Hello ROFFers,

Well, it is pretty chilly here in sunny California- only at night.

Actually today it was very warm out there from 11am till about 4pm in the
warm sunlight. PM-night-AM will freeze your tofu.

I went down to Watt Avenue on the lower American River today. First, I tied
on a #32 BWO on some special new FC 9x tippet that I produce myself daily so
it is really fresh. Knowing were "all" the fish hold in "my river" it is
getting pretty boring now. I made a 123' cast with my new 11' one piece 12
sided split cane rod I built last night while watching the Letterman show. I
put an aerial mend into it about 97 feet from the tip of the line and then
threw in about 50 stack mends. After a 70 foot drift free float a small 23
pound fresh run wild steelhead took my perfectly tied, perfectly presented,
free drifting bug. After 3 hours of fighting this smaller than average size
steelhead (for me naturally) I was able to slide it onto the bank and
quickly eat it with some wasabi and bug juice.

After that I like to catch a nice striper too. I tied on a 12" baby Rainbow
trout imitation with a battery powered system so it makes a sound like a
wounded little fish. Before I could make a cast a ~60 pound female striper
soon was making big wakes all around me and barking like a dog. She knows I
will release her because we don't eat stripers from the river system. I just
gave up and moved on.

I heard there were some small ~50 pound Yellowfin tuna in the lower part of
the river because we have had lots of salt water intrusion lately. I took my
trusty 16 weight helium filled titanium composite rod that I built myself in
my lab in Beijing. I have a new FC tippet that I blend with tofu so it is
tasteless. I made a few casts from my 35 foot center console cigar boat and
wouldn't you know it, I hooked a large striped blue marlin. Well, I did not
have time to fight him so I just pointed the rod at him and said "sayonara
baby".

I guess I already got my moneys worth out of that new fishing license so I
can relax now till the Roosterfish start coming into the Sacramento Delta
this spring.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com