The Napa Valley Register from Napa, California • 17

I D1 Thursday January 2, 2003 Clubs, MovlesD3 E-mail: napasportsnapanews.com TOWN Napa Valley Register iBnews.com Riding the river George Carl Outdoors ASSOCIATED PRESS John Singletary paddles a canoe in the Flint River near Leesburg, Ga. Singletary's Flint River Outpost provides canoeing and kayaking trips on the river, a valuable natural resource in southwestern Georgia. Floating down the Flint is both thrilling and relaxing Discover Topaz Lake While other lakes and streams are closed, Topaz Lake, on the CalifomiaNevada border, just opened. High country anglers looking for a change of scenery should try Topaz Lake; it is located south of Carson City. Reports say the lake is full of rainbow trout from half-pounders to fish weighing over seven pounds.

Forty-thousand rainbows were stocked in October after the lake closed. These fish were a combination of Eagle Lake trout and Tasmanians; another 25,000 trout were just planted by the DFG. All of this, plus a good carryover of trout in the 18-inch class and some big German Browns from the West Walker River, make Topaz the place to be now. Be prepared for all types of weather from cold and rainy to nice and almost shirtsleeve conditions. Topaz features a casino and local accommodations; it is a fun place to fish.

Call 1-800-962-0732. Get ready for flooding We are finally at that critical point with the rain. All 200 local ponds are now full and the next big rain of two to three inches could cause some damage. First, we are at the saturation stage; the season's normal rainfall has been reached, but we are 30 to 45 days ahead of schedule. Conn Dam is now overflowing and with all 250 canyons, small and large, draining their extra water through ponds and creeks to the Napa River; it wont take much to create flood conditions.

With the next big rain, the tide will be key. If it rains hard during a high incoming tide, flooding will occur. As we pointed out in this column, most wildlife will be OK during the flooding, but trees come down and some habitat will be lost. Homes to squirrels and small animals will be lost. It is the downing of these trees that also leads to flooding.

The storm of two weeks ago that caused the Napa Creek to jump its banks was forced by five inches of rainfall in 24 hours and two huge downed trees that blocked water at local bridges. Lake Berryessa is less than 10 feet from the glory hole; that means another eight inches (maybe less) of rain, and we arc there. It will be an interesting spring. The birds are here Strange as it seems, large hite egrets and cranes are enjoying the highways, byways, and the cities and towns all around us in Northern California. The height of the migration is here.

It is not unusual to drive along Highway 29 or even U.S. 101 and sec as many as a hundred of these beautiful, large, white, long-necked birds walking the ditches in search of fresh bugs and creatures. They come from all over Washington, Oregon, and Nevada to winter, from the rice country to the Bay Area in Northern California. Along with them come the great blue herons, haw ks, and eagles. The starlings, robins, water fowl, and shore birds are everywhere; the flooded fields and vineyards are a magnet to these visitors.

Get a pair of binoculars and see how many birds you can identify. Wild pig hunts at GrizzlyJoice Islands A special limited-entry, permit-only pig hunt to control a small population of ild pigs on the Joice Island Unit of Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in Solano County will be held in March. There will be a series of two-day pig hunts starting March 8 See CARL, Page D2 By ELLIOTT MINOR Associated Press Writer John Singletary has committed himself to making the Flint River available to ordinary people, not just the rich and powerful plantation owners with property bordering much of the river in southwestern Georgia. Since he began operating his Flint River Outpost 2 12 years ago, hundreds have signed on for canoe and kayak trips lasting from 2 12 hours to two days. Floating down the Flint, they are following the same path that American Indians traveled before the arrival of white settlers in the 1600s.

They see centuries-old cypress trees and varied wildlife, including alligators, deer and great blue herons. They have a great time, says Singletary, 52, a former bass angler who started the business to escape burnout from 30 years as a heating and air-conditioning technician. They fish or swim. They take their cameras and picnics and most will stop on a shoal or sandbar and have a picnic. In the 17th century, the river was a transportation route as well as a major source of flint for arrowheads and tools.

Later, paddle-w'heelers steamed up and down the lower Flint, dropping off supplies to river towns such as Bainbridge and delivering bales of cotton to ports along the Gulf of Mexico. It was the 1-75 of the Native Americans," says Singletary, whose canoe livery service provides canoes and kayaks for people who don't have their own. He drives them to the boat ramps and then picks them up downstream. The Flint, which stretches southwest about 260 miles from just below Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport to Lake Seminole, where Georgia, Alabama and Florida converge, is a historic river and a refuge for large catfish and bass, turtles, snakes, alligators and a multitude of aquatic plants. Singletary's all-day trips start at public boat ramps near Lake Blackshear and end 14 miles downstream near Leesburg.

His half-day trips start at a ramp closer to Albany and end five miles downstream at a private dock, sandwiched between two plantations. (The half-day trip is $35 per canoe, which can hold two adults and a child, and the all-day trip is See RIVER, Page D2 Singletary checks his canoes. Since opening his Flint River Outpost 2 12 years ago, hundreds have flocked to his business for canoe and kayak trips lasting from 2 12 hours to two days. The catfish are jumpin at Lake taryessa Fishing Report muddy to try for steelhead. Lake Berryessa Your best bet is to try for catfish, as the water is murky with debris from the rainy weather, said Dino Righetti of Spanish Flat Resort.

Use night-crawlers, hotdogs, sausage or worms. There have been some good size cats. I've got a few fishermen who have come up and did well on catfish," said Righetti. Use a minnow and a bobber for trout or salmon, but it's been slow. The lake is only five feet from being full.

Trolling isn't impossible, but you have to find some clear water," said Righetti. Try for trout using live minnows, said Hole. Call 966-7708. January trout plants Lake Hennessey will be restocked this month with catchable-size trout from Department of Fish and Game hatcheries the weeks of Jan. 6-10 and Jan.

20-24. More specific dates are not given so that fishing activity will not be focused right after the time of the plant. Occasionally, operational problems may cause alteration of the schedule. From Register Staff The latest fishing developments from around the Napa Valley, North Bay region and Northern California: Napa River Dylan Church of Napa caught a 24 1 2-pound striped bass on cut bait on Dec. 27.

"It was a real beautiful fish," said Chad Hole of Sweeney's Sports. But the action for striper bass has been sporadic at best, said Hole. There are fishermen working the sloughs at the southern end who have been catching them on cut and live bait. There have been reports of a sturgeon bite in the south part of the nver, around Mare Island and the Moth Ball Fleet on the Carquinez Strait. Use grass shrimp or ghost shrimp.

Try for catfish This is a good time to try for catfish at Lake Berryessa, Conn DamLake Hennessey, or Clear Lake in Lake County. "Basically, all the lakes got blown out (from recent storms), but they're still catching catfish," said Hole. "Catfish is doing pretty well." Hole said to use mackerel, shad or nightcrawlers, and work areas where there is runoff entering the lake. North coast rivers are high and too Resident sport fishing is $30.70, and allows a California resident to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptiles in inland or ocean waters. Additional stamps or report cards may be required for certain species or areas.

Resident Pacific Ocean-only sport fishing is $18.10, and allows a resident to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans and other invertebrates from ocean waters. Additional stamps or report cards may be required for certain species or areas, and the license may be upgraded to permit fishing in inland waters with a resident upgrade stamp. International Sportsmans Expo The International Sportsman's Exposition, scheduled for Jan. 15-19 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, features a show-within-a-show for youngsters 12 years of age and under. The youth outdoor sports fair will take place Jan.

17-19. Billed as the largest youth outdoor-related sports fair in California, the Bldg. at Cal Expo will be loaded with hands-on, interactive outdoor activities for youths to participate in beginning at 3 p.m. on Jan. 17, and running the same hours as the ISE show on Saturday and Sunday.

Youths 12-and- under will be admitted free to the ISE, including the youth fair. Fair times are 3-8 p.m., Jan. 1 1 0 a.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 18, and 10 a m.

to 5 Jan. 19. For more information, call (530) 642-0873. Sacramento River Fishing for king salmon in the Anderson area has been put on hold once again as winter storms arrived, complete with heavy rain and wind gusting up to 50 mph Monday, said Kirk Portocarrero, a professional guide with Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing. Fishermen are waiting for the water to clear before they start fishing, and are hopeful that will happen this weekend.

When we are on the water we are seeing quality fish, not necessanly quantity," said Portocarrero, who is using flatfish T-55's, the best bet for -producing salmon. King salmon season is open on the Sacramento River until Jan. 14, 2003. Rainbow trout fishing from Redding to Anderson is on hold due to weather conditions. For more information, call 1-800-670-4448 or (530) 221-6151, or go to www.sacriverguide.com.

To report fishing news, call Marty James at 256-2223 or e-mail mjamesnapanews.com For more information, call the DFG's region up-to-date recording at 944-5581. Bodega Bay Wil's Fishing Adventures continues to get limits of Dungeness crab, which are still of very good size," measunng in excess of six inches across and larger, said Wil Morrow. Wil's takes trips of 12-18 passengers. We've had very successful trips limits every time out," said Morrow, adding crab pots are in 180 feet of water straight out from Tomales, 21 0 feet of water straight out from the Marine Lab off Bodega Head, and 150 feet in front of the Russian River. Weve got a lot of coverage." Call 875-2323 or visit www.bode-gabayfishing com.

Fishing licenses on sale The California Department of Fish and Game has 2003 sport fishing licenses on sale. Prices for licenses include:.