KD's Delta Adventures

Joshua's Great Delta Adventure

2010-08-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

There are trips and then there are some that are outstanding one way or another. These moments in time are memories that will forever have a place for recall. I see and experience many things with clients like great catches or something unique or not so common happenings while on the water. Everyday has potential of being a lifetime memory. Here unfolds the story of Joshua's Great Delta Adventure...

Chris Taylor and his 11yr old son Joshua had booked me for a couple of days for my "all-day" LmBass session. They came up from the San Diego area to fish for Delta LmBass. Last year, they had made the trek towing their boat from down south so they could fish a day after spending a day with me. Chris used his flyrod and Joshua brought a spinning rod. This trip however they left the boat at home, and booked me for 2 days with a "day-off" in-between. The program is fishing in the morning and returning to the dock around noon. After a 3-4hr break(lunch-nap) we meet up again and go out for the afternoon session. Chris had been teaching Joshua how to flycast since their last visit and this time Joshua showed up with his flyrod in hand, committed to catching a fish preferably a bass on his flyrod.

On "Team Taylor's" first day out we worked hard for the few bites we had in the morning and looked forward to a better evening bite later that day. Joshua was still looking for that first flyrod fish. He was doing pretty good with his casting and i was thrilled for him.

That afternoon proved to be better fishing as we were into some grabs almost immediately. Chris had been doing all the catching while Joshua kept working on getting his casts in the zone. Josh's casts were getting more consistent and he started hitting the target more and more. I knew it was just a matter of time until he was hooked up. Working along a weed edge in about 4ft of water a fish of about 2lbs finally hammered Josh's popper. He struck and hooked his first ever flyrod fish. He was thrilled as was his father and myself! We caught a few more fish by the last light of evening and ended the day with smiles all around as we pulled up to the dock.

On "Team Taylor's second day, things were a little different. The morning session saw Joshua catching most of the fish. Just prior to heading back to the dock for the mid day break we ran into some trouble. As i tried starting my engine to head back i heard a big "snap!". After a few more attempts to turn the engine over i realized we had just lost a starter motor. With a quick call to Capt. Phil @ Vessel Assist, and about 40 minutes later, Capt. Kev and Team Taylor were in tow back to the dock. I was really disappointed that we were unlikely going to finish out the day. Joshua was catching some fish and i really wanted him to be able to fish the evening bite. It was about 3pm by the time we tied up at the dock. I'm sure Josh was a little hungry!

Once back at the dock it was time to go into "salvage" mode....we got the boat on the trailer and i headed straight over to the mechanic to see if they had the part i needed. Chris and Josh were probably already napping back at the hotel when i found out they didn't have the part in stock and the parts were backordered at the factory. Bummer. I checked with a few other shops in the area and came up with nothing.

My hopes of getting Josh back on the water were all but done. I had one last chance at a dealer in Modesto and made the call. They had it! Wow!...now i just had to get there before they closed. I unhitched my trailer and drove as fast as i could to Modesto. I had about an hour and a half roundtrip and it would only take about 10 minutes to change the part. I might just be able get them on the water just after 6 o'clock if it all worked out. Things were looking up. Team Taylor must have certainly been enjoying an extended nap as i headed out onto the freeway back to Stockton with part in hand.

I returned to my boat just about 6pm. Chris helped me install the starter and we were back at the ramp and in the water in short order. Josh was ready to go and we raced off to the fishing grounds. Josh was up front as we started fishing and doing a good job with his casts. It felt like the bite was just not going to take off like it can in the evening on the Delta. We were covering some great water and making good presentations, but no grabs. Hmmm....i just worked my tail off to get these guys back on the water and the fish are treating me like this?! Rude..very rude. I'm persistent though, I also have a lot of patience...Joshua does too.

WHAM!!,... a BIG swirl and crash on Joshua's deerhair popper! It was a good fish. This was the one Josh had been hoping for. He came tight and didn't give an inch. I immediately turned up the troller and pulled back away from the weedline. Josh was yelling and screaming as any 11yr old has a right to in this situation. I was coaching him as i watched Chris finally put a lip lock onto his son's largest fish ever. The fish weighed in at just under 4.5lbs. A fine Delta topwater bass.

Josh was in a very happy place...how cool to see him catch the biggest fish of his young life and on a topwater fly! Excitement is an understatement. This was one of those lifetime moments. We had been through it all that day. Surrounded by adversity, wanting to see this day through, and a young fly fisher that just wanted to catch a bass. Josh was pumping adrenalin for at least an hour or two after that fish. I'm sure his dad and myself were getting a shot of it as well. The day had taken from us but gave it back in a most rewarding way.

It was a day that i will always remember and I'd bet that Josh and his dad will too. Thanks Josh!

a Road Trip to the Southern Sierras

2010-07-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Guy Jeans invited me down to Kernville to do a Delta presentation for the Southern Sierra Flyfishers club. Guy and his wife Raquel own the Kern River Fly Shop in the little mountain town of Kernville.

The shop sits on the main road only a stones throw from the Kern River as it runs through town. Kernville is a few miles upriver from Lake Isabella. Drive time is about 1hr+ N.E. of Bakersfield. Rte. 178 heads east out of Bakersfield and follows the Kern River up through a gorgeous granite bouldered canyon. It is a nice scenic drive up the hill.

Kernville reminded me of Ennis, Montana in a way. Kernville has somewhat of an outdoor recreation, circus-like, atmosphere but in a good way. Instead of almost every truck pulling a driftboat as you might see in Montana, these trucks, busses and cartoppers were loaded with whitewater rafts. Guy assured me that their fishing is well removed from the rafting activity and beyond into the High Country.

The Kern River Fly Shop is a very short walk to the tiny downtown where there are shops and eateries and of course refreshing beverages.

The fly shop is cozy, inviting and a place where most always you'll find an angler talking of the day's catch. Bill helps tend shop while Guy is on the water guiding. A beautiful stone fireplace will undoubtably capture your attention as you walk in and provides the backdrop for a warm, welcoming environment.

This trip to Kernville did not allow me time for any fishing as i was there primarily to talk to the Southern Sierra Flyfishers about the Delta and it's flyfishing opportunities. Guy and Raquel had fished with me on the Delta a few years prior during the early fall and we had a great time. I was anxious to check out their "neck of the woods" when Guy asked me to come down. I have seen some of the northern part of the Sequoia Natl Forest but had never ventured this far south. I will be back. But, next time with a collection of fly rods to cover the river and the lake opportunities! If you find yourself in that part of the state, you will be well served to take the time to have Guy put you on the river and catch some of those Kern River trout species. He is the man to do it!

The Southern Sierra Flyfishers club are a great bunch of anglers that welcomed me with open arms. My presentation was focused on showcasing the topwater opportunities available on the Delta during both the Striper season and the LmBass season.

I hope my presentation was well recieved by the group and to see some of them someday checking out the Delta fishery. Thanks guys for the hospitality and allowing me the opportunity to present the Delta to you! I'll see you again!

Capt.Kevin Doran

For presentation inquiries contact: capt.kev@deltaadventures.com

The tides have turned.

2010-06-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we may have just turned the corner on the Delta LmBass bite. Over the past couple of weeks we've seen obvious signs that many of the fish were on the spawn. Shredded fins and an overall look like they've been doing their "thing". It was clear that the fish were not eating too well. Other things on their mind?...most likely.

Clients, Martin and Larry showed up to the dock with no experience fishing for LmBass with a flyrod. Larry had an arsenal of spin casting rods that he was going to use. Martin had plenty of flyfishing experience but not for LmBass. Larry spent most of the day throwing rubber worms on his spinning gear while Martin worked topwater with the flyrod. As it turned out, Martin won out in the numbers category with the flyrod. Martin in addition to catching his first LmBass on fly, caught another personal first, a small striper on top while banging the banks for LmBass.

By the end of the day Larry had seen enough and wanted to try the flyrod. I spent about 20 minutes with him working on casting technique and shortly thereafter he was getting a few decent casts into the zone. One of those casts proved to be on target. As his popper came up to a weed edge it was immediately engulfed in an explosive flush. Now, Larry who had never caught a fish on a flyrod before was connected to a nice Largemouth Bass! This wasn't the typical 8-10in. trout most flyfishers claim as their "first". This fish was pulling hard with the flyrod almost bent to the cork. The coaching i had given him prior, and, he must have been listening!, was paying off. He kept pulling on that fish until it finally cleared the weeds and after a short tussle around the boat we had the fish to hand.

Larry had just experienced what topwater Delta LmBass fishing with a flyrod is all about. His first ever flyrod fish weighed in at 4.5lbs!. A nice Largemouth Bass to be proud of. I'm not sure he will look at his spinning gear and rubber worms the same again! Larry's fish looked as though it was ripe and ready to drop her payload. She had obviously been working a bed based on the condition of her fins and she must have decided on one last meal before getting down to business. Larry was there to serve it up and take advantage of that opportunity. That was over a week ago now.

Over the next few days the bite slowed dramatically. Earlier this week, many of the pro FLW tournament anglers pre-fishing for this weeks tournament that i talked to were having a tough go at it. "I can't pattern these fish!" some said. Yep! same thing here, i replied. Their comments were consistent with what i had been experiencing in weeks before. The city of Stockton is host to the FLW tourney this year. It is one of the major national circuit tournaments held on the Delta with full media coverage.

My take on what is happening?..many of the fish were focused on spawning during the past week in much of the central Delta. It seems everything is about a month late. As the current week progressed we saw the bite improve almost daily. Wednesday seemed to be the turning point for me. Despite the never ending wind and cooler temps, we caught better numbers of fish with the smaller males showing up with more regularity. A sure sign they are guarding the nest. Much of the spawning has most likely taken place and it can happen that fast. Some gals may drop eggs more than once and in a different location. Along with that, some of the big girls are getting hungry...we dropped and missed some real monsters this week. One of those fish i would confidently say was in the double digit size class...all on topwater. Postspawn most likely.

The Delta has finally turned the corner.

Game On!.....Now, if the wind would just quit...:-)

It's been a wild ride!

2010-05-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

A young Capt.Kev back in the day at Clearlake

Wow! what happened to Spring?...when i was a kid it was one of my favorite times...you know the one that slowly creeps into our lives with the cozy feeling that comes with the warming days and mellow afternoons of Springtime? For me, Springtime is when i start shifting gears. The cold of winter typically fading away at a snail's pace. Chasing Stripers throughout the winter can be arduous at times and leaves me anxious for the sunshine and warmth of the coming months. By April i am ready to start chasing another Delta species...LmBass! The thought of shorts, t-shirts and sandals starts to fill my head... I can't wait! It takes me all the way back to my youth.

By April I was and am ready to put away the heavy sinking lines, the extra clothing layers, gloves, beanies, and heavy pac boots in storage for the next 6-7months. I have had enough of that by end of March. I've seen my share of great client fish over the past fall and winter season, Stripers are awesome, but now I am wanting something else. In all honesty, this past Striper season was less than stellar. The larger fish were just not showing up in numbers. Sure there were some around and many clients caught some nice ones, but finding them was not an easy task most of the time. All of this made my yearning for the start of Spring and my topwater LmBass season even more intense. It couldn't start soon enough as far as I was concerned.

So here we are, it's the end of May and i am wondering.....what just happened?...did i miss something?

Lou with a nice topwater Bass in April

A few weeks in late April was when we started getting some topwater LmBass. Some nice fish were caught and then it seemed the LmBass train came to a screeching halt! The never ending wind, water temps started to drop, the rains, more rain and constant wind. What the...? I was wearing my winter clothes in May! Double layers, thermal underwear, the whole bit! Wow! I can't remember a May this cold.

It may or may not be widely known that good numbers of LmBass will move to the banks during big moon phases in late April. They start pairing up and start setting up camp for the spawn. We saw that process on track in mid-late April and we caught some nice fish during a week long, nice weather, window. These fish were feeding well prior to the spawn. Some really good sized fish can be had during this time and they eat topwater! Yes!...what i have been waiting for all winter long is finally here!....i thought.

Renee with a big 6.25lb Delta Topwater LmBass

About that time, May seemed to change it's name to Feburary, and i wasn't sure if April was really April, and where was March? I was totally confused as if i had just woken up from some long strange nap. Was i Rip Van Winkle?....i took a look into the mirror just to be sure.

Well, if i was feeling that way those LmBass must be feeling about the same. The typical pattern of a big push of fish to the banks in late April just didn't happen. A couple here, a couple there, many pulled back and probably have decided to wait it out a month. The Delta is a huge place. Spawning can take place as early as Feb and continue throughout July. These are the extremes. May is usually when staging, prespawn and even post spawn fish start becoming available to the topwater flyfisher. The season started up with a bang and then almost within days, ran out of gas with the lousy weather pattern.

June is now the May i have been waiting for. I expect some fantastic fishing over the next month. I hope Spring has finally sprung or is it Summer?...whatever...i am ready, shorts and all!

Mat Rats, Bass, and some laughs.

2010-03-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

To those that attended the tying session at Kiene's Fly Shop Mar. 20th, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to show how i tie the KDM Rat. I hope it was worthwhile and you will now be using this pattern on your favorite LmBass waters.

"Rattin' the cheese", "Fear not the Slop", and throw 'em into the heaviest junk you can find and hold on!

The Delta's LmBass season for the flyfisher is just around the corner. Every year around his time i get excited about flyfishing for these great game fish. Topwater is my preferred tactic of choice when the warm days of Spring and Summer come into focus. The KDM Rat allows for fishing on and through some of the heaviest vegetation and cover that one can find. As a great complimenting pattern to the standard deerhair patterns we use on the Delta, "The Rat" will handle heavy vegetation and algae mats with ease. Fear not the Slop!

By the end of the session i tied up a few "customs" for the attendees including "Andy's Special". Andy Guibord(Kiene's staff) did a quick sketch of what he wanted and i went to work on it. What came from this was a pretty cool looking Rat and i hope he sticks a hog with it!

The "Rat" as tied weighs in around 40-46grains. In the field i will often need a heavier version for dense mats. This is an easy problem to overcome with a little UV curable "Knot Sense"or "UV Wader Repair". Just take your selected Rat and goop on some UV product to the bottom and cure it with the sun. You can build up the base with more weight this way. Keep a tube of this in your gear bag and you will be able to cover the bases.

Thanks again for those that attended, Kiene's Fly Shop and staff, and most importantly to those big LmBass that eat anything and everything that lives, swims, crawls and happens to land in their world! LmBass are Awesome!

Bass On...

Capt.Kev

Kiene's Fly Shop tying session

2010-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

I'll be tying my KDM Rat pattern at Kiene's Fly Shop on March 20th. Time: 10am-2pm

The KDM Rat was a featured pattern in "Bass the Movie"(Howard Films) while fishing the Delta. It has been featured in numerous articles and books. It is not yet available commercially but i am working on getting them to market.

The fly tying steps have been well documented in print but tying one from a written step process can leave a lot of questions and less than stellar results. Seeing how this fly is made in person will clear up some aspects of tying the fly and ensuring that it fishes correctly. I will also have some DVD's available for sale that shows the steps, materials, and sequence that will certainly put one on the right track to tying the fly so it fishes as designed. If you are unable to attend the DVD is available from Jay Murakoshi @ www.fliesunlimited.com

Come join me at Kiene's Mar. 20th!

Capt. Kev

Delta Conditions

2010-02-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

I went out solo yesterday for a quick tour checking on water conditions and temperature around some central Delta locations. Much of the water is in very fishable shape with surface temps running from 51-54 degrees. Water temps have stayed a few degrees warmer over the Winter and this could mean an early Spring season. LmBass will start staging for the spawn once the temps get into the upper 50's and the Stripers that are in the system now will soon get grabby.

I did a little topwater Striper fishing on my tour and raised 4 fish but no connection. Seeing some fish willing to look up was a good sign. No subsurface presentations were made during my short tour and i'm confident fishing subsurface would have yielded rewards. Winter usually means working hard for your fish. Once water temps rise a bit more the fish will start feeding more aggressively and catch rates will rise. Fishing should improve over the next month. The Spring Striper bite is not far from taking off. Certain areas of the Delta will start showing some Pre-Spawn Stripers over the next 2 months.

The super clear water conditions over the past year has allowed much of the water to handle the storms and muddy water associated, without blowing out. A little color is a good thing right now and much of it remains very fishable.

The Spring striper bite appears just around the corner and the early LmBass spawn not too far behind. We could very well be getting some good topwater Striper opportunity very soon and possibly by mid March some topwater LmBass as well on nice afternoons. My expectations are based on current water temps. Pending no monumental storms i expect water conditions to hold and improve from here.

I have plenty of availablity so if you want to set a date give me a shout. Now is the time to start booking your Feb, Mar, and April trips. My May LmBass book is filling fast but i still have some availability in April and May. If you are fishing the Bass-n-Fly Challenge in May a good strategy might be to book a day with me and get some on the water education and learn techniques for the Delta LmBass fishery that will surely put you in the game.

Stay... On the Water..On the Fish!

Capt.Kev

I'll see you at the ISE show...San Mateo!

2010-01-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am honored to be participating in the "Flyfishing LmBass Expert Panel" discussion with host Ken Hanley at this years ISE show in San Mateo. This discussion panel is held on Sat Jan 16th, at 4:30pm. John Sherman will be participating as part of the panel as well. This should be interesting to both myself and audience as to what Kenny is going to ask us about as i have no idea at this point. Looking forward to it and hope to see you there.

Capt.Kev

Thank You Stanislaus Flyfishers!

2010-01-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Stanislaus Flyfishers invited me to do a presentation on Jan 12th. I was greeted by friends old and new and their hospitality was more than welcoming. My "Reading Delta Waters" presentation is designed for the angler who may be starting to learn or is experienced on the Delta. The presentation takes the angler through a series of concepts and strategies that i use daily in finding fish under any conditions. It was a fun evening spent with the Stanislaus Flyfishers club. Many of the club members fish the Delta and i hope it proved to be informative and valuable to those that attended. Thanks guys!

For presentation inquiries contact: capt.kev@deltaadventures.com

Say good bye to 2009!

2010-01-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Looking to close the year out on a good note, I hooked up with my good friend Carlo to fish the afternoon incoming tide on New Year's eve. As we pulled around the corner to launch the boat we came upon a sight i usually don't see this time of year. Everything seemed out of place. What the.....??

It's always a good sign to see birds along the Delta's banks while you are searching for Stripers and anything else that swims out there.

Egrets standing along the rivers edge are a sure sign there are fish around, especially Stripers. It is common to see them lined up on the rocks like little soldiers during the Winter. These birds are so keyed in to what is happening IN the water it is inconcieveable to mere humans. But today they weren't waiting along the waters edge looking for baitfish pushed to the surface. They weren't waiting for a school of stripers plowing through bait against the rocks for an easy meal. In fact they weren't even close to the water! The Egrets were telling the story...

Egrets feeding on grass seed or...??

The birds were giving us a hint as to what we might expect from our last day on the water in 2009. Winter time is when much of the bait drops into deeper water. Without predator fish around these bait balls have nothing to worry about, but the birds need this bait at the surface to get their meal. Without good numbers of fish driving this bait up to the surface the birds look elsewhere. They will do what they have to do...eat. If that means grass seed..so be it. This picture told the story of what would come of our hopes for a monster striper on New Years eve.

Despite what we had seen the birds doing, we pressed on with visions of one last grab for the year. Winter on the Delta can be as much a trophy hunt as anything but this year it has come down to more of a hunt for anything at times. We did some searching and casting, and some more searching and casting. Nothing to show for our efforts. We finally pulled up to an area that was calm from the SE wind that had started to build. Within a few minutes Carlo is hooked up but not with the solid pull back of a Striper. As I watched his line in the water starting to rise, we both called out "Largemouth" and soon a beautiful New Years eve Delta Largemouth was at hand.

Carlo with a truely handsome Winter bass

Were we disappointed?....maybe just a little as we hadn't found a single Striper in the area. The birds had already told us earlier what we needed to know. Suddenly another grab, then another, and after about an hour we (mostly Carlo!) had landed an impressive number of small Largemouth Bass to about 2.25lbs from this piece of water. The slight disappointment of not finding any Stripers faded quickly as we pulled in bass after bass. Soon we had forgotten about catching a Striper. Our focus had shifted to a school of Largemouth that wanted to play and the catching was keeping our lines tight and rods bent. A pretty good way to spend the last day of the year!

Winter fishing on the Delta can be slow to good as each day is different. Stripers, Largemouth Bass, Crappie and many other species are caught during this time. Every cast is a mystery. I value the serenity found on the Delta in the Winter months and it's a great time to connect to the soul of the environment, being nothing more than another predator in search of a meal...it's a great classroom.

Winter time. One thing is certain, when Mother Delta provides the bounty.. enjoy it for all it's worth. And never insult her or her feeding fish...because they're all good!

Winter Largemouth Bass

Videos on You Tube...

2009-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

To see all of the videos go to YouTube and type "captainkd" in the search box. On the right hand side of the YouTube window is a title "More From CaptainKD" with a small triangle. Click the triangle to view all of the videos

I have just added "the Quest for 41" which was re edited for You Tube.

This is some Vintage '99 footage of Mike McKenzie's quest for a trophy Northern Pike while fishing in Northern Saskatchewan at Scott Lake.

Here's the link:

www.youtube.com/profile?user=CaptainKD#p/u/0/hpBUSdMUyCE

I hope to do some more Pike fishing sometime, the topwater grabs are awesome!

Winter "Sponge Bite" ... Sunday 12/13/09

2009-12-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

My guide book has been a little sparse with bookings this Dec, so.., i took some time to do a little Striper fishing of my own with my good friend Carlo. We didn't fish all day as we chose to focus just on the incoming tide. We hit the water with a stiff S.S.W. wind to our back as we headed down river. The weather was a bit windy with heavy overcast and a slight drizzle, but a lot warmer than i had the week before on my client trips. Last week we were starting our days with temps in the 20's. This morning felt like a tropical vacation with morning temps in the mid to upper 40's. I think the fish felt the same.

We dropped into a spot that provided some "calmness" from the storms that had come in over the weekend. I mentioned to Carlo that i try to search out areas that have some protection from these big storms in the Winter. The fish always seem more settled and relaxed and ready to eat in these environments. These places are usually far off the beaten path and often much smaller water than the main sloughs and river channels. Combine these areas with some deep water "holes" and you have the making for some great fishing even in the worst of weather conditions. The deep water holes in these type of places will concentrate the bait and fish and the grabs can last for hours. This was the winning strategy on Sunday...find sheltered water with deep holes with 15-20+foot depths.

The fish were there and feeding and we ended our 5hr trip with a very good number of fish to hand. Although we didn't find any really large fish, we did have consistent hookups in one spot for over 2hrs with fish in the 3-8+class. The key to hooking them was mentioned in my earlier post on Winter fishing. The "sponge bite" was in full swing and once Carlo keyed in on it, slowing down and staying connected on the drop, he started getting bit. From then on, we had both rods bent almost nonstop. Carlo ended up with a beautiful 8+lb Striper that he said ate "so soft"...just a slight pull back on the line...that he wasn't sure it was a fish. That sums up the "sponge bite" pretty well Carlo!

Everyday is different on the Delta, but the Winter can provide some great angling opportunities

...some of our best fishing is here now...you just have to be there to get in on it!

I have many open days available, so if you want to set a date, just look me up at Delta Adventures.com or send me an email: capt.kev@deltaadventures.com

Capt. Kevin Doran

Winter Stripers...adapting your tactics for the season.

2009-12-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

Andy Guibord launches a cast in the dead of Winter
Cold days and cold water. That's winter fishing on the Delta. Despite the less than favorable conditions the Delta fishes all winter long. The Winter season does not mean the fish have left the system. They are still here, they just eat less and that feeding window is shortened. Contrary to what many believe, when the storms come in and most of the Delta is supposedly "blown-out", there is almost always some clear water to fish. Often what many think is dirty water and unfishable is in fact very fishable. We look down into the depths whereas a fish is looking up into a backlit window and we must realize Stripers have a very sensitive lateral line. Flies with dramatic contrast that push water will show up in their world. What they cannot see, they can feel.

Tactics need to change for getting the most out of the winter season. Anglers need to "dress for success" if they want to be comfortable as possible while soaking flies on the Delta in the winter. This means layers! Todays high tech clothing allows for a level of comfort with minimal bulk. The fish are there and they have to eat. If an angler is not layered properly for the conditions he won't be there to catch them.

Presentation tactics also need to change with the conditions. Slightly slower retrieves with very long drops on the fly are part of the techniques required to be successful. My preference is to still strip the same length as earlier in the year but the drops and pauses, where the fly is dropping vertical or suspending, is where the difference comes in. These drops or pauses can sometimes be lengthy enough for a quick bite of a sandwich and a sip of something warm! I'm talking longggg. The initial couple of strips gets the attention of the fish. The fish might slowly move towards the fly but isn't really interested in chasing. As the fly is dropping or hovering, the fish is watching it. After a 5-10 second pause the angler will start another strip and as soon as that line moves a fraction of an inch, is when the fish usually jumps on the fly. This has proven itself to me over many years in these cold water conditions.

For cold water Winter fishing, an LC13 shooting head has some advantages at this time of year. A mono type running line is also my choice. Why?.. because i feel very connected to the fly during the drop. Lc13 provides an almost wire like connection to the fly once the first strip or two has been made. The direct angle and rigidity of the lc line telegraphs better than anything i have used, the lightest of "ticks" that often come with a big fish. The small profile of a mono type running line allows for the head and running line to drop at a very straight angle. The name of the game is to feel totally connected to the fly at any distance from the rod tip and i feel this line configuration does this better than anything else.

Ron Hayashi with a nice 19lb'r

Another advantage to using a line like Lc13 and a mono running line is that it doesn't "loft" in currents nearly as much as the popular integrated tungsten head lines. This resistance to "lofting" allows for a more direct contact with the fly on the strip or on the drop. Remember, the name of the game is to stay connected to the fly so you will feel those very light ticks or subtle bumps. If you get a tick or bump don't be too quick to set up on the fish and possibly pull the fly away from the fish. Instead, let the fly drop once again for a few seconds and then strip. Often the fish hits again and it is likely you will get a solid hookup. Once you get hooked up i suggest setting the hook hard one or two more times so as to drive that point in. One of two things is likely to happen. The hook is either going to pull out anyway or it will gain better purchase. I don't like it when they pull out on a trophy fish half way to the boat! Set on them hard!

This primer will hopefully help with one's cold water catching. Just realize winter fishing is not about big numbers. That can happen on any day, but usually you are working hard for your fish. If you don't mind a little hard work and have outfitted yourself for the elements, you just might be rewarded with a trophy fish! Fear not the winter!

I hope to see you out there!

Capt.Kev

It's in the details.

2009-09-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Many times it's the little details that make the difference...

In this video link, I talk about how to improve the performance of the Umpqua Swimming Frog pattern. It is one of my staple patterns for the Delta but I like to fine tune the fly for better performance...here's the link...www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfQid6pJYE0&feature=channel

2009-09-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Carp Update...late Aug.

John Sherman and Ric Rudgers finally broke the code to the Delta Golden Ghosts. They had 4 hookups and a breakoff with a couple of fish landed. Good going guys!

The Delta's Golden Ghosts

2009-07-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Delta has some monster Carp. Seeing them and getting them to eat are two different stories though. My good friend John Sherman and I were out trying to feed some of these monsters a week or so ago, diligently trying to unlock some of the mysterious code with these Delta Carp.

The Delta Carp Code has it's own set of rules...one might jokingly go as far as to call it the CCCRF. California Carp Code of Regulations and Frustrations!

I have heard plenty of stories and techniques about catching Carp in rivers, ponds and lakes. However, the Delta environment seems to be a different animal when it comes to catching these wary fish. I have fair caught some huge Carp incidentally while bass fishing, and while soaking the fly while Striper fishing. I have spent a lot of time just watching and studying them from my boat. But, still to this day, I have yet to consistently pattern their behavior, feeding or not. Well, more accurately I'll say that I have a good idea when they are not feeding! This has proven itself many times over the years as a few friends and I have tried to hook them with nothing much more to show for our efforts than a few "i think he ate"s...

Poling through skinny water, super stealthy stalking, poised for the cast, waiting, seeing, casts demanding precision presentation...this is sight fishing to Delta Carp and it has all the elements of a highly regarded saltwater flats game.

The quest continues though, and when we eventually unlock that code....game on!