Sacramento’s Capitol Lawn was home to CalTrout’s Second Annual Casting Call event, which on June 29th, brought together CalTrout and Trout Unlimited staff, members and legislators.
With poster-sized Joe Tomelleri native salmonid images decorating the walkway and fish flags blowing in the breeze, CalTrout and Trout Unlimited came together for a day of fun, casting practice — and to focus on the state of California’s unique trout, steelhead and salmon.
Sporting “I Cast” stickers, attendees enjoyed complimentary refreshments of fresh lemonade, Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream, and ‘Chinookie Cookies’ (sugar cookies cut in the shape of salmon).
The highlight of the event was a friendly casting competition between legislators. Republican Senators Bob Huff, Tom Harmon and Tom Berryhill tested their fly casting skills against the formidable Democratic duo of Assemblyman Jared Huffman and Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro.
Amid the friendly banter — and the welcome respite from tense budget negotiations among legislators — Senator Harmon underscored his support for the work of CalTrout and Trout Unlimited in protecting fish and fisheries throughout California.
Assemblyman Huffman expressed appreciation for the state’s two leading fisheries conservation groups working together in Sacramento.
“Casting Call is a special partnership between Trout Unlimited and California Trout” said Curtis Knight, California Trout’s Conservation Director.
“These two conservation organizations are the only ones dedicated solely to restoring and conserving California’s remarkable native trout, steelhead, and salmon. Casting Call is an annual event targeted to legislators and staffers to raise awareness of California’s freshwater fisheries and ongoing conservation and restoration efforts to preserve them” he added.
“This was our second Casting Call event and it was really successful and a lot of fun,” said Chuck Bonham, Trout Unlimited’s California Director.
“We appreciate all the Sacramento Legislative staff and legislators who came out to participate and learn about what we can do for our State’s unique trout, steelhead and salmon. And yes, go ahead on plan on third annual Casting Call next year,” said Bonham.
Join our combined membership of 15,000 conservationists and sportsmen and women in a “Casting Call” to protect and restore our state’s coldwater fisheries. We must ensure that our kids — and theirs — will be able to enjoy California’s trout, steelhead, and salmon in their native habitat. And, by responsibly conserving our trout and salmon, we will also protect the quality of our water and environment and the many communities whose economies depend on fishing.
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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.
1 Comment
As a woman flyfisher since 4 and currently active fishing a lot in the Sierra I am shocked that CAL FIRE is shying away from dealing with the negative impacts on our watersheds/streams from the clearcut logging that is widespread and at a shocking level and the herbicides and other poisons used in the clearcutting process to defoliate and prevent regrowth of vegetation other than pine trees. The front page article in the Sacramento Bee showed the issue to salmon in Battle Creek, CA. Conservancie groups all over that are interested in salmon spawn streams are moving in where they can to buy up the forest land that has been and is continuing to be clearcut to save these rivers and streams. Does CAL Trout for some reason have members of the Board who have perhaps a conflict of interest in this matter?