There was a short window of decent weather at Wildhorse Res., so Benson, Meng, and I made a last-minute decision to make the eight-hour drive to the lake. Meng was coming from San Jose, so his drive was a bit longer. Turns out that without traffic or road construction, we can make it in about 7.5 hours. Benson and I drove from Chico to Elko after work on Tuesday and pulled into the Shilo at 9:30 p.m.—6.5 hours door to door. After a solid night’s sleep, we headed to the lake at 7:00 a.m. and were fishing by 8:00.
A light breeze greeted us, and I immediately had a good feeling about the morning. On my first cast, I hooked a fish but lost it quickly. On the very next cast, I landed a fat, healthy 4.5-pounder—the exact kind of trout we drove all that way for.
Fishing stayed consistent throughout the morning. We met up with Meng later; he’d been fishing another area and had done well too.
This trip, Benson and I stayed in the State Park cabins. They’re simple structures, but very clean and comfortable, with good heat, a mini-fridge, microwave, dining table, couch, three beds, and a bathroom. Meng brought his Revel Sprinter and camped in that.
We started fishing at 7:00 a.m. Thursday. The morning was decent, but the afternoon was absolutely lights-out—cast after cast of grabs and hookups that lasted for hours, right up until dark.
Friday morning was good as well. We were on the water at 6:00 a.m. and stayed until late morning before heading home around 11:00.
I’ve said before that the Wildhorse trout are the highest-quality trout I’ve ever seen. A typical 20-inch trout elsewhere might weigh around two pounds; at Wildhorse, that same length is easily four plus pounds.
We kept a few fish again, and for the first time we saw their stomachs packed full of snails. Spring fish don’t have snails in them, and even in past fall trips—though never this late—I’d never seen this many. Might need to rethink the fly box for future trips.
Fishing with Benson and my cousin Meng was a real gift—plenty of laughs, good company, and the kind of moments you don’t take for granted anymore. We aren’t spring chickens, and it’s a reminder to make trips like this happen while we still can.
And as always, every trip to Wildhorse includes dinners at Amy’s Bar and Grill. They make a great burger and outstanding tater tots, and with their dining-room Wi-Fi, it’s the perfect place to catch up on life back home.
We can’t wait to get back in the spring, aiming for that window right after ice-out in April or early May. In the meantime, I’ll be turning my attention to local trout, the Oroville bass bite, and—fingers crossed—a run-in with a trophy striper on the river.
