Ground Zero - The Global FlyFisher Site

* Note the books: Martin's self published gem about sea run brown trout angling nd my humble contribution, The Curtis Creek Manifesto (of course he already has a copy dammit!).

On a recent visit to Denmark, I reached out to one of the founding fathers of Fly Fishing on the Internet: Martin Joergensen of the website Global Flyfisher. This was one of the first sites that I found when exploring fly fishing resources on the internet and I remain a huge fan. We are talking ages ago. Remember, I am the knucklehead who still uses an AOL address (don't worry, I also have gmail). 

One of the topics often covered in his site is angling in Scandinavia for sea run brown trout. What has been fun to note is the parallel between this pursuit and that for sea run cutthroats in the Pacific Northwest. The similarities are huge. In the course of our fun hang on a rainy day at the national library in Copenhagen, Martin also told me of spawning gravel restoration project in Denmark for these migratory browns. It sounded so similar to what happens here in the West. He and I are currently talking about my contributing some content reflecting issues in the Western United States. Take a good look at his website and enjoy! It is full of gems. If you have been a fan for a long time or decide that you want to support his site moving forward, he is also taking donations.  Go to: https://globalflyfisher.com/

In his own words: "I started out in 1994 with my site Fishing Denmark aimed at people wanting to fish for sea trout in the Baltic. It was made as a response to people inquiring about our coastal fishing through mail, and after having sent the same reply many times, I decided to embrace this new thing called the World Wide Web, and make a web site with what had grown to be quite a lengthy mail. At the same time GFF partner Steve Schweitzer made a site about his favorite subjects called the Midwest Flytyer. This site concentrated on fly-tying as the name implies and took its outset in the Midwest. All this was back in 1994-1996 - the true infancy of the web more than 25 years ago."

Klamath Update :: Fish Water People

 The CalTrout podcast "Fish Water People" offers a Klamath River dam removal update. It's a LONG listen but worth every second. Super enlightening and covers many angles. This is truly a big deal and it's not just sounding good on paper, it's HAPPENING! Please give it a listen. Definitely good for your next long drive. Link HERE.

Lake Tulare Continued

 Very very hard for me not to continue with the fascination. As can be expected, the new narrative is the logical next step: How foul is this lake? Read about it HERE. Thank you to the Guardian.

Lake Tulare - 2023 - WOW!

No better time for a run-on sentence than when speaking of 2023's epic water year in California. If the rains did not create an incredible situation, the snowmelt will top off the season as the headline act and yes, play a very long set! I always feel a curious sensation as I head up and down HWY 99; knowing that I am driving through a lake bed. It pains me to think that many people have suffered (flooded homes, farms etc.) because of the recent winter's heavy precipitation esp. those in the Central Valley that, yep, you guessed it, is Lake Tulare's original bed but still, let's be clear, this is mother nature doing its thing; climate change or not and she has decided to let Lake Tulare make a showing. My fave and perhaps THE pre-eminent fisheries biologist in the state, Peter Moyle, offers this all-encompassing summary of Lake Tulare's 2023 manifestation. Coming to think of it, when the French use the word "manifestation" it is often in the context of a demonstration or protest. That's put that in your aqueduct and smoke it! Read the entry HERE

April 2023

Pre-Rains of 2023

High Flows from On High

 Here's some January footage taken for CalTrout of the creek mouth and the derelict dam on Malibu Creek - moments after heavy rains.

Blue Lining Into 2023

 As 2022 closed, a trip up into the "locals" to assess the condition of a cherished stream was classic So Cal. It was full of mixed emotions. There was celebration as recent rains brought much needed water while the past fires generated silt and sandy runoff to traumatize the habitat ... oh and humans, driven even crazier than before by the pandemic, clearly took to the stream this past summer to paint, party, vandalize ... But against all odds, last but not least, small trout have persisted; giving us hope. Click on the images to enlarge.

Did you make it this far? Please look at the new Restore Malibu Creek website [https://restoremalibucreek.net] and while you are at it, sign up for the newsletter and by all means, feel free to contribute to CalTrout [https://caltrout.org]. I am proud to be a photo contributor to both.

In closing, look for a much more frequent series of post throughout the year.