the Old Fly Shop

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a vast maze of rivers, sloughs and backwaters encompassing over 1200 miles of shoreline. All of the Western slope rivers in California eventually flow from the Sierras, through the valley and eventually gather to form this huge estuary. This is the highway that all the anadromous fish that enter our valley rivers must navigate to return to their feeding and spawning grounds. These include King Salmon, Steelhead, Striped Bass and Shad. These species, along with resident Large and Smallmouth bass, are the ones that we fly fisherman target. Centrally located, the Delta is just a short trip away! If you haven't experienced this wonderful fishery, let us at American Fly Fishing Co. be your guide! Spring With warming water temps. and higher river flows, the spring migration of Stripers begins! March through May is the peak of the run, with fish heading up the valley rivers, some to summer over in the cooler flows. This is also time for some of the best Large and Smallmouth fishing as they also spawn and feed heavily after the cold winter. Summer From June through August, it's primarily the resident bass that get most of the attention with some great top-water action on hand. Large numbers of smaller Striped Bass are still around with some larger ones in the mix. There is an overlap of spring fish moving out after the spawn, along with some that seem to stay in fresh water all year. This varies each season and we at American Fly Fishing Co. are always up to date on local trends! Fall The fall run of Stripers usually starts around the end of August with cooling water temps. The fish move in to feed heavily on the large schools of bait fish that have been growing all summer. The resident Large and Smallmouth bass are also fattening up to prepare for the colder winter temps. This period through Dec. is the most consistent of the year... It's not unusual to see schools of Stripers chasing bait to the surface where all you have to do is get your fly there and WHAM, you're hooked up again! This is not a time to miss and must be booked early in order to assure first pick of best tides. Don't wait! Winter This is basically a continuation of the fall. Depending on water temps. and clarity, we've seen the good fishing continue nearly non-stop until spring! Some of the biggest fish of the year are often caught in Dec. and Jan. Again, this is dependent on water temp. and visibility. We know what's happening on a daily basis so just ask. California Delta Gear & Equipment List We offer a variety of fishing packages on the California Delta:Premium Power Boat for $475All rates based on 2 anglers1/2 day Premium is 4 hours on water(no food)Additional anglers where possible $50Specify requested guide date below.

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First-time fishing enthusiasts and expert anglers alike will find the tools to create the perfect trip in Foghorn Outdoors California Fishing. Award-winning author and veteran outdoorsman Tom Stienstra gives expert advice on the best fishing in the Golden State's lakes, rivers, streams, coasts, and reservoirs. This updated seventh edition offers profiles for each area, complete with ratings of each area's quality and quantity of fish, and information on facilities, fees, and regulations. Complete with maps and portraits of California's top sport fish, including suggestions for tackle and rigging, time-tested tricks, and the best places to find them, this comprehensive guide will invaluably enhance any experience. Whether you're fishing for largemouth bass on Lake Antonio or salmon along the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll find that Foghorn Outdoors California Fishing is the best guidebook available.

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TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction Page 8Chapter 1: Wild Trout Page 10Chapter 2: How to Fish a Lake Page 12Chapter 3: On the Water Page 16Chapter 4: Bugs and Their Imitations Page 23Northern CaliforniaChapter 5: The Alturas Area Page 28Chapter 6: Stone Lagoon and Big Lagoon Page 38Chapter 7: Lewiston Lake and Grass Valley Creek Reservoir Page 44Chapter 8: The Redding Area Page 50Chapter 9: Big Lake, Eastman Lake, and Baum Lake Page 58 Chapter 10: Eagle Lake Page 64The Northern Sierra NevadaChapter 11: The Lake Almanor Area Page 72Chapter 12: Lake Davis and Frenchman Lake Page 82Chapter 13: The Lakes Basin Page 88Chapter 14: The Truckee Area Page 92The Eastern Slope of the Sierra NevadaChapter 15: The Markleeville Area Page 98Chapter 16: The Bridgeport Area Page 108Chapter 17: The Mammoth Lakes Area Page 114One for the RoadChapter 18: Indian Valley Reservoir Page 122Index: Page 126EXCERPTS: Book Introduction Chapter The inclination of most fly-line anglers in California is to fish moving water. That's a shame, because there are bigger trout in this state's lakes and reservoirs. It's all very logical. Trout in stillwaters don't have to work as hard fighting currents as those in streams and rivers. Many lakes are extremely rich in insect life, not to mention minnows, so there is plenty of food for trout. The result: In the best of the California lakes, trout just cruise around slurping up food and getting bigger and bigger and bigger. So why are you still fishing for small trout in small streams? Don't answer that! I do it, too, and thoroughly enjoy small-stream fishing. But there comes a time in the life of a serious angler, fly-line aficionado or not, when catching big fish becomes important. My intention in this book is to give you the basics of how to do it and to tell you where the best public stillwater fly fishing for trout in California can be found. Picking the best fishing depends on much more than just the angling. There's the scenery, the atmosphere of the area, all the things that go together to make up the experience. Then there are my own biases, which, despite efforts to be nonjudgmental, certainly creep into what I write. It's hard to forget a great day on a specific body of water, even when that water is not usually so generous to anglers. And there is the question of how to determine the best of anything. It is only fair that you should know the general guidelines that we-photographer Rick E. Martin and I-used to pick what lakes to write about and photograph. First, it is hard for me to get excited about put-and-take lakes that offer nothing more than stocked hatchery trout. However, in many cases, stocked trout are the base for what becomes a fine fishery. Davis, Eagle, and Crowley Lakes are examples. Some of these planted trout are able to survive for years, growing steadily larger, so although they may have started life in a concrete pen, they flourish in the wild to become wily monsters that are tough to catch. In other lakes, trout, stocked or wild, may have access to feeder streams that allow spawning. Often there isn't enough breeding habitat to keep a healthy trout population by itself, but it does guarantee a good mixture of hatchery and wild trout for the angler. Another criterion is access. There are some fine lakes for hiking anglers, but this book sticks to stillwaters that for the most part can be reached by road. There are exceptions, such as Kirman Lake, that require some hiking, but even these bodies of water don't demand a strenuous, multiday, or even multihour journey to and fro. However, when reporting on specific areas, in some cases we do mention the best of the hike-in lakes in the vicinity. It's up to you whether you want to try them. Then there is the question of size and depth. Realistically, big, deep lakes generally aren't the best bet for fly-line anglers. Sure, there are lots of trout in Lake Shasta and Lake Tahoe, and under certain circumstances and at certain times of year, they can be caught on a fly. But why spend time dredging difficult water when within an hour's drive of either lake there is first-rate stillwater fishing? The same holds true for the many reservoirs that grace the foothills of the Central Valley. They have trout, but except for the spring or fall, when the fish usually are in the shallows, the trout hold deep because of the hot temperatures that warm the surface water. Now if you want to fish for bass.but that's another book. Geography also plays a role. There isn't much in the way of trout fishing in Southern California. Nor is the west slope of the Sierra Nevada as productive as the nutrient-rich east slope. The logical result: The best trout lakes for the most part are in Northern California and on the east slope of the Sierra. Last of all, I blushingly admit that I don't know everything about every trout lake in California. Numerous first-rate fly fishers, some of them guides, some of them just folks who love to fish, have been invaluable in providing information for this book. Even when dealing with lakes that I know well and have fished for years, I quizzed other anglers who fish them regularly. In some cases, these anglers are quoted by name, particularly when their name is synonymous with a body of water, like Jay Fair and Eagle Lake. Not only is it proper to give them credit, but it also gives you, the reader, a chance to hear what they say about the lake in their own words. Interested? Then come join the hunt for big fish in California Stillwaters.ABOUT THE AUTHORBill Sunderland has been a fly-fisherman since he learned the sport from his father in Idaho a half-century ago. He's been a journalist/writer almost that long, serving as a foreign correspondent, political writer, editor and newspaper owner/publisher before concentrating his writing on fishing. He is author of three books on fly fishing, including (with Dale Lackey) California Blue Ribbon Trout Streams, Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada and the just-published Fly Fishing California Stillwaters. Sunderland retired as outdoor columnist for the San Jose Mercury News in 1995 and now is a regular contributor to California Fly Fisher and other magazines. He also is a guide for Fishabout, a fly-fishing travel agency in Los Gatos, leading tours to the Amazon, Argentina and Costa Rica, among other places. Sunderland lives in Shelter Cove on California's Lost Cost, where when not traveling he spends as much time as weather allows fishing in the ocean.

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Both fresh water and salt, from panfish to blue sharks! With text and photography, Dan details eleven great waters including for each: a brief history of the area; productive techniques; proper equipment; fish species you'll encounter; hot-spots; best seasons and flies; and so much more. Locations include: San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, the California Delta, Fall River, the North Coast rivers, Nacimiento, and more. 8.5x11 inches, 87 pgs.Foreward by Ken Kanley No one knows these waters better than native Californian and Fly Fishing Hall of Famer, Dan Blanton, who has been plying them for more than 45 years; and who has been writing about and photographing them for 35 years. Considered a leading flyfishing pioneer, Dan knows what he writes about, and after reading this book, you will have gained a wealth of flyfishing experience, history, and knowledge.

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Northern California's beautiful scenery is surpassed only by its exciting trout, steelhead, and salmon fishing. If you are interested in fishing Northern California's wilderness destinations and remote backcountry-both coastal and inland-then Fly Fishing Northern California Waters is for you. Lily Tso Wong has explored more than a thousand premier and lesser-known lakes and streams in the area.More than just a how-to and where-to fishing guide, Fly Fishing Northern California Waters includes: geological, geographical, and topographical features; historical information; map resources; access points; detailed maps; fish species and habitat; fishing strategies; reading water; aquatic insects; fish distribution; and much more. You will find this book is indispensable. 8 1/2 x 11 inches, 160 pages, color insert. ABOUT THE AUTHORLily Tso Wong, Ph.D., is a native of California. For over two decades, she ventured into countless challenging and rewarding watersheds in Northern California and the High Sierras. A fly-fishing instructor at the American River College and Sacramento City College, Lily is the recipient of the California Fly Fishers Unlimited 1991 Distinguished Member Award. The award stems from her many years of outstanding leadership serving as President, President-Elect, Vice President, Newsletter Editor, and Outings Chairperson. She is the seventh member to receive the honorable award from over 200 memberships since the club's inception in 1962. Lily participated as guest speaker at the Federation of Fly Fishers' International Conclave in Oregon, numerous Northern California Fly Fishing clubs, and other organizations. Her fly-fishing skills touch on where, when, and how to fly-fish for salmon, trout, and steelhead in California waters. Besides taking pleasure fishing her favorite waters, she has led large groups of fly-fishers to many trout and steelhead waters.Dr. Wong's articles have appeared in several issues of fly-fishing. One of her primary interests in fly-fishing is to investigate fish habitat and how each species of fish adapts to changing conditions in nature's ecological surroundings. This led to spectacular fishing adventures in primary and lesser-known waters throughout California. In addition, Lily adds new touches of creativeness to her fly tying skills by creating her own favorite fly patterns with confidence. Lily credits the fly patterns she designs to her artistic background.

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The 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.This is the first major book describing the techniques used for landing trophy striped bass and other species in California's famed Delta. With more than 2,000 levees and 1,200 miles of rivers, this is a vast watershed to explore.We are pre-selling this book & most of our initial shipment is already sold. Order your copy right now to assure delivery of this fantastic book.

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This is the first comprehensive guide to flyfishing Northern California.WATERS COVEREDSeth covers the rivers, spring streams, lakes, ponds, and private waters, including the Upper and Lower Sacramento, Yuba, Owens, Fall, McCloud, and Trinity rivers, among many others. There are detailed river maps for each river, showing mileage, access, and camping facilities. Seth and local experts from each river describe the river and how and when to fish it. They cover the fish, tackle and technique, hatches, patterns, water flows, wading, fish per mile, and much more. A complete listing of fly shops, guides, outfitters, lodges, motels, restaurants, along with airports, car rental and repair, and hospitals is included. Illustrated with maps and photographs.

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A very affordable mosquito head net for those Alaskan fishing trips.

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Featuring 35 Northern California rivers. Finally, the ultimate book for Northern California anglers! Detailed maps covering over 1000 miles of river! Included for each river are the best seasons, species, available illustrated fishing methods (both fly and gear), best flies and best gear for individual rivers and species, fly hatches, knots, launches, parks, number of hookups per year, size of runs, parks, services, guides. 11 x 15 inches, 48 pages, 35 maps, illustrations, all color

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Floats like a cork & stings like a mosquito. You know what? They are everywhere and trout love them. We have been fishing this fly for the past year and it has been extremely productive where ever we have used it.

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