SANTA BARBARA FLYFISHERS

PRESIDENT'S POST

SANTA BARBARA FLYFISHERS - MARCH 2026

springing into action!

And just like that spring will be upon us in a few weeks and the Club has a lot happening this month. First we’ll have our monthly "General Meeting" on Tuesday, March 10th. Our speaker will be Ken Johnson, an environment scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Thanks to member Debbie Sharpton for helping us get Ken to share information about the Heritage Trout Challenge and volunteer opportunities. Several of our members have participated fish habitat restoration activities in the high Sierra over the past several years. We’ll hold our annual Board of Director elections this month and the Board will meet on March 24 to elect officers. For monthly club events, open to the public, we’ve got Second Salt Saturday on March 14 and our Casting Clinic on March 21.

By the way I heard corbina are starting to show up in numbers on our local beaches. Special club "local outing" get ready for our Rincon Beach outing on April 4th.

community event - march 31, 2026

"A River Runs Through It" on March 31, 2026

We’re finalizing preparations for our community film event. Half of the seats have been sold. Buy yours now to get the best available seats. We will begin marketing in earnest through social media, local news publications and more. Be on the lookout for our event poster hanging all over the South Coast. Let me know if you would like a poster to share with your friends and colleagues.

Please support our fundraising efforts.

Be sure to buy or sell all of the raffle tickets you’ve received and bring your check or cash to the March 10 meeting. The raffle and live auction are major fundraising activities for the club. Prizes include local hotel stays, guided fishing with Casey Cloud, rod and reel combo, Costa sunglasses, wine, gift certificates and much more.

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LIVE AUCTION - tuesday, APRIL 7TH

The Live Auction will be held at our April 7 general meeting. This year’s auction will include terrific prizes for adventurers. Get together with friends and family to organize bids.

OVERVIEW OF PRIZES & PACKAGES:

• On the banks of the Missouri River with Refined Elegance-Craig, MT
• Wild & Scenic Fly Fishing House on East Fork of the Bitterroot, Montana
• “A River Runs Through It” Fishing Gear from the 1930’s
• Signed First Edition of Norman Maclean’ book including “A River Runs Through It”
• Fish Expedition on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River
• More to come!

On the banks of the Missouri River with Refined Elegance-Craig, Montana | Rivenrock Lodge

2-night private buy-out of Rivenrock Lodge on a mile of the Missouri River. Completely remodeled..with rugged charm and sophistication.

Package includes 5 rooms for up to 9 people, a "Hemingway the Hunter” cocktail hour chat led by an accredited specialist, all chef-prepared meals, all beverages including cocktails and wines, and a guest service team to look after you to insure a memorable luxury sporting lodge experience.

Wild & Scenic Fly Fishing House on East Fork of the Bitterroot, Montana

Steve Brown has donated 5 nights of his cabin on the banks of the East Fork of the Bitterroot River near Sula, MT.

This cabin has five bedrooms and three baths with enough sleeping for 8. Fly fish right off the back deck. After a day of fishing, hiking or exploring, get back to the jacuzzi and a complete kitchen.

“A River Runs Through It” Fishing Gear from the 1930’s

Russ Redmond, Mike Pugh and Sam Soga have assembled an "A River Runs Through It" retrospective gear kit.

This specially assembled kit includes a Granger bamboo rod. Pflueger reel and Bunyan Bug fly assortment. Viewable at our next March 10th meeting. Place your bid at our following meeting on April 7th!

Signed First Edition of Norman Maclean’ book including “A River Runs Through It”

John Maclean, son of Norman Maclean, has donated a first edition (late printing) of “A River Runs Through It and Other Stories”. (University of Chicago Press, 1976). The first printing was a small print run and it is considered highly collectible.

Fish Expedition on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Trip is a 4-night/5-day trip for two anglers as part of a group of 16 adventurers. Boundary Expeditions delivers far more than a traditional fly-fishing trip. From side hikes and history, to natural hot springs and geology, the canyon itself delivers an unforgettable experience.

The professional Boundary team combines thoughtful hospitality with subtle touches throughout the journey to elevate the experience to a true trip of a lifetime.

APRIL MEETING / SPECIAL AUCTION / MORE TO COME!

These are just a few of the items that will be available, so come to the Tuesday, April 7th meeting, bring a friend and be ready to bid high and often!

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last cast

Just returned from a steelhead trip to the Olympic Peninsula a couple weeks ago. It was cold, but relatively dry and we may have gotten there just a bit early. There were some fish in the rivers, but no takers this time. We fished the Upper Quinault and Hoh rivers with Lael Johnson, an excellent steel-header who spoke to our club last November. I know that member Jong Yang is looking for couples to join him and his wife on a trip to Las Ventanas in Baja to fish for roosters in the middle of May. Contact him to learn more. I’m really looking forward to April when we’ll be offering these two "local" club outings:

Lastly, please follow @santabarbaraflyfishers on Facebook and Instagram. I hope to see you at the club's upcoming meeting on Tuesday, March 10th.

MONTHLY EVENTS

• Monthly Meeting
• Second Salt Saturday
• Monthly Casting Clinic
• Board Meeting

CONSERVATION REPORT

NEXT CONSERVATION ZOOM MEETING to be determined. Check your emails for day & time.

Author, Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C.

• Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C.
• Fly Fishers International Conservation
• Santa Barbara FF Conservation Chair
• mrockwell1945@gmail.com
• 530 559-5759 (cell)

MONTHLY MEETING MARCH 10, 2026

5:30-9:00pm

MINI-CLASS: TBD

KEN JOHNSON

CDFW Heritage Trout Challenge and Volunteer Opportunities

5:30-9:00pm

Southern Sierra Highlights presented by CDFW Field Biologist Ken Johnson.  Learn about Golden Trout, where to catch your Volcano Creek Golden trout for the CDFW Heritage Trout Challenge, and volunteer opportunities to assist CDFW with all things fish.  Ken Johnson, CDFW Environmental Scientist, will be speaking to multiple fly fishing clubs, many of which have provided volunteers for the Monache Meadows population surveys of 2024-2025. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ken over the last 3 years as I discover more and more about one of the many spectacular areas of the Southern Sierra – the Kern Plateau. The plateau is home to the Golden Trout Wilderness, Inyo National Forest (GTW). The wilderness designation, established with the Wilderness Act of 1964, is the highest level of protection and is managed by a consortium of federal and state natural resource agencies. The goal is to keep the land’s primeval character and influence. As the name implies, the GTW is the native home of Golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita), considered one of the most beautiful trout in the world. 

Ken will also be reviewing volunteer opportunities for the 2026 season. Debbie Sharpton, SWCFFI Conservation Outings, will be handling the coordination with CDFW.  Contact conservation@swcffi.org or call 805-338-8278. Let her know you are interested in being on the info distribution list. 

THE MACKENZIE CENTER

3111 State Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

OPEN INVITATION TO JOIN OUR CLUB!

Our invitation to join is “open” all year long. No need to know a member to be invited into the club. No membership drives. Just email, call or sign-up online and become a member today!

WE EDUCATE AND LOVE NEWBIES TO THE SPORT!

Learn almost everything you need for fly fishing - for just the cost of membership.

OUTINGS ALL YEAR LONG!

The outings have been one of the many "jewels in the crown" for this club. We continue education on the water and the comradery, food and friendship is what this club is built on!

GOT GEAR? . . . NO? — NO WORRIES!

We have gear for you to learn from. Just let the leaders know in advance whether you're coming to the 2nd Salt Saturday - or on a camping/fishing trip. AND when you're ready to purchase fly fishing gear we are here to help -- and/or check out our auctions or club garage sales! Lots of great gear to be had at amazing prices!

Any questions about membership? Email Randy Ward at: sbf.secretary@gmail.com

LAKE CACHUMA

MONTHLY FISHING REPORT

Lew's School - on Cachuma!

Spring is busting out, no doubt!

It is as green as it gets in the Valley, and the spring bloom of wildflowers is on full display—the kind of show only wet years can produce. The lake is coming alive as water temps climb into the 60s. Those with sonar gear costing more than my boat are 3D‑scoping fish in real time and getting bites by watching exactly where the fish are holding. For the electronically less endowed, the gold standard this time of year is to focus on the north shore, where longer, warmer days heat up the cliffs and water and spawning starts to come into play. One way or another, you’ve got to find where the fish are… duh. : ) As of mid‑February, things were rather slow; even trout trolling success required persistent searching, with only the occasional run‑in with a mob of crappies. It looks like March rain will be limited to later in the month, so the lake should clear up, and maybe we’ll see fish moving into the shallows to chase shad in the warming water.

Kinky Muddlers on a sinking setup are a good bet to poke around with. The surface bite isn’t happening right now, but with these warm days, who knows what the lake will bestow on us! Here's an image of a crappie I caught a couple weeks ago… winter salvation! (see below) Lew Riffle, past president

"The Doc's In"

March brings promise of the start of great fishing!

The Lake is full, and and the hills are green. A nice time to be on the water. Fishing is still somewhat slow, but as the water temps rise, the fish will begin their progress to shallow water for the pre-spawn action. There is always possibility of catching a trout but they are hard to target. March, April, and May promise to be "banner topwater fishing" as the fish begin to be more active.

Ted "Doc" Ceder - Casting Director & more!