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Steve Spiller, DVFF President

DVFF hosted our annual crab feed on February 28th at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Center. After two years of doing a virtual crab feed, it was nice to be back to an in-person event, to socialized with other club members and enjoy a nice meal. See article in this edition of Windknots for the full story.

More club members have renewed their membership for 2023 than in any prior year in DVFF’s history. Our club leaders appreciate your renewal. We are lining up a great set of speakers for our monthly meetings and are on pace to exceed the record number of club outings that occurred in 2022. Any members who have not renewed by March 31, 2023, will be dropped from membership. You can still renew your membership online via this link.

DVFF hosted a booth at the Fly Fishing Show at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on February 24-26. We had many visitors over the three days and 56 people expressed interest in our club, with five joining as new DVFF members. A special thanks to Phil Billecci who provided great leadership in planning, organizing, and overseeing our booth. He was supported by 28 DVFF volunteers who staffed the booth.

The club will be hosting an online auction taking place April 19-26. See the auction article in this edition of Windknots for details. DVFF uses the monies generated from the auction to fund our annual conservation donations which typically exceed $10,000.

The March Roundtable is on the Fall River. Join the discussion on March 28th to share your knowledge and learn from others on this beautiful, challenging, and rewarding fly fishing destination. You can register here. More information later in this edition of Windknots.

Join California Trout for screening of the 2023 International Fly Fishing Film Festival. The films include:

Check out the film trailers here!

Buy your tickets to attend a screening and have the chance to win amazing prizes from CalTrout and sponsors. All proceeds from the show benefit CalTrout and their work to ensure healthy water and resilient population of wild fish for a better California.

Dates/Locations/Tickets:

Steve Spiller, DVFF President

The 2022 DVFF Member of the Year award was presented to Barry Zacharias at the Feb. 18, 2023 Crab Feed. Barry joined DVFF on Sept. 9, 2014, and quickly became active in the club. Barry served two terms on the DVFF board of directors, from 2018 to 2021. He brought strong analytical skills and a financial focus to our board meetings, helping the club to achieve its best-ever financial status.

Barry is a current member of the DVFF Safety Committee and a regular volunteer at club events. His buddy trips to the Stanislaus River are always in high demand at our club auctions. Barry has elevated the level of Euro fly fishing within the club with educational presentations and on-the-water clinics. Perhaps his most significant contributions to DVFF have been in the area of club outings. Barry has been the DVFF Outing Chair since December of 2020. Under his leadership, the club moved from a paper outing registration process to an online process with electronic payments. Barry has dramatically increased the number of outings the club offers, with new moving water opportunities, many stillwater options, guided trips, private waters, destination trips and clinics. In 2022 the club set a record with 45 outings for the calendar year, and 2023 is already on pace to exceed this number.

Most recently Barry partnered with fellow DVFF club member and Project Healing Waters Outing Coordinator Brian Miller to create the Friends on the Water program. This new program pairs DVFF club members with Veterans (also DVFF members), creating additional fly fishing opportunities for Veterans. The program has over 30 DVFF volunteers and is off to a great start.

Please congratulate Barry on this well-deserved DVFF Member of the Year award!

Steve Spiller, DVFF President

On Feb. 21, 2023, at the DVFF monthly club meeting, Wayne Hofer became the first recipient of the newly established DVFF Lifetime Achievement Award. The meeting included 45 in-room attendees and an equal number participating via Zoom. Also in the audience was Wayne’s wife, Caron, and members of their family. Wayne did not know he was to receive the award and was surprised!

First, a little background. During October 2022, Tom Morehouse made a recommendation to the DVFF board of directors that Wayne be acknowledged with a special award for his many contributions to the club. A special award had previously been given to Bill King, which was a one-time event. The board agreed that Wayne was deserving of special recognition and felt that a new, formal DVFF award should be created first, with clear criteria and decision process. During November and December, the DVFF Lifetime Achievement Award was discussed and established. At the January DVFF board meeting, Tom made a formal proposal that Wayne receive this award, including documentation of how Wayne met the award criteria. The proposal was approved. You can read the DVFF Lifetime Achievement Award criteria on the DVFF website.

Wayne joined the DVFF 22 years ago, on Feb. 11, 2001, and fully meets the criteria for the DVFF Lifetime Achievement Award through his many and continuous contributions to the club. Here is a summary of some, but not all of Wayne's many contributions to DVFF and recognitions throughout the years:

Congratulations, Wayne!

Wayne Hofer, Membership Chair, Rod Building Instructor, Stillwater Leader

I was completely taken aback by receiving the DVFF Lifetime Achievement Award! What an honor! Thank you DVFF Board of Directors and others who were involved in the decision.

I was a novice fly fisherman when I joined the DVFF in 2001. (Sometimes I still feel like a novice!) My wife, Caron, and I had just returned to the Bay Area after a seven-year job assignment in Washington, D.C. It was there that I learned to fly fish on local Maryland and Virginia rivers and creeks. It was there that I learned to fly cast and practiced relentlessly behind our high-rise apartment in Arlington, VA. It was there that I attended my first Fly Fishing Show and met legendary fly fishing greats Lefty Kreh, Bob Clouser and Joe Humphreys. It was there that I built my first fly rod on the dining room table in our apartment.

Shortly after returning to the Bay Area, I joined the DVFF and took advantage of every opportunity to build on my newly found passion for fly fishing. I was encouraged by several club members to offer a fly rod building class. The response was overwhelming. Now, 20 years later, I am continually amazed at how many club members want to build their fly rods. I have made many friends and thoroughly enjoy working with club members helping them build their custom fly rods. There is something special about catching fish with a fly you tied on a rod you built.

In 2006, newly named DVFF President Phil Erickson, asked me if I would assume the role of club treasurer. I eagerly accepted and enjoyed working with Phil and the DVFF board. In late 2013, club President Craig McMullin, and past-President David Lipscomb, asked me if I would consider becoming the next club president. I was blown away by the offer. After talking it over with my wife, Caron, I accepted, admittedly with some trepidation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the role of DVFF president and working with the board of directors to make the club more effective and welcoming. I enjoyed the challenge of recruiting “new blood” to lead key areas of the club. I enjoyed getting to know and working closely with club members. It was gratifying to see existing and new club members get involved and take leadership roles.

After my presidency, I resolved to remain active in the DVFF and contribute. I soon signed on and continue as the club's membership chairman. I enjoy introducing new members to the club and helping them contribute. I continue to delight in seeing club members learn to build their fly rods in our classes and one-on-one sessions. My involvement in the DVFF-sponsored Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing chapter provides an opportunity to get to better know and understand the unique challenges of being a military veteran.

After nearly three decades of fly fishing moving water, I'm now working to become more proficient at fishing stillwater – lakes, ponds, and reservoirs – and to help other club members do the same. Stillwater fly fishing offers a new set of challenges for me. As a result, Willy George, Alan Christian, and I teamed up to offer the DVFF Stillwater Academy. Now in its third offering, more and more club members are becoming stillwater fly fishing aficionados.

I encourage you to get involved in the DVFF. Find your niche and go for it. The club always benefits from “out of the box” thinkers and doers. It needs imaginative and strong leaders.

April 19-25, 2023 | Temma Roby, Social Media, & Steve Spiller, DVFF President

The DVFF will host a virtual auction beginning on April 19th and ending on April 25th, 2023. DVFF hosts this annual auction to raise funds that support the club's donations to various conservation groups in Northern California, for a fisheries-related scholarship at UC Davis, and for other club activities supporting local charitable groups tied in some way to fly fishing. We have some awesome auction items! It’s a great opportunity to get excellent deals on guide trips, buddy trips, casting lessons, equipment, and sets of member tied fly patterns.

If you have any gently used gear, can tie some flies, donate a buddy trip or guided trip or otherwise help out, please email Steve Spiller or Temma Roby.

This event will be 100% online - please join us! You will be able to track and make bids online for seven days! As always, we thank you for your support!

Steve Spiller, DVFF President

DVFF was back to an in-person event for our annual crab feed. With the repeated delays in the commercial crab season, the crab feed was moved from January to February. This may be a permanent change as the season has been delayed in each of the past four years. Approximately 150 people enjoyed getting together for sweet, fresh crab and side dishes. There was also a baked chicken option served for the non-crab eaters. The evening began with 90 minutes of socializing and an open beer and wine bar. Dinner was served at 6:30 p.m.

The formal part of the evening included a review of DVFF’s 2022 accomplishments (see infographic below) and recognition of the 90-plus club member volunteers who contribute their time and energy to make DVFF one of the premiere fly fishing clubs in California. You can view the slide presentation on the club website.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2022 DVFF Member of the Year Award to Barry Zacharias.

A special thanks to Steve Saiz, who chaired the event for the fifth straight year. Steve attended the DVFF 50-year anniversary crab feed dinner in 2018 as a past president of the club. He had such a good time, he rejoined the club and volunteered to run the crab feed the following year. Steve will be stepping down as our crab feed event leader and the club is seeking his replacement. (The event planning is well documented and repeatable.) Thanks also to Bill King for his help with the raffle and silent auction, to Cheryl O’Neill and Sev Marsted for working the check-in table, and to Wayne and Caron Hofer for welcoming attendees.

An Argentine Doblé: Golden Dorados in the Jungle Wetlands and Sea-Run Brown Trout in Tierra del Fuego, with Kirston Koths and Bob Marshak

DVFF members Bob Marshak and Kirston Koths will host a multi-media presentation of their "dual-destination" trip to Argentina (a “doblé” in Spanish.) You will enjoy their adventures in these unique locations, fishing for two amazing bucket-list species — freshwater golden dorados from flats boats in a jungle setting, and trophy sea-run brown trout using spey rods on the wind-swept island of Tierra del Fuego. As a bonus, you should pick up some tips on techniques that also work for more local species such as stripers and steelhead.

Kirston and Bob are fishing buddies for whom good photos and videos of fishing adventures are just as important as the experience of fishing itself. From Alaska to Argentina and New Zealand to New England, they've been there and recorded it.

Bob's photographic career began with shooting landscapes, using a massive 4-by-5 film camera, and his images have appeared in a variety of publications. Some of his work is showcased at Click and Cast Photography by Bob Marshak. Kirston has been shooting video since 1980, and his company, Oak Leaf Studios, produces both DVDs and CDs for commercial sale. Together, Bob and Kirston run Shooting Line Productions, a company that makes fly fishing videos and produced a video celebrating the first 50 years of Diablo Valley Fly Fishers.

They also have published widely about fly fishing, including in California Fly Fisher, NW Fly Fishing, SW Fly Fishing, American Fly Fishing, and Catch Magazine.

(New Outings are highlighted in yellow. Linked outing names connect to more detailed information in our online calendar. Indicated expenses are those beyond expected personal expenses, such as food, lodging and transportation. Outings that still have openings at the time this list is compiled are highlighted in green.)

April 3, 2023 - Pyramid Lake #1 (Lahontan Cutthroat), Barry Zacharias,

(925) 577-5611.

April 4, 2023 - Pyramid Lake #2 (Lahontan Cutthroat), Barry Zacharias,

April 4, 2023 - Putah Creek #4 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

April 8, 2023 - Lower Yuba On UC Research Center #3, Todd Pond,

(510) 520-4485.

April 9, 2023 - Lower Yuba On UC Research Center #4, Todd Pond,

(510) 520-4485.

April 14-16, 2023 - Sugar Creek Still Water #1 (Trout), Brent Shaffer,

(925) 963-7153.

April 15, 2023 - Kistler Ranch #1 (Bass), David Roche, (925) 788-1524.

April 21, 2023 - Float n’ Fly fishing at Berryessa (Bass), Andrew Slade, (818)-355-0290.

April 22, 2023 - Kistler Ranch #2 (Bass), David Roche, (925) 788-1524.

April 27-30, 2023 - Pit River #1 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

May 5-6, 2023 - Luk Lake #1 (Trout & Bass), Al Peterson, (510) 612-1689.

May 5-7, 2023 - Scott's Flat Reservoir (Bass), Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

May 6, 2023 - Streamer Clinic Lower Yuba Clinic w/Lance Gray (Trout), Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

May 7-8, 2023 - Luk Lake #2 (Trout & Bass), Al Peterson, (510) 612-1689.

May 12-14, 2023 - Sugar Creek Still Water #2 (Trout), Lance Connelly,

May 17-20, 2023 - Lower McCloud River #3, John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

May 19-21, 2023 - Baum Lake Clinic w/Lance Gray (Trout), Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

June 2-4, 2023 - Upper Sac Seminar (Trout), Alan Christian & John Barry, (925) 451-9314.

June 7-10, 2023 - Manzanita Lake Outing (Trout), Ivan Lee & Phil Billecci, (925) 323-5453.

June 8-11 2023 - Fowler’s Campground/Shasta Trinity Forest (Trout), John Guerra, (925) 895-4199.

June 8-11, 2023 - Lower McCloud River #1 (Trout), Larry Blazer,

June 20-23, 2023 - Almanor Hex Hatch (Trout), Barry Zacharias,

June 20-23, 2023 - Almanor Small Creeks (Trout), George Coughlin,

June 21-23, 2023 - Almanor Morning Bass Experiment (Bass), Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

July 6-9, 2023 - North Yuba #1 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

July 14-16, 2023 - Webber Lake (Lahontan Cutthrout Trout), Greg Cater, (925) 768-2273.

July 14-16, 2023 - Fall River PMD & Hex Hatch (Trout), Todd Pond, (510) 520-4485.

July 21-23, 2023 - East Carson and Nearby Rivers (Trout), Jim Crocker, (925) 577-6159.

July 27-30, 2023 - Lower McCloud River #4 (Trout), John Murphy,

July 31-Aug. 3 - Frontier Pack Train/Golden Trout Base Camp (Trout), Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

August 10-13, 2023 - Yosemite National Park #1 (Trout), John Murphy, (925)289-8808.

Aug 29-Sept 1, 2023 - Lower McCloud River #5 (Trout), John Murphy,

Sept 7-10, 2023 - Truckee River #1 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

Sept 13-16, 2023 - McCloud River #6 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

Sept. 20-21, 2023 - Hot Creek Dry Fly School Challenge (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Sept. 21, 2023 - Stillwater Academy: Crowley Lake Seminar (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Sept. 21-24, 2023 - Eastern Sierra High Country Creeks (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Sept. 22, 2023 - Stillwater Academy: Crowley Lake Seminar (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Oct 5-8, 2023 - Stanislaus River System #1 (Trout), John Murphy,

Oct 20-22, 2023 - Women's Trip on the McCloud (Trout), Temma Roby,

Oct 27-31, 2023 - Fall River October (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Nov 2-5, 2023 - Lower McCloud #2 (Trout), Phil Billecci, (925) 323-5453.

Nov 9-12, 2023 - Pit River #2 (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

Dec 7-10, 2023 - NorCal Steelheading (Trout), John Murphy, (925) 289-8808.

Where, oh where, to fish this year? Who knows when or how all this snow will melt or how many more atmospheric rivers we can expect, but I know I’m not staying home for it. With our rivers lush with foliage, insects, and hungry fish, it’s a great year to get out there and wet a line.

With the success of last year’s outings, a group of DVFF members have partnered to bring an expanded outings program focused on smaller, but more frequent, outings. Some of the favorites have returned - the North Yuba, the McCloud, the Stanislaus - and a few new venues have been added including Yosemite, the Truckee, the Pit, the Trinity, and everyone’s favorite local fishery, Putah Creek.

Since Putah Creek is so close and an excellent tailwater to escape high flows, it’s a wonderful place to get in your spring training. Figure out your gear, your rig, your safety plan, and get the kinks out before trekking into the wilderness.

We start out with Putah Creek this very week. If you’d like to learn the history, access, techniques, and tactics for the Creek, I invite you to join your fellow members and myself for an early-season, weekday or weekend outing and a Zoom-based Fish Talk this Wednesday. You can sign up for the Talk and outings, along with the other moving water outings, through the DVFF home page/Outings tab or using the links below.

Due to the limited slots available, you may need to join the waitlist, which has deterred signups in the past. If an event is full, please don’t be afraid to join the waitlist, we may be able to arrange extra slots or form another group.

Click on the outing title to learn more and if you see one you like, sign in and sign up. Email me at sacramento_businessman@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Putah Creek Outings:

Other Outings:

February 2023 | Temma Roby

DVFF members Julia Mitchell and I hit the Lower Sacramento River during the last weekend of February with AC Fly Fishing and it was fantastic! Julia Mitchell landed a 25.5-inch rainbow and I landed a 24.5 slab, my personal best. There was pouring rain on day two and the fishing was a little bit harder but we still landed some lunkers. During the course of two days, we experienced rain, sunshine and a little wind. Eggs, frenchies and apparently some secret weapons (size 16) got the job done. We doubled up four times!

Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2023 | Dan Johnson

After a successful 2022 campaign, PHWFF Martinez kicked off the new year with its first outing ever at Northwest California’s Smith River. We eagerly anticipated our 8-hour caravan trek to the Smith Jan. 9-12, but Mother Nature convinced us it wasn’t prudent by rolling an atmospheric river over Northern California. We examined the weather forecast and Smith River flows using go/no go markers for river flow and anticipated rain, and agreed with the guides’ recommendation to postpone the trip. The guides’ next availability was Feb. 1-2, so we rolled with that.

Just a few miles inland from the ocean, the Smith River is beautifully located in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, near the small town of Hiouch, Calif. The only undammed river in California, it flows 25 miles from the Klamath Mountain range to the Pacific and is recognized as a Wild and Scenic River. It’s widely known for its beauty and excellent fishing, but not necessarily at the same time!

There were four of us on the trip…Al Tom, Mike Allen, Bill Hopkins, and Dan Johnson…all PHWFF Veteran participants and volunteers. Kevin Findlay, owner of the Hiouchi Motel, generously offered free lodging for us for three nights, along with a free dinner at the Hiouchi Café. We ate breakfast there every morning and the food was excellent!

Our guides were Matt Mitchell and Matt Dahl, excellent professionals we have been pleased with on prior PHWFF Martinez outings. We were on a recon mission to assess fishing for steelhead on the Smith River, and to determine if it would be a good future choice for PHWFF outings. We met the guides at 8 a.m. each morning at the motel and travelled to the river a short drive away. Our first impression was “there is no one else here…that can’t be good.” Luckily, fish live in beautiful places, and the Smith River has its own grandeur – pristine, gin clear water and forested banks.

The fishing technique was somewhat demanding, as we were casting lines with heavy weights to get down to the fish, and long leaders to allow us to fish deeply with strike indicators, which needed to be adjusted regularly for changing depths. Having two anglers casting these long leaders is not for the casual angler. It requires some technique, to do it correctly, and discipline, to make sure that the two anglers are not casting at the same time.

On the first day, Al (or maybe Bill) caught a half pounder. That was about the action for the day. Luckily, we had convivial guides and veterans who could give as well as they took in some interesting conversations. On the second day we ventured further upstream to put in, and we had the spot all to ourselves. Before we launched, we noticed a steelhead rolling in the river, so Al and Bill tested their two-handed rod casting skills from the bank. Unfortunately, the steelhead wasn’t having any of it, so we launched and moved on. Our boat investigated the south fork of the Smith for a bit, with an appreciation of the river and forest around us.

We passed the Sheep Pen Creek covered bridge, still in use, later on our float. It was delightful to see it intact and functional. Bill (or maybe Al) caught a half pounder. And that was about all the action we had…until Mike spotted five fish ahead of us at a bailout. We quickly dropped anchor and launched a concerted attack with no hits. We floated on and left Bill and Al to try their luck. Bill left the boat and created some excitement when he started casting to the area where the fish were last seen. Alas, the only takes were the result of rock grabs, giving some bend to the rod. We were lucky enough to see a giant sea lion explode the surface beside Bill and Al’s raft…it was probably chasing Steelhead, and certainly got their attention.

Although the fishing was not stellar during our outing, we all enjoyed one another’s company and stories, as well as our introduction to the lovely Smith River. And we all realized that we don’t need to catch fish (although that helps) to have a good time with other veterans in special places. Mike topped it off with a demonstration of how to exit a drift boat with flair, as instructed by guide Matt Mitchell.

Recon conclusion: It would be best to ensure that you have anglers with experience casting long weighted leaders and with another angler casting in the boat. It would be advantageous to be able to schedule an outing when the steelhead are running, which may be difficult with the fickle North Coast weather. Would we go back? Will there be fish?

Lance Connelly, Trout in the Classroom Liaison

The DVFF Dry Fly School (DFS) once again started the year on the Lower Yuba River at Hammond Grove, near Marysville.

Guide Lance Gray led a streamside seminar covering gear, rigging, and casting. He provided a modification to his “River Dry Fly Rig.” Key to his set up is a long leader. In this case it’s 15 feet (3 feet of butt section and a 12 foot tapered leader). Rather than using a loop-to-loop connection, he cuts off the loop and attaches using a “marriage” knot.

Following the rigging discussion, he talked about how to fish this section of the river and demonstrated several presentation techniques (upstream, standard, and downstream). His preference is a straight downstream presentation so that he can maintain a solid connection to his fly.

The DFS outings are often focused on a specific hatch or venue. In the case of the Lower Yuba in late winter/early spring, it’s skwala time. As with other DFS outings, this outing began with a Fish Talk, covering the history of the watershed, entomology, and key hatches, and in the case of the lower Yuba, the presence of steelhead. (Hint: ensure that you have your annual steelhead report card which is required, especially if you are fishing with a guide.)

Skwalas are a stonefly which crawls out to emerge. So, the dry fly opportunities are focused on females as they deposit eggs. The female is usually tied on a size 10 hook with a black “hot spot” to represent the egg sac. If you decide to fish a male, size 12 is the best option.

Skwalas can live for several weeks after emergence and will often change from a yellow color to a more yellowish-brown-olive. Below is an adult female where you can clearly see the egg sac and the Unit Skwala fly developed by the late Jon Baiocchi.

Photos Courtesy of Jon Baiocchi Fly Fishing News

In the spring two other key hatches are March Browns and Pink Alberts. These mayflies are clingers. A couple of distinguishing characteristics of clingers are that they have two tails and emerge subsurface in a sporadic fashion. Unlike other mayflies that bum rush the surface, hoping to survive amongst the crowd, these mayflies sprint periodically throughout the day, hoping not to draw too much attention to themselves.

An effective pattern/technique is swinging a soft hackle to imitate the subsurface emergence. (Like Tom's lucky soft hackle, right.)

Although this was a dry-fly focused-outing, hatching bugs and rising fish were hard to find. There were concerns that the recent rains and flooding might have wiped out the bugs, but we found numerous bugs. The fish, however, were much more elusive. More (or perhaps less) on that later.

Given the lack of rising fish, many participants switched to nymphs. Skwala, March browns, and Pink Alberts all live in fast water. A good spot to fish mayflies is below a riffle. A good tactic for skwala is to nymph near the bank. In fact, a best practice is to fish the water before wading because if the trout are keyed in on skwalas, they will move close to the bank to snatch up nymphs as they crawl out to emerge.

Fishing was challenging. So, challenging in fact, that we didn’t have to narrow down the fish pics for the article. Coach Tom Seidman was the only one to sucker a fish into taking a fly. He used an undisclosed, revolutionary technique to deeply fish a soft hackle.

The Dry Fly School consists of several outings throughout the year, a skills challenge, and a dry fly test on Hot Creek. If you are interested in joining the 2023 Dry Fly School sign up via the club's online calendar or contact Alan Christian.

Participants included Daren Blonski, Lance Connelly, Steve Garnick, John Gerk, Mark Held, Leo Munneke, Tom O’Brien, and Joe Wear. Coaching were Don Campbell, Alan Christian, Mike Flynn, Steve Spiller, Tom Seidman, and Lance Gray was our guide both days.

Both of these advanced programs access some of the leaders in the sport of fly fishing. We have been particularly fortunate to have Phil Rowley attend several of the Stillwater Academy review zooms and several of us had the pleasure of sharing dinner with Phil when he was here for the Fly Fishing Show. Phil is the author of the recently published Orvis Guide to Stillwater Trout Fishing. If you want to up your game, rub shoulders with noted experts or just hang with some dedicated fly fishers consider joining either or both of these DVFF offerings. Signups begin next fall but you may be able to attend Fish Talks or an occasional outing.

On Thursday, March 2, 10 DVFF volunteers delivered 1,600 rainbow trout eggs to 32 East Bay school classrooms as part of the CDFW Classroom Aquarium Education Program (a.k.a Trout in the Classroom).

The rain and snow delayed the date by a day, but thankfully most were able to adjust their schedules. I often say that the thing that makes DVFF so great is all the members who are willing to donate their time for various activities, even with last minute changes. Anyone who worked the booth at the Fly Show saw the reaction of visitors when they learned about all the activities we do as a club. DVFF is one of the bigger supporters for TIC and that is because of our volunteers.

Thank you David Allen, Phil Billecci, George Coughlin, Mike Koch, David Lipscomb, Tom Morehouse, John Murphy, Gerry Ng, and Sue Wilburn for helping deliver eggs. Honorable mention to Mark Held, who had volunteered but is still a working stiff and could not get out of work when the date changed at the last minute.

In addition to delivering the eggs, volunteers answered a litany of questions, including the one posed to Mike Koch who was asked how his father could join DVFF so they could “go fishing all the time.” I’m not sure who was more excited about the egg deliveries, the kids, the teachers who got a brief respite, or the volunteers. Several volunteers have done follow-up visits to classrooms to spend a bit more time with the kids.

Several teachers have expressed interest in having volunteers accompany their classes when they release fry in the coming weeks to demonstrate/teach fly fishing to students. If you are interested, please email me via the link in my name above.

March 28, 2022 / 7:30 p.m. | Todd Pond & Mark Likos, Organizers

Please consider joining us for our next Roundtable meeting, we will be discussing the Fall River. Fall River is a part of the largest spring creek system in North America. Unfortunately, Fall River has limited access because it is surrounded by private property. It’s a great wild-trout fishery that is known to have good hatches and be a technical fishery. During the roundtable discussion, we hope to talk about access points, entomology, watercrafts, navigating the river, guides, fishing tactics, gear, lodging, and whatever else comes up. Come share and listen to others' experiences regarding this incredible fishery.

Keep in mind, the discussions are limited to the first 20 registrants, so sign up early. One last thing: the roundtable meetings officially go for one hour, although registrants often stick around to converse more, sometimes as late as 9:30 p.m. Please sign up early via this link. If you have any questions, please contact Todd or Mark (email link above). Join the conversation!

The DVFF’s Fly Fishing Proficiency program is comprised of three components: a basic program of Fish Talks and Outings, and our Dry Fly School and Stillwater Academy. The Dry Fly School and Stillwater Academy each offer a year-long series of related Fish Talks, skills demonstrations, outings, and skills tests at a selected venue. Dates of each event are announced throughout the year.

Currently, you can sign online up for the upcoming Dry Fly School and Stillwater Academy (click the links).

Click this link to go to the 2023 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Click this link to go to the 2022 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Click this link to go to the 2021 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Click this link to go to the 2020 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Steve Coiteux, Conservation Chair

From California Trout's The Current (Written by Mike Wier)

By now, if you are a follower and supporter of California Trout, I’m sure you are aware that California has the greatest diversity of native salmonids of anywhere else in the lower 48.

The vast diversity of species and biomes is one of the features that makes California so unique. Eleven of our 32 distinct native salmonids are endemic trout populations. Nine of them have evolved into distinct sub-species because they have been isolated from anadromous travel and population-mixing in small and remote habitats for many centuries.

Due to the remoteness and small size of their existing habitats, some of our native, endemic trout are also among the most threatened species we have here in California. Their reliance on small creeks with cold water puts them on the front lines of the climate crisis and projected warming trends here in California. Some of our most sensitive species include the California golden trout, Little Kern golden, Kern River rainbow trout, Warner Mountain redband trout, Goose Lake redband, and the McCloud River redband. Each one of these species has a very limited range. Some of them only exist in one or two small creeks, which makes them especially vulnerable to climatic changes. One shift too far in one direction or the other could blink out an entire species. All these fish are extremely susceptible to severe events such as wildfire, flash flooding, mud slides, pollution, and poaching.

One of my favorite native inland trout is the McCloud River redband trout. This species is one of the most famous trout in history. They are the original broodstock that was transported all around the world - onto every continent. It can be argued that the McCloud River rainbow trout is the most prolific invasive aquatic freshwater species on the entire planet based on the number of places they have been placed and have established. But that famous McCloud trout from the main McCloud River is actually a part of the homogenized meta population of ocean-going rainbow trout and steelhead. The true and most pure strain of McCloud redband is only found in five streams isolated on the eastern flanks of Mount Shasta.

Those streams are all disconnected, meaning they flow out of the ground and then disappear again before they connect to any bigger systems. And they have been this way for all recorded history. That means these populations were isolated centuries ago after various volcanic and geological events cut these streams off. The result is that these fish were never hybridized with rainbows from other parts of California, but there also hasn’t been any genetic drift between the populations in a long time.

In 2004 California Trout led a restoration project in partnership with the Forest Service and the Department of Fish and Wildlife on the biggest of the creeks containing McCloud redband - also the only population that has remained open to angling. If you are interested, I will let you do your own research on which creek that is. The restoration effort was two parts: meadow restoration and native fish habitat restoration. A long stretch of the meadow was restored; in the process, they dug a deep channel and pond into the meadow. Lots of big wood was also introduced into this habitat. For a long time, it acted as a refugia site for the entire population in the creek. If conditions in the creek itself got dire from low water or high temps, the fish could always escape into the deep-water habitat with lots of trees surrounding it for shade and downed wood structure to hide under.

However, in the past decade the resolve of the McCloud redband has been put to the ultimate test. A lot of environmental changes happening in California can be attributed to the habits of people, therefore we feel that people also have an obligation to be stewards of the resources. It is now only possible with our intervention that we can keep the species from disappearing entirely.

McCloud redband have existed undisturbed in five small streams for thousands of years, but in 2013 and 2014 the California drought became so severe it was deemed that they needed a little help from resource managers. The Department of Fish and Wildlife with help from CalTrout, Trout Unlimited, and others, took on the challenge of capturing and relocating hundreds of redband fearing their natal streams would go completely dry and those genetics would be lost from the pool forever. The fish were taken to a hatchery in the town of Mount Shasta where for the first time ever it was converted into a conservation hatchery as opposed to a production hatchery for sport fishing. The fish were kept for safekeeping there in the cold spring-fed waters at the hatchery for two or three generations. While there, the Department made sure to keep the distinct stream populations separated, but they also crossbred between them to increase the genetic vigor of the species overall.

Luckily in 2016 we had a big winter and the creeks came back to life. It was a joyous occasion when the native redband where reintroduced back to their native streams in greater numbers than were there when they had to be captured. Two more big winters in 2017 and ‘18 provided plenty of water for the fish and the population started to naturally recover and expand. Then in 2019 as with climate change predictions for California, the pendulum swung back the other direction. We had two dry winters and the unforeseen results became catastrophic with wildfires burning across California, two of which ripped right through the heart of McCloud redband habitat.

Over the course of two summers, a couple of the best stream habitats got burned through, including the biggest and best one. Winters of 2020 and ‘21 were not great, but there were a couple big water events where massive storms rolled in and dumped a lot of precipitation at once. The combination of these heavy dumps and the recent fires resulted in heavy siltation in the affected creeks. Depth is a critical component of habitat types for these sensitive fish. And unfortunately, a lot of it was lost because of these events. Places in the restoration area that were 8-10 feet deep just a few years ago are now only 1-2 feet deep. Prime runs and deep undercuts the fish relied on are gone.

These fish are resilient. The main thing they need is cold, clean water. If that keeps coming, then they’ll be able to tolerate some of the other fluctuations in conditions to an extent. The population can increase and decrease depending on what’s available to them. But we need to be constantly vigilant. At this point we need to give them a helping hand when we can. That might mean revisiting some of these in-stream habitat restoration projects, increasing meadow restoration, reducing fuels in the forest, and supporting the Department of Fish and Wildlife in their conservation efforts through the Wild and Heritage Trout Program. One thing that is absolute is that we can’t let these redbands disappear on our watch. Not like their old neighbor, the California bull trout, which is now completely extirpated from its native waters in the McCloud. For more info on the McCloud redband, check out the SOS II Report at CalTrout.org. (Photos by Mike Wier.)

More to Read: Planning For Salmon And Steelhead To Return As The Klamath Dams Come Down - Trout Unlimited

If you would like to offer feedback on these reports or want to see additional waters or reports listed here send a note or link to Windknots.

March 2023 | Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C., President, Northern California/Nevada Council, Fly Fishers International, (530) 559-5759

As we move into the end of winter, and with the Fly Fishing Show behind us, I wanted to let everyone know what activities we will be engaged in for the rest of 2023. We have many learning activities and events planned, and these will be held around our region to make it easier for many of you to participate. Here is a shorthand listing of the events, locations, and dates. We will be doing outreach around each of these, but we wanted to give you the info so you can note them in your calendar.

All of these Teaching programs are offered by Sarah Trenschel and Russ Carpenter, Certified Casting Instructors of the GGACC, for casting events, or Clay Hash of Fly Fishing Traditions in Grass Valley. Mark your calendars!

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