Pyramid Lake Rod Review

Pyramid Lake can be a pretty intimidating spot and for those of us who don't have a garage full of rods. Picking the right one for the Mid can make it even more complex.  There's good news though, the rods that work well for Pyramid Lake can do triple duty on summer steelhead and stripers. 

Here are my two favorite rods to use on the big salty pond.  I've also included an alternative rod at a lower price point that would do well with the massive LCT of the Reservation.  

Two Hander: Sage X 6110

This is the perfect rod for launching chironomids under a bobber.  Even in a strong wind, this rod has the backbone to get your flies out over the ledges at Pyramid Lake.  It's got a nice soft tip that is perfect for mending line if needed and also gives you a feel when fighting fish.  Some people prefer using a 7wt switch rod out there but I've found that the 6wt has the muscle to fight the big fish and the sensitivity to protect tippets.  The cork on this rod is wonderful too, it feels light and classy in hand. 

I pair this rod with a Sage Spectrum LT reel which makes for a really light set up.  The reel is exceptionally smooth in cold temperatures and handled big fish without a problem.  I have two extra spools for this reel which allows me to use it in a number of other situations.  Spool #1 has a 6/7wt Rio Switch Chucker line on it that is perfect for throwing bobbers at Pyramid and even for steelhead if you're into bobbers for steelhead.  Spool #2 has a running line with a Rio Skagit Max Short, which is perfect for swinging flies for steelhead.  Spool #3 has a Rio In Touch Striper 30ft Sink Tip line on it which can be great for fishing for stripers out on the beaches.  

Needless to say, this rod is super versatile and I've loved it in every situation I've used it.  If the price point for this rod is out of your budget, consider Redington's 6116 Chromer, paired with Redington's Grande Reel.  The Chromer is a fantastic rod for the price point!

Single Hander:  R.L. Winston BIII Plus 7wt 

Although the two-handed bobber rod can be an absolute weapon out at Pyramid, some folks prefer to be more engaged with their fishing.  Staring at a bobber all day can get pretty dull. 

I'm a huge fan of R.L. Winston's 7wt BIII Plus.  The feel this rod has while casting is second to none.  You can really feel the rod load in all the right places when you're making long casts.  Again, a nice soft tip helps with feel while a strong butt section helps with lifting line off the water and turning big fish while standing on your ladder.  Winston's rod finishing is fine art, my friends.  Next time you're in the shop, take a look at what Winston's putting out.  They're amazing fishing tools and stunningly beautiful to boot. 

I pair this rod with a matching green Galvan T-8.  For Pyramid, a nice sinking line works well.  You really want to get your flies deep when you're stripping flies out there.  For that reason, I like Scientific Angler's Sonar Titan INT/Sink3/Sink5.  This line gets down quickly, shoots well, and the progressive taper really helps with smooth casting.  I also have two other spools for this reel.  One has a Scientific Angler Sonar Titan Intermediate that I use on the same rod for striped bass in the bay and the other spool has a Scientific Angler Anadro line that can be used for poppers for big bass or even bobber fishing for steelhead from a drift boat.  Again, a super versatile rod!

If you wanted a slightly less expensive option that could do most of the same things, I'd go with Redington's Predator in a 7wt and paired with their Grande reel. 

If you head out to Pyramid with those two rods, you'll be able to use all the techniques you'll need to land the largest trout of your life.  You'll also have two more rods you can use for striped bass or steelhead.  These may be two of the most used rods in my quiver.  I use them all the time, so don't hesitate to reach out and ask me more detailed questions if you have them. 

As always, be sure to stop in the shop and ask the pros what they'd use out at Pyramid Lake.  We also have a good selection of flies for using under the indicator or for stripping on the single hand rod!

Tight lines, 

Tyler

@baetisandstones 

Striper Season Review

San Francisco is home to an exciting striper fishery. Having grown up here in the Bay Area, mostly targeting trout in the Sierras, I was surprised to find out what The City had to offer in terms of fishing when I moved here. Each year, I’ve learned a little more about chasing this quarry but finding patterns with stripers has proven to be a bit of a challenge for me. At times I’d hear full-time guides talk about how moon phases and tides would line up for epic days on the water, but I just hadn’t figured it out yet.

At the beginning of this season, I vowed to start collecting data on each of my trips to see if I could find some patterns amongst the madness. What you’ll read below is a summary of my 2019 season. Keep in mind, I work full time, don’t have a boat, and choose steelhead over any other fishing opportunity. With that said, I still made it out for 33 fishing sessions that lasted an average of two hours and twenty minutes.

One thing I learned this year is that fly color matters a lot less than fly size. I tend to tie a LOT of flies and have quite a few boxes filled with a variety of colors and this year I used one color (Black, Redfish, and Electric Yellow Adachi Clouser) more than any other. In the Spring I used a much smaller Chartreuse and While buck tail clouser with a lot of success. As the year went on, I transitioned to larger flies and by the end of the year was using an Adachi Clouser with a rattle almost exclusively. Some spots I fished required a much smaller fly and as the bait changed, the size of my flies followed suit.

Over the 33 sessions I landed 212 stripers this year, for an average of 6.4 fish a trip (about 3 an hour). The season started on April 6th for me and my last session was October 22nd. In all honesty, I could have started the season a bit earlier and did’t get a chance to fish November due to work, travel, and steelhead. In general, you could probably start fishing in March and fish through the first week of December and have success in the Bay.

By biggest fish was about 13lbs, pictured above, but most of my fish were sub 18 inches. Towards the Fall, I began landing some larger fish in the 22-28 inch range but those were always the exception, not the rule. I found that different areas of the Bay produced bigger fish and different times of year would yield different sizes of fish as well.

Although all that sounds like a lot of success, just know that I also got skunked 7 times this season, 21% of the time! There was a bit of a pattern in the times I got skunked. Out of the seven trips without fish, five of them happened on a Waxing Gibbous or Waxing Crescent moon. Although that was a bit of a pattern, there are a lot of other factors that could have led to low fish numbers on those days. Things like water clarity, weather, availability of bait and a huge list of other items could have played into the results. In order to find success with Stripers, you have to be ok with getting blanked. One thing that’s helped me is knowing that I’m learning something new every time I get out on the water.

Another thing you absolutely need to do in order to have success is to try new spots. Of the thirty three sessions I had, there were a minimum of six different spots that I fished. There are a few more I have on my list for this coming Spring! It’s critical that you have a number of spots to explore as the fish move and the water quality changes from spot to spot. I often see people out at Crissy Field. That can be a great place to catch fish and it’s the most convenient for me, I can walk there from home. However, if I had only fished there this year I would have averaged 1.7 fish a session. In total, I fished Crissy Field 7 times, got skunked in 4 of those sessions, landed one fish two other times, and 10 fish one lucky day. You really need to branch out and fish other places in the Bay. I won’t give out particular spots, but know you can catch them in the North Bay, around The City, The East Bay, and all down the coast to Big Sur. There are countless spots to fish, so get out there and explore with a friend.

As far as gear goes, I almost always fished a new 8-90 Sage Igniter that bought last Spring. However, I fished a 8-90 Winston BIII Plus, and an 11 foot 6wt Sage X from time to time as well. Most of the time I fished an intermediate line, especially inside The Bay. When I was out on the beaches, I typically fished a two handed rod with a full sinking line. There were a handful of times that I was able to get out on a boat and then I’d try to get deeper, using a full sink line on a single hand rod. in those situations.

Of the times I got out on a boat, there were a few times I was lucky enough to throw a floating line and get some fish on top water flies. It’s rare that you get the chance, but if you do, it’s an absolute blast to be able to cast to busting fish. It usually results in landing a lot of fish too!

There were some good learnings from this year. I landed a good number of fish while learning more about this special little fishery. Below are a few of my general insights.

• Fishing the mornings was much better for me. Low light situations are going to up your odds of catching stripers on The Bay.

• Moving around and finding new spots gives you flexibility and the opportunity to select a place to fish based on the weather, water quality, and tides.

• I also learned that it’s just not worth it to fish when the tide isn’t moving. Moving water, gets the fish eating!

• Fly size matters!

• Fishing on a boat is 100 times better than wading. My best sessions on foot this season were 10, 11, and 13 fish. I had double digits every time I went on a boat with two sessions resulting in more than 40 fish!

If you have other questions, feel free to reach out over email or Instagram. I’m more than happy to share some of the general information I’ve learned over the last few years. Next year, I’m probably going to be doing some guided sessions, if you’re interested in going out, let me know. I’m also happy to set you up with some flies if you’re looking to fill out your box as well! Lost Coast Outfitters is also a fantastic place to find rods, reels, lines, flies, guides, and great advice on this fishery.

Get out there and explore!

Expectations

It’s been seven years now.  For seven years, my good friend Courtney (go follow him on instagram @sculpinarmy) and I have been doing a summer road trip.  It started just a few days after he and his wife were married.  She had to lead a volleyball camp and Courtney had no immediate responsibilities.  Having just finished graduate school, I too, was responsibility free. And what do good friends do with free time and no responsibilities?  They go on a road trip!

The first year we traveled around Northern California testing our growing fly fishing skills against some of the most famous blue ribbon rivers of the west.  The next year we slid north, plying the waters of central Oregon. It was on the third trip that our minds were blown and a new addiction was spawned. We drove even farther north to Montana.  It was there that our expectations were seriously changed. We landed our first 20” trout on that trip. The next year we HAD to go back. The following three summers we followed a similar path through South West Montana.   Each year we’d hit some of the well known rivers that we’ve all heard of and we were sure to take some time to dive deep into the woods or off the beaten path to find some of the secret spots still alive and well in Montana.

This year, Courtney and our new summer road trip companion Aaron (@vanschyndel) drove north for now familiar waters.  Our plan was to fish our favorite waters and time things just right. We’d throw dries during the PMD hatch and maybe even catch a piece of the stonefly extravaganza on the Madison.  There would be evening streamer sessions and the possibility of some bull trout (with permit of course) action.  I’m not exactly where my friends’ headspace was, but I was daydreaming of countless fish rising to dries, fish in the 30” range, and cycling through my streamer box so frequently I’d get to try some interesting new flies I’d tied.  Why would I expect anything different? I’d been blown away with new experiences every year prior!

So when we started fishing, I was ready for anything.  My second cast of the trip was promptly interrupted when a 20-ish inch brown trout turned from it’s lie, came down stream, and erupted out of the water with my streamer in his mouth.  I knew right then that things were going to go one of two ways. The trip was going to be another one for the ages, filled with stories of triumph, or it was going to be an utter disaster of a trip.  

We spent the next two weeks fishing hard and having a lot of fun.  Without a doubt we landed some really nice fish and even explored a few new stretches of river.  In the end, the trip was neither one for the ages, nor an utter disaster. It fell somewhere in between.  Memories were made, fish were caught, and we had a blast out on the river. But somehow my expectations were misaligned this year.  Was it the higher water levels? Maybe the fishing pressure? Does it really even matter? I was on a two week fishing trip with great friends….shouldn’t that be enough?  And it was, it was just the experience that I needed at just the right moment. This year didn’t set any new records or make my jaw drop, but what it did, was reset my expectations for what a fishing road trip is all about.  The adventure.

I’m already beginning to think about next year’s summer plans.  Should we head back to our familiar stomping grounds where expectations cast long shadows or should there be a new adventure.  As I think back to the days after Courtney’s wedding or our first trip up to Montana, it wasn’t necessarily the fish that made for the memories, it was the new experiences and friendships.  The spirit of adventure was what made for such exciting times. If I can convince them, the crew and I just might try a new part of the state or country. Who knows, we may even find ourselves crossing a border to chase new adventures and leave expectations in the dusty roads of our rear view mirrors.

Alpenglow Bamboo

In this day and age, things keep getting faster, lighter, and stronger.  In some ways that makes what we do a whole lot of fun.  At the same time, though, it's important to understand the roots of our sport.  The history of fly fishing is filled with fun characters, epic locations, and some downright phenomenal gear.  San Franciso alone has had its share of historic fly fishing stories.  From the early days of west coast salmon fishing and pioneering steelheaders to rod companies like R. L. Winston and Scott, the streets of San Franciso have plenty of big fish stories to tell.  Today, we have a great local fly shop (Lost Coast Outfitters), one of the states leading conservation agencies (California Trout), and the historic Golden Gate Casting Club still attracts people from across the country.  

If you look deeper into the surrounding fabric of the Bay Area, you'll find a few other interesting personalities.  A few months ago I met a rod builder named Tony Bellaver out of Oakland.  I'd seen his bamboo rods at Lost Coast Outfitters but always thought they'd be way out of my price range or just for the local lawyers and finance guys from down town.  

So...when I bumped into Tony again at Spey-O-Rama this year I made sure to give a few of his cane rods a shot.  After a little introduction to the bamboo scene, he mentioned I should stop by his workshop and pick up a few rods to take on my summer trip to Montana.  To say I was interested, would be an understatement!  When else would I get to use bamboo rods and test them out while fighting fish?

When I showed up at his house in Oakland, we walked out back to his workshop and he gave me a tour.  Tony is clearly a student of the sport and knows every name and historical point of significance in rod building.  Although he had a stash of older graphite rods tucked away in the rafters, he's fully dedicated himself to fishing cane rods.  Each year he spins up 10-15 rods to his personal specifications and sells them at trade shows, through his website, and at a few local fly shops.  He's a craftsman through and through.  During the day he's a full-time maker and artist  and when he has free time he's either on the river swinging wet flies for trout and steelhead or crafting his next bamboo rod.  In addition to rods, Tony makes some beautiful nets, rod cases, and he's even dipping his toe into the reel making game.  It's all remarkably beautiful gear.   

As we spoke, it became pretty clear that Tony loves his craft.  From selecting the bamboo to cutting, sanding, and gluing, he takes pride in every step of the process.  He even has a little fly tying desk tucked in the back of his workshop.  As an avid fly tier myself, we spent a good deal of time talking about feathers, old-school wet flies, and the upcoming steelhead season.  After a few hours of talking shop and watching him make some progress on a rod he's building, Tony handed me two aluminum tubes for my summer trip.  At the time I was pretty nervous to take these works of art out on the river.  I've been known to destroy fly fishing equipment pretty quickly!  Just under the nerves, however, was an eager little kid ready to try out a new toy.

Once in Montana, I had the chance to take the rods for a real-deal test drive.  I spent a few evenings tossing green drakes to eager Westslope Cutthroat in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  I was more than impressed with how the rods felt in hand.  The slow action made for easy, beautiful loops.  The rod was accurate, supple, and poetic.  It was hard not to smile when casting!  When fighting fish the rod bent to the cork and made every fish feel as though it was a trophy.  I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting from a bamboo rod, but my expectations were more than exceeded.  

I never thought I'd have a bamboo rod on my list of "need to buy" equipment, but it's on the list now.  It's a completely different experience, one I hope to have again soon.  This Fall, I may be knocking on Tony's door to get a shot at using one again. 

If you'd like to learn more about the work Tony's doing with Alpenglow, be sure to check out his website, give him a follow on Instagram (@alpenglow_tonybellaver), or take a closer look at one of his rods down at Lost Coast Outfitters.  You won't be disappointed!

Historic Fish

Some rivers have a little more name recognition than others.  I'm sure most of you have heard of the Madison River in Southwestern Montana, the Green River in Utah, and the Lower Sacramento in California.  They're all amazing fisheries with historic hatches and huge fish numbers.  However, one river stands head and shoulders above them all, the mighty McCloud.  It certainly doesn't have the highest number of fish per mile or the massive size that some other rivers have.  However, the McCloud has had an influence on the sport of fly fishing (and fishing in general) that reachers further than any other river I know. 

The McCloud is one of the three major tributaries to the Sacramento River, which runs through the delta, into the San Francisco Bay, and under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Historically, the McCloud had significant runs of steelhead, salmon, and hosted a healthy population of Bull Trout (last seen in the late 70's on the McCloud).  As with many rivers in California, the McCloud has changed over time.  Dams, logging, California's water demands and habitat degredation have altered the McCloud in a significant way.  Those once legendary runs of anadromous fish are long gone along with the elusive Bull Trout. 

The McCloud runs just north of Redding, California, a solid six hours from my home in San Francisco.  Needless to say, I haven't spent a lot of time on this river.  I'm still learning about its hatches, riffles, and big brown trout.  This summer was only my second trip to the famed banks of the McCloud and I had high hopes of getting into some great fish. 

Tim Harden of The Venturing Angler and I took the weekend to try some new water.  With a Euro rod and a box of streamers, I approached the river with a bit of a scattered plan.  We walked down the path from our campsite into the Nature Conservancy section of the river.  Since 1976 the Conservancy has worked to monitor water quality and aquatic insects on the McCloud.  The section of the river we fished (and most of the river in general) is breathtaking.  Large boulders, deep green pines, and riverside flora all make for a scene out of a movie. 

With my scattered approach, I spent way too much time changing rigs and rods.  Throwing a streamer in one section, then floating a bobber rig, before coming through the run again with a tight-line approach.  The fishing was good, but not what I was hoping for.  My guess is that changing weather conditions and my unfocused approach to the river left a few fish to be had. 

Although I didn't bring big numbers of fish to the net, the ones that did find my fly were beautiful and healthy, precisely the reason the Conservancy is protecting this two and a half mile section of the river.  It's also the reason the Red Band Rainbows of the McCloud have been used to stock rivers across the country and the world.  If you've landed a stocked fish, its genes probably came from the emerald green waters of the McCloud. 

As we left, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.  On one hand, it's great that places like this are being protected.  With all that's going on in our country, it's important that we, as a community, continue to advocate for the protection of places like the McCloud River.  On the other hand, it's sad to think about the potential of a river like this.  I could only imagine driving to the McCloud with hopes of landing a steelhead or harvesting a Salmon for a campfire dinner.    

Although it was only my second trip to the McCloud, the fishing, history, and beauty will certainly pull me back north in the coming months.  There are some great trout in the river and I'd love to find them next time!

For more information on the McCloud River take a look at this video that Cal Trout put out a few years ago.  It sheds a little more light on the significance of this river and highlights the importance of protecting the rivers, sensitive habitat, and public lands we're lucky enough to still have. 

Redington Butter Stick Review

Originally posted through the Lost Coast Outfitters e-mail list. 

Summer time is in full swing and the fishing is only going to heat up in the coming months.  To make things even more exciting, the small stream action of the high Sierra is a blast this time of year.  Small stream fishing is one of my favorite ways to pursue trout.  Whether it's local streams or high mountain destinations, there's something special about seeing wild, native fish come up for a dry fly.   

If you follow my Instagram feed (@baetisandstones) you know I'm a bit of a gear junkie.  Over the years, I've amassed a good number of small stream rods in the 2wt - 4wt range.  Today, most of them sit in my closet collecting dust.  The culprit for all the dust collection is Redington's Butter Stick.  Any time I reach for a small stream rod, the yellow fiberglass stands above them all.  The Butter Stick is a slow action, fiberglass rod that comes in 2wt through 5wt.  When casting, the rod loads well at short distances and can punch into the wind with surprising accuracy when you're on bigger water. 

Over the last 18 months, I've used the Butter Stick in just about every possible situation.  It's performed well during small stream dry fly action in the Sierra, throwing dry dropper rigs in Montana, and even launching small streamers in Yellowstone Park. The Butter Stick finds its way into my hands more than I ever thought it would.  Every time a friend asks what rod they should get for small streams or which rod they should get to build out their quiver, the Butter Stick gets the nod.  It's an absolute blast to cast and will bend in 1/2 when you're fighting fish.  Coming in at only $249 with Redington's life time warranty it's a no-brainer.  

If you're going to pick one of these bad boys up, I'd suggest getting a model one size smaller than you were planning on.  The 3wt I've been using is extremely versatile and comfortably handles fish up to the 16-inch range.  A 2wt would be perfect for smaller fish on creeks you can jump across where the 5wt could be a really fun rod to play around with on the Pit River or McCloud. 

The Butter Stick also doubles as a great rod to teach with.  Recently I've started teaching my girlfriend how to fly fish and the slow action of this rod is perfect for beginners.  Fiberglass is also super durable, so if you're teaching your kids or your fumbling husband how to throw darts with a fly rod, this is the perfect stick!

This probably isn't going to be the rod you throw articulated streamers with or heavy Lower Sac nymph rigs with, but that's not why you're buying this rod anyways.  Dry flies, dry-droppers, smaller streamers, and lighter nymph rigs can all be used with ease.  My only real gripe is that I didn't get one of these sooner!  

If you have any questions about the Butter Stick don't hesitate to reach out to the guys at Lost Coast Outfitters or shoot me a message on Instagram (@baetisandstones)!

Coastal Wanderings

Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions about surf fishing.  I've posted a few photos from some recent trips and have run into a few toads in the process of learning how to fish the surf.  I have to admit though, I'm not an expert when it comes to this style of fishing, not even close.  Most of the time I'm out there fumbling through the process, learning as I go.  I get skunked a lot too!  

With that said, I have learned a few thing about fishing the tidal zone this year.   The gear matters quite a bit, as does your ability to read the water.  So...when you head out, learn from my mistakes!

Rod, reel and line:

This one's pretty important in my opinion.  I started by taking out my regular 7wt rod, the one I use for Steelhead from time to time.  It worked alright, but it had some pretty major limitations.  

I currently use an 11'6" Redington Chromer (6wt) which gives me the few extra inches I need to make longer casts and get over any waves coming my way.  I've paired that with a Redington Rise reel which can take a beating in the surf.  With a quick rinse after being immersed in salt water, it's ready to head out for the next trip.  This is the exact same rod and reel I use for stripping flies on Pyramid lake too. 

The last element of the rig that's really important is line choice.  I've used a few different lines and sink tips with varying success.  The line that's brought be the best luck has been the Rio InTouch Outbound.  It's the line with the Striper on the box, so it's got to be good right?  This line shoots well, especially paired with the Chromer, getting you the extra distance you'll need for the surf.  Most importantly it gets down quick, even in saltwater or faster currents. 

Flies:

Surprisingly, I keep this one really simple.  My surf box is NOTHING like my trout boxes.  When I'm trying to come tight on a big perch or some striped bass, I stick with three patters.  For perch, anything orange.  I tie a lot of my own flies and I usually just use some lead eyes, buck tail, and marabou.  If it's orange, it will get the job done.  I'm sure there are a lot of great flies to use in the surf but this is a good starting point. 

I also use a good old-fashioned clouser or deceiver.  Basically, any solid bait fish pattern will work just fine. 

Typically, I'll run a two fly rig in order to cover the bass and perch at the same time but you can easily stick with one fly and be just fine. 

Clothing/Waders:

When I first started fly fishing in the surf, I wore my waders every time.  I've been using the Sonic Pro HD Waders by Redington.  These things are really great and I use them for still water and trout fishing year-round.  The one drawback to the waders, is that sand finds its way into your boots really quickly and you may have to empty them out from time to time.  If you have waders with integrated boots, those will work better. 

I've also had success with using a pair of simple board shorts.  If you're not afraid of getting a little wet, this allows you to take a few more "risks" in the waves without the fear of filling your waders with salt water.  Most Northern California beaches can be a little chilly to use this tactic though. 

My current approach has me using a wetsuit.  Yeah, that's right, a wetsuit.  I've been able to get substantially more aggressive in the surf with a wetsuit.  Instead of getting knee-deep and watching for waves with a nervous eye, the wetsuit allows me to get waist-deep (or deeper) and just jump over the waves when they come in.  If a bigger set rolls through, I can just duck dive and come out the other end unscathed.  It sounds a little silly but I've had some of my best days using a wetsuit!

The one drawback to using the wetsuit is that I don't have any storage for flies, my camera, or any other gear I might need.  This problem can be solved pretty easily with a dry bag that you leave on the beach.  I use the Tillak Dry Bag.  Not only does this bag fit just the right amount of gear, the company gives back to conservation organizations in some serious ways!

Reading Water:

This one took me awhile!  I'm sure you'll figure it out more quickly than I did.  Once you get the details down, your catch rate will go through the roof!

If I can, I start by getting a high vantage point to see as much of the beach as I can.  This gives me the opportunity to see any deeper sections or cuts in the beach that fish, or bait, might be holding in.  What you'll be looking for is a section where a wave crashes, then flattens out before hitting the shore.  The area where the wave flattens out is usually a pocket of deeper water.  Spend as much time as you can fishing the buckets and troughs.  That's where the fish will stack up on a high tide.  

You can also look for current seams taking sand from the beach out into the waves.  This typically means there's some bait (usually sand crabs) being pushed out to sea too.  When you find the bait, you'll find the fish!  

Another thing that's  worked well for me is just flat out covering water, especially if you're on a bigger beach.  In my experience, the fish usually pile up in more concentrated areas and will hit a fly properly swung/stripped through their zone in the first few casts.  So...if you haven't been hit, move on to the next likely holding water.  

Like I said, I'm no expert when it comes to surf fishing.  The few things I've learned have been through lots and lots of trial and error.  You've got to be patient and persistent and the best way to get into some good fish is to put in time on the water!  If you're just getting started, Lost Coast Outfitters is a great local shop to pick up the right rod, reel, lines, and flies.  George and the boys down at LCO will get you on the right track for some fun in the surf!

Return To Abundance

As an avid outdoorsman, I'm deeply committed to conserving the remaining natural resources we have.  Whether you're an avid angler, hunter, or just enjoy hiking, camping, and breathing fresh air, I'm sure you can relate. It's an amazing experience to walk through the hills and run into wild turkey or spend time in a river and find a big push of fresh steelhead moving up river.  Those experiences take effort, though.  We need to be intentional about protecting and restoring those wild habitats that support the experiences we love. 

I want to invite you to join me this year in learning more about the conservation of the public (and private) lands.  Throughout the year, I'm going to share more conservation focused content on the blog in addition to the stories you're used to.  It's my hope that writing about conservation will help me (and possibly you) better understand the issues we face as a nation.  

With that said, California Trout has come out with a new video highlighting the work they're doing to restore the historic runs of salmon and steelhead to the beautiful Eel River watershed running through California's north coast. 

Over the years, the Eel has suffered setbacks.  From pot farms and increased water demand to estuary degradation and dams, the Eel's prime habitat has taken its licks.  However, the fish continue to come back.  They're amazingly resilient, yet we need to ensure the habitat they rely on for spawning and rearing is kept intact.  Check out Cal Trouts new video Return to Abundance below. 

If you want to learn more about the work Cal Trout is doing to protect salmon and steelhead in the Eel River watershed, come join us at Lost Coast Outfitters (555 Montgomery Steet, San Francisco) next Thursday (2/9) at 6:00.  We'll have some beverages and you might even walk away with a new spey rod from Redington!  We're giving away a 12' 6" 6wt Chromer.  

Come celebrate the fish that frustrate us most!

For more videos and information about Cal Trout's Eel River project, check out their website!