Exception to the norm!

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! )

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

 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!

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

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

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 "

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.

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