Issue: Winter 2026

The Winter 2026 issue is one of our most wide-ranging cold-season collections yet.

We begin in the Eastern Sierra, where the Upper Owens River takes center stage. In winter, this storied tailwater reveals its quiet power: empty banks, crystalline light, and trout that reward patience and precision. It’s a reminder that California’s fishing seasons never truly close—they simply change character.

From there, the issue unfolds. Dagur Gu∂mundsson profiles Sally Stoner, a trailblazer who helped reshape fly fishing at a time when few women were welcomed into the sport. George Revel digs into winter steelhead swing tactics, Mike Wier shares practical advice for untangling snarled line, and Conway Bowman continues our Urban Fly Fishing series with a look at San Diego. A warm-weather escape to Hawaii by Jon Ng rounds out the issue, where bonefish prowl turquoise flats far from winter’s grip.

In The Good Fight, CalTrout’s Charlie Schneider explains the real—and growing—potential to remove dams on the Eel River, and what that could mean for salmon, steelhead, and the future of one of California’s most important watersheds.