Chasing Wild Rainbows In The American River Whitewater

The following appears in the August issue of California Sportsman:

By Mark Fong

In June, I had the opportunity to experience an awesome evening of shad fishing on the lower American River with Austin Wilson of Fisherman Wilson’s Guide Service.

Last month, I set my sights on the upper reaches of the river, the Middle Fork in particular.

AN ALL-AMERICAN FISHERY

When most people talk about fishing the American, they are speaking of the lower mainstem, from Lake Natoma to Discovery Park, where the river flows into the Sacramento River just above downtown Sacramento. The primary fisheries in this section of the American include striped bass, shad, steelhead and salmon. There is, however, much more to the American River watershed.

Prior to speaking with Wilson, the only thing I knew about the upper American was that it is extremely popular with whitewater rafters. Little did I know that all three forks offer excellent trout fishing opportunities for both browns and wild rainbows, but that was also all I needed to learn.

The American originates in the Sierra Nevada, and it is made up of three forks, the North, Middle and South. Water from all three forks flows to Folsom Lake and then downstream to Lake Natoma. We chose to fish the Middle Fork above Lake Folsom for our little adventure – a raft and trout float.

SHUTTLING TO THE RIVER

I met up with Wilson just off of Interstate 80 near Roseville. From there we caravanned to the takeout area, where I parked my vehicle and jumped into Wilson’s truck for the journey to the put-in location.

Wilson had arranged for a shuttle, so while he drove his truck and trailer back down to the takeout and shuttled back, I had a chance to soak in the beauty of the river. The canyon of the Middle Fork is absolutely breathtaking, and the scenery is amazing. It was hard for me to believe that such a unique fishing opportunity exists just a little over an hour’s drive from Sacramento.

Once Wilson returned to the put- in, we slipped the raft into the water and he rowed out into the current. And just like that we began our journey downriver.

A NEW CHALLENGE

Until that morning, I had never float- fished from a whitewater raft before, so I was super excited to experience something new. Just floating the river was a thrill in itself, but adding in the opportunity to catch a few wild trout had the makings for a great day.

There are many different ways to target river trout. Fly fishing is a popular and highly effective option, and, of course, live bait is a viable method. However, my choice was to fish ultralight spinning tackle, the same gear I employ for tossing lures to stillwater trout.

SLOW-STARTING BITE

The action started out slow. We went quite a ways downriver before I got my first bite. Notice that I said bite and not hookup, as the trout simply swiped at my minnow plug without connecting. If that wasn’t enough, on the very next cast the same scenario played out again.

As we continued along, Wilson would call out the high-percentage locations. It wasn’t long before I got a good sense of where to make my casts. It was evident that my guide had spent many days on the American and that he had great knowledge of the river and the fishery.

Good water flows are key to good fishing, and when we’d begun our river levels were down and the flow float that morning, Wilson noted that was reduced as well. The stretch we were fishing is governed by upstream releases from the Ralston Afterbay Dam. During the summer, as water releases are coordinated for recreational use, Wilson knew that we should be seeing a step up in flow that would put the trout on the feed, which is exactly what happened.

A SHIFT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

It took awhile, but once the water began to move with more force, the trout began to position themselves in predictable locations to feed. I made a long cast to the edge of a seam and was met with a solid strike and hookup. The fish surged downstream on a powerful run that put a big grin on my face.

As I played the fish close to the raft it took off again, this time going airborne several feet and throwing my minnow plug back in my face. Needless to say, I was very disappointed, but Wilson assured me that I would have other opportunities.

We drifted onto the next hole, and I hooked up again with another good fish. It made a long run towards the middle of the river, and then it was gone. I reeled in my plug, and upon inspection, I saw that the split ring had opened up and the hook was missing.

At this point, I was beginning to feel snakebitten and in need of a little luck. But nothing was going to be easy on this day. the raft it took off again, this time going airborne several feet and throwing my minnow plug back in my face. Needless to say, I was very disappointed, but Wilson assured me that I would have other opportunities.

We drifted onto the next hole, and I hooked up again with another good fish. It made a long run towards the middle of the river, and then it was gone. I reeled in my plug, and upon inspection, I saw that the split ring had opened up and the hook was missing.

At this point, I was beginning to feel snakebitten and in need of a little luck. But nothing was going to be easy on this day.

FINALLY, A FISH

I fished through a number of good-luck areas without a bite, and then made a cast to a shady pocket. Within a few cranks of the reel handle, I was hooked up with a nice rainbow that decided to go airborne; as it did I held my breath, but thankfully the fish remained pinned. I carefully – and I emphasize carefully – played the fish within reach of Wilson and the net.

This time luck was on my side, as Wilson skillfully netted the fish. We took a few moments for a quick pic of my prize, and then the fish was carefully released back into the river.

Throughout the remainder of the float I caught and released a number of small rainbows, none worthy of print, but super fun nevertheless. Overall, I had a great time exploring a new fishery and even got to experience some whitewater as well. CS

Editor’s note: If you would like to fish with Austin Wilson, he can be reached at (916) 410-4900, or follow him on Facebook (@ austinwilsonfishing).