Written by Adam Bagger, CalTrout member
I first became involved with CalTrout roughly five years ago. As a former longtime California resident, I found the mission and initiatives of Curtis and the entire CalTrout team not only noble and inspiring, but also necessary. My business, Yonder, is a proud member of 1% for the Planet for that very reason, and we all believe strongly in the importance of conservation.
I live and breathe fly fishing. At this point in my life, it quite literally is me. I grew up on the East Coast with a fly rod in hand, and after moving West a decade and a half ago, I haven’t stopped fly fishing. To me, fly fishing can be summed up in four simple words: to catch is release. Nothing else catapults me into the moment quite like fly fishing. It’s the ultimate Zen, a simple dance of angler versus fish. And nothing else matters. My clients and colleagues frequently hear river background noise on our conference calls, and I feel lucky to have found that balance.
Many of my favorite angling memories are at Bollibokka on the McCloud River with the CalTrout team. One in particular involved my inaugural visit to Bolli, and fortunately my father flew 3,000 miles across the country to join me. There are a handful of truly special places out there, and Bolli’s stretch of the McCloud is one of them. Stalking the elusive McCloud Redband was a humbling experience for both of us; it’s one of the most intelligent and highly evolved fish I’ve ever netted. To share that memory with my father meant a great deal to me, and it’s a trip I look forward to every year.
I’m a firm believer in protecting existing strongholds across the globe, and CalTrout’s Protect the Best initiative in California resonates most with me. I was fortunate enough to work with renowned conservationist Guido Rahr of Wild Salmon Center on a project in the Russian Far East, and we had many conversations about the importance of stronghold protection in conjunction with habitat restoration. The McCloud River is one of those strongholds.
I am very passionate about fish. In fact, ‘fish’ was my first word as a child. To me, the work of CalTrout is the embodiment of legacy –– protecting and restoring natural habitats not only to benefit fish, but also for the benefit of future generations. That’s very inspiring to me. The McCloud holds top honor in my book, but I’ve also had very memorable days on the Klamath, Trinity, and Elk. And as a 12-year resident of Los Angeles, I’d frequently find myself in the Eastern Sierras skulking along the banks of the Lower Owens with my good friend and guide Pat Jaeger.
It’s a true honor to be able to participate in and contribute to such a noble and necessary cause. As a passionate angler and fellow human being on this wonderful planet of ours, I feel it’s my duty to do my part as best I can. Conservation is as important to me in my daily life as fly fishing, because the two go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. Angling aside, it’s imperative that we don’t turn a blind eye to protecting and restoring our natural hydrologic systems. Healthy rivers are integral to sustaining all living organisms, ourselves included.
We can all make a difference.
Complete the form below to be added to our volunteer database, with options to choose your interest areas and availability. You’ll be added to our volunteer mailing list and notified when there are opportunities in your region. Commitment levels vary, with some opportunities requiring more in depth training, while others you only need to show up.
Thank you for your interest in the Eel River Forum! We looking forward to sharing meeting updates and other info from the Eel River watershed with you as they develop.
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Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! We looking forward to sharing project updates, news, and stories with you from the Big Chico Creek watershed as they develop.
Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! One of our staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Let us know if you are interested in volunteering and we will get in contact with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your interest in the Elk River! One of our North Coast Region staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
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.