Below is our club calendar of upcoming events. This calendar changes often so check back frequently.
Should you want to add an event to the calendar, please submit your request on the Event Request Submission Form found here.
DUE TO THE CLOSURE OF ANGLERS LODGE FOR COVID-19 CONCERNS, BEGINNING IN APRIL, 2020, AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, ALL GGACC BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE HELD ONLINE AS VIRTUAL MEETINGS (via Zoom). These virtual meetings will start at 9:00AM on the scheduled date (usually 2nd Saturday of the month).
This is the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors for the Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club, for which the meeting room in the Anglers Lodge is reserved from 8-9am.
If you have new business to present to the Board, please contact us at ggaccdirectors@gmail.com
GGACC members are welcome to attend.
Fun and friendly casting competition held in conjunction with the Oakland Casting Club and San Jose Flycasters, but open to any registered person who would like to participate to test their skill against others or to just take part in the training to be offered as part of these casting games this year -- all are welcome, including beginning casters!
The casting games at the GGACC casting ponds have been scheduled to be typically held on the third Sunday of each month from 9:30am to about 12:30pm. But be sure to check the calendar each month for the actual date for this event. Once the Lodge has been re-opened, these events will have priority use of the Lodge locker room and the center and east casting ponds during these hours.
There is a $1 entry fee required for each casting event that you choose to compete in -- to be paid to the event host. Registration is by appointment via the contact person below.
All GGACC Casting Games will be conducted under ACA rules and will be ACA "registered" events (UON).
To REGISTER, or for further information or rules explanation, please contact: Alice Gillibert alicegillibert@comcast.net
This year's pond cleaning will take place on TUESDAY, April 20, 2021, starting at 7:30 AM.
Join us for for spring cleaning at the GGACC — we need your help to get the ponds in shape and ready for a season of casting!
Every year in the spring, a group of hard-working club members, better known as the Water Warriors, along with staff from SF Rec and Parks, spend a few hours preparing the club’s casting ponds for the season. We plan to meet up in the morning at 7:30AM and are usually done by 12:30PM.
The tools we use are old-school: brooms and shovels, wheelbarrows and elbow grease. Those who are feeling adventurous can volunteer for the the hose crew! The Rec & Parks Dept. will provide all of the tools and a handful of employees to help us with the work. After the ponds are thoroughly cleaned and dry, they will also coordinate the removal of any aquatic growth in the ponds and repair the cracks in the concrete.
All you need to bring is your mask, waders (or a pair of rubber boots), eye protection, and maybe a pair of work gloves.
This year as we come out of lockdown, it is still important to observe the guidance set forth by the Department of Public Health:
We hope you will consider joining us on April 20th, and giving the GGACC a few hours of your time. We need at least 30 volunteers to get the job done. To sign up for this activity on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, please send an email to this year's Pond Cleaning Coordinator: Robbins Peek: Club.ggacc@gmail.com
Have any questions about this activity? Feel free to contact Robbins -- he'll be very glad to hear from you!
Note: This one-day Spey Angler class is an extended-hour make-up session for the previously scheduled Spey Angler class #125 on January 23-24, 2021 that was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. As such, only those previously registered for the January event or, if necessary someone on the waitlist, may be invited to attend this event.
There are no new registrations expected to be allowed for this event.
Note: This Spey Improver class #128 is a make-up session for the Spey Improver #123 class on November 21, 2020, that was cancelled due to Covid concerns. Only those who were previously registered for the Nov. class or, if need be, waitlisted for that class may participate in this one day make-up event to be held on the American River.
As such, no new registrations are expected for this event.
With the re-start of GGACC’s Learn To Fly Fish program, we are looking for volunteers to be “Fish-Out Leaders” for the outings we are scheduling for Learn To Fly Fish students.
As a Fish-Out Leader, you are the host for students attending a Fish-Out event. Your primary responsibilities are to insure the organization and safety of students during the event. As we re-boot the program, we will primarily be using professional guides as our instructors and leaders on the water. You may assist in this respect, providing an “extra hand” where necessary, but you will join the class on the water and benefit from the guide’s instruction and knowledge as an observer.
The event planning and organization will be done by the program leadership. You will attend a logistics preparation meeting/call with the registered students a week or so prior to the outing. As students arrive at the event location, you will help them get settled and ready for the guided outing. Working with program leadership, you will assign students to their guides and make sure they are prepared for the day and know when and where they are to be for the outing on the water. After assisting (along with a cast or two yourself), you will insure everyone is safely off the water and accounted for.
We are scheduling outings, and are in need of several leaders ASAP. We are looking for a dependable and solid team of leaders which enables us to serve the nearly 100 LTFF students in the program, offering as many outing opportunities as possible.
If you have interest, please plan to attend an informational Zoom call on Monday evening, April 26th at 7pm (see GGACC events calendar). We will discuss more details and answer your questions. The call will also be recorded if you cannot make it.
Bruce Greenwood
GGACC LTFF Program Leader
Fireside Environmental Speaker Series
The GGACC Conservation Committee is pleased to invite you to our Virtual speaker event:
"THE MOKELUMNE RIVER"
A presentation by Michael Weir of CalTrout
Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 7 pm PT
Hosted by Stephen Starke
Program: MORE DESCRIPTION TO FOLLOW WHEN AVAILABLE
REGISTRATION: Members can register on this page by clicking on the “Register” button to be shown here following the formal announcement of this event via email blast to the club's membership. Registrants will receive an email prior to the talk with a Zoom link to join the presentation..
This presentation is for GGACC members exclusively. If you would like to invite a fishing buddy, they can sign up to become a member through our website at GGACC.org for access to this event, in addition to all of our programs and events throughout the year.
For more information about this event or for suggestions about future conservation speakers, please contact Stephen Starke, Chairperson, GGACC Fireside Environmental Speaker Series, at sstarke@comcast.net
If you are having difficulty in connecting to this Zoom meeting using the link emailed out to the registrants shortly before the event, email Mika McHenry at foxandmika@gmail.com
About the Presenter:
Michael Wier
Growing up in the Sierra Foothills Michael was always close to Nature. Spending a lot of time at the Lakes and Rivers he learned to fish and tie flies at a young age. Once he moved to Lake Tahoe he began to split his time between snowboarding in the winters and fly-fishing in the summers. Michael spent 15 seasons fishing and guiding the waters of the Truckee, Carson, Walker rivers and surrounding waters. In 2001 he started BURL Productions specializing in adventure and outdoor films. Notable titles to his credit include FISH EYE Videos, Trout Bum Dairies 1, SOULFISH 1&2 and CALI RUSH. Michael now works for California Trout helping to protect California’s Trout Salmon Steelhead and blue ribbon waters. Michael is an Ambassador for Patagonia Fly-Fishing, Smith, Loon Outdoors, Galvan Reels and Outcast boats.
FURTHER REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN DISABLED UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WE CAN AGAIN PROCEED WITH MONTHLY FREE CASTING LESSONS ON A RESTRICTED BASIS WITH APPROVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO'S REC & PARKS DEPT.
WHEN APPROVED, SUCH RESTRICTIONS WILL BE DESCRIBED LATER IN THIS CALENDAR POSTING TO REPLACE THE TYPICAL DESCRIPTION BELOW.
The Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club's (GGACC's) Monthly Free Fly Casting Lessons are open to both Club members and the General Public. These free fly casting lessons are generally held on the 2nd Saturday of each month year-round from 9:30 AM - 12 Noon at the Golden Gate casting ponds. These lessons are followed by a free small lunch courtesy of GGACC. Free loaner equipment is also available on a first come, first served basis, but please try to arrive by 8:45 AM to take advantage of this limited free equipment.
A few points to consider –
Classes target four different skill levels (the classes are held concurrently):
Please pre-register for these casting lessons in order to help determine the number of needed instructors and for lunch planning purposes. To register, simply click on the large "Register" button to the left of this event description (or above it if using your smartphone).
Finally, if you are interested in joining the casting instructor group or training for Fly Fishers International (FFI) "Casting Instructor" (CI) certification, please contact Willy George.
Learn To Fly Fish (LTFF) Casting Lessons
This event is open to current Learn To Fly Fish (GGACC LTFF) students only.
This is a two hour casting session open to current "Learn To Fly Fish" students only who were previously registered students in the club's 2020 LTFF program. Participants must be current on their club dues renewal for calendar year 2021.
There will be two separate, 2-hour classes held on Saturday May 8th. Due to strict Covid restrictions, class size is limited to 30 students per class session. Please sign up for one class session only.
Priority will be given to Level 1 (formerly Beginners) and Level 2 (formerly Novice) students. Level 3 (formerly Intermediate) students may fill any remaining openings.
Level 1 and 2 students (and subsequently Level 3 students) will be notified via email of the date and time that registration will open and the Register button first appears.
Click on the large "REGISTER" button (once it appears) to register for one these two Class sessions (this choice will appear in the second step):
Session 1 10AM-Noon Saturday, May 8, 2021
Session 2 1pm- 3pm Saturday, May 8, 2021
Please register for only one session. More details will be provided to confirmed registrants.
Casting lessons will be held at the GGACC ponds, Golden Gate Park.
For questions, contact: Bruce Greenwood brucegre@pacbell.net
THIS EVENT IS UNLIKELY TO BE HELD IN PERSON THIS MONTH DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS CLOSING THE GG ANGLERS LODGE. THIS SKILLS BUILDING PROGRAM MAY SOON BE PRESENTED AS A SERIES OF ZOOM MEETINGS ON CERTAIN MONTHS. CHECK BACK LATER TO THIS MONTHLY CALENDAR EVENT FOR ANY POTENTIAL CHANGE OF STATUS.
FURTHER REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN DISABLED UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WE CAN AGAIN PROCEED WITH MONTHLY SKILLS BUILDING PROGRAM ON A RESTRICTED BASIS WITH APPROVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO REC & PARKS DEPT.
Cost: free. This event is open to the public to register.
Unless there will be no program offered in a particular month, this event is typically held on the 2nd Saturday of each month following the free public casting lessons that month. Attendance may be limited to the maximum seating available for a particular program, so please register in advance of the event.
The program description will be posted here as soon as it has been set.
All participants are requested to register for this event beforehand (whether or not there is any limit shown on the registration for this event) in order to gauge the expected size of the audience.
For further info about this event, contact:
Steve Fuerstenau sfuerstenau@yahoo.com
Note: This one-day Spey Angler class is an extended-hour make-up session for the previously scheduled Spey Angler class #126 on February 6-7, 2021 that was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. As such, only those previously registered for the February event or, if necessary someone on the waitlist, may be invited to attend this event.
LTFF Upper McCloud River Fish-outs -- Level 1 Students
These two Upper McCloud River Fish-outs on May 14-16 (Group 1, guided fishing on May 15th) and May 15-17 (Group 2, fishing on May 16th) are exclusively intended for currently registered Level 1 (former Beginner) students in the GGACC's "Learn to Fly Fish" (LTFF) program. Online registration will be opened at a date and time to be announced to the entire LTFF Level 1 Class via email. Registration for these fish-outs is limited and based on a first-to-register basis only. There will be 16 openings for each group. Registration is limited to only one group initially, with 2 day options open as availability allows (per LTFF Program Leader discretion).
No doubt you have heard of the McCloud River if you have talked with many fly anglers in Northern California, since it is truly one of our state's most treasured fisheries for rainbow and brown trout. However, most of that reputation comes from the larger Lower McCloud River that comes out of the McCloud Reservoir and runs down to Lake Shasta through some picturesque but rugged canyons that cross both public and private lands, including limited access into the Nature Conservancy waters and members-only access to some very exclusive club water. The Lower McCloud is particularly well-known for big browns that come out of Lake Shasta in the fall to spawn. But the Lower McCloud is not a good river for teaching Beginners how to fly fish, especially in the spring, so we are headed to the smaller Upper McCloud River instead, in the section of the river best known to campers, sightseers, and hikers for its scenic Lower Falls and Middle Falls.
Since much of the water for the Upper McCloud River comes from springs, we're hoping to find a little less run-off and high water than currently expected on Sierra streams, giving us a chance to teach you dry fly, dry-dropper, and indicator nymphing techniques as well as how to read water and wade safely. We have hired professional guides from Confluence Outfitters. These guides will be primarily teaching and not acting as normal guides would -- meaning that they are not going to be doing everything that they would normally do for you (except casting or catching and landing fish), especially since they will have four of you to be working with and not the usual limit of just one or two anglers per guide. We have selected Confluence Outfitters and these guides specifically for their teaching expertise. We plan to have 4 guides with a guide to student ratio of 1:4.
Under the watchful eyes of these guides, the students will be deciding how and where to start fishing, rigging up their own rods, selecting and tying on their own flies, untangling their own casting messes, and landing their own fish (hopefully). The guides will be helping to instruct you wherever you need it and offering suggestions about the required casting techniques, how to approach the water and what to look for there, while helping you select a target for your cast and suggesting how to move safely into position for that cast. You learn best by listening carefully and then attempting it on your own with subsequent critique from your guide about your mistakes. Wading safety will be emphasized, as well as other safety precautions. We will hold several preparation sessions (likely Zoom meetings) prior to this event to prepare you as well for the outing.
Meeting Location EACH morning at 8:30AM: You will meet and check in with your fish-out leader on your guided fishing day in Fowlers Campground at a specific location there still to be confirmed with the guides. The leader will be sure you receive your flies and then assign you to a guide for the day. Following COVID safety guidelines, each student will bring their own lunch/snacks and water for the day. You are expected to arrive, wader up, and be ready to listen/learn at 9AM and, after some instruction in rigging from your guide, head to the water soon afterward to start fishing.
Fowlers Campground is 5 miles east of the town of McCloud on CA Hwy 89 and about 1 mi. south of the highway on Fowler Public Camp Rd. Look for a sign "Fowlers / Lower Falls" and turn right just after the sign to go another mile south. Once you cross River Loop Rd., the left fork goes to the campground and the right fork goes to the day use area for the Lower Falls. Watch for further info about where to park. GPS Coord. for the campground: Lat. 41.2448556, Long. -122.0232556
Camping or Lodging Options: We have reserved group campsites at Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort, which is off I-5, a short distance first west and then south of the town of Mt. Shasta, about 4-1/2 hours north of SF (without traffic) and about a 30 minute drive west of your fishing day's meet-up location at Fowlers Campground. (Use Google or other online map app for the I-5 exit and street directions to the lake resort.)
Group 1 and Group 2 each have separate, 2-night overlapping reservations at the campground (overlap is Saturday night). Fees for these campsites are included in the registration fees. Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort will have restroom facilities available for campers. You must bring your own camping and cooking gear and food/drink for your stay at Lake Siskiyou. Students are strongly encouraged to stay at the group camp and enjoy the opportunity to get to know your fellow anglers. But, if you are absolutely opposed to the idea of camping, motel accommodations can be found in the nearby towns of Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta, Weed, or possibly McCloud.
Gear Needed: Other than any camping gear that you may decide to bring, your fishing and other gear should include: a 4 or 5 wt fly rod with floating line, at least 2-3 9ft. 4X tapered leaders, mono tippet spools in 3X-5X, fluoro tippet in 4X-5X, a few medium sized indicators of your choice, split-shot in at least AB & BB sizes, forceps, nippers, gel (or liquid) silicon fly floatant, dry-shake dessicant floatant, and a small or medium sized fly box (preferably watertight). Your registration fee includes a selection of both dry flies and nymphs for the Upper McCloud. We will be discussing entomology and fly imitations during our preparations meetings to help you purchase flies or tie your own to bring with you besides the limited number of flies being provided.
Bring a pack of some sort, or a fishing vest with large back pocket, suitable to carry your fishing gear, lunch, and at least one liter of drinking water, plus a packable rain jacket or water resistant shell if there is any chance of rain or cool weather. Other items that you MUST have include a wading staff with a lanyard, a hat with brim or bill, polarized sunglasses, and at least one wading belt for your waders.
Bring waders and wading boots (either felt-soled or studded rubber-soled, or even studded felt soles) and, if you really think that you might prefer to wet-wade (if it's very hot), a pair of neoprene guard socks (to wear over cotton wading socks to both fill your wading boots and help keep sand out of your socks). Be forewarned though, a spring-time alpine stream -- whether spring-fed or snow-melt -- can be quite cold when you need to stand in it for more than a few minutes to make casting easier.
Don't forget your 2021 fishing license (guides are required to record your license into their guide log, it's a steep fine if caught fishing without one on your person, and it's a long drive back to get a duplicate copy), sunscreen, and bug repellent. Optional gear includes sungloves, a buff, a landing net on a stretchy lanyard, a marine safety whistle, tiny first aid kit, small toilet paper or kleenex pack, and a little note book & pencil -- and maybe a stream thermometer and small fishnet or sieve if you are really getting into it.
We will follow Covid safety guidelines as well. If you have not already received a vaccination, plan to have at least your first vaccine completed before this outing. Bring your masks and hand sanitizer lotion.
Registration fee of $190.00 is non-refundable and covers the guides' fees, flies, and campground fees. It does not cover travel costs, lodging (if you decide not to camp), food, or the guide's gratuity / tip. (Suggested gratuity is $25-$35 cash per day per student for this particular trip)
Students should remember to personally thank and tip their guide at the end of each day (based on how much you learned from him, not how many fish you caught).
Registrations must be completed by paying the fee online within 15 minutes of beginning the registration process to entitle you to a spot. There are no refunds possible if you are unable to go after having completed your registration unless there is someone on a waitlist willing to pay that fee to replace you.
As soon as the registrations are mostly filled, you will be getting rosters of the registrants in each group and their contact info so that you may choose to reach out to your group about further plans, etc.
For questions, contact: Bruce Greenwood (brucegre@pacbell.net)
GGACC casting ponds are reserved for this event.
More description to follow when details are finalized.
Introduction to the Sport of Competition Casting
Casting events: Trout Fly, Bass Bug, 5/8oz. Open-face Plug, Fly Distance demo
Sunday, May 16, 2021 from 9:30am to 1:00pm
Bring a fly rod (6wt preferably) with a floating line and 9' tapered leader (apprx. 4X).
To register, contact Alice Gillibert alicegillibert@comcast.net
This is a demonstration and training event for a necessarily very limited audience of GGACC members only, who have an interest in learning accuracy casting events in order to participate in the inter-club competition casting games (3 levels of competition, including Beginners Class C) held monthly at the GG casting ponds on the third Sunday morning.
Registration is limited to 6 current club members to comply with SF Rec & Parks Covid-19 restrictions. Covid protocols of wearing masks and maintaining adequate spacing must be followed. There should be no sharing of equipment.
For more info or to register, contact Alice Gillibert alicegillibert@comcast.net
LTFF Upper McCloud River Fish-outs -- Level 2 Students
These two Upper McCloud River Fish-outs on May 28-30 (Group 1, fishing with guides on May 29th) and May 29-31 (Group 2, fishing on May 30th) are exclusively intended for currently registered Level 2 (formerly Novice) students in the GGACC's "Learn to Fly Fish" (LTFF) program. Registration for these fish-outs is limited and based on a first-to-register basis only. There will be 16 openings for each group. Registration is limited to only one group initially, with 2 day options open as availability allows (per LTFF Program Leader discretion).
Since much of the water for the Upper McCloud River comes from springs, we're hoping to find a little less run-off and high water than currently expected on Sierra streams, giving us a chance to teach you dry fly, dry-dropper, and indicator nymphing techniques as well as how to read water and wade safely. We have hired professional guides from Confluence Outfitters. These guides will be primarily teaching and not acting as normal guides would -- meaning that they are not going to be doing everything that they would normally do for you (except casting and catching the fish), especially since they will have four of you to be working with and not the usual limit of just one or two anglers per guide. We have selected Confluence Outfitters and these guides specifically for their teaching skills. We plan to have 4 guides with a guide to student ratio of 1:4.
Under the watchful eyes of these guides, the students will be deciding how and where to start fishing, rigging up their own rods, selecting and tying on their own flies, untangling their own casting messes, and landing their own fish (hopefully). The guides will be helping to instruct you wherever you need it and offering suggestions about the required casting techniques, how to approach the water and what to look for there, while helping you select a target for your cast and suggesting how to move safely into position for that cast. You learn best by listening carefully and then attempting it on your own with subsequent critique from your guide about your mistakes. Wading safety will be emphasized along with other safety precautions. We will hold several preparation sessions (likely Zoom meetings) prior to this event to prepare you as well for the outing.
These Level 2 fish-outs will be distinguished from similar Level 1 fish-outs held 2 weeks prior with the guides covering more advanced topics including presentation techniques. Don’t overlook this chance to fish these beautiful waters with great guides and the opportunity to catch trout on dry flies. We will look to challenge you on these waters.
Meeting Location EACH morning at 8:30AM: You will meet up and check in with your fish-out leader on your fishing day morning in Fowlers Campground at a specific location there still to be confirmed with the guides. The leader will be sure you receive your flies and then assign you to a guide for the day. Following COVID safety guidelines, each student will bring their own lunch/snacks and at least a liter of drinking water for that day. You are expected to arrive, wader up, and be ready to listen/learn starting at 9AM, before rigging up as instructed by your guide.
Camping or Lodging Options: For Group 1 only, we have reserved a group campsite for both Friday and Saturday nights at Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort, which is off I-5, a short distance first west and then south of the town of Mt. Shasta, about 4-1/2 hours north of SF (without traffic) and about a 30 minute drive west of your fishing day's meet-up location at Fowlers Campground. (Use Google or other online map app for the I-5 exit and street directions to the lake resort.) Fees for the Group 1 campsite is included in the registration fee. Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort will have restroom facilities available for campers. You must bring your own camping and cooking gear and food/drink for your stay at Lake Siskiyou. Students are strongly encouraged to stay at the group camp and enjoy the opportunity to get to know your fellow anglers.
Unfortunately, any group camping accommodations were no longer available for Group 2. Therefore, if you wish to take advantage of this fish-out event on Sunday, May 30th (Group 2), you will need to arrange for your own camping site among the various NFS, State Park, and private campground options along I-5 or for motel accommodations in the nearby towns of Mt. Shasta, Dunsmuir, Weed, or McCloud. Correspondingly, Group 2 registration fees are lower for not including camping fees. (Note: Fowlers Campground and others along the Upper McCloud River do not allow reservations and will likely already be full for the full week before this Memorial Day weekend.)
Gear Needed: Other than any camping gear that you may decide to bring, your fishing and other gear should include: a 4 or 5 wt fly rod with floating line, at least 2-3 9ft. 4X leaders, mono tippet spools in 3X-5X, fluoro tippet in 4X-5X, a few medium sized indicators of your choice, split-shot in at least AB & BB sizes, forceps, nippers, gel (or liquid) silicon fly floatant, dry-shake desiccant floatant, and a small or medium sized fly box (preferably watertight). Your registration fee includes a selection of both dry flies and nymphs for the Upper McCloud. We will be discussing entomology and fly imitations during our preparations meetings to help you purchase or tie other flies to bring with you.
Bring a pack of some sort or a fishing vest suitable to carry your fishing gear, lunch, and at least a liter of drinking water, plus a packable rain jacket or water resistant shell if there is any chance of rain or cool weather. You must have a wading staff with a lanyard, a hat with brim or bill, polarized sunglasses, and at least one wading belt for your waders.
Bring waders and wading boots (felt-soled or studded rubber-soled) and, if you think that you might prefer to wet-wade if its hot, a pair of neoprene guard socks (to wear over cotton wading socks to both fill your wading boots and help keep sand out of your socks).
Don't forget your fishing license (it's a long drive back to get a duplicate copy), sunscreen, and bug repellent. Optional gear includes sungloves, a buff, a landing net on a stretchy lanyard, a marine safety whistle, tiny first aid kit, small toilet paper or kleenex pack, and a little note book & pencil and maybe a stream thermometer if you are really getting into it.
Group 1 Registration fee of $190.00 is non-refundable and covers the guide's fee, a selection of flies, and group campground fees. It does not cover travel costs, lodging (if you decide not to camp), food, or the guide's gratuity.
Group 2 Registration fee of $175.00 is non-refundable and covers the guide's fee and a selection of flies. It does not cover travel costs, lodging, campground fees, food, or the guide's gratuity.
Students should remember to personally thank and tip their guide at the end of each day (suggested gratuity for these particular fish-outs is $25-$35 cash per day per student based on how much you learned from your guide, not how many fish you caught).
THIS EVENT IS POSTED ON THE CALENDAR NOW AS A PLACEHOLDER ONLY! FURTHER REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN DISABLED UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WE CAN AGAIN PROCEED WITH MONTHLY FREE CASTING LESSONS ON A RESTRICTED BASIS WITH APPROVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO'S REC & PARKS DEPT.
LTFF Upper Sacramento River Fish-outs -- Level 1 Students only
These two Upper Sac River Fish-outs on June 18-20 (Group 1, fishing with guides on June 19th) and June 19-21 (Group 2, fishing on June 20th) are exclusively intended for currently registered Level 1 students in the GGACC's "Learn to Fly Fish" (LTFF) program. Online registration for these fish-outs will be opened at a date and time to be announced to the entire LTFF Level 1 Class via email. Registration for these fish-outs is limited and based on a first-to-register basis only. There will be 12 openings for each group. Registration is limited to only one group initially, with possible 2 fish day options opened afterward as availability allows (per LTFF Program Leader discretion).
The Upper Sacramento River is one of Northern California's best known fly fishing rivers for rainbow and brown trout due to all the wadeable riffles and pocket water, especially in its upper stretches, which are relatively easy to access from both Interstate 5 and the railroad tracks that parallel much of the river from Lamoine at the south end up to the Cantara railroad bridge that's just north of the historic town of Dunsmuir. Unlike the Lower Sacramento River, a big tailwater river, that flows out of Lake Shasta, this upper river follows a much more picturesque landscape of forested mountainsides and canyons, including the stunning mountain crags in Castle Crags State Park that borders this river. Most of the I-5 exits along the interstate here lead to some sort of access to the river.
Join this fish-out to learn some of the very best places to fish this gorgeous river from our Confluence Outfitter guides. We plan to have 4 guides, with a guide to student ratio of 1:3.
Pending further announcement, we will meet up with the guides at 8:30 AM at a location to be communicated later to all registrants.
Following COVID safety guidelines, each student will bring their own lunch/snacks and water for the day. You are expected to arrive, wader up and be ready to listen/learn. The fish-out leader will distribute flies to you and assign you to your guide for the day, The guide will instruct you how to rig up and go over other subjects starting at 9AM before getting you on the water.
Gear Needed: Other than any camping gear that you may decide to bring, your fishing and other gear should include: a 4 or 5 wt fly rod with floating line, at least 2-3 9ft. 4X leaders, mono tippet spools in 3X-5X, fluoro tippet in 4X-5X, a few medium sized indicators of your choice, split-shot in at least AB & BB sizes, forceps, nippers, gel (or liquid) silicon fly floatant, dry-shake dessicant floatant, and a small or medium sized fly box (preferably watertight). Flies will be provided as part of the registration fees. Entomology and fly imitations will be discussed in prep meetings prior to the fish-out to help you purchase some extra flies to bring along or tie your own before the trip.
Bring a pack of some sort, or a fishing vest with a large back pocket, suitable to carry your fishing gear, lunch, and at least one liter of drinking water, plus a packable rain jacket or water resistant shell if there is any chance of rain or cool weather. You must have a wading staff with a lanyard, a hat with brim or bill, polarized sunglasses, and at least one wading belt for your waders.
Bring waders and wading boots (felt-soled or studded rubber-soled) and, if you think that you might prefer to wet-wade if it's really hot, a pair of neoprene guard socks (to wear over cotton wading socks to both fill your wading boots and help keep sand out of your socks). This river will likely be running pretty high still due to snow-melt and running pretty cold, so be sure you bring waders along in your vehicle no matter what you decide to do there.
Don't forget your fishing license (it's a long drive back to get a duplicate copy), also sunscreen, and bug repellent. Optional gear includes sungloves, a buff, a landing net on a stretchy lanyard, a marine safety whistle, tiny first aid kit, small toilet paper or kleenex pack, and a little note book & pencil and maybe a stream thermometer if you are really getting into it.
We will follow Covid safety guidelines as well. If you have not already received a vaccination, plan to have at least your first vaccine completed before this outing. Bring your masks and sanitizer lotion as well.
Camping or Lodging Options: We have reserved group campsites at Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort, which is a short distance first to the west and then south of the I-5 exit near the town of Mt. Shasta. (Use Google or other map apps to get interstate exit and street directions to the resort.) Travel time from the City is about 4-1/2 hours -- without accounting for traffic, so be sure to leave early enough to not be making others unhappy by setting up your camp after most others have gone to sleep.
Group 1 and Group 2 each have separate, overlapping two-night reservations at the campground (overlap is Saturday night). Fees for these campsites are included in the registration fees. Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort will have restroom facilities available for campers. You must bring your own camping and cooking gear and food/drink for your stay at Lake Siskiyou.
Camping is strongly encouraged to get better acquainted with your fellow students. However, if you need a motel instead, there are motel accommodations possible in the nearby towns of Mt. Shasta, Dunsmuir, and Weed.
This fish-out is limited to the first 24 of the Level 1 students to register (two groups of 12 students). The time and date that online registration opens will be announced to the class by email. It is highly recommended that you try to attend the first fish-out in mid-May at the Upper McCloud so you are better prepared for this more challenging venue.
Registration fee of $240.00 is non-refundable and covers the guide's fee (but not guide gratuities of $25-50 per day per person), flies, and campground fees. It does not cover your travel costs, motels (if you decide not to camp), food, or guide gratuities. Online payment of registration fee must be made within 15 minutes of starting the registration steps and your registration is not completed until notice shows of email confirmation sent.
LTFF Upper Sacramento River Fish-outs -- Level 2 Students only
These two Upper Sac River Fish-outs on June 25-27 (Group 1, fishing with guides on June 26th) and June 26-28 (Group 2, fishing on June 27th) are exclusively intended for currently registered Level 2 students in the GGACC's "Learn to Fly Fish" (LTFF) program. Online registration for these fish-outs will be opened at a date and time to be announced to the entire LTFF Level 2 Class via email. Registration for these fish-outs is limited and based on a first-to-register basis only. There will be 12 openings for each group. Registration is limited to only one group initially, with 2 fish day options opened afterward as availability allows (per LTFF Program Leader discretion).
This fish-out is limited to the first 24 of the Level 2 students to register (two groups of 12 students). The time and date that online registration opens will be announced to the class by email. It is highly recommended that you try to attend the first fish-out in mid-May at the Upper McCloud so you are better prepared for this more challenging venue.
Montana Fish-Out (LTFF Level 3&4 - Intermediates)
This extremely popular fish-out is what most of you have waited your 3 years in the LTFF program for: The Learn to Fly Fish trip to Montana always seems to be the highlight for most students in the program and is the one trip that just about everyone who goes each year ends up pleading to get the chance to go again.
But we can never promise that and we can never take more than at most 10 from the class each year. So, if you can possibly be one of the lucky 10 students that gets to go this year for 3 days of fabulous guided drift fishing (after arriving Friday, July 9 and not leaving before Tuesday, July 13), you'll want to do it. These dates are the weekend following the July 4th weekend (which is never a good time to fish this river due to the crowds).
We will be float (or drift) fishing on a famed tailwater stretch of the upper Missouri River for 3 days (on Saturday -- Monday this year) out of Craig, Montana each day. The dry fly and nymph fishing for the big strong rainbow and brown trout in this incredibly abundant fishery is world renowned. (Our club casting instructor lead, and former president Willy George loves this place and often stays in his camper there for up to 2 weeks at a time to fish the "Mo" at this time of year, as he has done for probably 20 plus years.)
We will be fishing with the HeadHunters Fly Shop's guides, some of the very best you'll ever experience. They will supply all the gear required including fly rods, leaders, flies, etc. However, you are welcome to bring your own gear if you desire, especially if you can stick around to walk/wade fish this river with some of us for a few days more and fish one or more of the other famous rivers in the area on your own, or with a guide that maybe a couple of you will line up afterword to float or wade/walk with.
Sandals or water shoes, rather than waders, are advised on these Missouri River drift boats for most of the warm sunny days at this time of year which, like most areas flanking the Rockies, may offer also a brief afternoon rain shower. However, if you don't bring waders (only bring them because you need them for something else), DO remember to pack a pair of rain pants along with a good-quality rain jacket. One cold, all-day-long rainstorm on our first day on the river a couple years ago taught us this lesson, and there's always the possibility of a cold rain or hail storm blowing through.
The transportation options, logistics, gear, licensing, the fish-out rules, etc. will be covered in a pre-fishout meeting, so do try hard to be there if you can. I will send out some notes to those who can't make it, but you should look at the pre-meeting as a good opportunity to coordinate your travel plans or to discuss teaming up for traveling and fishing in the area, or for arranging to share a car rental from one of the local airports.
We have rented the Jumping Rainbow Lodge, a large house that is situated right on the river about 8 miles from Craig. We have rented this house for many years now because it makes a great home base for us and there is nothing in town or in the area nearly as big.
The tiny town of Craig, MT is located on Interstate I-15 about halfway between the cities of Helena and Great Falls (it's about a 50 mile drive northeast from Helena and a little shorter drive southwest from Great Falls).
If you are planning to fly there, the airports in those two cities are the closest possibilities, but there is also Bozeman, MT which is about a 2-1/2 hour drive away and Missoula, MT, which is probably just about as far. Flights fill up quickly, so start looking at your options and checking available flights and prices now before the first pre-meeting to be able to discuss your preference for driving there or flying to one of these airports.
If possible, you want to arrive at the rental house sometime on Friday afternoon, July 9, (since I should be able to get us into the house around 3PM). And you won't need to leave the house until 10AM, Tuesday morning, July 14, since we've also rented the house for that Monday night to allow for a full day's fishing on Monday.
Some of you may wish to stay on for a few days of wade fishing the Missouri River or local creeks and other rivers, in which case, we'll try to extend our reservation in Jumping Rainbow Lodge, if possible and if there's enough interest, or locate other nearby lodging that's smaller. Additional nights will be charged accordingly.
We will cook our own group dinner on Friday night, but our dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights will be catered (which will provide left-overs for Monday night). Lunches will be provided by the guides on Sat.-Mon., and we will have enough food in the house for a quick breakfast each morning and for hors d'oevres and adult beverages for happy hour each afternoon. Volunteering for helping to cook breakfasts and some kitchen clean-up will be covered in the pre-meeting.
Covid: Covid vaccinations will be required. It is understood that there may be differing points of view on this, but please consider:
Your compliance and cooperation is appreciated by all.
The total fee for this event this year is $1,450 which covers all 3 days of top-notch guided fishing and gear, 4 nights in the lodge, and all meals and beverages (including wine and beer) for most of those 4 days. It DOES NOT cover your transportation expenses, a Montana fishing license (with a req'd. small conservation fee and separate aquatic nuisance fee), or the guides' gratuities.
Those who have gone on this fish-out before have had some of their best fishing days ever, and had such a grand time together, that they would go again in a heartbeat if we'd only let them. So, if you regrettably can't make it, you may be making someone else very happy.
For lodging reasons, this trip is limited to only 10 Intermediate students, so sign up as quickly as you can so that you don't miss out!
Cost: $1,450 payable online as a non-refundable registration fee (unless there is someone on the waitlist to replace you).
Contact for more info:
Bruce Greenwood (brucegre@pacbell.net)
GGACC is hosting a three day event for casting instructors including more than 2 dozen instructors who teach at Golden Gate. Casting experts and students alike from across the U.S. will be joining us for seminars, workshops, and demonstrations all focusing on casting instruction. Fly Fishers International will be conducting certification exams for both the single-handed and two-handed certification tests. Anyone interested in becoming a casting instructor is welcome to attend this event by contacting GGACC’s Head Casting Instructor, Willy George at busygeorges@aol.com
THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER ONLY FOR THIS EVENT SINCE WE MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO ONCE AGAIN HOLD IT THIS YEAR DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
The club's usual end-of-year Swap Meet MAY be held this year on Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 10:00am to 12:30pm (preceding the Holiday Party).
Members are asked to bring any fly fishing gear or related literature, photos, etc., that you may wish to sell to or swap with others. Also be sure to bring your wallet or checkbook to pay for items you might wish to buy.
Tables will be set up in front of Angler's Lodge to facilitate this event, but watching over your own gear, pricing it, and all transactions will be your own private responsibility.
For questions about this swap, contact Libby Wolfensperger (elwolfensperger@me.com)
THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER ONLY FOR THIS EVENT THIS YEAR, SINCE IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO HOLD THIS EVENT ONCE AGAIN DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
The club's traditional end-of-year Holiday Party MAY be held this year on Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 1:00 to 5:00pm (except food service will end this year by 3:00pm, so don't arrive later than this if you hope to eat).
There is no fee for this holiday meal for the membership.
[Note that there is a Swap Meet on this same day from 10:00am to 12:30pm. See separate calendar item for this event.]
Members attending the party are asked to bring an appetizer and/or dessert to share with others and to bring their own beverages of choice.
Please be sure to REGISTER yourself (and any guest) in advance for this event to give us a good headcount of how many to expect.
Volunteers are needed for set-up, serving, and clean-up crews, so please email Xavier Carbonnet if you can possibly help us out.
Contact: Xavier Carbonnet (xcarbonnet@yahoo.com)