Sports

This has been a most interesting, if not frustrating, year for fishing so far.

The most successful anglers are those who have had the opportunity to get to know the water they fish.  Every lake and stream changes through the year so getting to "know the water" means understanding the feeding and migration patterns the fish are likely to engage in at any particular time.

It takes time to learn that.  That is why I prefer fishing our local waters rather than traveling far from home to waters I don't know well.  (For those who do travel, even experienced anglers, a guide can be instrumental to learning where the fish are as well as when and what they are feeding on. )

As a fan of both trails and fire lookouts, I was excited to hear that the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is exploring the possibility of working with the Sierraville Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest to restore the Badenaught Trail, which leads from Loyalton to the Babbitt Peak Fire Lookout.

Mid-morning on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) where it runs out of Belden Town: a group consisting of six high school students, a couple of people from the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the Forest Service cross the railroad tracks laden with loppers, shovels, pry bars and scrapers. Their mission is to repair the trail as part of the Storrie Fire restoration plan.

Henry Winkler, aka the “Fonz” of Happy Days fame, when asked what attracted him to fly-fishing, answered, “Fishing is like a washing machine for the brain.” If you have to think long and hard about what that means, you probably need to go fishing.

Whether you really need to go fishing, or just want to go fishing, here are some great local options to consider: