San Luis Reservoir and Oneill Forebay are my home waters. The pages beneath, chronicle my trips to these waters with photography and video over the last years. With the advent of GoPro Cameras and advances in video editing software, I’ve tried to capture the feel of fly fisihng these bodies of waters through the seasons having fished there since the 70’s. As many have pointed out, it seems the fishing was better years ago. As tribute to the great fishermen who loved this body of water who are now gone including my father–I say fish for the moment. There are links in this blog to Len Bearden’s 1991-92 fishing diaries giving me a reference to “the way it was” 25 years ago. Someday these blog post will also be considered the old days so till then – YOLO. I try to fish there weekly when work allows.
“…On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Monday Dec 11.2023 -Winter fly fishing in the lake presents a challenging period, often characterized as the slowest time of the year, even for the seasoned anglers. Water temperatures drop, daylight hours are short, and bait becomes scarce. Despite the unfavorable conditions, my friend Don and I ventured out for a day of camaraderie and…
December 2, 2023 Saturday -It’s been five days since I last fished at the Forebay, and I was eagerly looking forward to another exciting and challenging day on the water. The reports from the lake were promising, with Vaughn, Steph, and Brian all showing enthusiasm for the big water. On the contrary, I…
Sunday November 26, 2023 – It’s quite amusing how one often assumes that the best fishing spots are out in the middle rather than where they initially set out. This morning, I launched my boat at Cottonwood onto ONeill Forebay, while there was a frenzy of fish activity right under and around my moored boat.…
November 10, 2023 After receiving enthusiastic reports from Frank yesterday, in which he vividly described the spectacle of Striper boils scattered throughout the lake, accompanied by a frenzy of birds working large schools of bait while stripers relentlessly attacked write at the boat ramp. I simply couldn’t contain my excitement. My original plan to tie…