Rivers of a Lost Coast

Sitting in a stool hovering over a keyboard that teeters on a book shelf, I can gladly say we’re in the last days of moving our offices. Last week a man named Simon started helping us out with some handy work. He saw the posters and immediately started probing. Simon is a steelheader.

Over the past few days Simon, a valley fishermen of both the fly and lure, has shared the latest news about the American and Feather Rivers. Unlike many of the coastal streams, the Valley steelheading is holding its own this season. A good amount of large fish have been taken from the American River this year. The above photo is a steelhead Simon landed in the American River Basin this past week.

Arriving early yesterday he asked, “Did you hear? Got to the river really early, before daybreak. Guy upstream asks me if I’ve been on the river much. Told him yea, most mornings. Asks if I’ve seen any big fish landed. Say yea, quite a few. Any real big ones? No, nothing abnormally huge. Oh OK, he says. Why? Guy comes back and tells me there’s a rumor a 42 incher was foul-hooked here two days ago. Says the guy landed it and everything. Had nasty monofilament on, rope. Anyways the fish was apparently measured at 42 inches. He didn’t know the girth.”

The California State record is 27 lbs. 4 oz. A fair-caught 42 inch steelhead with a girth of 23 inches would conceivably break the state record. Earlier this year an enormous King Salmon (80+ pounds) was found dead by the CDFG in the battle creek watershed.