Upcoming Fishing Outings

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ConFab
Fishmaster: Joe Bigas Ð 476-2711

Date: Saturday, February 12, 9:00 AM until dark
Place: Soquel Grange Hall, 2800 Porter St., Soquel

The annual "CONFAB" takes the place of our regular club meeting in the month of February. It is an all-day get together for fun, food, learning, swap meet, and tall tales.
Events:
Fly Tying Instruction
In the morning, Lee Fitzsimmons will demonstrate tying of the red Copper John and Betty Rentz will demonstrate the Antron damsel pattern (for the Davis Lake Fishout). You may also tie any other patterns you wish for upcoming fishing trips. Bring your fly tying tools, vise and light. Beginners are encouraged to join in and learn. There will be club equipment available and ample guidance from fellow club members who are accomplished tiers. Fly tying instruction will continue in the afternoon on whatever patterns are of interest to participants. This is a great opportunity to fill your fly box for the upcoming season.
Casting Instruction (morning before lunch)
Casting Masters Walt Robinson and Brian Bommarito (instructors extraordinaire) will offer casting instruction to beginners and to those of us who have unusual quirky techniques that need improvement. They will assist you with: rod assembly; basic casting; and specialty casting techniques. Bring the casting outfit that you would like to improve your skill with.
Potluck Lunch, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Bring your favorite potluck dish. Something other than dessert is best. The Grange Hall has an oven, stove, and refrigerator. Drinks, plates and silverware will be provided (bring a serving utensil for your potluck dish).
Annual Casting Contest (after lunch)
This is a fun contest for beginners and experienced casters alike. It takes contestants through a series of different casting challenges, not just distance. Bring your favorite outfit, but keep in mind that nothing larger than a 7 weight with floating line is allowed. Kathy Powers gave us a handicap last year by casting left handed. Your job this year is to, under no circumstances, allow her to win it left handed. EVER!
Swap Meet
This is a good chance to sell or give away those unwanted fishing and camping items, or to pick up a treasure or two.
Eyes - Ears - Mouth - & Curiosity
* Watch Jim Hall as he goes over the details of putting together a first class Pyramid Lake ladder.
* Listen to all the fishing stories or plan to share your own fishing tales.
* Tap the knowledge of your fellow club members who always like to share.
* Learn the meaning of "CONFAB."
SEE YA THERE! BRING A FRIEND!

It's time to start thinking about Pyramid Lake again. This is the first fishout of the year, and is always a lot of fun. The fishing has gotten better every year, with bigger fish and bigger numbers.
The fishout will be March 13th through March 17th. You need to call Crosby Lodge at (775) 476-0400 to reserve your cabin. You will be on your own for food so plan on cooking your meals. Call ASAP! Plan to dress for cold or warm weather, conditions are variable and change rapidly, as anyone who has been on this fishout can tell you.
Equipment: 7, 8, or 9 weight rods with hi-speed, hi-D shooting heads (but don't forget the floating and intermediate sink lines), you never know. Also, step-ladder, rain coat, float tube, waders and fins.
Flies: Woolly worms in black, white, purple, olive, or any color you feel like trying (and don't forget the beetle fly).
How to get there: Take Hwy 80 to Reno-Sparks, take the Pyramid Blvd. off ramp and go north about 35 miles. Crosby Lodge is at Suttcliff, near the Ranger Station.
If you have any questions, you can call Jim at 786-8983, or John Steele at 476-0648. We will be glad to help. Hope to see you there.
Jim will be demonstrating how to put together a deluxe "Pyramid Lake Fishing Ladder" at the Confab on February 12. You can also see how to tie some of the Pyramid winner flies; such as the Y2K Beetle and the Midnight Cowboy.

Depending on the kind of spring we have, we should be right in the middle or beginning of the damsel hatch at Lake Davis. Lake Davis is a beautiful lake, filled with some large, aggressive trout, and is located near the town of Portola on Hwy 70. It has nice campgrounds right on the lake, and a resort with a motel and cabins, or there are motels in nearby Portola (5 miles away). If the damsels are happening, you can fish from shore, but most people either float tube or fish from boats. YOU MUST WEAR A PFD, by law, on this lake.
Camping: We will use Grasshopper Flats campground. Nice campground with tables, fire rings, lighted bathrooms with flush toilets. Most sites can accommodate two cars, and cost $14 per night for the first vehicle, and about $5-6 for an extra car. Those arriving on Wednesday or Thursday should have no problem finding a site. If you plan to arrive Friday or Saturday, you will need to make a reservation or be the second car in the site of someone arriving Thurs or Fri. Reservations can be made at www.reserveusa.com or by calling toll free 1-877-444-6777. Everyone is responsible for making his own camping arrangements.
Lake Davis Resort: This resort has motel rooms and four cabins. Visit their website: www.lakedavisresort.com Motels in Portola: There are two that are decent: Sleepy Pines Motel 530-832-4291; Sierra Motel 530-832-4223
Food: Bring your own everything. However, on Friday and Saturday nights, we will do a group dinner/bbq. So, bring something to bbq for yourself, plus something (salad, side dish, dessert, bread/butter, etc) to share each night. We will use one of the campsites as a central location for dinner---to be determined.
VERY USEFUL WEBSITE: One of the local guides, Don Rotsma, has a great website filled with good advice on fishing the lake. Check out www.flyfishwithdon.com. Especially check out the sections on "Strategies" and "Entomology and Flies." A good map of lake is there also.
Rods/Lines/Flies: Don's website has good info on this. But basically you should bring a 5-6wt rod, a floating and an intermediate sink line, and some indicators. Basic flies: damsels (dark olive to brown), tied thin. Green stillwater nymphs (size 10-12), wooly buggers, especially olive in size 10-12, blood midge pupas and emergers in size 10-12 (they are big at this lake!), and some basic callibaetis nymphs such as PT's, flashback PT's, Hare's ears and flashback hare's ears, prince nymphs, dark lords, hairy princes, etc in sizes 12, 14, 16. If the damsels are happening, you will see splashes all over the lake, especially in the bays near shore, and will want to fish near the surface. If we miss the damsel hatch, that's when you will want your intermediate sink line.
DIRECTIONS: HWY 80 to Truckee. North on Hwy 89. In Sierraville, left on Hwy 49 for about 2-3 miles. At Sattley, right onto A23. At Hwy 70, go left for about 4-5 miles to Grizzly Road. Turn left, and lake is 7 miles. Stay on Grizzly Road all the way to the second campground, Grasshopper Flat.
SIGN UPS: We will do a sign up at the April and May meetings. We'll need to know whoÕs camping or motelling it, and when you plan to arrive. For more info, call Betty Rentz (427-9875).

Little Pinoche Reservoir: perfect for a day trip. There's a big flat parking lot, but no camping per se. It's about 100 acres I'd say with plenty of little bays and an island in the middle. Great looking bass water. Useful website: www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region4/littlepanochereservoir.html.
When: I'd say any time late March or early April (during a warm spell) thru early June (before the afternoon winds) is prime time.
Directions: 152 east(Pacheco Pass) to I-5 South about ~30 mins to Little Panoche Rd west about 10 miles.
Rods/lines/flies/etc: Large mouth bass and crappie are target species. Size 2-12 Clouser minnows, V-worms, small streamers, top water flies will do the trick. There is one hell of a large (size 12-14) chironomid hatch in the spring and a variety of still water mayflies but the larger bass seem to mostly ignore them. 5-8wt and variety of lines would work...bring what you got, I'll be using a 7wt, 200 gr teeny line and 6 ft leader...there are some 5lb plus fish in amongst the flooded timber near the island. Nice parking lot, float tubing or pontoons only (cattails line the bank). No boat ramp. Access to water is near dam face by walking down the hill approx 100 yards.
Call me with any questions about the place. Brian Bommarito (831) 656-4429

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