Although caddis don’t have tails, this pattern includes two stabilizing peccary. I’m not sure what trout make of these, but it’s a very effective pattern. Due to the coloring it may represent a bee to the fish. Apply floatent, fish drag free or with an occasional skitter.
HOOK: TMC or TFC 100, sizes 8-18. Crimp Barb.
THREAD: black 8/0. Attach mid shank. Wrap to rear of shank.
BODY: yellow or golden/yellow , superfine or rabbit dubbing. Dub a small ball at rear of shank. Leave thread hanging in front of ball.
TAIL: 2 black peccary hairs or can substitute other coarse black hair such as moose main or body. Position one hair on far side of ball, tip extending hook length to rear. Make 3 wraps. Pull on butt end of hair until it extends hook shank to rear or a little shorter. Tie in place. Cut excess.
HACKLE: grizzly. Select feather with barbs equal to one or one and a quarter hook gap. Cut several barbs short on each side of base of stem (crew cut). Tie crew cut in infront of ball, light side facing you.
BODY CONT. : same dubbing. Dub a non tapered body forward to 2 eye lengths behind eye.
HACKLE: same feather. Palmer forward in about 5 wraps. Tie off, cut excess.
WING: bleached or light deer hair, with med. fine hairs. Cut a sm. clump an effectiveof hair from hide. Clean out fuzz. Stack tips. Position on top of shank, tips extending to mid tail. Make first thread wrap around only the hair, the second wrap around both hair and shank. Make several snug wraps , making hairs flare. Cut hair butts short at an angle. Wrap thread head covering all hair stubs. Whip finish, cut thread. Apply Zap-A-Gap or similar. If any hairs remain exposed in thread head, use black Sharpie.
For the big guys over 6 ‘ in our club, we have a donation of neoprene stocking foot waders and a pair of size 14 felt soled wading boots to go with it. These are not new, but perfectly serviceable and includes Simms gaiters (weed guards). The fellow also donated a belt with a rod holder and pliers. This setup was used on his trips to Alaska, stream fishing for Silvers.
These are FREE. Contact Sam Bishop sambishop@totlcom.com
Lance’s presentation comes at an opportune time. In a couple of months, it will be prime time – late September thru November – on these Northern California rivers. “Fishing Valley Rivers” is his newest presentation and will cover the Feather, Lower Sacramento and Yuba rivers, highlighting the what, when and how to fish these Northern California valley rivers, which offer some of the best trout and steelhead fishing throughout the year. Fall and Spring being the best times to target these rivers. Lance spend innumerable hours guiding and fishing all three rivers and during his presentation will offer insight into what he does every day on them, including flies, equipment and rigging.
Lance will join us on Zoom to share the knowledge he’s gained since age 17, when he went to work at Powell’s in Chico, in the fly shop and building rods. He guided for Powell’s, led fly-tying and fly-fishing schools, and traveled.
During 2003, Lance and Kirsten Gray launched Lance Gray & Co., a full-service outfitter offering guided trips, fly-fishing schools, workshops and a travel agency. His guide service covers Lake Almanor, Manzanita Lake, and the Yuba, Lower Sac and Feather rivers. Lance is a signature tier for Aqua Flies, pro staff member for Sage and Rio and is a featured writer, with articles published in Angling Trade Magazine, California Fly Fisher, Fly Fishermen, Sierra Fisherman and Northwest Fly Fishing.
Lance and Kirsten together have more than a combined 50 years of experience in fly fishing. Lance started fly fishing with his father and brother Lincoln at age 7. In his teens, he began tying flies commercially for shops all around Northern California. During 1993, Lance and Kirsten started Saltwater Innovations, a manufacturer and distributor products for saltwater fly fishing. Lance’s Crystal Popper, Gray’s Billfish Fly, the KO Charlie line and the Raghead Crabs are all Saltwater Innovations products. Kirsten worked behind the scenes, handling day-to-day operations and running the manufacturing floor.
If any of you faithful followers have thought about giving Euro Nymphing a try now is the time to buy a handful of raffle tickets ($1 each, 25 for 20 bucks).
This months raffle prize is an Echo CBXL 10′ 3 WT 4 piece Euro Nymph rod. This is matched with a Rio 0x/2x 11-12 ft tapered Euro Nymph leader featuring a two-tone sighter leader and a tippet ring for your point fly leader.
To make sense of all this will be a full length DVD by Euro Nymph masters Devin Olsen and Lance Egan included with the rod and leader.
The drawing will be held at the monthly Zoom meeting Wednesday September 2nd. At 6:30 pm. Need not be present to win. Raffle ticket sales will end at noon the day of the meeting
During the meeting a drawing will be held for a number of cool door prizes, no ticket purchases will be required.
Here is another clouser pattern and as a matter of fact it has been THE fly in recent times to catch stripers in the O’Neill Forebay and San Luis Reservoir. Remember that we will be having a club fishout at the Forebay in October. This fly is a little challenging to tie but don’t let that deter you beginners ,who are always welcome. You will however have to have a vise and tools or borrow them for the club equipment will not be available. We will be using materials the are not often found in flies.
The class is free.
In addition to the usual tools and vise, place at your tying vise, toothbrush, ruler, and glue (such as Zap-A-Gap or Super Glue),and your computer or iPad.
Thread: strong white such as flat waxed nylon, AND red 6/0, flat wax nylon, or red Sharpie permanent marking pen. Some available to borrow.
Sign ups are mandatory , with at least 2 days notice, in order to receive materials. Call to sign up: (831)688-1561 Be sure to leave phone number and any need to borrow thread. Your packet of directions and material will be left at my door. I will also need to know if you are coming to the front or back. Call me for directions if you have never been here. It’s fine if all you want to do is join in and not tie.
CZU Lightning Complex Fire – Covid – Fish. Fly-Fishing. What Day is It?
At this writing we’ve evacuated our home in Ben Lomond (which is safe), and are watching God clean up 81,000 acres (Sunday was 2,500, Tuesday, 25,000, Wednesday 63,000, Sunday 74,000 -21% containment) of forest in Santa Cruz Mountains. A historic event not seen in nearly a century. Tragically over 635 structures are lost and likely more still unaccounted for. Many of them homes. We are okay and we are now patiently waiting for the opportunity to return home. Beyond grateful for all our service members fighting the fire and protecting some 24,000 residences from looting. And my brother Dave, and Diane for a great place to stay and for all who came to help us move horses, chickens, belongings and prepare the house even more.
Before the fire, Mona and I had taken off to play in the Sierra for a few days. It was a beautiful trip. We watched meteor showers on a houseboat at Lake Almanor, caught trout at Moccasin Creek just before it dumps into Lake Don Pedro. Some very feisty escapees – probably from the hatchery above. Despite drifting PT Nymphs in the heat of the day, the fish were still willing and fun. Then we fished the, North Fork of the Stanislaus at Boardman’s Crossing in Dorrington, where we had to contend with a lot of the smaller wild fish hitting our flies, and roaming cattle, while we went in search of the larger fish. That water was colder than Moccasin.
Bear Valley Ski Resort is a beautiful place to visit this time of year. When you are taking a break from fly-fishing, you can rent canoes, and mountain bikes to do some other adventuring, or you can just hike many miles around Alpine Lake and other areas- free and Covid Free!
We got skunked on the East Fork of the Carson, mostly because we fished the heat of the day and we were finally starting to think about heading home. But we had a beautiful time exploring the Sierra in our truck. Best Covid get away together.
There is still plenty of time to do some terrific fly-fishing here and within 2-4 hours driving. 5 hours and you have your pick of the best fly fishing in California. Most of these places we chose are the best and we learned about them hanging out at our Zoom Club meetings talking about these areas, accommodations, flies,… The RV parks have tent camping and many of them have nicer bathrooms and showers if you’re on the move like we were. Best thirty dollars, especially if you’re with yer best friend. Make your camp easy to set up and take down – fun way to move about.
We have all been working hard together during this Flaming Covid crisis to keep – YOU – our membership engaged, and especially our new members who are anxious to drink from this 43 year cup of fly-fishing experience we are. We have engaged in so much and I’m super happy with what we’re doing. Please attend the Zoom meetings. They are fun – Even if you don’t stay for the whole meeting, come – buy a few raffle tickets ahead of time and hang out. This meeting Lance Grey is going to share some awesome Northern California trout tips for us, and even around some of the lakes. Don’t miss this one.
I am also super excited to introduce you to our new Secretary, Camille Padilla and our new Newsletter Editor/Web Master, Scott Kitayama. Both Scott and Camille dove in and have been helping so much already. We’re all really excited to have them on your Board.
It is hard figuring out what day it is sometimes. And we’re naturally thinking of all our friends impacted by Covid and these fires. It’s been a year of refining for sure. But we persevere, look forward, get creative and look for things we can be grateful for in the midst of trials.
When we saw the orange glow over the mountain in Ben Lomond that Monday night, that “fight or flight” thing kicks in and you just do. I thought of the men and women fighting the fire and how they must feel, that there are no scheduled ten-minute breaks or lunch hour. Or the men and women who have had to fight for freedom in wars or to live in a war zone, not knowing for months, if you were going to make it or not. We had a lot of help and we all reached out to help each other, even when we were tired from helping ourselves. It’s what we do. It’s what brings us together.
When the smoke clears and things settle, we’ll fish more. Together.
Thank you for being a valuable part of SCFF. I am grateful for you. Tom
Our club is quite unique. We fish the surf with our fly rods more often than probably any club in the world. We have more experienced surf fly fishers than any other club and to top it off, we have our unique, distinctive, bright green stripping baskets, making our club members easily identifiable.
For our second trip to Manresa this year, we will meet at the State Beach that Saturday 0630, this beach has produced some nice fish and usually has more wave action than do Rio Del Mar or Palm. I don’t know why, but I believe it may have to do with curvature of the Bay making the swells more concentrated as they arrive.
Reminder that parking is limited outside, so if there is none, then drive on up ¼ mile and turn right on Ocean View, then another right into a larger parking area. There are stairs down to the beach. We will fish to the NORTH side of the stairs, all the way up to the railroad bridge.
Low tide is about 0650 and is a plus 1.2, so most of the time we will be fishing a flood tide.
As always, I will have spare fishing baskets and extra flies.
Six months into the Covid 19 shutdown of all we love to do, forcing us to stay home and mask up. As if the fear of getting sick wasn’t enough, we now are not sure if our homes are going to burn up as fire surrounds our little county along the coast.
The report from the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout project (MBSTP) is not good, although the main building and this years smolts survived, most of the outside big tanks holding adult fish were either destroyed or compromised, some adult spawners were saved but the damage done is extensive and the hatchery manager who lived at the site lost his cabin. the bridges leading to the hatchery were destroyed so getting in will be a difficult issue till the bridges can be replaced. The finances allow the organization to get through a couple years but they will be needing a lot of funding to replace what was lost. Sam Bishop sent me the letter listing all the things lost to the fire from the director, Matt Rowley, we can share upon request.
Just in today 8/23/20 from Politico.com a report about the Pebble Mine which should be made public tomorrow. The president had seen the special report on FOX news Tucker Carlson show about the Pebble Mine and the effects it will have on the people and the land and apparently he is also listening to the CEO of Bass Pro and his son Don Jr. to veto the plan to build the worlds largest copper, gold and silver mine ever. As we recall in 2015/16 President Obama put to rest the Pebble Mine and we all cheered but it was challenged and allowed to be reviewed again and we are awaiting findings from the Army Corps of Engineers as to the safety of the proposed mine on the environment.
There is a lot of money invested but some are dropping out like CITI group recently. The lobby in Washington to approve this mine is strong but the president needs the Alaska vote and this might do it he thinks. AK has always voted Republican but this year he is not so sure I am just guessing. It may be premature but I want to thank everyone for their support and donations to help save Bristol Bay and to keep it that way for future generations.
Best wishes and may the force be with us all. ‘Slim’
Several folks have been asking about our financials since this “stay at home Pandemic” showed up. So I thought the easiest way to communicate to all was a short article in the newsletter.
Basically we are in very good shape. As a “Non-Profit” we generally do not set out to make money every year, but through decades of carefully managing our inflows and outflows we have built up a reserve of cash to tide us through lean periods. Our cash currently stands at approximately $29,000. We had just finished our fiscal year on February 1, just after our successful annual fund-raiser dinner and raffle; and had our push for renewal of memberships through March. All that completed before this pandemic struck. So we were at a high point in our finances for the year.
As a brief overview, we usually have three sources of funds; the annual dinner itself (which raises about $2,500 net of all costs) , the big raffle and silent auction (which raises about $5,000 net of costs), and memberships and donations, (which raise about $6,500). This gives a total inflow of about $14-$15 thousand per year. Our total expenses for the year typically run about $14-$15 as well, including $3,000 in Conservation donations and $1,000 in scholarships. The other large items are Speakers, Hall rental, Printing (including our roster, fund raiser and thank you letters), postage, liability insurance, events, etc.
So, if we brought in zero new dollars, our current cash should last about two years. But the reality is that membership has continued to flow in, and even if we cannot have our normal January fund-raiser, it is still likely we can have some type of fundraiser later in next year. Also, some of our expenses have decreased. Speakers are charging less for ZOOM meetings because they do not have to travel. We have already paid our grange rental for the year, and that is being held, and we are thankfully not being charged for now, as we cannot use the facility; so we are building a credit for future use. The bulk of the new web site consulting work has been completed. Our 11 scholarship recipients have already been paid.
I hope that is helpful and comforting.
Having been frugal in the better times is allowing us to weather these lean times. I read somewhere that is usually a good plan. I believe Ben Franklin recommended that in Poor Richards Almanac.
Looking very forward when the fires abate, and Covid is behind us, and we can all meet at the Grange, or on the water, or …….
Remember the great presentation last meeting on fishing top-water for Bass on Lake Oroville? Well I was fascinated, so I picked up Jerry Greer, my long time business partner and avid spin fisherman in Modesto, then we flew through horrible smoke to Oroville. Oroville was much more clear than the area from about Sacramento south, at least that day and the next.
We flew up on a Wednesday afternoon, arriving at 4 pm. Ryan picked us up with his bass boat in tow and we went straight to the lake where we fished until dead dark. I caught at least a dozen spotted bass and one smallmouth bass. Well I am not real educated on the type and identification of bass, but Ryan said that smallmouth was the largest that has been landed on his boat. So the picture of that smallmouth is attached. Didn’t look all that big to me though.
So here is another interesting revelation. Ryan, if you remember, talked about “float flies”. I didn’t know what that meant (and I doubt anyone else on the Zoom meeting did either) until we were on the water and I said let’s do that too. Lo and behold it was just an indicator/bobber, with a # 4 or #6 weighted jig hook! I had to laugh, remembering that I was in our club a year or so, afraid to show my ignorance by asking what they were talking about when they talked about an “indicator”. Heck, it just a bobber. So was this, but shaped different!
Well I am making fun of it, but it was very effective. In fact the next morning at 5 am we met Ryan at our motel and launched the boat as twilight was barely breaking. I fished the top-water poppers for over an hour with no luck, then went to the “float fly”. It worked quite well and I got at least another ten fish until we stopped at 11 am and headed back to the launch ramp, then the airport.
BTW, the flies out caught the spinner lures big time both days. Ryan even mentioned that was unusual. I was surprised too, because Jerry had great top-water gear lures. I still would not bet serious money on catching bass on a fly rod over lures on a spinning rod.
The flight back was not particularly pleasant, with smoke extending up thousands of feet. Due to the terrible visibility, I had to make instrument approaches to Modesto to drop of Jerry, then another coming in to Watsonville. I was back to home base 24 hours after leaving with a wonderful fishing adventure stored permanently in my memory.
Thanks Jim Black for arranging that presentation. I would never have known about fishing that lake without it.
Flyfishers are at particular risk for skin cancer (CA) due to prolonged exposure to sunlight and secondary reflection from water and sand.
Sun (UVL) damage is cumulative and responsible for 90% of aging.
UVL is responsible for 90% of non-melanoma skin CA (NMSC) and 70-85% of malignant melanoma (MM). Hereditary factors are also important, especially with MM. The annual cost of treating skin CA in USA is $8.1 Billion. Two die of skin CA every hour in the USA.
The most common is Basal Cell CA, with 4.3 million annual cases in USA. Fortunately very treatable and only 2,000 related deaths/year. Squamous Cell CA accounts for 1 million cases with 15,000 deaths/year.
MM accounts for 200,000 cases and 7,000 deaths per year, as it is more aggressive and less treatable, and unfortunately its incidence doubles every decade. MM has a 2:1 male to female ratio. Only 20-30% of MM starts in existing moles, so it is important to look for new black lesions.
Sun protection is the key to avoiding skin CA. Hats (no mesh), sun-gloves, “Buff” bandanas for face and neck, sunglasses, long sleeved shirts and pants are the best. Thread count is most important….a $10 Kmart shirt that you can’t see through when held up to light is equal in protection to an $85 one impregnated with SPF chemical.
Sunscreens have repeatedly been shown experimentally to prevent most BCC and SCC, and at least 50% of MM. They have recently come under scrutiny and controversy regarding THEORETICAL effect on human hormone production, bleaching of coral reefs, effect on algae in still waters, and presence of nanoparticles in the bloodstream. To date there is NO EVIDENCE for harm in any of these areas.
The “bad” ingredients suspected are: Benzophenone (Oxybenzene), Avobenzone, Homosalicalate, Octinoxate. Sunscreens thought to be “safe” are the mineral type (containing mainly zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), but these wash and wear off easily, requiring reapplication every few hours. “Safe” brands include: Think Sport, All Good Sport, Stream 2 Sea, Mama Koulenne, Art of Sport Skin Armor, Hello Bello, Babo Botanicals, Purely Simple and Sun Bum.
Thankfully as flyfishers, if properly clothed we only need a dab of sunscreen on ears, nose and hands, so we don’t need to sweat safety issues.
Ryan is a full time guide & fly tier, centered in Oroville. With 9 years of guiding experience, he now focuses on the Feather and Sac rivers for trout, steelhead, and stripers. Lake Oroville and Berryessa for Bass, and Clear Lake for both bass and crappie. Ryan is best known for his re-discovering of the Float n’ Fly with the fly rod, and it’s application for stillwater bass during the Winter. Ryan is also the first fly fishing guide to figure out Clear Lake. He’s also been a major proponent of top-water fly fishing on CA’s public reservoirs. Ryan is also the current Costa Bass n’ Fly Champion along with Brian Pultz.
Ryan now resides right next to Lake Oroville, allowing him to fish as much as he can possibly stand. He is about as passionate about fly fishing as they come, and truly enjoys sharing his information.
Covid strikes again. We had an instructor line up to do the Aug. class, but he unfortunately doesn’t have a computer to do a Zoom class and I will be out of state, fishing of course. A great Zoom class is planned for Sept. I will be instructing a San Luis Smelt. This has been THE fly for the past few years at the Forbay. Lee Haskins, a guru with this fly and fishing that area, has move away, but his fly lives on. Getting the materials is a bit of a challenge. The long fiber craft fur, Foxxfur, is no longer made. The Portland Fly Shop bought up all the remaining supply and sells it cheap. Not all the colors remain available. I’ll be showing, in the class, how to compensate for that. To acquire the Foxxfur yourself: web site: shop.theportlandflyshop.com/craft-fur-sale.html. To place an order: (503)265-8060.
If you are new to fly tying and don’t want to invest a lot of money to get started, there are a lot of inexpensive substitutes for tools. I’ll list a few below but, having a vise that has a pedestal instead of a clamp , and a good pair of scissors made by Dr. Slick, are important. Twizzers for pick ups, Straight pin, sewing pin or hat pin for bodkin, straw or ball point pen for half hitch tool, are just a few substitutions.
There are a lot of fly shops and web sites for materials and equipment. A couple suggestions: The Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene Oregon (good service, no tax and free shipping if over $25 I believe), The Fly Shop in Redding Ca. (Good service, cheaper excellent quality hooks under brand TFS and same numbers as TMC hooks, right off I-5), J. Stockard (877)359-8946 (inexpensive).
Books I recommend: “Fly Patterns of Umpqua Feather Merchants” by Randall Kaufmann for extensive list of fly patterns and materials to tie each. “The complete Book of Western Hatches” by Dave Hughes for detailed information about aquatic insects and flies to immatate them. “The Hook Book” by Dick Stewart for hooks drawn by actual size, description, equivalents in other brands.
Email or call to sign up for the September Fly tying class. Leave your number please.
Even during this unusual time the membership has maintained at 150+including 10 new online members who we able to join on the new website online direct payment with Visa/square to our account.
Nametags have been ordered for these new members and will be mailed. Should you need a name tag, please email me robert6367@aol.com and I will mail one.
Have twice recently had the need for some work to be done on my float tube cover. I used the Santa Cruz Outdoor Gear Repair business. Good service, good work, reasonable, very Covid safe with no need to enter his building. He works on all kinds of stuff. Does not however repair waders or leaks. Located in downtown Santa Cruz in Old Sash Mill . 303 Potrero St. Bldg. 45 Suite 101 (831)824-4176. Open Wed.-Sat. His name is Peter and is a fly fisherman.
Well – so much for the “restart”. I think I’ll go fishing.
Wow. Didn’t really see this coming, but now planning for more essential long-term opportunities. Isn’t it nice to know that fishing is a good way to get out these days? RV sales, Campers, hiking and cycling related sales are at record highs. So are the hardware stores and pizza shops!
Just a 2-3-4 or 5 hours drive from Santa Cruz – are some great trout fishing opportunities. The very best in the west. I am headed to the Merced in a couple days for an overnight camping trip and some summer wet wading and dry-fly fishing. If you’re into it – you can go to www.recreation.gov – put in the name of a National Forest near you, the camping area you want to go to, and your’e in.
Last month, we talked about the surf, which for some of us is between 10 and 20 minutes away. And that fishing is still very good- surf perch, striper, halibut…
Many of you missed George Revel’s Zoom presentation on fly-fishing the surf in the Bay Area. I know this because Zoom is a really cool way to see all of you. If you haven’t loaded this onto your computer – do. It’s super awesome. We had a very engaging 2 hours and it was really fun hanging out with George and our members till 8:30 chatting away about everything surf and fly-fishing related.
August was going to be our annual BBQ/Slop n Swap meet, but due to the Covid conundrum, we are instead going to be having a nice raffle -with online ticket sales, and a fantastic presentation on fly-fishing for bass and bluegill – which you can also do in a 1-2-3 hour drive from Santa Cruz. The club meeting will start via Zoom at 6:30. See the club meeting section for the link – click on it, and zoom – you’re in! Easier than a campsite!
If you are a new member, we’re going to be doing fly-tying again – via Zoom, a Happy Hour, knot tying and Steve Rudzinski and a few other board members are going to be hosting some beginning fly casting tutoring. The first at Jade Street Park in Capitola and maybe some additional work at another park – TBD- maybe at DeLaveaga. Keep up with the newsletter and the SCFF email list. If you’re not getting either of them – reach out to me – and we’ll make certain you are informed.
With the Covid crisis in an uncertain state, more than ever, we are going to continue to do more to keep you engaged. We are also collaborating with other clubs such as the Delta Fly Fishers -who are enabling us to join in some of their fish-outs where there is room. I’d encourage you to participate and join in some of these activities where possible. They are a super enthusiastic group. We’re all in this together.
I do miss all of you, but I am grateful we are doing well as a club and as a membership. I am happy no one has been sick. You have been fishing. You have been helping, encouraging and being responsible to each other and your families and friends. We are going to come out of this better and all of the really awesome fun, on-line things we are doing because of this, are only going to make us stronger and more engaging, fun,…
All for now – trying to keep this short. If you want to participate on the board, help the club, have some ideas to share -write to me or call. I’d love to hear from you.
I attached a letter from the Wild Salmon Center thanking me (Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen members) for our donation to help save the fishery at Bristol Bay AK and to stop the Pebble Mine plan to create the worlds largest open pit copper and gold mine, destroying the last source of the only truly wild river producing 2/3 of the world wild salmon to market.
We had scheduled John Squires to speak again at the club in October 2018 and while guiding clients on the American Creek in Alaska in August, his pontoon boat struck a fallen tree and all were in the water, the clients lived a harrowing day and night on the opposite banks before getting help but John was never found. We donated his speaking stipend to the TU Alaska fund to saving Bristol Bay as he told me to do prior to booking him for our meeting.
Two nights ago on June 25th, while float tubing and fishing the famous ‘Hex Hatch’ at lake Almanor with an armada of other fly fishermen, there were 2 guys in a boat, the only boat in our area and I was chatting a little with them every time I kicked by. The last time the older of the two asked me if I knew the Santa Cruz fly fishermen and Steve Rudzinski? I never saw them before and said that I was he and had no idea that it was about. Apparently their mother was the widow of John Squires and she said they should try to find me and thank me for honoring their father.
Now sometimes things happen in very mysterious ways as they had no idea what week we would be there and I almost fished another spot and changed my mind at the last minute, almost like being directed by an unknown source. Dan and Joe offered me a beer which I accepted and we toasted their father who must have been present in some way as we told a few stories out there bobbing in the waves.
As far as conservation issues, I am finding that most agencies and programs and even the courts are on hold from making any decisions while the Covis-19 shutdown is still in force. I did not see many masks in northern CA and in Chester and the surrounding area, only 2 cases reported up in the county according to the management at North Shore Camping where I camped for five nights with 2 other club members. The fishermen I met all thought this was a poor week to fish for the majority and me included by landing only one very nice brown trout and a few big bass. The Mayfly hatch was much less than in previous years I recall and the surface temp was 73/74 degrees all week and getting warmer. We did not see much surface action although the bats showed up after dark, the ospreys got a few fish and the western grebes were mating and in large flocks following schools of pond smelt. One lone loon calling in the darkness it’s lonely shrill sound.
Till next month, be safe and be kind to each other, it’s tough for us all living in fear and uncertainty or at least confusion as to ‘what’s next’?
Back to Rio Del Mar State Beach for the August Surf Fish-Out where we started this year. Meet up at 6 am at “the Platform” (I have no idea why it is called that), but it is at the end of Beach Drive. Parking is outside due to the early hour before the paid parking gate opens. We have an ebb tide with a +0.9 low at 08:08 am.
Take Rio Del Mar Blvd all the way to the flats, do the round-about to the left and go ½ mile down Beach drive.
This section has produced for me: Barred Perch, Walleye Perch, California Rays, Leopard Shark, Bat Ray, Sculpin, sand worms, mole crabs, almost legal Dungeness crabs, Stripers, Jack Smelt. And right next to me I have seen Guitar fish and Halibut taken on the fly rod.
Everyone is welcome, but I highly encourage you to learn to cast before you come to the beach. Check in with our Castmaster Mark Traugott, or his assistant (me) and work on the haul and the double haul. For surf equipment, clothing and general information, go to our website under EDUCATION and read the section on surf fishing.
I will have spare flies for anyone who would like and stripping baskets for free loan or purchase $20 to the Club. If you need a stripping basket, please be there early, before we hit the beach to fish. Best to have your rod strung up already and your waders on already doesn’t hurt!
If you wish to attend, call right away. Due to Covid, all those who have signed up, will be contacted to discuss the situation. All money’s will be returned if the person wishes to cancel or if the Fishout is canceled.
This fishout will take place over two consecutive week periods. You may sign up for either one or both.
LOCATION: Mammoth Lakes is on the eastern side of the Sierras, 6 to 7 hours drive from Santa Cruz. There are many lakes and streams in the area to fish. We will be staying in condominiums in the town of Mammoth Lakes. There are two people per bedroom. A private room is also possible , but at increase cost.
COST: The cost includes: (room — 3 meals a day — linen — hot tub ) $310/week $660 for 2 weeks $590/ week for private room. Money is not refundable UNLESS the fishout is canceled (Covid-19). If there are any funds received and not used, they will be used for prizes for our annual fund raiser.
MEAL PREPARATION: Each person will be assigned to a group kitchen day. The group will set out breakfast and lunch foods, store unused food, prepare evening meal and clean up, on the assigned day.
SIGN UP: Call to sign up. Sign ups are available until all spaces filled. Your spot will be reserved when I receive your check. Mail check made out to John Cook, P.O. Box 2822, Aptos, Ca., 95001-2822. I will maintain a waiting list.
