Description

Fall is one of the best times to be a fly fisher in California. Cooler days, changing colors, and hungry fish give us plenty of reasons to get on the water—and this Fall 2026 issue offers plenty of ideas for where to go and how to fish once you’re there.

• Our Spotlight on the Middle Fork Stanislaus explores 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.
• In Tips & Techniques, we help you identify the bugs trout love, present the third and final installment of “Why Fly Lines Matter” with a look at Spey lines, and follow one angler’s journey into streamer fishing.

There’s plenty more inside, from conservation and California’s native trout to the people and places that make fly fishing here unlike anywhere else. Enjoy!