NEWS & STORIES
PHWFF Eagle Canyon Saint Patrick’s Day Fish Out 2017
It was a warm sunny day, different perhaps from the many days of rain northern California had experienced this winter season. It was also a day for the green, Saint Patrick’s Day. The fishing at Eagle Canyon was reported to be very good. Anticipation. What flies were working, how big were the fish being caught? Good fishing and a hot lunch to boot. The veterans were looking forward to a great day of trophy trout fishing!
Redding’s PHWFF fish-out to Confluence Outfitters Eagle Canyon Trophy Trout ponds coincided with Saint Patrick’s Day in 2017. In addition to fishing for trophy trout from three to fifteen pounds, one of the Redding program volunteers, Bill La Paze (leprechaun Bill) prepared a traditional Saint Paddy’s Day on-site hot lunch of corned beef and cabbage, boiled potatoes, carrots, rolls and green snickerdoodles. The excellent pond side lunch was enjoyed by all. Full stomachs and perhaps too full to fish? Not a chance. Not at Eagle Canyon anyway.
Eagle Canyon provided an opportunity to fish and catch trophy trout in an easily accessible venue. Veterans tested their casting skills, used rods they had built, tested flies they had tied and caught big trout to boot, all in a day’s fishing at Eagle Canyon. All of the participants had hook ups, many with multiple fish brought to net. The big fish held their own, however. Many hook ups and bent rods were also accompanied with “aw shucks it got off.” That’s fishing. The excitement and fly fishing energy and enthusiasm though was evident in big smiles, loud shouts, high fives and some hero fish photos. Flies that traditionally work at Eagle Canyon at this time of the year include bunny leeches and zonkers in black and olive as well as midge pupa patterns. All of the fish caught were in the four to twelve pound range.
Andrew and Katie Harris of Confluence Outfitters, proprietors and operators of Eagle Canyon Trophy Trout, have been yearly supporters of our PHWFF program in Redding. This highly anticipated yearly outing provided opportunities to hook and catch truly trophy trout and has become one of the highlight fish-outs of the year. It was a great day. The vets are already looking forward to fishing Eagle Canyon next season. The trout better be ready!