BULLARDS BAR DAM CONSTRUCTION - 1969 VIDEO

The New Bullards Bar Dam took two years to construct the 645 foot tall concrete wall in 1969. Below you will find a video why it was built as well as the construction process. The video is educational as well as entertaining. That is if you find big trucks, explosions , earth movers and dirty men exciting.

TIFFANY LAMP STOLEN FROM NEVADA CITY - CBS SACRAMENTO VIDEO

On New Years Eve Illuminations of Nevada City had their window broken by a rock which allowed burglars to enter the store and take a very rare $10,000 Tiffany Lamp. If you have any information or know the whereabouts of the lamp please contact the authorities.

Click here for the CBS's Channel 13 coverage.

This lamp is only one of 30 in the world that was complete with a shade.

TEMESCAL CALIFORNIA - GREAT TO SEE YOU COUSIN

 

 If you have driven to the Bay Area via Highway 80 then you probably know this view. If you don't recall, it is the view of the bay from the rest area in Vallejo. This is a must stop for us every time.

 We were heading to the Temescal neighborhood (Oakland) to see my cousin who was in town from Brooklyn, New York with her fiancee. Who we had not seen in six years.

Upon our arrival we were a little early so we walked around the cute area. One thing I had forgotten was how expensive it is to park in a metered parking spot. It was 25 cents for eight minutes to park on Telegraph.

 We met up at a small restaurant named Marc 49 with big hugs and a tear of joy, which was nice. 

The atmosphere was plentiful and the time spent with Cousin K was as if we saw each other yesterday. Warm and comfortable.

We then proceeded to a family style Korean eatery (Sahn Maru). The owner and his wife made us feel at home.

Telegraph Ave. came to life with a younger hip crowd as the night got longer. Mostly twenty somethings walked the sidewalks.

 People even rode bikes.

The two restaurants in the photo to the right also had very long lines so the next time we venture into this area we will give one of them a try.

 It was great to to see you K!

HEAVY METAL FISHING

Heavy metal music blaring on my MP3 player and heavy metal in my tackle box can only mean one thing. River fishing under high water conditions. The heavy metal will keep you rocking even when the river is raging.

My music of choice is something very loud and fast. The two key words here are loud and fast. Vibration to a fish is loud and a flashy lure retrieved at a good clip sure fits the Led Zeppelin test. Since fish do not hear, you must use a lure that generates as much vibration as the speakers at an old school rock concert.

The rivers are almost guaranteed to be running high this spring so you need to get to the bottom. My top lures of choice are spinners, spoons and plugs, and if fished properly (near the bottom) they will all be banging the rocks.

Snap swivels are required with spoons and spinners. I use a 6mm ball bearing Snap Swivel in black; this is not an area that you want to buy the least expensive ones. If you do go without or buy a lesser swivel, your line will become a twisted mess.

When I fish spinners I always seem to catch the smaller rainbows and not may browns. If you are going to rainbow trout waters, I would recommend starting with a black body with a silver bladed spinner. I use nothing but silver and gold blades with either a white or black body where ever I go. Both colors do work very well, but it’s not very often that both work at the same time, so you will need to play around with the color a bit. If the river is moving quickly you may never get the lure deep enough to be effective. So if you find yourself standing at the edge of a stream or river and this happens to you, place split shot to the line, one at a time, 12 inches above the snap swivel. If one split shot does not do it, keep adding until you hit the rocks. At that point, take the smallest weight off. This will ensure that your lure will be where you need it to be. Adding weight is a much better approach than going to a larger lure. Early in the season you must fish with small fish patterns or very large ones. The fry are still very small and last year’s smolts are much larger. Fly fisherman have known to match the hatch for years; spin-casters must do the same. If I don’t get a hit using spinners, I will then work a spoon.

My spoon of choice is a gold or silver ½ oz Castmaster suspended under a bobber. I try to cast into the faster water (riffle) trying to find the area’s deeper indentations in the gravel. As I watch by bobber drift, if it is hitting the bottom I shorten the line between my lure and the bobber. If I’m not hitting the rocks, I lengthen the line. You want your spoon to drift down stream just above the bottom. With this technique, I try to have my bobber move downstream in the fast water, but next to an eddy or slower water. Fish will sit in the slower water with great ease and the river will deliver its food. This technique is to be administered in a methodical fashion; cover the entire riffle before moving. By now if I have not tempted any fish, I cut off the snap swivel and proceed to cover as much river as possible with a plug. I always use a count down or sinking model.

There are many brand name plug companies out there for one to choose. I prefer Rapala. And specifically a CD-3 or a CD-5 in gold or silver. As the season wears on, I will move toward a CD-9. They provide very good water vibration along with the right color. When fishing a plug in fast water, one must target the slower water. Make your cast to the head of the slow water and make the lure swim in short bursts. Smaller fish can not and do not swim long distances nor do they swim cross current. Fishing your plug in a small burst and stop motion will simulate a small injured fish, as the bursts are deliberate and quick. When the lure is being ripped trough the water it emits a tremendous amount of vibration, thus getting the fish’s attention and maybe a reaction strike.

As you plan your opener, remember silver and gold, work the lure to create vibration, and never work your lure across the current.

If your lure is not head banging the rocks you need more heavy metal…and rock on.

NEVADA COUNTY CHRISTMAS TREE REMOVAL SCHEDULE

NEVADA UNION BOYS BASKETBALL - OAKMONT

Nevada Union's boys basketball team (5-10) will host Oakmont (3-7) tonight at Ali Gymnasium. The Varsity will tipoff at 7 p.m.

The Miners will look to rebound after dropping their last four contests while the Vikings have fallen in their past two games.

This is a must win game for both teams as they will want to start the 2013 season off on the right foot.

Nevada Union's holiday tournament schedule has been very difficult including traveling to San Diego where they played Galena (Reno), Mt. Carmel (San Diego), Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo) and Rock Academy (San Diego).

SHORT SALE DEBT FORGIVENESS ACT - 2013

I received this message from Don Faught, the President of the California Association of Realtors.

I’m please to start the New Year with some good news. Late last night, Congress reached a settlement in the “fiscal cliff” negotiations.  As a result, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act has been extended for another year.  The measure will continue to exempt from taxation mortgage debt that is forgiven when homeowners and their mortgage lenders negotiate a short sale, loan modification (including any principal reduction) or foreclosure.  REALTORS® should tell their clients to keep their short sales on the market and encourage them to consult with their own tax advisers about their tax situation.

The settlement also will allow capital gains rates to rise from 15 percent to 20 percent for high-income earners.   However, capital gains rates on the sale of principal residences will remain unchanged and continues to exclude the first $250,000 for single taxpayers and $500,000 for married couples.

Click here for President Obama's speech recorded by CNN. Click here for CNN's article.