19 minute read
STREAMING LIVE FOR FISH
FROM FIELD...
Developing a game plan before hitting California’s trout streams is a good idea. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
I SCREAM FOR TROUT STREAMS! BONE UP ON FLOWING-WATER TACTICS, SUMMER SCOUTING TIPS FROM OUR EXPERT
By Scott Haugen
By expanding your trout fishing repertoire, not only will you spend quality time on the river; you’ll also catch more fish.
Catching trout in rivers and small streams isn’t rocket science, but there are things to be aware of that will boost success rates. Knowing a trout’s behavior tops the list of tricks to know when fishing this time of year.
CONDITIONS WILL CHANGE As warm weather progresses, incessant heat will force trout to move – usually into deeper holes. Here, water temperatures are cooler at the benthic zone and the currents move slower. Holding in such water is less taxing on trout and the cooler temperatures allow them to conserve energy.
But as these predatory fish grow hungry, they’ll move into food funnels in the evening and remain there until early morning.
Direct sunlight will also force trout to relocate, even if water temperatures in a stream are cool.
... TO FIRE
By adding zesty flavors, you can really enhance the taste of freshly caught salmon or trout for those who don’t care for fish, says author Tiffany Haugen, holding (inset) a nice big king. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
TAME STRONG SALMON FLAVORS
By Tiffany Haugen
It may be hard to believe, but there are actually anglers out there who don’t particularly enjoy eating salmon.
Like other wild-caught game, the flavor of salmon can vary from place to
place, season to season and can also be dependent upon where a salmon is in their life cycle.
Taming wild game is a fun challenge, with the same holding true when it comes to figuring out how to flavor salmon to make it most palatable for the person who may not think they like fish.
In this recipe, the tanginess of ginger, sweetness of apple and savory flavor of sesame oil come together and neutralize stronger fish flavors, resulting in a dish we couldn’t get enough of.
One filleted salmon ¼ cup julienned apple 2 heaping tablespoons julienned ginger 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons ponzu or soy sauce 1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon butter
Remove skin from salmon to lessen the stronger fish flavors. Keep in mind that this will cause the fish to cook faster and dry out quicker. Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry. Spread butter on the bottom of a foil pouch or oven-proof dish; butter should be spread out the size of the fish fillet. Place fillet on top of the butter layer. In a small bowl, combine apple, ginger – both julienned, or cut into thin, small strips – sesame oil, ponzu or soy sauce, sesame seeds, lemon juice and zest. Pack apple ginger topping on the salmon fillet. If using foil, bend foil up against the edges of the fish to keep the topping in place. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven or on a mediumhot grill 15 to 25 minutes, or until internal temperature of the fish reaches 135 degrees.
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood and other titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.
The Mag Lip, the hottest plug going right now in the trout world, can be fished multiple ways, in multiple places. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Broken water, riffles, rapids and cut banks all offer safe haven for trout that seek camouflage to hide from predators of the sky – namely ospreys and eagles.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT DEPTH It doesn’t take much water to hide a trout in riffles. As long as there’s a chop on the surface, trout can confidently hold there. Trout are masters of disguise, which makes it hard for any prey to spot them from above, including anglers with high-tech fishing glasses.
STEALTH MODE Fishing pressure will also cause trout to relocate throughout the day. Whether from shore, boats or recreational traffic, if trout sense constant intrusion, they will move. This is where being stealthy and exploring new waters can pay off for anglers.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS For bank anglers, wearing drab clothing and approaching with a low profile can increase your chance of getting spooked fish to bite. From a boat, you will want to anchor well above or to the side of the target water and get your terminal gear into the strike zone with precise placement and zero disturbance.
SCOUT FOR TROUT With the dry spells that the West has experienced in recent years, scouting is more critical than ever for trout anglers.
To begin planning for a family vacation or a hike into a remote stream, do your scouting from home. Now would be a great time to do that. Some simple internet research, along with contacting regional fish and game offices or biologists will reveal a lot of information on rivers and streams you intend to fish.
Wildfires have shut down hikein access to many streams over the past few summers, so contacting local sources with the Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov/california) as well as the U.S. Forest Service (fs.usda.gov/ r5) can greatly help in planning your fishing adventure.
Late last summer, multiple streams experienced closures due to extremely low water levels. Most fish and game agencies post such shutdowns on their websites (California’s has two sources: wildlife.ca.gov and cdfgnews. wordpress.com), so check these prior to heading out. There’s no worse feeling than showing up at your highly anticipated fishing destination, only to find it closed.
SNORKEL THE STREAM Low-water scouting during the summer is fun to do from a raft or other
Help Us Celebrate Our 37 th Season in Hakai Pass, BC!
JOE’S “CENTRAL COAST FISHING ADVENTURES” INCLUDE: • Round-trip airfare from Vancouver, BC • Unlimited use of17-foot Boston Whalers and unlimited fishing time • Delicious home cooked meals • Box lunches, beverages and bait • A beautiful lounge and sun deck • Heavy-duty Wetskin raingear and boots • Complete fish care: filleted, vacuum sealed, flash frozen and boxed to be flown back with you • Rods and reels all in A-1 condition • Complete boat care: boats are cleaned and fueled every time you come in • Bait and tackle for both salmon and bottom fishing
2020 Season: June 18 th – September 6 th June 26 th –June 30 th , 5 day trip special! Regular price: $3,300 | Sale price: $2,250 U.S.
49 pound spring!
flotation device. With a swim mask or goggles, you can swim in the river to study its bottom structure. If the water is clear, you may not even need to get wet.
When scouting low water, it reveals structure that you can’t see when levels are higher. Bedrock channels, large rocks, depressions, logs, log jams and more can all be seen in low water.
As water levels rise, these are prime locations trout will gravitate to. Being aware of where such structure exists lets you know exactly where fishing efforts should begin when rivers reach ideal levels and temperatures.
MICRO PLUGS FOR TROUT While many trout anglers rely on flies, lures and various baits to catch fish, don’t overlook small plugs. Trout are aggressive predators and they commonly prey on small fish. As sunlight, heat and fishing pressure push trout into hiding, the aggressive action of plugs can often elicit a vigorous strike when little else seems to work.
One of the biggest trends in trout fishing throughout the West is utilizing downsized plugs to catch trout in rivers and smaller streams. These tiny plugs can be cast and retrieved from shore or from a boat.
They can even be back-trolled from a boat.
The hottest trout plug is perhaps the Mag Lip. The 2.0 and 2.5 series Mag Lip are miniature versions of their larger cousins, which are considered by some to be the most effective salmon and steelhead plugs ever invented. The Mag Lip features a skip-beat action. Their horizontal tracking results in high hookup ratios.
The 2.0 Mag Lip dives to 5 feet deep and the 2.5 version to 8 feet. If fishing deeper water, the 3.0 Mag Lip will get you there; it’s not too big for trout.
While plugs can be fished on their own, you can also remove the hooks and add a trailing leader with bait. Using plugs as a diver is a great way to target a trout’s sense of sight and sound, as some plugs contain rattles. A 50 series Hot Shot – even a 30 series – tracks well as a diver, as do the 2.5 and 3.0 Mag Lip.
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This summer, research the rivers and streams you plan to fish and diversify your game plan before hitting the water. What you’ll discover is that by offering trout something different, catch rates will rise, even in the most challenging of situations. CS
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling books, please visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
PORT SAN LUIS BOATYARD
Weekend Launch Hours: 5:30am–4pm Monday–Friday Launch Hours: 6am–4pm Hours of operation during fi shing season One of the last true do-it-yourself boatyards. We provide our customers with a one stop boatyard that can answer all your boating questions, and provide you with the highest quality in Marine Supplies & Service.
LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market POWERFUL. 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any 200-hp four stroke COMPACT. Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our four-stroke V6 F200 LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market POWERFUL. 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any 200-hp four stroke COMPACT. Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our four-stroke V6 F200
Show the water who’s boss with the new F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly light, responsive and fuel efficient, it serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers the power to add a range of electronics, and its 26-inch mounting centers and compatibility with either mechanical or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the all-new F200 In-Line Four. THE ALL-NEW F200 IN-LINE FOUR. FORWARD THINKING. Show the water who’s boss with the new F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly light, responsive and fuel efficient, it serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers the power to add a range of electronics, and its 26-inch mounting centers and compatibility with either mechanical or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the all-new F200 In-Line Four. THE ALL-NEW F200 IN-LINE FOUR. FORWARD THINKING.
VENTURA Pacific Marine Repair (805) 658-1709 www.pacificmarinerepair.com CALIFORNIA AVILA BEACH Port San Luis Boatyard (805) 595-7895 www.portsanluisboatyard.com
REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal Follow Yamaha on Facebook ® and Twitter ™ YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal Follow Yamaha on Facebook ® and Twitter ™ YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine
HULI CAT SPORT FISHING & CHARTER BOAT
Salmon, Rockfish, Whale Watching and Ashes Scatter-at-sea
Rockfish and Crabbing Combos will be available November– December!
650 - 726 - 2926 WWW.HULICAT.COM
OPENING ACT ALWAYS MEMORABLE FROM THE SIERRA TO JAPAN, THE START OF TROUT SEASON IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
Three generations of the Sawa family – patriarch Mark, his son and our author Lance, and Lance’s son Nico – have enjoyed trout opener success on multiple continents. (LANCE SAWA)
The Susabana River, located near the author’s home in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, is a popular spot when trout fishing opens on the stream in March. (LANCE SAWA)
By Lance Sawa
The first time I remember going to the trout opener in the Sierra I was about 8 years old. We went as a family – my mom, dad, my two older sisters and I. There was a tournament running for the largest fish caught during the weekend. My dad knew one of the organizers and they ended up chatting for too long. My mom was busy taking care of her three children. I eventually snuck around back and got behind the weigh-in station. Anglers brought fish after fish through to be weighed. Most looked like stockers, but once in a while a huge trout would hit the scales. After a while my dad and his friend finished talking and we left.
A FAMILY TRADITION Some people I know go to every single trout opener. I am talking about decades of returns. They book their hotel a year in advance. They make plans for where to go and what to use at each spot they plan to fish. Others just play it by ear. Whatever hotel has an opening is the one they go to and if they find an open fishing spot, that’s the one they fish. I am someone who wings it.
The last time I went to a trout opener in California was with my girlfriend – now my wife – Yumiko. She and I had both just finished projects and that meant we didn’t have overtime during the weekend. I knew my dad, Mark, had gone the Wednesday before and was already there. After deciding Friday night to go, I packed the car, took a quick nap and we left early Saturday morning
Father-and-son fun while fishing included a dog to hug, a stop at a roasted sweet potato stand and a riverside lunch. (LANCE SAWA)
before the sun came up.
My dad was surprised to get a phone call from me asking where he was. He answered with a place I knew well, so I continued on to the lower Owens River to meet up. Just as we arrived he was pulling a fish from the water. Dad again was surprised that I was actually there out of the blue because on Wednesday I had told him I would not be coming.
The three of us travelled around for the rest of the day. Yumiko didn’t fish much unless the fish was already hooked; she was there to relax and enjoy the wonderful mountains. Dad and I caught a few fish, but we were mostly enjoying ourselves.
The talks continued during dinner and at breakfast the next day. Yumiko and I had to leave for work on Monday, but Dad stayed another day.
TROUT OPENER, JAPAN-STYLE Where I now live in Japan each river has its own opening day, with no apparent rhyme or reason. My local one, about a five-minute walk away, is the Susabana River and it opened on a Sunday.
As I was getting all my tackle and stuff ready, my son Nico asked what was going on. When he heard that in two days we could once again fish our local river he couldn’t contain himself. The first thing he asked was if we would catch any sharks.
On March 8 I was up at 6 a.m. with a packed car ready to go. Nico was fast asleep in bed, though, which was not surprising. I gently woke him up and asked if he was going, but he decided to sleep in that morning.
I headed out to a spot I like and got there just as the sun came over the mountaintops. It was perfect weather for fishing – not cold, even though it was still March. But the river was
CALIFORNIA COSTA MESA Maurer Marine 873 W 17th St (949) 645-7673 www.maurermarine.com
OREGON EUGENE Maxxum Marine 1700 State Hwy. 99 N. (541) 686-3572 www.maxxummarine.com
“Suddenly, the rod tip bent and the line went taut with pressure,” the proud father writes. “We finally had a fish on after three days of hard, rain-filled fishing.” (LANCE SAWA)
very low because we received little snow and rain this past winter.
BIG CHALLENGE Fishing for wild native trout is never easy. This morning was no different. After two hours I had had only one bite and no fish to show for my effort. Another angler upstream said he didn’t catch anything either. With this news I decided to try another spot I had scouted the day before.
Before I even got to it I could see lines of cars. My sleepy little river, where I would only see three cars a day while fishing, now had close to 30. Some anglers had parked and walked up trails in hopes of a big fish. Others were fishing on the road into the river below.
I stopped and asked multiple people if they had caught anything, but everyone said no. Then the sky decided to open up and the rain started to pour down on us. With that the day was done and I went home to get a little bit of sleep. rain, Nico and I decided to go try to catch our first fish of the year. The rain had increased the amount of water in the river. As we were walking to the first spot we saw someone pull up a nice trout, though he said it was the only one for two days.
We enjoyed ourselves. Nico was trying to catch anything but also playing in the water at the same time. I mostly tried catching a trout while keeping one eye on Nico.
This went on for about an hour before we stopped for lunch. We ate right on the riverside and watched the
water flow gently past. But shortly after lunch, the rains returned once again, so we trekked back home.
PATIENCE WEARING THIN On day three I was on a mission to actually catch a fish. Nico once again came with me. This time we went to some out-of-the-way spots that don’t hold many fish but also don’t get as much fishing pressure.
The first spot had little more than a friendly dog that Nico went straight over to hug. On the way to the next stop we happened upon a roadside roasted sweet potato seller, which you see all over Japan. They will sing out that they are selling and you can stop and buy a few. Everyone in our family loves them, so I bought a bag. Our next spot was a walk from the car, so our hopes were high for a fish. We had been using wax worms for bait all day and I was beginning to think it was a mistake. Nico was slowly learning rod control, though, and that was useful to know as a young angler. He was walking upstream slowly and putting the bait into all the pools, like I had showed him.
Suddenly, the rod tip bent and the line went taut with pressure. At first I thought it was a snag but then the line started to dart here and there. We finally had a fish on after three days of hard, rain-filled fishing.
I prayed the fish would stay on the hook as the thin line was yanked toward a tree snag. I gently pulled the rod a little to direct it away.
One last pull and the fish was out of the water and into Nico’s hands. The picture was taken quickly with his bright face.
AN EXPERIENCE TO CHERISH Another hour of woodland creek fishing produced no more fish, so with the sun getting lower and Nico getting tired we headed back to the car. I know I wanted more fish for three days’ worth of fishing, but then I saw my son’s smile. I was happy that of the one trout we did catch, he was the one to catch it. CS
Pistol Bullets and Ammunition Pistol Bullets and Ammunition
ZER
Zero Bullet Company, Inc. P.O. Box 1188 Cullman, AL 35056 Tel: 256-739-1606 Fax: 256-739-4683 Toll Free: 800-545-9376 www.zerobullets.com
SOU THERNJET NA
SOUTHERN JET OF NORTH AMERICA INDRODUCTORY OFFER!
HAMILTON 212 TRIM NOZZLES Retail $1350.00 USD OPTIONS Manual Trim Control: $375.00 USD Electric Hydraulic Trim Control: $850.00 USD Display gauge: $235.00 USD
1-236-999-9154 SOUTHERNJETNA@ICLOUD.COM | SJ 216-2 TYPHOON (8.5 in 2 stage) $9834.10 USD SJ 216-1 TORNADO (8.5 in 1 stage) $9221.48 USD SJ 210 TORRENT (8 1/4 in 1 stage) $9032.84 USD SJ 178-2 CYCLONE (7in 2 stage) $9315.81 USD SJ 178-1 HURRICANE (7in 1 stage) $7900.96 USD SOUTHERN JET PUMP LINE UP Check out our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/southernjetNA/ Pumps come with trim and nozzle.
