California Confluences: David Pellone and the NCCFFI

In popular media, fly fishing has long been depicted as a solitary sport, a common image being a lone angler, no one else visible, fishing a river in what is often a wilderness setting. And in fact, this is what many of us seek when we go fishing, the opportunity to leave, if only for a short while, the workaday world and immerse ourselves in the challenges and beauty we find when pursuing fish.

But fly fishing also has a history of gregariousness, of anglers gathering together in clubs to talk fishing, tie flies, hear presentations, organize trips, improve their skills, and, really, just hang out with others of similar inclinations. California has nearly 60 fly-fishing clubs, and across the United States are several hundred more.

In the early 1960s, clubs in California, Washington, and Oregon, plus the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers in New York City, began exploring the possibility of forming a national fly-fishing organization. By 1965, the Federation of Fly Fishers was a reality, with its general mission to “ensure the legacy of fly fishing for all fish in all waters continues by focusing on conservation, education and a sense of community.” Clubs in the Federation are grouped regionally into councils, two of which are in California: the Southwest Council (the president of which we’ll interview in our next issue) and the Northern California Council, which has David Pellone as its president, and who is interviewed here.

Richard: Although this interview is focusing on the Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International, which is the new name of the Federation of Fly Fishers, let’s begin by getting a sense of the person who’s talking. How did you get started in fly fishing, and what led to your involvement in the NCCFFI?

David: Approaching retirement, I considered various new things to do as hobbies. One that I chose was fly fishing. What I like about it is that it is a sport that takes skill, the people and clubs are mostly environmentally inclined, and it brings me into beautiful, remote areas. I started taking lessons at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club in San Francisco and eventually joined it. Looking for more fishing outings, I also joined the Peninsula Fly Fishers and the Flycasters of San Jose.

I served on the Peninsula Fly Fishers’ board of directors for two years as the treasurer and three years on the Flycasters’ board of directors, finishing as president during its fiftieth anniversary, which also was the fiftieth anniversary of the International Federation of Fly Fishers. I later served as the Flycasters’ representative to and a director of the Northern California Council of the International Federation of Fly Fishers. As Ken Brunskill was retiring as president, I stepped up and became the new president in 2016.

dave — DAVE PELLONE IS PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF FLY FISHERS INTERNATIONAL, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES THE SPORT OF FLY FISHING.

Richard: What is the mission of the Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International? Has this mission been evolving over the years?

David: The Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International covers the geographic region of clubs in Northern California, Northern Nevada, and Hawaii (which has no current clubs). We are one of the 17 councils in the United States that are part of Fly Fishers International. The Northern California Council’s mission is to represent our member clubs, as well as unaffiliated individuals and clubs; cultivate and advance the art, science, and sport of fly fishing consistent with the preservation and use of fishing resources; promote conservation, education, community, and the restoration of fisheries; elevate the standard of integrity, honor, courtesy, and fellowship of anglers everywhere; and keep members, clubs, and the public informed of developments of interest in fishing and habitat. These mission items have been evolving with the advances in technology and present/ past directors’ experience.

Richard: Up until recently, Fly Fishers International was known as the Federation of Fly Fishers. Why the change in name? Has the Federation’s structure and mission changed, as well? How does FFI differ from organizations such as Trout Unlimited and California Trout?

David: The organization was established in 1965 as the Federation of Fly Fishers, and the named was changed in 2013 to the Federation of Fly Fishers International, reflecting the growth and scope to include international organizations. The leadership changed in 2016, resulting in an effort to engage a marketing consulting firm to perform research and advise the board of directors how to begin a rebranding strategy. This resulted in a name change in 2017 to Fly Fishers International, Inc.

Fly Fishers International is a fly fishing organization encompassing all aspects of fly fishing around the world. CalTrout is a conservation and advocacy organization representing California fisheries, and Trout Unlimited is first and foremost a conservation organization.

Richard: Fly Fishers International and its Northern California Council are basically organizations of fly-fishing clubs. Historically, fly-fishing clubs were a useful way for people to learn how to fly fish and tie flies, and they obviously played an important social role, as well, with trips, conclaves, and award banquets. We are now in an era, however, when information and instruction are easily available through the Internet. Given the presence of YouTube and blogs and Facebook, is the role of fly-fishing clubs changing?

David: The role of fly-fishing clubs basically has not changed over time. They provide education in casting, fly tying, and water strategy, in addition to staging fishing events and promoting social camaraderie. However, both the clubs and the council are making use of blogs, YouTube, and Facebook to disseminate information and augment their efforts. By the way, the FFI’s website is at www.flyfishersinternational.org. They have a page for the council, which is www.flyfishersinternational.org/Councils/NorthernCalifornia/tabid/261/Default.aspx.

Richard: Advocacy and activism on conservation issues have always gone hand in hand with the promotion of fly fishing in California. The NCCFFI clearly plays a role on this front. What are some of its achievements, and what are its most important current initiatives?

David: Our council’s conservation and advocacy achievements include monitoring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s relicensing of the New Exchequer and McSwain Dams on the Merced, also Don Pedro Dam on the Tuolumne River; opposing HR 934, which allowed expansion of McClure Reservoir; supporting efforts by Coastal Habitat Education Environmental Restoration (CHEER); continuing to monitor and support removal of four dams on the Klamath River; obtaining a grant for Putah Creek; and supporting grants/payments for preparing a fisheries management plan for the Smith River that is now being finalized and that will be given to and used by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

As for our educational activities, the NCC is the birthplace and home to the Veterans First Fly-Fishing program, which teaches casting and fly tying twice monthly at Veterans Administration facilities in and around the Bay Area and sponsors fishing events for these same veterans at small lakes in the Bay Area twice annually, where they have breakfast and lunch and catch and take home up to two planted trout.

The NCC and our members have also been heavily involved in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP), where a teacher obtains a permit from the CDFW to implement the program in their classroom. Our members, often through a local club, assist the teacher with obtaining the aquarium, then the CDFW provides trout eggs that the students observe emerging into the fry stage. These clubs often serve as a consultant during this process and in some cases go into the classroom for the five weeks when the fish are developing to talk about the importance of why trout, salmon, and steelhead need clean, cold water. This is a great conservation tool for ensuring that our future generations become fly fishers and environmentalists.

Richard: What future challenges do you see confronting the NCCFFI and fly fishers in general? What are the challenges that affect the ability of the NCCFFI to achieve its mission?

David: One of our primary challenges is breaking people’s dependence on social media and entice them to experience the beauty of the outdoors. Fly fishing is something one has to experience in real time. It is a tactile experience, one that cannot be synthesized through a virtual simulation. We can change the myth that fly fishing is expensive, help to provide starting rods, reels, lines and flies, and show that wet wading with nylon pants and sneakers is viable and inexpensive.

Fundraising is a growing problem with clubs and the council. The Bay Area, especially, and the rest of Northern California are very expensive places to live. Traffic is also a hindrance to attending club meetings and events. People’s hectic schedules also hinder membership: both parents work, their commutes eat up time, and their children are active in school and sports events.

Richard: It’s something of a truism that fisheries are unlikely to be well protected if anglers aren’t fishing them and speaking up about their problems. If fly fishers are interested in exploring California’s angling opportunities, what advice would you give them when searching for interesting experiences?

David: California has more great streams, rivers, and lakes populated with trout, salmon, steelhead, bass, panfish, and other species than any other state, so the advice I would give to novices as well as to other fly fishers is to think of a part of the state you would like to explore, use the Internet to look up a fly shop in that area, call or e-mail that shop, and inquire about which stream, what time of year, what fly and technique would provide the best luck — then go do it! For example, California has 11 species of native trout, more than any other state. If you want a fun project, take the CDFW’s Heritage Trout Challenge. Catch and photograph six of these species in their native drainages, and you’ll receive a personalized certificate featuring the art of Joseph Tomelleri. Those who have completed this have glowing reports of the experience.

Richard: You’re surely busy as president of the Northern California Council. Do you ever get to fish? Where, when, and for what?

David: I try to fish at least once per month from spring to fall. I have fished for steelhead on the Klamath, Feather, and Trinity Rivers and this past February on the Olympic Peninsula. Also, the eastern foothill streams are some of my favorite places, as are the Sacramento and Truckee Rivers, as well as Hat Creek and the Burney area. Lakes are places that are harder for me to get to, but I enjoy the eastern Sierra fisheries. I have fished six rivers in Montana and plan to fish Idaho and Oregon while traveling to and from the 2018 FFI conclave in Boise.

Richard: We have arrived at the Silly Tree Question, and this is going to be a bit weird, because I’ve never asked it of an organization before: If the NCCFFI were a tree, what kind of tree would it be?

David: A bristlecone pine — it shows endurance, lives long, and is rare, found only in the most peaceful and beautiful surroundings of the White Mountains.

Fly-Fishing Clubs in Northern California and Northern Nevada

Fly-fishing clubs can be found in many areas of Northern California, and there’s a good chance that at least one is situated within a reasonable drive of your home. This list, provided by the Northern California Council of

Fly Fishers International, represents all the clubs they know of in their region, which includes Northern Nevada. To learn more about particular clubs, visit their websites.

Amador Fly Fishers (Jackson), www.amadorflyfishers.org

Auburn Flycasters, website unknown

Carson Fly Fishing Club (Carson City, NV), www.carsonflyfishingclub.com

California Fly Fishers Unlimited (Sacramento), www.cffu.org

Chico Area Fly Fishers, chicoareaflyfishers.org

Delta Flyfishers (Stockton), www.deltaflyfishers.com/index.html

Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen, Walnut Creek, www.diablovalleyflyfish.org

E. C. Powell Fly Fishers (Yuba City), www.facebook.com/ECPOWELLFLY FISHERSCLUB/

Fly Fishers of Davis, www.flyfishersofdavis.org

Flycasters of San Jose, www.flycasters.org

Fresno Flyfishers, www.fresnoflyfishers.org

Gold Country Fly Fishers (Grass Valley), www.goldcountryff.org