Sierra Anglers Fly Shop blog

Exception to the norm!

2011-08-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Who said big fish don't live at high elevation! This MONSTER, 31" brown trout was caught in a 10,000 foot elevation lake in the high Sierra on a #2 weight rod with a small wooly bugger! Watch out Google Earth , you're about to be bombarded!

31" brown trout from Craig Coston on Vimeo.

" The River Why "; The Movie ( finally! )

2011-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Back when I opened the store in November of 1987 ( yes, it's been that long! ) one of the books that was a good seller in the store was 1983 novel " The River Why " by David James Duncan. For years following, rumors of the screen adaptation circulated.

Finally, in April of 2010, the film was released but was relegated to film festivals. The film does feature a couple of well-know actors; William Hurt, Kathleen Quinlan and William Devane ( he actually DOES fly fish in real life! ). Lead actors are Zach Gilford, and Amber Heard. If you are a subscriber of Showtime, you will be able to view the film before it is released on DVD. Here is the Showtime schedule.

" Salmon: Running the Gauntlet " PBS

2011-04-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

If you missed the broadcast, the full episode is available online on the " Nature " website, click here.

This Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 8:00 P.M. ( Pacific time ) on PBS. More information on PBS' " Nature " website.

The Lower Sac. NOW is the time!

2011-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Now is THE time to fish the lower Sacramento River in the Redding, California! The flows have gone from 50,000 cfs to around 6,000 cfs. This is a great flow to float and wade-fish this great river. Limited wading access makes this river best fished from a driftboat.

The video below is by Jason Cockrum ( formerly of Modesto ). He is a very accomplished guide and is one of Confluence Outfitters' guides and teaches at the Clearwater Lodge in Burney. His dad ( a great guide in his own right ) teaches some of my fly fishing classes.

Get to the Sac, NOW!!!

The 2011 Modesto Fly Fishing Film Tour

2011-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

What: A fund raising event for sending Modesto area combat disabled U.S. military veterans on all-expenses paid fly fishing trip to Utah's Green River.
When: Thursday, March 10, doors open at 5:30 PM
Where: The State Theatre, 1307 J Street, Modesto, CA

" True Grit " and the beautiful Eastern Sierra Nevada

2010-12-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

With the release of the new movie " True Grit ", a flood of memories about the original " True Grit " was triggered. I saw the movie when it came to Modesto's State Theater in 1969 ( I'm aging myself ). Some parts of the original movie were filmed in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, specifically Hot Creek. Anyone that has visited the Eastern Sierra Nevada ( my favorite area of California ) knows of it's rugged scenic beauty. Many Hollywood westerns were filmed in the Sierra Nevada, especially the Eastern Sierra. Another John Wayne movie, " North to Alaska " was partially filmed on Hot Creek. Check out " The Great Silence " blog about the original " True Grit " and Hot Creek here.

If you've never been to the eastern Sierra Nevada area, you need to go there!!

The site where Rooster Cogburn smokes out some bad guys out of a cabin.
Photo credit: Panoramio

" The Greatest Migration "

2010-12-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Greatest Migration from Epicocity Project on Vimeo.

Can you imagine swimming against a current 900 miles from the Pacific Ocean to Redfish Lake in Idaho at an elevation gain of 6,500 feet without eating anything?! Not to mention navigating numerous dams, avoiding predators including man ( commercial fishermen, sport fisherman ), killer whales, sea lions, birds, otters AND this was a two-way trip for all that make it to back to Redfish Lake! This is actually a sugar-coated description of the plight of Pacific salmon. This remarkable fish still survives despite all that is thrown at them. Our own California salmon are facing an even more difficult future. Will they still be here one hundred years from now? Looking back only one hundred years, one would have to say no.

View Larger Map

Visit WildSalmon.org

Seize the Moment!

2010-11-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to chase the trout on our foothill lakes! Every year in the Fall, conditions are such that the deep lakes " turn-over ". When this occurs, the surface temps decrease enough that the trout are comfortable at the surface + threadfin shad near the surface = trout blitzing like stripers!! Don't wait too long, as the water gets colder, the shad will drop into deeper and deeper water as the winter progresses.

Chasing rainbows under rainbows!

These fish are little piggies and hotter than a pistol!

Try 1-1.5" long threadfin shad imitations.

Pursuit of Happiness

2010-10-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes fly fishing so enjoyable is the natural beauty that I see while fishing.

Extreme Float Tubing!!!

2010-09-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on the Midcurrent ( check it out ) blog. For people that know my fishing habits know that a lot of my fishing involves fishing out of my float tube. This is beyond insane!

For full effect, click on the " full screen " button in the lower right hand corner of the video next to " Vimeo "!

Tapâm - a flyfishing journey from tapamthemovie on Vimeo.

A Bug's Life

2010-08-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

I would have loved this movie as a kid!

I've always been fascinated with insects. Like most young boys, capturing insects was an activity that was stimulated by our curiosity of our world. Fly fishing and fly tying still stimulates the same type of curiosity I felt when I was " knee high to a grasshopper "! When fishing for trout, I am always curious to see what trout eat. Before my switch to nearly total catch and release fishing, as a youngster I would nearly always look at a trout's stomach contents. I am still very curious to see what trout eat. These day's I resort to the use of a stomach pump ( I use it very sparingly as I do not know how harmful it is to the trout ).

Recently, I used the stomach pump to determine what these rather picky trout were eating.

These fish that were rising, seemed to be feeding on a lot of insects ( midges, aka chironomids ) that were hatching, that is it seemed as if they were taking a lot of the adult midges. Upon looking at the above stomach pump sampling which only included one adult stage midge, nearly all of the midges they ate were the pupa ( emerging ) stage.


The one adult in the stomach sampling.

The pupa were between as size 18 and a size 20 ( 6 mm long )short shank pupa hook.

A Day in the Life of Two Fly Shop Owners

2010-08-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

I went to the Spring 2011 Simms product lineup showing today. Some really nice products available beginning in January 2011. The big addition is some really good looking hiking/outdoor footwear ( guess what I'll be wearing next year? ). They are also revamping their wading sandals/wet wading footwear with the popular Vibram Streamtread soles.

Pursuit Shoe-Low

Riprap Streamtread Wading Shoe

After the showing, the Simms Fishing Products' rep, John Sherman arranged for me and long time acquaintance and owner of the Reno Fly Shop, Dave Stanley, to fish for bass with Capt. Kevin Doran of Delta Adventures. We had a number of blow-ups and a few hook-ups despite the 103 degree weather and fishing in the middle of the day! As the saying goes, the worst day fishing is better then the best day at work!

My fishing partner for the day, Dave Stanley.

Capt. Kev and Dave

Early Years

2010-08-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

The other morning, as I was scanning the local newspaper, I saw in the obituaries that Russell Lacque had passed away. Reading the obituary triggered a flood of memories of my youth. For those of you that have lived in Modesto as long as I have, may remember " Lacque's Sporting Goods " store. Lacque's was one of three sporting goods stores ( Week's Sporting Goods, Valley Sporting Goods ) within a few blocks of each other. It was at these stores that I hung out at, as they were all within walking distance of my dad's office.

View Larger Map

The green arrow indicates the former

location of Lacque's Sporting Goods
( now a parking lot ).

Lacque's was my favorite place to hang out as it was strictly fishing and hunting, no baseballs, no skis, and the owners, Russ and Loren were fishermen and hunters. Thinking back, I must have driven Loren ( the fishing guy ) nuts asking him questions!

One Christmas, my parents gave me a Thompson fly tying vise, a fly tying book, and some materials purchased at Lacque's. That marked the beginning of my fly tying career.

I will forever fondly remember my youth and the enjoyment I have received from all my years of fishing. Thanks go to my mom and dad who introduced me to fishing ( see this blog entry ). Thanks also to Russ Lacque ( and Loren, although I don't know his status). for providing a place to learn about the outdoor experience. May they all rest in peace.

My First Bass on a Pole Dancer!

2010-06-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

A bunch of members of the Stanislaus Fly Fishers and I went out to the Kistler Ranch this evening to fish for bass. I only had about two hours of fishing after leaving the store about 5:30 PM. It was beautiful evening.

I landed a couple of small bass on my friend Ron Fisher's version of a KDM Rat ( check out this video I shot of a KDM Rat in action ). Kevin Doran of Delta Advenures Guide Service is the developer of this fly pattern. The bass did not seem to be in a particularly active mood this evening. As I moved down along the edge of the pond, I encountered more open water and decided to try the Pole Dancer ( see earlier blog entry ). After making several casts along the weedline, I pleasantly surprised by a splashy take by 13-14" bass. My first bass on the Pole Dancer! I landed another bass shortly afterward. This bass took the fly without even working it. I can't wait to fish this fly on the stripers this fall when they're chasing threadfin shad!

Snow Run-Off 2010

2010-06-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we're finally getting the 2010 run-off underway. With snow falling in the Sierra as late as May 27, this year's run-off is off to a very late start. The falls in Yosemite will be spectacular! If you do try to fish some of these streams, be very careful. Unfortunately, it makes for very few stream fishing opportunities. The good news is that the water will last all summer long!

This video was shot by a friend of mine, yesterday June 4.

Bass-N-Fly 2010

2010-05-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

My friend David Merin and his brother Ryan won the Bass-N-Fly Challenge today!!! Their share of the winning was $3,400! To top it off, my other friends Mike Baisdon and Russ Owens took 2nd place!! Both of the teams deserve it as they spend a lot of time on the water in preparation of the event. Congratulations, guys!!

Here are the standings for the top eight places:

1st Place - $2775 – Ryan Merin & David Merin Total weight (12 lbs. 13 oz.)
2nd Place - $ 725 - Mike Baisdon & Russ Owens Total weight ( 9 lbs. 7oz.)
3rd Place - $ 475 - Rod Buchanan & Joe Cerniglia Total weight ( 8 lbs. 12 oz.)
4th Place - $ 425 - Tom Maxey & John Bates Total weight ( 7 lbs. 2 oz.)
5th Place - $ 375 - Darnyl Baily & Steve Orkwell Total weight ( 7 lbs. 1 oz.)
6th Place - $ 300 – Gregg Holland & Matt Greene Total weight (6 lbs. 15 oz.)
7th Place - $ 275 – Dennis Papike & Randy Papike Total weight (6 lbs. 12 oz.)
8th Place - $ 200 – Marty Adrian & Joe Adrian Total weight (6 lbs. 7 oz.)

Big Fish $350 – Ryan Merin (5 lbs. 0 oz)

Highways over the Top are Open!

2010-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sonora and Ebbetts passes are now open!

Below is a video I shot last year driving over Conway Summit on May 24, 2009.

The " Pole Dancers " are here!

2010-05-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's not what you think! One of the most effective surface lures for largemouth bass AND striped bass in conventional gear, are lures such as the Zara Spook and the Pencil Popper. These lures, if retrieved properly, swim side-to-side in which most anglers call " walking the dog " motion. This motion can be really amazing. We have fished top water fly rod flies side by side against the Zara Spook or Pencil Popper and have had little to no reaction to the fly rod fly while the lures triggered vicious strikes! So, until now, fly designers have not been able to break through to create the side-to-side motion created by conventional lures. Along comes a very creative, innovative fly tier from the Sacramento by the name of Charlie Bisharat. Through a lot of time and effort, Charlie has been able recreate the " walking the dog " action! Watch out bass and stripers, the Pole Dancer is here!

PS I inquired with the Pole Dancer's developer about the recommended leader to obtain the maximum side-to-side action, here was Charlie Bisharat's reply, verbatim:

" As for leaders. With the 5/0 I like to use a Quigley or equal ferruled leader of 4 to 5 feet with a 4 to 5 foot straight piece of 30 pound floro to the fly. On the medium I will do the same thing but the tippet will be with Maxima in 15 to 20 pound. With the small I use a straight section of 6 to 10 pound maxima to the fly. All tippets need to be attached to the fly with a loop knot.

As a general rule use the thinnest tippet you can for the target species. This allows the fly the best movement possible.I will be working on a video soon with KD to explain how to rig and fish the fly. "

Bass-N-Fly Practice Day; May 9, 2010

2010-05-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

The second practice day was, weather wise, was nearly as bad as last Sunday ( see previous blog entry for video ). Jeff was able to land 3 bass but I was only able to land one small striper. Jeff took all of his fish on a Murdich Minnow. The wind really dictated where we could fish, making for a tough day.

Bass-N-Fly Practice Day, May 2, 2010

2010-05-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

My partner for the Bass-N-Fly and I went out to scout for the tournament yesterday and encountered 35 MPH winds. We gave up after a few hours!

Delta Bass-N-Fly Challenge 2010

2010-05-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

The third annual Delta Bass-N-Fly Tournament is set to be held May 21, 2010 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is a fly-rod-only tournament. Last year, friends of mine, Mike Baisdon and Russ Owens won the tournament ( and place second the year before ).

Anyway, the following video was produced by two anglers that have spent a LOT of time chasing warmwater fish in California. Ken Hanley is an author of several books and frequently speaks about fly fishing at fishing shows. Kevin Doran ( Delta Adventures ) is fly fishing guide out of Stockton, California who specializes in fly fishing the Delta for largemouth bass and striped bass.

The video is a really informative production.

Favorite Non- Fly Fishing Stuff

2010-04-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

The JetBoil is one of my favorite pieces of non-fly fishing gear. Because it is designed for backpacking, it is very light and compact. It's always in my gear bag. You can purchase a French press accessory to make your coffee, but I'm a fan of Starbuck's instant coffee, " Via ". Everyone that has seen this little stove is amazed at how quickly it heats the water! Another great feature is that it has a built-in lighter. Check out this YouTube video.

Facebook Launch

2010-04-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

You can now find us on Facebook

Sierra Snowpack Status, 2010

2010-04-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

Snowpack map for 2010, above.

Click image to enlarge.

Snowpack map for 2009, above.

Click image to enlarge.

As you can see, this winter has been much better for snowfall than last year. This coming week promises to bring a little more!

Monster Striper!

2010-04-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Captain Mike Costello ( left ) holds his client's 47 pound striper!

Captain Mike Costello guided his client to a monster striper, recently. Here is his story, as posted on Dan Blanton's forum:

" The Fishing Gods were smiling...

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of fishing with two of my regular clients who definitely have the "fish gods" on their side. Jeff Sasaki and Garrett Kubota have had some incredible trips with me over the last several years, including a day last October when they landed 92 stripers between 4 and 10 lbs. all on intermediate lines with the same two rattle Clousers.

Once again we had an amazing "Delta Experience" as we started off the day by passing numerous boats on the way up to our fishing grounds. After retrieving a seven inch, black over chartreuse rattle Clouser from a tree in which my client two days before had lost it in, we were ready to get down to business. I attached the weathered fly to Garrett's leader and he responded by saying that the fly had been observing fish all night long ,and now it had picked out the striper it wanted to catch. To sum it up, the grab was violent, the great fish peeled off around 75 yards of line, and we were very lucky to land and photograph such a remarkable fish. I probably should add that Garrett and had some bad luck on landing big linesiders lately, but that has definitely changed now. The end result was a gorgeous 49 inch fish that had an incredible 31 inch girth, and on my sixty pound boga grip it weighed an astounding 47 lbs.

We caught the fish on an intermediate line in shallow water with 20 lb. tippet, and we carefully released this awesome specimen back into the Delta so that another angler might possibly share the same experience. Congratulations to Garrett and a once in lifetime fish! "

Mike Costello

A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of landing one nearly as large (45" ) for my friend, Mike Baisdon and witnessing another monster ( 46" ) landed 20 minutes later, 200 yards farther down the slough. We were not able to weigh either fish as Mike had only a 30 pound Boga Grip that bottomed out!

Fly Fishing and Technology

2010-03-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Google Earth image
Click on image to enlarge

One of my favorite technology gadgets is Google Earth. A great tool on Google Earth is the " ruler " function located in the toolbar. You can measure distance " as the crow flies " or click the " path " tab to create your path such as shown above.

Memories of Waters Past

2010-03-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Location: Rock Creek, East of Farmington, CA

View Larger Map

My earliest memories of fishing are those of my mother taking my grandmother fishing with me tagging along. I was about 5 years of age. I can still see, in my mind, the small pond at " Archie's place " a cattle ranch owned by Archie Moran. By the looks of the map above, the pond may be silted in. I remember fishing with bobber ( strike indicator !? ) and a worm and Mom landing a bluegill for me. Some guys tease me about fishing with indicators and I tell them that the site of seeing the indicator go under is still a thrill!
My dad and I continued to fish at " Archie's place " for a number of years afterwards and will always remain vivid in my memory.

New DVD: Metalhead

2010-03-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Of all of the fishing that I've done, winter-run steelhead fishing is probably the most challenging. You not only face the challenge of finding a fish that are few in numbers, but the most challenging of conditions. Conditions that include extremely cold water, timing the water conditions ( clarity, flows, etc. )with the runs of a nomadic fish, etc, etc... The reward is a chrome bright, fresh from the ocean, incredible fish!

Image from: http://www.trout-salmon-fishing.com/

Bobber ( Indicator ) Wars

2010-02-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

There's a BIG battle going on, Thingamabobber vs. Sindicator! A big legal battle brewing over a two-bit ( actually $1.25 or so ) ~~bobber~~ indicator???? What the hell?!

Speaking of......

Late February Storm

2010-02-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

Live cam image from Mono Lake February 26, 2010

Mono Lake Committee

Cam location

Live cam image from Lee Vining February 26, 2010

Mono Lake Committee

Cam location

Fortunately, some late February storms salvaged the month. Mammoth Mountain received 27" of snow on 2/26-2/27. We still need more though.

" They're Called Flies "

2010-02-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

The Elk Hair Caddis from Reel Escape Films on Vimeo.

Some people are so obsessive! I know one idiot that was so obsessive about fly fishing he opened a fly shop!

The Drake 2010 Fly Fishing Film Tour

2010-01-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

Once again,it will be showing at Modesto's beautifully restored, art-deco State Theatre. It was originally built in 1930's and was the theater in my teens. It's really great to see historic Modesto buildings preserved.

Pictured from left to right, Rivers of Recovery founder and Executive Director Dan Cook, event coordinator Jim Mayol, and custom fly rod donator Buzz Natzke.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Drake Fly Fishing Film Tour is making it's return to Modesto on Thursday, March 18, 2010. As in last years event, the local fly fishing club, the Stanislaus Fly Fishers, will be conducting the event. Proceeds will benefit local disabled veterans, mostly those suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, though the non-profit organization " Rivers of Recovery ". Click here for pictures of last year's fishing trips that our local vets attended.

Details are somewhat sketchy at this time, but I will post them on my website and it will also be available on the Stanislaus Fly Fishers' website.

Please forward this blog entry to anyone you think
would like to support this worthy cause.

Fly Tying Night

2010-01-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

As promised ( go to this blog entry ), we're starting out 2010 a little bit differently. We held a fly tying workshop, just a bunch of guys getting together to share some fly tying and fly fishing ideas ( can you say bull-session? ). It was fun!

Greg Nault was the lead person for the evening. Greg was the showing the interested group, how to tie a recently developed steelhead fly called the " Intruder ". Greg is the most accomplished fly tier that I know. His fly tying works have been published in many publications. He is also an expert Atlantic salmon fly tier which is probably the most difficult aspect of fly tying.

For more information about these events and more information about the shop, please visit our website:

www.SierraAnglers.com

January 2010 Storm

2010-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

The lower Sacramento River near Colusa went from 7,500 cfs to 40,000 cfs in 3 days!

Photo: Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort

Thankfully, we have received a decent amount of rain and especially snow with the latest storms. As my old friend, Mal Rose (RIP) always said " snow in the mountains is like money in the bank ". Mammoth Mountain has received over 63" of snow between 1/17 and 1/21 ( update: now it's 92" as of 1/22! ) in this last series of storms! Hopefully, we will continue to receive additional storms.

Bucket List....

2010-01-13T20:12:00.001-08:00

Here's one on my bucket list; going to Manzanar, California to see the Japanese American Internment Camp. The Eastern Sierra is my favorite area to fish in California and occasionally I take side trips on my fishing trips. While my family was interned the Granada War Relocation Center (also known as Camp Amache) near Granada, Colorado, I will, on some trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada, take some time to visit Manzanar. Manzanar is located about 50 miles south of Bishop.

View Larger Map

Above; Google " Street View " of Manzanar

www.SierraAnglers.com

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to a great new year! But looking back, I have been blessed to have such loyal friends and customers! With so much doom and gloom out there, the sales here at the shop were only down 6% from the previous year. A really heartfelt thanks go out to my friends and customers that helped me make it through the most difficult economic times since I started the shop in 1987. I still love fly fishing as much as ever and I really enjoy being in the fly fishing business and interacting with it's participants.
I will be changing many things ( services, products, classes, blog, etc. ) here at the shop in the new year. Keep checking back here on the blog and my website.
Thanks for reading, and have a great new year,
Bob

www.SierraAnglers.com

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

I hope that you and yours have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Captured from the now non-functioning " Sentinel Dome " cam of the Yosemite Association webcam page.

Finally! " BASS: The Movie "

2009-12-18T19:05:00.000-08:00

Fly rodders versus lure-slingers!

Originally scheduled to be released in Fall of 2008, " Bass: The Movie " premiered in Los Angeles in October of 2009! It has just been released on DVD. We have them available here at the shop just in time for Christmas.

The movie features local anglers; fly fishing industry sales representative and photographer John Sherman, Delta fly fishing guide Kevin Doran, and conventional tackle bass fishing guide, Bobby Barrack.

John Sherman was also the photographer for the recently published book, " Fly Fishing the California Delta " by Captain Mike Costello.

Book Signing, December 10, 2009

2009-12-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

The event was a great success!
Thanks go to Captain Mike Costello, John Sherman
and to all who attended!

On Thursday, December 10, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM the shop will be holding a book signing for Captain Mike Costello's new book; " Fly Fishing the California Delta ". Additionally, the book's photographer, John Sherman, will also be on hand to sign your book.

Publisher's Description

This is the first major book describing the techniques used for landing trophy striped bass and other species in California's famed Delta. Anglers from all over the country will learn how to fish the Delta's 2,000 levees and 1,200 miles of rivers as shown in 250 spectacular photos.

The California Delta has become a major new destination for trophy striped bass. Other species are also popular. There are more largemouth bass tournaments in the Delta than any other body of water in the world with total weight of bag limits exceeding any other watershed.

Features more than 250 spectacular photos and 6 maps.
Bass anglers from all over the country want to learn about this fishery.
Foreword by Ralph Cutter, author of Sierra Trout Guide and Fish food: A Fly Fisher's Guide to Bugs and Bait.

Table of Contents

The California Delta
History of Delta Fly Fishing
Seasons of the Delta
Fly Rod Game Fish of the Delta
Fly Fishing for Delta Stripers
Locating Delta Stripers
Fly Fishing for Delta Largemouth Bass
Fly Fishing for Delta Smallmouth & Spotted Bass
Fly Fishing for Delta King Salmon
Fly Fishing for Delta Panfish, Carp, & Catfish
Navigating & Fishing Delta Waters
Tips from Delta Captains
Future of the Delta
Catch Data

Just Arrived; New DVD " Rise; The Movie "

2009-11-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Fly Fishing and Technology; What's this number 37.653874,-120.993397 ?

2009-10-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Cut and paste this number; 37.653874,-120.993397 into Google maps and it will take you to: Sierra Anglers Fly Shop,700 McHenry Ave., Modesto, CA, USA, Earth. Cut and paste this; 38.255894,-119.224663 into Google maps and it will take you to a good place to eat breakfast ( Haye's Street Cafe ) in Bridgeport. Need to tell some friend about a secret spot such as this; 38.193329,-119.992163. Hah! You didn't really think I was going to give up one of my secret spots did you!
How do you do it? Just zoom in on Google maps, zoom down to as close as you need. If you zoom too close it may switch to " street view " which is also really cool. Then, right click on your mouse, then left click on " What's here ". Look in the box above and you will see the GPS coordinates to that spot. Here's the coordinates to the front door here at the shop; 37.653883,-120.993411 and here's the coordinates to the rear door ( 50 feet or so ); 37.653851,-120.99318 . Scary, isn't it?

Learn more about Google " Street View ".

Please post any suggestions or comments below.

First Snowfall, October 13, 2009

2009-10-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Tioga Pass cam from the Yosemite Association

Update for today, October 16, 2009: The passes have reopened!

The Sierra received it's first major snow storm of the 2009/2010 season two days ago. Ebbetts, Sonora, and Tioga Pass remain closed as of this morning October 15. Despite the warm storm, Mammoth Mountain received 26" of snow and will open to skiing tomorrow. It was a real " gully-washer " and some of the freestone rivers may be high and muddy. The good news is that what appeared to be a high fire danger fall has been averted!

Fly Fishing for Delta Bass with KD

2009-08-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Recently, a friend of mine, Mike Baisdon, and I had the pleasure of spending few hours with Captain Kevin ( KD ) Doran learning about pursuing largemouth bass with topwater flies in our California Delta. KD is a fly fishing guide for both largemouth bass and striped bass and he really likes to take these fish on topwater flies. He has definitely paid his dues pursuing these fish in the Delta. As the video shows, KD's approach to guiding is one that really provides the client with the intricacies of the why, where, and when of pursuing Delta largemouth bass ( and striped bass during the Fall and Winter months. You can learn more about KD and his guide service at DeltaAdventures.com.
PS he also guides for trout on some of our local rivers.

Optimum Flows

2009-07-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is the time that the best fishing in the Sierra occurs, just after the snow is all but gone and the water warms into the 50 degree plus range. Insect activity increases and the fish start to look up!

Repairing Simms Gore-Tex Waders

2009-06-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Simms Fishing Products' website has some good information about their products, especially information about product care. Besides the " Repairing Pinholes " seen in the video above, there is " Repairing small tears " and " Evaluation & repair of neoprene stockingfeet " as well as other videos.

Sierra Nevada Travel Log, May 24, 2009

2009-05-26T13:52:00.001-07:00

What started out to be a fishing trip turned into a tour of our Sierra Nevada. I drove up to Sonora Pass, then to Conway Summit, to Tioga Pass and then back home. I really enjoyed this drive on this beautiful late Spring day!

My first stop was the middle fork of the Stanislaus, where you can see from the video that the river was very high. It will probably be a month or so for the water to drop and warm sufficiently for fly fishing to be prime.

My next video/photo stop was at the top of Sonora Pass. As you can see there is still plenty of snow there. It seems that we may be in better shape than last year.

The next stop was along the West Walker past the Marine Base. The river was very high and had a fair amount of color.

I then drove to Bridgeport and drove past Bridgeport Reservoir to take a look at the East Walker on Memorial Day weekend. I was surprised that it wasn't very crowded, but still too many people for my taste.

I then headed south to Conway Summit.

I stopped at the overlook and took in the beautiful view overlooking Mono Lake. Viewing Mono Lake reminded me that just the day before I was speaking to someone about Clint Eastwood in the movie " High Plains Drifter ", you remember the one where the man with no name ( Clint Eastwood ) told the town's people to paint the town red. I told my friend that the town of Lago/Hell was built on the shores of Mono Lake. If you think I'm a little whacked, read about it here and here. B

They don't make 'em like they used to, do they!

After descending Conway Summit, I drove up Lundy Canyon to Lundy Lake.

As I ascended Tioga Pass I stopped at Ellery Lake. Ellery Lake was still about 60% covered with ice.

Even though I didn't fish, I really had a great time taking in the beauty of our Sierra Nevada.

Bass-N-Fly Tournament 2009

2009-05-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Bass-N-Fly Tournament took place May 15, 2009. It was won by my friends Mike Baisdon and Russ Owens. They not only took first place but they also took big fish honors! Last year they took second place, they also took big fish honors with a 10lb. 11 oz. monster ( read about it on my blog entry from last year ). About 40 boats entered the tournament. Congratulations, Russ and Mike!

Eastern Sierra-update May 22

2009-05-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tioga Pass was opened on Wednesday, May 20.

" Leavitt Meadows July 2006 "

Below is map to the exact location where the photo was taken.

View Larger Map

Sonora Pass was opened yesterday, Thursday, May 14. Flows out of the East Walker are currently at 160 c.f.s. ( perfect ). The river has been fishing very well but has been very crowded! Most of the other streams in the area will be high and poor fishing due to run-off. Below is an example of flow conditions, the West Walker's normal flow for this date ( average ) is 700 c.f.s. and is now averaging about a 1000 c.f.s. ( Click on the chart for a better image. )
The drive over the pass should be beautiful. I can't wait to go over!

Whiskey is for drinking,....

2009-04-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

..water is for fighting over. No more prophetic words than those of Mark Twain so many years ago. With the exploding population growth of our beautiful state, the recent low rainfall years has caused all sorts of water-related controversies to be raise their ugly heads. Water interests in their desperation to stop the decline of not only the endangered Delta smelt and many other native California fishes such a Silver Salmon, Chinook Salmon, and Steelhead, are now pointing their finger at non-native species such as Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass as a significant contributors to the decline of native species. They ignore or attempt to divert people's thinking that prior to the huge water diversions to the south state, populations of both native and non-native species coexisted in large numbers. There is now ( Assembly Bill 1253 ) an attempt to lift all limits of Striped Bass and allow the commercial harvest of the Striped Bass to reduce the numbers of predator species. The California Sport Fishing Alliance is leading the charge against the bill. You will be able to make feelings known by sending or faxing letters to the appropriate parties on the CSPA's website or on savedeltafish.com.

UPDATE: The bill was gutted due to a good showing by over 60 groups opposing the bill. Read more about it here. As the article says, " The water wars in California are just beginning."

The movie " Rivers of a Lost Coast " is coming to Modesto on April 16, 2009

2009-03-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Rivers of a Lost Coast from Skinny Fist on Vimeo.

" Rivers of a Lost Coast " is coming to Modesto's State Theatre on April 16, 2009. If you attended the Fly Fishing Film Tour at the State Theatre on March 5 you likely saw a segment of the movie. Here is what the movie's website has to say about the movie:

"At the turn of the 20th Century, a handful of pioneers carried their fly rods into California’s remote north coast and gave birth to a culture that would revolutionize their sport. For a select few, steelhead fly fishing became an obsessive pursuit without compromise.

Leading the pack was the mythical, Bill Schaadt, an off-kilter angler famous for his ruthless pursuit to be ‘in the fish’. The new endeavor was ruled by a demanding, unspoken code, which made 'breaking in' almost as difficult as 'breaking out'.

By the early 1980s, the Golden State’s coastal fisheries found themselves caught in a spiraling decline. As California searched for its disappearing salmon and steelhead, these men foraged for their souls."

Tickets are available here at the shop for $9.00 each or online at the State Theatre.

This movie is sponsored by the State Theatre and the Tuolumne River Trust, both non-profit organizations.

Here is a link to the State Theatre.
Here is a link to the Tuolumne River Trust.
Here is a link to " Rivers of a Lost Coast " website for more information on the movie.

February Snowfall

2009-02-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

The photos above are from Yosemite.org

Fortunately, February has been kind to us fly fishers ( and more importantly, the fish ). Mammoth Mountain has received 129" this month, bringing Mammoth's total this winter to 368". Last year's total for the entire year was 333". Let's prey that we get more!

2009 Fly Fishing Film Tour coming to Modesto

2009-01-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Fly Fishing Film Tour is a presentation of fly fishing video shorts. The tour will be here in Modesto on March 5, 2009 at the State Theatre. The videos are reminiscent of Warren Miller Ski Films, in fact some of the owners ( Drake Magazine ) of the tour were involved in Warren Miller Entertainment. Tickets will be available online, at the box office and here at Sierra Anglers ( $12.00 per ticket, $15.00 at the door ). The video is the promo for the 2008 film tour. The proceeds of the event will benefit " Rivers of Recovery ", a non-profit organization that provides fly fishing vacations for disabled veterans. Dan Cook, the director of Rivers of Recovery, will be making a personal appearance at the showing.

Here is their mission statement:

"Rivers of Recovery is dedicated to providing unique and meaningful recreational trips to disabled veterans, their families and the families of fallen soldiers at no cost to the participants. A nonprofit organization, Rivers of Recovery seeks to promote the building of self-confidence, foster a sense of empowerment, spark an enthusiasm for the outdoors and provide a sanctuary where enjoyment, relaxation and learning are the priorities.

Veterans and families from all armed forces and military eras are eligible.

Air Force ~ Army ~ Coast Guard ~ Marines ~ National Guard ~ Navy"

It's a great cause, I hope you will be able to attend.

Santa delivers as promised!

2008-12-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Fortunately, the snow that was forecast came in! The Mammoth Mountain ski area received 13" of new snow on Christmas Day. Their total so far this season is 176" inches of snow compared to last year's October to December total of about 72". Let's hope it keeps coming!

The photo above is from the Yosemite Association's live webcam this morning, December 26, 2008.

Merry Christmas! Santa to deliver this week.

2008-12-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

It looks as if Santa is going to deliver a great gift to us fishermen this Christmas week, rain and snow! With the lack of precipitation this year, the outlook will be much better with a wet week of weather forecast. One of my favorite weather links is the National Weather Service's Western Region Satellite page: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/ . Try the " animation " function.

Here is my favorite Doppler Radar page.

Here is one of my favorite links for river flows: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/rivcond.html

Have a Merry Christmas!

New product

2008-11-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

Simms Softshell Hoody

We've just received a new jacket from Simms. While very pricey at $219.95, this jacket is a great layering garment and many of the Delta striper guys coming into the shop feel that this will be the perfect jacket for those chilly, foggy days on our Delta. Since it is windproof, you will block the wind on those boat rides looking for stripers. Wearing this over layers of thermals and fleece or down you will very comfortable and dry. This jacket has very breathable Gore-tex membrane. It is not a waterproof rain jacket due to the fact that the seams are not sealed.

Soft yet rugged stretch nylon shell with soft and very warm microcheck backer
YKK® center-front zipper
Adjustable storm hood fits comfortably around a ball cap
1 Large zippered chest pocket
Zippered, polyester mesh-lined hand warmer pockets
Adjustable cuffs
Adjustable shock cord hem
Imported

New DVD's

2008-11-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have just received two great, new DVD's at the shop; " Drift: The Movie " and " Raising the Ghost ".

Above is the trailer for " Drift: The Movie " a very professionally produced video with some great music. I think it does a great job of capturing the joy and beauty that we seek ( and sometimes find ) in our pursuit of fish.

Above is the trailer for " Raising the Ghost ". These anglers are in pursuit of what some call the ultimate freshwater gamefish, steelhead! Steelhead are some of the most difficult of gamefish to catch, partly due to their rarity, partly due to encountering the proper conditions, and partly due to the fact that they are not actively feeding when they return on their spawning run. To make things more difficult, these anglers are trying to catch these steelhead on dry flies. They also encounter steelhead feeding on Green Drakes!

Winter arrives in the Sierra Nevada

2008-10-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this storm is the start of a winter of heavy snowfall. The image is an image from a livecam at the Tuolumne Meadows kiosk on October 31, 2008. Click here for this and other livecams from Yosemite National Park.

Lower Sacramento River

2008-10-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Guide Jason Thatcher reports on his website ( allriverfishing.com ) that the Sacramento River near Redding is producing a lot of trout now. This is a great time to fish the Sac, as the salmon are spawning and the trout go nuts for egg patterns.

Alaska's proposed Pebble Mine

2008-10-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

A very controversial subject in the fishing world is Alaska's proposed Pebble Mine. At stake is the world's greatest salmon fishery, the famous Bristol Bay region of Alaska. As with all mining operations ( this mine will become North America's largest open-pit mine ), tailings and toxic products used in the mining process become a potentially catastrophic ecological disaster. The low-grade ore that exist there requires processing huge amounts of materials to make the operation economically feasible.
Learn more about it:

A Day in the Life of a Fly Shop Owner

2008-09-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to man the shop for a couple of days due to a colonoscopy. After being subjected to a lot of locker-room humor, I found out it wasn't all that bad. Try it you might like it! Seriously, don't let your fears stop you, it may save your life.

Golden Trout

2008-07-02T19:20:00.001-07:00

Two friends of mine (Keith Veltkamp and Greg Whitley) recently made a trek for Golden Trout to the Little Kern River (a trip I will never be able to make, but that's another story). One thing (out of the many things) that I enjoy about operating a fly shop is people sharing their experiences in their pursuit of fish. Not all of their experiences are good! On this particular trip, Keith describes their hike in (and more importantly the hike out) from their destination. Packing a heavy pack and suffering through difficult terrain, resulting in painful blisters and the future loss of a toe nail, they achieved their objective of adding another species to their California Heritage Trout Challenge. The Challenge is to catch six California native trout species in their historic habitat. The photo is that of a Little Kern River Golden Trout. I quote Keith, " God knows how to paint them doesn't He ". No truer words than those.

Underwater Trout Photography

2008-06-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today, one of my earliest customers ( 1987 or so ), Andrew Maurer stopped by. Andrew is a graphic artist and photographer by profession that also happens to have a passion for trout and the beautiful places that they exist. The photos above are examples of his work. Andrew has spent a lot of time photographing trout underwater. Check out his beautiful work on his website troutstreamdesign.com. He also left some of his framed and matted photographs at the shop that are available for $120.00.

Fishing with Blob ( no, not me, Blob )

2008-06-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

After reading an article on the Trout Underground blog, I did a search on YouTube for fishing with " blob " flies. It's an apparently controversial fishing method in the U.K., some fishers are actually calling for it's ban due to it's effectiveness!!! You know the British, no casting blind, you must cast to rising fish only, you must be properly attired, etc. After all, when one fishes or hunts, it must be done ( in their opinion ) in sporting manner! After additional research, here is a link to tying a " blob ". After yesterday's fishing, I, for one, will try it.

Florida Fishing

2008-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Fishing buddy ( certified fishing nut! ) Frank Candito just returned from Florida . Pictured is a 20 lb. Jack that he caught on a popper. It's hard to tell from his expression if he was excited! He also landed a tarpon around 100 lbs. He did not get a picture of the tarpon as one can no longer pull a tarpon out of the water. He fished with guide Captain John Meskauskas ( website: StuartFlyFishin g.com ) out of Stuart, Florida.

First ever fly-rod-only bass tournament

2008-05-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

The very first fly-rod-only bass tournament was entered into the history books on Friday, May 30, 2008. It was held on the San Joaquin River Delta. Friends of mine, Mike Baisdon and Russ Owens placed second. Included in their 5 fish entry was an 11 pound, 10 ounce bruiser, shown above. They finished only 4 ounces out of first place. Good going Mike and Russ!
The tournament was conceived by the Bass-N-Fly Promotions organization. Their mission statement reads " Serving to expand the awareness and utilization of fly fishing techniques on black bass amongst fly anglers and conventional anglers alike " Click here to go to the Bass-N-Fly website.

Run-off 2008

2008-05-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

A strange weather year! After virtually no major storms in the Sierra since February, a late-season storm has resulted in low temperatures and snow in the high country and has resulted in a radical decrease in the snowmelt. The chart above are the flows on the West Walker River near the town of Coleville / Walker ( "Home of the World Famous Walker Burger" ). The river should be fishable until the warm temperatures return.

John Gierach's new book " Fool's Paradise "

2008-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

John Gierach's latest book, " Fool's Paradise " is in stock here at the store. I have a couple of signed copies left. I also stock nearly all of his back titles in paperback.

Pyramid Lake, May 4-5, 2008

2008-05-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Frank Candito and I had a great trip to Nevada's Lake Pyramid. It's native trout is the Lahontan Cutthroat trout. The lake is home to the world record Lahontan Cutthroat trout, a fish in excess of 40 lbs. This lake is an angler's best chance of a real trophy trout ( not an ugly hatchery-raised pet) within a 200 mile radius of Modesto. At this time of the year the trout flood into the shallows, mainly to find spawning areas. Unfortunately, the trout need a stream to spawn successfully, plus the water in the lake is too salty for spawning. We landed fish up to 27" and saw hundreds of large trout along the shoreline.

New Fly Fishing DVD: Soulfish

2008-04-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

This the latest DVD production by Burl Productions. Burl Productions was involved in Trout Bum Diaries, and Fish Eye Videos. Here is the synopsis from my vendor: " SOULFISH is fly-fishing's ultimate adventure. A multidimensional story about fly-fishing today & an in-depth look at some of the sport's most interesting characters. Experience what it's like & witness some of the most explosive and breathtaking footage ever captured from locations in: Brazil, Mongolia, Belize, Christmas Island, Louisiana, Florida Keys, Utah & California. 130 min."

Montana snow

2008-04-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Photo April 27, 2008, Reynolds Pass, Montana

Looks as if Montana, in contrast to us in California, has a large amount of snow. This year promises to be a great fishing year in the Rockies. Many places such as Reynolds Pass area ( click here for Montana Dept. of Transportation highway cameras ) near the Madison River below Hebgen still looks like a winter scene. Last year many of the Montana streams had closures due to low, warm water. Officials fear that flooding is of concern if the weather turns warm. Read a more here: " Mountain snowpack still growing deeper"

Tying a Pyramid Lake Glitter Midge w/ Andy Burk

2008-04-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Several anglers have been in the shop lately with reports about the great fishing at Pyramid Lake. Andy Burk of the Reno Fly Shop ( and of the now closed Truckee River Outfitters, in Truckee ) is one of the most prolific and innovative tyers in fly fishing these days. Here is a YouTube video about tying a popular fly for fishing under an indicator in Pyramid.

Ever heard of giant taimen?

2008-03-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

New item in our store

Fish Bums Volumn 1: Mongolia

The Angling Exploration Group (AEG Media ) visits Mongolia to fish for trout-eating taimen! The taimen is the world's largest salmonid, reaching a reported 80 plus inches and 231 pounds!??.

This DVD is available in our shop and in our eBay Store for $29.95