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!
