Current 2023 Projects
Salmon Survey on Auburn Ravine Creek
On November 25, 2023, Jim Monical, Bob McCarthy, and Mike Malatesta from Granite Bay Flycasters met with the Friends of Auburn Ravine to survey the salmon running up Auburn Ravine Creek. We managed to spot 2 salmon but it appears we were a little early. We also saw some trout which we could not tell if they were rainbows or steelhead. Looks like we will need to wait for some rain for an increase in the number of spawning salmon running up Auburn Ravine Creek. Friends of Auburn Ravine will need volunteers to survey salmon through mid February 2024. Stay tuned for more opportunities.
On January 27, 2024, Jim Monical and Bob McCarthy from Granite Bay Flycasters met with the Friends of Auburn Ravine to survey the salmon running up Auburn Ravine Creek. This was the third effort by GBFers. Learned a few more things this time. Had to do a little bushwhacking. Point person was in charge of scaring the rattlesnakes. It also would have been nice to have a machete to take care of the wily blackberry vines. The group does provide waders for the volunteers too. We did not see any salmon but saw several schools of pike minnows. Did manage to get some exercise – you stream fishers need to do something like this in the off season. The surveys are shutting down and will be restarted next fall. Here is an update on some of the final results from this season’s surveys from James Haufler:
We only counted eleven salmon on the video from our Salmon Camera in Lincoln this season.
The attached file shows the totals for each season from the fall/winter of 2016/2017 through the fall/winter of 2023/2024.
During the 3 wading/walking surveys that we have done this season, we have only seen 3 salmon.
Those low numbers are probably due to the low water in the creek from October through December. The water was just too low for the salmon to swim upstream. Some riffles were only 2 inches deep. And many of the beaver dams that normally get torn up by high water did not get torn up this season. That also slowed or stopped the salmons’ progress upstream.
As the attached chart shows, we have had bad years, middling years, and great years before. We’ll probably have all three of those again in the future. Salmon survey data is reported to the following organizations:
• California Department Fish and Wildlife
• Nevada Irrigation District
• Placer County Water Agency
• NOAA Fisheries
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
Stay tuned for more opportunities next season.
Bob McCarthy
Bob McCarthy and Jim Monical
Truckee River Day with Trout Unlimited
On October 15, 2023, 4 Granite Bay Flycasters participated in Truckee River Day 2023. Jim Monical, Kim Lloyd, Jamie Nelson, and Gavin Nelson met at Round Table Pizza in Granite Bay and then drove up to Olympic Valley (formerly known as Squaw Valley) to help the Truckee chapter of Trout Unlimited work on habitat restoration on the Washeshu creek. Primary focus was to have us volunteers continue the installation of willow cuttings to stabilize the eroding streambanks of the Washeshu. We all pitched in gathering willow cuttings from existing willows near the creek and then added these cuttings to a 30 foot stretch of the Washeshu streambanks. Once we were done with the planting we headed over to a fair taking place at the Granite Flat Campground where we were fed lunch and were able to view the booths that were set up there. Once we finished lunch we then decided to check out some nearby fishing spots. Yes, we had packed flyfishing gear just in case there was time to play. Kim Lloyd took us to a spot on the Little Truckee river close to where it flows into Boca reservoir. We had fun casting some dry flies and hopper/dropper setups but did not find any fish (foolish fish) willing to take our offerings. However we were able to see the kokanee salmon going up the river to spawn. The salmon had the red spawning coloring and many were pretty beat up (and dead). They were also small – around 9 inches. Well, we had enough fun for the day and started back home. Some of us stopped by Fuller lake on the way back and we had enough sunlight to enjoy watching the fish dappling the surface. All had a good day.
GBF Volunteers
Fishing the Little Truckee.
Working the streambank.
We even got free tee shirts!
Working hard making willow cuttings.