Not much to report except for wind. Even the surfperch appear to be taking a break this week. A few crabs but nothing hot. Maybe on Sunday when the wind is supposed to drop.

No salmon landed here over the Easter weekend, at least not any that I heard about. I saw a nice halibut getting eaten by a sea lion on the bar on Saturday evening, but it seems a little early to try to get them to bite (from what I saw, biting them worked better). The salmon fishing may not be hot, but it looks like you may want to go fishing just to do it while you can. The following is a copy of an email I received. I can't confirm that it is legitimate but it sure looks impressive:

Notice of lawsuit and temporary restraining order on Pacific Ocean fishing regulations for the 2011 season south of Cape Falcon

Kenneth Petruzzelli

San Joaquin River Group Authority

Wed, 20 Apr 2011

The following e-mail message was sent Wednesday, the 20^th, to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

My first represents the San Joaquin River Group Authority (“SJRGA”), a California joint power authority consisting of irrigation and water districts in the San Joaquin River Basin. The SJRGA’s member agencies have various riparian, pre-1914, and post-1914 water rights to the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. They own and operate the major non-state and non-federal facilities and supply water and power to millions of people throughout northern California. Its member agencies have made, and are making, significant efforts to preserve and restore Central Valley Chinook. Among these efforts are the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan and San Joaquin River Restoration Program. Nonetheless, with the trend over time in declining Central Valley Chinook stocks and recent population crash in 2007-2009, the SJRGA member agencies are under increasing pressure from state and federal regulatory agencies to bypass flows, release stored water, and take other actions necessary to restore the fisheries. Meanwhile, many of these same agencies authorize high levels of ocean fishing. Although Central Valley Chinook abundance is rebounding, it has not recovered. Nonetheless, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (“Council”), on April 13, 2011, adopted recommended fishing regulations allowing high levels of harvest along in fisheries populated by Central Valley Chinook. The SJRGA member agencies have no wish to give up water diverted and used pursuant to their water rights to mitigate for ocean fishing.

The SJRGA will therefore be filing an action for declaratory and injunctive relief in the United States District Court in Eastern District of California, specifically Fresno. Defendants are the Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, the Southwest and Northwest Regions of the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Although not assured, it is expected that this case will be assigned to the Honorable Judge Oliver Wanger.

Although the 2011 regulations have not been noticed in the Federal Register and are not yet effective. The Council anticipated forwarding its recommendations to NMFS and issuing its final report by May 1, 2011, but the season for much of the California coast is set to open on May 1, 2011. In past years, Federal Register notice of the 2011 fishing regulations has not been issued until after May 1, but made the regulations effective retroactive to May 1. The SRGA does not want fishing occurring before it can get a hearing on a temporary restraining order. We plan on filing the complaint and motion this week. The motion for a temporary restraining order will seek to enjoin the 2011 fishing regulations for the Pacific Ocean fisheries south of Cape Falcon. We do not yet have a hearing date, but you will be served with it once the Court assigns a date.

Please contact me if you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter.

Ken Petruzzelli

O'Laughlin & Paris LLP

117 Meyers St., Suite 110

P.O. Box 9259

Chico, CA 95927-9259

530-899-9755 (tel)

530-899-1367 (fax)

It looks like a big bag of suck. That, of course, is my personal opinion, and in no way is reflective of the views of Lawson's Landing Inc. or any business affiliated with it. But if I were you, I'd go fishing. Quick.

One salmon landed here this week, on the 20th. The more experienced crabbers are getting a few Dungeness even though the current in the bay has been strong. A pier crabber caught a half-limit yesterday. Most of the catching this week has been centered on the tides with most folks getting limits of clams, abalone or cockles. I haven't heard any more about the leopard sharks at Spangler's but I would expect to start seeing them in the cove south of the seawall area. The surfperch are still being caught out on the beach.

Nearly Dry Wye

Last weekend I took in a couple of visits to a beat of the River Wye well upstream of my usual haunt of Builth Wells, the river here under these rain starved conditions proved hard work with some of the pools hardly moving and trout wary of anything out of the ordinary.

The Wye takes on a much more rugged feel to it here with the riverbed strewn with large rocks and boulders covered in slimy algae which makes grip impossible and wading 'interesting' to say the least.

The bonus of this part of the river is that the sight of a Red Kite of Buzzard soaring overhead is rarely far away and the landscape in this part of Mid Wales can be stunning.

I did managed to connect with a few of the trout over the 2 days and also quite a few of the still active Grayling readily taking dries off the surface including what would have been a personal best fish for me although I only took a couple of  photos and returned it quickly without any weight or accurate measurement. I have duly noted the location so I can return during the Grayling season and hopefully meet up with him again.

With Easter just around the corner we all usually long for some decent weather but I can't help hoping for a good downpour to arrive soon...especially with a planned trip to the Upper Usk in just over a week.

The perch in the bay are pretty much where you find them - they move around. Structure is key, whether it be eelgrass beds, kelp, rocks or pilings. The gentleman I spoke with was fishing the rocks on Hog Island but he's done well elsewhere as well. Watch the skies, too, since the ospreys are looking for perch from a way better vantage point than you have. Even a false pass can indicate fish. Incoming tide gets the perch biting.

About half the boats that went salmon fishing from here caught with numbers ranging from 0-2. Lots of stories of lost fish. The water with the salmon in it has been moving north and is probably nearing due west of the mouth of the Russian River in 250 to 300 feet of water. The birds will tell you exactly where. The crabbing has been slow with a lot of females showing up in the pots now. Randy from Reno had 5 Dungeness on the pier on Saturday. The leopard sharks are schooling in the cove where the Park Service moors their boats, across from Marshall. The surfperch are biting off of the beach and in the bay. Pileworms or ghost shrimp are the preferred perch baits.

First salmon landed at Lawson's for 2011. Vern Sasaki caught one in the fleet off of Point Reyes. The fleet is 8 miles of of the Point at 38 01 and 123 08. Other boats in the area caught fish as well. Crabbing was slow.

Quick update: The Bodega Bay weather buoy is slated for repair in May. Thanks, weather buoy guys.

Still no salmon landed here, but the Miss Anita charter boat out of Bodega Bay had limits yesterday straight off of Tomales Point in 40 to 50 fathoms. One boat from Lawson's was there but he was fishing shallow (20 to 30 pulls) and didn't get a bite. The successful fishermen were catching down deep, 80 to 100 feet down. So far today the action in the same area has slowed down. Our local boy went back out with heavier gear to no avail. The Miss Anita was there again, but only for a little while. The fleet broke up and trolled off, mostly to the north. The water is clear and cold outside but murky green and cold on the beach. Only 2 foot visibility for ab divers.

The wind is still blowing offshore but at least it is not howling through here like it was. I did hear a report from last week that one local in a larger boat went out to 300' of water and caught a limit of salmon before noon. The conditions were "bumpy" and "uncomfortable" in a 26' Osprey on one of the better weather days this week. Maybe next week....

The Dungeness catch numbers got a little better this week but it still is a long way off from the glory of the opener. The ospreys were continually carrying perch back and forth over the campground the past few days but I haven't heard of anyone catching any. Another couple of weeks of no rain and the leopard sharks should start showing up down in the cove east of the seawall.

Trout On The Move

The trout were starting to show themselves a little more as I took a trip to a Shropshire stream for a few hours indulgence on Thursday afternoon.

Fishing the duo method I caught nine fish in total with only one taking the dry (which had actually sunk below the surface before the fish took it).

Everything is starting to look good now with plenty of flies coming off the surface, the birds, butterflies and bees were in abundance and I really got the feeling that some good dry fly action was just around the corner.

Nobody went salmon fishing out of Lawson's Landing over the weekend. A few boats could be seen fishing out front on Sunday it looked like the wind was blowing outside and kept them away from where the fish are likely to be. Unfortunately there isn't a way to know what the weather is doing outside since the weather buoy is broken. No telling when it will be fixed as it isn't even on the repair list. Normally that's the place to go in the early season, but it would be nice to know what the conditions are before you run out 15 miles.

Fishing With Furled Leaders

I had been anticipating casting at some rising fish so I could test some Furled Leaders I had recently acquired from mrtrout who is a regular poster on the flyforums website. I was very impressed with the quality of these leaders when I received them and was just looking for the right opportunity to 'field test' them.

As instructed by Steven (mrtrout) these leaders just need treating with Mucilin floatant before fishing and they should float fine...well he wasn't wrong there, one treatment at the beginning and that was it. It lay perfect on the surface all day.

On Saturday I was armed with my 7' #4 rod with a 3' furled leader and 4' tippet attached...I was exploring a new piece of water on a Wye tributary that I have access to and early afternoon when I arrived there was a superb hatch of Large Dark Olives which were being readily taken...unfortunately as I soon found out the rising fish seemed to be all Grayling (where were you all winter when I needed you!). A few small trout were caught later but nothing that put a bend in the rod.

Sunday I was back on the Upper Wye with my 9' #5 rod with a 5' furled leader and 5' of tippet and the Grannom hatch seems to be well underway, it was an afternoon of sunshine and showers with very little of the former! When the sun did emerge briefly from the rain clouds the Grannom seemed to immediately respond and swarm to the surface triggering a few rises. Again it was to be mostly Grayling but I was rewarded when a fantastic early season brownie that sipped my CDC dry off the top and gave a great fight.

Grannom...seeking refuge from the rain

 The furled leaders performed superbly for both dry fly and duo methods and I'm sure will now play a major part of this season’s trout fishing.

Salmon season has officially opened. Fish and Game decided to publish the fact at noon the day before the opener. The limit is 2 fish, 24" minimum. The gale force winds are keeping most people off the water here but should be providing the necessary upwelling to make the ocean hospitable for juvenile salmon. One of the boats that did go out on the bay this morning caught several nice, clean Dungeness across the bay. Hopefully this means a fresh mix of crab came in. No reports of leopard shark yet, but there is still a lot of fresh water in the bay. Fresh water floats on top of the salt, so the deep holes (like by Pelican Point) would probably be a good place to try. I haven't seen any fishermen bring in any surfperch recently, but the ospreys are catching a lot of good sized perch, so there are some fish around.

As far as I can tell, Fish and Game hasn't published official documentation that the salmon season opens tomorrow. However, every newspaper says it is opening tomorrow with a minimum length of 24". The weather here is supposed to be very bad this weekend, but if you go, I would bring a copy of a newspaper saying "Salmon Opener". As far as I know, that may be your only copy of the regs until May.