The Summer Doldrums
As a guide, angler, and general human on planet Earth, I love spring in Northern California. By the time midday temperatures reach 70-80 degrees around Chico, the climate, wardrobe choice, and fishing have reached perfection, creating a respite from the frigid and wet days of winter and the scorching heat of summer.
The analogies and examples of spring creating new life and rebirth in the natural world are endless. As a guide and angler, I feel a great opening of opportunity as rivers begin to drop from their winter highs, lakes warm up and turn over, and the fish that call both home start to feed, spawn, and generally leap onto flies like no other time of the year.
This creates an overwhelming number of choices and options for fishing. With so many options, I need spring to last at least six months to fit in every place I want to guide, fish, and explore. I feel rushed and pushed to fish every free second, trying to find the perfect conditions and not miss those magical spring days that can happen. Bottom line, I have spring fishing FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and serious anxiety about “getting to” all the places I have dreamed about fishing all winter.
Before I know it, though, I am running my air conditioner nonstop as the scorching summer heat arrives. To be fair, I love summer and the heat it brings, but it alters my attitude and mojo as an angler. I feel less rushed to fish “all the places” and that I have far fewer choices. The heat can create a serious lack of motivation and almost lead to accepting the missed opportunities of spring fishing, leading to a kind of waiting for fall and cooler weather. Most anglers refer to this emotional, environmental, and mental shift as the summer doldrums.
While summer striper fishing is usually as good as it gets, and trout fishing in the mountains around Chico is phenomenal for most of the summer, I just don’t feel the same motivation to get out on the water as I do in the spring. I notice this trend in my friends and fishing buddies as well. Group chats that were bustling daily from March through May dwindle on the message app as the daytime temperatures reach the high 90s or triple digits. Fewer people reach out to ask about fishing or how it’s been, and most of the time when I go fishing, I’m on my own.
This spring, I made a list of fishing opportunities I wanted to pursue over the summer. Yes, I usually go striper fishing all summer, but that’s because I live just two miles from the boat ramp, making convenience a major motivating factor. I am determined to carry that same drive from spring into summer to explore new fishing spots. Hopefully, having a list will help me push through the summer doldrums and break out of my routine.
Once the bass-filled lakes of the valley and foothills are filled with ski boats and Top 40 country music blasts from houseboats and wakeboard towers, I turn my attention to the high mountain lakes on the list that are “electric motor only” or simply too remote to attract the jacked-up trucks and wake-surf crowd. While the river is always a strong draw, I’ve been considering some excellent lower-elevation creeks and rivers that might offer great smallmouth bass fishing.
I have no desire to battle the crowds at the blue-ribbon trout fisheries or trek deep into backcountry streams, but some of these lower-elevation spots are close enough that I don’t have to spend too much time on the road. They remain cool enough during the heat of the day for a refreshing dip and also provide plenty of eager smallmouth bass.
The summer doldrums are a real challenge for fly anglers in California. If you live in the valley or far from the coast, you might become an AC recluse. Meanwhile, those in mild coastal climates may enjoy high 70s temperatures until fall arrives before venturing further inland. In my experience, routine and convenience kill most fly anglers’ sense of exploration.
I encourage everyone to brave the summer heat and challenge themselves to explore new fishing spots this season—carry that spring mojo into summer!
