Feather River salmon anglers catching fish but watching the calendar

Despite the anticipated July 1 salmon closure, salmon anglers are doing well on the Feather River this week, observed Chuck Rice at Feather River Outfitters in Oroville. "They are catching at least 10 salmon a day down near the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet", noted Rice. "We heard that there was a 43-pounder caught on Thursday morning, but most are running in the mid-20's or smaller."

"Best lures are still the silver/chartreuse or silver/blue No.6 Blue Fox Vibrax spinner for bank anglers, and the silver/chartreuse K14 Luhr Jensen Kwikfish for boaters. There have also been a few caught on beads.

"Steelhead fishing is very good from the low-flow section on down, with most of the fish going two or three pounds. Most are biting on nightcrawlers, with a few also being caught on flies. A few shad are also starting to make an appearance as far up as the outlet. Hopefully they will bust loose in a couple of days."

Rice added, "The crowds are still fairly light, no more than around 20 people fishing the outlet each morning. Even when the salmon closure takes effect, all other species in the Feather will still be open."

Sacramento River
Anglers chasing shad are having a good time on the Sacramento River, reported Richard Peeples at the Tackle Box in Chico. "Shad anglers are getting about 10 or 12 fish per rod right now", said Peeples. "There are shad from the Washout down to Butte City, including some of the larger female fish. Best lures have been a one-sixteenth or one-thirty-second ounce red or orange leadhead with a chartreuse body.

"Some stripers are showing up from Scotty's Landing down to Princeton. The stripers are hitting on cut bait or live jumbo minnows, and have been as large as 20 pounds. There are also a few sturgeon rolling around near the Chico Straits and Princeton, but nobody has any bait to catch them with."

Peeples tipped, "Some nice catfish are starting to bite in the main channel and in the sloughs like Pine Creek Slough. The catfish are running up to seven pounds, and are hitting on chicken liver or cut mackerel."

Fly Girls event
The "Casting for Recovery" event, better known as "Fly Girls" is set for this Sunday [June 22] at the Clear Creek Sports Club behind Rolling Hills Casino near Corning.

Sunday's event is geared toward women and men who would like to learn the art of fly fishing. Registration fee of $150 includes fly-fishing gear, instruction, along with a full catered breakfast and lunch. The Clear Creek Sports Club offers several ponds where trophy fish lurk. Anglers who bring their own gear can purchase a discounted ticket for $60. Casting for Recovery is a nationwide program that hosts fly-fishing retreats for women who are fighting breast cancer, or have battled the disease. Two retreats are planned for Northern California in 2008. Both will be held at the Clearwater Lodge near Fall River Mills in August and September.
Purchase tickets online at www.ticketforce.com or by calling 877-840-0457. Visit www.castingforrecovery.org for information on Casting for Recovery's mission.

Trout plants
The Department of Fish and Game planted catchable-size trout this week in the following area waters: Plumas County- Hamilton Branch Creek, Feather River north fork Almanor, Warner Creek; Tehama County- Deer Creek, south fork Battle Creek; Shasta County- Baum Lake, Clear Creek above Whiskeytown, Grace Lake, Hatchet Creek, Keswick Canal, Kilarc Reservoir, Lake McCloud, lower-middle-upper Burney Creek, McCumber Reservoir, middle-upper Hat Creek, Nora Lake, Whiskeytown Lake. Send your outdoor news items to Steve Carson via e-mail at scarson@sunset.net