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Basketball Icon Rick Barry’s Fishing Obsession!

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DREAM HUNTS

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YULE FUEL TOP XMAS FISHERIES

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Sportsman

California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 7 • Issue 3 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles

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ON THE COVER December keeps many folks inside, but from San Diego to Smith River there are many fisheries to hit this month, including steelhead. Here, Tiffany Haugen of our Field To Fire team shows off an unclipped hatchery winter-run caught on a small West Coast river. (SCOTT HAUGEN) INSET: Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry, a longtime star with the Golden State Warriors, has discovered a new passion for fly fishing. (RICK BARRY) MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 3

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GOLDEN STATE ANGLER

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 35 39 59 67 69 75 103 105 117

Inside one of Southern California’s top gun shops: San Diego’s SoCal Gun First look at Feb. 26-28 Central Valley Sportsmen’s Show Nebraska tailwalker trout a hot stocking option Use faux trout for winter bass strikes Try lobster trap trick for calico bass How an Iowa landlubber became a boat builder Pay fees now, hunt later in Arizona (part II) Outfitter offers great elk and deer hunting in northwest Colorado Free-range stag, chamois, tahr hunts to be had in New Zealand

DEPARTMENTS 13 25 43

Until their team won the title in June 2015, long-suffering Bay Area basketball fans had to turn back the clock to 1975, when star Rick Barry led the mostly mediocre Golden State Warriors to a rare NBA championship. Barry is still considered a hoops deity around the team’s Oakland base, and the player himself has found a new religion to worship: fly fishing. We sat down with the Basketball Hall of Famer to trace the roots of his obsession with catching as many trout, salmon and other species as his fly rod can pull in. (RICK BARRY)

45 51 93 107

The Editor’s Note Tales of a Biologist: Ride along on an electro-fishing lake survey California’s Drought Crisis: Navigating the Feather River in low water Daiwa, Browning Photo Contest winners From Field to Fire: Winter steelhead wardrobe check; smoking your catch The Wild Chef: Holiday apple-stuffed wild turkey Urban Huntress: Hunting chamois in France’s Pyrenees Mountains

FEATURES 47

SURGING STURGEON One of the state’s most iconic gamefish – both in and around San Francisco Bay and the Delta – is the sturgeon. And winter is a great time to break out the ghost, grass and mud shrimp and other salty bait to try and lure one of these ancient monsters from the depths. Bill Adelman loves this time of year and shares his sturgeon secrets.

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DON’T MIND THE SHARKS Far off the Southern California coast, Guadalupe Island’s claim to fame is harboring schools of hungry great white sharks feeding on resident elephant seals. But if you can

stomach the whole Jaws thing and don’t mind sharing the Pacific with those guys, new long-range trip options out of San Diego to Guadalupe are hammering yellowfin tuna. Our saltwater guru Steve Carson has details!

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BIRD BLUES Pheasant hunting season, which continues through Dec. 27, has always been a big deal to Brad Hall and his family. But Hall, who makes his California Sportsman debut this month, has watched the numbers of huntable ringnecks drop quickly over the past decade-plus. It’s a source of frustration among state and national agencies, conservationists

and hunters. But Brad writes that while it’s a trend to worry about, pheasant club hunters are still able to find decent numbers of birds.

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FRANKLY, MY DEERS …

Father-daughter time is a big part of why Santa Clarita’s Tim Hovey loves the outdoors. He took his daughters Alyssa and Jessica to Cody, Wyo., for their very first deer hunt. It didn’t start well at all, but when the Hoveys offered to help a fellow hunter haul a buck out of the brush, it triggered a series of meetings and a change of location that made this trip a memorable one for the whole family.

California Sportsman goes digital!

Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Only $1.89 an issue. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 3829220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

H

ow does that cliché go? Timing can be everything. You don’t say.

When I saw Brittany Boddington’s email with her monthly Urban Huntress column in my inbox on November 11, I had other magazine duties to fulfill but opened the file just to see where she hunted: the Pyrenees Mountains in France right near the border with Spain.

“Cool,” I thought.

As someone who has traveled to Europe five of the past seven years, I was looking forward to having another Brittany adventure abroad in this issue.

Then France and our world went to pieces two days later.

I was flabbergasted. Did I really want to share Boddington’s French adventure at a time when the Paris terrorist attacks were still so fresh, so real and such a sobering reminder that since 9/11, nobody should ever feel completely safe anywhere?

At the same time, I didn’t want to tell Brittany to write a whole new column. Holding back her chamois hunt didn’t seem fair.

I talked to my executive editor, Andy Walgamott. Being a far bigger soccer fan than I am, he reminded me of what the French did to stick it to the terrorists.

A big subplot to the attacks centered on munitions exploded around (and almost tragically inside) Stade de France during a France-Germany match going on during the carnage. But kudos to Les Bleus for giving evil the finger and going ahead with another international match with England in London just four days after the tragedy. During the playing of the French national anthem, English fans joined in as the stadium collectively sang “La Marseillaise.”

Take that, bad guys.

The world can be a dangerous place and stuffed with heartbreak, cruelty and senseless tragedy. But it’s also a planet worth fighting for and full of places to visit. In this issue, we present fishing and hunting opportunities and adventures both inside and far from California’s borders.

Our magazine’s business is telling stories, and we hope Brittany Boddington’s article on her hunt in France honors a country that will bounce back from this sucker punch. –Chris Cocoles

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A FISHING WARRIOR BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME SHARPSHOOTER RICK BARRY HAS A NEW PASSION: FLY FISHING

Rick Barry (with his wife, Lynn), who spent most of his NBA career with the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors, caught the Alaska fly fishing bug about eight years ago. (RICK BARRY; INSET: WIKIMEDIA)

By Chris Cocoles

B

asketball Hall of Famer and longtime Golden State Warrior Rick Barry famously – and damn successfully – shot his free throws underhanded.

He’s spoken out about the frequent misses of noted NBA stars but dreadful foul shooters such as now retired Shaquille O’Neal and current stars Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan. He’s wondered aloud why those who clank free throws so frequently don’t follow his unconventional form that connected on about 90 percent of his attempts, fourth best in league history.

Shooting free throws is nothing, Barry says; he would love to get those guys to try casting flies on an Alaskan river.

“It’s much more difficult,” Barry interrupts when asked to compare the two artforms. One was one of the trademarks in a brilliant basketball career that saw Barry named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players when the league celebrated its silver anniversary in 1996. The other has become a passion for the 71-year-old, who hosts fishing adventures to Alaska and Baja through his website, rickbarry24.com.

“In basketball, shooting free throws is the same distance every time (15 feet from the foul line to the hoop). It’s the same-sized ball, the same-sized rim every time,” Barry says.

“And I don’t have to deal with any freakin’ wind. Casting is much, much more (hard), having to cast in different wind conditions. But it’s fun.”

And it’s a pastime Barry has only recently discovered and became smitten with.

DON’T LET THE age fool you: Rick Barry is active and fit, despite being on the north side of 70 years old. His playing career ended in 1980, but he stayed busy with various business ventures.

He successfully found a niche in broadcasting and as an opinionated sports talk radio host on KNBR in San Francisco and reveled in the role of proud papa watching his children play basketball at both the major college and professional levels.

Until eight years ago, he mostly spent his free time on the golf course and as a road and mountain bike rider. The latter passion is one he rarely partakes in these days after suffering a serious injury accident last year near his Colorado home.

“I’ll never go fast on a bicycle again,” he says of the crash that fractured his pelvis in five places.

But fly fishing keeps him busy enough anyway. A friend’s offer almost a decade ago was a game-changing moment.

“Scott Minnich is a good buddy of mine in Colorado Springs (where Barry and his wife, Lynn, now reside); his son and my son (Canyon, who is playing basketball at the College calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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of Charleston) grew up together,” Barry says. “(Minnich’s) been a fly fisherman for 35 years, and one day he asked me if I wanted to go fishing.”

Barry’s previous fishing experiences were minimal and unremarkable, so it wasn’t like he was in a rush to get back out onto the water. Still, he accepted Minnich’s invitation. And something seemed to click; perhaps it was his competitive streak as a former jock still fueled by something actionable.

Despite the degree of difficulty casting flies, Barry was hooked.

“I realized that there was so much more to it than you realize. It’s not like the fishing where you just sit there and hold the Barry spends a lot of time fishing in Alaska with fellow athletes like World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Raymond Floyd (right).

(RICK BARRY)

stupid rod in your hands and pray that something bites it; it’s an actual art form, and so I was very impressed with that,” Barry says. “If somebody had told me 10 years ago that my passion in life would be fly fishing, I would have said they were on drugs with my type A personality. But I really loved it.”

Minnich proved to be a fine mentor in terms of Barry getting the hang of a fly rod. Over the years, he’s picked the brains of guides who’ve hosted fishing trips. The basketball player in him sees the coaching side of the experts who have fished a lot longer than he has. So whenever he meets a new fisherman, he lets them know to not be bashful when they see him doing something wrong on the river. Pointers are always welcome.

“You have to always be welcome to criticism, and it’s all constructive criticism. It’s no coincidence that the better I’ve become with my casting, the more fish I’ve hooked,” he says.

“I’m getting better at it, and I’m up to the point now where my casting is good enough I’ll be able to go and do some bonefishing (in the Caribbean), where you have to be really accurate with your casting – otherwise, you’ll never catch any.”

Still, Alaska is where this fly fisherman feels most at peace.

BARRY’S FIRST TRIP to Alaska was not for fishing but golf. He played in a charity tournament in the Anchorage area. One day while there he was invited to fish and managed to catch a king salmon, but had to be told by the floatplane pilot it was landed out of season.

“What the hell did I know? I didn’t know anything,” he recalls. “I said, ‘(Shoot), you didn’t tell me the rules.’”

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800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com But fishing with his friend Minnich convinced Barry he wanted more and to experience fishing more often. He looked around for an Alaska lodge that offered what he wanted. He ultimately began regularly visiting Rainbow River Lodge at Bristol Bay’s Lake Iliamna. Barry also set up a salt- and freshwater trip to Boardwalk Lodge on Prince of Wales Island along the state’s southeastern panhandle.

“I go up there every year and try to put trips together for businesses or individual groups,” Barry says. “I had a guy who wants to go next year with about six people, and he asked me, ‘What kind of salmon should I go for?’ I said, ‘Do you really enjoy catching fish?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ And I told him he wants to get silvers. Of all the fish you’re going to get in the salmon family, the ones that are most fun for me are silvers. Those suckers will jump and fight.”

Barry knows he’s in heaven for an angler when he’ll head out with his group to fish and the only other fellow visitors that day is the wildlife sharing the river. He’s seen more bears than other people in all his years fishing Alaska’s rivers.

Once, Barry was filming an Alaskan outdoors TV show with his friend, former In 1996, the NBA named Barry one of its 50 greatest players during the league’s Major League Baseball 50th anniversary celebration. He scored pitcher Randy Jones. over 25,000 points combined in his Between shoots they career playing in both the NBA and ABA. (WIKIMEDIA) decided to join in the combat fishing chaos of the state’s popular Kenai River during a salmon run. It was blatantly obvious which scene Barry preferred.

“Holy crap. I looked from one bend to the other on the river and there were 60 freaking (anglers). And another boat pulls up to us and was 10 feet away. This what not my idea of fun fishing,” he says. “Thank God I got to experience it once because I’m so happy I never did that on a trip to spend five, six, seven days doing that; I would have hated it.”

About the only negative he has to say about Alaska is he wishes the Wi-Fi were stronger so he could better enjoy another pastime: watching movies and his favorite TV shows on Netflix. But then Barry remembers he’s “in the middle of nowhere,” in a place where he can make cast after cast and bring in fish after fish.

Lynn hasn’t caught the bug, but she did accompany her husband on a three-night trip they bid successfully on during a charity auction. They had to hike for an hour on Alaska tundra before finally reaching a stream. They saw all

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of two other human beings the entire duration of the trip.

With so little fishing pressure, Barry managed to hook 35 rainbow trout and about 20 grayling on dry flies. Of the trout he caught and released, about 30 measured 20 or more inches. Even Rick Barry waves to fans during the Golden Lynn managed to State Warriors’ 2014-15 NBA championship catch almost two parade on June 19. Barry was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1975 when Golden dozen grayling. This State won its first title since moving to was paradise, about a California. (COREY CARTER/WIKIMEDIA) million metaphorical miles away from the congestion on the Kenai – another reason why Barry keeps returning every chance he gets. Someday, he’ll catch a 30inch rainbow.

“Maybe I’ll get lucky on my next trip,” he says. “We’ll see what happens.”

But he’ll enjoy all of the smaller and even too-small fish along the way.

THE BARRY FAMILY is to basketball what the Barrymores are to acting, the Wallendas to high-wire acrobatics and the Kardashians/Jenners to reality TV stardom. Of Barry’s six kids, only daughter Shannon never got involved in playing basketball.

Rick was known for his unique but rarely copied foul shooting technique (son Canyon shoots his free throws underhanded for his current college team). The family patriarch’s fabulous career included more than 25,000 points scored, a Rookie of the Year award, an NBA Finals MVP award for the 1975 champion Warriors and five first-team All-NBA seasons. Lynn, who is Canyon’s mom, was a star basketball player at the College of William and Mary and later remained in the game as a coach and administrator.

There are also four older Barry sons: Scooter won an NCAA title at the University of Kansas and spent many years playing abroad in pro leagues. Drew is his college alma mater’s (Georgia Tech) all-time leader in assists and played for four NBA teams. Jon (ESPN) and Brent (TNT) are successful TV analysts who also had lengthy pro careers (Brent Barry also won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1996). Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew all attended Concord’s De La Salle High School.

“I’m hoping to get them up there (in Alaska), and I know Scooter told me he’d really like to go,” Rick says of his sons.

“But they have young kids and they’re busy with what they’re doing. One of these summers I’m hoping to convince them to take their boys and go with me.”

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800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com And who knows? Rick Barry said events happen in threes; his sons all played basketball at a high level just as he did. At one time or another, Scooter and Brent also dabbled in broadcasting like their dad and brothers have on a full-time basis.

“Hell, the third thing can be that they all become fly fishermen,” Rick says.

Still, there is no shortage of sports royalty for Rick Barry to head up to Alaska with. There is World Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd, who fished with Barry in Alaska this summer. One

A TEACHING MOMENT If there’s one thing best friends Rick Barry and Clifford Ray haven’t seen eye to eye on, it’s that the former loves to fly fish and the latter prefers a spinning rod on the water.

Barry, teammates with Ray on Golden State’s 1975 NBA championship team and now best friends, has tried to convince Ray to start casting flies.

“I’m trying to get Clifford into fly fishing,” Barry said of Ray, who played seven seasons with Golden State during a 10-year NBA career. “Clifford’s the one I do more fishing with than anybody else. Clifford’s like a brother to me.”

Ray, a rugged, tough-as-sandpaper post player who averaged nearly a double-double (9.4 points, 10.6 rebounds) during Golden State’s 1975 title run, is almost as passionate about fishing as his buddy. Just not so much for casting flies.

“He’s a spincaster. I (had a trip) lined up in November to go for steelhead (before it was canceled). But (Ray) would have do it with fly fishing (gear),” Barry said back in August, when they usually take an annual fishing trip to Alaska. “I’m sure I can convince him to give it a try. And I’m hoping it works, because I want him to catch a steelhead on a freakin’ fly rod.”

On one of their trips, Ray’s son came along and “Everett is hooked on fly fishing,” Barry said proudly.

He thinks the knowledge he’s learned from mentors he’s fished with like Al Caucci – the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame inductee to complement Barry’s place in basketball’s ultimate shrine to greatness – in Montana and Pennsylvania’s Delaware River can be passed down to Ray. Then he can start catching steelhead once Barry encourages to him to pick up a fly rod. –CC

Former Golden State Warriors teammates Rick Barry (left) and Clifford Ray are best friends and fishing partners. Barry is trying to get Ray, a loyal spincaster, to become a fly angler. (RICK BARRY)

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of Barry’s closest friends, former Warriors teammate Clifford Ray (see sidebar), is a regular fishing partner who went with Barry on a trip to Sitka and to Prince of Wales Island in August.

Even legendary NBA/ABA star George Gervin, who was known as “The Iceman” during a Hall of Fame career, got in on the action. That spurred a joking twinge of disdain from Barry about these two hoops gunslingers meeting in Alaska.

“George is a spincaster. He didn’t have any waders or boots.

But he came up with his son (and a couple others) and we did mostly saltwater fishing and we did some freshwater too. We had a good time,” Barry says, recalling that not many old basketball war stories were swapped. But The Iceman did get in a memorable photobomb.

“We have a great picture where I’m holding up a nice silver salmon, and George is in the background with his son and they’re both giving me the finger.”

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com perhaps longest suffering – of all the teams in the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose area. Barry received a loud cheer from the estimated crowd of 500,000 when he was announced.

“I was just happy for the new ownership and the fans more than anything else,” says Barry, who publicly chastised Golden State fans when he jumped on the microphone in 2012 and defended co-owner Joe Lacob. He was booed loudly by the Oracle Arena crowd during that ceremony to retire the jersey number of former Warriors player Chris Mullin.

Admittedly, the team had gone through years of mediocrity and bad basketball, but Barry angrily called out the haters that night. And just three years later Golden State won its first

THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY Area’s pro basketball scene came full circle on June 19. On a sun-splashed morning in Oakland, the city celebrated the Golden State Warriors’ NBA title victory parade.

Besides the current team – led by league Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry – also involved were some of the franchise’s past stars, including arguably its greatest player, Rick Barry.

He was the 1975 NBA Finals MVP when the Warriors won their only other championship since moving west from Philadelphia in 1963.

Barry, who lives in Colorado but has spent a lot of postNBA time in the Bay Area – including a stint hosting a popular sports radio show – initially was leery about attending the parade when the organization asked him and others from the team’s past to participate.

“I told them when they asked me, ‘There’s no reason for me to be at the parade.’ They said they wanted to (bring back) the history and have the guys there,” said Barry, who was joined by several of his former teammates and the team’s 1975 head coach, Al Attles.

“I just didn’t want to take anything away from the team. I didn’t do anything.”

Yet Barry and other former players are still revered by Golden State’s fan base, which has been among the most loyal – and

BY THE NUMBERS A numerical look at Rick Barry’s career

1966 NBA Rookie of the Year 1975 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (with Golden State Warriors) 1987 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee 25,279 Points scored in his NBA/ABA career 20.4 Career NBA scoring average over eight seasons 90.0 Career NBA free throw percentage 7 Times led the NBA or ABA in free throw accuracy 5 First-team all-NBA selections 20 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Barry caught this 28-inch Arctic char on an Alaskan fly-out trip. “If somebody had told me 10 years ago that my passion in life would be fly fishing, I would have told them they were on drugs,” he jokes. (RICK BARRY)

championship in 40 years, when Barry led the way.

“It was great for the players to experience what it’s like to do that. Forty years is certainly a long time,” Barry says. “It was great for the city (of Oakland) and the Bay Area.”

On Oct. 27, the Warriors opened defense of their championship by hosting the New Orleans Pelicans. Before tipoff, the team was awarded their title rings and the banner was unveiled at Oracle. A representative from each of the franchise’s championships was also honored. It was a no-brainer who from the 1975 team would appear: Rick Barry.

He’ll always have a soft spot for where he had the best days of his fantastic basketball career.

“I’m thrilled to have been a part of that,” Barry says. “I’m always happy to go back to be a part of what they’re doing. It will always be a special part of my life.”

THE FISHING IN Alaska can be so prolific that Barry sometimes gets spoiled.

“You catch so many fish and it’s so beautiful. It’s such a special time when you’re up there, get away from everything and get into nature and God’s beauty and be hooking into a lot of fish,” he says.

On one river float, the guide pointed out to Barry that a large trout was on the other side below some tree cover.

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The conundrum? There were roughly 12 inches between the water surface and the branches.

While the guide was skeptical there was enough room to get a cast in that space, Barry wanted to give it a shot. “Let me try,” he said.

Recalling the moment, Barry says, “I got out of the boat and into the water, got down low and just cast it sideways and level with the water. I tried to make sure that I got my length correct. I threw a couple casts that were a little too long. I shortened it up a little bit, and after a couple of casts I threw it in there. It hit the water and that fish came up and exploded – it just nailed that fly. It was a 23-inch rainbow and I thought, ‘If I don’t catch another fish the rest of the day, this is still awesome.’”

Still, catching fish is what the sport is all about. In basketball, the name of the game is ultimately getting the ball through the hoop.

Some anglers go to Alaska hoping to catch that once-in-a-generation trophy salmon, trout or halibut. But Barry is more about quantity than quality. He’s perfectly fine with a catch-andrelease day where he’s constantly landing fish, “For me it doesn’t matter if it’s 4 inches size be damned. long or 40 inches long. It’s all about the “For me it doesn’t matter if it’s 4 inches long strike and setting the hook,” Barry says or 40 inches long. It’s all about the strike and of the enjoyment he gets from fishing.

(RICK BARRY) setting the hook. That’s why I can’t understand why some people get so enamored by going out trolling with the rods in the holder,” Barry says. “All of a sudden, they hand you the rod. That’s not fishing – that’s reeling. Even in the times when I do go out and saltwater fish, I want to hold the rod.”

And he’s done so through hours upon hours of casts during annual trips to Alaska (his bike wreck prevented going up in 2014). Barry loves to share stories of an endless cycle of casts, bites, and catch-and-release action.

A couple years ago, Barry was at his beloved Rainbow River Lodge on a solo trip with a group he wasn’t familiar with. Every day he’d go out and was asked upon the return how he did. He’d caught “about 100” on the first day.

“The guy said, ‘That’s unbelievable.’ So I go out the next day and the same guys ask, ‘How did it go?’‘Another great day. About 100 or more fish.’ So I go out on the third day and come back and tell them about another 100 and something fish. They said, ‘That’s insane.’ By the fourth day when they asked again I said, ‘You really don’t want to know.’

‘Come on, tell us what you did.’ I said, ‘Two hundred and twenty-four fish.’”

All of the jump shots he’s made, all of the underhand free throws he’s swished in basketball have been replaced by other astonishing percentages. Barry recalls once landing fish on 24 consecutive casts of his fly rod. During his trip with Raymond Floyd in August he texted, “I hooked over 500 in four days!”

There are more awaiting him for years to come.

“This might be crazy,” he says, “but my goal in life is to be 100 years old and go fly fishing at Rainbow River Lodge.”

Don’t bet against him. By then, making a perfect fly cast will probably be as simple a task for Rick Barry as shooting an underhanded free throw was: almost a sure thing. CS

Editor’s note: More info on Rick Barry’s fishing trips can be found at rickbarry24.com.

You can follow him on Twitter (@Rick24Barry).

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A SHOCKING TASK

TALES OF A BIOLOGIST

ELECTRO-BOATS HELP ANALYZE FISH POPULATIONS, MANAGE POPULAR FISHERIES

Electro-fishing boats are used for a variety of fisheries science reasons. They’re predominantly used on larger bodies of water when other sampling techniques are not practical or difficult to use. (TIM E. HOVEY)

By Tim E. Hovey

R

uss pulled the 24-foot aluminum boat up to the lake’s dock to pick up the crew for the evening sampling. If you didn’t know what to look for, the vessel would look just like another metal skiff. But to those versed in fisheries, it screams business.

A huge part of fisheries science involves repeated surveys over time to determine the overall health of a fishery. To make an accurate assessment of population status or species composition, we depend on a consistent sampling method to collect the required data.

In small creeks or streams, we depend on seine nets and small backpack electro-shockers. However, when we need to assess larger bodies of water and survey on a broader scale, we rely on the workhorse in our survey toolbox: the electro-fishing boat.

THE BASICS Several structures on the vessel separate it from the average boat. The center console sits further back and an elevated captain’s seat gives the pilot a good view of all the action that occurs at the front of the vessel. The front of the rectangular boat is framed by a high rail and an elevated platform so that netters can stay safe and can see down into the water at the front

of the craft. Down the center of the boat are a series of tanks and work stations for collecting data, measuring and weighing fish, and keeping fish alive while they’re being worked on.

A bank of high-intensity floodlights line the front of the skiff to light up the section of sampling water at the front of the boat.

When the Smith-Root electro-fishing boat is traveling to the sample area, it really does look like a regular vessel. But once it’s time for work, the boat undergoes a slight transformation. Twelve-foot conductor rods are rotated from the side of the craft to the front, pivoting on the front corners. At the tip of each rod is a circular, electrical array with heavy-wire conductors that sit partially submerged in the water.

When extended to the front and ready to sample, a generator mounted behind the pilot brings power to the extended arrays. Pressure-powered pedals turn the unit on and off at the front of the boat and are manned by the front netters.

When the boat is sampling, the front conductors electrify the water all around the front and sides of the vessel, stunning any fish within the vicinity. Electrical settings are adjusted so that the fish are usually only temporarily affected by the current.

Electro-fishing boats are used for a variety of fisheries science reasons. They’re predominantly used on larger bodies of water when other sampling techniques are not practical or difficult to use. They are also used to perform large fish-sampling jobs and to collect large amounts of fisheries data quickly. calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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The results of an electro-fishing boat survey pass.

Fish are released unharmed following the sampling.

(TIM E. HOVEY)

HOW THEY DO IT To maintain lake and reservoir health, biologists will conduct several different types of surveys to collect specific data. Using the electro-fishing boat, the captain will steer the vessel towards shore and the netters will initiate the current by hitting the foot pedals.

Running the boat parallel to shore and slowly around the

26 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com perimeter, the netters will collect all the fish that “turn” or are incapacitated by the current. Netted fish are deposited into the deck tanks to be identified, measured and weighed. After the fish are worked up, they are released at the side of the boat unharmed.

Safety – for both the fish and biologists – is a priority. We have a pretty strict safety protocol to never reach over the side of the boat and into the water to keep from getting shocked. I have never seen anyone shocked, but I’m sure the protocol is in place because it has happened in the past.

And as for making sure the fish we are collecting are returned to the water after being shocked, I’ve been on dozens of these shock-boat surveys and have never seen a fish die.

When dealing with big bodies of water, fish can move out of the shock pattern or are quickly collected and brought aboard.

The work-up involves pulling them out of the water, weighing and measuring them. They are then released in good health.

We also have the ability to dial down the amperage to a less lethal dose to keep from injuring the fish. We essentially set the boat to stun.

The collected data can clearly illustrate the health of a larger body of water. Depending on the types and sizes of the fish collected, biologists can determine the overall fisheries health of a lake or reservoir.

calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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Collecting only one size class of a species of fish indicates an issue with reproduction. If a lake sample only brings in larger fish, we typically conclude that for some reason – usually poor water quality or elevated water temperature – reproduction is either not occurring or something is happening to the eggs or larvae. Sometimes this will affect one species of fish or may impact all species present in the lake.

Fish in poor health or that are emaciated could indicate a lack of forage fish, a sign that a lake lacks smaller fish for larger species to feed on. This lake phase can easily be seen during sampling and collecting, and is usually verified when a length/ weight profile is established once the data is analyzed.

A poor forage base in a lake will yield medium to larger fish that are below average weight, and little to no smaller fish present in the sample. Typically, a healthy lake will contain fish of all size classes, from fry to fully grown adults. The fish will be well fed and free of injuries or lesions.

Conducting electro-fishing surveys is also a great way to determine the species composition of a large body of water.

An evening survey around the perimeter of the lake will usually yield all representative species.

28 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com One of an electro-fishing boat’s two 12-foot conductor rods and circular electrical arrays is moved into position along a lake’s shores.

Netters at the front of the boat initiate current via foot pedals, bringing fish to the surface with the temporary shock. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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Occasionally, we’ll use the e-fishing boats to survey, collect or remove species that may be detrimental to California inland waters. We use the large sampling current to verify the presence of certain species that may disrupt a normal reservoir ecosystem or would be hazardous to downstream species.

BIOLOGISTS IN ACTION Last month I got the opportunity to take my oldest daughter, Alyssa, on a reservoir survey of one of the local lakes using an electro-fishing boat. This particular survey involved a population assessment and would involve collecting all species of fish, depositing them into the deck tanks and then weighing and measuring them. The survey plan involved shocking the perimeter of the lake.

We spent the evening shocking near the shores and collected largemouth bass, crappie, common carp, bluegill and catfish. For the first part of the evening Alyssa and I were the netters on the front of the boat, running the shocker and collecting the fish. The highlight was Alyssa netting a 20-pound carp and wrestling it into the onboard tank.

Later in the evening we switched tasks to fish measuring

30 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

CDFW biologists collect data for the fish that have been taken from the lake’s waters. Typically, a healthy lake will contain fish of all size classes, from fry to fully grown adults. (TIM E. HOVEY)

and data collecting. Alyssa weighed and measured the collected fish and I recorded the data. Throughout the evening she got a feel for how fisheries biologists conduct field research

calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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OF A BIOLOGIST

and what it’s like to work in the fisheries field.

When we were back on the dock we helped load the boat on the trailer and cleaned up the sampling gear. By the time we got back in the truck to head home, Alyssa was worn out but had really enjoyed the experience.

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN In some cases, utilizing technology like electro-fishing to collect biological fisheries data can be considered a convenience. When it comes to assessing species composition and Tim Hovey and daughter Alyssa display a bass and carp captured during recent electro-shock sampling population health of lakes and reservoirs, us- Author of a Southern California lake. (TIM E. HOVEY) ing electro-fishing vessels is really the only way to achieve accurate data sets that will result in a more way in making sure that local lakes and reservoirs stay healthy precise biological conclusion. for everyone to enjoy. And that should keep anglers pretty Establishing repeatable sampling protocols via eleccharged up about our work. CS tro-shocking boats allow biologists to feel confident in their overall assessment of lake health. Without a doubt, the data collected through the use of boat electro-fishing goes a long Editor’s note: The author is a CDFW fisheries biologist.

32 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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A nice selection of both new, used and vintage historical firearms are available at Southern California Gun in San Diego. (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GUN)

HISTORY, NEW GUNS AT S.D. SHOP

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hether it’s cars, appliances, grills or guns, buying new brings a level of comfort, novelty and the modern touch of technology. But isn’t a part of all of us old school?

Retro can be cool, it can be hip – and it can give you a sense of history. In the world of firearms shop owners like Greg Kerrebrock, the nostalgia of used guns is something special. Kerrebrock runs San Diego-based Southern California Gun (858-571-2020; socalgun.com), which not only offers a variety of handguns, rifles and shotguns but also a diverse selection of used firearms that allows Kerrebrock to channel his historian side.

“Dealing with the used portion of the gun business is probably the most rewarding, entertaining and enjoyable part of what we do. Rather than dealing only with new products and what are being produced today, we get to see 200 years of gunmaking history,” he says.

“This year, we were given the opportunity to purchase a collection of Civil War-era firearms. The 60-piece collection included flintlock and percussion rifles from the 1830s to 1870s.

These were very rare pieces that played an important part in the history of the 1800s, and few people will ever see them unless they visit the NRA or Cody museums. We are fortunate to have the ability to pass these along to gun enthusiasts and

collectors, maintaining the appreciation that firearms have in our history.”

We got the scoop from Kerrebrock on the nuts and bolts of his operation.

California Sportsman How long have you been in business?

Greg Kerrebrock Southern California Gun opened in the early 1990s at the current location. The store changed ownership in spring 2013, undergoing a complete remodel, and reopened for business July 2013. We are proud to serve the San Diego community for the past 23 years.

CS What is the biggest confusion when it comes to California gun laws?

GK When it comes to California gun laws, two issues stick out the most: 1) The approved handgun list. There are thousands of different handguns manufactured and sold throughout the U.S. In California there are currently just over 800 models that are approved for sale. Magazines disconnect and loaded chamber indicator were the first limits (implemented). Microstamping was the killer that was enacted Jan. 1, 2014. Most models no longer in production are not approved since the manufacturer of these firearms does not wish to pay the state the annual fee calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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GK The Sig P226 Navy (aka MK25). We can’t keep these in stock. The FN 5.7 is the same problem. Our Keltec KSG is popular, and since we deal a lot with used guns, the classic S&W revolvers – Colt SAA and Colt Pythons – never spend much time in the store.

CS What is your best seller?

GK The Glock, which is hands down the biggest seller all the time. Also, the Remington 870 Pump, 18-inch home defense (weapon) with black stock is popular.

Southern California Gun is located in Kearney Mesa, in eastern San Diego, at 4891 Convoy Street. (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GUN)

for maintaining a place on the approved list.

2) Black gun features that are permitted or unpermitted.

What constitutes an assault rifle? Pistol grips require a bullet button, collapsible stocks are permitted but not folding stocks. Muzzle brakes are OK, but not flash hiders. The laws are convoluted and confusing. I suggest that someone who is considering purchasing an AR-platform weapon at the very least consult with their local gun store. This is especially important before purchasing online, as the rifle they buy may not be approved to bring into California.

CS What are some of your new hot items?

CS What other services do you offer?

GK We process interstate (federal firearms license) transfers, accommodate private party transactions and offer firearm storage.

Most importantly, we buy, trade and consign used firearms.

CS On the subject of consignment, tell us how that works.

GK Consignment is an important aspect of our business. All the handguns that are not on the California-approved list are eligible to be sold in our store since the consignment process is considered a private party transaction, where our store is essentially the broker.

This permits the owner of the Colt Python or the Ruger SR40 to optimize his or her return for the sale of their firearm.

In the consignment process the firearm is placed for sale in the store. When the firearm is sold, a percentage of the sale price is dispersed to the original owner. CS

THE FIGHT FOR CALIFORNIA GUN RIGHTS Gun Owners of California (916-984-1400) is the oldest pro-gun political action committee in America. It has been at the forefront of the battle between proponents and opponents of the Second Amendment. It is the oldest and one of the fiercest fighters for firearms rights.

GOC was the first pro-gun group making appearances on television, radio and in the newspapers when the ban of semiautomatic handguns, rifles and shotguns surfaced. It was the first gun group in the nation to produce a video for television that revealed the truth about semiautomatic firearms. And it was also the first to do television spots alerting the citizens to the anti-gun legislation in Sacramento.

Gun Owners of California is celebrating a 40-year history of fighting for effective crime control and opposing ineffective gun control and has a strong, three-pronged approach to preserving gun rights.

Go to gunsownersca.com for more information. –CS 36 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

52

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GOC is the oldest pro-gun political action committee in America. That’s right – in America! We have been at the forefront of the battle since the assaults on the Second Amendment began. Not only are we the oldest, but we are the hardest-hitting, toughest-fighting pro-gun organization in the state of California.

the anti-gun legislation in Sacramento.

We were the first pro-gun group on television, radio and in the newspapers when the ban of semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns surfaced.

· We are in Sacramento, fighting full-time in the legislative halls for gun owner rights – opposing bad bills, supporting good ones, influencing the legislature every day, day in and day out. · We are fighting in the courts – in California and across the nation, having filed amicus briefs in numerous cases in other states, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court. · And we are fighting at the ballot box –

GOC was the first gun group in the nation to produce a video for television that revealed the truth about semi-automatic firearms. And we were also the first to do television spots alerting the citizens to

GOC is celebrating a 40-year history of fighting for effective crime control and opposing ineffective gun control, and we have a strong, three-pronged approach to beating back the liberal assault on our constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms:

raising money to elect pro-gun candidates and to defeat the bad guys.

We are scrupulous in our analysis and decision-making as to where these critical dollars would best be used.

We know the fight is in the political trenches and victory will never be assured until the last anti-gun legislator is defeated.

Do you believe the Second Amendment guarantees the First Amendment, and each Amendment that follows? If so, join the fight for real solutions to the issue of crime – with your help, we can make a difference without sacrificing our constitutional rights and the ability of the law-abiding to protect our homes, our families, and even our country.

FOR TICKET INFO: WWW.GUNOWNERSCA.COM • 916-984-1400

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KERN COUNTY’S OUTDOORS SHOWCASE

BAKERSFIELD TO HOST ANNUAL SPORTSMEN’S SHOW IN FEBRUARY One of the fan-friendly events of the Central Valley Sportsmen’s Show this coming February in Bakersfield is the Dock Dogs’ jumping competition. The highestflying dogs will advance to the Dock Dogs World Championships.

(CENTRAL VALLEY SPORTSMEN’S SHOW)

T

he popular Central Valley Sportsmen’s Boat, RV and Outdoor Show will be held at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield from Feb. 26-28, 2016.

Promoters are predicting the biggest and best show ever in its 39-year run. Last year’s three-day event drew over 15,000 paid customers to enjoy the largest full-spectrum, outdoors-oriented exposition in the entire San Joaquin Valley.

As the show’s name implies, hunting, fishing, camping and travel remain the main theme of the show, but the list of opportunities and fun things to enjoy doesn’t stop there. Prospective and returning vendors will find plenty of people on hand as they ply their special trades during the Friday-Sunday event.

The popular tractor-pull series will fire up again on Feb. 26, followed the next day by the always popular Super Cruise Car Show, featuring over 200 classic cars on display. For all those with a need for speed, returning for its seventh year is the Bako Sand Drags event throughout the weekend. ATVs will blast their way down the track, exciting viewers and contestants with their powerful engines and no-nonsense, head-tohead competition.

Once again, the Dock Dogs West Coast Challenge jumping contest will return to dazzle spectators with tall and long canine leaps. Of special interest will be what amounts to be a world jumping championships qualifier, which is big news in the dock dog business. The dogs that finish highest will earn their way on into the Dock Dogs World Championships competition.

Canines are a big part of the show’s events. Field and agility dog demonstrations will highlight several dog trainer kennels attending. Hunting dogs will strut their stuff by ferreting out and pointing gamebirds before a packed crowd.

A huge highlight of the show will be the return of the ever-popular Bass Bin, where genuine whopper bass and other species swim in a tank within inches of curious onlookers. Atop the huge aquarium-like structure, well-known professional bass and other sport fishermen will give interesting and informative

Several fishing and hunting seminars will offer tips and tactics for visitors.

(CENTRAL VALLEY SPORTSMEN’S SHOW)

seminars on the how-to of fishing for and catching monster fish.

The kids’ trout pond will once again allow children of all ages to catch their very own fish. The exhibit is sponsored by Berkley Fishing Products, Taft Sportsmen’s Club and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and many a child has calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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caught his or her very ďŹ rst ďŹ sh while angling at the popular location. Lucky juniors can have their pictures taken and ďŹ sh cleaned there as well.

Fly ďŹ shermen will ďŹ nd a beautiful casting pool with y

The kids’ trout pond is always a popular destination for the youngsters to catch a ďŹ sh. (CENTRAL VALLEY SPORTSMEN’S SHOW)

ďŹ shing clubs from Central and Southern California attending.

Don’t miss out on one of these y-casting seminars; they will have something for the novice to the expert. There will also be master y-tying gurus on hand to teach, show and tell all about their favorite patterns.

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com Other anglers will ďŹ nd several tackle shops on site, along with various representatives from many dierent rod, reel and tackle manufacturers.

There will be loads of other things to see and do at the show, especially for the younger generations. Kids’ bounce houses and a rock-climbing wall will be available, as will laser tag to keep the kids busy while adults venture into the buildings in search of a great deal on ďŹ shing trips, quality outdoor products and services, plus a ton of great food.

Mike and Donna Hatcher, promoters of Central Valley Sportsmen’s Boat, RV and Outdoor Show, have made arrangements for many recreational vehicle dealerships to have some incredible deals available. Prospective buyers will ďŹ nd hundreds of RVs to choose from at incredibly low prices.

With even more new and exciting things to do, this year should be another big winner for vendors and sportsmen and -women alike. CS Editor’s note: While the show opens to exhibitors on February 25, 2016, vendors need to know that due to exceptional turnout, space is very limited, so don’t wait and reserve your booth today.

Contact mike@calshows.com or call (800) 725-0793 or (661) 8096123 for more information. California Sportsman is one of the event’s sponsors.

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NAVIGATE AT YOUR A TRIP UP THE FEATHER OWN RISK MAKING RIVER IN LOW WATER

By Chris Cocoles

T

his fall, longtime Yuba City/Marysville king salmon guide Manuel Saldana Jr. had mostly avoided the dangerously low Feather River, which at press time was flowing at a ridiculous level of just about 930 cubic feet per second.

“I hadn’t gone back to that stretch of the river – from Shanghai Bend Falls (in Yuba City) up north to the Live Oak – and then a friend of mine called me on a Sunday when I was watching NFL games,” said Saldana of MSJ Guide Service (530-301-7455; msjguideservice.com). “He has a 20-foot jet and he got stuck.”

So after razzing his buddy – who shall remain nameless – a little bit, Saldana launched his 21-foot jet boat and made the trip upriver to help his friend. As this drought has taken a toll on the Feather – Saldana says the river should be around 2,000 cfs – it wasn’t an easy process, and there were times when the rescuer wondered if he too would have to call in the cavalry.

Saldana saw a little bit of everything as he carefully navigated the river; there were trees, stumps and tires poking out of the water.

There were sandbars and gravel bars the veteran had never seen before.

“There is a lot more timber in that river than people know,” Saldana said. “I saw gravel bars in the middle of the river!”

One stretch was so hard to traverse that Saldana had to cut

Those chasing salmon on the drought-stricken Feather Rive had some new obstacles to avoid this fall. For those who could run it without hitting a tree stump or running aground on a sandbar, there were kings to be had, like the one James Chabiel found in November. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

his large outboard and run his kicker motor. He had to literally hug the bank of the Feather.

“You can reach out and touch the bank, because that’s where the channel’s at,” he said.

“The anglers who do not know (what to expect), is that when you take (a sharp right) turn, there’s a gravel bar that’s right in the middle of the river,” he said. “You have to make a decision: If you go to the left, you’re going to run aground. You have to go all the way to the right and go right next to the bank, power yourself out and go through some more trees.

You definitely need to know your route because the room for error is slim.”

Saldana found and helped his shipwrecked friend get out of harm’s way (he saw two other RESERVOIR LEVELS boats that got stuck that day too).

The California Department of Water Resources released percentage of capacity totals for sevThe bonus of making such an obstaeral of the state’s largest reservoirs, and not shockingly, every body of water was below – some way below – its historic average. Here are the numbers as of Nov. 18: cle-filled trip was realizing that with careful BODY maneuvering, the Feather could still be fished CAPACITY HISTORICAL PERCENTAGE OF WATER PERCENTAGE AVERAGE at low flows. November proved to be a proTrinity (Trinity County) 31 20 ductive month, with some nice kings hooked Shasta (Shasta County) 30 51 and landed for clients.

Oroville (Butte County) 27 45 Season winds down this month, and SalFolsom (Placer, El Dorado 14 29 dana, who planned to keep fishing the Feathand Sacramento Counties) New Melones (Calaveras 11 20 er unless it dipped to 800 cfs, said places like and Tuolumne Counties) the Fifth Street Bridge and Shanghai Bend Don Pedro (Tuolumne County) 32 49 Falls, both in Yuba City, can be productive for San Luis (Merced County) 20 34 shore anglers during salmon runs.

Millerton (Fresno and Madera 32 80 Counties) “The Feather River had felt like a lost cause,” Pine Flat (Fresno County) 35 13 he said. “(Fishing) it has been a new accomPerris (Riverside County) 35 46 plishment for me.” CS 33 43 Castaic (Los Angeles County) calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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44 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Jeff Wagner is this issue’s monthly Daiwa Photo Contest winner, thanks to this high-energy pic of himself with an Eastern Washington tiger musky. It wins Wagner a Daiwa hat, T-shirt and scissors for cutting braided line, and puts him in the running for the grand prize of a Daiwa rodand-reel combo!

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An “awesome first hunt” just got, er, awesomer for Paris Holtzlander, who bagged this black bear. She’s our monthly Browning hunting photo contest winner, and it scores her a Browning hat.

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For your shot at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@ media-inc.com, or to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

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46 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

STURGEON

TIME IS NOW

With stout rods on standby, sturgeon anglers head out to do battle with dinosaurs on the Delta. (BILL ADELMAN)

WINTER OFFERS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR NORCAL ANGLERS TO CATCH SOME BIG FISH

By Bill Adelman

N

ow is the time to enjoy the tug of one of the oldest creatures on earth: white sturgeon.

From this month until March – assuming we get decent rainfall – is the prime time to enjoy a battle with one of most difficult fish in Northern California to hook and land.

NEW TECHNOLOGY IN GEAR The old pole vault rods from back in the 1970s, when local legend Johnny Severa plied San Francisco Bay with grass shrimp, are long gone. Today’s graphite rods are the hot choice.

Consider a one-piece, 7- to 7½-footer with maybe 25- or 30-pound test spooled on a high-quality levelwind reel with a solid drag. Many prefer braided line, though a high-quality mono still works just as well.

The pyramid sinker on a slider works best when attached at the flat end, as it holds better and won’t roll.

There are many productive bait options you can use, but there can be specific conditions where they prevail over others. Grass, mud and ghost shrimp all produce, as do lamprey eel, uncured salmon roe, pile worms, anchovies, sardines and filleted threadfin shad. I use scent on all of those candidates. Some of these baits need to be tied with magic thread; the roe is fished in an egg loop.

A little bit on pile worms: Sturgeon feast on these little critters, but be aware that the conditions must be right. Worms are washed into the feeding lanes due to high, muddy runoff with a heavier flow than just the tidal movement. Under these conditions, they can be added to an

eel or shrimp offering.

MOVING WITH THE TIDES Just because you caught a sturgeon at Buoy 4 three years ago is no reason for you to concentrate on the same spot. Sturgeon are always moving with the tides. They’ll feed downstream on the outgoing tide and upstream on the incoming tide.

During a slack tide, you can remove the main sinker and just free-drift, or start up and chase the tide. Whatever time it takes, run different areas with a high-quality fishfinder. Sturgeon will appear as humps on the screen.

When finally locating an area with a good amount of fish, anchor at least 300 yards above their migration pattern. Allow the fish to feed to you.

It’s really horrible manners to drop into the feeding lane that another boat has already established.

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FISHING White sturgeon that are longer than 68 inches from nose to fork may not be removed from the water and should be released immediately. (BILL ADELMAN)

This is definitely a hurry-up-andwait fishery. As the bite is generally a slight tick of the rod tip, focusing 100 percent of your attention on the gear is a necessity.

The use of a balancer for the rod is one of the all-time super improvements in sturgeon fishing. The reel is locked down and the rod is simply lifted slightly towards the fish, the pump is felt and a solid set is necessary.

As sturgeon can travel in bunches, if possible don’t reel in all the baits when fighting a fish.

FISH WITH THE BEST The Bay Area is one fishery where joining an experienced friend is a good deal. Or better yet, hook up with a charter or party boat. My preference for years has been to fish the bays, Delta and lower Sacramento/San Joaquin River system with a longtime friend and expert six-pac captain, Barry Canevaro of Fishhookers Sportfishing (916777-6498; facebook.com/FishHookersSportfishing). His 55-plus years of experience with these fisheries offers a perfect learning experience, as well

as a positive day on the water.

A six-pac boat also provides more personal service, all tackle and bait provided, and limits the number of rods in the water. It’s great fun when chartering as a group, especially when the newbie has to provide all the food! There’s nothing wrong with an experience on a party boat; it’s just less personal, in my mind.

The eating quality of a sturgeon is top notch; just don’t overcook it.

If you get out, enjoy the waiting for that single pump, pay attention, and offer your buddies a few fillets at the dock and you’ll have an excellent winter excursion. CS

REGULATIONS AND RULES Only white sturgeon between 40 and 60 inches fork length may be kept. Any white sturgeon greater than 68 inches from nose to fork may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. Green sturgeon must be released in the water immediately and unharmed.

Sturgeon fishing report cards (costing $8.13) are required. Instructions are written on the tags. Three removable tags come with the master tag and must be used to tag any retained sturgeon. The bag limit is one per day and three per year, regardless of where you might catch one. The possession limit is one. Your tag must be returned to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at the end of the year.

The hook restriction is one barbless hook on a leader or line (we prefer a size 7/0).

You can purchase barbless hooks, or as we do: If you have a bunch of perfectly good hooks and choose to pinch the barbs, be extremely careful and grind the barb completely down. It’s possible that if a warden runs a Q-tip over a depressed barb and it catches, you could be ticketed. Your main sinker must be at least 18 inches above the hook. Since sturgeon are strictly bottom feeders, the flow can lift the offering too far off the bottom. To correct this, a ½-ounce egg sinker – but no heavier – is legally placed on the 50- to 60-pound-test mono leader just above the hook to keep it closer to the bottom.

Consider going online to the CDFW website (wildlife.ca.gov) or picking up a freshwater regulations booklet and peruse all of the restrictions, beginning with section 5.79 through 5.81, to ensure you’re doing everything legally. It’s time to finally go fishing. – BA 48 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Sturgeon are always moving with the tides. They’ll feed downstream on the outgoing tide and upstream on the incoming tide. (BILL ADELMAN)

Author Bill Adelman will happily take this keeper sturgeon back home and enjoy some great table fare.

Just remember not to overcook it! (BILL ADELMAN)

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HUNTING No, it’s not a cell phone case. It’s ThermaCell’s new wireless HeatPacks hand-warming unit, something the author used extensively last winter and was very impressed with.

FROM FIELD ...

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

WARM UP TO WINTER

STEELHEADING

By Scott Haugen

W

inter steelhead fishing can be cold, even on Northern California rivers.

Deep canyons hold moisture and block the sun, making even moderate days significantly colder than one might expect. Enter heaters, heated clothes and more.

As a kid in the late 1960s, the only external heat source we had when fishing was a metal bucket of briquettes. I have vivid memories of huddling over the coals, trying to

stay warm. For our kids and I, keeping warm is easy and keeps everyone fishing in comfort.

Let’s start by taking a look at heated clothes. Cabela’s Heated Performance Vest is just the garment to keep your upper body warm. The Polartec fleece shell is heated by efficiently designed Microwire, a patented heating system created by Gerbing, a leader in the creation of heated clothes. A rechargeable remote control unit plugs into a wire nestled into a pocket and offers four heat settings to choose from.

TIPS FOR STAYING COMFY WHILE WAITING FOR A BITE

Worn between a base layer and rain gear or a heavier jacket, the full potential of the heated vest can be realized. The vest is stylish, easy to move in and comfortable to wear, even when the heating element is not engaged. Cabela’s also offers heated jackets and gloves.

When it comes to keeping your feet warm, the best devices I’ve found are ThermaCELL’s Heated Insoles.

The new ProFLEX Heated Insoles operate by a wireless, battery-powered remote control. A removable battery that’s padded on top slips into

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HUNTING

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SMOKE FILLS THE AIR WITH

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By Tiffany Haugen

W

hether with a fresh winter-run or cleaning summer-runs out of the freezer, smoking steelhead is a tasty way to prepare your fish. A few tips to keep in mind: If the fish is fresh, using a liquid brine is a great option, but when using a frozen one, a dry brine may be best due to the cell structure of previously frozen fish.

Brines can be simple or complex and a wide variety of flavors can be added at many steps during the brining and smoking process.

If you want to experiment with flavor, try using a basic brine and amp up taste by adding seasonings prior to smoking or glazes at the end of the smoking process. For instance, after placing fish on smoker racks, sprinkle with black pepper, lemon pepper, chili flakes or a bit of granulated garlic.

During the last 30 minutes of smoking, try glazing one rack with a honey-soy sauce, another with Italian dressing and a third rack with a spritz of rum and a sprinkle of sugar. Be sure to take note of your flavor combinations in case you find a new favorite you want to replicate next time.

4 pounds steelhead 1½ quarts water ¼ cup canning salt, kosher salt or Morton Tender Quick 1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, optional 52 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon granulated onion 2 teaspoons white or black pepper

Leave skin on fish, if possible. Cut fish to desired smoking pieces, about 2 inches by 4 inches. In a large glass or ceramic container mix water with remaining ingredients and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Submerge fish in brine – with the skin side down – on the bottom layer and the meat side down on the next layer. Repeat layering skin to skin and meat to meat. Place a weighted plate on top of fish to keep fillets fully submerged in brine. Soak three to four hours.

Place fish on racks and air-dry two hours or until a pellicle forms (fish should feel almost dry to the touch). Smoke five to eight hours at 170 to 180 degrees. Replenish chips as often as needed to keep a constant smoke for at least two to three hours of smoking time. Smoke times vary according to smoker brand, fish thickness and outdoor temperatures.

Check fish often and finish cooking to desired texture in a 165-degree oven or dehydrator if necessary. Cover and refrigerate fish until ready to serve. Vacuum-seal and freeze for longer-term storage.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Smoking Salmon & Steelhead, send a check for $20 to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

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HUNTING the heel of each insole and can be removed for recharging, leaving the insoles inside boots or waders.

Battery charges last up to five hours. To extend battery life, turn it on only when you’re cold. When walking and generating heat, turn them off. If afield all day in extreme cold, extra batteries can be purchased and charged prior to hitting the river and simply inserted into the insoles.

Batteries are charged through a USB connector from any standard outlet.

Charge time is about four hours. Turn to high and they’ll run at about 111 degrees for five hours. Run on low and they’ll hover around 100 degrees for about eight continuous hours.

The Heated Insoles are not waterproof, so make sure they go inside the waders and not between your waders and boots, if wearing bootless waders.

When it comes to keeping the hands warm, over the years I’ve been pleased with disposable hand

warmers. The Super HotHands hand and body warmers work well. They are lightweight and easy to pack.

I’ve had these consistently keep my hands and body warm for up to 10 hours. I’ll put them in jacket pockets, beneath a jacket collar and between layers of form-fitting clothes and I stay warm all day. They can also be placed in the folds of a stocking hat to provide heat to your head, something that feels great on those cold and windy days on the river.

In addition to disposable hand warmers, ThermaCare Heat Wraps can be wrapped around your lower torso to warm the lower back and hips. This is a great alternative or addition to a heated vest or jacket.

Another hand-warming option is ThermaCELL’s new HeatPacks, which come in two sizes. Like the Heated Insoles, the HeatPacks hold a charge but are controlled with the touch of a button on the unit rather than a wireless remote. They

also have three temperature settings, and having used them extensively last winter I can say they’ve found a place on fishing trips in cold weather.

If fishing from a boat or plunking from shore, there are many portable heater options. One of my favorites is the Little Buddy Heater, as it’s lightweight and burns very efficiently.

What I would have given 40 years ago to have had even half of the heating innovations available today.

Whether you’re a person who gets cold or if you’re taking youth or other anglers on the river, staying warm will keep everyone comfortable, having fun, staying positive and, ultimately, catching more fish. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Bank Fishing For Steelhead & Salmon, send a check for $17 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at scotthaugen.com.

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FISHING

THE TRAVELS OF TAILWALKERS

BORN IN THE NORTHWEST, REARED IN THE HEARTLAND, AND A HIT WITH SOCAL ANGLERS

By Mike Stevens

C

ooling fall temperatures usher in the arrival of trout season in Southern California, and it also signifies the return of the broadshouldered “Nebraska tailwalker” trout at select lakes in the region.

While anglers are familiar with their descriptive title, thanks to online forums, tackle shop banter and local media, not much is known about the fish themselves. We know Nebraska tailwalkers are typically larger than the average stocked trout, and they put up a hell of a fight on light tackle, but where do they come from?

ROOTS IN THE HEARTLAND The eggs for these Kamloop-variety rainbows come from Troutlodge in Sumner, Wash. The products of these eggs are triploid rainbows that are sterile, and this inability to reproduce means less stress on the fish as well as the potential for quicker growth.

It’s not uncommon for tailwalkers to leave the truck and enter the lake at over 2 pounds a pop.

They are hatched at the familyrun Chaulk Mound Trout Ranch (cmtrout.com) in western Nebraska (near the town of Bridgeport), and as fingerlings they are moved into raceways before they are sent to natural ponds prior to stocking.

“It is our proprietary procedures that give our fish their fight,” said Chaulk Mound’s owner/operator, Ron Bright. “If we revealed it all, everybody would be doing it!”

In order to make a safe trip from America’s heartland to Southern California lakes, Chaulk Mound

This lucky Dixon Lake angler was tossing a silver Super Duper near Boat Dock Cove when he hooked into this beast-model Nebraska tailwalker. (MIKE STEVENS) calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

59

Tailwalkers rear in a natural pond environment, which gives these rainbows more of a “wild” demeanor and allows them to maintain a fully finned appearance compared to trout raised in concrete raceways. (CHAULK MOUND TROUT FARM)

utilizes special delivery trucks with an ever-evolving original design. The trucks are equipped with a cooling unit that allows a climate-controlled

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The trucks that deliver Nebraska tailwalkers to Southern California utilize the latest technology to ensure a climate-controlled and stress-free trip to our local lakes. (CHAULK MOUND TROUT FARM)

in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and California. SoCal waters that will feature tailwalkers this season include Lakes Dixon, Wohlford and Poway, Mountain Lakes Resort, Jess Lakes Ranch, Irvine Lake, Palmdale Fin and Feather Club, and Lake Isabella in the spring. Staffers at Chaulk Mound also said that there are several bids

underway, and they will not know if those lakes will be added for a couple weeks, so this is likely an incomplete list of waters that will be getting Nebraska tailwalkers this season.

The staff at Chalk Mound continues to work to expand their market to make their fish available to more people. This is made possible when fishermen encourage lake

62 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

operators to bring them in.

“Our product differs from that of our competitors in many ways,” Bright said. “It is the way we handle, care for and finish our fish that makes Nebraska tailwalkers the outstanding example of rainbow trout that they are, and we are looking forward to another great trout season in Southern California.” CS

Photo: Ed Sozinho

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FISHING

TROUT DIET BRINGS RESULTS CATCH HUGE BASS GORGING ON STOCKED RAINBOWS THIS WINTER Ryan Block shows off what putting the time in this winter with trout swimbaits can do as bass gorge on rainbows stocked in Southern California lakes. (BILL SCHAEFER)

By Bill Schaefer

A

s we headed into the fall and winter seasons, a lot of bass anglers hung up their gear and gave up for the year.

They dream about next season, except now is not the time to give up so quickly. This season isn’t over yet; and in fact it’s a great time to catch that big bass to hang on your wall.

Big fish are still on the chew, and throughout these next few months

they will be feeding hard for when they do finally shut down.

A lot of lakes start planting trout right around now, which gets the big girls all fired up again. I can tell you that after talking to several big bass hunters, they are still scoring.

As I mentioned, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and some lake operators are planting trout right now. The larger bass want an easy big meal that they do not have to exert themselves too hard to

get. Trout are the answer, and can be your answer as well. Imitation trout swimbaits can be deadly this time of year. You may have to throw them all day for only a strike or two, but it should be a giant on the other end of your line.

Planning your trip ahead of time will come in handy; check when the trout plants are going to happen at your local lake and plan a trip as soon as possible. It isn’t imperative that you go right after a plant – there are always planted trout in a lake, and the bass are in tune with that easy meal – but it does help if a stocking has just occurred.

As far as baits, throw what you feel confident will work, but you should also read up on – and it’s usually published – what size trout were planted. I know a lot of big bass hunters go big all the time. Big bait means big bass.

For tackle, you will need equipment that can stand up to all the rigors of constantly casting a heavy lure all day. Some use round reels like a Daiwa Millionaire or a more low-profile option like a Daiwa Lexa 400 loaded with some type of braided line. Some fishermen prefer mono, but when you possibly can lose a lot of money in lures, you will most likely want to change to braid. I like Maxima braid in the 50- to 80-pound range, with a fluorocarbon leader of at least 30 pounds. For rods, a heavy triggerstick of 7½ to 8 feet will handle the big trout baits.

Don’t give up on fall and winter bass fishing. Get out and have some fun and maybe score a giant. CS

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68 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

ROCK THE LOBSTER TRAPS TARGET CALICOS AROUND BAIT-LEAKING POTS

By Capt. Bill Schaefer

A

s we head into winter, ocean water temperatures will drop off.

But the real question is, how much lower will they go with the El Niño cycle here? The ocean is still warmer than average, and fishermen are enjoying good calico fishing so far – and it may just go right on through the winter.

There are always calicos in the shallows to some extent, and this season should be no different. A lot of savvy bass anglers will fish another type of structure you may have not thought about: lobster traps.

Think about it. Most of the traps are replenished daily with bait. This decaying bait breaks up and floats with ocean currents, bringing baitfish to feed on the scraps and calicos to feed on them.

I have often had a great day just fishing the traps that litter the coast. One thing to remember is that you don’t need to get too close to the traps. You don’t want to wrap the rope in your outboard and lose a lobster fisherman’s trap.

Look closely at how the current is taking the buoy in a direction. Fish the kelp stringers close to the trap or around the trap. The calicos will be close to a place they feel safe and yet can still ambush baitfish.

For gear, I will still use my regular calico gear, but maybe a little stronger line. I will use a Daiwa freshwater flipping stick or trigger stick with a Lexa 300 loaded with Maxima braided line in the 50- to 80-pound range, and an Ultragreen leader of at least 30 pounds.

Sometimes I will go to a fluorocarbon leader if the water is very clear. You need the low stretch to pull the bass away from the trap and its line and any rock that they are usually placed around.

I will throw swimbaits – both weedless and regular – usually in brown bait- or sardine-type colors. Reebs Lures, MC Swimbaits, Western Plastics and Big Hammer all make great baits with their own unique swimming vibration. Sometimes the bass don’t want the swimbaits and a grub may produce better action. But experiment with body styles and colors, which is one of the funnest parts of fishing, especially when you discover a new color

that really produces.

The next time you are out during the winter and the calicos just don’t want to bite, try fishing the lobster pots.

Fish by one a little slower and you should score some nice bass.

It’s a new style to add to your arsenal, but again, please respect the lobstermen’s livelihood and don’t get too close to their traps. Do that and you’ll have a fun experience. CS The bait in and around nearby lobster traps – provided you don’t disturb or damage the actual traps – can attract the entire food chain up to big calicos off Southern California. (BILL SCHAEFER)

calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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FISHING

FISHING IN SHARK TERRITORY GUADALUPE ISLAND, A HAVEN FOR GREAT WHITES, IS ALSO FULL OF LARGE YELLOWFIN TUNA

Guadalupe Island, located 245 miles southwest of San Diego, has become a trendy destination for long-range trips seeking giant yellowfin tuna.

dalupe can be extremely clear, and as much stealth as possible must be used to coax the tuna into biting. The short version regarding almost all tuna fishing is that you use the heaviest tackle that you can get them to bite. Another absolute “must” is the use of 4 to 5 feet of fluorocarbon leader.

Virtually all anglers also opt for a circle hook like a 3/0 to 5/0 Owner Mutu or Super Mutu hook with live sardines. Slightly larger hooks can be used with live mackerel, and hooks as large as 9/0 or 10/0 can be used if you are lucky enough to have live squid in the 2- to 3-pound range as bait.

Three rod-and-reel combos are crucial for anglers making the journey to Guadalupe Island:

(CAPT. ALBERT E. THEBERGE/NOAA)

By Steve Carson

G

uadalupe Island is one of the West Coast’s most storied fishing locations but has had highly restricted entry rules for the past few years. Only a few boats have been allowed to wet a line inside the Mexican biosphere reserve.

Three popular San Diego-based long-range boats – the Shogun, Royal Polaris and Royal Star – have been added to the list of permit holders as of October of this year, all of them operating out of Fisherman’s Landing.

Visiting the island will require that the boats check in at the customs dock in Ensenada, Mexico, and all anglers must wear a daily color-coded wristband when the boat is at the island.

About 240 miles southwest of San Diego, Guadalupe Island is, of course, most famous as a gathering place for great white sharks. All of those predators are there for a reason, and besides a colony of elephant seals as convenient shark food sources, Guadalupe is famous for its oversize sportfish. The record 92-pound yellowtail came from there, but probably the biggest draw is the island’s population of yellowfin tuna.

The monster cow 200-pound yellowfin found further south are rarely seen at the ’Lupe, but abundant numbers of robust tuna in the 75- to 90-pound class and a decent mix of 100- to 130-pounders more than make up for the lack of 200-pounders.

If there is a hitch, it’s that the water around Gua-

1) Standard live bait combo Reel: Penn Torque TRQ40NLD2.

Rod: 7-foot conventional rod rated for 30- to 80-pound lines.

Line system: Fill up with 80-pound superbraid, allowing room for a short topshot of 50- or 60-pound fluorocarbon.

Application: Flylining live sardines for tuna under normal to slow fishing conditions.

2) Heavy live-bait combo Reel: Penn International 16VSX. Rod: 7-foot conventional rod rated for 50- to 100-pound lines.

Line system: Fill with 100-pound superbraid, allowing room for a short topshot of 80-pound fluorocarbon.

Application: Flylining live sardines for tuna when fish are hitting aggressively, or when live mackerel or live squid are available as bait and sharks are problematic.

3) Dropper loop combo Reel: Penn International 30VSX. Rod: 6- to 7-foot conventional rod rated for 60- to 130-pound lines.

Line system: Fill with 130-pound superbraid, allowing room for a 100-yard topshot of 100-pound monofilament.

Application: Bottom fishing with 12- to 24-ounce sinkers and various live or slab baits for big yellowtail, primarily at night.

As noted in the above tackle listing, anglers who can calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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FISHING stay awake may encounter some monster-size yellowtail during night-fishing sessions. Yellowtail in the 30- to 40-pound class are routine, and 50-plus-pounders are frequently landed as well.

Black seabass over 200 pounds are sometimes caught, and although legal to keep in Mexico, are generally released. Both wahoo and dorado also turn up in the catch totals from time to time. Although rarely pursued, plenty of calico bass, sheephead and other familiar species also inhabit these waters and are often of a size not seen anywhere else.

The prime time to fish Guadalupe is traditionally September through December, but there are always some fish there. Capt. Aaron Barnhill’s Shogun started making spectacular catches of tuna and yellowtail almost immediately upon starting to run their five-day, long-range trips there in November. Accordingly, the Shogun has scheduled a series of six-day “Guadalupe Specials” out of Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego this month.

2016 BLUEFIN TUNA LIMITS SET FOR MEXICAN WATERS After numerous delays, Conapesca, which regulates Mexico’s sportfishing rules, has finally formalized the recreational fishing limits for bluefin tuna in Mexican waters. That country’s daily bag limit for bluefin up through 2014 had been five per day, with a maximum

72 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

of three days’ worth of limits (15) for a multiday trip of three days or longer The new daily bag limit will be two bluefin tuna, with a maximum of six for multiday trips of three days or longer. The new regulations mirror those already put into place back in July for California waters. However, Mexico does not allow filleting of fish at sea, while California’s new regulations allow filleting of tuna species if the skin is left on and the collars and pectoral fin are retained to allow differentiation between the varieties. CS Editor’s note: Email the author at scarson@sunset.net.

LAKE OROVILLE GETS CHINOOK PLANT One of Northern California’s most popular fisheries got a future boost in mid-November, when about 125,000 juvenile Chinook salmon were planted at Lake Oroville. The young salmon averaged 7 to 10 inches long, and are expected to grow rapidly – as much as an inch a month feeding on the abundant baitfish. Surface water temperatures were a little higher than are ideal, reported California Department of Water Resources biologist Julie Brown, but the fish were outgrowing their hatchery facility. After being stocked, the salmon looked healthy and dispersed rapidly. –SC

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FISHING

LIVING FOR THE SEA BOAT BUILDER TRAVIS BRANDT FOUND HIS CALLING // Part I of II

By Chris Cocoles

T

ravis Brandt is something of a barnstormer. Though he grew up in Iowa and eventually earned a fiance degree there from his home state University of Iowa, by the time he finished college this was no ordinary Midwest landlubber.

He’s been a U.S. Coast Guard sailor – he’s a certified scuba rescue diver – and earned his pilot’s license. With the latter certification, Brandt flew solo “cross-country flights in a Cessna 150 over the Barren Islands (located in the Gulf of Alaska between the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak) while wearing a survival suit and underwent his FAA checkride examination from the Kodiak State Airport,” according to his company’s website. That would be Xtaero Boats (xtaeroboats.com), a Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.based company that’s becoming a player among West Coast fishermen.

In this first of a two-part feature, we get to know Brandt’s journey from America’s heartland to boat-building savant.

Chris Cocoles What inspired you to start this company?

Travis Brandt My passion and inspiration came in several waves. As a kid, my grandfather owned a manufacturing company in Iowa that his brother started in 1936, serving farmers and ranchers. I grew up before child labor laws; working hard from 10 years old doing physical labor, from sweeping floors, bagging feed, scooping maggots from under corn driers, shoveling corn, to welding equipment and assembling hog feeders.

In contrast, Mom was from the New Jersey coast; for two weeks every summer we did the boardwalk and swam in the cold Atlantic Ocean. I loved to swim and took to the ocean like a sand dune to the Oregon coastline.

I have always known that I was put on earth to do stuff with boats and airplanes every day. Once this inspiration became a conscious driver of my life ambitions, I kept focusing on it from every angle, asking for knowledge in sales, purchasing, project management and anything else I could learn. I can’t imagine doing anything else, and I can’t imagine a time when I’m not learning.

CC You’re from Iowa and are an Iowa Hawkeye alum.

Were you fascinated by boats and the water even growing up nowhere near an ocean?

TB Mom died when I was in 10th grade. I went to live with

Travis Brandt (center, with members of his Seattle-area shop) left Iowa as a teenager, learned to be a search-andrescue diver and then joined the U.S. Coast Guard. So the sea became a big part of his life. (XTAERO BOATS)

COMPANY

PROFILE

an aunt who lived on Lake Norman in North Carolina and I did half of my 11th grade high school year at East Lincoln High School there. My mom had been a teacher and I was a minor, so I received some sort of life insurance or social security and I used that for scuba diving lessons from Claremont Dive Shop in Claremont, N.C. On the weekends, I rode along to Panama City, Fla. with a small dive group and did advanced, night and rescue diver courses, well over 100 dives. To earn the rescue diver ticket we were required to do a free ocean dive.

When I was 17 years old I went with my dive group to Morehead City, N.C. and dove on the U352, a World War II German U-boat still laying intact at a depth of 110 feet.

Three things happened that day that changed my life.

First, my dive buddy, who was also getting his rescue ticket, required me to save his life at 100 feet. I learned that my faith in myself and approach to emergencies was unique.

Second, one of the other eight divers on this dive did not make it. The Coast Guard was called and we were immediately inundated with the full force and scope of calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

75

FISHING I wasn’t always going to see, and I believe this strongly now. I build boats, but my role in life is to live with passion and set an example for others so they can see a clear way to overcome obstacles in life and be more complete versions of themselves.

CC What was your experience like in the Coast Guard?

TB I was the second to the bottom in my high school grad-

One of Travis Brandt’s Xatero boats. Before obtaining a finance degree from the University of Iowa, he also became a pilot and flew small planes in rugged Alaska. (XTAERO BOATS)

the (search-and-rescue) capabilities of the Coast Guard.

Helicopters, small boats and even a nearby training Navy SEAL team assisted in trying to save this guy. I immediately knew in my gut that I was going straight back to Iowa, finish my high school diploma and join the Coast Guard.

The third thing was that because the group knew my personal story regarding my mom, they asked me to talk with this man’s 16-year-old daughter, given that we were the same age and she wanted to know what his last hours were like.

This taught me that my life had a higher purpose that

76 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

uating class. But I had soloed an airplane, was a certified rescue diver and had dove in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean and had personally saved a dive buddy from the deep.

I had also visited my sister in Germany twice and sailed the North Sea in a 26-foot sailboat. This life experience helped me, but getting into the Coast Guard was not easy.

At the time, there was a two-year wait and Coast Guard class sizes had 50 people. The recruiter candidly shared that he’d rather play golf because he was retiring and had met his quota months earlier.

His quota was about 12 recruits – in the whole state for the whole year. Somehow I convinced him of my pre-existing and immutable Coast Guard-like life features and unrelentingly begged for his attention. Affirmative action was center stage then, and he had an open billet for a female recruit. So he told me that he contacted USCG Headquarters and requested permission to induct me instead of

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a female, since a female wasn’t in the pipeline. Success!

And I now get to never live down that I joined the Coast Guard as a female(for some reason, they made me use the men’s locker room, so apparently affirmative action only went so far back then … I digress).

How this relates to building boats is that my first duty assignment was a 110-foot Island Class patrol cutter. On a dark night in my second year a mission required me to QMOW [Quartermaster of the Watch] – the fancy way of saying I was plotting dead reckoning points and keeping track of GPS fixes as the navigator – into a pretty nasty storm.

At midnight we left Gitmo [Guantanamo Bay, Cuba] and headed for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, straight into this storm. Our cutter was impressive, to say the least, but the Coast Guard paid $11 million for it and I knew on that night that I could build it for $3 million.

I never let go of that job or that night in my mind, the missions, our captain, our capabilities and skill we had as a team to make the uncountable missions a success. All of it plays into building a successful team to build a good quality boat, on time and on budget. CS Editor’s note: For more on Xtaero Boats, call (855) 915-2628; follow on Twitter (@XtaeroBoats) and like at facebook.com/ xtaeroboats. Part II of this interview will appear in the January issue of California Sportsman.

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HUNTING

BIRD SHORTAGE EVIDENT PHEASANT NUMBERS? THEY’RE NOT PLEASANT NUMBERS, BUT CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE MANAGERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS TO DECLINE

This gorgeous pheasant flies through a California hunting preserve. Wild ringneck populations and harvest numbers have seen a major decline over the past decade.

(STEVE DEMELLO/CAMANCHE HILLS PRESERVE)

By Brad Hall

W

e always marked the date on our kitchen calendar back then: middle of November, second Saturday of the month.

The opening day of California’s pheasant season.

It was an exciting time, an unofficial holiday at our house. While the Ithaca Model 37 20-gauge pump that was my first bird-hunting gun went into hibernation after dove season, the pheasant opener always promised more chances to pull its trigger.

The big day also meant mingling with family and friends; everyone gathered for an early-morning breakfast, the breaking of bread normally spiced by an abundance of good-natured ribbing about who might shoot

the day’s first two-bird limit.

We’d load the dogs and our gear and pile into old pickup trucks, the anticipation boiling raucously. Then it was off to the fields to chase the wily, elusive – majestic, even – ringnecked pheasant.

There was more of the same on Thanksgiving Day morning. It was a ritual – this pheasant hunting stuff was a holiday event. Football games and turkey dinner could wait. We hunted corn and asparagus fields in the Delta west of Stockton, irrigated pasture and flooded marshes near Oakdale, gnarly ditches at the base of the Sutter Buttes and rice fields in the Sacramento Valley.

We’d travel wherever permission allowed us to hunt. And birds were not hard to find.

TOUGH TIMES But my, how things have changed.

The pheasant season continues through Dec. 27, but today, the likelihood of finding wild ones in California is slim. Finding them in huntable numbers is nearly impossible, especially on public ground.

Take Gray Lodge Wildlife Area around Gridley, for instance. Once a known hotbed for wild pheasant hunting and which housed nearly 2,000 birds, its numbers have dwindled to less than 200.

Sadly, the trend at Gray Lodge is not an isolated one. According to recent California Department of Fish and Wildlife surveys, almost 67,000 fewer wild pheasants were bagged in 2010 than in 2001. Harvest numbers for ducks, by contrast, are up near-

calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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HUNTING ly 700,000, geese another 147,000 during that same time span.

Scott Gardner, supervisor of CDFW’s Upland Game Program, admits California’s wild pheasant population is in a “tremendous decline” and “not going to be what it was.’’ Reasons for

the decline are numerous, and Gardner cites these primary culprits: * Loss of habitat. Birds need cover and food to survive and repopulate.

Habitat is disappearing across the state at an alarming rate. Growing metropolitan areas are turning wild fields into parking lots, apartment

Almost 67,000 fewer wild pheasants were bagged in 2010 than 2001, numbers that clearly reflect an issue that many hunters and state officials are frustrated with and seeking solutions.

(STEVE DEMELLO/CAMANCHE HILLS PRESERVE)

complexes and shopping malls.

Farmers, too, have become a factor. They’re now stunningly efficient at their craft. Thanks to modern equipment and scientific practices, they waste very little seed or water and leave even less riparian habitat, which is crucial to pheasant survival.

“It’s hard to blame farmers in an era when they have to watch every drop of water,” Gardner said. “That’s understandable.” * Changing habitat.

“We’ve gone from great wetlands to emerging forests,” Gardner said. “That’s not good for pheasant populations. Look at South Dakota; there’s not many trees there. Our upland component is disappearing more and more.”

Trees also provide additional habitat for birds of prey. * Drought. Lack of water means lack of moist habitat, which is vital to insect growth, which in turn is critical to chick survival. “Chicks are

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HUNTING highly dependent on insects,’’ said Pheasants Forever Western Region manager Dan Connelly. * Pesticides. Today’s pesticides are shockingly effective, which is good news for people but not so much for pheasants. The spraying of mosquitoes for the West Nile virus, for example, is so widespread and deadly that millions of untargeted insects are also destroyed in addition to the pesky mosquito. Those same insects could provide food for pheasant chicks. * Predators and birds of prey.

Pheasant nests and chicks face myriad predators on the ground and in the air. Coyotes, skunks and foxes raid nests at a staggering rate, gobbling eggs and harassing both young and adult birds. Crows, ravens and hawks attack from above.

“Raptors have increased tremendously in California, especially ravens,” Connelly said. “They love eggs.”

Birds need cover and food to survive and repopulate. Yet habitat is disappearing across the state at an alarming rate.

(STEVE DEMELLO/CAMANCHE HILLS PRESERVE)

NO EASY SOLUTIONS What is being done to combat such issues? Some say not enough.

Tom Page, president of the Chico chapter of Pheasants Forever, lays at least part of the blame on CDFW. “The department isn’t listening to its biologists,” said Page, whose chapter is in its second year of existence.

“They only care about writing tickets.

84 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

They’re not really concerned about the animals. They couldn’t care less about pheasants.”

Page said Pheasants Forever has been purchasing land and planting native grasses and vegetation in order to help revive habitat and thus aid the birds. “Like they have in the Midwest,” he added.

Connelly believes the department

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HUNTING is giving an honest effort but has other issues that also take time and money.

“They have more and more demands, and sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease,’’ he said.

“They’re doing as good a job as they can, considering the circumstances.

Right now we’re in the middle of one of the largest research programs ever; that’s been ongoing for the last three years. There are some big things coming that may provide more money, and there may be more opportunities.”

“There has to be some kind of change in the landscape, some change in thinking,” added Connelly.

CDFW’s Gardner said the pheasant decline is of prime concern to him and the department. He cites a meeting six months ago at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area that included Pheasants Forever, the U.S. Geological Survey, and several upland bird experts as a formidable ally of the beloved ringneck. Gardner said money

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought in colleagues from South Dakota to investigate decreasing numbers of ringnecks, but the outlook is bleak for the game birds in the wild. “We’re probably not going to have the pheasant populations we used to have,” a biologist said. (STEVE DEMELLO/CAMANCHE HILLS PRESERVE)

generated from the sale of Upland Game Bird Stamps also is being used to fund pheasant-population studies and projects.

“We’ve had quite an effort looking into it,’’ Gardner said. “We brought out experts from South Dakota with 20 years experience. There’s not a lot we’re going to be able to do, though.

We’re probably not going to have

86 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

the pheasant populations we used to have. I hate to say that, but it’s true.”

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE All is not lost for the determined pheasant hunter. While harvest numbers of wild birds are plummeting, hunters are taking their fair share of released ringnecks at licensed game bird clubs. In 2010, hunters

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87

HUNTING bagged 279,069 such birds, including between 25,000 and 28,000 each at Camanche Hills (209-763-5270) in Ione and Bird’s Landing (707374-5092) in Rio Vista. Other game bird clubs are located at various sites across the state.

“The pheasant clubs certainly are doing a bigger and better job every year,’’ said Bird’s Landing general manager Rick Fox. “Part of our job is to bring in new blood, and that’s a problem in today’s world with teenagers having so many side attractions.’’

Still, Fox and Larry Skinner, who runs Camanche Hills, are always looking for ways to attract new shooters and hunters. Both clubs also offer chukar hunts and sporting-clays courses. And Camanche Hills provides flighted mallard shoots. Additional advantages of these clubs are longer seasons and expanded limits.

Fox said business at Bird’s Land-

ing has grown at a 10-percent annual clip the past five years. The pro shop, which now offers the sale of firearms, is jumping at a 20-percent rate. Skinner has added an archery course at Camanche Hills this year in an attempt to lure more business.

Both clubs offer hunters the opportunity to purchase bird cards and rent trained hunting dogs. Hunters are not allowed in the field without dogs at either club.

PRESERVING TRADITIONS Memories of cackling, explosive wild birds narrowly escaping a dog’s grasp or, conversely, outrunning a charging hunting brigade has many outdoorsmen reaching for their photo albums.

“There’s nothing like wild pheasants,’’ Fox said. “You have to be a good hunter with a good dog and you have to be quick.’’

Here’s hoping the opportunity doesn’t run away forever, like some of those ringnecks of yore. CS

For many hunters, memories of fall bird hunts just aren’t the same. Hunts on public land are all but futile these days as pheasant numbers drop. (STEVE DEMELLO/CAMANCHE HILLS PRESERVE)

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It’s chambered in 5.56mm and .300 AAC Blackout rifle and pistol configurations, and coming soon as a .410 shotgun; California-compliant versions are available too. Prices range from $599.95 to $654.99. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the entire OMNI Hybrid MAXX Series and other American Tactical products. WWW.AMERICANTACTICAL.US

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the

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92 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

AN APPLE A DAY … FOR YOUR

HOLIDAY BIRD

Recipe and photos by Jeremiah Doughty

S

itting under an old oak as the sun slowly peeks over the horizon, I hear a lone gobble in the distance. I look across the field to a dew-covered apple orchard and watch as a flock of wild turkeys bust the roost and start pecking at the fallen fruit.

This is one of my favorite sights in the northern San Diego Mountains, where I hunt my turkeys. I was sitting under the old oak one morning, watching the flock enjoying fall’s fruits, when this recipe came to me. I thought about how the birds would taste as they filled their bellies on the nearly endless supply of apples.

Unknowingly, they are adding a sweetness to their meat that only comes from eating the fruit. This recipe brings all those memories rushing back to me with every bite. I think back to those chilly fall mornings as my dad and I sought to harvest a holiday bird. I can remember the excitement as that lone tom made his way over. With every bite I relive the hunt – the adventures of a moment not forgotten, the bounty of the dew-covered apple orchard, the bird that didn’t get away.

STUFFED WILD TURKEY BREAST WITH APPLE-SAUSAGE STUFFING 2 turkey breasts deboned, skin on 1 stick of butter, plus 2 tablespoons – separated One box of your favorite stuffing 1 pound pork sausage, removed from casings (I use fresh wild boar sausage) One brown onion, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried savory Two medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped 2 cups chicken or homemade broth

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly each turkey breast; pound out flat and set aside. In large bowl, add melted butter, broth and stuffing mix, then remove and set aside.

In skillet add sausage, break up and cook through. Remove from pan. In skillet, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté onions with garlic until soft. Add thyme, sage, rosemary and savory; cook for one minute more.

Add apples to mixture and cook an additional three minutes. Remove from heat and add mixture along with sausage to stuffing mix. Mix all ingredients until fully combined. Add a half-cup more stock if the stuffing is dry.

Take your turkey breasts and cover with stuffing mix.

Tightly roll each breast, tying with butcher’s twine. Rub each breast with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for 30 to 40 minutes until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

Transfer turkey to cutting board and allow to rest for five to 10 minutes before slicing into this amazing dish.

Cut into half-thick slices and serve alongside your favorite holiday sides. CS Editor’s note: For more on the Wild Chef, Jeremiah Doughty, check out his website (fromfieldtoplate.com), like him on Facebook (facebook.com/Fromfieldtoplate) and follow on Instagram (fromfieldtoplate) and Twitter (fromfield2plate). calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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94 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS A FATHER-DAUGHTERS DEER HUNT IN WYOMING WAS GOING MISERABLY UNTIL FATE INTERVENED

By Tim E. Hovey

A

fter failing to draw antelope tags for me and my daughters in Wyoming for the 2015 hunting season, I returned to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s website and decided to see if I could secure some leftover tags for the upcoming deer season. My good friend Darrin Bergen called me and said that there were four tags in an area very close to his place in Cody.

By the time I jumped on the website there were only three tags left. Thankfully, my personal information from previous trips was on record and within minutes I was able to secure the trio offered for the X-zone.

In late October I took the girls out of school, loaded up the truck and, for their very first deer hunt, headed from our home in Southern California to Wyoming.

A FUTILE HUNT On the third morning of our hunt, we were sitting at the edge of a ravine, with a perfect view of the valley below.

The mood was somber. On the walk in, we had spotted a group of deer moving at the bottom of the canyon. Hoping to cut them off, we quickly got set up at the edge of the ridge and waited. Bringing up the rear below, a small buck trotted into view. Jessica was set up on her shooting sticks with the buck in her scope. The deer trotted a few feet and stopped perfectly broadside at 230 yards. Jessica steadied herself and pulled the trigger, sending the bullet less than an inch over his back. The buck raced off and was gone.

Both my daughters are passionate about hunting and the outdoors and don’t take missed shots well. With tears in her eyes, Jessica rested her forehead on the scope of her rifle and began to cry. To make matters worse, about 45 seconds after her shot we heard a second shot in the next valley over where the buck had headed.

Earlier that morning, I had offered to let the girls sleep in since we had hunted so hard the previous two days.

They both declined the offer and convinced me to get up early and keep trying. Now, with the missed shot, cold weather and only six hours left to hunt, we all believed we were headed back to California with empty coolers and unfilled tags.

We had hunted Bureau of Land Management public land the whole trip. The rolling hills and shallow ravines looked like perfect deer habitat. Unfortunately, opportu-

Author Tim Hovey took his daughters Jessica and Alyssa to the Cody, Wyo. area in search of their first deer. Days of glassing had them empty-handed and frustrated. But when they helped a fellow hunter drag his deer out, their luck changed and they were steered to a hunt on private land, paying off with the girls’ first harvest. (TIM E. HOVEY) calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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HUNTING nities were very limited and we saw more hunters than deer. We also had to suffer through constant and severe cold winds that really tested our perseverance and dedication. But despite the conditions, both my daughters toughed it out and stayed motivated.

With some encouragement, Jessica calmed herself and pushed the miss to the back of her mind where she’d remember it forever. Since the morning deer movement was over, we were about to head back to the truck when we noticed a hunter over in the next valley struggling to get a deer back to his truck by himself.

We decided to head over and give him a hand. I leaned over and gave Jessica a hug. I told her that she should never give up and that the hunt wasn’t over yet. She smiled through the tears and nodded.

By the time we got over to the hunter he had managed to handle most of the heavy lifting by himself, but he appreciated the offer to help him out. We talked to him for a bit and decided that we’d return to the same area for our last evening hunt.

With a renewed sense of hope, the three us got back into the truck and headed for Grannie’s in the nearby town of Cody for pancakes. Little did we realize that we had already set in motion a set of circumstances that would change our plans for the rest of the day.

96 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

PRIVACY, PLEASE The road into the hunting area is a well worn two-track; as we made our way back to the main road, I noticed a truck coming our way. I pulled over to let him pass and realized that it was a Wyoming Game and Fish warden. He stopped, checked our tags and talked to us for a bit.

He introduced himself as Bill and thought it was great that my daughters and I had driven all the way from California to hunt. He asked us what our plans were and I told him we were headed back home the next day.

He pulled out a business card and starting writing on the back of it. He handed it to me and told me to call a guy named Alan, a land manager for a piece of private land.

He seemed confident that Alan would allow us access to the property to finish off our hunting trip. Bill mentioned we might at least have an opportunity to fill one of our either-sex Wyoming deer tags before we headed home.

Alan picked up the phone on the second ring and gladly agreed to let Alyssa and Jessica hunt the property he managed. Over the phone he gave us directions to his shop where we could pick up the landowners’ hunting permit, get a map and take a tour of the property. Alan was busy, so he arranged for his maintenance man, Chuni, to give us a tour. Alan told us to be careful, wished us luck and hung up the phone.

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HUNTING

Alyssa (left) spotted her doe just a short time after the hunt started. A little while later it was Jessica’s turn, and her second shot put down the deer with a neck shot from 200 yards out. (TIM E. HOVEY)

Within an hour of meeting Bill the warden up on the very public BLM land, we were in Chuni’s work truck getting a detailed view of a very large piece of private land. At

98 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

the end of the loop, Chuni had us fill out the landowner forms and gave us our map.

Since we were already on the property and the weather

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HUNTING looked perfect, the girls and I decided to start hunting. While we each held nonresident deer tags, my goal was to see if I could get my daughters on their first deer.

We slowly drove down the perimeter road looking for deer. The property was a mix of agricultural fields and native habitat, and we were lucky enough to have access to it all.

I crossed over a wooden bridge and started traveling the perimeter of a cornfield. We hadn’t gone 50 feet when Alyssa spotted a bedded doe in the old corn. She quietly got out and moved to the edge of the field. She set up on her shooting sticks and got comfortable.

I could see the bedded deer’s ear, but Alyssa needed the deer to stand to get a shot. When she was ready, I made a bleating noise and the deer stood up, looking our way. Alyssa steadied herself and hit the deer perfectly at 90 yards.

All three of us were ecstatic. After a long trip, we finally had a deer on the ground. We took some pictures and quartered out the deer. Alyssa filled out her first-ever deer tag and attached it to one of the legs. We loaded up the meat into the cooler and headed out again. It was 1:30 p.m.

YOUR TURN, SIS I stayed on the same road and we slowly drove the edge of the field.

Jessica was up next. Since we had spotted one doe bedded in the field, we figured that other deer were probably staying on the property and bedding down in the agricultural fields too. They wouldn’t be easy to spot.

I moved beyond a grove of trees near the next cornfield. Jessica was searching when she suddenly stiffened up. She asked me to back up a bit. She looked through the binoculars and spotted a bedded doe out in the center of the field over 300 yards away. It was only visible when we were looking straight down the 3-foot-wide row.

We left Alyssa on the ridge to spot

for us. Jessica and I headed down into a thick creek bottom and quietly made our way to the field edge. After 10 minutes of quiet stalking, we got to within 200 yards of the bedded deer. With her position in the center of the field, we couldn’t get any closer undetected.

I set up Jessica’s shooting sticks and she found the deer in her scope. The doe was looking our way and, despite being bedded, she presented enough of a target to take a shot. Jessica steadied herself and slowly squeezed the trigger.

At the shot the deer jumped up, ran about 30 feet and stopped broadside. Jessica loaded another round and dropped the doe with the second shot. When we got up to the downed deer, we noticed that she had hit the doe square in the neck, which would’ve eventually been lethal. The earlier miss was all but forgotten once she reached the animal.

Jessica’s doe was massive and the three of us celebrated our success deep in the abandoned Wyoming cornfield in the middle of nowhere. I told both of them that I was proud of how they hadn’t given up, and how, despite the tough conditions, they kept hunting.

The take-home message of the day was that hard work and dedication can eventually get rewarded.

Earlier that morning we had been on a cold windy ridge after a tough miss, a bit disappointed and definitely at the end of our hunt. My daughters hunted in tough conditions and never quit.

Together, on the edge of a canyon and a bit defeated, we decided to go help a fellow hunter out. That delay in our departure brought us into contact with Warden Bill and eventually to our unbelievable hunt.

My daughters persevered, stayed positive and never quit. As their father, I was beyond proud of them and it was great to see their tenacity rewarded. Our last hunting day in Wyoming will be one none of us will ever forget. CS

ONE FOR THE ROAD We loaded up Jessica’s deer and kept searching the property. With less than 30 minutes of daylight left, I filled my tag and added the quarters of a third deer to our coolers in the back of the truck.

100 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

The Hoveys came a long way and were rewarded for their patience with plenty of venison to bring back to California. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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FEES FIRST,

THEN HUNT ARIZONA

L

ast month we introduced you to an intriguing way for Californians to hunt in out-of-state locations like Arizona.

Besides the logistics of getting to a hunt out of state, hunting with a guide can become pricey for nonresidents to go after big game there. Travis McClendon, a longtime hunter and Arizona native, came up with the concept of helping hunters pay a flat fee up front. If drawn a tag for a big-game elk hunt, his business, Zero Guide Fees (zeroguidefees.com), will cover whatever the price for that particular hunt will run you.

In part two of this report, McClendon and his partner at Zero Guide Fees, David Rhodes, provided a little more insight into how this pay-now, hunt-later approach is a great fit for your Arizona hunting adventure.

HUNTING COMPANY

PROFILE

TM You may cancel the program at any time. However, no annual or license fees will be reimbursed.

David Rhodes It simply would not be possible to refund memberships given the already extremely discounted rates.

CS How long will it take to draw a tag in Arizona?

TM This depends on several different variables that you as a hunter will determine once you have answered the questions on your profile. Anything from weapon choice, units or bonus points may affect the amount of time to draw. Many people assume it takes 20 years to draw, and in some cases that is true. However, we can get you drawn in the first five (years) if you so choose. Again, it’s predicated on what your goals are for Arizona.

CS Do I have to be in the program for a certain amount of time before my hunt is covered by Zero Guide Fees?

TM No. All members are covered as soon as they pay for

California Sportsman What is your background?

Travis McClendon I personally have been guiding in Arizona for 25 years. My dad, John McClendon, was the pioneer for this state and has left a very big legacy for me to follow.

He created McClendon Guide Service in the early 1980s and we became partners in 2004. I eventually bought him out and changed the names to Arizona Elk Outfitters LLC and Arizona Strip Guides LLC. Over the past several years our clients have been fortunate enough to harvest several world records and many more in the all-time record books. Arizona Elk Outfitters LLC and Arizona Strip Guides LLC have consistently produced top-end animals for their clients; we think our trophy gallery proves this.

CS Can I apply with another hunter and still get guided, No matter what you pay up front and how long you have to wait for your tag to be approved, you’ll get to hunt big game in Arizona thanks to Zero Guide Fees

even if he is not a Zero Guide Fees member? proprietors Travis McClendon and David Rhodes. (ZERO GUIDE FEES) TM Yes, you can apply with another partner, a family their first month or first year. You will not have to be with member or a friend – even if that friend is not a member. us for a certain amount of seasons before you become acWe will still cover your hunt. Also, if both parties are ZGF tive. It is possible to draw your first time in our system. members, we can apply them as a group and they can draw and hunt together as well.

DR This is why if you are seriously thinking about big game hunting in the Western state with the best worldclass animals and high amount of public land, there is no CS What happens if I cancel my Zero Guide Fees membermore affordable option than Zero Guide Fees. CS ship before I get drawn? calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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HUNTING COMPANY

PROFILE

In the rugged northwest corner of Colorado, some of that state’s best elk and deer hunting can be had via Craig Wild Bunch outfitters. (CRAIG WILD BUNCH)

The hunting in this part of Colorado is adjacent to the gorgeous Routt National Forest in Game Management Unit 4. (CRAIG WILD BUNCH)

‘WILD’ TIME ON TAP IN COLORADO WITH CRAIG-AREA OUTFITTERS

I

n the rugged Rocky Mountains around the city of Craig in northwest Colorado – about four hours from Denver – some of the state’s best deer and elk hunting takes place. We caught up with Willie White of Craig Wild Bunch (970-824-9334; elk-craigwildbunch.com) outfitters for more about hunting Colorado’s bulls and bucks.

California Sportsman How long has the Craig Wild Bunch been outfitting?

Willie White We have been hunting the same ranch in northwest Colorado for over 30 years, so we know every nook and cranny of where the animals can hide, travel and migrate through.

CS What areas do you hunt around Craig?

WW Our ranch is located in Game Management Unit 4, which is just 25 miles north of Craig. It mostly consists of scrub oak brush, aspens and two creeks that run through the ranch with multiple stock ponds. There is also a county road that has access through the ranch, so transportation to different areas to hunt is easy.

Our property backs up to the Routt National Forest on the east side. The shooting ranges can be from 25 yards out to 1,000 yards, depending on where you hunt. The nice thing is you can just sit on the ridge and let them come by; or you can put a stalk on them.

CS What do you offer for hunts?

WW We offer a combination of hunting opportunities. We

have a total do-it-yourself hunt for the hunters who have experience, guided hunts for first-time hunters and semiguided hunts, where we can set you up in a great location and offer assistance.

We offer all archery, muzzleloader and the four rifle seasons, plus a late cow elk season that runs until the end of November. You can hunt mule deer, bull elk and/or cow elk. Procuring hunting licenses is the responsibility of the hunter through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife big game application process (cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/Licenses.aspx) and/or through over-the-counter licenses, when available.

Our camp is in a great location, right off the county road, and you can choose to bring your own sleeping arrangements or we can provide them for you (campers or wall tents). We also have a large fully outfitted cook tent set up, provide fresh water and we will pack out your game. There are a number of game-processing companies in Craig; you can hang it on our meat pole and haul it home or process it in camp.

CS What elevation is the hunting area?

WW Elevations run from approximately 6,600 to 8,500 feet.

CS Do you have a trophy hunt of a lifetime?

WW We do not offer trophy hunts but harvest mule deer in the 170- to 200-inch class yearly. Our hunts are geared for hunters who want a great and inexpensive hunt adventure, plus the camaraderie of everyone here. CS calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

105

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High in the Pyrenees Mountains near the France and Spain border, Brittany Boddington glasses for chamois, a kind of goat-antelope prized by hunters. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

HIGH UP IN THE PYRENEES HUNTING CHAMOIS ON THE RUGGED BORDER BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN

By Brittany Boddington

T

here are several subspecies of chamois in Europe.

I hunted the Balkan chamois in Macedonia a few years ago and really enjoyed the experience. I was thrilled at the idea of hunting the Pyrenees chamois in the mountains of France.

My good friends Lisa and Guillaume run a hunting operation called France Safaris (francesafaris.com). They have a beautiful property with lots of animals to hunt, but it is not in the mountains. As a favor to me they set up a hunt in the Pyrenees with a guide named Jean Luc

Planes. Guillaume accompanied me and helped translate since I speak absolutely no French. The hunting area is right on the border with Spain and we could see into the ancient land of the setting sun as we hiked out.

The area was beautiful; the word scenic really doesn’t do it justice. The mountains were steep and green with waterfalls and rolling hills. We hiked straight up – I usually zigzag to avoid fatigue – but I could tell Jean Luc hiked those mountains every day. He went straight upwards, keeping all the weight on his toes like a mountain goat.

I did my best to keep up. I glanced back several times at Guillaume, and to my relief he was panting as hard as I calsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015 California Sportsman

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This little female fallow deer found a new family with this herd of horses; she thinks the black horse is her mom. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

was. We passed a beautiful stream with crystal-clear water.

The weather was warm but felt hot as we started to hike harder. Amid the hot sun, pretty soon we were down to our T-shirts to counter the weather.

WE CRESTED A hill covered with grass, and to my surprise there were horses everywhere. They’re turned loose in the mountains to graze in the warmer months and then brought back

to town in the winter, part of the cycle known in this part of the world as the transhumance.

What made this herd particularly strange was the tiny companion they had picked up one summer many years ago. A female fallow deer stood in the shadow with a big black horse – so close they were almost touching. This little fallow had joined them one summer as a baby and decided the black horse was its mother.

The fallow follows the horses wherever they go, even back to town. Jean Luc told us this story as we hiked through the herd. He has been hunting this area for many years and has seen the horses and fallow deer together for a long time.

We left the horses behind and continued our climb. We reached a high point and sat down to glass. Jean Luc said the area was good for chamois, which are a type of goat-antelope. It sure looked like the right place to me.

The grassy hills gave way to steep rocky outcrops and sheer cliffs, perfect chamois country. We glassed for a bit before we spotted one, a small female that jumped up on a rock and was sky lined for a moment. Once we spotted that one, all the rest became visible.

There were at least 10 chamois on the hill opposite us. They were eating and jumping on rocks. Some young

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ones were chasing each other around a big white rock. I was ecstatic! I asked Jean Luc which one and attempted to scramble into a shooting position, but he put up a hand calmly and gestured to wait. Through Guillaume’s translation I understood that he wanted to sit and watch for a while and see which direction they were headed. He wanted to get closer without spooking them.

We waited and watched as the chamois slowly moved over the ridge and out of sight.

This chamois had been bedded down, but when I was sure they were gone forever and tried it stood, Brittany was ready to shoot. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON) to fight back my disappointment. We started to hike again – down and then up. The whole time I was sure I was going to have to make this whole climb again the next day, and I was not looking shot, but we were at 200 or so and there was no cover left forward to it. I could feel my sunburned neck and arms but to move closer. was too hot to put back on my protective layers.

I assured him that my gun was zeroed at 200 and I was comfortable taking that shot. He looked a bit skeptical but said I could get ready in case a shot presented itself. I WE REACHED THE ridge where the chamois had disappeared. rested my rifle on my pack and got nice and comfortable Sure enough, all my doubt was for nothing as the chamas the chamois milled around. When I was very steady I ois were there, just across a valley from us. Jean Luc had asked Jean Luc which one he thought should be shot. hoped to get us to 100 meters (about 109 yards) for the

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ArizonaStripGuides.com • ArizonaStripGuides@gmail.com Travis McClendon (928) 300-6755 • David Rhodes (928) 713-6756 110 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

A Hunting Destination For The Discerning Few.

www.huntingredstag.com

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Brittany prepares to take her shot from about 200 yards out. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

There were two chamois together on the hill; he told me the one on the left. I found it in my scope, and as my crosshairs got near the shoulder the chamois laid down.

Then the other one laid down. So we sat for a while – ready and excited but patiently waiting for them to get up.

After a while the chamois on the right stood up. Jean Luc said I could take it if I felt comfortable. I was more than comfortable by that point and I took my shot. The shot hit exactly where I aimed and we rushed forward to make sure the chamois was down.

As we crossed the valley we stepped over metal scraps and rusted twisted engine parts. Jean Luc explained that there had been a horrible plane crash there many years ago with no survivors. The plane was never removed; there were pieces everywhere. After a somber moment surveying the wreckage we got back to our mission and continued across the valley and up to the chamois.

It was still there to my relief and was gorgeous. The coat was a brown color resembling milk chocolate with cream-colored markings. The French call them izard instead of chamois (pronounced like Isa). Jean Luc was quick to correct me once we got up to the animal. He insisted I refer to it as an izard from then on.

THE PYRENEES IZARD is a very rare and coveted trophy. It is only found in the mountains along the France-Spain border. The one I shot was not massive, but it was an adult and Jean Luc assured me that the numbers should be managed. He said that when they get overpopulated, they get a disease that causes blindness.

The blindness leads to nasty falls from great heights.

When there are too many of them, he starts ďŹ nding them dead amongst the rocks. It is his job to regulate the 112 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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Outfitter Guillaume Roques Rogery (right) and local professional hunter Jean Luc Planes helped Brittany score with a beautiful Pyrenees chamois. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

population in that area; he is given a specific number that he should take each year and does his best to reach that number for the good of the species.

I was happy to have accomplished my goal and to have helped out with the population control. We tagged and cleaned the animal and headed down the mountain with one stop in mind: We all needed to take a good splash in that crystal-clear stream. CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. For more information, go to brittanyboddington.com or facebook.com/ brittanyboddington.

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Doug and Slade Conboy from Modesto hooked this 10 lb Mackinaw Ice Fishing at the Caples Lake Dam in December 2013.

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Specializing in Free Range Hunts

www.queenstownhunting.com ww.q queeenstownh huntingg.co email: info@mtnicholas.co.nz

116 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

‘STATION’ HERE FOR NEW ZEALAND HUNT EXPERIENCE

By Bruce Collins

L

ocated at the foot of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and bordering the western shores of Lake Wakatipu, Mt Nicholas Station is one of New Zealand’s iconic high-country sheep and beef properties.

While farming is the key focus, the 100,000 acres of stunning landscape, including river valleys, native bush, alpine grass valleys and spectacular mountains, makes for a perfect hunting environment. Mt Nicholas offers one of the very best genuine free-range experiences that New Zealand boasts.

Red stag, fallow buck, chamois and tahr can all be hunted from here, and for those hunters looking for the complete hunting experience, this place has it all. Not only do hunters get a great hunting experience, they also get to see firsthand a family-owned station operated by New Zealanders.

last three years all hunters who have hunted with us have all taken stags that any New Zealand hunter would have been proud of.

THE GAME Representative New Zealand red stags are typically 10 to 16 points with nice shape, clean definition and can be hunted from late February

ABOUT THE HUNTS Unlike the country’s high-fenced hunts, a genuine free-range hunt in New Zealand does not offer the hunter the opportunity of seeing or taking massive 20-plus-point red stags. But what Mt Nicholas does offer is the opportunity to hunt the old-fashioned way, where you never know what you might see, with the overall experience being the driving factor. While we can’t guarantee success, over the

COMPANY

PROFILE

country. A hunt for a good buck in the rut is a fantastic experience, and these deer are very aggressive and offer an extremely challenging hunt.

The fallow rut is usually mid-April to early May, but bucks can be hunted from March until July.

Chamois and tahr are best hunted from late April through July, when their winter coats are at their best.

Some fantastic free-range red stag hunts await visitors to Mt Nicholas Station on New Zealand’s South Island near Queenstown. (MT NICHOLAS STATION)

through the end July, although the rut period of the middle of March to late April does offer the best opportunities for seeing multiple stags.

The free-range fallow herd on Mt Nicholas is possibly the best in the

The environment these animals live in is both spectacular and challenging, and any hunter completing a successful hunt on foot for these animals should be very satisfied with any success they have.

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HUNTING While free-range hunting is our specialty, Mt Nicholas also has a very challenging high-fenced area of 1,000 acres that carries about 12 red stags and up to four elk at any one time. For the hunter who is looking for a larger trophy than the free range can offer, this is a great option, with stags up to 440 inches, Safari Club International score, being taken in this area.

To ensure the very best hunting opportunities we limit the number of hunters on the property to four at a time, with a max of two per guide.

New Zealand’s Mt Nicholas Station also offers opportunities to harvest beautiful chamois, as well as tahr and fallow deer. (MT NICHOLAS STATION)

LODGING Accommodation is in our bunkhouse situated on the lakefront, where we also grow our own vegetables. The meals provided are amazing and feature homegrown beef, lamb and venison. We also have a luxury lakeside cottage that’s ideal for a couple if a few extra com-

forts are required.

The hunting at Mt Nicholas is the real deal and offers an authentic New Zealand high-country experience so good, you won’t want to leave. We don’t just want to meet the expectations of our clients – we want to exceed them. CS

Editor’s notes: For more on Mt Nicholas Station, go to mtnicholas.co.nz; for hunting info, see queenstownhunting.com. You can also like them at facebook.com/mountnicholas. Part four of Simon Guild’s series on hunting New Zealand, which had been slated to run this issue, will appear in our January 2016 issue.

Specializing In: Red Stag, Fallow Bucks, Wapiti, Apawera Rams, Tahr & Chamios

Leithen Valley Trophy Hunts New Zealand is a family run and operated business located in the south island of New Zealand.

Contact Rach and Olly Burke: www.leithenvalley.com ^ 118 California Sportsman DECEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Info@leithenvalley.com

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