River Journal: Sacramento River (Paperback)

~ Chip O'Brien (Author) "I've always felt that instinct is a perfectly acceptable reason for setting the hook..." (more)
Key Phrases: salmon redds, hatchery fish, strike indicators, Shasta Lake, Sacramento River, Keswick Reservoir (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Northern California's Sacramento River is revered by anglers for good reason. Learn more about the river, including where to wet a line and what flies to use, from Frank Amato Publications's River Journal series, a must-have for fly-fishers who like to visit North America's blue-ribbon trout streams--or, at least, imagine taking such trips. Whether you want to know more about your favorite river or simply collect the entire series for future reference, the large, color format of each volume, the sumptuous photography, and the lively, descriptive text do justice to some of the world's most famous trout streams. Each edition explores a different river, noting its history, wildlife, and angling possibilities. Seasonal variations, water conditions, and likely hatches are noted, with maps and locations to aid the unfamiliar angler.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Frank Amato Publications (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571880518
• ISBN-13: 978-1571880512
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,634,383 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome & Appreciated Gift, August 2, 2002

By	Barry E. DeWalt (Redding, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The author was kind enough to give me a copy of this delightful book and has inspired me so much that I might let him teach me how to fly fish.

First, some words about Chip O'Brien. There can be no doubt that Chip is an experienced angler and guide who has an in-depth knowledge of the Sacramento River. In speaking with Chip and reading this book, I have no doubt that this resource will help you catch fish. I gain confidence in this book because I know the author's deep passion for his sport and, dare I say, art.

However, that is only the practical aspect of this book. Chip has a gift for conveying beauty through his words. I quote from the first page of the book:

"The day was typical for late August on the Upper Sacramento River in that you could incinerate bacon and eggs on the streamside rocks if you wanted to. A featureless blue sky absorbed the herky-jerky rumblings of the occasional frieght train up the canyon mingled with the distant drone of a superhighway, massive U.S. Interstate 5, from the bridge high overhead. Thorny vines laden with ripe blackberries groped down into the water presenting an angler with the happy dilemma to eat or to fish ...

First the crash of an osprey not practicting catch and release distrated me. Then railroad smells, creosote and diesel smoke, carried me back to a teenage summer I had spent working in a switching yard while the boss sipped bourbon all day in an air conditioned truck ... At once my reel let out a shriek as the fish peeled off 30 feet of fly line in all of two seconds, leaped free of the water and popped my tippet with a twang like a too-tight banjo string. Then all was quiet."

I read through this book in two nights of casual reading, and I'm overjoyed that my friend was kind enough to provide me the copy. I now know where to fish, what to use, and more importantly, I know who I need to take with me.

Purchase this book for love of the Sacramento River, love of a good read, love of angling or just because you want to catch fish on the Sacramento. You won't be disappointed.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine tips for fishing the upper Sacramento River and environs, April 19, 2008

By	Clayton Olson "pine_street_bookstore" (Santa Cruz, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lots of details for mainly trout fishing on the upper Sacramento River, even to the points of suggesting where to park, where to walk, and what hatching (fly) are happening when and where.

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes a great gift, January 7, 2008

By	Jason Holpuch (Chico, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was the perfect gift for a friend who is an avid fly fisherman and former guide who is moving to Northern California.