Sunday November 24, 2024 – The first major atmospheric river of the year swept through the Bay Area this week, and as in past years, I made an effort to hit the Forebay after the first big rain. Fortunately, today’s weather cooperated—flat water and sunny skies made for an ideal day on the water, even…
It’s really frustrating that rebanding is no longer allowed, especially now that they’re inspecting boats as they leave. If the goal is to prevent mussel contamination in other bodies of water like the Forebay and the lake, inspecting boats on the way out doesn’t make much sense if. your not rebanding. I timed my inspection…
November 7-9, 2024 – Over the years, Gina and I have had the pleasure of sharing many live music experiences, including season tickets to the Paul Mason Concert series. Live music has always been a big part of our lives, from our first real date at Grant Park—where we enjoyed a symphony practice over a…
Can you feel it? The tide has turned. The blitz to make America Great again is on! Lessens learned from last night, Let success be your revenge. Trump wins and its the dawn of a new era, but more about fishing – specifically fishing Blitzes. October through December is Blitz time on the lake and…
Monday Nov 4, 2024. – Is it too soon to start slinging Christmas cheer? Hell, it’s the day before the election. The stakes are high, my nerves are fried, and it’s all too surreal to face alone. So, I dialed up my favorite aging Republican fishing buddy, Don, an 86-year-old Stanford PhD in Electrical Engineering…
Friday November 1, 2024 – Someone told me the stripers were going wild in Portuguese Bay all day, so I thought I’d give it a shot on the Friday morning after Halloween. I headed out to the back of Portuguese Bay on San Luis Reservoir, hoping to hook a few big stripers blitzing on shad.…
My last fishing day in October was, as usual, very satisfying. October and November are prime months in the forebay, with large schools of shad moving through, drawing in aggressive stripers eager to chase flies. Today’s action was consistent—I found fish nearly everywhere I looked. Most were smaller, around 15-17 inches, but I did manage…
After a solid day on the lake Wednesday, I thought, “Why not press my luck again?” But this time, I took my game to the forebay, aiming for an earlier start. The plan was simple: hope the powerhouse current was flowing and let the October-November fish fiesta begin. With the shad population going wild and…
Monday October 21, 2024 – It was one of those days where the universe seemed hell-bent on screwing with me. Saturday had me in a sour mood, hunting for fish like some kind of desperate maniac and coming up empty-handed. The only glimmer of hope came in Portuguese Cove, where a brief blitz yielded…
I use to think that there was no place for politics in retirement. That I was too old to benefit from or get hurt by staying out of politics but I find myself more concerned about what’s at stake in this months election as a grandparent. I get it that abortion is a big…
October 19, 2024 Well, all good things must come to an end, and my October streak hit a brick wall today while fishing with Dan Blanton. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I was sure we were in for another great day on the water. After three successful days on the lake and Forebay, I…
After researching the pumping station I refer to as “the Powerhouse,” I hoped to find an online resource that would explain when the pumps are activated. It made me realize that, after all these years, I actually don’t know much about that specific pumping station. Does it really generate power, or is it simply a…
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” September slipped through my fingers like a greased eel, a mad blur of missed opportunities and restless nights. One measly day of Striper fishing—that’s all I managed in the entire damn month. My dreams were haunted by visions of the lake and Forebay, those elusive, shimmering playgrounds of aquatic…
Monday October 15, 2024 – This year has definitely been the year of the crawdad. It seems like the minnows have taken a break at Big Lake, or they’ve been dodging my sonar for the past 10 months. I did see some fish activity today, though—it’s possible I spooked a school of shad near the…
Attending Fleet Week in San Francisco this year with Gina was a powerful experience, one that reminded us of the immense pride and respect we feel for the young men and women who have chosen to serve in our nation’s military. As we stood there, watching the magnificent ships glide across the bay, feeling the…
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 Today, I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friend Steve. Steve is a retired San Jose police officer and Air Force veteran. He worked on F4 Phantom aircraft, much like my son-in-law Ryan does with transport planes. I’ve been waiting all year for a day like today. It’s been…
Doug Swisher is best known as a pioneering fly fisherman, author, and expert in the sport of fly fishing. He gained recognition for his contributions to the modern understanding of fly patterns and fishing techniques. Swisher co-authored the groundbreaking book Selective Trout (1971) with Carl Richards, which introduced innovative ideas about trout behavior and insect…
A couple of months ago, we discovered a fantastic new jazz venue near Yosemite—The Yosemite Jazz Train. Originally, we had blocked this week for the Soma Jazz Cruise, but after River was born, we decided to skip this one. Our annual jazz indulgence this year was the Dave Koz Cruise to the Holy Land, which…
September 21, 2024: It’s been just over a week since I returned from Alaska, and the itch to cast a fly rod has come back strong. Today was the first calm day on the lake in a week, and by the time I backed the trailer down the Dinosaur Point ramp at 8:00 a.m., it…
Sept 3-12 2023 This year, I missed out on much of my destination flyfishing due to unforeseen circumstances. I had planned trips for Tarpon in Destin, Florida, Dorado in Mexico, and Redfish in the grass flats of South Carolina. Unfortunately, I had to cancel trips to Pyramid Lake and Wildhorse Reservoir as well. As…
I heard from my cousin that our friend Dave Inks died last month. Its been years since I last talked to Dave. Dave was one of my mentors when I worked at the Millpond in the 70s and 80’s. Dave Inks, a renowned figure in the fly fishing community, passed away on August 31, 2024,…
Vaughn and I planned an action-packed day of topwater bass fishing with Delta guide Bryce Tedford, focusing on the thrill of catching largemouth bass on the surface. Vaughn is particularly passionate about this type of fishing, and after an incredible session with Bryce on Wednesday, I was feeling optimistic about our chances today. Captain Bryce…
After last week’s disappointing fishing trip on the forebay and hearing a great report from Brian about the lake, I was really looking forward to a successful day on the water. I set out a little early to fuel up the boat, but soon found myself stuck in standstill traffic on Highway 152 near San…
Tuesday August 6. 2024 – I’m not entirely sure what cosmic crime I committed to earn last week’s mess, but I’m feeling the desperate need for some kind of divine intervention. The world is spiraling into chaos, with a war escalating in the Middle East, and the stock market took a nosedive that felt like…
It’s been crazy hot these last couple of weeks at San Luis Reservoir. The heat has been so intense that even Dan Blanton canceled a trip due to concerns about heat stroke out on the lake. This prolonged hot weather has made it one of the longest heatwaves on record for the reservoir. Two weeks…
