California Fly Fisher

06/01/2026

The Good Fight spotlight of Spring 2026 is set in Blue Creek where Danny Palmerlee leads us through two decades worth of collaboration, cooperation, and success between the Yurok Tribe, Western Rivers Conservancy, and Green Diamond. California’s largest model of Land Back, the stewardship of the Yurok people in partnership and management planning with WRC is a remarkable example of achieving Rematriation, conservation goals, and protecting vital watersheds and habitats for years to come.

Experience the Good Fight for Blue Creek here: https://calflyfisher.com/conservation/the-good-fight-blue-creek/

📷: No easy starting point for the importance of Blue Creek. Photo by Cindy Diaz
📷: “Blue Creek flows through one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. The watershed, especially as you move upstream, is home to abundant and rare wildlife, including numerous threatened and endangered species…” - Danny Palmerlee
📷: Blue Creek boulders. Photo by Dave Jensen
📷: “This project really has just all the right elements. It’s saving fish, it’s saving forests, and it’s helping the Yurok people regain some of their natural heritage.” - Peter Moyle
📷: Blue Creek confluence with the Klamath. Photo by Thomas Dunklin

05/24/2026

Fly fishing has evolved such that the variety of species targeted is astounding. Dagur Guðmundsson (yeah, the carp guy), will whet your appetite for one of the most available fish in California, the largemouth bass. For those yet to give it a shot, he’ll get you stoked on the prospect of pursuing “ol’ bucketmouth”. For those who are veterans of having a popper or a streamer get slammed by this fish, you’ll still appreciate Bass 101 and want to get on a local water sooner than later.

Article: https://calflyfisher.com/tips-and-techniques/bass-101/

📷: Largemouth Bass to hand!
📷: “The great thing about largemouth is that you can find them in most bodies of water in California. The ditch behind your Walmart has them, as does that giant reservoir up the street.” - Dagur Guðmondsson
📷: Match the hatch - threadfin style
📷: “Bass eat a variety of foods, from small stuff like midges and leeches to frogs, birds, and even trout and other bass. If you tie flies, the largemouth might just be the most fun fish to tie flies for, simply because of the variety of prey items to imitate and the amount of creativity you can pour into your flies.” - Dagur Guðmondsson
📷: Fly fishing for bass offers a great opportunity for creative tying.
All photos courtesy of Dagur Guðmundsson

05/21/2026

Deadline Next Week! - In the first of our quarterly California Reel Stories series, we want to hear from you: Tell us which California water—rivers, stream, or lake—is worth fighting for. What’s at the top of your list and why?

Simply submit your response at the link in the bio or to [email protected] by May 31, 2026. We’ll pick a winner at random to receive a new LOOP Tackle 7X rod. Winner will be announced online and in the next issue of California Fly Fisher.

Sponsored by Loop Tackle

05/18/2026

The role of flyline in fly fishing is unique to the sport and has evolved into a subject rich in nuance. In part one (of three) of a series – “Why Fly Lines Matter” – George Revel delves into the anatomy of flylines with a breakdown of the key components.

The full article: https://calflyfisher.com/tips-and-techniques/why-fly-lines-matter/

📸: Variety is the spice of lines!
📸: "My favorite way to explain the importance of fly line is with a simple thought experiment. If you handed me $150 and told me to buy a rod, reel, and line, would I really spend $100 of that on the fly line?"

05/14/2026

Stillwater season is in full swing. The Chironomid hatch at Lake Almanor has been fishing good! And the Summertime Hex hatch is right around the corner. Don't miss out. .fly.fisher

05/13/2026

These days, fly fishing often mixes tradition with modern, and building fly rods using bamboo, or cane, is a bit of an arcane, complex, and traditional approach. In “Stories in Cane,” Brett Wedeking details Tony Bellaver’s process in his Alpenglow Fly Rods shop and elucidates Tony’s “why” for choosing this labor-intensive craft.

Get into the process here: https://calflyfisher.com/stories/stories-in-cane/

📷: Bamboo curls up and falls away.
📷: "This is the secret story every individual rod only reveals when you put a line on it and cast.” - Brett Wedeking
📷: The art of Alpenglow
📷: "Every rod needs the right hardware that fits physically, even spiritually. The rod embodies a whole timeline of life, like poetry and photography.”
📷: Exquisite art, meant for the river.
All photos by Brett Wedeking

05/11/2026

To all of the mothers who brought us into the world, onto the water, and guide us through all of the big and little things in between, we thank you! Moms surely do it all, and with that in mind, we revisit “The River is Open” by Rachel Andras - highlighting and encouraging female fly fishing guides.

Here: https://calflyfisher.com/stories/the-river-is-open/

📷: Mothers can be anything and everything. Photo courtesy of Maiya Kyncy.

05/10/2026

Join George Revel as he shares his primer on earning one's stripes on the San Francisco Bay. Highlighting a DIY, commuter-friendly, shorebound approach to fishing for striped bass, you will absolutely feel the pull!

More here: https://calflyfisher.com/tips-and-techniques/stripers-in-the-bay/

📸: ... and the sun shines on the bay
📸: "The San Francisco Bay is the largest body of water in California by area, excluding the Pacific Ocean, with roughly 1,000 miles of shoreline and spanning about 1,600 square miles." - George Revel
📸: The more time you spend watching before you cast, the more fish you will find.
📸: "The San Francisco Bay isn’t hard to fish; it’s just different. And once you understand how tides, structure, and bait intersect, it becomes one of the most consistent fisheries in California." - George Revel
📸: Choose your spot based on the tide and look for where the current pushes into banks and points.
All photos courtesy of George Revel.



Coast Outfitters

05/07/2026

In our latest issue we share how PHW and other organizations are helping people heal through fly fishing. Read “The Therapeutic Power of Fly Fishing” by Betsy Morris at https://calflyfisher.com/stories/the-therapeutic-power-of-fly-fishing/

"It was not about learning to fly fish, which is a dream come true for me – in a paradise like the great outdoors. It was about connections – with nature and soul sisters."

At Project Healing Waters, our mission goes beyond teaching fly fishing. It's about building lasting connections and finding peace and support in a community of like minded individuals with similar experiences.

"I am full of much gratitude – and much needed after a grueling week of emotions and turmoil… to find myself grounded once again. My life is truly blessed."

The bonds formed through Project Healing Waters are strong and lasting, creating a true family of support. The community aspect of our programs is exactly what gets us going every day.

05/05/2026

Californians never need an excuse to eat a taco or drink a beer, but today, on Cinco de Mayo, we offer a friendly reminder to visit our neighbors south of the border. Let’s travel back to 2024 with George Revel down the Mexican coast where he regales respectable battles with the rod against worthy adversaries and sheds light the curious (doubious?) title of his article.

Head to Baja here: https://calflyfisher.com/destinations/steelhead-fishing-in-baja

📸: Surf fishing is always a gamble, even during the best of times. Photo by Julie Rutiz
📸: “Fishing the surf with a fly rod is like taking down a buffalo with a 22-caliber rifle; it can be done, but 5,000 shots will result in you going hungry, and five will land you a buffalo.” - George Revel
📸: The Jack Crevalle is an epic gamefish and one of the many pearls in the Sea of Cortez. Photo by Julie Rutiz
📸: The author’s first rooster from the beach. Photo by Julie Rutiz