Just made available. SCFF Trout Logo on cotton hoodie with a full zipper. Small logo on front pocket only in sizes Small, Medium Large and Extra Large. Price is $59 which includes shipping. We are only going to inventory a few per size, so please buy and we will get it to you as soon as we can.
Posted on November 24th, 2020
Date: November 4, 2020 Zoom Presentation
Time: 7pm
Place: Zoom- click here to join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83842895848
Chris King was introduced to fly fishing at a young age. During his high school years in New Jersey he traveled the eastern seaboard in search of trout with his father. He spent 8 years in Colorado where he turned his passion into a career. From there he made his way West where in 1998 he found a home at The Fly Shop. Chris is currently Master Certified, Two Hand Certified and an emeritus member of the organization’s Casting Board of Governs. Chris resides in Redding with his wife and two children and has been guiding and teaching casting in Northern California for over 20 years.
Posted on October 28th, 2020
THIS IS ONE YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS!
check this out! The Fly Shop in Redding California, known for decades as the “go-to” shop for their guided fly fishing trips, has donated to our club an all inclusive full day guided trip for TWO! Package includes all gear to include rods, leaders, tippets, and flies along with a hearty streamside lunch.
The lucky winners have their choice of any of the Fly Shop’s destinations to include the Lower Sacramento, the upper Sacramento, the Fall River, the Pit River, Hat Creek, the McCloud River, and Baum Lake. California fly fishing at it’s finest. Excluded are the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. Your guide fr the day will be Russ Kegler, check out his Bio on the The Fly Shop website. www.theflyshop.com
The trip prize is intended to be used during 2021. Only one trip will be awarded. Gratuities not included.
Click on the following link to purchase tickets, one dollar each, 25 for $20.
Buy a bunch of tickets, the more you buy, the better your chances!
The drawing will be held at the November zoom meeting on 11/04/20.
Need not be present to win.
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Date: Nov. 11 , 2020. (Wednesday)
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: Zoom meeting
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Here’s a nice fly for small streams and lakes to catch brooks, rainbows and steelhead (smolts and up to half pounders ). The pattern can be varied in several ways. A couple will be featured in the class. This is a simple fly to tie and good for beginners. We thank Tim Loomis for suggesting the fly for a class. He speaks from experience about its definite effectiveness. You will need red 6/0 or 8/0 thread. Let me know if you need to borrow some. For beginners: call well ahead so we can set you up with vise and tools and receive some basic instruction via face time.
Everyone will need to call ahead to allow enough time for materials and directions to be assembled and for you to pick up at my home. ( about 2 days ) (831)688-1561
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Well – this is late. Stuff has hit us again. It’s not a knock out punch by far, but I’m really getting bothered by the constant belting we are taking. And it hasn’t even started raining yet!
Covid has been troublesome enough. While respecting all concerns, I’m getting tired of Covid, Fires and PSPS! PG&Es means of mitigating more lawsuits from potential fire activity. We need some rain.
Due to the aforementioned, I’m typing on battery power hoping to send when I can get to a wifi signal tomorrow morning. But I’m not really complaining.
In the midst of all of this, we’ve really been fortunate.
If you own a fly-rod and some flies, a decent reel, and have been fishing this year – consider yourself fortunate. If you went fly-fishing at all this year – same.
At this writing, the only power I have is what’s left in this laptop battery. Otherwise, I am managing my life by what everything else is throwing at us, hitting back with all this 5’6” dog can muster. It’s only a couple of days, but stacked on top of the last 7 months – ugh. I’ve been spending weekends preparing for rain – hoping to get some in spurts so the mountains don’t wash away.
Do me a favor – pull out the club “roster” you’ve been given. There are about 150 of you. Tantamount to a miracle given this year of 2020. Take that roster and call someone you don’t know. You have an interest in Fly-Fishing in common, you’re stuck at home -make a new friend.
Get to know each other. Do something different, even if it means just talking and getting to know the person on the other end of the line. Like the old days – the good – old days.
As your “President”, at this President’s Line – All I want you to do is pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know – on the roster – and start from there.
Since 1977, the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen (and BTW, that means, every being that has two feet and walks on this planet) describes a mission to “Promote, Educate and Enjoy the Sport of Fly Fishing”. This is “high-level” thinking but you are part of this greater good. This mission isn’t just for the board members – it’s for you too!
We have some fun stuff coming up and if you haven’t been on one of Elaine’s Zoom Fly-Tying classes, try it. We also have the results of your survey with some really excellent input on things we can do to improve the membership experience.
I also want to thank all of you for submitting very generous donations to the club for use in our Conservation budget, the High School Scholarship program and the general club fund.
The on-line raffle at the club meeting has been very successful and will continue to improve. Jeff is going to start to set up again the opportunity for you to choose which “buckets” you want your tickets to go to.
Be proud of SCFF; we’ve been helping our other FFI clubs in Northern California sharing our successes as we quickly morphed from a nymph to a beautiful salmon fly during this year of opportunity. Thank you for being part of it. More to come. Jump on Zoom – do something different! ?
Posted on October 28th, 2020
Posted on October 11th, 2020
Aside from my article in ‘Fishy Tales’, I wanted to share some observations on the fishery and interesting findings from Andy Gorbus from Fish and Wildlife.
Our own master fisherman and guide and fly tier friend, Lee Haskins, commented Saturday on how the ForeBay has improved due to the non poisoning of weed beds the last few years. I agreed and remember sending letters to both California Water Board and the Dept of Fish and Wildlife asking questions about the herbicide ‘Endothall’ (End-it-all)! in 2017. Andy Gorbus has kept in touch over the last 3 years, mostly to send toxicology reports on HAB (harmful bacteria blooms). We all noticed the odor of the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) hugging the shoreline on the eastern shore which is the side that the wind blows towards the most. We all saw the dead fish wash up in some areas and the soupy green algae was everywhere.
One member who did not wear waders and fished a half day a week prior to the fishout developed the same swimmers itch symptoms as we developed doing the same thing at the north shore of Lake Almanor in June. Little red pimples that look more like bug bites than a rash. It could be partially because of all the bird activity (poop). (coots at the ForeBay and geese at Almanor).
Because of the non poisoning of the weed beds for several years, the shad are back in numbers and fish are boiling again and fishers are getting fish in the 20″ range or better.
It is so often you may think one person complaining and writing letters and making a few phone calls cannot do anything but that is not true at all. I think our society wants to do the right thing and to help make things right, it is so political also and you have to appeal to the greater good like not poisoning the water that is heading for public consumption (LA). Although they say the herbicide Endothall is not harmful to fish and animals, would you drink the water knowing that?
On another front, the 2 Alaskan senators are now supporting saving Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine project, the president has even said he also supports protecting the bay. The Alaskan fund of Trout Unlimited sends me letters of thanks to the SCFF members for their support in saving the most precious of resources left on planet Earth. Good for us and for all. We all ‘Rock’. Thank you.
‘Slim’
Posted on October 24th, 2020
The first-time introduction of a bacteria into California caused a culling of many fish at hatcheries. Member, Tom Deetz, let us know about this and below is an article from CalTrout about it. If others find new information about this, please share on Google Groups or submit to the newsletter. – Scott Kitayama
On July 20, 2020, three California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hatcheries in Southern California and the eastern Sierra euthanized 3.2 million hatchery trout to stop the outbreak of a bacterial infection. Fish at the hatcheries have been infected with Lactococcus garvieae, which is similar to streptococcus, wildlife officials said.
The disease was previously unknown in California, and CDFW staff have been trying multiple treatments and strategies to try to resolve the outbreak over the last three months. Efforts have been unsuccessful. Consequently and as a last resort, CDFW pathologists have recommended that the fish be euthanized and the facilities disinfected before repopulating the hatcheries with L. garvieae-free fish.
The trout, which are used to stock waterways for recreational fishing, are at Mojave River Hatchery, Black Rock Hatchery and Fish Springs Hatchery.
Where have scheduled fish plants been canceled, due to this outbreak?
The counties affected include:
– Los Angeles
– San Bernardino
– Riverside
– San Diego
– Orange
– Ventura
– Santa Barbara Inyo
– Mono
Can CDFW make up for the canceled plants with fish from non-infected hatcheries?
Currently, three of CDFW’s largest trout production hatcheries in the state are shut down, and two others are coming back online after significant infrastructure problems and not yet at full production. In addition, a catchable size fish takes around two years to get to size. There is no way for the remaining trout hatcheries to make up that level of fish production. CDFW is evaluating the possibility of re-allocating fish destined to be stocked in northern California waters to a small group of high use, easily accessible Eastern Sierra and Southern California waters, but there are still significant logistical details to be worked out including safety of staff and travel under current COVID-19 restrictions.
Can humans get sick from this bacteria? Should people take extra precaution if eating fish they catch?
There is limited evidence L. garvieae bacteria has been passed to humans, but fish-to-human transmission is extremely rare. As always, anglers should follow USDA recommendations on cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
More information can be found on the CDFW FAQ list. “FAQ for Lactococcus garvieae outbreak in Southern California fish hatcheries“
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Almost half of all current members have renewed 2021 membership online https://www.santacruzflyfishing.org/join/membership.
The balance of renewals have been mailed out to members to be paid by check or online. To date, over $1,000 have been received for Scholarships/ Conservation. This years renewal response has exceeded expectations and members continue to support our Club in this transitional time.
Thank You
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Posted on October 24th, 2020
image: Cecelia Stipes with 25″ Striper
It was a record according to our senior members attending, 21 of us during the four day event. I want to thank those attending, we all thought it was highly successful although the fishing was not great in our side of the lake, those who found the bait, found the fish.
Scheduling the yearly event I have moved it to mid or late October and try to coincide with the new moon phase and to find cooler water and a change in the weather for good fall time fishing. This was not the case this time. Ninety plus degree days and little wind or clouds knocked us off the lake when the fishing shut down after 9 AM. Those who fished till the mid afternoon did a lot of kicking the tube around in the hot sun. We only had one person, former fish master Jim Hall and his little aluminum car top boat found the fish and had the highest fish count which he whispered “got 15 this afternoon bite”. He rarely brags how well he does.
Everyone attending was happy to escape their homes and get together with friends and fish and the most important part was to all join the evening campfire to tell stories and laugh out loud a lot. Every day was a little different, as some fishers came for the day and did not sleep over or stayed at the nearby Motel 6. We had no more than seven of us sleeping on any night. Special thanks to those who were there all four days. Kevin and Terry Murdock, Elaine and John Cook, Kathy Powers, Scott Kitayama and yours truly.
For me personally, the heat was oppressive, and fishing sucked, averaging one fish a day and almost zero bumps which is so rare this time of year. I did play fish-master casting instructor with a new member who won a fly rod at the last meeting, Carly and Sean got an hour and a half casting her new rod from a rock below our camp. They were not ready for float tubing yet and just starting out fishing. It is always great to see the younger generation pick up where the older folk are leaving off.
Super special thanks to ‘Kevin and Terry’s Bar and Grill’ for bringing everything under the hot sun to eat and drink and to Steven and Milana Rawson who make pizza dough from scratch and a pizza via Dutch oven before our eyes right in the camp. I am always blown away by the variety of skills our membership have. The best way to get to know a person is to go camping together. I’m a lucky person indeed. Stosh 10/2020
Posted on October 24th, 2020
By the time all the smoke cleared from the Klamath, OR region, it was the first week in October…..very low water levels and 90 plus degrees…made for very poor fishing at Rocky Point Campground (a month before friends were catching 20 -30 trout/day). I gave up and went out on the Williamson with guide Craig Schuhmann, and caught this bad boy on a #10 maroon and black leech, using intermediate sink line. He estimated at 26-27″ and 6-7 lbs.
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Masked and socially distanced fishermen prepare to brave the surf.
We had a good turnout for the final surf fishout of the year at Palm Beach in Watsonville. Nine members hit the beach around sunrise: Sam Bishop, Elaine Cook, Gary Cramton, Bob Garborino, Scott Kitayama, Matt Maurin, the father-and-son duo of Steve and Joshua Wilkens, and myself. The fish were not overly cooperative, but it was possible to land the occasional surf perch. The proof is that Matt, one of our newest members, hooked and landed his first ever surf fish on a fly. Congratulations, Matt! Scott got the “exotic catch award” for landing a guitarfish (which I had to google, never having seen one in person.) Striped bass were, unfortunately, a no-show yet again. If you weren’t able to attend on October 11, you may want to get out to one of our State Beaches in the next few weeks, before the surf builds, the winter storms begin, and the fly-fishing focus shifts to steelhead. You can’t beat the brisk morning weather, the bright sunshine, the healthy exercise you get resisting the crashing waves, and the chance of fooling a fish.
Personal Best for Mark Traugott
Posted on October 24th, 2020
This is one of my “go to flies”. A caddis hatch does not need to be occurring for trout to gobble this one up. The larger sizes work well for the Rocky Mountains, smaller for the Sierra. Fish with a floating line, drag free, in moving water.
Hook: TMC or TFS 2487 (or similar scud hook ) , sizes 12-16
Thread: olive or olive dun, 8/0
Body: olive (vernille, ultra chenille, or velvet chenille), size small or standard (depending on brand). Super Glue or Zap-A-Gap.
Underwing: dun spooled Antron, light or dark
Hackle: dun, light or dark to match underwing, barbs equal to slightly less than hook gap
Wing: light or light tipped deer hair
1. Position hook in vise so that straight lower portion is parallel to table. Crimp barb.
2. Attach thread behind eye. Wrap to rear, with touching wraps to above hook point.
3. Round end of body material using a candle. Carefully melt the end buy placing it near the base of the flame. Apply glue to thread wraps. Position on top of shank, tip above rear of hook. Tie in place with spiral wraps up to 2 eye lengths behind eye. Cut excess.
4. Cut end of underwing material to even fibers. Lay on top of body with tips slightly beyond end of body. Tie down infront of body while splaying fibers. Cut excess. Tie butt ends down up to eye.
5. Prep hackle by removing fuzzy end then cutting 4-5 barbs short on each side of butt end of stem (crew cut). Position crew cut under shank, tip of feather to rear. Tie in place back to body then forward to eye.
6. Cut match stick size bundal of hair, clean and stack tips. Position tips at rear of Antron. Tie in place with first wrap around HAIR ONLY, then firmly around hair and shank a couple times to splay fibers. Stroke butt hairs into bundal over eye forming start of head. Wrap a thread collar back to body. Advance thread back to head. Make one loose thread wrap around bundle of hair above eye, then one around collar. Trim head at an angle (see photo).
7. Make several wraps of hackle up to head. Tie off cut excess. Finish with half hitches under head , behind eye. Small amount glue to tie off threads.
Posted on October 28th, 2020
I recently had a rod that just wouldn’t come apart no matter what I did. Went on U-tube and found this 4 handed cross over technique. It was so simple and effective. Takes 2 people. Place hands on rod pieces as shown, then just pull apart. Also saw a method using tape by Kelly Gallop. Haven’t tried that method however. Don’t think I’ll jam a rod together to test it.
Posted on October 28th, 2020
Join the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers for the annual clean up of the Salinas River fishing access. The event will be on Sunday November 21st starting at 9:00 am. Greg Smith is the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers representative for this event. Wear clothing for the weather of that day and if you can, bring gloves and a three prong hoe, as it’s the best tool.
Directions:
Posted on October 21st, 2021
Join the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers for the annual clean up of the Salinas River fishing access. The event will be on Sunday November 22nd starting at 9:00 am. Jay Jefferson is the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers representative for this event. Wear clothing for the weather of that day and if you can, bring gloves and a three prong hoe, as it’s the best tool.
Directions:
Posted on October 24th, 2020
Date: October 7, 2020 Zoom Presentation
Time: 7PM
Posted on
Posted on September 18th, 2020
Lots of good stuff for this month’s Zoom meeting raffle. The lucky raffle winner this month gets to pick a prize. The more tickets you buy, the more chance to win!
Door number 1
How about a Coleman propane camp grill. This is not your run of the mill camp stove but rather a real gas grill! Throw on chicken breast, salmon fillets, or maybe a couple of hot links. This is a great way to cook in your fish camp or at a tailgate gathering at the Pleasanton Fly show.
Door number 2
While you are at fish camp a great way to be comfortable is with this Browning XT (extra tall) director’s chair. Perfect for storytelling around the campfire or hanging on the beach at Pyramid Lake.
Door number 3
Float tubers know that at times a bit of extra reach comes in handy. To that end we have up for grabs a beautiful laminated wooded long handle landing net. It has fish gentle clear netting and, best of all, it floats.
Door number 4
Can’t have a raffle without a rod and reel package. Let’s do a winners choice for either a 4wt or 5wt Echo Carbon XL, 4 piece 9 ft. Rod along with an ION large arbor disc drag reel. Either one a great outfit for Sierra trout.
Raffle tickets are a dollar each, a double sawbuck ($20) gets you 25! Click on this link to buy your tickets.https://www.santacruzflyfishing.org/join/raffle-ticket/
In the remarks section please note which prize you would prefer to win.
Cutoff for purchase of raffle tickets is noon the day of the Zoom meeting (Wednesday 10/7). Need not be present to win.
Everybody attending the Zoom meeting will get a chance at the no charge door prize drawings featuring a bunch of great prizes.
Posted on September 18th, 2020
Date: 10/14/2020
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Zoom
Posted on
Midges are the primary food source for trout. Especially in the winter. If you are going to be fishing a tail water or spring creek, it’s good to have a few in your box. This is a simple fly to tie despite it’s small size. I will be going over a lot of tips for tying small flies and how to handle beads. Don’t be afraid to tie this one, even if you have big hands. I will be tying this fly using much bigger hooks and beads so that you’ll be able to see it on you screen. For you beginners, call me well ahead of time to work out how we can best assist you with vise, tools and information to get started. Everyone will need to call ahead to allow enough time for materials and directions to be assembled and for you to pick up at my home. ( about 2 days ) (831)688-1561 In addition to your tools, vise, and computer or tablet, you will need a few special items for this class:
Posted on September 25th, 2020
Hey all, hope you are doing well now that we left Winter, skipped through Spring and Summer and now it’s Fall?! I’ve added Evacuee to my list of things I never thought I’d be one day -but still super grateful for so much.
If you’ve missed a club meeting the last few months, you’ve missed out on some real fun and great presentations. If you need help doing this whole “Zoom” thing, please seek out me, or Scott Kitayama and we’ll help you get set up so you can attend a Club meeting, a Fly-Tying class, and even hang out with us at a Board Meeting.
All has NOT been lost due to Covid. We’ve actually been helping so many of you engage in casting practice, fly-tying and fishing together. I never like fishing close to someone anyhow, so six feet is nothing. Hey, really, so many of you and so many of us have been out fishing, casting and picking up fly-tying materials at Elaines, for the classes she’s been running.
As I mentioned earlier in the year, if we didn’t have Covid – none of us would know what Zoom is, use it, or certainly not run a club meeting or a fly-tying class with it. But we did, and it’s a lot of fun.
The Club meetings are nice cause we get through the “business” portion in record time and spend most of it saying hi to each other, talk about places we went fishing, and other activities we’ve been doing – like driving to Montana, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming,… instead of flying.
The presentations are excellent. 1. You can hear perfectly. 2. You can see everything perfectly cuz it’s right there on your screen. 3. You know everybody’s name, cuz it appears on the screen. 4. If you’re all talking at the same time, I can “mute” you in 1 second rather than have to ask you to be quiet! Ha!. AND – if your better half is at all concerned about you having a beer with the gang afterward -no more -cuz you’re already at home! Just please make sure whomever might pass by yer camera while yer Zoomin’, is wearin’ clothes!
Thank you again Steve Rudzinski for your corralin the folks over to Jade Street Park on Wednesdays for Social Distance Casting. Last time I was there, some tennis player was smartin off to us ‘bout what kind of fish we were catching. I did a back cast that poked him in the shirt and said, ‘Large mouth b-Ass’!
And Elaine! Super Star – you wanna talk about someone who would much rather be driving her van around the country with her husband, fishin’ size 39 mini-midges to lunker rainbows than having anything to do with a computer. Well she’s got these fly-tying classes down so good if it were a YouTube Channel, she’d be on Curt Gowdies Wild World of Sports and Adventure.
Jeff Goyert and team – what great fun we’ve been having with the raffle and how it has grown since you got more comfortable with the format. Winning rods, reels, fly boxes and so much more is super fun.
I’m really happy to hear how many of you have been out fishing, camping and enjoying the peace and quite – albeit, pre Stormageddon that brought Armageddon the last month. I’m still trying to figure out between Covid and fires, what day and what month it is. And I do hope our members and their friends and families are all safe. I know it has been a year of remembrance.
Fly Fishing doesn’t really cure Covid -but staying healthy, eating well and having the best psychological health will fight off even the nastiest bugs, physical or mental. So hang with us if you haven’t – yet. Reach out if you need help connecting to Zoom. We want to be here for you and to have you with us.
It has been a year of remembrance. Yes, some challenges, but I bet all of us have some real blessings and some great things that have come this year that would never have come if it weren’t for these circumstances.
I’ve needed all of you so many times this year, even if it was just a club meeting to keep me remembering what day it was and getting myself back on the ground. We are still averaging 1 or 2 new members every month – most signing up online.
Hang in there like you were fishin’ the catch of a life time on 7X tippler. You’ll get it to the net and we want to hear how you did it.
Appreciate all of you and do miss you -but sure glad I get to see you when we’re Zoomin’ along. Come join us – 6:30 – Look for the link in the newsletter and if you don’t know what that is or how to get there – call me.
Fish! Tom
Posted on September 25th, 2020
