California Fly Fisher

07/11/2025

“A mean piece of water.” That’s what Merle Haggard called the Kern. Contributor Tim Huckaby calls it “fun but fickle.” We call it this issue’s Spotlight Destination.

In our Summer issue, Tim shares lessons from 25+ years of fishing the legendary Forks of the Kern. This remote stretch of the Upper Kern flows through Sequoia National Forest and offers a rare shot at dry-fly takes from native Kern River rainbows.

You’ve got to backpack in to earn it—but the reward? Unforgettable fish in one of California’s most ruggedly beautiful Wild and Heritage Trout waters.

Read about it in the Summer issue at calflyfisher.com

📷 1: The Wild and Scenic Kern River. Photo by James Mayo
📷 2: The Kern River rainbow is one of three native to the watershed. Photo by Tim Huckaby
📷 3: Since 1968, the Kern has claimed 342 lives, which has risen by seven since the author started writing this article. Photo by Tim Huckaby
📷 4: Remote and wild, you’re likely to have the river all to yourself. Photo by Bill Bennett
📷 5: You have to earn the privilege of fishing the Upper Kern, enduring a challenging hike to the river. Photo by Valerie Rose Hirschberg



Peppermint Falls Ranch

06/28/2025

We made the case in our Spring 2025 issue that California is the best state for fly fishing. And, without a doubt, we have the most beautiful state fish—the California golden trout. All trout are beautiful, but there is something remarkable about California golden trout and their narrow home streams high in the southern Sierra Nevada backcountry.

Trout Unlimited's new film is a celebration of these beloved fish and the incredible partnership of anglers, agencies, and conservationists working together to protect this iconic native trout species.

Following years of rigorous planning and decades of work by dedicated volunteers, TU and their partners at the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and many others, are expanding the scale of our ambitious effort to restore struggling populations of California golden trout across 75 stream miles and 7,000 acres of critical headwater habitat in the heart of their native range.

Watch The Golden Trout Project here https://youtu.be/y1eRLcjGNNo



Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited California
📷: Josh Duplechian / Trout Unlimited

06/25/2025

Our voices made a difference—but the fight isn’t over.

Earlier this month, a provision in the Senate’s spending bill would have forced the sale of millions of acres of public land—including watersheds and forests we fish here in California. Thanks to public outcry, that dangerous proposal was just stripped from the bill.

But make no mistake: public lands are still at risk.

From the Sierra to the Siskiyous, much of what makes fly fishing in California wild and beautiful flows through U.S. Forest Service and BLM land. Some lawmakers are already working to bring land-selloff language back in future legislation.

👉Swipe to see which parts of California were on the chopping block.

📞 Call Senators Padilla and Schiff today and urge them to stand firm against any effort to sell off public lands.

Let’s keep our rivers wild, fishable, and public—for all Californians, for future generations.



📷: Charles Marsh

06/10/2025

Our Summer issue is about to hatch!
Subscribe now to get it hot off the press and in your hands first.

Inside:
🎒 Backcountry fly fishing with Sean Jansen
🌲 Forks of the Kern spotlight by Tim Huckaby
🎣 Deep-water indicator tips from Lance Gray and Company
🌊 Surf tactics with George Revel
🏙️ Urban angling in L.A. by Robert Semerau, with Al Quattrocchi Lino Jubilado Bernard Yin & more
🎣 Evolution of Euro nymphing by EJ Melzer
And much, much more!

Don't miss a cast. Calflyfisher.com/subscribe

📷 1: Urban fishing in LA. Photo by Lino Jubilado
📷 2: Summer angling in the Trinity Alps. Photo courtesy Sean Jansen
📷 3: Upper Forks of the Kern River. Photo by Tim Huckaby
📷 4: Surf fishing at Ocean Beach. Photo by George Revel
📷 5: Fish finder showing a muddy bottom and fish in the water column. Photo by Lance Gray
📷 6: Euro nymphing. Photo by EJ Melzer

06/10/2025

Congratulations to Long Beach Casting Club on their 100th anniversary! 🎉🍾

On May 17, the Long Beach Casting Club celebrated 100 years of educating the public about scientific angling; promoting interest and efficiency in tournament or contest fly and plug casting; promoting fisheries conservation; and promoting social relations among its members. This photo will be viewed as proof of the great vision of the Long Beach City Council to create our club . If you weren't part of the celebration on May17, then come to the clubhouse and pond and feel the excitement of the start of the next 100 years.

06/05/2025

From crowded beaches to backcountry creeks, one angler’s search for solitude turned into a calling. What started as Rebecca Ramirez's need to escape the chaos of Los Angeles led to far-flung treks, native trout, and eventually, a deep-rooted commitment to conservation. These days, the journey is about more than fish. It’s about restoration work, data collection, snorkeling in creeks, and building a future where wild waters thrive.

Because to love the fish is to love the water. To love the water is to care for the land. And to care for the land is to protect something bigger than all of us.

Where will your journey take you this weekend?

Read Rebecca's blog at https://calflyfisher.com/blogs/where-the-wild-stream-are/
📷:

Patagonia Fly Fish

There’s an inherent risk in straying from the path and from the familiar, but the scrapes and bruises are worth the winnings.

06/04/2025

Move over, reality TV—this is the wildest show streaming. 🦅🎣

We’ve been obsessed with the golden eagle nest cam in Big Bear Valley, where proud parents Jackie and Shadow have been raising two daughters, Sunny and Gizmo. After hatching in March, Sunny finally fledged this week—now nearly 70,000 viewers a day are cheering Gizmo on as she builds up the courage for her first flight.

As fellow fishers, these raptors know the value of a perfect cast—and we’re just hoping for a clean lift-off.

📺 Will today be the day? Tune in and witness nature’s most majestic fly fishers take flight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE

Isn’t nature amazing?

Thanks to FriendsofBigBearValley.org for the entertainment!

This live feed is owned and operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a 501c3 nonprofit. Any public use of the live video or screen captures, requires prior ap...

06/03/2025

Forget the tie. Get Dad something that feeds his soul.

Hook him up with a subscription to California Fly Fisher—and reel in 10% off all merch in our gear shop while you're at it.

Because he taught you how to cast. Now give him something to read between adventures.

🎁 And hey, if you’re a dad? You’ve earned this one yourself.

calflyfisher.com/gift-subscriptions/

Use code DadDay at calflyfisher.com/gear for the merch discount.

05/30/2025

From surprise ant falls on Manzanita Lake to hopper feasts on the Lower Sac, this article from the Spring issue is a masterclass in fishing with beetles, ants, and hoppers. Learn when and how to fish them, how to rig up for still or moving water, and why sometimes the chewed-up humpy in the corner of your fly box is your MVP.

Whether you're chasing trout in lakes or rivers, don’t overlook these land-based bugs—they just might turn an ordinary day into an epic one.

What’s in your fly box this weekend? 🧵🐞

👉 Read the full article: calflyfisher.com/tips-and-techniques/terrestrials/

📷 1: Bow caught on a fat terrestrial. Photo by Lance Gray
📷 2: Powell's Ant RP black fly. Photo by Lance Gray
📷 3: Hopper Grande Tan fly. Photo by Lance Gray
📷 4: Tom Page’s Chubby Hopper fly. Photo by Lance Gray



Lance Gray and Company

05/26/2025

Between stoking the barbecue, cracking a cold one, or making that perfect upstream cast, take a moment to reflect on what today is truly about.

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we could enjoy the freedom to fish, roam, gather, and live fully.

Never forgotten.

🎣 Who are you remembering today?

📷: Hat Creek chalk bluffs. By Val Atkinson