Trout Fishing Middle Fork Feather River

There’s a new superhero in town: The River Rockerman!

Since seven years old, he was trained in the art of backpacking and hiking miles and miles to his favorite fishing spot in the San Joaquin River, California in search of the awesome--but often times elusive--Brown trout.  It was at the young age of forty something that he took JU on a two-day backpacking trip to the Middle Fork of the Feather River, also in California, yes, in search of the elusive Brown.  It was JU’s first backpacking trip ever!  It was a strenuous hiking trip not for the faint of heart.  While hopping from rock to rock and wading waters to get to the next deep pool, JU's friend stepped on a loose rock and lost his footing.  He fell into the river with his favorite fly fishing pole.  Unfortunately, the tip of his pole hit a big boulder and broke off; it’s a good thing the pole is guaranteed for life.  While struggling to get up, he was pinched by a radioactive crawdad!!!  It must have been a distant relative of one of the crawdads that he and JU enjoyed the night before for dinner!  Anyway, he awoke with renewed strength and energy to hop his way back to camp.  He is now gifted with the strength of a 20-year-old who is able to climb up and down high, steep mountain tops to get to his favorite rivers.  Watch out Brown, your days are numbered!  Here comes the River Rockerman!

River Rockerman!

Friday, 15AUG2014 - Feast of the Assumption!

I don't want to scandalize you Catholics, so I must state that I did attend the Vigil Holy Mass the night before.  I met up with River Rockerman at his home at 6:00 AM.  If my memory serves me, we have been planning this trip for the past two years.  He being a committed man with a lovely wife, 4 kids, and a full time job, didn't leave much time for river fishing.  Thus, I was super excited to get this opportunity to go on a two-day backpacking trip to the middle fork of the Feather River.  RR has been backpack camping since he was seven years old; therefore, he has close to 40 years of backpack camping experience!  The drive to the Cleghorn Bar Trail Head was around 3 hours from SacTown and can be easily driven by a regular 2-wheel drive vehicle.  From the trail head down to the campground would require a moderate 4-wheeler with rating of 5 by the following definition from experts more qualified to do the rating:


Modified high-clearance 4WD with low range, 14 inches of clearance and 33-inch M/T tires is preferred.
High-clearance 4WD with Low Range, 10 inches of clearance and 31-inch A/T tires is required.
These trails are good for people that have a stock 4WD and are just getting started.
Expect rocks up to 9 inches, loose dirt, mud, deep sand, moderate ruts, 12-inch deep water crossing, narrow shelf roads with limited room to pass, tight clearances on trees and rocks, 9-inch rock ledges, off-camber areas and steep grades.

It was determined by past hikers that it took 1 hour to get to the campground from the trail head using a 4WD vehicle.  It took RR and I one hour and fifteen minutes to hike with a 30-pound backpack each from the trail head to the campground.  Along the way, I picked up a small stick to use as a walking stick.  It was a good thing because I slipped  three times on the way down.  Because I had a walking stick, I did not hit the ground.  The hiked was mainly down hill at a steep angle.  GORP.COM has this to say regarding the trail:


Cleghorn Bar 4x4 Trail Elevation 5,000 Feet
Take the Sawmill Tom Road from the Quincy-La Porte Road to the 4WD road leading to Cleghorn Bar. The 4WD road is a moderately difficult route for motorbikes and 4-wheel drive vehicles and impassable by 2-wheel drive vehicles. The 4-wheel drive portion is approximately 4.4 miles to Cleghorn Bar Campground. RECOMMENDED for horses, ATVs, motorbikes, and 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Note that the rating is moderately difficult for motorbikes and 4-wheel drive and impassable by 2-wheel drive.  DO NOT attempt to take your 2-wheel drive down!!!  According to other hiking sites, this route is rated as a difficult trail to hike.  RR and I can agree that it is a difficult hike, not recommend for the faint of heart, especially carrying a 30-pound pack.

Because it was a 4WD road, RR was afraid that we would meet a bunch of campers down at the end.  However, to our surprise, when we reached our destination, there was no one there!  We had the entire campground to ourselves.

We made it!

"Come on, JU, get your rigs ready!"

Before and after shallow sections like these are deep pools with lots of fish!

No one around!

Immediately, we set up our rigs and started fishing.  RR went East along the Feather River and I went West.  My first cast with a fly and I was absolutely shocked!  Fish on!  Could it be true?  Yes!  However, this was my first fish ever on the the fly pole by myself.  I caught one about two decades ago with the help of a fly fishing professor from the University of Nevada.  What should I do?  Once the fish got near, I realized that I had forgotten my net at camp.  Struggling to get it in, I could see that it was a big 5-incher!  How should I let it go?  I dropped the fly pole down and pulled in the line until I could reach the fish and unhook it.  Off it went.  What excitement for a baby wild Rainbow.  I then made more casts with the fly fishing pole and got 4 to 5 takers, but I couldn't set the hook in time to bring them to hand.  It was fun, nevertheless.  Then the hike took its toll and so I went back and took a nap on the bench underneath a grove of super tall...Christmas trees?  I confess, I do not know trees :-)

First cast: Bam!  Fish on!

Anyone know why this Rainbow has a beautiful orange fin?

Several hits here, but none landed.

Shortly after I woke up from my nap, brother RR came with a Rainbow cleaned up on his stringer.  We didn't bring dinner, so at least one of us had dinner tonight.  However, it was still too early for dinner; it was around 4 pm.  We exchanged information.  I told RR that to the West was a difficult hike with shallow waters.  RR told me that to the East there were several deep pools, but you must wade across through sections of the river to get to those pools.  He threw his stringer in the river to keep the fish cold until dinner time.  We set up our tents and decided that he would take me to the deep pools that he discovered so we could try to see if we could catch my dinner.  I decided to leave the fly pole back and took my trusted Z with me.

Dinner!

We waded about knee deep to cross the river.  Into the river I went when I step on a slippery rock.  Now my clothes were wet.  Good thing the water was not that cold.  We eventually made it to our first deep pool.  After a few small Rainbows, I landed my first keeper--an 11-incher.  The Z tricked another native trout!  This Rainbow fought harder than the ones that I was used to.  As a matter of fact, it was the most beautiful Rainbow that I ever caught.  Its tail was perfectly shaped and its color was most vibrant!  Crossing the river back and forth in search of the Brown we went.  Now you know why he's the River Rockerman!  I was impressed with the way he hopped from rock to rock fearlessly to get to the next deep pool.  I, on the other hand, was more cautious after the initial swim. :-)  Finally, we had to step over a bunch of poison oak to get to the last pool that I fished.  RR proceeded further.  The sun was setting and I wanted to get back to camp before too dark.  I went in search of RR.  When I found him, he had just landed three fish in three casts with his size zero gold Panther Martin.  The last one was another keeper while the rest were too small.  I had to spoil his fun by reminding him we had to get back to camp for dinner.  He was also hungry by this time.  We fished on the way back, but only landed little guys the rest of the way.

This is one of the river crossings where I went for a swim :-)

We made it back to camp around 8:30 PM.  RR went to retrieve the first fish he caught and left in the river to keep cool.  It was dark by now and he had to use his flashlights to get to the river.

"Whoa, JU!  Quick!  Bring a bucket!!!"

"I don't have a bucket, but how about a pot?" said I.

"Actually, forget about the bucket.  Bring the two fishing nets!"  Said RR.

Running quickly by the river, I witnessed a bizarre sight of a swarm of crawdads feasting on the trout that was left by RR.  With the two fishing nets and our flash lights, we were able to capture more than twenty crawdads!!!  We were blessed with a fantastic dinner that night.  The trout were the best that I have tasted!

What do we have here?

I'm hungry!

Now, I'm really hungry!

We crawled into our tents around 10:00 PM after a long, hard--but successful--fishing day!  What a great blessing to find another brother with the same passion for fishing as I.  We had agreed to get up early and fish from dark thirty until the sun hit the waters.

Our river-front home for the night!

Saturday, 16AUG2014

The next morning, brother RR took his fly fishing pole and proceeded back to his fishing hole from the previous night.  My clothes were still on the bench drying out and I didn't want to get wet again, so I hung around near camp.  I went to the near deep pool with my Z, and lo and behold, after the second cast: bam!  Fish on, baby.  The fish fought hard, but was no match for my 4-lb test line.  It was another beautiful 11-incher.  I managed to put it on the stringer without touching it with my hands.  I decided to attempt going West again.  This time I was determined to go further than the previous night.  The path was more difficult than going East.  However, my perseverance was rewarded.  Beyond the first deep pool I did not find a way down to fish.  But further on around the bend was a beautiful pool that could pass for a size of a small lake!  My Z tricked another wild Rainbow that was released.  Once the sun rays hit the water that I was fishing, I reluctantly left to go back to camp.

I brought all these, but only the Z saw action.

I arrived at the camp around 9 AM and was surprised to find brother RR already back.  I was saddened to hear that he came back because he slipped on one of those deceptive rocks that looked stable, but was very loose.  While he fell, his favorite fly fishing rod broke because it hit the boulder nearby.  Thankfully, he was not injured.  I am reminded of the words of St. Paul: "We know that all things work for good for those who love God." -- Romans 8:28.

After a quick picture of the fish that I caught, it was released.  Unbelievably, it was a hardy fish that swam quickly and strongly away!  Then, we packed up and headed out.  It took us two hours to get back to the trail head!  That's 4.4 miles in two hours!  Those of you who know RR and I know what kind of shape that we're in.  For us to take two hours to travel 4.4 miles, even with a 30-lb pack, you could guess that the route was steep and the hike was justified with a difficult hike rating.

Beautiful Rainbow to live for another day.

Thank you brother River Rockerman!  May the Lord bless us with another fishing adventure in the future!

JU signing out: "I love you, man!"