aquatic organisms are frequently entirely invisible to passersby, and are often undetectable even to the scientists seeking them out. However, technological advances are making it easier for researchers to find rare and cryptic freshwater fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals. All animals leave traces of genetic material in their...
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