On Sunday August 5,2018, CalTrout led a Fly Fishing 101 event at Lake Piru in the Santa Clara River watershed.
About 18 scouts and parents from Boy Scout Troup 799 – Thousand Oaks, CA learned the basics of fly rods, reels, lines and leaders; and how to fly-cast. Additionally, they also learned how to read the water and tie essential knots; how to identify insects and imitation fly patterns that trout love to eat; and fundamentals of stream ecology.
The class was taught by Sandi Jacobson and Russell Marlow of the South Coast region. Pictured above is Russell showing a scout how to cast.
Thanks to the Fly Stop in San Diego, CA for donating supplies and a camo hat to the winner of the fly-casting competition; and LL Bean and Golden State Flycasters for fly-rod combos.
Here are the scouts testing their new skills out on the water. They all got some time on the water but it was a little too windy for using hooks to catch fish.
We hope all the Scouts had a great time learning how to cast and about stream Ecology. Thank you to our South Coast staff and our sponsors for putting on a great event. Until next time!
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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.