Upcoming Fishing Outings

Owens River - April 15th-22nd
Fishmaster: Elaine and John Cook 688-1561

Fishing Opportunities: Trout in river tailwater, stream and lake. Bass in ponds (limited and dependent on how warm this spring is).
Climate: Sunny and warm to snow. Strong winds are common.
Lodging: Camping at Pleasant Valley Campground. RV or trailer recommended due to possibility of extended periods of cold and wind. Campground space cost will be $10/night. Reservations not needed.
Motels in Bishop: Cost is $50/night and up. Reservations recommended.
General Plan: Fishmasters will stay at campground which is very basic, with picnic tables and outhouses. We intend to go to town for breakfast, groceries, newspapers, showers and fly shops which are in Bishop, ten minutes' drive from the campground. Fishing is from mid-morning on. We will have a pot luck barbecue dinner each evening at the campground.
Bring: Box of wood for campfire; small bag of charcoal briquets for barbecues; food and beverages; camping chair; your own tableware (cups/dishes/flatware) and cooking gear. Camp stove, cutting board, basic cooking utensils, grill and dishpan will be provided. Bring a camera to take pictures to share at next year's photo show in January.
Fishing Gear: Rods: 2-6 wt.; Lines: floating and sinking; Flies: standard trout dry flies, including: blue winged olive 16-18, Mr. Bill, 14-16, elk hair caddis 16-18, Griffith's gnat 14-18, standard trout sinking flies including: tiger midge 16-20, pheasant tail nymph 14 and 18, Hornberg or Loehberg 12-14, Prince nymph 12-16, Scintilla bubble nymph 20, dark lord 12-16, Bass and bluegill poppers, small and medium; Waders: neoprene with fleece underlayers for float tubing; breathables over fleece for river & stream; Float tube and accessories.
Personal: Gloves; warm cap (cover ears) and hat; rain gear; warm coat; insect repellent; sunscreen.
Driving Directions: Sierra passes will be closed. Southern route to Hwy 395 via Bakersfield is recommended. Allow 8-9 hours' driving time. Refer to map.
Sign Up: Not needed, but the fishmasters would like to know that you are coming.

Information on this fishout is in the March Newsletter. The call-in for reservations has been completed. If you wish to be put on the waiting list for the fishout, please call or email the fishmaster.

General: The drive from Santa Cruz to the Reservoir takes about 1 1/2 hours. I will gladly arrange for a meeting place the morning of the trip.
Camping: there's a combination RV park and campground right on Carmel Valley Road about 15-20 minutes below Los Padres Reservoir, the Saddle Mountain RV Park and Campground. It can be reached at (831) 624-1617 and www.saddlemountain.com. Rates for tent sites are $30/night for two persons, each additional person is $5. RV rates are $45 per night for two persons - that includes full hook-up. Pets on leash are OK but a call to Saddle Mountain RV Park concerning pets would be useful. You can be there for the entire weekend or just one day.
Fly Shop: Central Coast Fly Fishing is on the route to Los Padres Reservoir at 7172 Carmel Valley Road (831) 626-6586.
Essentials:
1. Float tube or lightweight pontoon boat.
2. Carry straps for the float tube or a wheeled cart of some kind to haul in the pontoon. It's a good 1/2 to 3/4 mile hike from the parking lot to the reservoir with a couple of hills in between to test your fitness.
3. A way to lock up your cart safely at the launch site. (I had mine "borrowed" three years ago but luckily it was left back in the parking lot.)
4. A 5 weight rod is plenty. Bring both floating and sink-tip lines. I bring along two or three different lengths of lead core to search various depths.
5. Flies Ð both dry and wet: size 14-18 elk hair caddis; same for gnat and mosquito patterns; beadhead woolly buggers in olive or black in sizes 14-18. You may also try the Hornberg and Loehberg patterns used at Crowley. Just bring any flies that you usually use for a stillwater fishery. AND CRIMP THE BARBS ON ALL HOOKS. The Fish and Game Warden, while friendly, has a job to do.
6. Wear a Coast Guard approved flotation device.
7. Wear a hat, polarized sunglasses and lots of sunscreen and lip balm.
8. And don't forget the following: drinking water; lunch; two-way radio if you have one.
Please call or email me if you are interested and if you plan to attend. I will take the first ten members who sign up by the April Club meeting.

The Green River trip is set for May 6th through the 12th. A sign-up sheet will be available at the club meeting, April 6th. We will be staying at the Trout Creek Lodge this year. It's in Dutch John, right next to the Trout Creek Flies flyshop and guide center, and is close to the river. We have room for sixteen people at the lodge, so if you are interested, give me a call. It's a great place to learn because the fish and the responses to your fly are easy to see. The weather can be changeable, but it's always a good week. Give me a call at 476-0648, for information and to sign up to go. There are alternate places to stay as well, if more than sixteen people want to go, such as Red Canyon Lodge and Flaming Gorge Lodge._If you are planning to go on the train, call Elaine (688-1561) right away. We need to make train and car rental reservations as a group.

There was such a response this year for the April Bass fishout that we have arranged for a second fishout, over the Memorial Day weekend. There is still room for four to six fly fishers. Cost and all other information is the same as for the April fishout, as described in the March Gearing Up article. Call or email me to reserve a place.

This is where some members have caught the biggest trout of their lives. North of Susanville, the ranch has a 400 acre pond, fished from float tubes and small boats.
Cost: $100/day, twelve anglers, four spaces still available. $200 non-refundable deposit to hold your place. If you have to cancel, someone may be on a waiting list who could buy your deposit.
Facilities: Grill, tables, Porta-John. Bring your own food, camp chair, sleeping arrangements. Weather can be windy and cold. Access road is not passable with a trailer in tow.
Fishing Gear: Float tubes, prams, PFD/Vest , 5-6 wt. Rods, floating & sinking lines 2X, 6 ft. leaders, leech patterns.
Participants will meet at the 5 Dot Ranch entrance gate, time to be established. Contact the fishmaster for additional information.

This is a day trip to a local ranch that offers bass and bluegill fishing. The ranch is located near Morgan Hill close to the Casa de Fruta Restaurant on Hwy 152. Four-wheel drive vehicles are mandatory for transportation onto this property to get up steep inclines. The two ponds we fish are nestled back in the hills side by side to an old cabin. With this year's rainfall, the ponds will probably be overflowing again and we expect the fishing to be great. As with the previous fishouts here, Dick and I plan to set up a barbecue lunch for everyone. The cost will be $80 per person. If you are interested, please contact me. There is no specific call-in date, but call no later than June 1st. Limited to 12 fishing persons.

Members and families will come and go as their schedules dictate, and we will be a means to find each other when we're here.
Where: southwest side of Lake Almanor/PG&E campground off Hwy 89
When: Approximate dates: June 16 - end of the month (members can stay longer if they desire)
What: The giant Hexagenia hatch that attracts the large rainbows and browns from the depths of the lake. The early hatch begins around 7:30 PM and lasts well past dark. Hexagenia dry, cripple, emerger and nymph patterns are the call. Sight casting to cruising fish just prior to zero dark-thirty is a memory that will last well into next year.
If enough members are interested we can pay to have local guide Lincoln Grey give our group a clinic on the ins and outs of flyfishing the lake. I will have additional information on appropriate gear and tackle at the April and May Club Meetings. Crowds are not a problem here, so the more the merrier. Harry Petrakis says this is an experience not to be missed, and that Tim knows where the big ones live. Ðed.

This fishout is for women members of the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen. (Sorry guys!) We reserved the riverfront home of Garry "Tick" Herceg again following the awesome experience we enjoyed last year. During this part of June we can expect the "hex hatch" to be peaking in these northern California waters, known for their large trout. The hexagenia hatch stimulates fish to voracious feeding activity (that must be witnessed to appreciate) and makes for some of the best fishing ever. We will also have opportunities to fish Hat Creek and Manzanita Lake. With Tick guiding, his experience and expertise in these waters will help us to improve our skills, learn about the hatches, and enjoy this fly fishing experience even more. Fishing Fall River is a unique experience...just ask those who went last year! The cost is $125 per person and, at this time, is limited to 6 women. Sign up will be by phone. Call me Monday, May 8 at 7:00 PM.

In July, fishing opportunities include great fishing for smallmouth bass to five pounds in Trinity Lake and dry fly fishing for aggressive 8" to 16" trout in several area rivers, streams and lakes within a 30 minute drive from the Power home in Trinity Center, six to seven hours' drive from Santa Cruz. Trinity Center is on the northwest shore of Trinity Lake, about 30 miles west and 30 miles north of Redding.
The fishout will be limited to the first 12 members who sign up at meetings or who contact Harry Petrakis at (831) 419-4245.
For more information, see the February 2006 Newsletter or watch this space in the May 2006 Newsletter.

The fishout will be over two one-week periods, September 16th -23rd and September 23rd -30th.
Location: Mammoth Lakes is on the Eastern side of the Sierras, six to seven hours' drive from Santa Cruz. There are many lakes and streams in the area for us to fish. We will be staying at the Fireside Condominiums in the town of Mammoth lakes. Two units are reserved for each of the one week periods. Each unit will accommodate eight to nine people. The condominium complex also has a Jacuzzi and an indoor heated pool.
Cost: $225 per person for one week. This covers seven nights' lodging with three meals per day. Sign up for either week for $225 per person or both weeks for $450 per person.
Meal Preparation: Each person will be assigned to a group for a Kitchen Day. The group will set out breakfast and lunch foods, store unused food, prepare the evening meal, and clean up on the day designated.
Sign-Up: John Cook will take calls at 688-1561 starting at 7 PM on May 10th and not before. Please leave your name, phone number, and which week you would like to reserve, or if you with to reserve both weeks. You may call in for yourself and one other person.
There is room for only 16 persons each week, and these 16 places will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. To hold your place, we must receive your $225 or $450 checks before the June 1st club meeting. Mail your check, made out to John Cook, to P.O. Box 2822, Aptos, CA 95001-2822. This payment is non-refundable.
The fishmasters will maintain a waiting list for each week. If space for you is available by June 1st, you will be notified at the Club meeting that day, or by telephone. The $225 or $450 cost must be paid on or before July 1st, the final close-off date.
Unused Funds: Any funds received but not spent on the fishout will be turned over to the Club Treasurer as club income.

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