When most people think of the Palm Desert area they think of golf, tennis, hiking, or music festivals. Rarely, if at all, do they think of fly fishing. That changed last weekend when California Trout and Clearwater Lodge descended upon the Coachella Valley for the 4xFAR event presented by Land Rover.
The event took place at the just-completed Empire Grand Oasis and gave attendees a mash-up of lifestyle, culinary, and live music experiences. Along with being the first to test out the all-new Land Rover Defender on an off-road course built just for the event, they had the opportunity to learn fly casting and fly tying at the CalTrout tent. Event attendance was extremely healthy with an eclectic mix of Land Rover owners and music festival-goers
Casting and tying instruction was provided by John Fochetti and Ryan Avezzie from Clearwater Lodge. The 30-minute sessions were one of the more popular activities at the event and were at capacity from morning to night. They also learned about CalTrout’s efforts across the state to keep our fish and rivers healthy for future generations.
“Most of the festival-goers that stopped by had never cast a fly rod before and certainly had never tied a fly. It was great to expose so many new people to the sport of fly fishing and the importance of protecting the natural resources our fish and people depend on,” shared Tracey Diaz, CalTrout’s Development and Communications Director. “We were excited that most visitors were from the LA and Orange County area where we’re working to increase our awareness and make the connection to the source waters far north of them that are vital to their way of life.”
Thanks to John and Ryan from Clearwater Lodge for introducing so many new participants to the sport and to Redington for supplying the rods. Also thanks to the 4XFAR team at EventUs and Outside Magazine for the opportunity to participate in the unique event and bring fly fishing to the desert.
We look forward to next year!
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.