The Middle Fork of the Upper American River: An Endangered Watershed (Part 1)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 31, 2011

“It’s not an easy place to fish,” I quipped during a program I recently presented to the Auburn Flycasters on fishing the upperAmericanRivercanyon. “But the fishing can be rewarding, and the setting is always exhilarating.” It’s not easy because access is difficult (with a few notable exceptions mentioned below), and long, steep hikes to the [...]

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The Fundamentals of Deep Canyon Trout Fishing (Part 1)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 28, 2011

The Fundamentals of Deep Canyon Trout Fishing I live amongst canyons. Lots of steep and deep canyons: east-west canyons; north-south canyons; and those that, notwithstanding our need for tidy categories, defy such labels. I’ve spent a considerable portion of my life finding and exploring (and sometimes making) trails that descend into canyons. I have the [...]

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The High Country of the North Fork of the American River: Backcountry Angling and Hiking Dreams (Part 1)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 19, 2011

Residents of Placer County are blessed with a resource that is unparalleled in beauty and ruggedness and rich in history. The misty-blue canyons of the North Fork of the American River, geologically shaped by uplifting plates and the cutting forces of water, hold secrets and long-forgotten tales that remain unrecorded — tales of original people, [...]

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The Middle Fork of the Upper American River: An Endangered Watershed (part 3)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 31, 2011

The North Fork of the Middle Fork—A Wounded Beauty In the June 2001 issue of California Fly Fisher, I gave a brief description of The North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American, a small-stream treasure. There are some upstream access points that I did not mention there. One of them is via theDeadwood [...]

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The Middle Fork of the Upper American River: An Endangered Watershed (Part 2)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 31, 2011

The Middle Fork, from Top to Bottom The Middle Fork is known more for its rafting opportunities than for its fishery. Despite its proximity to Sacramento, Auburn, and other urban areas, few anglers know this stream. Those who do are mainly bait-and-hardware types who don’t talk much. We fly anglers are clearly in the minority [...]

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Fundamentals of Deep Canyon Fishing (Part 4)

By Bill Carnazzo on December 28, 2011

Sidebar:  ” Gearing up for the canyon”  For day trips, keep it simple and minimal. Think through each item and ask yourself this question: Do I really need this? Much of the time the answer will be “no.” Develop a check list and stick to it. Here is mine, developed over many years and miles [...]

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