Fresno Fly Fishers For Conservation
Sixty Five Years and Counting...
| | Fly Dope Volume 65 Issue 09 | | | Editor's Note:
Welcome to the September 2026 FFFC Newsletter!
Be sure to check out pictures from our Women's Fly Fishing Academy in the FFFC News section. What a great event! Look for additional information in the October Dope...
If you haven't yet, register for the FFFC banquet to be held on September 17th at the Quail Lake Clubhouse. There is a link to signup in the Upcoming Events section.
Tight Lines!
Mark
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NO GENERAL CLUB MEETING IN SEPTEMBER - SEE YOU AT THE BANQUET!
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September 2026
Most Amazing FFFC Members,
For 65 years, the Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation has made education a consistent annual objective. Each spring, we hold the famous Roger Miller Youth Academy, where we provide rods, reels, and other fly fishing gear to fifteen youths, take them fishing, and teach them the fundamental skills for success on the water. We organize an adult academy and help more seasoned anglers learn the joys of our artful sport. We sponsor one or two young men or women with a full scholarship to attend The Fly Shop's Fish Camp in Northern California. And this last Saturday we held our inaugural Women's Fly Fishing Academy.
Hosted at the beautiful Sugar Pine Christian Camp, twenty women joined us for a day of instruction and fly fishing. Each attendee received her own rod and reel, an FFFC hat, nippers, and a box of hand-tied flies donated by some of our skilled member tyers. To say this event was a success is an understatement. This event was one of the best moments I've experienced with the FFFC board. These women traveled from as far away as San Francisco, were highly engaged, and made the day both fun and successful. Our Instagram post showing highlights from the day has already gathered thousands of views and multiple requests to do this again, soon! We are fortunate to have such a dedicated board and membership, which expands the FFFC's outreach. And we're even more fortunate to have twenty new members join us as fly fishing friends.
Speaking of friends, we look forward to seeing each of you at our annual banquet, Autumn on the Fly, on September 17th at the Quail Lake Clubhouse. If you haven't purchased tickets, we encourage you to do so, quickly. We have limited seating. You don't want to miss this wonderful evening, where we share the FFFC's accomplishments from this past year, show our famous FFFC video, swap fishing stories, see old friends, enjoy a fantastic dinner, celebrate key FFFC contributors, remember those who have left us to fish those great rivers in the sky, and, finally, explore the amazing gear, flies, guided trips, and more from our silent auction.
Thank you for your consistent contribution to the FFFC and the mission our founders envisioned in 1961,
Tight Lines!
Christopher Robbins
President
| There will not be a meeting September 3rd due
to having our annual banquet on the 17th | Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation was proud to host our inaugural Women's Fly Fishing Academy on August 29th | | Congratulations to the following women that participated in the academy
Welcome to Fly Fishers For Conservation!
We look forward to seeing you at meetings, outings and events. | Angela Romero Makenna Young Michelle Wong Dolores DeTeresi
Sofia Sanchez Raine Bumatay Rebecca Wass Beth Fries
Michele Fries Carrie Faria Tracy Huang Ren Ramshaw
Holly Barajas Janelle Miller Sarah Warner Kelly Walker
Tamra Neely Jull Rosenberg Heather Mulholland
Kay Randolph-Pollard Justine Brown-DaCosta | Thank you to Keryn Nicholson, fellow board members and club members that made the event possible.
A special thank you to Amy Terra and Dena Mason from the Delta Fly Fishers for donating their time and their expertise to our event.
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FFFC Fall Banquet September 17
Join your fellow club members for an evening of camaraderie, celebration, and giving back to the waters we love. Whether you’re a seasoned angler, a recent graduate of one of our academies, or just love a good meal with great people, this is the night to be there.
Space is limited, and you won't want to miss this highlight of our club calendar. All proceeds directly support our conservation initiatives and educational programs.
👉 Click Here to Register Now for the Annual Banquet
Cedar Grove - South Fork of the Kings River September 18-19
The South Fork of the Kings River in Kings Canyon is one of the premier areas to fish in the Central Sierras. CA-180 drops into the canyon near Boyden Cavern and runs parallel to the river for 15 miles to Roads End. The fishing options along this 15 miles (and more if you're willing to hike) are diverse and plentiful. With great pocket water, riffles, side channels and soft water you can find success with dry fly, dry dropper, indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing. You can even find some holes to pull a streamer through. More detail to come as we get closer. Register HERE to let us know you are interested.
General Club Meeting October 1
Provost & Pritchard Building
455 W. Fir Ave, Clovis
East Side - Crowley Lake and Owens River October 23-25
The East side is loaded with great fishing options. Crowley Lake, Owens River, Hot Creek, and other waters in the area give us the opportunity to experience stillwater, river and blue line streams while enjoying one of California's premier fly fishing destinations. This is a weekend trip you will not want to miss. We encourage you to stay at Tom's Place near Crowley Lake. This is a rustic lodge with great history and in a great location. Register HERE
General Club Meeting November 3
Provost & Pritchard Building
455 W. Fir Ave, Clovis
Oneill Forebay - Striper on the Fly November 7
We will spend the day at O'Neill Forebay targeting striped bass on fly tackle. Bring your heavier rods and streamers for a very different kind of fly fishing adventure.
Trinity River Float with Confluence Outfitters - November 11-14
The Trinity River is one of the most popular steelhead destinations in California. One reason for this status is that the Trinity rarely "blows out" due to high water. High flows from winter storms are absorbed by Trinity Lake, so even during large storms it's common for the uppermost floats to remain fishable. For the majority of the steelhead season, flows remain stable and conducive to wading and drift boat fishing. We are planning 3 nights in an Airbnb in Junction City. Two days of guided fishing the Trinity River by drift boat with Confluence Outfitters. THIS OUTING IS FULL
General Club Meeting December 5
Provost & Pritchard Building
455 W. Fir Ave, Clovis
Go Here to see our full Event Calendar and to register for events
|  | | I recently completed my Heritage Trout Challenge. This happened while on a club camping trip organized by Gavin O’Leary. It was a lot of fun and made even more enjoyable with the use of some products I had never seen before.
First on the list is this tiny but mighty air pump from FLEXTAIL. I needed to blow up my air mattress and wasn’t looking forward to the task (I get light headed blowing up a balloon). Mark Cowart came to my rescue with this slick little device. It charges with a USB cord and fits in the palm of your hand. It took maybe 3 minutes to fill my mattress and the charge lasts quite a while. It retails for around $40 on AMAZON. | | | | Next on my list is this portable charger. This device is also made by FLEXTAIL. (No, I am not being paid to endorse their products). Again, Mark to the rescue. After a day on the road most of our phones were running low on battery. After hiking down into The Forks of the Kern the last thing you want is a dead phone when you want to take a picture of your Kern River Rainbow. This tool weighs less than 3 ounces and is capable of charging several drained phones to a full charge. Not much larger than a credit card it is incredibly thin and recharges with a USB cord. | | | | The last product on my list of things that make camping easier does not come from FLEXTAIL, but from BIG AGNES. This is the Divide Insulated Sleeping Pad. This is not the cheap air mattress I remember using as a kid on family camping trips. This pad is made of recycled materials. | | | At over 3 inches thick, the Divide provides a very cushy mattress especially helpful for side sleepers like myself. It comes with a squeeze bag for inflation, but a better option is the inflator I already reviewed. The sides of the mattress inflate slightly taller than the middle to keep you centered as you sleep. Thanks to Gavin for the loan of this air mattress for our trip. Retail on AMAZON is $135.
| Back of Beyond Stephen Neal
In Wildness is the Preservation of the World - “Henry David Thoreau." | As I enter the front door, I am swarmed by a herd of dogs all vying for my attention. Tails wag, cheerful yips, growls and barks ring in my ears. I am jostled, pawed, jumped and sniffed from my feet to my face. The one who claims me as his own forces himself between my legs and squirms with pure joyful excitement. Last month the story I told was a facet of my connections with my fishing friends. My tale this month is about my connections with four particular, influential furry-footed friends, the ones who wrapped themselves around my heart the tightest.
Dogs have formed hunter-gatherer relationships with mankind for over four-hundred-thousand years, and evidence of their domestication was discovered in Germany in 1914 that dates back fourteen-thousand years, when a dog was found buried with two humans. I know how that feels. I would like to be buried with four of my favorite dogs, although that is not likely, as time and multiple states separate us. | | The first dog that formed a bond with me was Buttons, a black and white-coated Springer Spaniel marked with black spots/buttons. At the time I was not aware of our intimate connection, for I was born into Button’s world; he was my dad’s hunting dog. Once I was able to wander outside by myself, Buttons appointed himself as my guardian angel. Wherever I went Button went, and on that old dairy farm there were a number of places to wander. One moment I was crawling up on parked farm equipment, | | | Buttons - Fresno CA 1950's | |
exploring the milk barn or poking my head into the dark and cool milk chilling room. On other outings I might play in the shade of the Fremont Poplars near the cattle trough or build a fort in the abandoned feedlot. It has been over seventy years, and I still see him resting on his haunches, watching me. He was my companion and my guard as I took my first steps into a wider world.
In my twenties, I buckarooed for a living. The Nevada cattle ranches I rode for lay within the sagebrush sea of America’s Great Basin. While working with livestock I first partnered up with a cattle dog. A Queensland Blue Heeler/Border Collie cross, he was short-haired and black. Terry Ann (my wife) picked him out of a neighboring ranch’s puppy litter, a little blackball we named Thunder. Heelers are very loyal animals. After a puddle mishap on the kitchen floor Terry chased him out of our trailer domicile with a broom. He refused to come out from beneath the trailer until I came home. At that moment he hitched his star to mine; where I went, he went. He rode between my feet when I ran tractors and other mechanical farm equipment. He ran beside me when I worked the hay wagon and helped herd the cattle when I rode. While working cattle he came into his own. The highest praise one can give a gifted player is “he is a natural,” and that described Thunder, as all his abilities with livestock came from his breeding, not from my training.
New to the cattle business, I was hired as a ranch mechanic and took on riding duties as circumstances dictated. In the beginning all my attention while on horseback was directed towards staying in the saddle and somehow communicating with the horse well enough to get us both to the best location to keep a cow or calf moving in the right direction. Thank goodness Thunder knew what his job was. The other ranch dogs were a mixed-bag, and their efforts caused a lot of blue smoke to hang above the herd as their owners hurled eloquent and blasphemous curses at antics that caused wrecks and chaos in the cattle herd. Thunder was the exception. He watched the cows and “heeled” them only when they got behind or strayed. He hung back until the right time. Of the two of us he was the better hand at working cattle. In time I improved my riding and cattle working. Watching Thunder made me a better cowhand; between the two of us we got the job done. It was a great partnership!
Later I left the ranches in Eastern Nevada to take a farm manager job in Western Nevada, so our cattle working partnership ended. It was pickup trucks, tractors, center pivot irrigation systems, backhoes, swathers and hay balers. We still rode together, but we no longer worked together on a common goal. Thunder never complained but I felt I had robbed him of the use of his natural talent.
Life took us further from ranch and farm work. In 1979 I went to college and Thunder stayed home. It was a tough transition for both of us. We were still buddies in the evening, but Thunder had no job anymore and became a stay-at-home dog. Terry worked, I had classes, and our kids were in school. It is hard for a working dog to stay home alone. It was a tough adjustment. He filled our cabin with a calm and loving presence as he lay at my feet in the evening.
Cricket came into our lives in my forties. I was working as a research and development project manager for the local electric utility while living in the San Francisco Bay area. Again, Terry brought another dog into our lives. Cricket was a coal-black curly-haired Cocker Spaniel. She was affectionate and quick to please. She walked me to the door each morning and greeted me at the door upon my return, showering me with love. When I would sit on the couch her head would be in my lap, her big brown eyes bright with contentment when I ruffled her rich and luxurious coat of hair. She loved her walks and would prance as we explored the neighborhood. One Christmas on a trip to the Sierra Nevada foothills, we were blessed with an overnight wet and sticky snowfall, just enough for the kids to throw snowballs and build a snowman. However, the wet and sticky snow became a problem for Cricket. Her silky fur coat was a snow magnet, and soon she had snowballs clinging to her legs and body. They were not easy to remove as they had frozen intertwined in her fur. They slowed her down, but she still had a wonderful time playing in the snow with the kids. There was always warmth in our home with Cricket in attendance.
Some years later my son and daughter-in-law brought home a strawberry-colored Queensland Heeler from the Puyallup Sportsman’s Warehouse parking lot. My daughter-in-law named him Yuka, which means “bright star” in Inuit. He was an exuberant red-ball of energy, looking for a job. We do not have cows; what we do have is multiple dogs, cats and people. Yuka made do with the cats and people. None of us was immune to his herding skills and all of us have had our heels nipped as he guided our progress around the yard or in the house. The cats fared a little better; he did not nip them, but he did hasten their progress across the kitchen when it was feeding time. The cats took it all in their stride, as they often rubbed up against him during their house rounds. He was a | | happy dog and we were his family. As a pup he climbed anything that gave him a view. He also appointed himself as our lookout, our watchdog.
Yuka loved our walk-abouts in the back pasture. All the dogs would race through the gate upon its opening. They would scatter with their noses to the ground and tails wagging with enthusiasm as they read the back pasture news. Once Yuka made his rounds he would join me and walk or sit with me as I kept my eye on the rest of the pack. | | | Yuka - Buckley, WA - August 2026 | |
His other favorite activity was truck rides whenever I made runs to the recycling facility, post office or gas station. He would sit with his head right beside mine, watching out the windshield. On the return leg he would lick my face and ear, thanking me for the trip. Other times if he was already outside with Terry, Cy, Cole or the boys, he would make a bee-line to greet me when I joined them. My day started and ended with Yuka. He was our family’s guardian angel. He always found a spot to lie in the grass that allowed him to keep an eye on all of us even if that spot happened to be the one that required us to step around or over him.
Yes, it is easy to take dogs for granted; to curse them when they are underfoot, to ignore their fawning and prancing. But those traits are also what makes them so special. They give their hearts unconditionally; you are their sun and moon. A gentle voice and hand are rewarded with adoration and respect. A sharp rebuke is soon forgiven. They watch us always and read us better than we even read ourselves. They freely offer comfort, care and empathy. If we take the time, they will teach us lessons that are invaluable for our own growth and development. What they give is given freely. What we withhold in return is but a self-measurement of our worth. All of the dogs that have entwined themselves in my heart are bright stars that have helped guide me through this lifetime. A dog is not just a dog. For that I give thanks.
Thank you, Buttons, Thunder, Cricket and Yuka! | |
A Big Thank You, to Tennis Terrance for his editing suggestions.
“The world is out there, the journey starts the minute you leave the door, go outside and truly live.” – S. Neal
“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
“Many go fishing all their lives, without knowing that it is not fish they are after” - Henry David Thoreau
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Here are a few additional links to other information and websites you might find useful:
|  | ABOUT US
We are a Fly Fishers International affiliated club, a national organization whose goal, like ours, is to promote the wonderful sport of fly-fishing as well as protect our natural resources. We promote catch and release, education, conservation, and above all, encourage and help those who desire to learn more about all aspects of fly-fishing.
Fly Fishers for Conservation (FFFC) was organized in 1961 by a group of devoted fly fishers deeply concerned with the preservation of trout and all game fish, their environment, and the quality of fishing. Our club has maintained two goals since that time: To foster and promote the sport of angling with artificial flies. To protect, conserve and increase our angling resources.
Go Here if you would like to join our club!
Fly Fishers for Conservation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization. This means you can use your contribution as a tax deduction. The club gets revenue from member-ship dues and the annual fundraiser dinner. We try to contribute to conservation issues in the area and to our youth with our Trout in the Classroom program, the No Child Left Inside program and by holding a Youth Fly-Fishing Academy annually. The club is al-ways in need of funds. Please consider donating. You may send a check to Fly Fishers for Conservation at PO Box 1192, Clovis, CA 93613. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and they will help the club fulfill its obligations.
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