The Delta Fly Fishers in action... We're Awesome!

This Week's New Stuff
(Fisheries news is updated daily on the Conservation page.)

January 27 - An additional Sacramento River Jet Boat Shad outing has been added to the schedule, Saturday, June 9th. If you want to go and missed out on the first trip you need to sign up NOW. Only three spots left.

January 26 - As of 9:00am today, Yuba outing at nine sign-ups

January 25 - SOLD OUT! Jet boating on the Sacramento River for American Shad, June 3rd. SOLD OUT!

January 24 - The information sheet on the Lower Yuba Outing on March 31st has been uploaded. This no fee, private water outing is limited to 20 anglers. Sign up NOW!

January 23 - It's our time to shine. Help your club at the February 4th San Joaquin County Parks and Recreation Trout Bout at Oak Grove Park

January 23 - The details for the Kelsey Bass Ranch outing have been added to the website.

January 22 - The description for the February outing at Discovery Bay has been expanded. Check it out on the Outings page. Sign up NOW!

January 21 - Robert Foster rejoined the club. Welcome back Robert! Hey group, let's make Robert feel at home.

January 21 - The American River steelhead outing photos are on the Photo Gallery page.

February Events

February 1-2, California Fish & Game Commission Meeting, Sacramento

February 4, Trout Bout, Oak Grove Park

February 8, General Membership Meeting
Rickey Mitchell - Kayak Fly Fishing

February 10-12, Healdsburg Wild Steelhead Festival

February 11, Discovery Bay Clinic and Outing

February 15, DFF Board Meeting

February, 24, 25, 26 The Fly Fishing Show Pleasanton

March Events

March 10, NCCFFF Hall of Fame Dinner, Livermore

March 14, General Membership Meeting
Frank Pisciotta - Tahoe/Truckee Fly Fishing Opportunities

March 21, DFF Board Meeting

March 31, Yuba River Outing       Sign up Mandatory!

April Events

April 7, Kelsey Bass Ranch Outing
A private water lake all to ourselves, lunch included!

April 11, General Membership Meeting
Rob Anderson, Truckee River Outfitters, "Fishing Pyramid Lake"

April 18, DFF Board Meeting

April 26-29 Pyramid Lake Outing

You've written your letter to the Commission, now it's time to stand up and be counted.

Plan to attend the Fish and Game Commission meeting on February 2nd in downtown Sacramento. CSPA, the NCCFFF, CSBA and other fishing organizations are calling for a maximum effort and turn out.
Instructions on how and where to show your support.

February's Program

Paddle and Flies

As well as being a kayak fly fishing guide, Rickey Noel Mitchell is a fly fishing and fly tying instructor, professional fly tier, free lance photographer and writer. This career began over fifteen years ago, when Rickey was a struggling artist. Sculpting wildlife out of wood wasn¹t exactly paying the bills, so he starting carving bass lures to supplement the income. Wanting to add feathers and synthetics, (rubber legs, flashibou, krystal flash) to his custom carved lures to give them action, he took a fly tying class. The first time he tied a fly that looked like what it was supposed to, it was like a revelation. Instead of a few weeks that it took to complete a carved duck decoy, he could tie a fly in a few minutes and by hand. One fire had gone out and another had been lit. Tying flies fulfilled the creative desires that wood carving had previously done.

As a struggling wildlife artist, Rickey went out in nature camera in hand, to get photos for reference for his carvings. Now a days he does the same for his flies, observing and photographing insects, forage fish, small animals and the bigger fish that eat them.

After paddling a gauntlet of water craft Rickey discovered the best craft for getting within casting or shooting distance of any of the creatures mentioned was a kayak. An article in Outdoor Life Magazine about a couple that fish out of kayaks in Florida lit another fire. The couple used conventional gear, he wanted to fly fish. It was a long search for the right kayak, it ended on a fishing trip to South Padre Island, Texas. On the flats around South Padre, he saw fly fishermen fishing from their kayaks while they were standing and to get from A to Z, they were poling them. The kayak in question was the Wilderness System Ride. The search was over. Shortly after returning home he purchased his first WS Ride; for Rickey that was the beginning of combining two passions. Three years were spent experimenting and developing paddling, fishing, casting and rigging techniques for fly fishing from a kayak. What took place during that span of time, inspired a book and a web page called Paddle And Flies

DFFers, you can make a difference at this year's Trout Bout

Every year our club members give a few hours at three San Joaquin County Parks and Recreation Events, two Trout Bouts and one Catfish Derby. You'll have your chance to do your part on Saturday, February 4th. You'll be finished by 1pm. Click here for all the details.

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