Yeti Country: Part II-Mad River

       North of San Francisco, the Coast Ranges are aligned north-south, rising to a few thousand feet going north until they begin to blend with the southern Cascades.  In the Siskiyous, there are peaks above 6000'.   Among  these rugged hills and mountains are the headwaters of numerous rivers, often wild and undammed.   Their lengths are not grand, maybe a hundred miles, more or less.  They are fed by winter storms, turning them into raging brown waters, straightening the water courses as they rise, sweeping the redwood victims that line the shores.  By summer, these rivers turn into languid remnants of the winter waters.   All these rivers provide habitat for fish: salmon, trout, and steelhead.  Various seasons host runs of these aquatic migrants.  For winter, the steelhead is the number one candidate sought by fishermen.  Among the rivers more notable are the Russian in Sonoma county, then the Gualala, the Noyo, the Little river, the Eel, the Van Duzen, the Big river, the Smith, the Mattole, and the Mad river in Arcata.
       While in Arcata at Humboldt State, the Mayor met his old friend, Jay, a long time Arcata resident, and the reigning guru of steelhead fishing.   He invited the mayor to try his luck on the Mad.  We fished 3 days, 3 gorgeous winter days: temps in the 60's, clear skies, and no wind.  The fishing had been good over Christmas, as the river flow dropped and the clarity improved day by day.  The steelhead were moving in and moving up to the spawning zone near/in the hatchery where most were hatched 3 years ago.  These migratory fish went to the sea as juveniles 3 or more years ago, and now were returning to fulfill the life cycle by spawning in their home river.
      Using light tackle and roe as bait, we waded into the cold waters to try our luck.  Within minutes, Jay had a fish on!   After a successful fight, the clean, bright fish was landed.  It would be a good day.  The fish was logged onto the DFG Report card, as required.   By the end of 3 days of effort, we had almost 2 limits in the box.  Leaky waders necessitated acquiring replacements which made the wading experience tolerable(water temps below 50 degrees).
      It was a great trip; the freezer is full, and the card has some records to begin 2015.  It was a rare week on the North Coast, as good weather stayed over Humboldt County for almost 2 weeks and continues.  And the rest of the USA: freezing, as far south as Washington,D.C.