California Fly Fisher has been an advisor for angling adventures, a teacher of techniques, and a storyteller of the diverse and vibrant world of California’s rivers and fish for over three decades. We are honored to carry that heritage forward while injecting a fresh perspective on the unique culture, the tight-knit community, and the remarkable individuals who define fly fishing in California.
The quarterly magazine informs, inspires, educates, and connects anglers across the Golden State and beyond and celebrates California’s diverse fisheries, rivers, and people. Our mission is clear: to empower our readers to explore, conserve, and cherish the natural wonders that define California’s fly-fishing heritage.
Good Stories – Good Fishing – Good Tips
North & South – Fresh & Salt – Warm & Cold
Submissions
California Fly Fisher welcomes story, art, and photo contributions. Our readers value practical, informative, and entertaining articles about everything and anything to do with the diverse and abundant world of fly fishing in California. An overview of the columns and features available for submissions is below.
Please send story queries to submit@calflyfisher.com and include the following:
Story name
Column or feature category
Story idea (250 words)
Your name
Mailing address
Telephone
Links to other published work
For photo submissions, please share via a filesharing platform (Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Wetransfer, etc.) and embed metadata – name, contact info, location, and caption.
Columns
The Paper Hatch – Good Books (and other media) for Fly Fishers – Book reviews should be 500 – 750 words, movies 250 – 500. Column is 1,700 words total.
Reflections – Stories and essays about being on the water – narrative pieces directly or indirectly related to fish and fly-fishing. Be creative, introspective, and entertaining. 500 words.
Guide Thoughts – Reflections on Guide Life – the thoughts that run through a guide’s head, the challenges they face, the moments that make it all worth it, wisdom to share with anglers. Humor, sarcasm, critique, heart-warming. 500 – 600 words.
The Art of Angling – Creative interpretations of the fly-fishing experience – poems, photos, short fiction (less than 500 words), paintings, sculptures, tattoos.
Features
California Fly Fisher features run around 2,000 – 3,000 words. Some features are instructional in nature, fulfilling the magazine’s role as a trusted and valued resource. Other features focus on storytelling and offer more inspiration, entertainment, and moments for reflection. We’re looking for stories that speak to every level of angler and share insights and wisdom relevant whether it’s a reader’s first time on the water or their 1,000th.
Features generally fall into one of the following types:
Destinations – Fresh or salt, warm or cold, north or south. Each issue will have a variety of destinations, primarily in California with one ‘across the border’ feature each issue. Provides details in an ‘if you go’ format – where to eat, stay, and other points of interest. 2,000 – 3,000 words.
Adventures – First-person or fictional accounts of exploring California’s diverse rivers and fisheries. The mishaps, the triumphs, and everything in between. 2,500 words.
Conservation – ‘The Good Fight’ covers issues that impact California’s fish, waters, and communities that support the fly-fishing experience. 2,500 words.
Profiles – Stories about the personalities that have been instrumental in shaping the California fly-fishing world. These can be interviews, researched stories, or photo-essays. 2,000 – 3,000 words, photo essays 500 words.
Guide Profile – (within the Spotlight Destination feature) Follows a standard format of questions about the individual, their areas of focus, top tips, and other suggestions. 1,000 words.
Tips & Techniques – Fly fishing is a life-long pursuit that offers endless opportunities for learning and growth. Stories impart wisdom and lessons in an educational yet entertaining way. 1,500 – 2,000 words.
Reflections – Photojournalism. Stunning photography accompanied by a short narrative (300 words).
Rights:
When we accept your article, we are buying modified North American serial rights. Specifically:
- The right to publish your article in one issue of California Fly Fisher.
- The right to publish your article on our website. All articles in the printed issue of California Fly Fisher are included in the digital version of the magazine.
- The right to use quotes and/or images from the magazine in promotional materials related to California Fly Fisher.
- All other rights for material printed in California Fly Fisher remain with the author/creator.
Please direct editorial queries to edit@calflyfisher.com
