central cal for the holiday

I traveled down to spend Thanksgiving with my folks and managed to get some time on the water with 2 of my oldest friends.  We decided to drift and fish the SanJuaquin river below Friant dam.
Before we hit the water we decided to make a quick stop at the state hatchery for some inspiration. Checked out alot of healthy looking brookies and bows and the always impressive brood stock. very exciting.
We launched about the crack of 930 (typical for this crew) and found the water very low and slow. Lots of submerged rocks that threatened to grab an edge as well as strainers and chutes but nobody ended up getting dumped out of the big boats.
The fishing was slow for the Kraken and myself but Polarcat put on his usual show. Victims were standard issue bows and all caught with the gold/red Thomas Bouyant. I managed 1 healthy bow that weighed in at 3.6
also exciting
Made it to the take out, just as the sun went down, finishing off a GREAT time with GREAT friends reminding us that we had ALOT to be thankful for.
 

more visuals

Awsome pictures!  Looks like so much fun...I can actually imagine an echoing "wooohoooo" as you head through that tunnel  .
Brian

Slow and low with 'bows but looks big time on fun. Awesome report and pics spidey. Thanks!

Z

Nice report.  Nice pics. Thanks

Thanks for the report Terry.  My inlaws live in Clovis (near Fresno and the Friant Reservoir) yet I've never bothered to bring my kayak and fishing gear on my trips down there.  Maybe I'll have to reconsider.  I'm pretty sure I could borrow a kayak from the local Ocean Kayak Pro (Eric "yakhopper").

Brian

Brian,
Let me know when you are headed down next and maybe Ill head down for some time with my folks and join you on the water. Ill even bring a boat for you If you dont mind paddling WS boats. My friend "the Kraken" is now a member here and lives in Fresno. if im not able to make it hes a great guide. Hes been paddling that stream almost 20 years.
That water has a tragic history. If you want a good cry, check out  "A river betrayed" by Gene Rose.
This river continues to be betrayed by the locals. The Kraken purchased a new Baidarka rod with the cash from the cans and plastic bottles he gathered from the San Juaquin this year.

Hydrospider I recently took some very nice people from south of the border to the Kern river.  Believe me they were littering everything, and I speak Spanish.  They got cussed in English and Spanish and hopefully will hopefully never do it again.  Love these friends who are my neighbors and it was obvious that it's a cultural thing and they learned it growing up.  Thanks again for posting your trip.  I've enjoyed many of your reports in the past.  Andy

Hydro,
We recently traveled that same stretch of river while they raised the flow.
Seems like we had the same results.

Here is a link to the article from the reporter I took down with me
http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/outdoors/story/1707719.html

Next time you're in the area give me a call and we can get together.
Also if you don't want to haul your yak I have a few you can borrow.

Eric

Thanks for posting that link YH. I believe there was a time when there was a plan to create a river parkway from friant to 99. Would be awesome.
I left that area about 15 yrs back and lost track of that project.
Ill definately let you know when we are making that drift again. The plan is to return in the spring for bigger water and longer days. We are talking about Fort Washington beach to 99 or beyond, but now that we know where the fish are........

andy
the swarm of the litterbug seems to have no geographic, racial, or cultural boundries. We have been finding trash even along the streams of the high sierra.
I dont think people liter with evil intent, its just being lame.
theKraken carries a extended gripper and goes to work. im inspired and adding one to my gear list.

and thank you
glad you enjoyed the reports

theKraken carries a extended gripper and goes to work. im inspired and adding one to my gear list.

Nice. I don't get that much trash where I normally fish so just pick up what I can but from what I've heard our boys down on the Columbia they might be able to use one'a dem.

Z

Thanks for posting that link YH. I believe there was a time when there was a plan to create a river parkway from friant to 99. Would be awesome.
I left that area about 15 yrs back and lost track of that project.
Ill definately let you know when we are making that drift again. The plan is to return in the spring for bigger water and longer days. We are talking about Fort Washington beach to 99 or beyond, but now that we know where the fish are........

andy
the swarm of the litterbug seems to have no geographic, racial, or cultural boundries. We have been finding trash even along the streams of the high sierra.
I dont think people liter with evil intent, its just being lame.
theKraken carries a extended gripper and goes to work. im inspired and adding one to my gear list.

and thank you
glad you enjoyed the reports


Thanks I didn't mean that in a racial way or at all.  Love Mexicans and speak fluent spanish.  They taught me some things about family as well.   Thanks again.  Pm me some time if you want to talk about bass lures or something.  I've got some pretty nice custom bass stuff you should try.  Thanks again