Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation
CLUB OUTINGS
Join the fun! Club Outings are a great way to meet new fishing buddies, explore new fishing locations and learn new fishing tactics to improve your success. If you are interested in advancing in the sport of fly fishing then participating in club outings is a great way to do it. Join us!
Outings are for members only, BUT don’t miss out on the fun! Become a member today
Click Here To Join
Do you have an idea for an outing? Are you interested in hosting an outing? If you have an idea or are interested in hosting a club outing please reach out to Tim Ritchey at tritchey@comcast.net.
CA Heritage Trout Challenge
Are you interested in pursuing the California Heritage Trout Challenge? Please click the button below to learn more about this unique and challenging program. There are a number of us in the club pursuing this challenge and we are planning outings to support this effort. If you are interested in joining in this pursuit please email Tim Ritchey at tritchey@comcast.net and we will support your effort to accomplish your goal. Join us!
Heritage Trout Challenge
2024 Outings
January 20
The Lower King River Cookout
The 2024 Lower Kings River Cookout was a great success! Thank you all for participating. We had a day of great food, fun fellowship and (despite the crowds) some good fishing! We look forward to doing it again next year. Here are few photos from the day. Look for the full collection of photos in the Photo Albums section of the clubs site.
March 28-30
Pyramid Lake, NV
Despite the cold weather and slow bite we managed to land a few of the unique Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Pyramid Lake is a special place and these fish are fun to catch. Thank you Gavin for hosting this great trip. We look forward to another club outing to Pyramid next year. Look for the full collection of photos in the Photo Albums section of the clubs site.
May 4
Roger Miller Youth Academy
Another very successful Youth Academy this year. Thank you to all who volunteered and thank you Kevin for your leadership. For details in this years results and early planning for next year please contact Kevin Smith at kesmith@csufresno.edu.
June 22
High Sierra Lake
High Sierra Alpine Lakes are beautiful in late Spring/Early Summer and Weaver Lake did not disappoint. Crystal clear water, blue skies, abundant wildflowers and willing (sort-of) fish. The fishing brought mixed results but persistence and experimenting paid off. See the Weaver Lake Photo Album for more pictures.
August 8-11
Golden Trout/Kern River Basin Trip
Despite a large fire on the east side that kept us from getting to the CA Golden Trout we managed to have a great weekend fishing for and catching two of the three Heritage Trout we were pursing, the Kern River Rainbow and the little Kern Golden Trout. We had a great time catching the Little Kern Golden Trout from very small high elevation streams on the east side of the Little Kern River. This is beautiful country and fun (but challenging) fishing. The Little Kern Goldens are beautiful fish. Then we camped at the Forks of the Kern Trailhead and hiked down the canyon to the confluence of the Little Kern and North Fork of the Kern. It's a 2.2 mile hike with 1100 feet elevation decline. It's an easy hike down but, after fishing all day, the hike out was a bit challenging...but it was worth it. The Forks of the Kern is a beautiful area with lots of very energetic wild Kern River Rainbows. Very fun fishing! We will look for another time to get to the CA Golden Trout area, and may return to these two spots again. Check out the Golden Trout/Kern River Basin 2024 photo album for more pictures.
September 6-9 (CDFW Conservation Opportunity)
Monache Meadows Electro Shocking Population Survey and BBQ
Thank you Rob Gong for representing the club on this important conservation effort. Rob helped with a population survey on the South fork of the Kern River. We look forward to supporting more efforts to protect key fisheries through other outing opportunities. Stay tuned for future updates.
September 14-18
Northern CA Heritage Trout Challenge - plus McCloud Reserve, Burney Falls, Upper Sac
Congratulations to Christopher Robbins! He was able to find and catch the three targeted Redband Trout species (Warner Lake Redband, Goose Lake Redband and McCloud Redband) and complete the CA Heritage Trout Challenge. Well done Christopher! The small stream fishing these fish are found in was very skinny and proved to be very challenging. We learned that September is late in the year for these streams. Late spring or early summer is best.While the fishing was tough, it was a great opportunity to see parts of the state (far northeast corner) we would not otherwise visit. It was an adventure! After fishing hard in these small streams we shifted our focus to other Northern California opportunities and had great success. We fished Burney Falls. the McCloud River Reserve and various spots on the Upper Sac before finishing our trip in Redding to join the other on the Lower Sac Drift Trip with Lance Gray. We saw beautiful country and enjoyed some great fishing. See the NorCal Heritage Trout, McCloud & Upper Sac photo album for the full suite of pictures.
September 19
Lower Sacramento River Drift Boat Outing
We had a great day with 4 boats (8 anglers) floating the Lower Sac lead by Lance Gray. Great stories, great fun and (mostly) great fishing! We had over 60 fish caught on the day with many in the 18' to 20' range and a few north of 20". It was a beautiful day and the Lower Sac was fishing great. We look forward to doing this trip again next year and are working on securing more boats & guides. See the Lance Gray Lower Sac Drift 2024 photo album for more pictures. Thank you Ken Bush for initiating this successful club outing.
September 28
Cedar Grove - South Fork of the Kings River
We had a great group join us at Cedar Grove Lodge in Kings Canyon for learning, fishing, food and fun stories. Bill and Brain again did a great job sharing their wisdom and knowledge of the South Fork of the Kings River. The weather was great and the fishing was mixed. It was a fun day and we look forward to doing this trip again next year. See the Cedar Grove 2024 photo album for pictures from the day.
October 25-28
East Side - Tom's Place Outing
Thank you Scott Piggott for hosting a great outing to the East Side. We had a great group, beautiful scenery and some great fishing. The group fished Hot Creek, Upper Owens River, Rock Creek and Little Lakes Valley, and Crowley Lake. The fish were not abundant but the quality of the fish caught were great. We had a number of fish in the 20"+ range caught. Tom's Place and Scott's hospitality did not disappoint. We look forward to doing this trip again next year. See the East Side-Tom's Place 2024 photo album for more pictures from the outing.
November 2
Adult Academy
Another successful Adult Academy! Welcome to the new fly fishers and new club members. For information on out next outing reach out to Leo Labbe at lclabbe@comcast.net.
November 16
O’Neill Forebay
Another great outing at the San Luis Reservoir O'Neill Forebay. Multiple Stripers were caught and a few large Carp. It was a beautiful day for fishing the forebay. See the O'Neill Forebay 2024 photo album for more pictures. This outing has become an annual tradition and we look forward to doing it again next year.
2025 Outings
January 18
The Lower Kings River Cookout & Fishing Contest
Our annual Lower Kings River Cookout is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 18. The Lower Kings River is a great winter fishery with the potential to catch rainbows in the 20” range. Just 30 minutes from Fresno this makes a great day-trip. We’ll fish the morning, gather for lunch at Avocado Lake to swap stories, then fish the afternoon. This is a great outing for all skill levels. If you are new to fly fishing or new to the Lower Kings River then will be plenty of seasoned fisherman from the club there to help you find success. See photos from last years event - Lower Kings Cook Out 2024
New this year we will host a morning fishing contest with the winners recognized and trophies given at lunch (deadline is noon that day). There will be two prizes given: one for most fish and one for the largest fish. Proof will be by pictures taken of your fish caught that morning and verified by a panel of distinguished judges.
The club will provide Hot Dogs, Hot Links and all the fixings. We ask that you either bring a side dish to share with others or a $10 donation to support the club (but don't let money or a side dish keep you from joining us). Also, remember that there is a $5 enter fee to get into Avocado Lake Park. And don't forget a chair. Please Register for this event - 2025 Lower Kings River Cookout - 1/18/2025 - so that we know how many Hot Dogs and Hot Links to bring.
February 22-23
Lower Yuba River
After two years of poor weather that prevented us from making this trip we have a new date for the Lower Yuba River. This stretch of the river is private water owned by the University of California - the Yuba River Education Center. They offer this stretch of the river exclusively to fly fishing clubs with a limit of 20 anglers per day. The Lower Yuba has a great reputation for very strong active Rainbows and the occasional Steelhead. Those who registered and paid last year will have first-right-of-refusal for this year's trip. If you are not registered but interested in joining if space becomes available please let Tim Ritchey know at tritchey@comcast.net. The cost per angler is $50 for access to the site. Food and lodging are separate. There are both hotel and camping options nearby. Keep an eye out for updates as we get closer. Lower Yuba River Outing 2025 - Tentative Date - 2/22/2025
March 8
Upper Kings River
Weather permitting and ahead of the spring/summer runoff, March is a great time to fish the Upper Kings above Pine Flat. The wild Rainbows in this stretch are crafty but very strong and fun to catch. March often bring a strong stonefly hatch. Dry fly, hopper-dropper, indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing can all be effecting up there. There is plenty of river to drive to if you'd like to minimize the hiking. Or for those more ambitious there are miles of great fishing upstream to hike to. Please RSVP by registering on the event page to help us know who will be joining us. Upper Kings River - Spring 2025 - 3/8/2025 Keep an eye out for more details as we get closer.
April 11-13
Pyramid Lake, NV
Pyramid Lake, in Northwest Nevada near Reno, should be on everyone's "bucket-list". This unique lake is home to the largest trout species caught in the US, the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Please let us know if you are interest in joining us for this outing by registering on the event page. Based on the level of interest we will make recommendation on accommodations. Sty tuned for more details to come. Pyramid Lake, NV - 4/11/2025
May 3 (Tentative)
Roger Miller Youth Academy
Details pending.
May 15-18
Kern River Basin - Heritage Trout Challenge
We'll camp at Lower Peppermint Campground on the west side of the Upper Kern River. This is a 15 minute drive to Brush Creek above the Upper Kern (a good place to find the Kern River Rainbow near the road), a 20 minute drive to the trailhead that leads to the Forks of the Kern (a beautiful area and great place to catch bigger Kern River Rainbows for those open to a challenging hike), a 1 hour drive to stream that hold the Little Kern Golden Trout, and a 2 hour drive to streams that hold the CA Golden Trout. This is a fun region to fish and gives the potential to catch 3 of the CA Heritage Trout species in one weekend. Please RSVP by registering on the event page to help us know who will be joining us. Keep an eye out for more details as we get closer. Kern River Basin Heritage Trout Challenge - 5/15/2025
June 21 (Tentative)
Marble Fork of the Kaweah - Sequoia NP
The Marble Fork of the Kaweah River near Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park has proven to be a great spring fishery is recent years. Depending on current conditions we have seen great dry fly, as well as nymphing, success. This is a beautiful are and a great place to gather as a club and enjoy a day of fishing together. Please let us know you are interested by registering on the event page. More details as we get closer. Marble Fork of the Kaweah, Sequoia - 6/21/2025
June 26-30 (Tentative)
Ennis Montana
Through club member Ed Schroeder we have access to a private lake located on the Sitz Angus Ranch in Southwest Montana. The lake is 100 acres and fed by Norwegian Creek. There is a rod fee of $90 and is limited to 8 anglers per day. There are also 3 small ponds available that have some big fish. The big lake contains rainbows, browns, brookies, cutbows and cutthroat that average 2 to 5 lbs. Trout to 12 pounds can be found as well. We will stay in Ennis and have the opportunity to fish other great rivers and lakes of Southwest Montana. Please let us know if you are interested by registering on the event page. Space for this outing will be limited. Sitz Angus Ranch - Ennis, Montana - 6/26/2025
July 12 (Tentative)
High Sierra Alpine Lakes
High Sierra Alpine Lakes are beautiful in late Spring/Early Summer. Crystal clear water, blue skies, abundant wildflowers and often willing fish. Lake options within day hike range include: Weaver Lake, Dinkey Lakes, Twin Lakes, to name a few. For those interest in beautiful hikes in the high country to beautiful lakes this is a great opportunity for you to join other club members for a memorable day. The destination will be determined based on current conditions and intel as we get closer to the date. For now, mark your calendars and RSVP by registering on the event page to help us know who will be joining us. Keep an eye out for more details as we get closer.
September 6 (Tentative)
Cedar Grove - Kings Canyon
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. Save the date and let us know you are interested by registering on the event page. More detail to come as we get closer.
September 18
Lower Sacramento River Drift Boat Outing
We have secured another Lower Sac Drift Trip with Lance Gray. Last year we filled 4 boats (8 anglers) and had a great day. Between the 4 boats nearly 70 fish were caught with many in the 18' to 22" range. For this year Lance Gray will arrange up to 6 boats accommodating 12 anglers. Lance is holding the cost for the trip at $275 per angler (requires 2 anglers per boat). This is a great rate for a trip like this. We also receive, as guest of Lance Gray, a special rate at the Gaia Hotel & Spa in Anderson near Redding. Many who participated last year either went earlier in the week or stayed the weekend to enjoy some of the great fishing options in Northern California. Keep an eye out for more detail on how to secure your spot for this trip. Last year's trip sold out quickly.
October 9-12 (Tentative)
Eagle Lake (Eagle Lake Rainbow Heritage Trout)
Details pending.
October 24-27 (Tentative)
East Side - Crowley Lake, Owens River, Hot Creek and more!
The East Side of the Sierra's offers some of the best fishing in California and October is a great time to make the trip. Mark your calendars and don't miss this annual club outing. We will update with details as we get closer.
November 1 (Tentative)
Adult Academy
This is a great opportunity to connect with the club and advance your fly fishing skills. See the event on the Club Website for details and to register.
November 6-9 (Tentative)
Nor Cal Coast (Heritage Coastal Cutthroat & Steelhead Combo)
Stay tuned for details.
November 15 (Tentative)
O'Neill Forebay Striped Bass
Striper outing held at O’Niell Forebay. If you have not fished for Stipers in the Forebay before then this will be a great opportunity to be introduced to these powerful fish. We will meet near the boat dock first thing in the morning to help with set-up and tactics. Float-tubes, Kayaks or small boats are recommended but not necessary. Success can be had from shore as well. The club will have burgers for lunch (for those who register) in the picnic area. In addition to burgers we’ll share fish tales and pictures! We encourage you to bring a small side dish of your choice to share. Please register on the club website.
*All outings are subject to change based on current condition, interest and other unforeseen issues. For the latest updates please contact the outing host or Tim Ritchey at tritchey@comcast.net.