Okay, so she’s not the Dean or the Babine or the Klamath or the Rogue. And she won’t ever be compared with the Cowlitz or the Hoh or the Sandy or the Smith. But the good ol’ American River right in downtown Sacramento (100 miles inland) still pumps out some really nice steelhead.
The runs here have been down for at least a decade — maybe only a couple thousand steelhead make it back to the hatchery at Nimbus each winter — and fishing is generally on the tough side. But but when you consider that the American flows smack through the heart of the Capitol of the Golden State and is surrounded by more than a million people, it’s holding it’s own. Think about it — it’s pretty remarkable that you can, in 10 seconds flat, leave a bustling urban area and have a shot at catching a winter steelhead that can sometimes push into the mid teens.
To that end, I’ve dug out a bunch of photos of guide clients of mine over the years to give you a little taste of what the American can deliver. So now, without further adieu, I give you my tribute to the Rio Americano…
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Hey there
Your Uncle Mike just turned me on to this site. Can’t wait to book a trip whenever or wherever. ”fished with my dad my whole childhood but has been a long time. Please let me know of any upcomig trips that would fit me.