Local fly shops

youngtalent29 · Member

Local fly shops

shon42073 · Senior Member

All of my best trips have come from reading books and researching rivers online. Go to your local book store and try some books on sierra fishing, find one with maps. If your willing and able to put in some driving time your opportunities are endless. Good luck.

-- Edited by thecaptain at 20:12, 2008-06-16

1MoreCast · Member

Welcome to the area, you have three shops in your area. Kiene's, American Fly Fishing Co.; which is on Fair Oaks Blvd., and Fly Fishing Specialties off of Antelope Blvd.; if Rick Fox is in the shop he usually is dialed-in on your local rivers. The Captain is right though you probably want to get a book or two then narrow it down, because there are so many places to fish around here, plus when you go into the shop for the skinny you will have an idea of where they're talking about.

brian clemens · Senior Member

i found out that its all about gettin one of those cali book maps and exploring, ONLINE HAS BEEN A BIG HELP AS WELL. google maps or mapquest are my favs for finding out how to get to some places or finding new areas as well. also i am a big fan of AMERICAN FLY FISHING CO on fair oaks and watt. talk to Mike about the sierras and al about the delta area. that is there favs, but both of those guys know there stuff. they have free coffee and will talk to you for ever. just go in there buy a few things and shoot the breeze. if you talk to mike or al tell them that brian clemens told you to come in and see them.

hope this helps

AC22 · Senior Member

Brian hit it on the nose if ya need some help you can always send me a private message too since ive been to American fly fishing co so much its hard not to get caught up in some of the 30 minute conversations (had to pry myself away)

shon42073 · Senior Member

I find the best maps to use are national forest maps, Try to find ones with contour lines and learn how to interpret them. Available at places like REI, or Any Mountain.

cole · Senior Member

I agree totally.� However if I had only one book it would be California fishing by foghorn outdoors.� It will be right there next to camping, hiking etc.� Tom Stienstra's book, who is somewhat of a fishing guru.� Spinning or flyfishing advice are both given and the book is friggin extensive. His rating system is a bit out of wack sometimes but it's a must have!� Directions and camping info are also included.

Flying Dutchman · Senior Member

Other reference books I've used are Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada by Bill Sunderland and Chris Shaffer's Definitive Guide to Fishing in Northern/Central California.�

Also, check out http://stevenojai.tripod.com/

ONEWEIGHT · Senior Member

I agree as well.� The local area fly shops are a great source.� I've been fortunate to find some great places looking at the Forest Service National Forest websites and then focusing in on a Delorme topo mapbook.� It's availalbe at any major bookstore.� I've found that the National Forest websites give some good, but very basic info on small stream conditions.� From there you can look at your Delorme topo book and focus in on these streams or other�streams in the same drainage�area.� Some of the access is easy, some almost impossible.� I've had a lot of good fortune trying this method, but a few bombs as well.� It's all part of the experience!� A couple of good ones I've found are Long Canyon Creek, New York Creek, North Fork of the North Fork of the American, North Fork of� the Middle Fork of the American, Poorman's Creek to give a few away.� Believe me, there are many more that I haven't seen . . . they are out there!

iFish · Senior Member

Hey youngtalent29, you're getting great info from some of online's most dedicated anglers. This is the stuff you'll get in shops, believe me, I worked for one.

Go get yourself a copy of Stephen Rider Haggard's "Fly Fiishing The Tahoe Region". Its a comprehensive guide to fly fishing the Lake Tahoe area and the Truckee, Yuba, American and Carson River drainages. Haggard has actually fished most of the areas he describes in good detail. Rivers, tribs and lakes, they're mostly all in the book.

Great introduction to well-known, and not so well-known, water in our area.

Good luck!

brian clemens · Senior Member

wow looks like i will be buying some books here in a few. need to get reading to up my game on cali waters

shon42073 · Senior Member

A great book that has lots of great maps and info is called California's best fishing waters, a 182 detailed maps of cali's best trout waters. No author, its a wilderness adventures press map book, I found it at borders books. Great for getting a general idea of an area then as oneweight stated get a detailed topo map of that area and study it. The forest service websites are indeed very vague but can get you going in a general� direction.

mx19 · Senior Member

I dug deep into my pockets and pulled out 2 cents.I thought I would spend it on this topic..
� I think the local shops are a great way to gather info and how to tips.They are around it all day with out being on the water everyday..I would always ask them if they had a few minutes to answer a few questions..The big thing is if they have a few minutes.sometimes they are busy with everyday shop work and dont have the time to chit chat.Its easy to take that the wrong way and think they are blowing you off.. Another problem we shop owners run into is the guys who want to chit chat and ask all kinds of question but never buy anything...If your going to ask 50 questions about flyline then you better buy one from the guy who helped you.Even if you dont buy it that day let him know when you did and let him sell it to you if hes there that day.It will let him know you value his�opinion and he will be more�likley to offer more info and service the next time he sees you...Before you know it he will be aproching you in the shop and wanting to chit chat with you..building a relationship with one of your local shops is one of your biggest�flyfishing assets...
�� just the 2 cents of a guy who owns a shop..

�� mx19

youngtalent29 · Member

that's a lot of great info. I will definitely check out some of those books and those fly shops. maybe ill see ya guys out there soon.

shon42073 · Senior Member

Heres something to think about, next time you purchase a flyline from a shop see if they take it upon themselves to totally clean and grease your reel. No charge and you shouldn't have to ask.

mx19 · Senior Member

I use�cork drag�reels and Iam lazy.So the shop I use puts free backing on and the new line on for free.They have cleaned and lube the cork drag for me as well when needed.Sometime they are busy and I will leave it and pick it up later...A shop that offers good customer service is worth supporting discount or no discount....I�like a �shop that helps you out with littlest of things ...What can I say, Iam a sucker for free donuts on sundays...
� mx19