Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2025 i California Fly Fisher

When we relaunched California Fly Fisher last year, we did so with the belief that California’s fly-fishing community deserved a publication that truly reflected its diversity, passion, and depth of knowledge. Now, as we move into our second year, that belief feels even more urgent—and more rewarding. What continues to inspire us is the way our community shows up: at the water’s edge, in local fly shops, online, and increasingly, in person. This spring, we hosted several International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) events across Northern California—gatherings that reminded us how connected we are by a shared love of rivers, fish, and wild places. We’re bringing those events to Southern California this fall and hope to see even more of you there. We’re also growing through partnerships—with organizations like California…

Jim Burke Jim taught high school English in the Bay Area for 35 years and wrote over 30 books about teaching and learning, none of which helped him learn to fly fish. He is pretty sure, however, that teenagers are as difficult to understand as trout can be to catch. This is his first article about fly fishing. Lance Gray Lance and his wife Kirsten own Lance Gray & Company, a full-service outfitter offering guided trips, fly-fishing tours, and workshops. Lance is a signature tyer for Aqua Flies and a pro staff member for Sage, RIO, Simms, Fishpond, and Umpqua Feather Merchants. LanceGrayandCompany.com Dagur Årni Gu∂mundsson Dagur splits his time guiding for salmon and trout in Iceland and carp, bass, and surf perch on California’s Central Coast. A contributor to…

ZEN ON THE WATER Zen Buddhism affirms firsthand experience over abstract knowledge. Fly fishing rewards getting out on the water rather than staying put. Buddhism encourages awareness of the present moment. Feel the river flow past your waders, regard the aspen on the bank and the swallows swooping at dusk. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to realize one’s state of awakening and liberation. Sounds like a week away from the office in a river somewhere. Finally, Zen Buddhism explores the interconnectedness of all things. This one goes without saying. “All things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” The Zen of Flyfishing by Peter Kaminsky explores just that: What makes this oft crazy pursuit a spiritual endeavor rather than an absent-minded hobby, like golf. “There is a…

Trailhead and Camping The Forks of the Kern Trailhead is a 1-hour drive north from Kernville. Although 4WD is not required, the turn off to the trailhead from the road (22S82) is ~2 miles of dirt road and consequently subject to weather. There is a large dirt parking lot near the trailhead with a pit toilet nearby and a few primitive campsites. The Forest Service has a number of dispersed camping sites within 15 miles of the trailhead on Forest Route 22S82. Lower Peppermint Creek Campground is 10 miles from the Forks Trailhead with water and pit toilets. Reserve sites at Recreation.gov. Access Maps The Southern Sierra Region 1 map from FlyFishingTheSierra.com details fishing access points and landmarks on waterproof and tear-resistant paper. Seasons The season typically spans the last…

Yes, you read that right—breathes through its skin. The Kern Plateau salamander (Batrachoseps robustus) doesn’t have lungs, but it doesn’t let that stop it. Instead, this slim little relic of deep time inhales life straight through its moist, mottled hide. And it does so in one of the most rugged, least forgiving corners of California: the Kern Plateau. The Kern Plateau is a place of intensely unique hydrogeology. The uplands tend to support conifer forest with sparse to barren understories—inhospitable terrain for moisture-loving creatures like salamanders. But the meadows and stream-fed valley bottoms teem with biodiversity. Springs often appear along the meadow margins, where groundwater pours from the earth. These seeps make up only a sliver of the landscape, but they’re everything. Life here depends on them. Found nowhere else…

We have heard about them over the last two decades: Polish nymphing, Czech nymphing, French nymphing, Spanish nymphing, tight line nymphing, and now Euro nymphing. Based on questions at my Euro clinics and presentations, all the naming is often more confusing than helpful. To help simplify things, I will try to clarify how these different techniques have evolved into what we now generally call Euro nymphing. When I arrived in California 20+ years ago from Europe, my fly-fishing experience was limited to casting homemade streamers for northern pike on small canals surrounded by dairy cows. I had never heard about nymphing of any kind. The dominant nymphing style in the U.S. was and probably still is the indicator and split shot setup, and this became my go-to nymphing technique for…

To the north and east, rugged foothills; to the west, endless Pacific shoreline. A river runs through it, and urban lakes are scattered throughout its neighborhoods. Few places offer such a blend of angling opportunity within a single metropolitan sprawl. From the mountains to the sea—and dozens of points in between—Los Angeles offers a fly-fishing diversity that rivals its human one. And just like the city itself, it requires patience, understanding, and maybe a bit of movie-set magic to fully appreciate all the area has to offer. The rhythm of Los Angeles beats to a unique mix of sirens, helicopters, palm trees, and freeways. The latter, often clogged, are a lifeline of arteries running through Los Angeles. Avoiding peak-hour congestion is one of the first strategies for getting around the…

As anglers, the presence of water elicits many questions, the most essential being, "I wonder what I can catch in it?" The curious angler is the angler who will excel and eventually master fishing in the surf, as there is much to be curious about. A departure from the predictability of rivers and lakes, where most anglers have honed their skills, the surf requires a deeper understanding of current conditions as they change daily. The cool, misty air, the limitless potential, and the challenge of figuring out an entirely new method of fishing make the surf a worthy pursuit. Fishing from the sand has become an obsession that captivates and perplexes me in the way wading a trout stream did when I first fell in love with fly fishing. All…

Remote, serene, and largely untouched, the area is blissfully devoid of human interference. With mountain peaks like Mount Thompson rising to 9,002 feet, and her friends nearby tickling that same height, alpine vistas are guaranteed. While not as high as the Sierra, these northern, coastal peaks demand equal respect and showcase more inclement and unpredictable weather. Every trail into this wilderness begins gently, within the towering canopy of pine forests, then suddenly explodes into an uphill scramble of granite to unlock the region’s hidden gems—its alpine lakes. Unlike the Sierra’s John Muir Trail, which I compare to Highway One down the California coast, linking the area’s natural beauty from point A to point B along a single, majestic spine, the Trinity Alps are more like the New York City subway.…

Innovation Built on Exploration. Always students, never masters. To bring our gear to life, we’re motivated by relentless curiosity and a passion for the wild. We evaluate hundreds of materials, build dozens of prototypes and spend seasons punishing them in the world’s most extreme conditions. The work is the guide, and we never tire of exploring, learning and improving. Obstacles do not block the path—they are the path. Learn More patagonia® 68 PROTOTYPES Dozens of fabrics, 12 material combinations, 68 prototypes and more than three years of design, materials, fit and on-the-water testing and refinement. 52 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE More than half a century of outdoor innovation. Four decades of fly-fishing experience. Twenty-seven years of wader development. Gear built for a lifetime, not a season. 31 FIELD TESTERS The most…

COLLISION COURSE I just received my spring issue of California Fly Fisher magazine. Kudos again to you and Tracey for the polish and updates to the look and feel, as well as the quality of this publication. A recent issue of the magazine shone the spotlight on Pyramid Lake and essentially “glorified” the story of this fishery and the recovery of the Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) that inhabit the lake. The pieces within this issue were well-written and effectively accentuated the uniqueness of that place. This spring issue now spotlights the Truckee River and highlights the fantastic rainbow and brown trout fishery that is there. Matt is indeed as good of person as anyone to try and break down some of the intimidation that the Truckee can present for anglers.…

Some argue that it is not fly fishing because you aren’t casting fly line with your fly rod. Others will say I am using flies and using a fly rod, so how is it not fly fishing? For me (and many others), I simply refer to it as tight line nymphing; it’s just another way to get your flies to the fish. There are many ways to present your flies, and in my opinion, there is no wrong way as long as you are enjoying the experience and hopefully bringing a fish or two to the net. My evolution to tight line nymphing, however, came for a very specific reason. I first met Craig Ballenger in 2001 at the Shasta Springs Trout Camp, where he hosted a group of us…

Ok, forget everything I just said about how hard it is to get to the wild section of the Kern. There are two exceptions that make fishing the Upper Kern dramatically easier. Peppermint Falls Ranch You can drive to within a short hike of the river while staying in relative luxury at the same time. It’s called Peppermint Falls Ranch (PFR). This 5-mile by 5-mile swath of land, which includes two full miles of Peppermint Creek teeming with wild trout and waterfalls, is privately owned. It has been developed with cabins on site and a private paved road that gets within striking distance of the river—a 20-minute hike on a well-groomed trail down to the river. The ranch opened after a huge amount of renovation in the spring of 2025.…

Guide for Peppermint Falls Ranch and Golden Trout Wilderness Pack Outfitters Years Guiding and Teaching Fly Fishing: 25+ Meet Tim Huckaby, a true software industry luminary whose career reads like a tech adventure novel. Tim has over 35 years as an AI pioneer, Microsoft insider, and keynote speaker with more than a few curtain calls alongside Gates and Ballmer. But when he’s not lighting up the stage or engineering the next tech breakthrough, Tim’s wading into wild rivers with a fly rod in hand. A passionate and deeply experienced fly angler, he’s chased fish across the Rockies, the Sierra, and his own backyard waters. How did you decide to become a guide? Well, I had been teaching guiding for years for free and loved it. I started out teaching camp…

I have wondered how climate change is affecting the food our trout eat. Fly fishing is as much about bugs as it is about fish. The reason for this is obvious: Trout survive and thrive by eating riverine insects—along with everything else they gulp, like minnows, worms, and the odd bit of jerky we anglers drop in. It’s bugs they love, and so do we. These bugs and their metamorphoses are wonders all their own, requiring clean, cold water to live and reproduce. Unfortunately for us, and for fish, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies are highly sensitive to ecosystem change. International studies estimate that the entirety of insect diversity is decreasing by about 1.5%-2% annually. Which is scary to think about, particularly when you are a lover of river insects. As…

When you visit the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club (GGACC) for the first time, you feel the past, present, and future in constant conversation with one another. Buffalo roam in their paddock across the street from the entrance; horses amble through nearby stables, just visible through the trees that help keep the casting ponds a well-kept secret; coyotes howl from the surrounding woods as darkness falls each day. Entering the parking lot—taking care not to run over someone zipping past on an electronic skateboard or collide with the driverless cars that swarm Golden Gate Park—all your modern-world worries begin to recede. Your pulse slows. That is, until you round the clubhouse and behold the three magnificent casting pools, where fly lines in different colors unfurl as the whoosh of…

Suggested Fly Gear Nothing bigger than a 5-weight 3-weight is optimal with a floating line Sinking line is a fun option and not too heavy 5X to 6X tippet, ultra small Useful Fly Patterns "Use a size 16" - Craig Ballenger Elk Hair Caddis Hoppers Ants Gnats Beetles Mosquitos Adams Woolly Buggers Copper Johns Midges Necessary Accessories Sunscreen Sunglasses Hat Beanie Down jacket Rain jacket Water filter Headlamp Air pad Sleeping bag (32° minimum) Trekking poles Bug spray Tent Sea to Summit cook set Camp stove Water filtration system…

I stood between two great mountains, Mt. Lassen to the east at my back and Shasta to my west, staring into a deep blue-green hole where crystal-clear, cold water poured from a hole in the ground. While incredibly special, these springs are quite common between the two volcanoes. They provide the lifeblood of California and have made it one of the best places in the world for thousands of years. We jumped into the cold water for a midday swim, with the sun high and temperatures reaching the high 80s. There wasn’t much point in fishing. It was a strange feeling swimming above a hole in the earth of unknown depths, at least to me. As we hiked to the stream, grasshoppers jumped and flew from our footsteps. These strange…

CDFW FREE FISHING DAYS Saturday, July 5 | Saturday, August 3 No sport fishing license required. The perfect opportunity to introduce a friend or youth to fly fishing. GGACC DEMO DAY Saturday, July 26, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Test out the latest gear from leading brands like Sage, Rio, Simms, Costa, Redington, and more. Free admission. Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club Golden Gate Park, San Francisco GGACC.org YUBAFEST Saturday, September 6 Join NCCFFI, the Gold Country Fly Fishers, and Fly Fishing Traditions for a day of fly fishing demos, clinics, games, and fun activities Sycamore Ranch County Park Browns Valley AH DI NA RESTORATION PROJECT Session 1: September 8 – 11 Dedicated work on the restroom facilities Session 2: September 11 – 13 Work on campsites Session 3:…

From mid-November to mid-July, she is mostly nasty and dangerous. But even though she is a raging torrent of death in this long stretch, I daydream about her every day. Come August, I want to see her every day for over three straight months until she gets mean again. Every decade or so, she is on fire like the mythical goddess Pele. After the fires, I have to wait two years to see her. She’s also hard to get to. You can’t drive to her. You have to earn the privilege to see her by carrying over 35 pounds on your back and hiking for miles. I’m talking about the wild section of the Upper Kern River in the Golden Trout Wilderness of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. ABOUT THE…

1. Your favorite fly: Huck Hopper. Without a doubt. In any color imaginable. 2. Your go-to river snack: Homemade beef jerky. I make all my own dehydrated backpacking food for myself and my clients. 3. Favorite band/song for fishing: “I’m Gonna Miss Her” by Brad Paisley. 4. Favorite meal under $15: The Jack Daniels Cloudy: JD, soda water, and a splash of Coke. 5. Favorite après fishing beverage: The Kern River Cocktail—my own concoction. It’s a couple fingers of JD in your backpacking coffee cup with a couple fingers of filtered Kern River Water. 6. Favorite gear under $100? Nite Ize Hitch Plus MicroLock - Phone Case Anchor for Drop Protection. I’m a phone dropper. I have two iPhones at the bottom of Lake Crowley, one in the Madison River…

Many decades ago, using an indicator in deep water was unheard of in most fly-fishing situations. The standard approach was to fish sinking lines to get the fly down to the fish, or wait until fish were closer to the surface. But today, deepwater indicator tactics open up a whole new world for stillwater anglers. I’d been using an indicator system on valley rivers and stillwater for a while, but they weren’t built for depth. This deepwater setup I’ll describe allows you to fish effectively at depths of 25 feet—or even more. When developing this system, I created numerous prototypes using various materials, indicators, and configurations. I asked for help from other fly-fishing gurus and even hired guides just to observe their approaches. Asking questions shortens the learning curve, and…

Gazing to the east or north from atop the Hollywood Hills, any fly angler will see incredible fishing potential in the mountains surrounding the Los Angeles basin. The San Gabriel Mountain foothills are a short distance along the 210 freeway, high above Azusa, and home to the East and West Forks of the San Gabriel River. Further off are the San Bernardino Mountains, still reachable for a day’s outing. To the north are the lower Los Padres National Forest and the western edge of the Angeles National Forest. Bernard Yin has fished these waters for many years, and his experience and skills in mountain stream fishing are recognized around Southern California. Here, he shares some pointers for getting trout just beyond the L.A. sprawl: San Gabriel Mountains “For many, this…

Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club Founded in 1933 (first founded as San Francisco Fly Casting Club in 1894) Golden Gate Park 1232 John F Kennedy Dr San Francisco, CA 94121 • Members: 1,300+ • Ponds are free and open to the public dawn to dusk • Individual membership $40 a year. Family and youth membership available. GGACC.org Oakland Casting Club Founded in 1941 McCrea Memorial Park Elinora Ave at Carson St Oakland, CA 94619 • Members: 150 members • Pools are free and open to the public dawn to dusk • Individual membership $30 a year. Family and youth membership available. OaklandCastingClub.org Flycasters of San Jose Founded in 1965 Los Gatos Creek Park 1250 Dell Ave North end of park Campbell, CA 95008 • Members: 295 members • Casting…

For more than seven decades, Al Kyte has been a quiet revolutionary in the world of fly fishing. While many know him as a gifted educator and writer, Kyte’s pioneering research into the biomechanics of fly casting helped shift the way we understand, teach, and perform one of angling’s most fundamental skills. At a time when casting instruction relied largely on tradition and imitation, Kyte brought a teacher’s insight and a scientist’s precision to the task—analyzing movement, celebrating variation, and encouraging a more inclusive understanding of technique. In this conversation, Kyte reflects on a remarkable journey that began in the Sierra streams of postwar California and led to classrooms, casting ponds, and conferences around the world. His memories are as rich as the waters he fished, filled with stories of…