"I hope you're wrong," I told Ted. "I think it's going to be a good opener." Wilson was absolutely right. When opening day came, with its hordes of anglers from throughout the north state, virtually nothing happened. While bank fishing the river below the hatchery with Jim Juntilla, Michigan outdoor writer, and hundreds of other anglers, I personally saw only seven fish caught. Nor did we see any fish caught when we drifted the river with roe and nightcrawlers with Rodney Fagundes, fishing guide and reel repair specialist, from Sailor Bar to Sunrise.

In the previous week, Fagundes had caught and released a 39-1/2 inch steelhead, one of the largest steelhead reported in recent years, while drifting a puff ball and roe in Nimbus Basin. It was a wild fish, so he had to release it after taking a photograph.

In my opinion, It was one of the worst openers ever on the American. I only got one photo of a quality fish, a bright hatchery steelhead taken by 16-year-old Daniel Stinson of Sacramento at Sailor Bar. Most diehards who catch fish in the most difficult conditions even on the toughest openers got skunked!

However, not everybody did badly. Of the seven fish caught, four were taken by one angler, Sammy, Rodney Fagundes' father. The incredibly fortunate angler caught and released four steelhead to 10 pounds, all dark, and also accidentally foul-hooked a 4-1/2 pound native rainbow. He nailed all of the fish while using his son's roe - while his son, who normally does very well, never hooked a fish.

Bill Back of Orangevale also had a great day, compared to everybody else. The angler caught and released two steelhead, both darker fish, while drifting salmon roe below the hatchery in the morning.

Almost all of the few fish caught on the opener and in the basin over the previous week were dark fall-run steelhead, many of which were already spawned out. The water conditions were great, with a green "steelhead" color. The problem was lack of fresh fish in the river.

One of the hatchery workers watching the craziness on the river said, "I could have told you it was going to be a poor opener, Dan... look at the ladder and holding tank. We spawned this week and there's very few new fish showing. I think a lot of steelhead came up early with the salmon."

A guy, frustrated at seeing hardly anybody hook up, drove out of the Sailor Bar parking lot, and yelled to me and Jim Juntilla as he pulled his window down, "It sucked! Tell everybody when you write the story that it's terrible." Jim and I laughed and I assured the angler that I would tell tell the readers what really happened.

The fishing hasn't improved much since the opener. However, the fishing pressure has begun to lighten up and hard working anglers are catching a few fish on roe, nightcrawlers and flies. For example, Mike Miller of Sacramento weighed in four steelhead, ranging from 10 to 12-/12 pounds, over the past week. He caught all of the fish on homemade flies at Sailor Bar, according to Peter Harding at Broadway Bait Rod & Gun.

After releases from Nimbus Dam were raised to 2,174 cfs on January 10, Rodney Fagundes found improved fishing on the American aboard his drift boat. "We caught and released three half pounders to 2 pounds while fishing from Sailor Bar to Rossmoor Bar on Friday," said Fagundes. "We landed one half pounder and one adult steelhead while drifting from Sunrise to Gristmill the next day."

On Sunday, the two anglers fishing with Fagundes landed two 9 pound class steelhead, one bright and one getting its spawning colors, in the Sailor Bar area. "We side drifted roe and Glo Bugs for the fish," he said.

Rene Villanueva of Steelie Dan's Guide Service also caught an 8 pound steelhead on a brief morning bank fishing adventure below the hatchery the week after the opener. He fooled the hatchery fish with a Glo Bug. He was beginning his drift boat trips for steelhead on the American at press time.

Ted Wilson of Sacramento reported catching a bright hatchery fish weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces on Monday, January 13 while drifting roe below the hatchery. However, he didn't see any other fish caught there that morning. "I'm fishing all day for one bite, if I'm lucky," he explained.

The steelhead counts to date are about the same as last year. The hatchery has received 508 adults this year, compared to 518 fish by the same time last year, according to Terry West, manager of Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

Anglers shouldn't dim their hopes for the steelhead season on a bad opener. Many years the steelhead opener is tough, even though the season turns out to be good one. For example, 1999 was a banner steelhead season on the American, even though the opening week produced tough fishing. The last two years of great openers were the exception, rather than the rule. My prediction is that a fresh run of winter steelhead will arrive in the next two weeks, picking up the fishing considerably.