Wednesday January 18 – Board of Directors’ Meeting: The executive officers and interested volunteers will meet and discuss club business. All club members are welcome to join us at 6:30 at the Nature Center at Oak Grove Park, Eight Mile Road, Stockton. All DFF members are welcome to participate, and we are looking for several new officers or committee chairs to help plan and conduct club business. Contact Bob Fujimura for more information and how to access the Park afterhours.

Saturday January 21 – Annual Dinner: Join your friends and fellow club members at the DFF Annual Dinner on Saturday January 21 at the Stockton Elk Lodge. Enjoy the informative program, share dinner, and participate in the biggest raffle and silent auction of this year. Find out who 'earned' this year's Incomplete Angler Award. It is a lot of fun and goodwill. Deadline for registration is January 17 and contact Jerry Neuburger for more information.

January 22 through 28 Baum Lake: Join stillwater leader Jerry Neuburger. Fly fish one of the productive winter fisheries and camp at the Cassel PG&E campground. The CDFW Crystal Spring Hatchery is on this water course and provides generous releases of catchable and brood stock trout during the winter. Severe weather cancels.

Wednesday January 25 - Open Tying Night: Enjoy another no-host gathering to fly tie or to network with your friends. This free event is open to club members from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Oak Grove Regional Park’s Nature Center, Eight-Mile Road, Stockton. Contact Bob Fujimura for more information this activity and how to enter the Park afterhours.

February 4th at 10 am. All female anglers are welcome for an indicator clinic and hot tea, coffee and cocoa. Then we will put on our waders and hit the water on a local waterway. Call Amy at 209-329-4801 for more information. Waders, boots and rods available for loan. Four to 5 weight rods with floating lines recommended. All terminal tackle (indicator, flies and weights) will be provided as needed. All participants must sign a liability waiver and a valid 2023 fishing license is required.

Date: Saturday February 18 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Initial Meeting Location: Hammon Grove Park, 5560 State Hwy 20, Browns Valley, CA 95918

Summary:  Join other DFF members to learn more about fly fishing the Lower Yuba River during a one-day free clinic.  This clinic is for any interested intermediate to advanced fly fishers who have never fished this lesser known Central Valley tailwater or for those who would like to learn more about this wild trout/steelhead fishery.  Participants should be familiar with safely wading in strong currents under rocky or cobble stone banks and requires a valid and signed 2023 DFF liability waiver form on file with the DFF Secretary and of course a valid CA fishing license and a steelhead report card.

Introduction:   The Lower Yuba River stretches from the outlet of Englebright Dam to the confluence with the Feather River near Marysville, CA.  The Lower Yuba River is best fished wading or bank fishing along the shoreline from approximately from the Sycamore Ranch County Park to upstream above the Highway 20 bridge.  There are plenty of good accessible locations in this section which will be discussed at this clinic.  This section can be also fished via a drift boat or oared personal watercraft; however, most experienced drift fishers use their boats to transit to various locations and shore fish.  There are only a limited public boat launches and landings in this section.  Public access to the sections downstream of Daguerre Point Dam (downstream of Sycamore Ranch) or upstream of the Highway 20 bridge near the UC Davis Ranch property are largely closed to the public due to either private property holdings or seasonal DFW fishing regulation closures.

Outing Agenda:  We will meet at the end of the road at Hammond Grove Park for a quick orientation session and then fly fish a nearby location as an introduction session to the fly fishing method of your choice in the morning.  We will have coffee and little breakfast items in the morning.  Participants will bring their own bag lunch.  Early afternoon I will lead a car caravan to tour some easily accessible fishing locations upstream of the park.  Some of these locations will require ridesharing in a high-clearance vehicle with 4WD.  Later afternoon participants are welcome to continue to fish the evening on their own or later have a no-host dinner at a restaurant in Marysville or Yuba City.

The Fish:   Resident wild rainbow trout is the primary target of this clinic with some possibility of wild or hatchery steelhead (usually strays from the Feather River).  Rainbows are usually in the 12” to +20” size range and are wily and hard fighting trout.  Brown trout can be caught incidentally but they are generally rare.

Techniques:  This time of year, allows for several methods of fly fishing – however, the most productivity to new fishers will be nymphing, either with or without an indicator using 4x or 5x tippet.  5 to 6 wt rods with weight forward floating lines should be suitable for this approach.  Swing or drifting streamers (scuplins or salmon parrs) can also be productive using sinking tips or lines with 3x to 4x tippets.  Mid-February to late March can be a good time for dry fly fishing using longer tapered leaders with Baetis (BWO), PMD, March Brown mayfly, and Skwala stonefly patterns.   Those who sign up will be offer a detailed equipment and flies list, maps, and a skill section prior to the clinic to discuss details to specific flies, rigging, nymphing setups, to prepare you as best as possible for this exciting and fun fishery.  Vendors for purchasing needed flies or terminal gear will be available on request.  Our February General Membership Meeting speaker, Lance Gray will probably including valuable information on fly fishing Central Valley tailwaters like the Lower Yuba.

If you are attending this clinic, I will provide you a detailed map on the meeting and surrounding river locations and how to get there prior to this outing. Depending on the river flow and clarity at the time of the outing, the morning fishing location will be determined prior to the event.

Accommodations:  Hammon Grove Park is only 15 to 25 minutes from downtown Marysville or Yuba City on Hwy 20 and both cities offer lodging, restaurants, fly shop, grocery stores, and anything you may need while you are there.  It is also approximately a 2 hour drive from the Lodi-Stockton area via I-5 and Hwy 70.   For those members who wish to extend their fly fishing visit, the Sycamore Ranch Park next door has a nice RV campground that be reserved by calling the Yuba County Parks Department at (530) 749-5641.

How to Register:  Contact Bob Fujimura by email at: deltaflyfishers@gmail.com or by cell (209) 329-1692 by Saturday February 4th.  This clinic is limited to eight DFF members and submission of a 2022-23 liability waiver form is a requirement for signing up.  A waiting list will be used if all the slots are taken.  Any vacancies to this clinic will probably be offered to other local club members so don’t delay if you are interested.

March 4th- 10 m to 3 pm   Want to learn how to fly fish but not sure where to start? This day will introduce you to all things fly fishing including putting a rod together, knots, fishing clothes including waders and casting basics. Lunch will be included! No charge. All participants must sign a liability waiver. All materials provided.

Date: Saturday March 11 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Initial Meeting Location: Redding, CA; the exact launching location to be determined during the week of the event.

Summary:  Join other DFF members to float fly fish one of the most consistent wild trout fishery in the West.  This outing is appropriate for any interested member regardless of their fly fishing experience level.  Guides with their drift boats will be provided through Scott Sugimoto of On The Riffle Guide Service.  Delta Fly Fishers will co-host a group float trip with an experienced guide, enjoy a hot lunch, and tell fish stories later that evening. Cost is $275 per person (based on double boat occupancy; includes shuttle service, lunch, and guide tip) and based on the limited availability of guide boats you should sign up soon to lock in your spot.   Guides can provide all the necessary fly fishing gear and flies.  Signups will close by January 28th or earlier.     All participants are required to have a valid and signed 2023 DFF liability waiver form on file with the DFF Secretary and of course a valid CA fishing license and a steelhead report card.

Introduction:   The Lower Sacramento River between Redding to Red Bluff has been a popular tailwater fishery for several reasons for new and veteran fly fishers.  Modifications to Shasta Dam has provided cold water year-round and created a world-class fishery for resident rainbow trout.  Abundant aquatic insect like mayflies, caddis, and stoneflies with long season of spawning Chinook salmon provide a rich buffet.  Trout grow fat and thick with perfectly formed fins.   Average size of these rainbows is between 16” and 18”, and fish over 20” are common.   Most novice and experienced fishers have the best chance of the season to land a trophy sized wild trout.

The most productive way of fishing the Lower Sacramento is from a drift boat with a hired guide.  The high flows and changing channel characteristics make float fishing challenging and difficult for the inexperienced.  A guide also removes the guesswork from gear selection/techniques and where the best holding water for the current conditions.  Floating the river has the advantage of accessing the best runs and riffles.  Guides can adjust the boat speed to make relative short casts and extended dead-drift presentations possible.

Outing Agenda:  The exact itinerary will be determined the week of the outing when the river section will be selected to accommodate the specific fishing conditions and shore facilities for our best group experience.  However, our guides will arrive at the launch location prior to our arrival and anchor their drift boats then shuttle their vehicles to the takeout location.  We typical need one volunteer to watch their boats during the guide’s shuttle.  The rest of participants will arrive at the launch site and gather your gear/personal items/fishing licenses.  When the guides return to the launch site, we will have a quick group introduction and with our guides where we will board our float boats.  After a brief on-water orientation and instruction session, each boat will fish downstream.   Approximately halfway downstream, we will meet for a group hot lunch and rest stop.  Afterwards, we will continue to fly fish downstream for the remainder of our drift. At the end of our drift, each guide will drive their clients back to the initial boat launch parking lot.

The Fish:   Resident wild rainbow trout is the primary target of this clinic with some possibility of hooking a wild or hatchery steelhead.  Rainbows are usually in the 16” to 18” with a few in +20” size range and are wily and hard fighting trout.    Larger steelhead are less likely to be landed – however, it happens occasionally.

Techniques:  All guides will have a complete set of fly-fishing tackle (on request) and all terminal gear
and flies are included in this outing.  On this outing, indicator nymphing is the most reliable and productive fly-fishing method and will be the guides will be using during our drift.  If you prefer to use your own gear or plan to do more fishing independently; here are some suggestions:

1. A 9-10’ 5-6 wt single-handed rod, with a matching weight forward floating line on reel with a good drag system.

2. #6-10 nylon or fluorocarbon tippet, assorted non-lead weights, small to medium sized indicator that allows quick adjustments for depth, and various nymphs patterns. I will share any fly selection information from fishing report as we get closer to our outing.

3. Your guide will probably want to set up your terminal gear for you; unless you are extremely experienced, let him do so and learn why he chose his set up and fly selection.

4. If you have any questions about recommended gear and fly selection, contact Scott Sugimoto, On the Riffle Guide Service, (530) 276-1612 or scott@ontheriffle.com.  Lower Sac River can also provide a wide range of opportunities to do walk-and-wade angling, Euro nymphing, swing fishing streamers, trout spey, and even dry-fly fishing at times.

If you are registered for this outing, you will be provided a suggested gear and clothing list, a detailed map on the meeting and surrounding river locations, and how to get there prior to this outing. Depending on the river flow and clarity at the time of the outing, the morning fishing location will be determined prior to the event.

Accommodations:    
We strongly recommend that you stay overnight before and/or after you full day of fly fishing due to long drive time to and from the Redding area.  Fortunately, Redding is a regional travel stop and has numerous lodging and RV campgrounds to choose from.  We will provide information on suggested lodging venues and help facilitate lodge sharing to the registered participants if requested.  For those members who will be staying overnight in Redding, we will offer optional group dining opportunities during your stay.

How to Register:  Contact Bob Fujimura by email at: deltaflyfishers@gmail.com or by cell (209) 329-1692 by Saturday February 18th.  A 2022-2023 DFF liability waiver form is a requirement for signing up.  A link has been set up for online payment at:  https://next.waveapps.com/checkouts/2580ab64f81f45cd857d982e74584d07 or a check may be sent to DFF Treasurer, C/O Jerry Neuburger, 5 North California Street, Lodi, CA 95240.  If sign ups do not reach a minimum level by early February, we will offer this outing to other local club members.  Unless the club cancels this event due to unexpected weather conditions, all guide fees are non-refundable.  However, registered participants can sell their slots independently to other members if they must cancel.

If you are new to fly fishing trophy trout tailwaters or a veteran fly fisher, the Lower Sacramento River has been a consistent crowd pleaser.  Hope to see you at this outing.
 

Tuesday March 28 – Thursday 30 – Pyramid Lake Outing: Catch the largest cutthroat trout of your lifetime at this world class fly fishing destination. Seriously, even beginners can catch fish up to 10-15 lbs on their first visit! Host Jerry Neuburger has changed the 2023 outing to weekdays to make it easier to find suitable fishing locations and allowing participants more flexibility to choose their own lodging and meals. Severe weather cancels.

Date: Saturday April 29, 2023, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Location: Kistler Ranch Camp; 11400 CA-108, Jamestown, CA 95327.  Approximately, one hour drive from the Stockton area.  Located 14 east of Oakdale on State Highway 108.

Summary:  Join other DFF members fly fish for largemouth bass and bluegill in 3 stocked farm ponds in the foothills.  Bass range from 12” to up to +5 pounds.  These ponds can be fished either shore or from a float tube – however, the latter is the most productive.  Fly fishing is catch and release only.  If you are looking for easy access to a private farm pond, this is your opportunity.  This is a pay-to-fish outing, and we are charging $30 fee per angler to help cover the facility rental costs.  We will need at least 10 anglers to sign up before April 1 to hold this event.

Outing Agenda:  We will meet as a group at 7:30 am.  However, the ranch gate opens at 6:30 if you'd like to get the early morning bite. We must leave the ranch at dusk. Drive into the ranch on the main road, past the main house. The ponds are on the left, north of the house. We will meet at the pond on the right.  Depending on the interest of the participants, we are considering a group BBQ and/or potluck lunch.  Bring a folding chair to participate in the group lunch and to take breaks.  Restroom facilities are available near the farmhouse.

Technique:  Topwater presentations are most productive during the dawn and dusk periods.  Mostly subsurface presentations of nymphs or streamers are what most successful anglers use at these ponds.  Some bank fishers have been successful using float-n-fly techniques for bluegill or small bass in the past.
 

Recommended Equipment:

• Personal watercraft with personal floatation device (required) or waders with suitable wading footwear
• 4 to 6 wt rod and reel with floating and intermediate lines
• Subsurface flies: stillwater nymphs, wooly buggers, streamers
• Topwater flies: poppers, frog and mouse patterns, terrestrial flies
• Sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, drinks

How to Sign Up:  This outing is open to DFF members and their guests.  All participants must pre-pay their angler fee and submit or have on file their 2022-2023 DFF liability waiver form with the DFF Secretary to be registered.  This outing is suitable for fly fishers of all levels of experience.  If you are registered for this outing, you will be provided more information on this event by email, a detailed map on the venue, and directions how to get there.   To sign up, please contact Bob Fujimura by email at deltaflyfishers@gmail.com or cell (209) 329-1692 for registration information.  If sign ups among the DFF membership are lacking, we may offer remaining openings to other local fly club members prior to the deadline.  Therefore, please sign up early to ensure your participation.
 

Date: Saturday May 13 (confirmed)

Location: White Pines Lake near Arnold, CA on Hwy 4; approximately a 90 minute drive from Stockton.

Summary:  Join other DFF members in a friendly fly fishing competition with the host club Calaveras Fly Fishers (CFF) on their home waters.  DFF members have often won both contest prizes for most fish caught, and for the largest fish landed during this annual fly fishing tournament.  Participants pay a modest entry fee that goes toward CFF’s scholarship fund for local high school students, a light breakfast, and a great tri-tip sandwich lunch.  More information to come when more details are available from the CFF organizers.

Introduction:   White Pine Lake is a small lake with a power boat ban, free public access, and has well maintained park facilities operated by local volunteers.  Typically, the lake is usually stocked with hatchery trout by the CDFW before the event.  But the lake has also a healthy population of wild trout and good numbers of bass and sunfish.  This event is a lot of fun and well attended by DFF members of various skill levels.   Fly fishers can fish from shore or wading the lake’s banks – however, the most competitive way of fishing White Pines Lakes is from a personal watercraft.   Fly fishers new to fishing lakes and other stillwater are encouraged to attend since it is a good opportunity to closely observe both clubs’ best fishers and learn their basic techniques.

Event Agenda:  The exact itinerary will be provided later in early 2023 when the CFF organizers provide their official contest rules.  However, the contest registration has started at 7 am but all competitors must wait until 9 am to start fishing.  Most DFF participants drive up that morning, set up their crafts and tackle, partake the coffee and donuts provided by SFF, and smack-talk with the other members until the start of the contest.  Participants can fish using a single fly until 1 pm and enjoy the all-you-can use buffet lunch and hear the awards presentation afterwards.

The Fish:   Usually, this contest coincides with the normal CDFW hatchery trout stocking schedule and a special plant arranged by CFF.  When this occurs, fly fishing can be easy and numbers of planted trout have been caught by fishers of all experience levels.  When hatchery trout are scarce as in the 2022 contest, the contest can be more challenging.  Resident wild rainbow or brown trout or holdover hatchery trout are usually available.  However, White Pines Lake has good populations of largemouth bass, black crappie, and other sunfish.

Techniques:  Most serious fishers are stripping or trolling streamers, wooly buggers, or medium to small size nymphs from an intermediate or slow full sinking line.  This is probably the best technique to use for beginning stillwater fishers.  Indicator nymphing or dry fly fishing is possible although generally less productive.  We can provide more specific suggestions when it gets closer to this event.  The recent stocking history, contest rules, and weather/water conditions often dictate the best methods for this contest.  Usually, any 4-6 wt single-handed rod and reel with the above line type should be suitable for this event.  A personal watercraft such as a float tube, oared pontoon boat, or pram should be well suited for fly fishing this small lake.  A personal floatation device is required for floating any lake and all participants must possess a valid CDFW fishing license.
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How to Register:  Register and pay your contest fee on the day of the event.  However, CFF wants an accurate head count prior to this event so the organizers can ensure that they have enough food for the lunch.  If you are an DFF member who is interested in participating in this event, please notify Bob Fujimura by email at: deltaflyfishers@gmail.com or by cell (209) 329-1692 by no later than Saturday May 6th.  A 2022-2023 DFF liability waiver form is also a requirement for participating.

If you are new to fly fishing trophy trout tailwaters or a veteran fly fisher, we encourage you to join this fun event. 

Date: Wednesday May 17 to Friday 19, 2023

Location: Elko County Nevada; approximately 500 to 600 miles or 9 to 11 hour drive from the Stockton area

Summary:  Want to fish some of the most productive trout reservoirs in the West?  Join a 2 ½ day fly fishing clinic with guides led by guide Rob Anderson of Pyramid Lake Fly Fishers.  Participants will have plenty of opportunities to fly fish well stocked reservoirs and use various techniques under the guidance of experienced guides.  The outing costs $295 per person and includes two full days of guided fly fishing and lunches and dinners.

Introduction:  For years, guide Rob Anderson has invited his long time clients to little known but well stocked reservoirs as a change of pace from the intense guiding schedule at Pyramid Lake.  Despite the long distance from Reno and CA, his clients have enjoyed these spring outings with some of the most remarkable trout fishing of their fishing season.  Bob and Jean Fujimura have been regular fishers for this outing for several years and look forward to sharing their time with those DFF members who make this long trip.  This outing is designed for intermediate or advanced skilled fly fishers who are familiar with fishing lakes and reservoirs from a personal watercraft.

Event Agenda:  The exact locations have not been determined at this time since they pre-fish and select the best of several fine lakes in Elko County, NV.  However, participants who register will be given the tentative location at that time.  Typically, the itinerary includes an informal orientation, gear set up, and dinner on the afternoon of the first day.  Next day, fishers will have a full day of lake fishing with lunch provided at the fishing location and later dinner at the nearby campground.  The attendees will have another full day of fishing and lunch.  The guided session will end in the afternoon of the third day.  Given the distance, many attendees choose to extend their fishing trips either before and/or after this guided session independently.

The Fish:  Typically, Rob selects the best reservoir for his clients to catch numerous medium to large sized trout during his sessions.  Depending on the reservoir, rainbow, cutbow or tiger trout hybrids, cutthroat, and brown trout can be available.  Some of the area’s reservoirs also have fishable populations of various bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and wipers) and yellow perch.

Techniques: Rob Anderson and his guides are experts in stillwater indicator fishing, and these locations are selected for the best fishing using these techniques.  Terminal gear and flies are very similar to those used at Pyramid Lake.  Productive indicator flies include balance leeches, attractor nymphs, and chiromonid pupa patterns.  Nine to 10’ single handed rods in 5 to 7 weights with matching floating fly lines are suitable for fishing this technique.  For those who prefer stripping wet flies, angler can also fish streamers, leeches, and smaller stillwater nymph pattern using an intermediate or slow sinking line.  However, often the best presentation is technical and generally less productive than using indicator or ‘naked’ indicator techniques.  All participants should bring a personal watercraft such as a float tube, oared pontoon boat, or pram with suitable safety equipment such as an anchor system.   A personal floatation device is also required for floating any lake and all participants must have valid NV or tribal fishing license.

Accommodations:   The reservoirs in Elko County are often between 5,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation and the weather can quickly drop to winter temperatures with wet/icy and windy conditions.  Unless you are experienced with tent camping under extreme conditions, participants should either camp in hard-sided RVs or stay in cabins or motel lodgings in the area.  Contact the DFF outing host for information on the suitable campgrounds or motels in the area.   Outside of Elko, NV restaurants or cafes are quite limited so participants should be prepared to provide their own breakfasts (during the guided period) and all meals outside of the guided session.  DFF participants are also responsible for their travel, lodging, meals, license or permit costs.

To Register:  Contact Rob Anderson, [rob@bucklistflyfishing.com%20]rob@bucklistflyfishing.com or (775) 742-1754 to register/pay or obtain more information on his guided outing.  All registered DFF participants should 1) let Rob know that you are a DFF member and 2) notify Bob Fujimura that you are registered.  Bob will provide more details to those members who sign up and help coordinate any group side fishing or camping opportunities if needed.  Bob Fujimura’s contact information are email: deltaflyfishers@gmail.com or cell phone: (209) 329-1692.  A signed 2022-2023 DFF liability waiver form is a requirement for participation.