The Red Bluff area provides superb recreational opportunities for anglers. It doesn’t matter if your idea of fun is chasing trout below Redding, tagging shad below the Red Bluff Diversion Dam or slamming salmon and spotted bass up at Lake Shasta, the Red Bluff area lays claim to some of the best fishing opportunities in the entire state.

Yet there has always been one drawback to fishing in the Red Bluff region. I’m talking about lodging, you know, a nice place to stay. Now if you are a backcountry rat like me it is no problem to roll out a sleeping bag in the bed of the truck and doze off under the stars.

But what if you are not into roughing it or what if you want to take your wife along on the trip? Well, then you need a place to stay and if your wife is like mine, it will probably have provide accommodations far better than those found at Motel 6.

Well, I’m happy to announce that Bill and Julie Divens of the Salmon King Lodge have gone the extra mile to solve this problem. Bill and Julie Divens have earned a solid reputation for guiding anglers to shad, kings and trout on the upper reaches of the lower Sacramento River, but these days they are also offering five star accommodations.

A few years ago Bill and Julie acquired a guesthouse a short distance form their residence in the country outside Red Bluff. They offer the four bedroom three bath home to their clients and Jason Thatcher’s clients as an alternative to staying at the motels in Red Bluff.

I stayed at the house on my recent turkey and trout adventure and it is awesome. The guesthouse is in new condition, exceptionally clean, well kept and well appointed. It has everything from a fully equipped kitchen and comfortable beds to satellite television. The house is decorated with the angler in mind and the focal point is Bill’s massive 50 plus pound king that adorns the living room wall.

The windows in the living room and dining room look out onto a patch of oaks that is frequented by wild turkeys and blacktail deer. I only stayed at the house for one evening and I couldn’t believe the amount of wildlife I saw!

There is nothing like grabbing a hot shower and kicking back in front of the T.V. after an exciting day on the water and there is nowhere better to do that in the Red Bluff area than at Salmon King Lodge. Heck, Bill and Julie’s guesthouse is a lot nicer than my own home. Maybe I can convince them to adopt my wife Gena and I and then I could live there full time…..

For more information about the fishing and accommodations offered by Salmon King Lodge give them a call (866) 877-8354 or visit them on the web at www.salmonkinglodge.com. Trout fishing on the Sacramento is going strong and shad season is right around the corner!