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Lake Almanor Fly Fishing Guide has openings for the coming June Hex hatch.

by Tim Loomis - SCFF Club Member

Starting June 22 thru June 29th I will once again be guiding at L. Almanor for the world famous Hexagenia hatch that starts in mid June and goes on into early July. This will be my 21st year fishing the lake. The Hexagenia is one of the largest Mayflies in North America.

California is one of about 6 states that have these Mayflies. Michigan is also famous for the stupendous Hex hatch they have. Often times the department of Public Works in many Michigan towns spend hours cleaning up spent Hex carcasses over 2 feet deep from underneath highway lights. We should be so lucky! However, we do have a pretty significant Hex hatch of our own at L. Almanor. Lake Almanor is located about 35 minutes east of Mt. Lassen along Rte. 36 out of Red Bluff. You can camp at Lake Almanor West in the state campgrounds above Prattville or stay in one of the many motels on the lake or in Chester on Rte. 36. Customers have a good chance of landing giant rainbows and browns (8-12lbs) along w/smallmouth bass up to 22”. The lake also has 1-3 lb. landlocked salmon that are often landed and make excellent dinner fare.

My guiding starts at 3pm w/a short presentation on “How To Fish” for the Hex out of a float tube or pontoon. We cover the gestation period for the Hex nymph and the Hex migration to the surface. I offer 3 styles of fly fishing – nymphing w/an indicator, stripping a nymph/streamer combo and dry fly fishing. We try to get on the water by 5pm and continue until dark around 9:30pm.

My rates are $200.00 for individuals / Lower rate for groups of 3 at $190.00 apiece. Club members get a discount to $175.00 apiece. I supply float tubes and fins, rods/reels, tippet and flies. Customers need to supply their own waders and are encouraged to use their own water craft and fins if they have them. Contact me with questions and dates.

Big Sur Styles Guide Serv.
Tim Loomis
C 831-345-8411
H 831-426-4683

2021 fish during guide

Posted on April 19th, 2022

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May 2022 Table of Contents

General Meeting……………………
  Fly fishing for Corbina with Al Quadrattro
  May Raffle Prizes
President’s Line…………………….
Fly Tying……………………
  Cricket
  BWO Quigley Cripple
Conservation Concerns……………
  Klamath Tribes and Klamath Water Users Respond to BOR Water Allocations
Membership Notes…………………
  UFO Meetup – Jade Park
  Volunteer needed for Newsletter Editor
  Notes from Pyramid
Reel News …………………………
  NCFFI Newsletter – May 2022
Fishout Schedule…………………
Marketplace…………………
Cartoon…………………………..…

Posted on April 16th, 2022

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Klamath Tribes and Klamath Water Users Respond to BOR Water Allocations

by Conservation Chair

On April 11th, the Bureau of Reclamation announced plans for the Klamath Project water allocation for 2022.
https://www.klamathfallsnews.org/news/reclamation-opens-klamath-project-irrigation-season-with-limited-water-allocation

The Klamath Tribes and Klamath Water Users have both responded. As you might expect, both groups are extremely disappointed with the BOR announcement. Being that SCFF is focused on fish and environmental conditions that support them, we look for ways to support conservation causes.  However, issues that involve water have many stakeholders. When I came across the Klamath Tribes response, I saw a link to the Klamath Water Users press release. So I decided to include both.

Here is the Klamath Tribes Response:
https://www.klamathfallsnews.org/news/klamath-tribes-respond-to-bor-water-allocations
Bureau of Reclamation 2022 Operation Plan hastens extinction of endangered C’waam and Koptu
CHILOQUIN, Ore. – Yesterday’s announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation of its 2022 Operations Plan is perhaps the saddest chapter yet in a long history of treaty violations visited upon us by the United States.
Under the Plan, Reclamation intends to usurp “up to 62,000-acre-feet” of water from the nearly extinct and (Klamath Tribes) treaty-protected C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker) at the height of their spawning season. Instead, despite the clear mandate of the Endangered Species Act to prioritize the needs of endangered species, Reclamation intends to send that water to irrigators in violation of Reclamation’s own water allocation formula.
Today, we see in the Klamath Basin the consequences of nearly 120 years of ecosystem degradation at the hands of the settler society. They have drained hundreds of thousands of acres of open water and wetlands, mowed down the largest pine forests in the west, mined the groundwater to the point that wells now go dry where marshes and lakes formerly prevailed, straightened whole river systems and striven to eradicate beavers that once engineered complex waterways, allowed their cattle to destroy riparian zones and defecate in icy cold springs, and dammed the mighty Klamath River five times.
The Klamath Tribes are tired of hearing: “it is another bad water year,” “we are all suffering,” and “come to the table so we can negotiate an end to this conflict.” This disaster is the entirely predictable and inevitable consequence of multi-generational mismanagement and poor judgment.
Neither the Klamath Tribes nor our downriver tribal brothers and sisters made any of the decisions that brought us here. And we have nothing left with which to “compromise.”  Global warming is undoubtedly a global problem, but thus far its local consequences appear to be exacerbating existing and systematic inequalities between ourselves and the larger society.
It is time for all involved to realize that this homeland ecosystem we all share and profess to love has limits. This sacred place that has always been the home of the Klamath Tribes is exceedingly complex, evolved over thousands of years, and made from symbiotic life-forms.
The Klamath Tribes remain committed to cooperating with those genuinely interested in restoring the ecological health of our treaty-protected lands. We are equally committed to fighting those who don’t.

Here is the Klamath Water Users response:
https://www.klamathfallsnews.org/news/failed-federal-water-policy-will-shut-down-klamath-basin-food-production-for-second-consecutive-year
KWUA Responds to Reclamation’s water announcement
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The federal government announced today that it will deprive highly fertile farms and ranches in the Klamath Basin of irrigation water necessary to produce food this year. The decision comes at a time of global food security fears, rapidly rising food prices, and concerns that grocery store shelves may become empty this year.
Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), which represents irrigation water users who produce food based on once-reliable irrigation water supplies from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon’s largest surface water body, decried today’s announcement.
“We have 170,000 acres that could be irrigated this year and we’re ready to get to work,” said KWUA President Ben DuVal, who farms with his wife and daughters on land served by the Project. “On a single acre, we can produce over 50,000 pounds of potatoes, or six thousand pounds of wheat. This year, most of that land will not produce any food because the government is denying water for irrigation. We’ll just be trying to keep the weeds and dust under control.”
KWUA leaders said that there is adequate water available this year to provide irrigation from Upper Klamath Lake to the Klamath Project, a system of infrastructure that was built to deliver water to a community of family farms straddling the California-Oregon border. The Project provides water to some of the richest soils in the world. But federal regulators intend to deny irrigation water needed to produce food, at a time when the country and world most need it.
Rigid operating guidelines mandated by federal regulatory agencies mean that the Project’s family farms and ranches will have an uncertain amount of water, probably less than 15 percent of what they need, although producers will not finally know how much water they will have until it is far too late to plan their operations.
This federal policy comes on the heels of the federal government’s 2021 approach, when the government afforded zero water through Project facilities for irrigation for the first time in the 118-year history of the Project. The announced 2022 supply is the second-worst ever.
In today’s announcement of a 2022 Klamath Project Operations Plan, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation directed that water that could be used for irrigation or wildlife benefits will instead be used to artificially augment flows 40 miles downstream in the Klamath River, and to maintain specified elevations of water in Upper Klamath Lake.
In each case, the water will be dedicated to fish species based on regulatory commands of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). NMFS has authority related to coho salmon, considered a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and USFWS has authority related to Lost River suckers and shortnose suckers, both of which are listed as endangered under the ESA.
The federal agencies’ experiment of increasing water allocation to these ESA-listed species has been tried for 25 years in the Klamath Basin, yet there is no evidence this policy has benefitted the target fish populations.
“If we farmers failed as badly as the federal agency biologists who are controlling water policy, our bankers would have foreclosed on us 20 years ago,” said Mr. DuVal. “The regulators’ performance is unacceptable and should be embarrassing to federal decision-makers.”
KWUA Executive Director Paul Simmons said that NMFS’s requirements are egregious and out of balance. “Between now and the end of irrigation season, there will be about 210,000 acre-feet of inflow to Upper Klamath Lake,” he said. “But NMFS is telling Reclamation to release over 400,000 acre-feet of water down the Klamath River.”
To furnish that much water requires artificial supplementation of natural flow by releasing water that was stored behind a dam at the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake during the non-irrigation season.
KWUA leaders insist that NMFS’s regulatory demands are neither fair nor effective.
“It’s the world’s worst-kept secret that NMFS is using Klamath Project water to try to mitigate problems not caused by the Klamath Project,” said Mr. Simmons. “And when that doesn’t work, they just do it again, and then again.”
Although food producers in the Klamath Project are hamstrung, by regulatory demands, they share the concern that Pacific salmon stocks are struggling. “That’s bad for fishing communities and it’s bad for all of us,” said Mr. DuVal. A combination of many factors has affected fish populations, including a history of overfishing, sea lion predation, and ocean conditions. “I understand that it’s hard to regulate ocean conditions,” said Mr. DuVal. “But harming my family and destroying my community doesn’t fix ocean conditions and it doesn’t save fish.”
Project water shortage will also be exacerbated by USFWS’s stringent requirements for Reclamation to withhold water from the Project to maintain specified depths of water in Upper Klamath Lake. There is no evidence that regulation of irrigation supplies has yielded any benefit to sucker populations in Upper Klamath Lake.
Federal water policies’ negative impacts on food production comes at a time of global food security concerns, soaring prices at the grocery store, and fears of empty shelves. Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers are bracing for dust storms and resulting poor air quality and other local environmental impacts that predictably arise when once-reliable surface water supplies are directed elsewhere by federal agencies.
In addition, in 2022, for the first time ever, two federal national wildlife refuges will go dry because water will be redirected to a few ESA-listed species. Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge both depend on water diverted and delivered by irrigation districts. Those critically important features of the Pacific Flyway for waterfowl are disabled.
“Under the current application of the ESA in the Klamath there are no winners,” former KWUA President Tricia Hill said in testimony before a congressional committee last month. “Only losers. And I cannot convey how heartbreaking it is to watch our basin—from its people to its environment to its wildlife—crumble around me.”
Reclamation also announced today that there will be $20 million available to help mitigate economic damage to farms that do not use irrigation water this year. While KWUA expressed its gratitude to its congressional delegation and the Commissioner of Reclamation for that funding, local irrigators lament that dollars cannot replace the loss of food production, jobs, and community stability directly caused by unbalanced federal water management policies.
Klamath Irrigation District President and KWUA board member Ty Kliewer said that his family and his neighbors cannot live through a repeat of last year. “Government mismanagement is causing this situation, period. Many of my fellow producers liquidated entirely last year, and I don’t know who will make it through this year. If the government doesn’t restore balance to water policy immediately, it will have wiped out this community of food producers, for nothing.”

Posted on April 16th, 2022

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Striper Fishing on the Lower Sac with Hogan Brown


Jun 01 6:30 PM : Striper Fishing on the Lower Sac with Hogan Brown


Growing up on the Lower Yuba River as an only child who had a bug collection and really liked catching fish with imitations of those bugs didn’t make Hogan the coolest kid growing up. Good thing he got over it and persevered. Deciding to start rowing a drift boat and guiding the lower Yuba instead of living in the woods bitter and resentful. Living in Chico, CA now Hogan guides for anything that swims, from trout to striped bass and carp to steelhead, he is at home in a drift boat or poling a mud flat for carp. Guiding the Lower Yuba River, Feather River, and Lower Sacramento River for stripers, trout, steelhead, shad, carp, and bass has made him one of the most versatile and experienced guides in Northern California. His trout, bass, carp, and striper flies have become staples in his home state of Northern California and throughout the West, and his patterns are currently sold through Rio Products and numerous fly shops. Hogan is a Scott Fly Rods, Lamson – Waterworks Reels, Stealth Craft Boats, Air Flo Fly Lines, and Echo Rods Pro along with being a Simms, and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Ambassador. Hogan is also co-founder of the California Bass Union dedicated to Developing, Sharing, and Growing Fly Fishing for bass in his home state of California as well as the host for the Barbless fishing podcast. Hogan is also a connoisseur of fine ales and fermented grains, a home gardener, die-hard San Francisco Giants baseball and Notre Dame Football fan, along with being a husband and father to two young boys.

Future Speakers. Dates and speakers may change, please go to URL to see the current information.

No upcoming events scheduled - check back soon!

Monthly Speaker Date Excerpt

Posted on April 14th, 2022

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Fishout Schedule – June 2022

mobile scrollable table 

EVENT NAME EVENT DATE SPECIES FISH MASTER
Yuba River – 21 Aug 26Aug 21 - Aug 23
Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly FishingSep 08 - Sep 15
Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026Sep 19 - Oct 03Trout John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515
Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly FishersOct 10
O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18thOct 15 - Oct 18
Trinity River FishoutNov 13 - Nov 15

Aug 21 : Yuba River – 21 Aug 26


Yuba River - 21 Aug 26
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club (SCFFC)Lower Yuba Private Water Camp & Fishout
August 21st – 23rd 2026
(Date subject to change due to weather and flows)

The information provided below has been  modified from the Grizzly Peak Fly Fishing Club and Tri-Valley Fly Fishing Club (2022-23)

Special Notes
The outing is limited to 20 people. With a $50.00 buy in payable to the club. Jump to reservation form

Due to the limited capacity, reserving your spot is  first come first serve starting July 1st  at 9am thru the club website. Payment due at time of reservation. No refunds.

Camping will be available on the property beginning at 4 PM Friday and extending to Sunday evening. Fishing hours are dawn to dusk. Gate code will be sent out as we get closer to the Fishout date. Each angler will be responsible to close the gate behind them. The gate code will be emailed to us the week before the trip. Additional details to follow as we get closer to the date
The Lower Yuba is accessible from the sea – you must have a 2026 California Steelhead Reporting Card in addition to your fishing license. Unlike the license, the report card must be delivered in hard copy, either by snail mail or by hand from a fishing store. Plan ahead!

Location
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918. Meet at the gate to the river road (N39.24672°, W121.32222°), which is on your right about 1/3 mile before you reach the research center. Note that, misleadingly, there is a sign at the gate that says “No Fishing Access”. The gate will be opened and then locked behind us. 2.5 hrs from Berkeley. Take I-80 east to Sacramento, turn onto I-5 north, then onto Hwy 70 to Marysville. Pass through downtown Marysville on 70, and as you round the lake, turn right onto Hwy 20 east. Continue 15 miles, pass the Sycamore Ranch Campground. At the sign to the UC Station, turn left onto Peoria Rd, and then at another sign, bear right onto Scott Forbes Rd (also called Long Bar Rd). The gate is just past Sicard Flat Ditch. SCFFC strongly encourages carpooling.

General Notes
Our Club event on the Yuba will be on the private property owned by the University of California and is one of their Sierra Research facilities. We have contracted for TVFF’s exclusive use of the facility for the two days over the weekend. The river is about 1.5 miles above the highway 20 bridge over the Yuba and accessible only through a locked gate for a maximum of twenty (20) anglers per day. There is approximately 2.5 miles of available river that is the tailwater section a mile or so below Englebright Dam. The river has easy and level access, so it’s ideal for those less comfortable in heavy current wading situations, although that is also available for those Euro Nymphing.

The UC facility is on many acres in a pastoral valley leading down to the river. Most of the research here is for cattle, grazing land management, and erosion control so it is very quiet with no nearby roads, ranches, or houses. There is a covered picnic area that sits above the river with 8-10 picnic tables and a porta potty restroom with hand wash station that is also available on site. No water on site, limited cell phone reception, no fires. All in all, it’s a very scenic and serene site.

Gear and Tackle Recommendations:
Yuba River fish are notoriously “hot” and frisky. They workout full time in the strong current and just love to play in it when disturbed by a sharp hook. Anticipate that you will see strong runs on hook ups and that the fish will feel like they are 4-6″ larger than you see in the net. So…
Rod & line weights/types: 5 or 6 weight rods, reels and floating lines are the norm to help control their runs. A 4 weight for Euro Nymphing should work well as long as it has a good stiff butt section to manage any runs.
Leaders and tippet: Fishing style dependent but normally I fish a 9’ 4X leader and adjust with added tippet of up to 4-6’ of 5 for the dry flies, and stick with 4X fluoro for the nymphs.
Other gear:
Note that we will not be using any watercraft as this is a walk and wade event with float takeouts way too far downstream to be of use for us.
Flies: Flies to match and we will send out a more current list as we get closer to the dates and better understand how the weather and water are impacting the hatches. Typically, you will need Skwala dries and nymphs, Pale Morning Duns, Baetis/Blue Wing Olives, Pink Alberts, Little Yellow Sallies, Pale Evening Duns, Golden Stones, and four varieties of Caddis.

Location / Date
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918.
August 21st – 23rd 2026

Fishmaster
TBD – Please contact Justin Ice if interested in hosting this event justin@schwagerdavis.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sep 08 : Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing


Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing Trip

September 8–15, 2026
(Additional week: September 1–8, 2026, if enough anglers)

Each week will be made up of 8 anglers, with Rick and Jesse serving as hosts. This document provides an outline of the fall Alaska fly fishing trip. All projected dates and plans are subject to change based on weather conditions.

Trip Structure & Expectations

  • For the first three days, anglers will be split into three groups:
    • Three anglers fishing with Jesse from a drift boat
    • Two anglers fishing with Rick from a drift boat
    • One group driving to a wade-fishing location
  • On the fourth day, the three groups will consolidate into two groups.
  • Groups will rotate daily to ensure all anglers have time fishing from the boats.
  • Wade fishing will take place every day, and anglers must be comfortable with wading and light hiking.

Recommended Equipment

  • 4-5 wt. Rods (Switch / Spey / Single Hand)
    • Full Sink
    • Floating
    • Sink Tips

Wade Fishing Locations

  • Russian River – Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden
  • Anchor River – Steelhead
  • Deep Creek – Steelhead

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel Day

Arrive in Anchorage. Groups will pick up Turo rental vehicles and drive to a rental cabin near Sterling (between Soldotna and Cooper Landing). Groceries and supplies will be purchased in town.

Day 2

Drift boat fishing on the Upper Kenai River with Rick and Jesse (weather permitting, possibly through the canyon). The third group will wade fish the Russian River.

Day 3

Drift boat float from Skilak Lake outlet to Bing’s Landing on the Middle Kenai for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden, with potential Coho opportunities. The wade-fishing group will travel south to the Anchor River for Steelhead.

Day 4

Rick and Jesse’s groups will either fish the Upper Kenai again for Rainbow Trout or float the Kasilof River from Tustumena Lake to the bridge for Steelhead and Silver Salmon.

Day 5

Groups consolidate into two groups of five anglers. Fishing will take place on the Anchor River and Deep Creek for Steelhead. If weather conditions prevent fishing, the group will fish the Russian River.

Day 6

Both groups fish the Upper Kenai and Russian River together. Optional hike to the Upper Russian River to view salmon jumping the falls.

Day 7

Optional saltwater fishing charter for one group while the other group fishes for Steelhead or Trout.

Day 8 – Departure

Drive back to Anchorage, return Turo rentals in daily parking, and depart Alaska.

Trip Cost

$700 Deposit per person (Non Refundable)

$1,400 per person (Total) — Includes:

  • Rental vehicles
  • Drift boat rentals and shuttles
  • U-Haul rental for towing one drift boat
  • Lodging
  • Fishing beads

Does Not Include:

  • Airfare
  • Fishing licenses
  • Rods and fishing equipment
  • Food

Estimated Additional Costs

  • Round-trip airfare (Alaska Airlines): approximately $612
  • Alaska fishing license: approximately $45
  • Estimated food and dining: approximately $300
  • Estimated total trip cost: approximately $2,500
    (Not including optional saltwater charter)

Meals

The group will dine out in town for three dinners. The remaining four dinners will be prepared at the cabin, with two anglers paired each night to cook. Breakfast and lunch planning will be finalized once all anglers are confirmed.

Cancellation Policy

If an angler decides not to attend, they are responsible for selling their spot to another angler or forfeiting their portion of the rental costs (deposits & payments are non refundable).

Host Contact Information

Jesse Collins
C: 831-227-9987 <jesse@jcollinsproperties.com>

Rick Chace
C: 831-234-9200 <rchace@got.net>

Jesse & Rick will be hosting a table at the January SCFF meeting. At that time will take $700.00 deposits on the trip.

 

 

 



Sep 19 : Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026


Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026
Mammoth Lakes (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster: John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515

General: We will be staying in condominiums in the town of Mammoth Lakes (Max limit 8 per week). The condo complex has a lovely hot tub, so bring your suit. Two people per bedroom. Most people bring a sleeping bag to share queen size bed or a pad and sleeping bag to sleep on floor. A private room option is possible at an increased fee.

Cost:  Shared single:  $500/wk, $1000/2 wks.

Sign Ups: We will begin taking Mammoth reservations and money starting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 4th (at the March Meeting).   Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Check Payable to: Scott Kitayama.   Mail:  36 Pima St, Watsonville, CA  95076

Group is limited to 8 in the condo per week. COST: $500/person . Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Payment of $500 is required to secure your spot.   we need people to sign up as soon as possible. Should you need to cancel, you can find someone to take your place and get your money back.

Fishmasters:Scott Kitayama:  scottkitayama@gmail.com , mobile:  650 279 5871   and  Randy Saar:  randy_saar@yahoo.com,  mobile:  650 269 6138

Dates:  This Fishout will take place over two consecutive one-week periods. You may sign up for one or both weeks. Week 1: Sept  19- Sept 26.       Week 2: Sept 26 – Oct 3.

Location: The town of Mammoth Lakes is located on the eastern side of the Sierra, 6 or 7 hours drive from Santa Cruz. There are many lakes and streams in the area to fish.

 

Food Preparation: Breakfast and lunch items will be purchased by the Fishmaster ahead of time. Each person will be assigned a Kitchen Day. On that day, tasks will include setting out breakfast and lunch items, store unused food, and preparing the evening meal and clean up afterwards.   Each person will be responsible for a dinner that you will need to purchase and prepare.   You will then be reimbursed for the cost for the dinner.



Oct 10 : Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers


Lower Sacramento River Group Float - Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Greetings,

The Delta Fly Fishers have offered the Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club the opportunity to join them on their annual guided float trip on the Lower Sacramento River.

See the information below from the Fishmaster Robert Fujimura.

Lower Sacramento River Group Float Outing with Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club– Saturday October 10, 2026

Delta Fly Fishers are happy again to invite your club to join this annual Delta Fly Fishers outing with host Scott Sugimoto of On the Riffle Guide Service and his guides and support staff for another awesome day on this famous tailwater fishery for resident rainbow trout.  Scott and his team have successfully hosted our club annually for several years during the prime fly fishing season.  The Lower Sacramento River fishing has been a reliable and renowned trophy trout fishery of the West.  Suitable for novice fly fishers but still fun and challenging for the more experienced ones.

Participants will have a full day of guided indicator nymph fishing from a drift boat with an experienced guide per two anglers.  Fishing gear, flies, shuttle service, and all you can eat group BBQ lunch are provided.  The guide fee of $300 per person (double occupancy per boat) does not include tip.

Please contact Bob Fujimura to register and pay your guide fee before August 30 or earlier (email [deltaflyfishers@gmail.com] .  Early registration will help ensure that we reserve our guides in advance – so don’t delay in registering if you are interested in this annual crowd pleaser.  Registration requires prepayment of guide fees and submission of a DFF liability waiver form.  All guide fees are non-refundable in the case of you cancel your trip – however, you can sell your spot to another club member.

Our annual outing is a fun event for our club members with a long history of repeated participation by its attendees.  Registered participants will be provided with additional detailed information (via email) on pre-event fishing conditions, recommended fishing equipment or gear for optional use during or outside of the guided day, local group dining or lodging options, and other trip activities.  On request, non-DFF club registrants can be provided with a Zoom orientation session prior to the event.  Scott also welcomes inquiries about the guided itinerary and technical questions about this event (email: scott@ontheriffle.com or phone: (530) 276-1612).

 



Oct 15 : O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18th


O'Neill Forebay 'Stosh' Memorial Fishout October 15-18th
Medeiros Primitive Campground - Oneill Forebay (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Event: O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout

Date: October 15th – 18th

Target Gamefish: Striped Bass

Location: Medeiros Campground located on the Southern Shoreline of the O’Neill Forebay, access off of Santa Nella Blvd. (Highway 33)

Hosts: Kevin Murdock   troutdock89@gmail.com

These are primitive campsites so bring your own water. There are tables, sun pavilions, and chemical toilets, or outhouses and fire rings. No open fires are allowed outside of the rings.

Typically we will be camping as close to site 29 as we can get. This is a first come, first serve campground, so no reservations are accepted. Float tubes can be launched near the campsites, but boats must be first inspected, then launched from the San Luis Creek Boat launch. Boats may not be left on the lake overnight. Boaters would be wise to exit prior to the closing of the entry kiosk. The ranger can place a seal on your trailer, allowing you to bypass the inspection process the next morning.

The rangers at the kiosk by the Medeiros entrance may insist that your float tubes need inspection. make sure they’re clean & dry.

Equipment: 8wt rods with fast sinking lines. Some anglers will occasionally use a floating line with a ‘gurgler’ type fly

Flies: Lee Haskins San Luis smelt, ‘Deceiver’ type patterns in red, white, chartreuse, the aforementioned gurglers and poppers.

Float tubes (may require inspection for quagga and golden mussels)

Fins, sunscreen, polarized glasses, life vest

Links: 

Fly Fishing O’Neill Forebay for Stripers

https://mengsyn.com/ A fly-fishing addict who fishes San Luis Reservoir and the Forebay.

http://www.danblanton.com/ Long time local fishing guide.

Forebay Water level:

https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=Onf

There will be a signup sheet at our September meeting. We’ll also create a list for those hoping to participate in a pot luck in honor of Steve ‘Stosh’ Rudzinski.

Weather conditions can vary dramatically, so it would behoove members to check prior to departure. You could email me or just get conditions on-line. High winds can cause the lake to be closed to all vessels.

This is one of our nearest Fishouts, with the possible payoff of a double digit fish! Don’t miss out!



Nov 13 : Trinity River Fishout


Trinity River Fishout
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

NOTE:   Contact Alex Ferber if you are interested in going on the trip.  After knowing how many people are interested, it will be easier to plan logistics (camping? motel?).    You can text Alex at (831) 419-0564  or alex.ferber74@gmail.com.  If you want to go on this trip, it is highly recommended to attend the Spey Classes.

The fishery:
Basically,  this is a Steelhead Trip. There are some resident trout, including some really nice brown trout. I  walk wade or float my raft,  depending on the river conditions. I personally use a Spey rod to swing flies.   Many people use indicators.  There are a lot of walk in spots to explore. The river can be floated with rafts or driftboats. There is a shuttle service available.
Tackle:
Single hand rods, 7-8 wt rods, using floating lines with indicator set up. Typical flies used are Egg patterns, Copper John’s, Stonefly imitations like Rubberlegs,  Dark Perdigons. Sizes ranging from Size 8-14.
Spey or Switch rods, usually 5-6 wt in the Fall, I use a 7 wt in the winter. Skagit or Scandi heads, with floating to heavy sink tips, depending on the river conditions and season. Flies that work well include leeches, intruders, HoBo Spey, Traditionals, as well as dry fly patterns ( Skaters) in the early Fall.
The River:
The Trinity River is located aprox 1 hr west of Redding on  Hwy 299. Its a beautiful tailwater fishery, with flows controlled from the Lewiston Dam. This is where the hatchery can be found. It has many different faces, including some big water as it runs west. It meets up with the Klamath River on its journey to the ocean. It has an excellent run of both wild and hatchery fish, ranging from 5-7 #, with some larger fish in the  +10-12 # range. There are fish in the system year round, but typically a push of fish starts in late September and peaks in late November, with a second run usually in late December- March. The fishing remained really good thru the end of March last season. It is very flow dependant and can run quite low in the Fall, with occasional bumps in flows when there is precipitation. It can blow out on occasion, but clears pretty fast.
Amenities:
Weaverville is the closest town, where there are good restaurants, motels and a really nice Holiday Market. It’s kinda the hub. There is an RV park in Weaverville,  but no campsites.
Camping is available in Douglas City  area as well as Junction City and further west on 299. The town of Douglas city doesn’t have much, other than a small mini mart. Indian Creek Lodge is a few miles east of Douglas City. The town of Lewiston is just below the Lewiston dam. It offers some camping and motels. There is a really nice motel west of Junction City (I believe it is called Steelhead Lodge?). It’s an excellent place to stay if one wishes to fish below Junction City.


Posted on April 14th, 2022

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Parachute Ant

by Elaine Cook – fly tying chairman

There are many and patterns, most of which are hard to see on the surface of the water. Here is one with a nice white post. Ants are most effective mid summer on and are more available to fish on windy days. Add floatant and fish with drag free presentation. They are good on lakes as well.
HOOK: TMC 100  Sizes 12 to 16.
THREAD: Black 8/0.     Attach mid shank
OVER BODY: White Antron yarn
Attach Antron to back half of shank and extending to the rear of hook. Note: Antron pieces need to be long enough to go over rear back body and then up as post.
REAR BODY: Black super fine dubbing and black permanent marking pen.
Dub a bulbous rear body up to mid shank, no further. Pull Antron snuggly over rear body and tie down. And attach Antron to top of shank with touching wraps forming a narrow mid body, about 1/4 of shank. Note: if tying a size 12 hook, additional touching thread wraps back to rear body then forward again.
POST: Continuation of white Antron
Hold Antron upright. Make 4 to 5 thread wraps upward around Antron. Then make 4 to 5 wraps down to base.Make a couple of wraps in front of post to hold upright.
HACKLE: grizzly  barbs equal to 1 1/2 to 2 times hook gap
Prepare hackle by cutting off fuzzy end then cutting 4 to 5 barbs short at base of stem (crew cut).
Identify shiny dark side of hackle. Position on your side of hook, shiny side facing you, tip to rear, and crew cut at base of post. Tie in place in front and behind post.
FORWARD BODY: Black super find dubbing. And some ants have a red forward body, so thread can be changed to red and red superfine dubbing used for this section.
Wrap a small bulbous forward body from eye back to midsection.
HACKLE: same feather from above
Wrap thread behind post, then forward, then in front of post, then allow to hang on your side. Using hackle pliers, wrap hackle around base of post about four times , then allow to hang on your side. Bring thread up in front of hanging hackle till parallel to table.  Wrap around post and under parachuted hackle about three times. Several half hitches behind hook eye. Cut thread. Cut excess hackle. Cut Antron so that it equals hook shank length. Push up on heckle from beneath hook to be sure it is parallel to table. Trim any barbs that hang below.

Posted on March 30th, 2022

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CDC One Feather Fly

by Elaine cook fly tying chairman

CDC stands for cul-de-canard which is the butt feather of a duck. It has some interesting properties that will help the fly float without gel floatant. In fact gel floatant actually mashes down the barbs making the fly not float. Instead dress with a dry powdered floatsnt like Frog Fanny. When it becomes waterlogged, squeeze dry on clothing or a chamois. Then brush more Frog Fanny into the fibers. Don’t be concerned with the white fluffy appearance for it doesn’t seem to deter the fish at all.
HOOK: TMC 200 size 24-20.  crimp Barb. Note: length of CDC feather will determine size of hook. See shuck below.
THREAD: 8/0 Color to match CDC NOTE: mayflies come in many colors. Some of the more common are gray, olive, tan, brown and cream. Attach thread behind eye. Wrap to above hook point with touching wraps.
SHUCK; CDC feather. Measure length of feather along stem were barbs protrude. Select a feather that is at least as long as the following as in the following chart. Longer is even better.
One and 3/4” for 14 hooks.
One and 1/2” for 16 hooks
One and 1/4” for 18 hooks
One inch for 20 hooks.
Stroke barbs toward tip of feather. Tie in on top of shank, tips hook length beyond thread, with three wraps. Carefully pull feather forward until shuck equals shank length. Lift butt and, wrapped thread to eye.
BODY: continuing with the same feather as above. Spiral wrap feather forward covering shank. Tie off with 2 wraps between barbs.
WING: using same feather as above, hold stem upright, stroke barbs backward. Make a loop with stem that extends to shuck. Tie off securely add eye. Cut excess. NOTE; loop will probably lean. Wrap thread head. Whip finish, cut thread. Do not use head cement or any glue. Stroke barbs backward. Cut them short at end of shuck.

Posted on March 29th, 2022

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Looking for one or two club members to be the Newsletter Editor and Content Publisher

by Scott Kitayama - Newsletter Editor

After nearly 5 years of serving as President, Tom Hogye, will be stepping down at the end of 2022.  I told the board that I would run for the President position in 2023 if we could find someone(s) to take over the newsletter.  Please take a look and see if you or someone you know in the club is willing to help.

The Newsletter Editor is an SCFF Board Position that is responsible for acquiring, editing, and laying out the award-winning Santa Cruz Fly Fishing newsletter. The contents of the newsletter comes from other board members responsible for speakers, fly-tying, conservation, fish-outs, membership, as well as contribution from members at-large. The editing takes about 2-4 hours around around the 3rd weekend of the month. The Editor needs to be proficient with computers, email, and web-based word processors. Experience with WordPress is a plus.

The Online Content Publisher can also be a Board Position working closely with the Newsletter Editor to ensure the timely distribution of the monthly newsletter. The Publisher updates SCFF’s WordPress website to ensure the the monthly newsletter is available online. The publisher will also create and distribute the notification email to the membership with pertinent information such as speaker, raffle prizes and fly tying. Publishing is done around the 4th Wednesday of the month after completion of editing and takes 2-3 hours. The Publisher needs to be proficient as the Admin for WordPress or other website-building systems.

If you have any interest in helping, please contact Scott Kitayama at scottkitayama@gmail.com.  BTW/ if you have a child or grandchild who is proficient with technologies, this might be a great activity to add to the resume.

Posted on March 26th, 2022

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April 2022 Table of Contents

General Meeting……………………
  Green river with Gordon Tharrett
  April in-person Raffle Prizes
  Donations from Doug Severin’s Estate
President’s Line…………………….
Fly Tying……………………
  Green Drake
  Callibaetis Dun
Conservation Concerns……………
  Plastic in Our Oceans—Revisited
Membership Notes…………………
  April Fly Casting Meetup – Jade Park
  Need Newsletter Editor and Content Publisher
Reel News …………………………
  NCFFI Newsletter – April 2022
Fishout Schedule…………………
Cartoon…………………………..…

Posted on March 25th, 2022

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In person raffle and door prizes

GOOD NEWS: Big club fishout at Pyramid Lake the first week in April. ?
BAD NEWS: There will be no online raffle Prior to the April meeting.?
HOWEVER: There will be a raffle, and door prizes, at the April 6 meeting held at the Aptos Grange starting at 6:30 pm.?

Take a look at these great raffle prizes.

Let’s start with 200 plus pages of beautiful trout artwork by world renounded artist James Prosek. His famous work “Trout of the World” deserves a special spot on any fly fisher’s book shelf.

Next take a look at this custom wood laminated release net. Perfect size for serious trout and Black bass as well as school sized stripers. Low visibility soft vinyl netting is gentle on the catch. Included is a magnetic release and a carbineer clipped tether cord.

Classic is a word that comes to mind when describing this St.Croix “Triumph” rod. It is a 4 weght eight foot medium/fast action 4 piece rod perfect for small stream trout. It is match with a Sougayilang CNC machined aluminum alloy reel for light weight and balance.

Great prizes to win, come to the meeting and buy some tickets; ones dollar each, twenty bucks gets you 25.

Posted on March 25th, 2022

Date:  April 30, 2022

Time:  2:00 PM

Place:  Jade Park, Capitola

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April Fly Casting Meetup – Jade Park

by Steve Rudzinski - Casting Chairman

Where: Jade Park, Capitola

When: April 30th, 2:00 – 3:30 pm  (beer thirty afterward?)

Bring your lawn chair, and fly rod to practice casting with other SCFF club members.  Casual atmosphere with plenty of room for social distancing!

Location

4400 Jade St
Capitola
CA
95010

Next Event

Fly Casting Meetup--Spey Casting Intro - Aug 15 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
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Upcoming Events

Posted on March 25th, 2022

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April Fishout Schedule

mobile scrollable table 

EVENT NAME EVENT DATE SPECIES FISH MASTER
Yuba River – 21 Aug 26Aug 21 - Aug 23
Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly FishingSep 08 - Sep 15
Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026Sep 19 - Oct 03Trout John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515
Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly FishersOct 10
O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18thOct 15 - Oct 18
Trinity River FishoutNov 13 - Nov 15

Aug 21 : Yuba River – 21 Aug 26


Yuba River - 21 Aug 26
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club (SCFFC)Lower Yuba Private Water Camp & Fishout
August 21st – 23rd 2026
(Date subject to change due to weather and flows)

The information provided below has been  modified from the Grizzly Peak Fly Fishing Club and Tri-Valley Fly Fishing Club (2022-23)

Special Notes
The outing is limited to 20 people. With a $50.00 buy in payable to the club. Jump to reservation form

Due to the limited capacity, reserving your spot is  first come first serve starting July 1st  at 9am thru the club website. Payment due at time of reservation. No refunds.

Camping will be available on the property beginning at 4 PM Friday and extending to Sunday evening. Fishing hours are dawn to dusk. Gate code will be sent out as we get closer to the Fishout date. Each angler will be responsible to close the gate behind them. The gate code will be emailed to us the week before the trip. Additional details to follow as we get closer to the date
The Lower Yuba is accessible from the sea – you must have a 2026 California Steelhead Reporting Card in addition to your fishing license. Unlike the license, the report card must be delivered in hard copy, either by snail mail or by hand from a fishing store. Plan ahead!

Location
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918. Meet at the gate to the river road (N39.24672°, W121.32222°), which is on your right about 1/3 mile before you reach the research center. Note that, misleadingly, there is a sign at the gate that says “No Fishing Access”. The gate will be opened and then locked behind us. 2.5 hrs from Berkeley. Take I-80 east to Sacramento, turn onto I-5 north, then onto Hwy 70 to Marysville. Pass through downtown Marysville on 70, and as you round the lake, turn right onto Hwy 20 east. Continue 15 miles, pass the Sycamore Ranch Campground. At the sign to the UC Station, turn left onto Peoria Rd, and then at another sign, bear right onto Scott Forbes Rd (also called Long Bar Rd). The gate is just past Sicard Flat Ditch. SCFFC strongly encourages carpooling.

General Notes
Our Club event on the Yuba will be on the private property owned by the University of California and is one of their Sierra Research facilities. We have contracted for TVFF’s exclusive use of the facility for the two days over the weekend. The river is about 1.5 miles above the highway 20 bridge over the Yuba and accessible only through a locked gate for a maximum of twenty (20) anglers per day. There is approximately 2.5 miles of available river that is the tailwater section a mile or so below Englebright Dam. The river has easy and level access, so it’s ideal for those less comfortable in heavy current wading situations, although that is also available for those Euro Nymphing.

The UC facility is on many acres in a pastoral valley leading down to the river. Most of the research here is for cattle, grazing land management, and erosion control so it is very quiet with no nearby roads, ranches, or houses. There is a covered picnic area that sits above the river with 8-10 picnic tables and a porta potty restroom with hand wash station that is also available on site. No water on site, limited cell phone reception, no fires. All in all, it’s a very scenic and serene site.

Gear and Tackle Recommendations:
Yuba River fish are notoriously “hot” and frisky. They workout full time in the strong current and just love to play in it when disturbed by a sharp hook. Anticipate that you will see strong runs on hook ups and that the fish will feel like they are 4-6″ larger than you see in the net. So…
Rod & line weights/types: 5 or 6 weight rods, reels and floating lines are the norm to help control their runs. A 4 weight for Euro Nymphing should work well as long as it has a good stiff butt section to manage any runs.
Leaders and tippet: Fishing style dependent but normally I fish a 9’ 4X leader and adjust with added tippet of up to 4-6’ of 5 for the dry flies, and stick with 4X fluoro for the nymphs.
Other gear:
Note that we will not be using any watercraft as this is a walk and wade event with float takeouts way too far downstream to be of use for us.
Flies: Flies to match and we will send out a more current list as we get closer to the dates and better understand how the weather and water are impacting the hatches. Typically, you will need Skwala dries and nymphs, Pale Morning Duns, Baetis/Blue Wing Olives, Pink Alberts, Little Yellow Sallies, Pale Evening Duns, Golden Stones, and four varieties of Caddis.

Location / Date
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918.
August 21st – 23rd 2026

Fishmaster
TBD – Please contact Justin Ice if interested in hosting this event justin@schwagerdavis.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sep 08 : Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing


Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing Trip

September 8–15, 2026
(Additional week: September 1–8, 2026, if enough anglers)

Each week will be made up of 8 anglers, with Rick and Jesse serving as hosts. This document provides an outline of the fall Alaska fly fishing trip. All projected dates and plans are subject to change based on weather conditions.

Trip Structure & Expectations

  • For the first three days, anglers will be split into three groups:
    • Three anglers fishing with Jesse from a drift boat
    • Two anglers fishing with Rick from a drift boat
    • One group driving to a wade-fishing location
  • On the fourth day, the three groups will consolidate into two groups.
  • Groups will rotate daily to ensure all anglers have time fishing from the boats.
  • Wade fishing will take place every day, and anglers must be comfortable with wading and light hiking.

Recommended Equipment

  • 4-5 wt. Rods (Switch / Spey / Single Hand)
    • Full Sink
    • Floating
    • Sink Tips

Wade Fishing Locations

  • Russian River – Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden
  • Anchor River – Steelhead
  • Deep Creek – Steelhead

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel Day

Arrive in Anchorage. Groups will pick up Turo rental vehicles and drive to a rental cabin near Sterling (between Soldotna and Cooper Landing). Groceries and supplies will be purchased in town.

Day 2

Drift boat fishing on the Upper Kenai River with Rick and Jesse (weather permitting, possibly through the canyon). The third group will wade fish the Russian River.

Day 3

Drift boat float from Skilak Lake outlet to Bing’s Landing on the Middle Kenai for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden, with potential Coho opportunities. The wade-fishing group will travel south to the Anchor River for Steelhead.

Day 4

Rick and Jesse’s groups will either fish the Upper Kenai again for Rainbow Trout or float the Kasilof River from Tustumena Lake to the bridge for Steelhead and Silver Salmon.

Day 5

Groups consolidate into two groups of five anglers. Fishing will take place on the Anchor River and Deep Creek for Steelhead. If weather conditions prevent fishing, the group will fish the Russian River.

Day 6

Both groups fish the Upper Kenai and Russian River together. Optional hike to the Upper Russian River to view salmon jumping the falls.

Day 7

Optional saltwater fishing charter for one group while the other group fishes for Steelhead or Trout.

Day 8 – Departure

Drive back to Anchorage, return Turo rentals in daily parking, and depart Alaska.

Trip Cost

$700 Deposit per person (Non Refundable)

$1,400 per person (Total) — Includes:

  • Rental vehicles
  • Drift boat rentals and shuttles
  • U-Haul rental for towing one drift boat
  • Lodging
  • Fishing beads

Does Not Include:

  • Airfare
  • Fishing licenses
  • Rods and fishing equipment
  • Food

Estimated Additional Costs

  • Round-trip airfare (Alaska Airlines): approximately $612
  • Alaska fishing license: approximately $45
  • Estimated food and dining: approximately $300
  • Estimated total trip cost: approximately $2,500
    (Not including optional saltwater charter)

Meals

The group will dine out in town for three dinners. The remaining four dinners will be prepared at the cabin, with two anglers paired each night to cook. Breakfast and lunch planning will be finalized once all anglers are confirmed.

Cancellation Policy

If an angler decides not to attend, they are responsible for selling their spot to another angler or forfeiting their portion of the rental costs (deposits & payments are non refundable).

Host Contact Information

Jesse Collins
C: 831-227-9987 <jesse@jcollinsproperties.com>

Rick Chace
C: 831-234-9200 <rchace@got.net>

Jesse & Rick will be hosting a table at the January SCFF meeting. At that time will take $700.00 deposits on the trip.

 

 

 



Sep 19 : Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026


Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026
Mammoth Lakes (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster: John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515

General: We will be staying in condominiums in the town of Mammoth Lakes (Max limit 8 per week). The condo complex has a lovely hot tub, so bring your suit. Two people per bedroom. Most people bring a sleeping bag to share queen size bed or a pad and sleeping bag to sleep on floor. A private room option is possible at an increased fee.

Cost:  Shared single:  $500/wk, $1000/2 wks.

Sign Ups: We will begin taking Mammoth reservations and money starting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 4th (at the March Meeting).   Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Check Payable to: Scott Kitayama.   Mail:  36 Pima St, Watsonville, CA  95076

Group is limited to 8 in the condo per week. COST: $500/person . Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Payment of $500 is required to secure your spot.   we need people to sign up as soon as possible. Should you need to cancel, you can find someone to take your place and get your money back.

Fishmasters:Scott Kitayama:  scottkitayama@gmail.com , mobile:  650 279 5871   and  Randy Saar:  randy_saar@yahoo.com,  mobile:  650 269 6138

Dates:  This Fishout will take place over two consecutive one-week periods. You may sign up for one or both weeks. Week 1: Sept  19- Sept 26.       Week 2: Sept 26 – Oct 3.

Location: The town of Mammoth Lakes is located on the eastern side of the Sierra, 6 or 7 hours drive from Santa Cruz. There are many lakes and streams in the area to fish.

 

Food Preparation: Breakfast and lunch items will be purchased by the Fishmaster ahead of time. Each person will be assigned a Kitchen Day. On that day, tasks will include setting out breakfast and lunch items, store unused food, and preparing the evening meal and clean up afterwards.   Each person will be responsible for a dinner that you will need to purchase and prepare.   You will then be reimbursed for the cost for the dinner.



Oct 10 : Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers


Lower Sacramento River Group Float - Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Greetings,

The Delta Fly Fishers have offered the Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club the opportunity to join them on their annual guided float trip on the Lower Sacramento River.

See the information below from the Fishmaster Robert Fujimura.

Lower Sacramento River Group Float Outing with Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club– Saturday October 10, 2026

Delta Fly Fishers are happy again to invite your club to join this annual Delta Fly Fishers outing with host Scott Sugimoto of On the Riffle Guide Service and his guides and support staff for another awesome day on this famous tailwater fishery for resident rainbow trout.  Scott and his team have successfully hosted our club annually for several years during the prime fly fishing season.  The Lower Sacramento River fishing has been a reliable and renowned trophy trout fishery of the West.  Suitable for novice fly fishers but still fun and challenging for the more experienced ones.

Participants will have a full day of guided indicator nymph fishing from a drift boat with an experienced guide per two anglers.  Fishing gear, flies, shuttle service, and all you can eat group BBQ lunch are provided.  The guide fee of $300 per person (double occupancy per boat) does not include tip.

Please contact Bob Fujimura to register and pay your guide fee before August 30 or earlier (email [deltaflyfishers@gmail.com] .  Early registration will help ensure that we reserve our guides in advance – so don’t delay in registering if you are interested in this annual crowd pleaser.  Registration requires prepayment of guide fees and submission of a DFF liability waiver form.  All guide fees are non-refundable in the case of you cancel your trip – however, you can sell your spot to another club member.

Our annual outing is a fun event for our club members with a long history of repeated participation by its attendees.  Registered participants will be provided with additional detailed information (via email) on pre-event fishing conditions, recommended fishing equipment or gear for optional use during or outside of the guided day, local group dining or lodging options, and other trip activities.  On request, non-DFF club registrants can be provided with a Zoom orientation session prior to the event.  Scott also welcomes inquiries about the guided itinerary and technical questions about this event (email: scott@ontheriffle.com or phone: (530) 276-1612).

 



Oct 15 : O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18th


O'Neill Forebay 'Stosh' Memorial Fishout October 15-18th
Medeiros Primitive Campground - Oneill Forebay (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Event: O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout

Date: October 15th – 18th

Target Gamefish: Striped Bass

Location: Medeiros Campground located on the Southern Shoreline of the O’Neill Forebay, access off of Santa Nella Blvd. (Highway 33)

Hosts: Kevin Murdock   troutdock89@gmail.com

These are primitive campsites so bring your own water. There are tables, sun pavilions, and chemical toilets, or outhouses and fire rings. No open fires are allowed outside of the rings.

Typically we will be camping as close to site 29 as we can get. This is a first come, first serve campground, so no reservations are accepted. Float tubes can be launched near the campsites, but boats must be first inspected, then launched from the San Luis Creek Boat launch. Boats may not be left on the lake overnight. Boaters would be wise to exit prior to the closing of the entry kiosk. The ranger can place a seal on your trailer, allowing you to bypass the inspection process the next morning.

The rangers at the kiosk by the Medeiros entrance may insist that your float tubes need inspection. make sure they’re clean & dry.

Equipment: 8wt rods with fast sinking lines. Some anglers will occasionally use a floating line with a ‘gurgler’ type fly

Flies: Lee Haskins San Luis smelt, ‘Deceiver’ type patterns in red, white, chartreuse, the aforementioned gurglers and poppers.

Float tubes (may require inspection for quagga and golden mussels)

Fins, sunscreen, polarized glasses, life vest

Links: 

Fly Fishing O’Neill Forebay for Stripers

https://mengsyn.com/ A fly-fishing addict who fishes San Luis Reservoir and the Forebay.

http://www.danblanton.com/ Long time local fishing guide.

Forebay Water level:

https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=Onf

There will be a signup sheet at our September meeting. We’ll also create a list for those hoping to participate in a pot luck in honor of Steve ‘Stosh’ Rudzinski.

Weather conditions can vary dramatically, so it would behoove members to check prior to departure. You could email me or just get conditions on-line. High winds can cause the lake to be closed to all vessels.

This is one of our nearest Fishouts, with the possible payoff of a double digit fish! Don’t miss out!



Nov 13 : Trinity River Fishout


Trinity River Fishout
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

NOTE:   Contact Alex Ferber if you are interested in going on the trip.  After knowing how many people are interested, it will be easier to plan logistics (camping? motel?).    You can text Alex at (831) 419-0564  or alex.ferber74@gmail.com.  If you want to go on this trip, it is highly recommended to attend the Spey Classes.

The fishery:
Basically,  this is a Steelhead Trip. There are some resident trout, including some really nice brown trout. I  walk wade or float my raft,  depending on the river conditions. I personally use a Spey rod to swing flies.   Many people use indicators.  There are a lot of walk in spots to explore. The river can be floated with rafts or driftboats. There is a shuttle service available.
Tackle:
Single hand rods, 7-8 wt rods, using floating lines with indicator set up. Typical flies used are Egg patterns, Copper John’s, Stonefly imitations like Rubberlegs,  Dark Perdigons. Sizes ranging from Size 8-14.
Spey or Switch rods, usually 5-6 wt in the Fall, I use a 7 wt in the winter. Skagit or Scandi heads, with floating to heavy sink tips, depending on the river conditions and season. Flies that work well include leeches, intruders, HoBo Spey, Traditionals, as well as dry fly patterns ( Skaters) in the early Fall.
The River:
The Trinity River is located aprox 1 hr west of Redding on  Hwy 299. Its a beautiful tailwater fishery, with flows controlled from the Lewiston Dam. This is where the hatchery can be found. It has many different faces, including some big water as it runs west. It meets up with the Klamath River on its journey to the ocean. It has an excellent run of both wild and hatchery fish, ranging from 5-7 #, with some larger fish in the  +10-12 # range. There are fish in the system year round, but typically a push of fish starts in late September and peaks in late November, with a second run usually in late December- March. The fishing remained really good thru the end of March last season. It is very flow dependant and can run quite low in the Fall, with occasional bumps in flows when there is precipitation. It can blow out on occasion, but clears pretty fast.
Amenities:
Weaverville is the closest town, where there are good restaurants, motels and a really nice Holiday Market. It’s kinda the hub. There is an RV park in Weaverville,  but no campsites.
Camping is available in Douglas City  area as well as Junction City and further west on 299. The town of Douglas city doesn’t have much, other than a small mini mart. Indian Creek Lodge is a few miles east of Douglas City. The town of Lewiston is just below the Lewiston dam. It offers some camping and motels. There is a really nice motel west of Junction City (I believe it is called Steelhead Lodge?). It’s an excellent place to stay if one wishes to fish below Junction City.


Posted on March 25th, 2022

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April Fly tying – Green Drake


Apr 13 6:30 PM : Green Drake
Green Drake

Green drakes are a mayfly that hatches out in June and early July in the western United States. We will be tying the adult version. This is a large mayfly and should work well via zoom. And for you who are new to our fly tying classes, all materials except for thread are provided for the class which is free. 6/0 thread will be used in this class. If you need to borrow tools vise and or thread, that can be made available to you. Beginners are always welcome, but need a little instruction ahead of time via FaceTime.  Call to sign up and a packet of materials will be put at my front door for you. 831-688-1561

Future tying classes. Dates and subject may change, please go to URL to see the current information.

Monthly Speaker Date Excerpt
CricketMay 11 Cricket

– dry fly for trout – streams and rivers thought the West – black 6/0 thread

Dali LamaJun 08 Dali Lama

John Steele, Instructore – The Dali Lama is our go to fly on the Tsiu for silver salmon.

Pat’s Tungston Bead Head Rubber Legs - JULY Fly tyingJul 13 Pat’s Tungston Bead Head Rubber Legs - JULY Fly tying

Dar Naghshineh, Instructor – Pat’s Tungston Bead Head Rubber Legs is primarily for trout, but also black bass.

Fluke Fly - Aug Fly tyingAug 10 Fluke Fly - Aug Fly tying

Greg Foy, Instructor – Fluke Fly is a jig to target Black Bass and Sunfish

Foam Run CaddisSep 14 Foam Run Caddis

A simple great drive fly pattern for this month.

CicadaOct 12 Cicada

Fly for bass, trout and carp!

Posted on March 25th, 2022

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Callibaetis Dun

by Elaine Cook—-fly tying chairman

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There are 15 species of callibaetis in the western United States in Canada. They emerge in spring, summer and fall, and are usually larger in the spring and smaller in the fall. Their distinguishing features are two tails, tan under body and modeled wings. They prefer still water but can be found in slow moving water as well. Use a floating line, apply floatant, leave still on water or dead drift.
HOOK: TMC 100. Sizes 12-16. Crimp Barb.   Crimp Barb.
THREAD:   Tan 8/0
Apply mid shank. Wrap forward to 1/3 back on shank. Cut thread tag.
WING: Hungarian Partridge
Using two feathers, pull barbs off base of feather until a narrow fan is formed. Length of fan should equal hook shank length. Attach feather to top of shank tips,  forward and stems to rear , at junction of feather and stem. Pull feathers upright and make several wraps in front to hold in place.  Tie down 1/8 inch of stems behind wing cut access. Make several thread wraps around base of wing to hold upright. Wrap thread to rear of shank.
TAIL: dun microfibetts
Make thread ball with 8 to 10 X thread wraps on top of one another. Wrap thread forward 1/3 of shank. Select 6-8 fibers(keep tips lined up). Lay on top of shank, tips extending well to rear. Tie to shank with four touching three thread wraps toward ball. Pull fibetts forward to make tail equal to shank length. Divide fibetts with bodkin. Pull the fibetts on far side away from shank and slightly upward, take one thread wrap toward ball. Grab remaining fibetts,  pull them toward you and slightly downward. Take another wrap of thread toward ball. Repeat last two steps a couple more times.  Ending at the ball. Cut access.
BODY: Tan super fine dubbing
Advance thread one wrap. Dub a narrow tapered body up to wing.
HACKLE: Grizzly, barbs equal to hook gap
Form a crew cut at butt end of feather by cutting 5 to 6 barbs short on each side of stem. Tie crew cut in at base of wing with dark side of feather toward you and tip to rear.
THORAX: Tan super find dubbing
Dub around base of wing. Taper dubbing forward to one hook eye length behind eye. Spiral hackle forward, two wraps behind wing, to in front of wing.  Tie off cut access. Tie thread head. Whip finish, cut thread.

Posted on March 25th, 2022

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BWO Quigley Cripple

by Elaine Cook — fly tying chairman

The Quigley represents an merging mayfly that is stressed in an unusual manner to make the rear of the fly hang down in the water and the thorax and wing out of the water. Apply saliva to the body tail, then floatant to the wing and hackle. During a hatch fish tend to be more eager to take an emerger than a dun because they are not ready to fly off.
HOOK: TMC 100, sizes 14 16 18.
THREAD:  Gray 8/0 or 12/0(preferred).
TAIL and BODY: Gray marabou (fluffy)
THORAX: Dark Olive Debbie.
WING: Deer hair with narrow fibers
HACKLE: Grizzly

  1. Crimp Barb.
  2. Attached thread behind eye wrap to rear of shank in touching wraps.
  3. Select 3 to 5 barbs of marabou, cut from stem, tie in with tips extending hook shank length to rear. Make two thread wraps forward, then fold marabou backward and make two thread wraps.
  4. Make thread loop. Hold loop and stem and of marabou together, then wrap thread 2/3 forward on shank. If marabou is longer than shank length, pinch off tips, don’t cut.
  5. Twist loop and marabou into rope, then wrap up to hanging thread using touching wraps. Tie off, cut access.
  6. Dub a round thorax that covers shank from 1/4 to 1/2 back on shank from eye.
  7. Select small bundle of deer hair. Clean out under fur, stack tips. Lay on top of shank, tips out over eye so that they measure a shank length from thorax.
  8. Tie in by making first wrap around only hair fibers and the second wrap around both fibers and hook shank. Make several snug wraps on top of one another.
  9. Make one wrap around base of wing to bundle it, then one more wrap around shank. Cut butt and so that they just cover thorax.
  10. Reposition hook with eye tipped upward.
  11. Select hackle, barbs one and a half hook gap. Cut off fuzzy and. Cut 5 to 6 barb short along base of stem  forming a “crew cut”. Holding feather tip to rear, dark shiny side toward you, tie and crew cut behind wing and cut deer hair butts and 2 in front of deer hair bundle. Position thread between wing and cut butts. Make 3 to 5 hackle wraps in the same place and around deer hair and shank. Tie off, cut excess.
  12. Half hitch knot behind hook eye. Cut excess.

Posted on March 25th, 2022

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Pilgrimages

by Tom Hogye

April showers bring May flowers.  What does May flowers bring?   Pilgrims.

We can only hope for April showers, given California is once again entering another few years of low water (drought).

Isn’t pilgrim a funny word?  Who came up with that one?   We never use that word to define someone entering a country anymore.  Sound more diffusing, comforting, than the words immigrant or migrant.   Writing this caused me to look up the word.   I figured it was just because they were people discovering a new country.   Turns out, it is “a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons”.   As in the English Puritans fleeing religious persecution on the Mayflower and landed here in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

A person who travels on long journeys – pilgrimage.

I like traveling on long journeys for fly-fishing reasons, which we could all argue are in fact religious.   Aren’t they?

Don’t we all meditate, flee reality, think deeply, clear our minds, take deep breaths, sigh a big relief, love friends, love the outdoors, and pray considerably in all manners of the exercise of this sport?

How many times I’ve asked God for just one fish, or for my son, my daughter, my wife, my friend, to catch a fish while we are out.  So they know how exciting it really is to cause one of these creatures to take this bundle of fur and feather on a tiny hook, bring it to hand, admire it’s beauty.  The enormous power we have over it, but how gently and carefully we act to watch it swim away.   That feeling when it has left our hands.  A gift it was to us, and a gift we gave back so that it could continue living.

How many times I’ve stopped, looked around, shook my head and sometimes cried because I couldn’t believe how beautiful it is where I am standing, with whom I’m standing, and how fortunate I was to be there.    How hard it was to get there and how many times I figured I might not get there.     But oh how worth it, it was, and how you couldn’t imagine making another decision, glad you did.   If it was easy, everyone would do it, and it just wouldn’t feel the same – would it?

A pilgrimage, perhaps several, is necessary for all of us.   Living – I mean really living – requires them.   Some of them are small – perhaps a morning, an afternoon, or an evening.   Some, you make sacrifices, working hard for several months, several years, perhaps much of your life.  You save, plan, organize, and maybe you pray it all works out.   You battle, ‘should I go, or should I not go.’ Sometimes over and over again.  Sometimes in the middle of the night when work, family, or something else stirs you to thinking you shouldn’t go.   You pray it’s the right decision to take the time and go.   Some might say it’s just fishing – and aren’t you lucky, or they tell you there are other, more important things you should be doing.   But there aren’t.   This is it.

You know when you’ve left, when your feet are finally in the water, all of those things you battled before you made the trip, are gone.   In a second.   They washed away as soon as you stepped in the water.    Your first cast makes you take a deep breath, exhale, and you feel an enormous weight lifted; gone.   Your focus turns completely to that bundle of fur and feather, ten, thirty, sixty feet away from you, drifting in the column of water.   Nothing else comes to mind but that tiny little bundle at the end of that line, in that body of water, on this entire planet.   Nothing.   You wait, you watch, you listen.   You pray.

When I was a kid, my pilgrimages where to my Gram’s Cottage on the weekends, leaving school, my paper-route, and any issues my parents might have, grabbing my Ugly Stick, tackle box and heading for the water.   Even those were tough to get to at times.   As we “mature”, pilgrimages seem to get larger, a bit more involved, riskier.  As they should.  But I suppose the more grand the adventure, the more religious, the experience.

I really didn’t mean to write this with pilgrims or pilgrimage in mind.   It was the fact it was raining, that we haven’t had any rain, and my hope for April showers, and maybe even some May and June showers, would help us get through another low water year.    But I learned a bit more about pilgrims and pilgrimages.

And while it was certainly not a need to flee religious persecution, or flee for any reason, I’m not often given an opportunity to take some time and plant my feet in a big river for a few days.    So, at this writing, I’m making a bit of a pilgrimage to the Rogue to fish with Kait and James from Humble Heron Fly-Fishing, casting my thirteen six, eight weight spey rod, swinging big flies for steelhead.   Grateful for Rich’s invite, even though he cannot make it, which I will miss a lot.  But, I certainly cannot wait to get in the truck with Mike, and get my feet in the water, feel everything wash away, take a deep breath, focus on that bundle of fur and feathers and pray for the opportunity to bring a Steelhead to hand, witness a beauty all its own, and know that feeling of letting it slip out of my hands, back to the water it belongs to.   Maybe a few times!

Each one of them changes you.   Recharges, renews you.   Make a pilgrimage or twelve.

Posted on March 19th, 2022

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Donation from the Doug Severin Estate at April Meeting

by Elaine Cook

If you enjoyed receiving items from Doug’s estate at the January and March club meetings, you will have the opportunity to do that again at both the April club meeting. His desire was that club members would have the opportunity to receive his fishing belongings .  Some will be in raffles but those at the club meeting in April will be free for the taking. Donations will be welcomed if you so choose. The pictures show a lot of the items that will be up for grabs . The doors will open at 6 PM at the Grange and the meeting will start at 6:30. Don’t miss out come early to choose what you would like. The meeting will also be via zoom, so if you wish to come for some donated items and then go home to do a zoom meeting, that will be fine.

Posted on March 11th, 2022

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Plastic in Our Oceans—Revisited

by Conservation Chair Bob Garbarino

It’s amazing how much plastic is a part of our world. It’s hard to imagine how we could go about our daily lives without the utility and convenience it provides. However, our planet is becoming overwhelmed with plastic—especially in our oceans. Here are some statistics that appeared in a recent article in Fishbio titled “Toxic Soup in the Plastic Age”.

  • By the year 2050, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans may outweigh all of the fish combined.
  • Plastic use will triple in use by 2050
  • Almost a third of the plastic produced each year is not disposed of, and much of it eventually makes its way to the sea
  • Plastic is ingested by more than 700 species of marine wildlife including fish, birds, and marine mammals
  • Once present in the food web, plastic particles can end up in market species such as tuna, and eventually humans
  • They tiny pieces of plastic that result from degradation can persist for hundreds to thousands of years
  • Our country disposes of 30 billion plastic bottles a year

This all sounds overwhelming and we are going to drown in our own creation. So, what can we do? Here are ideas from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

  • Support policies to reduce single-use plastic
  • Cut back on single use plastic
  • Recycle properly
  • Get involved

For more specific actions you can take from these ideas from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, go to
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/act-for-the-ocean/plastic-pollution/what-you-can-do

Posted on March 11th, 2022

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Let’s Get Together!!

by Tom Hogye - President

We have a lot of talent in our community.   For a fly-fishing club, in a surf community that was once mostly a retirement town with surfers and outdoorsy people, we became a fly-fishing club.

You might find it interesting, that we really don’t have that much fly-fishing around here anymore.    Certainly not a “trout stream”.    But did you know that as far back as the early 20’s, hatcheries were built along the San Lorenzo for the purposes of supplanting year round trout fishing?    That’s right!  Back in the 20’s, clear through the 50’s, you could fish the San Lorenzo, and most, if not all, of her tributaries for trout – all year.    And your limit – per day?!    25 fish.   At least for a while.    Then it went to something like 5 or 10.

True!   I remember Jim Lazarotti, who spent his life here, from the 50’s until he passed away in 2008, working to save the San Lorenzo, telling me that he would fish Zayante Creek before school catching fish his mom would make for dinner.

We often marvel at the catch rates from the old days, but I also wonder if those catch rates were not also kill rates, would the rivers and tributaries have been better today.    Probably not.

The surf, cars and airplanes, have provided us the ability to be fly-anglers with plenty of opportunities to feed our desire to be out of doors, in the water, marveling at fish, and all things within those elements of the healthy habitats where we find these creatures.  Fluttery things, crawly things, four footed and two footed (Big Foot and Sasquatch! – just seeing if you’re paying attention), perhaps some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of being stuck at home or afraid to go somewhere, with or without a mask, because of a pandemic.  Which, by the way, is ending.  Funny how it’s now called an endemic.    Weird cuz it wasn’t called a begindemic.    Never mind.

I hope if you’re reading this after February 27th, you got to go to the Fly-Fishing show in Pleasanton on the 25th to the 27th.   I am so excited to be going again, especially since so many of you are also going.   I’m sure there is something I still need there even after now 30 years of fly-fishing under my belt.

I’m also excited about our March meeting as it will be at the Grange, with a raffle, an in person guest speaker – Dagur – from Iceland.   And a chance to see some of you who I only just met these last 2 years via Zoom – in person!    At this meeting, we are also going to work on our “hybrid” solution, which is to run the meeting in person and via Zoom for those who can’t make it.   Please bear with us as we may bump along at this meeting, trying to dial in the technology we need to become our own 1 million subscriber YouTube channel.   Okay, kidding.   We really just want to be good for those who can’t be at the meeting in person and can still enjoy the club meeting.

In this newsletter you will also read some beautiful tributes to three of our long-time members who left this planet this year.   Matt Murphy, Jim Black and Pat Murray, all of whom were beloved members, family and friends with their own special gifts they bestowed on the club, their family and those who were very close to them.

If you have a knack for writing – please note that you can write a nice article, or even just a few sentences, and publish it in our Newsletter.  Yes – You!   Just find the tab on the website, under Newsletter, Article Submission, fill out the details, the write your article.   Easy.  We’d love to hear from you and put your input in our newsletter.

Michael McGannon has been our Marketing and “merch” guy for several years.   I’m super grateful for Michael, because every time we’ve been together, he’s often drawing on a napkin – which I’m constantly stealing from him to hide in my own personal collection.   The Picaso fish, the multi-caster, the tangled mess, and others he’s drawn up.    At one of our last meetings, I explained to the board I wanted to have something related to Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz Fly Fishing.   So what better way to describe that than on a surf board!    This is an initial rendition that Michael drew up for me, and I love it.   Note the Striper in the waves.    Truth be told, is I got this idea from an old advertisement Salz Leathers used to promote a leather they made called “Surfer”.    It was a waterproof leather we made for the likes of Timberland and Wolverine boots.   Similarly, it was a heifer surfing.   Likely a native heifer – but that’s another story.      I envision this one being refined a bit, then being available as a T-Shirt – Santa Cruz Fly Fishing.   Who knows, maybe we can get the “Santa Cruz” logo on it and sell it in the surf shops!!  Wouldn’t that be a hoot!    Thank you Michael!!

I’ve really enjoyed our Zoom meetings.   I don’t know what we would have done if it weren’t for that technology which until then, was just a way for companies to hold fancy meetings in conference rooms and offices and for those who might have been “remote” for one of those meetings.   I am certain Zoom never thought they’d be taking on the whole world when the begindemic occurred.   And while we often use fly-fishing to get away from it all – it all – meaning technology, that very “technology” has made fly-fishing infinitely more enjoyable, perhaps a bit easier to learn, and Zoom gave us a chance to break down barriers, not otherwise possible.

But I sure am looking forward to seeing you, shaking your hand in person.  My only regret is that I won’t be able to “mute” you all when it comes to start the meeting.

See you soon!!  Really – not kidding!!

Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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March Fishout Schedule

mobile scrollable table 

EVENT NAME EVENT DATE SPECIES FISH MASTER
Yuba River – 21 Aug 26Aug 21 - Aug 23
Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly FishingSep 08 - Sep 15
Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026Sep 19 - Oct 03Trout John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515
Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly FishersOct 10
O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18thOct 15 - Oct 18
Trinity River FishoutNov 13 - Nov 15

Aug 21 : Yuba River – 21 Aug 26


Yuba River - 21 Aug 26
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club (SCFFC)Lower Yuba Private Water Camp & Fishout
August 21st – 23rd 2026
(Date subject to change due to weather and flows)

The information provided below has been  modified from the Grizzly Peak Fly Fishing Club and Tri-Valley Fly Fishing Club (2022-23)

Special Notes
The outing is limited to 20 people. With a $50.00 buy in payable to the club. Jump to reservation form

Due to the limited capacity, reserving your spot is  first come first serve starting July 1st  at 9am thru the club website. Payment due at time of reservation. No refunds.

Camping will be available on the property beginning at 4 PM Friday and extending to Sunday evening. Fishing hours are dawn to dusk. Gate code will be sent out as we get closer to the Fishout date. Each angler will be responsible to close the gate behind them. The gate code will be emailed to us the week before the trip. Additional details to follow as we get closer to the date
The Lower Yuba is accessible from the sea – you must have a 2026 California Steelhead Reporting Card in addition to your fishing license. Unlike the license, the report card must be delivered in hard copy, either by snail mail or by hand from a fishing store. Plan ahead!

Location
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918. Meet at the gate to the river road (N39.24672°, W121.32222°), which is on your right about 1/3 mile before you reach the research center. Note that, misleadingly, there is a sign at the gate that says “No Fishing Access”. The gate will be opened and then locked behind us. 2.5 hrs from Berkeley. Take I-80 east to Sacramento, turn onto I-5 north, then onto Hwy 70 to Marysville. Pass through downtown Marysville on 70, and as you round the lake, turn right onto Hwy 20 east. Continue 15 miles, pass the Sycamore Ranch Campground. At the sign to the UC Station, turn left onto Peoria Rd, and then at another sign, bear right onto Scott Forbes Rd (also called Long Bar Rd). The gate is just past Sicard Flat Ditch. SCFFC strongly encourages carpooling.

General Notes
Our Club event on the Yuba will be on the private property owned by the University of California and is one of their Sierra Research facilities. We have contracted for TVFF’s exclusive use of the facility for the two days over the weekend. The river is about 1.5 miles above the highway 20 bridge over the Yuba and accessible only through a locked gate for a maximum of twenty (20) anglers per day. There is approximately 2.5 miles of available river that is the tailwater section a mile or so below Englebright Dam. The river has easy and level access, so it’s ideal for those less comfortable in heavy current wading situations, although that is also available for those Euro Nymphing.

The UC facility is on many acres in a pastoral valley leading down to the river. Most of the research here is for cattle, grazing land management, and erosion control so it is very quiet with no nearby roads, ranches, or houses. There is a covered picnic area that sits above the river with 8-10 picnic tables and a porta potty restroom with hand wash station that is also available on site. No water on site, limited cell phone reception, no fires. All in all, it’s a very scenic and serene site.

Gear and Tackle Recommendations:
Yuba River fish are notoriously “hot” and frisky. They workout full time in the strong current and just love to play in it when disturbed by a sharp hook. Anticipate that you will see strong runs on hook ups and that the fish will feel like they are 4-6″ larger than you see in the net. So…
Rod & line weights/types: 5 or 6 weight rods, reels and floating lines are the norm to help control their runs. A 4 weight for Euro Nymphing should work well as long as it has a good stiff butt section to manage any runs.
Leaders and tippet: Fishing style dependent but normally I fish a 9’ 4X leader and adjust with added tippet of up to 4-6’ of 5 for the dry flies, and stick with 4X fluoro for the nymphs.
Other gear:
Note that we will not be using any watercraft as this is a walk and wade event with float takeouts way too far downstream to be of use for us.
Flies: Flies to match and we will send out a more current list as we get closer to the dates and better understand how the weather and water are impacting the hatches. Typically, you will need Skwala dries and nymphs, Pale Morning Duns, Baetis/Blue Wing Olives, Pink Alberts, Little Yellow Sallies, Pale Evening Duns, Golden Stones, and four varieties of Caddis.

Location / Date
University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley, CA 95918.
August 21st – 23rd 2026

Fishmaster
TBD – Please contact Justin Ice if interested in hosting this event justin@schwagerdavis.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sep 08 : Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing


Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Alaska Kenai Peninsula Fly Fishing Trip

September 8–15, 2026
(Additional week: September 1–8, 2026, if enough anglers)

Each week will be made up of 8 anglers, with Rick and Jesse serving as hosts. This document provides an outline of the fall Alaska fly fishing trip. All projected dates and plans are subject to change based on weather conditions.

Trip Structure & Expectations

  • For the first three days, anglers will be split into three groups:
    • Three anglers fishing with Jesse from a drift boat
    • Two anglers fishing with Rick from a drift boat
    • One group driving to a wade-fishing location
  • On the fourth day, the three groups will consolidate into two groups.
  • Groups will rotate daily to ensure all anglers have time fishing from the boats.
  • Wade fishing will take place every day, and anglers must be comfortable with wading and light hiking.

Recommended Equipment

  • 4-5 wt. Rods (Switch / Spey / Single Hand)
    • Full Sink
    • Floating
    • Sink Tips

Wade Fishing Locations

  • Russian River – Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden
  • Anchor River – Steelhead
  • Deep Creek – Steelhead

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel Day

Arrive in Anchorage. Groups will pick up Turo rental vehicles and drive to a rental cabin near Sterling (between Soldotna and Cooper Landing). Groceries and supplies will be purchased in town.

Day 2

Drift boat fishing on the Upper Kenai River with Rick and Jesse (weather permitting, possibly through the canyon). The third group will wade fish the Russian River.

Day 3

Drift boat float from Skilak Lake outlet to Bing’s Landing on the Middle Kenai for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden, with potential Coho opportunities. The wade-fishing group will travel south to the Anchor River for Steelhead.

Day 4

Rick and Jesse’s groups will either fish the Upper Kenai again for Rainbow Trout or float the Kasilof River from Tustumena Lake to the bridge for Steelhead and Silver Salmon.

Day 5

Groups consolidate into two groups of five anglers. Fishing will take place on the Anchor River and Deep Creek for Steelhead. If weather conditions prevent fishing, the group will fish the Russian River.

Day 6

Both groups fish the Upper Kenai and Russian River together. Optional hike to the Upper Russian River to view salmon jumping the falls.

Day 7

Optional saltwater fishing charter for one group while the other group fishes for Steelhead or Trout.

Day 8 – Departure

Drive back to Anchorage, return Turo rentals in daily parking, and depart Alaska.

Trip Cost

$700 Deposit per person (Non Refundable)

$1,400 per person (Total) — Includes:

  • Rental vehicles
  • Drift boat rentals and shuttles
  • U-Haul rental for towing one drift boat
  • Lodging
  • Fishing beads

Does Not Include:

  • Airfare
  • Fishing licenses
  • Rods and fishing equipment
  • Food

Estimated Additional Costs

  • Round-trip airfare (Alaska Airlines): approximately $612
  • Alaska fishing license: approximately $45
  • Estimated food and dining: approximately $300
  • Estimated total trip cost: approximately $2,500
    (Not including optional saltwater charter)

Meals

The group will dine out in town for three dinners. The remaining four dinners will be prepared at the cabin, with two anglers paired each night to cook. Breakfast and lunch planning will be finalized once all anglers are confirmed.

Cancellation Policy

If an angler decides not to attend, they are responsible for selling their spot to another angler or forfeiting their portion of the rental costs (deposits & payments are non refundable).

Host Contact Information

Jesse Collins
C: 831-227-9987 <jesse@jcollinsproperties.com>

Rick Chace
C: 831-234-9200 <rchace@got.net>

Jesse & Rick will be hosting a table at the January SCFF meeting. At that time will take $700.00 deposits on the trip.

 

 

 



Sep 19 : Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026


Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 19-Oct. 3rd 2026
Mammoth Lakes (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster: John Cook fishmaster-- (831)688-1561 or (831)234-6515

General: We will be staying in condominiums in the town of Mammoth Lakes (Max limit 8 per week). The condo complex has a lovely hot tub, so bring your suit. Two people per bedroom. Most people bring a sleeping bag to share queen size bed or a pad and sleeping bag to sleep on floor. A private room option is possible at an increased fee.

Cost:  Shared single:  $500/wk, $1000/2 wks.

Sign Ups: We will begin taking Mammoth reservations and money starting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 4th (at the March Meeting).   Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Check Payable to: Scott Kitayama.   Mail:  36 Pima St, Watsonville, CA  95076

Group is limited to 8 in the condo per week. COST: $500/person . Please note that you are NOT on the list until I have your check, YOUR CHECK SAVES YOUR SPOT!

Payment of $500 is required to secure your spot.   we need people to sign up as soon as possible. Should you need to cancel, you can find someone to take your place and get your money back.

Fishmasters:Scott Kitayama:  scottkitayama@gmail.com , mobile:  650 279 5871   and  Randy Saar:  randy_saar@yahoo.com,  mobile:  650 269 6138

Dates:  This Fishout will take place over two consecutive one-week periods. You may sign up for one or both weeks. Week 1: Sept  19- Sept 26.       Week 2: Sept 26 – Oct 3.

Location: The town of Mammoth Lakes is located on the eastern side of the Sierra, 6 or 7 hours drive from Santa Cruz. There are many lakes and streams in the area to fish.

 

Food Preparation: Breakfast and lunch items will be purchased by the Fishmaster ahead of time. Each person will be assigned a Kitchen Day. On that day, tasks will include setting out breakfast and lunch items, store unused food, and preparing the evening meal and clean up afterwards.   Each person will be responsible for a dinner that you will need to purchase and prepare.   You will then be reimbursed for the cost for the dinner.



Oct 10 : Lower Sacramento River Group Float – Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers


Lower Sacramento River Group Float - Hosted by the Delta Fly Fishers
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Greetings,

The Delta Fly Fishers have offered the Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club the opportunity to join them on their annual guided float trip on the Lower Sacramento River.

See the information below from the Fishmaster Robert Fujimura.

Lower Sacramento River Group Float Outing with Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club– Saturday October 10, 2026

Delta Fly Fishers are happy again to invite your club to join this annual Delta Fly Fishers outing with host Scott Sugimoto of On the Riffle Guide Service and his guides and support staff for another awesome day on this famous tailwater fishery for resident rainbow trout.  Scott and his team have successfully hosted our club annually for several years during the prime fly fishing season.  The Lower Sacramento River fishing has been a reliable and renowned trophy trout fishery of the West.  Suitable for novice fly fishers but still fun and challenging for the more experienced ones.

Participants will have a full day of guided indicator nymph fishing from a drift boat with an experienced guide per two anglers.  Fishing gear, flies, shuttle service, and all you can eat group BBQ lunch are provided.  The guide fee of $300 per person (double occupancy per boat) does not include tip.

Please contact Bob Fujimura to register and pay your guide fee before August 30 or earlier (email [deltaflyfishers@gmail.com] .  Early registration will help ensure that we reserve our guides in advance – so don’t delay in registering if you are interested in this annual crowd pleaser.  Registration requires prepayment of guide fees and submission of a DFF liability waiver form.  All guide fees are non-refundable in the case of you cancel your trip – however, you can sell your spot to another club member.

Our annual outing is a fun event for our club members with a long history of repeated participation by its attendees.  Registered participants will be provided with additional detailed information (via email) on pre-event fishing conditions, recommended fishing equipment or gear for optional use during or outside of the guided day, local group dining or lodging options, and other trip activities.  On request, non-DFF club registrants can be provided with a Zoom orientation session prior to the event.  Scott also welcomes inquiries about the guided itinerary and technical questions about this event (email: scott@ontheriffle.com or phone: (530) 276-1612).

 



Oct 15 : O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 15-18th


O'Neill Forebay 'Stosh' Memorial Fishout October 15-18th
Medeiros Primitive Campground - Oneill Forebay (Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

Event: O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout

Date: October 15th – 18th

Target Gamefish: Striped Bass

Location: Medeiros Campground located on the Southern Shoreline of the O’Neill Forebay, access off of Santa Nella Blvd. (Highway 33)

Hosts: Kevin Murdock   troutdock89@gmail.com

These are primitive campsites so bring your own water. There are tables, sun pavilions, and chemical toilets, or outhouses and fire rings. No open fires are allowed outside of the rings.

Typically we will be camping as close to site 29 as we can get. This is a first come, first serve campground, so no reservations are accepted. Float tubes can be launched near the campsites, but boats must be first inspected, then launched from the San Luis Creek Boat launch. Boats may not be left on the lake overnight. Boaters would be wise to exit prior to the closing of the entry kiosk. The ranger can place a seal on your trailer, allowing you to bypass the inspection process the next morning.

The rangers at the kiosk by the Medeiros entrance may insist that your float tubes need inspection. make sure they’re clean & dry.

Equipment: 8wt rods with fast sinking lines. Some anglers will occasionally use a floating line with a ‘gurgler’ type fly

Flies: Lee Haskins San Luis smelt, ‘Deceiver’ type patterns in red, white, chartreuse, the aforementioned gurglers and poppers.

Float tubes (may require inspection for quagga and golden mussels)

Fins, sunscreen, polarized glasses, life vest

Links: 

Fly Fishing O’Neill Forebay for Stripers

https://mengsyn.com/ A fly-fishing addict who fishes San Luis Reservoir and the Forebay.

http://www.danblanton.com/ Long time local fishing guide.

Forebay Water level:

https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=Onf

There will be a signup sheet at our September meeting. We’ll also create a list for those hoping to participate in a pot luck in honor of Steve ‘Stosh’ Rudzinski.

Weather conditions can vary dramatically, so it would behoove members to check prior to departure. You could email me or just get conditions on-line. High winds can cause the lake to be closed to all vessels.

This is one of our nearest Fishouts, with the possible payoff of a double digit fish! Don’t miss out!



Nov 13 : Trinity River Fishout


Trinity River Fishout
(Click for address and map)
Fishmaster:

NOTE:   Contact Alex Ferber if you are interested in going on the trip.  After knowing how many people are interested, it will be easier to plan logistics (camping? motel?).    You can text Alex at (831) 419-0564  or alex.ferber74@gmail.com.  If you want to go on this trip, it is highly recommended to attend the Spey Classes.

The fishery:
Basically,  this is a Steelhead Trip. There are some resident trout, including some really nice brown trout. I  walk wade or float my raft,  depending on the river conditions. I personally use a Spey rod to swing flies.   Many people use indicators.  There are a lot of walk in spots to explore. The river can be floated with rafts or driftboats. There is a shuttle service available.
Tackle:
Single hand rods, 7-8 wt rods, using floating lines with indicator set up. Typical flies used are Egg patterns, Copper John’s, Stonefly imitations like Rubberlegs,  Dark Perdigons. Sizes ranging from Size 8-14.
Spey or Switch rods, usually 5-6 wt in the Fall, I use a 7 wt in the winter. Skagit or Scandi heads, with floating to heavy sink tips, depending on the river conditions and season. Flies that work well include leeches, intruders, HoBo Spey, Traditionals, as well as dry fly patterns ( Skaters) in the early Fall.
The River:
The Trinity River is located aprox 1 hr west of Redding on  Hwy 299. Its a beautiful tailwater fishery, with flows controlled from the Lewiston Dam. This is where the hatchery can be found. It has many different faces, including some big water as it runs west. It meets up with the Klamath River on its journey to the ocean. It has an excellent run of both wild and hatchery fish, ranging from 5-7 #, with some larger fish in the  +10-12 # range. There are fish in the system year round, but typically a push of fish starts in late September and peaks in late November, with a second run usually in late December- March. The fishing remained really good thru the end of March last season. It is very flow dependant and can run quite low in the Fall, with occasional bumps in flows when there is precipitation. It can blow out on occasion, but clears pretty fast.
Amenities:
Weaverville is the closest town, where there are good restaurants, motels and a really nice Holiday Market. It’s kinda the hub. There is an RV park in Weaverville,  but no campsites.
Camping is available in Douglas City  area as well as Junction City and further west on 299. The town of Douglas city doesn’t have much, other than a small mini mart. Indian Creek Lodge is a few miles east of Douglas City. The town of Lewiston is just below the Lewiston dam. It offers some camping and motels. There is a really nice motel west of Junction City (I believe it is called Steelhead Lodge?). It’s an excellent place to stay if one wishes to fish below Junction City.


Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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2 Day Popper class


Mar 12 12:00 PM & March 13 Class
& March 13 Class

We will be making poppers so that we can go for those big mouthed bass. In the past the class has spanned over 2 days and involved lots of paints, epoxies, glues, solutions, along with various other supplies. It is not reasonable to assume that everyone would have everything that would be needed to craft these beauties, and not practical via Zoom. In order to not miss out this year, a simplified method has been devised which will give everyone reasonable and useful poppers. The only thing you will need to complete your popper fly is clear nail polish and Supper Glue or equivalent. If you have 30 min epoxi, a variety of acrylic paints and rubbing alcohol, your finished fly will be more like the ones we usually craft. Some lead time for prepping and putting supplies together will be needed.  So please sign up soon but no later than Mar. 5th. It will still be a 2 day class, but fewer hours than usual. We’ll start at noon. Allow 2-3 hours each day. You beginners to fly tying should feel comfortable doing this class. As always, the class is free and materials provided. Very strong thread, any color, such as flat waxed nylon or monocord will be needed. If you need thread, or tools and vise if you are a beginner, the club can loan them to you. Materials , directions and tips for bass fishing will bagged for you to be picked up at my door. Call me to sign up @ (831)688-1561

Future tying classes. Dates and subject may change, please go to URL to see the current information.

Monthly Speaker Date Excerpt
Green DrakeApr 13 Green Drake
CricketMay 11 Cricket
Dali LamaJun 08 Dali Lama

Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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Fisheries of the Central Coast & Iceland with Dagur Guðmundsson

The March Meeting will be both in-person and on Zoom. Doors at the Aptos Grange will be open by 6:00 pm while we set up and test the system. The Zoom meeting will start by 6:30 pm, the link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83842895848



Fisheries of the Central Coast & Iceland with Dagur Guðmundsson

Dagur Gudmundsson was born and raised on the wind-swept rock of Iceland, where he grew up chasing everything from arctic char and ice age brown trout to Atlantic cod and pollock. During his teenage years, he moved to the Central Coast of California where the fishing is quite different from the cold waters of Iceland.

 

When he was 18, Dagur started guiding at the world-class salmon river West Rangá, which in addition to having some of the most prolific Atlantic salmon fishing in the world, also has huge native brown trout in its upper reaches.

In between spending his summers guiding in Iceland, Dagur attended California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, where he acquainted himself with the local fisheries through lots of trial and error. He recently started a fly fishing guide service in San Luis Obispo with a focus on the area’s overlooked fisheries when it comes to fly fishing, such as bass, carp, and surf perch. Dagur also ties and sells flies, is a regular contributor to California Fly Fisher magazine, and teaches clinics on carp and bass through the Central Coast Fly Fishing fly shop in Carmel.

Future Speakers. Dates and speakers may change, please go to URL to see the current information.

Monthly Speaker Date Excerpt
May 04 Virtual Speaker: Fly fishing for Corbina with Al Q
Jun 01 Striper Fishing on the Lower Sac with Hogan Brown

Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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March 2022 Table of Contents

General Meeting……………………
  Fisheries of the Central Coast & Iceland with Dagur
  March Raffle Prizes
  Donations from Doug Severin’s Estate
President’s Line…………………….
Fly Tying……………………
  Popper Class
  Red & Black larva lace midge
Conservation Concerns……………
  Steelhead Spa-What’s That?
  Prairie Creek Restoration
Membership Notes…………………
  Remembrance: Matt Murphy
  Remembrance: Jim Black
  Remembrance: Pat Murray
Fishout Schedule…………………
Marketplace…………………
  Wanted: Pyramid Ladder
Cartoon…………………………..…

Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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Remembrance: Jim Black

by Michael Sherwood

Club member Jim Black passed away recently. He was an adventurous fly fisherman, traveling the western US and the world . Jim had a strong affection for the club, assuming the presidency in 2017 due to the incumbent’s illness; however his tenure was short, as he faced his own medical problems. He was able to continue on the board as Programs Chair often coming up with great ideas and funding some himself. Unfortunately his illness interceded one again.

One year, I was meeting Jim, Tom Welle, his son-in-law, and a bunch of Tom’s brothers to fish Henderson Springs, a series of lakes east of Redding. Tom and Jim stopped at The Fly Shop to pick up some flies. Low and behold, Jim realized his rods and gear bag had been left behind.

Forgetting your fly rod; $500.
Remembering your reel and waders were in the bag; $300
Spending your son-in-laws 50th birthday with him and family; priceless.

We’ll miss you Jim.

Posted on February 23rd, 2022

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Prairie Creek Restoration

by Conservation Chair

Save the Redwoods League, in partnership with Caltrout, the Yurok Tribe, National Park Service, California State Parks, California State Coastal Conservancy, NOAA Restoration Center and Wildlife Conservation Board has begun a project that includes returning Prairie Creek and adjacent floodplain habitat for salmon and steelhead back to a more natural state. The project is taking place adjacent to the former Orick Mill site north of Eureka in Humboldt County. For more information on the overall scope of the project and an inspiring video, go to the link.

Video: Work in Prairie Creek kicks off new vision for former mill site

Posted on February 19th, 2022

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Steelhead Spa–What’s That?

by Conservation Chair Bob Garbarino

If you are interested in fish-related scientific information, you should check out fishbio.com. They have articles on fisheries research, monitoring and conservation. I came across an article on steelhead kelt reconditioning. What the heck is that? First of all…what is a kelt. Not all steelhead die after spawning one time. Some spawn multiple times. Steelhead that return to the ocean or an estuary after spawning are called kelts. During the journey back down the river post-spawn, kelts are challenged by obstacles such as dams that are typically designed to aid juvenile salmonids—not adults. This is the case on the Columbia river. To help the fish survive, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Yakama Nation have been practicing kelt reconditioning. This involves capturing the fish and placing them in holding tanks where they are given medical attention, fed and allowed to rest for several months before release. The fish are also tracked by PIT tags after being released. For more information on this interesting subject, go to the link.

Posted on February 19th, 2022