Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3820 Sept 13-27 | Page 9

Sept 13-27, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 20 7 Catch & Release Fishing! Hook More & Bigger Fish With Flies... Sponsored by Kiene’s Fly Shop 916-483-1222 • www.Kienesflyshop.com 9550 Micron Ave. Suite B • Sacramento, CA Are You Up To The Challenge Of Fly Fishing The Middle American? By Cal Kellogg The trout were rising in a seam that appeared impossible to reach. On my side of the river, the bank adjacent to the trout was lined with thick brush and black berry vines. And even if it weren’t the trout were well beyond my casting range and the water was too deep for me to wade closer to the fish. Studying the scene, I noticed that there was a finger of sand and gravel that extended from my side of the river downstream to a point 40 or 50 feet above the trout. The water appeared shallow enough to allow me to wade down the finger to within casting range of the risers. Easing into the water I started working my way slowly toward the trout that continued to rise enthusiastically. The trout were feeding on hatching mayflies and my simple No. 16 rust colored parachute with its grizzly hackle and elk hair wing had already proven to be a good imitation. I made a couple false casts and then fired the fly down stream with a lot of power. Right on cue the fly disappeared in a small swirl. I reared back on the rod and instantly felt the weight of the fish. True to its nature the big wild rainbow catapulted out of the water and then bolted for the far bank, swimming upstream in a wide arch. The odds were against me, but luck was on my side. I kept the pressure on the trout and after a nerve-racking fight I was able to slide the awesome 22-inch rainbow into my net. The fact that I just described catching a big beautiful wild rainbow in the American River is sure to raise some eyebrows among members of the Northern California trout fishing fraternity and that comes as no This American River rainbow blitzed to the surprise. The small group of savvy surface and ambushed a well-presented anglers that fish the Middle Fork of caddis imitation. Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. the American know it as one of the P Golden State’s best-kept trout fishing secrets. The American River’s Middle Fork bubbles to life high in the Sierra Nevada in The Middle American is a big brawling river that flows through a steep, the Granite rugged canyon. This keeps the crowds light and gives the river’s trout the opportunity to grow large. Chief and Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. Desolation Valley Wilderness areas. From there the river flows in a rough westerly direction. The best section of the river for trout fishing, from Oxbow Reservoir to the Middle Fork’s confluence with the North Fork, encompasses about 40 miles. Some parts of this 40-mile section provide easy access off or Highway 49, Forest Hill Road or Mosquito Ridge Road, while other areas Subsurface flies work best on the Middle American, but require aggressive hiking in the river’s calmer stretches dry flies hook fish too. Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. to reach. The Scoop on Sewage & Our Waterways! roperly disposing of boat sewage makes a significant difference in water quality and helps to safeguard the thousands of miles of California’s waterways. You might think your boat’s contribution to the overall pollution problem is minuscule, but considering there are more than four million recreational boaters in California, indi- vidual sewage discharges add up. Plainly put, dumping sewage spreads disease, harms aquatic life, impacts positive nutrients, and floating sewage is just gross! Each one of us can make a difference by implementing these practices to properly dispose of sewage before or after a voyage: Make use of available resources. Dispose of sewage at pumpout stations, dump stations, floating restrooms or mobile boat-to-boat pumpout services. For locations visit: www.dbw.ca.gov/pumpouts Know the laws. According to federal and state law, if you’re operating your boat on any lake, reservoir or confined fresh water; in any marina, yacht harbor or river that does not support interstate traffic; or in any “No Discharge Zone,” it is illegal to discharge sewage, even if it’s treated. It’s also illegal to discharge raw sewage in state waters within the three-mile territorial limit or in any national marine sanctuary. Know your system. Vessels with an installed toilet must have an operable U.S. Coast Guard–approved marine sanitation device (MSD). MSDs are designed to keep untreated sewage out of the water. There are three types of MSDs: Types I, II (treatment systems that reduce bacteria and suspended solids), and III (no treatment systems–holding tank that retains untreated sewage for proper disposal). The Y-Valve is the part of the MSD that directs waste either overboard, into the holding tank or to a deck pumpout fitting. If your holding tank (Type III) is equipped with a Y-valve for overboard discharge, make sure it is secured in the closed position while operating your vessel within the three-mile limit. To make sure your Y-valve is working properly to prevent discharge, test your system by placing a dye tablet in the holding tank. Use available education resources. Cali- fornia State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW), offers free, user-friendly online materials, including the Delta/ San Francisco clean boating maps, “Southern California Boater’s Guide,” “When Nature Calls”, important educational videos and the FREE Pumpout Nav app (available for iOS and Android), which helps boaters find a pumpout station to properly dispose of boat sewage. www. dbw.ca.gov/CVAeducation-outreach. Report sewage discharges to Cali- fornia Office of Emergency Response (800) OILS911 (645-7911) and National Response Center (800) 424-8802. One toilet flush of untreated sewage from your boat can cause the same envi- ronmental impact as 10,000 flushes from your home toilet (San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, 2009).