I recently returned from an eighteen-hundred-mile, week-long steelhead fly-fishing trip to the fabled Clearwater, Snake, and Grande Ronde Rivers in Idaho and Washington, during which I suffered the indignity of a skunking. This was my first visit to the area during the peak of the season, and while the fish were reportedly late, there seemed to be no shortage of anglers trying their luck.
Each morning, several fly fishers in the campground could be heard leaving a couple hours before first light to occupy their chosen runs, enabling them to be the first ones fishing through them that day. For the most part, their catch rate was no better than those who, like me, slept in to fish a run that was available at sunrise. In five days of fishing, the dozen or so anglers with whom I was camped, many of whom had been visiting these rivers for years, landed a total of four fish.
Returning home, I caught up on emails, phone calls, and computer work, then I took a short 45-minute drive to my local steelhead stream, the Klamath River, to shake off the rust. I was not able to get on the water until about three in the afternoon, and while there were a number of salmon anglers drifting the river, I was the only fly fisher, as well as the only person specifically targeting steelhead, which meant I had all the best runs to myself for the first time in a week.
Conditions were perfect, so I opted to swing a small classic wet fly with a twohanded switch rod and a dry line, the same outfit I had fished for a good part of my trip. In the second run, I landed a typical Klamath adult wild steelhead, a hen 18 to 20 inches long. In the last run of the day, I landed another hen that was between 22 and 24 inches. In between, I hooked a few other adults and also landed a jack chinook salmon of about five or six pounds, which I thought was a large buck steelhead when I saw it first take. My small wet fly was also grabbed on most casts by so many juvenile and half-pound steelhead that were trout sized that I opted to switch to a larger fly to help limit the annoyance. The experience was so much fun that I was kicking myself for not clicking the heels of my ruby-red slippers together sooner to get back to my home river.
Unlike the Snake River tributaries that I visited, the upper Klamath River between Happy Camp and Irongate Dam, just off Interstate 5 at Hornbrook, sees only a fraction of the steelhead anglers that it did in its heyday. The afternoon I described above is a typical one. The river has far more fish than anglers, this despite being very accessible, with Highway 96 running beside it, for the most part, and a number of campgrounds both public and private.
In addition, Ashland, Oregon, is just over the hill and offers plush accommodations and entertainment, including more than a hundred dining and lodging options only half an hour over the pass on Interstate 5. For details, check out “Ashland: The Finest in Foraging,” in “The Foraging Angler” column of the May/June 2010 issue of California Fly Fisher.
Closer still to the fishing, just 15 minutes from some superb runs, is Yreka, California. Yreka is a popular stop for weary I-5 travelers, so it mostly features chain hotels and restaurants, and these also provide affordable options for the diehard steelheader, particularly when the weather turns a tad too bitter for sitting around a campfire. Here are a few of my favorite Yreka dining establishments.
Casa Ramos
This is the original Casa Ramos, which was opened in 1997 by Yreka local Marco Ramos. The business has been franchised to a dozen restaurants in Northern California. Their standard Mexican fare — fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and combinations — is both flavorful and filling, but the “Mexican Favorites,” Ramos family recipes, are a real treat. Try the molcajete: sautéed chicken and beef strips with vegetables in an outstanding spicy sauce that can be eaten like stew or fajita style, with tortillas, avocado, and sour cream. Their carnitas Uruapan, a marinated-pork dish, is another favorite. Portions are sizable, so try not to fill up on the complimentary all-you-can eat chips and salsa with your beer or margarita. Open for lunch and dinner Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Fridays and Saturdays until 10:00 P.M. Meals typically range from $8 to $18 plus beverage. Casa Ramos is located just off I-5 exit 776 at 145 Montague Road. Phone (530) 8427172. On the Web at http://casaramos.net.
Strings
Strings, an Italian café that opened in Mt. Shasta in June of 2006 by local owners Lisa and Dennis Faust, moved to Yreka just recently. Their downtown location, ample seating, attractive décor, and attentive, friendly service would lead you to believe they are a local restaurant, rather than part of the Strings franchise. They feature an extensive menu, with appetizers, pizzas, calzones, sandwiches, salads, pasta, seafood, pork, veal, and poultry dishes. They have a Wednesday night all-you-can-eat pasta special with your choice of pasta, minestrone soup or salad, and bread for $8.99. Their wine bar features affordable wines by the glass, including local award winning Shasta View wines, as well as beer on tap and in the bottle. My wife most enjoys their soup-and-salad special, while I have sampled a good portion of the menu, with my favorites being the artichoke ravioli marinara, stuffed mushrooms with bruschetta, and their “award winning combo” of lasagna pasta, tortellini alla panna, and stuffed mushrooms. Entrees range from $9 to $15. Open from 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., and until 10:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturdays. Strings is located at 322 West Miner Street in downtown Yreka. The phone is (530) 842-7704. On the Web at menu.html.
Black Bear Diner
The Black Bear Diner features classic diner fare they call “quality comfort food.” The original diner opened down Highway 5 in Mt. Shasta and has since been successful to the tune of 53 franchises in nine states. They feature fresh ingredients, friendly service, and huge portions. You can get your bacon and eggs cooked the way you like them as early as 6:00 A.M., but plan on drip coffee — you’ll have to go elsewhere for espresso. They are also open late, until 10:00 P.M., and summer evenings until 11:00, so you can grab a bite long after your drive back from an evening session fishing the spring salmon fly hatch on the Klamath. For dinner, I favor their hamburgers, although I’ll sometimes opt for a sirloin steak and baked potato and would normally order a glass of red wine or a beer, but they do not serve alcohol. My wife prefers their comfort offerings, such as meatloaf, pot roast, chicken pot pie, or their liver and onions cooked the way her mother made them. Their old-fashioned milk shakes are incredible, and in autumn, when the blackberries are in season, we share a blackberry milk shake for dessert. Meals run from $9 to $19, with beverage extra. The Black Bear Diner in Yreka is open from Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. It is located on the south end of town, I-5 exit 773, 1795 South Main Street. Phone (530) 8429324. On the Web at diner.com.
Brickhouse Bakery and Pizza
The hand-made thin-crust pizzas at locally owned Brickhouse Bakery and Pizza, located in downtown Yreka, are perhaps the best in Siskiyou County. They feature all the standards that you would expect, including pepperoni, meat lovers, Hawaiian, vegetarian, and combos, but also have barbeque chicken, garlic chicken, and our favorite, the Margherita, with olive oil, tomato, basil, garlic, parmesan, and mozzarella. The atmosphere is very casual. ( You might want to take your waders off, though.) They are always happy to make a custom pizza or calzone with your selected toppings. For those who prefer to eat on the lighter side, Brickhouse offers gourmet salads, including a chicken Caesar, my son’s favorite, which I have found quite tasty. If you are a late riser, you can also stop by for a scone, muffin, or cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. You’ll need to go elsewhere for your double latte, however. Brickhouse Bakery and Pizza is open from 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Tuesdays through Thursdays, and on Friday until 10:00 P.M. On Saturdays, it’s open from 9:30 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. Eighteen-inch pizzas range from $18 to $25. Brickhouse Bakery and Pizza is located in downtown Yreka at 313 West Miner Street. Phone (530) 841-0553.
Nature’s Kitchen
If you’re wondering where to get your double half-caf, half-decaf organic skimmilk latte in Yreka, Nature’s Kitchen is the place. This health-food cafe’s baked items include whole-wheat toast, muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, and cookies, as well as granola. Lunch items include excellent soups, sandwiches, and salads, including vegan items. Our favorites include their salad sampler (egg salad, tuna salad, and cottage cheese on a bed of greens), chicken cashew salad, and salmon burgers. They also feature freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. Nature’s Kitchen is open from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Lunch entrees range from $7 to $12. Nature’s Kitchen is located on Yreka’s main drag, just south of downtown. The signage is poor, so it can be a bit tricky to find. It’s at 412 South Main Street. Phone (530) 842-1136. On the Web at http://natureskitchen.org.
I hope you have the opportunity to sample the fishing on the Klamath, as well as the nearby dining in Yreka. This season is shaping up to be one of our best returns of fish in many years!
Another Yreka Option: Brand N Iron Restaurant & Bar
The drive from Truckee to the Klamath is long, very long, and by the time Murph and I hit Yreka, night was falling and, more critically, our stomachs were growling. We pulled off the freeway and into town, stopping at a nondescript building that had the words “Brand N Iron” painted above an awning. I supposed Murph had been there before, but from the street at cruising speed, it was hard to tell if this place was a restaurant, and after we had stopped, it still did not look inviting, with nearly opaque windows and a front dining room that this evening was dark and unused.
I followed Murph through the door and into the back, where we found the bar. Faded cowboy art hung on the walls, and the plain décor announced that this joint wasn’t interested in presenting a visitor friendly image. If you didn’t want to associate with folks who work with their hands, who aren’t highfalutin or fancy Dan, then you were probably in the wrong place. I looked at Murph and grinned. We were in the right place. We bellied up and ordered a beer.
And I ordered prime rib, this particular evening being their prime-rib-special night. I no longer remember the price, but it was reasonable, and the slab of beef came cooked as requested with the anticipated sides, all of which were nicely prepared. Exactly what you would expect at a joint like the Brand N Iron if the kitchen staff take pride in their craft.
I like places that lack pretension, that are honest in their character, and that aren’t selling their souls (presuming a business can have a soul) to make a buck. I don’t fish the Klamath often, but given the chance, I’ll return again to the Brand N Iron, if only to see if my initial impression remains valid. (online reviews are mixed.) It’s a short distance off Interstate 5 at 612 South Main Street, and they’re open Wednesday through Saturday from 4:00 P.M., although if you’re in the area, you might want to phone them at (530) 8425947, just to make sure.
Richard Anderson
Wine in a Box
When I’m finished fishing and am back at my vehicle, I often crack open a beer. Not just any beer, but a beverage that is cold and light enough to refresh, the sort of beer in which the carbonation is perhaps the highlight, the sort of beer you would drink after mowing the lawn on a hot summer’s day. A Coors, say, or a Miller High Life, to name two beers that for me fit the bill.
When I’m at home, however, my recreational beverage of choice is wine, usually something crisp and, again, light and refreshing, like a pinot grigio. I call these “deck wines,” because their lack of complexity means they won’t take your attention away from whatever activity you’re engaged in, whether it’s reading a book on your deck or relaxing with friends. I wouldn’t mind ending an afternoon of angling with a glass of wine, but finding a cooler large enough for a bottle, then going through the process of uncorking it, et cetera, is usually just a little too much of a hassle in comparison with the ease of opening a bottle or can of beer.
This is why I appreciate the recent trend of putting screw tops on wine bottles and also of selling wine in boxes. In fact, I recently picked up one of the latter at the local supermarket, a narrow, liter-sized box of pinot grigio that cost me just a bit north of six dollars and that goes by the brand name of Bandit. It has a plastic screw cap, the box fits diagonally into my Little Playmate cooler, leaving room for ice and a snack, and the wine itself is perfectly adequate for its purpose. All I need to do is stash a cup in my tackle bag, and I’m set to go. Pretty neat.
Richard Anderson
Pantry Soup
My girlfriend walked into the kitchen the other night, sniffing the air. “You’re trying to outdo me,” she said, cocking an accusatory eyebrow. “Hey, I replied, “the soup you made last night was so good I wanted to see if I could do as well!” I really did like her soup, and I especially liked her approach to making it. She’s a master at combining staples from the pantry and creating something tasty, and this got me thinking. If I had a cabin on a steelhead river, how would I stock the pantry so that I could create a satisfying, warming soup — a soup so hearty that it would be a meal in itself — without having to interrupt my time on the water with a trip to the market?
Actually, devising a satisfying supper of this sort is extremely easy. First, you need items that you won’t mind leaving in an empty cabin for days or weeks on end. I suggest stocking the pantry with canned beans (black beans, white beans, whatever you like), canned diced tomatoes, canned chicken stock, dry pasta of any type, rice, maybe even canned mushrooms, plus olive oil, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, pepper, and whatever dried herbs, such as bay leaves, thyme, or tarragon, that might go well with soup. In the freezer compartment of your refrigerator, stock sausages and frozen veggies such as corn, carrots, spinach, onions, and bell pepper strips. If you’re visiting your cabin every few weeks, you can also store fresh onions, garlic, and winter squash in your pantry. Also, consider stocking a bottle of white wine.
So here’s the drill. Before you head off to the river, move the sausages from the freezer to the fridge, where they’ll defrost. After you return from fishing, heat a bit of olive oil in a soup pot on the stove, then cut up the sausages and brown them. Toss in the frozen onions and other veggies that need softening, such as carrots, and cook, stirring, until they are indeed soft. Add the spices, let them bloom a few seconds in the hot oil, then add a glug or two of wine. Once the wine is reduced to almost nothing, add a can of diced tomatoes. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then toss in a handful of rice, a handful of pasta that’s been broken into small pieces, and add your dried herb(s), a can of beans, and the frozen veggies that don’t need long to cook, such as corn and spinach. Pour in the stock, stir, bring to a boil, then drop to an active simmer and cover for maybe 20 minutes to half an hour. Stir occasionally and correct the seasonings if necessary. What you’ll end up with is comfort food at its simplest and quite possibly its best.
Richard Anderson
