June: Jesse Collins – Stream Entomology………………
June Door Prizes……………
My Turn: Sun Protection for Fly Fishers……………………………
Fly Tying……………………
June Fly Tying Class: Royal Trude
Fly of the Month: Antron Caddis
Conservation Concerns……………………
A Local Watershed Gets Some Love
Membership Notes…………………
Club Activities – June thru August
4 new members
Gearing Up ……………………
Fishout Schedule
Cartoon ……………………
Posted on May 27th, 2025
Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89352294939
Our own Jesse Collins is going to give a presentation on stream entomology (study of insects). Not only will this help you understand the insects that are around the streams, but also a discussion of the flies that imitate them and how to fish them.
NOTE: Prior to the start of the General Meeting at 6:15 pm, we will be conducting short Introductory Skills to help our those new to the sport. We will also have the same Introductory Skills class at the casting clinic. Please look at the Club Activities article in the Newsletter for more information.
Posted on May 22nd, 2025
Don’t miss the June general meeting, everybody gets a free door prize ticket! We will be giving away a great 7 wt rod along with some other great goodies.
Must be present to win, don’t miss out!
Posted on May 17th, 2025
Fly fishers are at particular risk for sun damaged skin (PD/photo-damage) , eye damage and ultraviolet (UVL) induced skin cancer, some of which are life threatening. This is due to our sport requiring prolonged exposure to sunlight and it’s reflection off of water and sand.
UVL damage is cumulative and responsible for 90% of aging, which appears as thin, easily bruised and torn, wrinkled skin. UVL is associated with cataracts and numerous eye disorders. The annual cost of treating UVL induced skin cancer in the U.S. is around 10 Billion dollars. Protection is the key to avoid these adverse effects of sunlight.
The best sun protection is opaque clothing: hats without mesh, sun-gloves, “Buff” bandanas for face and neck, quality sunglasses, recently popular sun “hoodies,” and long sleeved shirts and pants. The density of the thread count is most important….a $10 KMart shirt that you can’t see light through when held up to strong light is equal/better in protection than a $90 one impregnated with sun protective factor (SPF) chemical. Some clothing like a white T-shirt become worthless when soaking wet. Don’t forget umbrellas where practical.
Sunscreen is the next best protection. They are rated in SPF (generally the higher number the better) and they are classified “organic” (meaning chemical) or ‘inorganic’ (meaning physical or mineral components). Of the dozen or more US approved ingredients, organic Avobenzone is considered the the safest and most effective. Oxybenzone the most likely to cause allergic reactions. Of the inorganic ingredients, micronized titanium dioxide & zinc oxide are the most commonly found. In addition, there may be pigments or antioxidants added for additional protection. When using any of these products remember to use them liberally, and re- apply through out the day. The inorganic group tend to be messy/greasy and wash of easily, so they definitely need to be re-applied more often than the chemical types.
Sunscreens have repeatedly been shown to prevent most common skin cancers and about 50% of malignant melanomas. They have recently come under scrutiny and controversy regarding THEORETICAL effect on human hormone production, bleaching of coral reefs, effect on algae in still waters, and presence of “nanoparticles” in the bloodstream. To date there is NO EVIDENCE of harm due to sunscreen in any of these areas.
The supposed “bad ingredients suspected are Benzophenone, Homosalicalate , and Octinoxate. Sunscreens thought to be “safer” are the mineral type…..but these have negative aspects as listed above.
“Safe “brands include: Think Sport, All Good Sport, Thrive Bodyshield, Banana Boat Light as Air, Badge Adventure Mineral, Hello Bello, Purely Simple & Sun Burn.
Thankfully, as fly fishers, if properly clothed, we only need a small dab of sunscreen on ears, nose, lips and possibly hands, so we don’t need to sweat safety issues…..feel free to use something cheap, highly effective and hard to wash off like Coppertone Sport 50 or 75 SPF! The best selection of sunscreen lip balms are found at “ski” shops.
Posted on May 22nd, 2025
The fly for the June fly tying class is the Royal Trude. Participants will need black thread.
The Royal Trude is a classic, versatile attractor fly pattern known for its bold appearance and ability to float well in rough water, featuring a calf hair wing, golden pheasant tail, peacock body, and a heavy brown hackle. We use it to imitate caddis and ants, as well as a general attractor. The royal trude is still one of the most versatile attractors in the west.
There will be a sign-up sheet at the monthly club meeting the week prior to this fly tying class (June 4th). Greg will also be present at the May club meeting with the sign up sheet.
If you are unable to sign up at the club meeting, Greg can be reached for sign-ups at (831) 239-8780
The class will start at 6:30pm, doors open at 6:15pm.
Future tying classes. Dates and subject may change, please go to Fly Name to see more information.
| Date | Fly | Excerpt | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Jun 11 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm | Royal Trude |
The fly for the June fly tying class is the Royal Trude. Participants will need black thread. There will be a sign-up sheet at the monthly club meeting the week prior to this fly tying class (June 4th). Greg will also be present at the May club meeting with the sign up sheet. If you are unable to sign up at the club meeting, Greg can be reached for sign-ups at (831) 239-8780 The class will start at 6:30pm, doors open at 6:15pm. |
 | Jul 09 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm | Chubby Stimi |
This fly is a simplified Stimulator pattern that keys in on the buoyant properties of the fly without some of the more complicated techniques. It’s a great dry/dropper pattern. The CDC and EP fiber wings have a great silhouette and the fly rides high in the water. This is a great caddis pattern (especially October caddis). You can play around with color combinations to match the caddis in your area. This fly is great for a hopper dropper set ups as well. Class is Free Provided: All materials except thread (some available for beginners) Instructions, helpful assistance, and demonstrations. Bring: Thread (brown or olive 8/0 denier) vise, tools, magnification, and glasses as needed (some available for beginners). Sign Up: At the club meeting or instructor at least 24 hours ahead. Phone # 831-227-9987 |
 | Sep 10 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm | Loberg | We will be tying a streamer fly that is particularly successful at Crowley Lake near Mammoth. Tie up a few for the fishout there at the end of the month. It imitates a bait fish so will work in many stillwaters for bass or trout. Please bring your equipment and red 6/0 thread. If you don’t have 6/0, 8/0 will work as well. There will be a red sharpie pen to color any light colored thread.For you beginners, everything will be provided for you to borrow. As always, the class is free and all materials provided. Sign ups are very important in order to have enough material for all. Please do that at the club meeting or call with at least 24 hours notice. 831-234-6515 |
Posted on April 7th, 2025
This is a high floater that never wants to sink. Use a floating line and floatant. There are over 300 species of caddis in the western USA so vary your fly colors and sizes. Good colors would be gray, brown, or dark gold.
HOOK: TMC 100 size 16-20 Crimp barb.
THREAD: 8/0 or smaller, pick a color from above. Attach 1/3 back on shank. Wrap to rear of shank.
BODY: Super fine dubbing, same color. Wrap generous body forward to tie in.
WINGS: Spooned Antron, same color. Cut two pieces 1 1/2 inches long. Fold in half. Place on top of shank with loop extending forward over front of eye. Attached to top of shank with three wrap then lift loop and make three wraps right in front of tie in, then make three more wraps over original three wraps. Divide wing and half and figure 8 wraps to hold wings out to the side with tips slightly up. One or two wraps around base of wing will help hold them in place. Cut wings to length of hook. Wrap thread forward binding to one eye length behind eye.
HACKLE: Grizzly dyed color as above, barbs equal to 1 1/2 hook gap. Stroke barbs against grain at base at butt end.. Cut 4 to 5 barbs short on each side of stem. Lay on top of shank with shiny side up. Tie in place and wrap thread forward to one eye length behind eye. Wrap hackle forward in 3 to 4 wraps, tie off, cut excess.
HEAD: Extended wing material. Advance thread to behind hook eye. Make 3-4 Half hitched knots. Cut thread. Hold Antron loop up and cut short equal to two eye lengths.
LEGS: Cut hackle tips off at the bottom to the level of hook point.
Posted on March 9th, 2025
Hi Everyone,
I hope your spring has been rewarding and you have been getting out and wetting your line—or have some plans in the works. I just got back recently from the club Green River fishout. I’m amazed at how many fish there are in this tailwater, considering all the pressure the Green gets. A healthy ecosystem with an abundant supply of clean cold water that supports lots of aquatic insects no doubt is key.
This month’s Conservation Concerns message is brief but it points to an interesting conservation story with local water significance. The watershed in question is probably one of the most under-appreciated and neglected in our area—the Pajaro River. The story gets even more pertinent in that some SCFF volunteers helped out with some labor to help clear wood debris behind Pickell’s Dam on Little Arthur Creek, a tributary of the Pajaro River. Because Pickell’s Dam was an obstacle to steelhead reaching important habitat, it was eventually removed. This was the ultimate goal of Trout Unlimited Central Coast Project Manager Tim Frahm. Here is the article. I think you will find it a worthwhile read. I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with my SCFF friends, Tim and his wife Christina Fischer, who happens to be the president of the TU Steinbeck Country Chapter. I look forward to more opportunities for our club to participate in conservation projects!
Posted on May 22nd, 2025
| Date | Activity Link | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 04 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm | Introductory Skills: Basic Indicator Nymph rigs |
There are probably more nymph rig setups than there are members of our club. Going to start go through some basic rigs, what knots to use and how to make adjustments. | Aptos Grange |
| Jun 14 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Fly Casting Meetup | We will be working on FFI skills development course from the Bronze and Silver levels. If you’re not familiar with these exercises, it would be a great time to come out and see what it’s all about. The skills are directed at improving your casting skills, and will improve your overall fly fishing success. This will be a perfect time for those folks who are just getting started, to learn some basic core casting techniques. I will have practice rods if needed. Hope to see you there. | Jade Street Park baseball field |
Posted on May 27th, 2025
We welcomes 5 new members in May’
May 11 Steve Laugero Oakdale
May 14 Marc Rosenblum Aptos
May 17 Gary Muro Santa Cruz
May 17 John Hannegan Aptos
May 17 Marc Koenig Boulder Creek
Marc Koenig signed up at the May 17th swapmeet after attending the flyfishing movie earlier, and provided a photo from his trip to Alaska of a nice rainbow from the Kenai peninsula, posted on google groups.
Posted on May 27th, 2025
The newsletter provides brief fishout info. For full detail, go to the website menu and select EVENTS -> Fishout Schedule
| Date | Link (new tab) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 02 - Jun 04 | Pyramid Lake Fishout | Fishmaster: Mike White Greetings fellow Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club Members I have been leading the Pyramid Lake fishing trip for the past ten years. It has always been a remarkable fish out, and one of the best attended too. However the past three years have been very challenging and we have not caught very many fish and people have come away disappointed with the outcome. That leads me to a new discovery about how to fish Pyramid Lake. Jeff Goyertte, a club member and our raffle coordinator took a trip to the lake and fished with Rob Anderson, a [...] |
| Jun 07 5:15 am - 10:00 am | Manresa State Beach Surf Fishout | Location: Manresa State Beach (Ocean View Drive, La Selva Beach Parking Lot) Fish Master: Lance Boiling / clboling@gmail.com / 408-728-0548 Species: Surf Perch, Striped Bass Min./Max Participants: NO Limit Cali Surf Style Gear: 6-8wt. Rods with full sinking lines or shooting heads to match the rod. Polarized glasses (safety), Mandatory Accessories: Wader Belt & Stripping Basket (If a basket is needed, some maybe available to borrow or purchase. Please contact the Fishmaster ahead of time. Also there are many DIY Stripping Basket making tutorials online) Flies: Clousers, wooly buggers, sand crabs, etc. https://www.lostcoastoutfitters.com/collections/surf-flies What to Expect: Good Times Meet at 5:15AM Sunrise is 5:47AM and [...] |
| Jun 20 - Jun 22 | Burney and Around – UPDATED – | Date and description subject to change due to seasonal conditions Please Stay Tuned Fishmaster: Alex Ferber Location: Lakes, rivers and streams of the Burney area Species: Trout Duration: 3 Days Cost: No Cost Meet Up: Date of Fishout TBD and subject to change due seasonal conditions Hat Creek Park off Hy 299 (See the map below). The park is approximately 10 minutes from the highway 299/80 junction. The park is on the left hand side going east on 299. If you google Hat Creek Park, it should show up. This meet up will be a general discussion with your Fishmaster [...] |
| Jun 22 - Jun 28 12:00 am | Lake Almanor/Hex Hatch – Jun 22th – 28th 2025 | The Lake Almanor Fishout is scheduled for the last week of June, 6/22 thru 28th, 2025. This time period is, hopefully, the peak of the annual Hexagenia hatch that begins generally mid-June and runs through mid-July. The most productive fishing takes place early evenings on into past dark between Lake Almanor West to Canyon Dam on the Southwest side of the lake. Most of the fishing is done from float tubes as well as small boats or even from shore. In addition to the evening "Hex" hatch, a multitude of opportunities exist for fishing throughout the day to include Little [...] |
| Jul 05 5:20 am - 10:00 am | Beer Can Beach Surf Fishing | Location: Beer Can Beach (AKA Summer Beach) - Staircase at 1191 Via Palo Alto, Aptos Fish Master: Lance Boiling / clboling@gmail.com / 408-728-0548 Species: Surf Perch, Striped Bass Min./Max Participants: Breakfast RSVP Required 5:00pm July 3. Gear: 6-8wt. Rods with full sinking lines or shooting heads to match the rod. Polarized glasses (safety), Mandatory Accessories: Wader Belt & Stripping Basket (If a basket is needed, some maybe available to borrow or purchase. Please contact the Fishmaster ahead of time. Also there are many DIY Stripping Basket making tutorials online) Flies: Clousers, wooly buggers, sand crabs, etc. Steve Adachi Clouser What to Expect: Meet [...] |
| Jul 07 12:00 am | Loreto Fly Fishing Trip | Loreto Mexico Details to be finalized and date to be confirmed The fishing day starts around 6:00 a.m. and we usually get back to the harbor between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. Spend the rest of the afternoon fishing from the beach, having a cool drink in the pool, exploring Loreto, or just sitting around telling some tall fish stories. And, you will have many exciting moments on the Sea of Cortez to talk about. The approximate cost for everything but meals and airfare is: *$995.00 per person, double occupancy; around $460.00 for a non-fishing guest. - It does not include [...] |
| Aug 09 5:45 am - 8:30 am | Palm Beach Surf Fishout | Fishmaster : Scott Kitayama Contact info: scotttkitayama@gmail.com Location: Palm Beach State Park Date High Tide Low Tide Sun Moon AM ft PM ft AM ft PM ft Rise Set 9 Sat 12:06 PM 4.0 10:53 5.5 5:25 -0.7 4:46 2.4 6:19 8:06 Species: Surf Perch, Striped Bass Min./Max Participants: NO Limit Cali Surf Style Gear: 6-8wt. Rods with full sinking lines or shooting heads to match the rod. Polarized glasses (safety), Mandatory Accessories: Wader Belt & Stripping Basket (If a basket is needed, some maybe available to borrow or purchase. Please contact the Fishmaster ahead of time. Also there are many [...] |
| Sep 06 6:00 am - 10:00 am | Beer Can Beach Surf Fishing – CO Fishout with The San Jose Fly Fishing Club | Location: Beer Can Beach (AKA Summer Beach) - Staircase at 1191 Via Palo Alto, Aptos Fish Master:Michael Lovejoy <mikelovejoy94@gmail.com> Species: Surf Perch, Striped Bass Min./Max Participants: RSVP For Breakfast by 5:00pm September 3nd Gear: 6-8wt. Rods with full sinking lines or shooting heads to match the rod. Polarized glasses (safety), Mandatory Accessories: Wader Belt & Stripping Basket (If a basket is needed, some maybe available to borrow or purchase. Please contact the Fishmaster ahead of time. Also there are many DIY Stripping Basket making tutorials online) Flies: Clousers, wooly buggers, sand crabs, etc. Steve Adachi Clouser What to Expect: Meet at [...] |
| Sep 20 - Oct 04 12:00 am | Mammoth Fishout -Sept. 20-Oct. 4th | Fall trout fishing in streams and lakes. Trip is for seven days and the participants share a condo in Mammoth Lakes. |
| Oct 04 5:45 am - 10:30 am | Manresa State Beach Surf Fishout – CO Fishout with The Delta Fly Fishers | Location: Manresa State Beach (Ocean View Drive, La Selva Beach Parking Lot) Meet at 5:45AM Sunrise is 7:04AM and we will be fishing an incoming tide cresting at 9:28AM. Fish Master: Lance Boiling / clboling@gmail.com / 408-728-0548 Species: Surf Perch, Striped Bass Min./Max Participants: The Delta Fly Fishers will be joining us on this outing Gear: 6-8wt. Rods with full sinking lines or shooting heads to match the rod. Polarized glasses (safety), Mandatory Accessories: Wader Belt & Stripping Basket (If a basket is needed, some maybe available to borrow or purchase. Please contact the Fishmaster ahead of time. Also there are many DIY [...] |
| Oct 16 - Oct 19 | O’Neill Forebay ‘Stosh’ Memorial Fishout October 17-20th | Camping and striped bass fishing at the O'Neil Forebay. |
| Oct 31 - Nov 02 12:00 am | Trinity River Fishout | Target: Steelhead and trout. Contact Alex Ferber if you are interested in going on the trip, text Alex at (831) 419-0564 or alex.ferber74@gmail.com. |
Posted on May 27th, 2025
Dame Juliana Berners, (flourished 1460), English prioress and author of A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle (1496), the earliest known volume on sport fishing. Berners’s work predates Englishman Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler (1653), the best-known example of early angling literature, by approximately 150 years.
Berners was a noblewoman and prioress of the Sopwell Nunnery near St. Albans, England, during the late 15th century, but little is known or recorded about her life other than her writing and publication of the Treatyse. Various accounts of the history of fishing literature describe her as a woman of keen intellect and an accomplished practitioner and avid devotee of outdoor sports, including angling and hunting.
Despite its antiquity, the Treatyse remains a remarkable work for its detail and vision. A comprehensive guide for the anglers of its time, the book contains substantial information on fishing destinations, rod and line construction, and selection of natural baits and preferred artificial fly dressings categorized by the season of their optimum utility. Perhaps most remarkable are the essays on the virtues of conservation, respecting the rights of streamside landowners, and angler’s etiquette. These concepts would not come to be commonly accepted and advocated in the angling world until 400 years after the publication of the Treatyse, yet today they embody the ethical bedrock of sport fishing.
Numerous women’s fly-fishing clubs and associations in the United States and Europe are named for Berners in tribute to her legacy as the first author of either gender to chronicle the fine points of the sport of angling.
Posted on April 28th, 2025
