The air conditioners in the house crapped out just in time for the longest, hottest goddamn heat wave in the Bay Area’s recent memory. Instead of sitting in a tub of ice water with my wife all day like a couple of desperate lunatics, I decided to hit the lake again. At least there’d be…
Having missed my annual Dorado escapade in Mexico last week, I was itching to cast a line somewhere, anywhere, to satiate that primal urge. So, I set my sights on the Lake and Forebay, which had been getting hotter than a firecracker on the Fourth of July. The mercury was rising, and the wind was…
After more than five decades of fishing the forebay, my hopes were high for today to be unexpectedly good. Just two days ago, Frank had reported the best day on the forebay this year, with 10 solid catches and a screenshot of a school of large spawning stripers. That was all the motivation I needed…
June 21, 2024. The winds had been a howling, relentless beast at the lake for the past week, a savage, unpredictable force that gave me the strange luxury of catching up on house chores and accounting. Yesterday, in a fit of idle curiosity, I checked the wind forecasts. I wasn’t expecting a window of calm…
June 10, 2024 – God knows I love a great buffet. For an overweight guy who enjoys a good French Michelin Star restaurant, I’m not sure why buffets appeal to me so much. Today, while fishing at the racks, I had an epiphany. The day started off like a D-Day invasion at the Forebay, with…
June 5, 2024 I’ve only had the chance to fish the famous Henderson Springs Hex hatch twice over the past several years, and it’s haunted me ever since. So, when the opportunity arose to book the small cabin with its six bedrooms during the peak of the Hex hatch, I jumped at it and invited…
To my Children, In-laws, and Grandchildren, June 6, 2024 On this 80th anniversary of D-Day, let me remind you of how significant this day is to your very lives. On this day, Nicholas Gray, grandfather to Mia and Mark, father to Gina Gray, landed on Omaha Beach, Easy Red Sector, in the first wave of…
Memorial Day Weekend 2024 – It’s trout season, comrades! Time to swap those massive stripers for some wild-eyed trout for a couple of months. Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be a pilgrimage to Wildhorse Reservoir in Nevada with Wayne and Michael. But the universe, in its infinite wisdom, had other plans. When we called…
It’s a savage task, wrangling old comrades for a day on the water when the piscatorial gods are as unpredictable as a three-legged mule on a greasy slope. These jaunts are fraught with complications—not least because the ravages of time have clawed at my friends, leaving them speckled with ailments and age. But these old…
Monday May 6, 2024 – Just two days ago, the weather at San Luis Reservoir was dreary with rain, wind, and cold, and I wasn’t optimistic about today’s prospects given the iffy wind forecast. However, upon arriving at the lake, I noticed the inspection station had been permanently relocated to the front gate, equipped with…
Nearly a decade ago, the late Jim Cramer introduced me to the wonders of Henderson Springs, and since then, it’s become an integral part of my annual trout fishing tradition. Thanks to Jim, I was welcomed into a circle of fly fishermen who quickly became some of my closest companions on the water. In the…
Monday APRIL 22, 2024 – I flipped a coin this morning to determine whether I’d spend the day fishing the forebay or the main lake. Before leaving in the morning I made some speculative moves on NVIDIA stock in my investment accounts following last Fridays slide, and things were looking great at the start of…
Today proved to be an unexpectedly delightful day out on the lake with Dan Blanton. The usual rhythms of March seemed disrupted as the fish didn’t adhere to their typical pre-spawning behavior. Notably absent were the sizable schools of stripers in the shallower waters, with depths less than 30 feet, where they’d usually gather. The…
Three weeks had passed since my last fishing expedition on the lake, accompanied by Dan Blanton. It was evident that the conditions had shifted since then. Despite ten days of rain and runoff in the preceding weeks, the water level remained at approximately 70 percent. Today, the water temperature stood at 57 degrees. Typically, by…
Some weekends in life stand out as truly special, and my recent trip to Henderson Springs during the last week of March was one such occasion. While I’ve had memorable fishing trips there before, this one was particularly unique due to the small group of close friends who joined me. These are friends I rarely…
Saturday March 16, 2024 – I seized one last opportunity to fish the lake before my departure for Charleston, where I’d be meeting my new grandson, River William O’Hara, for the first time. The weather forecast had promised a favorable day until about 12 hours prior when uncertainty loomed over whether the wind would disrupt…
Monday March 11, 2024. It’s been more than a year since my good friend, Richard Crook, relocated to Arizona. We had promised to reunite on the lake if he ever returned for a visit. Thankfully, despite the questionable weather, we managed to make it out today. I woke up to light rain and darkness after…
March 8, 2024 – The recent spell of unusual weather, culminating in the largest hailstorm I’ve ever seen in Almaden, left me eagerly anticipating the first ideal day for fishing. The solunar tables predicted a favorable day, and the weather resembled a typical spring day – warm and tranquil. Despite our plans to leave for…
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024 – The launch area at Dinosaur Point presented an unusual scene, bustling with 24 boats launched by 9:00, a sight quite unexpected for a Wednesday. However, as I reflect on the day after, it appears that we are in for another week of rain. The past three successful outings have…
Pull my chin, stroke my hair, scratch my nose, hug my knees Try drink, food, and cigarette, tension will not ease I tap my fingers, fold my arms, breathe in deep, cross my legs Shrug my shoulders, stretch my back, but nothing seems to please I need contact, I need contact Nothing seems to please…
The Float and Fly technique emerged in the mid-90s, credited to Charlie and Eddie Nuckol, primarily for targeting smallmouth bass in the cold waters of Eastern Tennessee. Over time, it has gained traction, particularly in Northern California lakes, as an effective method for catching spotted bass, with anglers like Ryan Williams contributing significantly to its…
January 29, 2024 – The weather forecast was ominous as an atmospheric river was approaching, promising excessive wind and rain that could lead to street flooding and river runoff by Wednesday. However, today was a surprising exception for Dan Blanton and me as we enjoyed sunny skies and warm weather on an uncharacteristically pleasant winter…
It’s been more than a month since I last went fishing at the lake or the forebay. Gina and I spent the latter part of December with my pregnant daughter in Charleston, where I aggravated an old sports injury while playing pickleball with my son. As a result, I ended up with an injured left…
I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Bunch for the first time while we were fishing the Sapsuk in 2021. Charlie left a lasting impression on me. He had a knack for bursting into song while we were out on the river, much like myself, and he shared my love for music. His kindness, infectious…
Dec 15, 2023 – Almost exactly a year to the hour, I experienced one of my most memorable days on the Forebay. I had been reminiscing about that incredible day all year, eagerly anticipating the possibility of reliving a similar adventure this December. Despite the slow fishing experiences throughout November and recent reports suggesting that…
