FISH ON!

Early one morning in the winter of ‘75 I was on my way to the Navarro River set on the idea of capturing a Steelhead on the fly. I had never fished the Navarro before so I knew little about access on it. But on a hunch I took a pullout off the highway at milepost 2.92, and there I found a path leading through the redwoods in the direction of the river. My gut feeling told me there was something fishy going on here.

Along that path, and much to my surprise, I come up to some rather stately second-growth redwoods, which compelled me to pause and take a closer look at this young redwood forest. Looking back at it now I was 45 years younger then, and so were those trees. I declare, Navarro is the finest second-growth redwood forest I have ever stepped foot through.

Now down at the river I found what I was looking for, and even better than I was hoping. A school of winter-run steelhead averaging 12 pounds apiece. Looked to be 200 of them I’d say. Fresh out of the ocean, bright as chrome, and milling restlessly back and forth through placid clear water. 1975 was a drought year, and all the rivers in the State were running low and clear, and through the reflections in the water the fish appeared like ghosts. I swear, this river and forest scene before me was intoxicating.

Later I learned from local fishermen this place I had discovered along the river was called the Trestle Hole, and so it passed that morning on the Navarro River as one of the more exciting and memorable of my life.

Fish on!