I get a lot of requests for directions to the Fillmore Fish Hatchery, so here is the map.

Recently I learned about Geocaching and my daughter and I have really had fun with it.

Photo journal of a recent trip to the Sequoia National Forest near Kings Canyon.

Piru Creek Wild Trout - Frenchman's Flat

The bite is slow on Piru Creek after the rain storm earlier this month, but I did manage to find this beauty in a deep pool with a Caddis nymph fished without a strike indicator.  It was over 14" and really had some fight in it.  Wild trout, in my opinion, are some of the hardest fighting freshwater gamefish pound-for-pound.

©Jason Barios – FlyFishingNewbie.com All Rights Reserved

When Exploring Fails - Castaic Lake Feed Streams

Last week i posted about a successful exploration trip.  Today I am posting about a failed trip.  I have seen the feed streams for Castaic Lake in the winter, and they look wonderful.  Once on a trip to Piru Creek with a friend, we were detoured off of the 5 freeway and had to go around Castaic.  It was winter - there was a lot of water - and I mentally bookmarked the location to explore later.

Today was later.

Test Your Fly-Q - Fly Identification Quiz

Requires Flash9.

It is a sample newbie quiz to establish easy recognition of common flies.  Please email me at jason[AT]flyfishingnewbie[DOT]com - or use the contact form - and let me know what you think.  If the response warrants it, I will do a bunch of different quizzes like; saltwater, nymphs only, streamers, and terrestrials.

If there are mistakes in the quiz, please let me know.  There is one question that requires multiple selections so keep an eye out for it.  Also, some of the names are totally bogus and are on the quiz to try and make it a bit more difficult since some flies have fairly obvious names. 

Piru Creek December 2007 - Last Trip of the Year

The creek is running hot 'n' cold for me.  Every second or third week I find several wild trout in a certain hole, then they are gone and the hole is dry.  The fish aren't big - the trout pictured below is only about 5".

California Trip '08 

On Friday March 28th, my wife and I are renting an RV - packing up the dog - and setting off in search of spring hatches.  We are going to start with a side-trip to Lake Cachuma for some early Small Mouth action.  Then we are coming back home to do some stuff before leaving again Saturday night for Bishop.  I plan on fishing around Bishop before taking off towards Markleeville and the East Carson.  From there, it's the crown jewel of the trip; the Truckee.  If there is time, we might hit the Hat Creek on the way to the lower Sacramento.  If it turns out that time is running short, we will probably cut across to the 101 and hit some saltwater fishing.

These plans might change once I research the water flows and fishability.  My planning is primarily based on a book loaned to me by my boss - hi Brad - which was printed in 1998.  I'm not even sure these places still exist.

I will of course be posting updates as I move through these "Blue Ribbon" trout streams, so check back.