Welcome to the Fall 2026 issue of California Fly Fisher.
When I relaunched California Fly Fisher a little more than two years ago, one of my goals was pretty simple: I wanted to become a better fly fisher.
Two years later, I’ve come to an important realization: I need to pace myself.
There is simply so much to learn.
Bugs alone could keep me occupied for years. Add knots, fly lines, casting techniques, reading water, native species, stillwater, saltwater, Spey—and whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing when everyone else on the river seems to be catching fish—and I’ve accepted that this is going to take a while.
Fly fishing, I’m discovering, is a marathon, not a sprint.
That may be one of the things I like most about it. There is always another layer to peel back, and this issue offers plenty.
Our Spotlight on the Middle Fork Stanislaus takes us through a river shaped by geology, history, hatches, wildlife, and a complicated system of dams and diversions. On Shasta Lake, we trade trout streams for the state’s largest reservoir and a remarkable winter fishery. Elsewhere, we dig into the bugs trout eat, why fly lines matter, the challenges facing Southern California steelhead, and the work being done to restore smaller streams that are easy to overlook.
And then there are the fish themselves. Our continuing look at California’s native trout takes us to Lahontan cutthroat—another reminder of just how much diversity we have in our own backyard.
Fortunately, fly fishing seems to attract people who are remarkably willing to share what they know. I’ve learned from guides, fly-shop owners, biologists, writers, club members, and plenty of anglers I’ve met on the water. I may never run out of things to learn, but I’m also unlikely to run out of people willing to teach me.
We saw that firsthand last month during our Heritage Trout Challenge Roundtable over Zoom. Roger Bloom, Mark Erickson, and Patrick Samuel shared the history, science, and experience behind the Challenge, while anglers joined the conversation with stories of their own. If you missed it, you can watch the recording at CalFlyFisher.com/roundtable or scan the QR code below.
I still want to become a better fly fisher. I’m just a little less impatient about getting there.
There will always be another knot to learn, another bug to identify, another technique to try, and another piece of water to figure out.
I’m learning to enjoy the long haul.
Speaking of which, I still need to learn to double haul.
