Posted on

May 2022 NCCFFI Report to Clubs

by Mark Rockwell - NCFFI President

We have been working to bring added value to all of our clubs and members with a focus on fly fishing education, events in the months ahead, as well as continuing to support all of you in 2022. We are developing an easy to use and conduct Fly Fishing 101 program, developed by Clay Hash of Fly Fishing Traditions. Clay is on our Board and a dedicated fly fisher, with a focus on educating people about fly fishing and how it is done. Clay has developed a series of teaching modules that we are preparing to make available to all of our member clubs. We hope to have it completed soon. Watch for it in May or June.

In addition to this program on fly fishing, Clay is also working on another easy to use program for clubs on teaching fly casting. It, too, will be easy to use and present. We hope to have it available in the summer.

The beauty of both the Fly Fishing 101 and Fly Casting programs is that they don’t take an expert to present. They will provide a complete process clubs can use to educate members & take to your community. We realize that most clubs offer similar programs, but the beauty of this program is it is complete and easy to deliver. It’s not necessary for a club teacher to be an expert. They will come in a format that can be carried forward year after year, can be tweaked and adjusted to meet club needs, and organized in an easy-to-understand sequence.
Lastly, we’re in the development process of re-starting our YubaFest event held for the first time 3 years ago. COVID interrupted the last 2 years. It is designed to be a celebration of the western Sierra watershed rivers, and the Yuba is the Queen of these rivers due to its continuous and controllable cool and consistent flows. Additionally, it is a river many of our members fish nearly year round.

We see this as a Celebration and a party, with learning and education included. It will be a family event with food, music, casting games & instruction, river education and some limited fishing opportunities. We will partner with the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), a longtime river partner and advocate for the Yuba. We hope to provide those who attend the opportunity to join the SYRCL salmon river tours to lean about the river and where and how salmon spawn. This will be a full day of fun events and activities, so look forward to hearing more from us as this comes together. It will be a Fall event, likely in October.