On Sunday April 14, CalTrout staff were honored to participate in a fun-filled day of engaging youth in fly fishing with Trout Unlimited’s John Muir and Golden Gate chapters, San Jose Flycasters, Grizzly Peak Flycasters, Diablo Valley Flyfishers, Peninsula Fly Fishers, Oakland Casting Club, Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club, Lost Coast Outfitters, and other volunteers with the Bay Area Youth Fly Fishers.

The Bay Area Youth Fly Fishers is a collaborative partnership of Bay Area Fly Fishing and Conservation organizations dedicated to enabling a new generation of fly fishers and conservation minded youth.

The event drew 46 local youth and their parents to participate in a day of outreach, education, and fun at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club ponds in Golden Gate Park.

Participants got to meet and learn casting techniques firsthand from Maxine McCormick, a local young woman who became a fly casting world champion.

Youth moved between stations focused on conservation and aquatic life, fly tying, knots and rigging, and casting through the morning and early afternoon, while their parents had a chance to engage with representatives from each organization and collect more information.

This great event and additional events throughout the year will be held around the Bay Area at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club’s Golden Gate Park casting ponds, the Oakland Casting Club’s Leona Casting Pools  and at the Flycasters of San Jose Los Gatos Creek County Park Casting Ponds.  The next event in what will become a series is May 11 in Campbell, CA:

https://www.youthflyfishers.org/calendar-1/2019/5/11/san-jose-bayff-event.

 We look forward to continuing to support the efforts of the Bay Area Youth Fly Fishers and its member organizations and expanding our youth and family for conservation awareness through this and other efforts.

Scholarship Opportunity for Youth

The Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen have established the annual Frank Harris Youth Fly Fishing Scholarship in memory of a founding member of the Bay Area Youth Fly Fishers. This is an annual scholarship to The Fly Shop’s five-day FishCamp™ at its well-established and beautiful Antelope Creek facility north of Redding, Calif. The scholarship is open to all girls and boys aged 10-13 residing in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.

Frank was passionate about the value of getting kids outdoors and having fun through learning the skills of fly fishing and appreciating nature. Frank has one of the founders of the Bay Area Youth Fly Fishers program and was instrumental in its success. This is a fitting way to honor his legacy and his contributions to our Bay Area communities.

The Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen’s Frank Harris Memorial Scholarship to the Fly Shop’s FishCamp the week of June 17, 2019 is open to ALL youth 10-13 years old who reside in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. They do not need to have any affiliation to the DVFF group.

Photos by Mike Wier.