California Sportsman Mag - November 2023 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • TRAVEL

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Volume 16 • Issue 1 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Tim E. Hovey, Cal Kellogg, Todd Kline, Joe Sarmiento, Jeff Walters SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Guy Ricciardulli, Zachary Wheeler DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER Elias Masri, 11, hooked up with this nice Eagle Lake fall rainbow. Scenic Eagle Lake in Lassen County offers anglers some of outstanding results this time of year in Northern California. (CAL KELLOGG)

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4 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 1

THREE’S COMPANY

Now that Tim Hovey (left) has left Southern California for his new home in Idaho, he hasn’t gotten to see his Golden State buddies as often. But when longtime hunting partners Jose De Orta (right) and Duy Phan reunited with their friend in Idaho, the guys made the most of their fall weekend in the Gem State, chasing waterfowl, upland birds and small game, with even some trapping thrown in. Hovey recaps a memorable experience with great friends and outstanding sport.

(TIM E. HOVEY)

FEATURES 17

BAG YOUR OWN FALL BUTTERBALL Thanksgiving Day and turkey dinner go hand in hand, but truth be told, wild turkey hunting in California is probably a bigger deal during the spring season. But Cal Kellogg is here to sell you on trying out the fall hunt, which begins on Nov. 11. “I guess I’m a hardcore turkey hunting junkie,” Kellogg writes, “because as much as I love spring turkey hunting, the fall season also holds a special place in my heart.” So why not use Cal’s advice and try to harvest one in the woods for your holiday meal?

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 9 The Editor’s Note 11 Adventures of Todd Kline 15 Outdoor calendar 31 51

Gundog diet details Targeting fall trout at two iconic NorCal fisheries, Eagle Lake and Lake Almanor Trout trolling basics

WHAT’S COOKING IN THE GALLEY? SoCal Salty blogger Joe Sarmiento had always wondered what it would be like to be a middle-aged pinhead on a Southland charter boat. But when he finally had a chance to be part of the crew on the San Diego-based Sea Watch, it wasn’t deckhanding like he’d dreamed, rather, working in the galley – albeit with a side of yellowfin and bluefin tuna fishing thrown in. Order up!

GEAR GIFTS, PART II Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s From Field to Fire feature continues a holiday gift guide theme this issue, with Scott sharing some of his best gear choices for coolers, game bags, boots and more. And with upland bird seasons in prime mode this month – you can target turkey, pheasant, quail and dove – Tiffany shares a delicious sweet and sour bird meat stir-fry recipe.

Get the digital version of California Sportsman for free. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Annual subscriptions are $39.95 (12 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2023 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 6 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

As correspondent Joe Sarmiento discovered, serving as a fill-in, long-range fishing boat cook meant trying to satisfy some tired, hungry and likely irritable anglers. (JOE SARMIENTO)

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

’ve never considered myself much of a cook or a fisherman, but I’ve been equally passionate about both pastimes throughout my lifetime. When our Joe Sarmiento shared the story of his experience fishing for yellowfin tuna on the same San Diego-based charter boat he was dragooned into cooking for the passengers and crew (page 43), I thought to myself that this guy was living the dream. But at first glance, I’m not so sure cooking up bacon and eggs and cheeseburgers for a bunch of hungry and tired anglers – not to mention likely overworked crew members – on a white-hot griddle was all it was cracked up to be. But I can remember a time in my life when I was in awe of the job of captaining, deckhanding or cooking aboard one of these fishing boats. As a teenager, my dad and I went on a couple deepsea fishing trips out of Pillar Point Harbor, just north of the Bay Area’s Half Moon Bay. The fishing was good to great on both of those adventures (though I remember my first time at breakfast being worried that I was going to return the pancakes I’d ordered to the Pacific Ocean). But I also recall the demeanor of both captains who hosted our groups. The first skipper was proactive in trying to get us a big haul of fish throughout the day. He’d find a school of rockfish that would have most of us pulling up frequent doubles and triples. But then we’d be on the move for a few miles at a time looking for more pockets of rocks and lings. In the end we all limited out. The next time Dad and I did a similar trip out of Pillar Point, I distinctly remember our new captain giving us a pep talk in port that went something like, “We’re gonna find you some fish; let’s get the hell out of here.” Yet, unlike our prior trip, this guy found a school of rockfish a few miles out and we basically stayed on them for our entire trip. The fishing was OK, but it was far from the nonstop action of the previous time out, a fact amplified back at the dock when we bagged up far fewer filets after being charged to have our fish cleaned. But as we grabbed a meal at a nearby eatery – I can remember watching a classic Georgetown-St. John’s basketball game on the restaurant’s TV – I had convinced myself I wanted to lead my own fishing boat, do it like our first captain and constantly look for new fishing hot spots and keep my clients engaged and busy. As it turned out, I settled for being a writer/editor/journalist instead of becoming a charter skipper/crewman/cook aboard one of those fishing vessels. But Sarmiento’s experience will always have me wondering if I should have been more serious about heading out to sea. Maybe that’s a retirement goal. -Chris Cocoles

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The Kern River in the Kern River Valley has always been the premier whitewater challenge for the rafting community. But this year after record snowpacks it has set the bar a lot higher. Every trip at every class from Class 1 to 5 is 100% excitement. Trips are offered daily from lickety-split to overnight 2-day adventures by local professional outfitters. Here Whitewater Voyages gives guests a taste of the Kern River. Check the local Chamber of Commerce’s website for outfitter companies and phone numbers.

10 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

s e r u t n e v d A

A view from above at Lake Mohave, which last month hosted the three-day U.S. Open. (TODD KLINE)

e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek at what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor

A couple of nice fish for the weigh-in. (TODD KLINE)

The competition was held out of Katherine Landing, on the lower end of the Colorado River reservoir straddling the California-Arizona border. Here’s an early-morning launch. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

herine Landing. A peaceful moment at Kat (TODD KLINE)

My three-day total was 34.21 pou nds, good for 27th place and a $2,250 check. (TOD D KLINE)

The sun sets on another U.S. Open. I hope you have a great start to the holiday season this November. (TODD KLINE)

12 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

NOVEMBER 4 Imperial County Zone white geese season opens 4 General deer season opens in Zone D-12 4 Fort Hunter Liggett Period 2 antlerless archery tule elk season opens 4 NorCal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association Fundraising Dinner; FIVE30 Event Center, Marysville; ncgasa.org 4-5 NorCal Trout Challenge Tournament of Champions, Collins Lake; anglerspress.com 7 Scaup hunting opens in most of state’s zones 11 General/Statewide pheasant season opens 11 Fall wild turkey season opens 11 Late dove season opens 11 Gabilan antlerless and bull elk hunting seasons open 18 Northern black brant season opens 19 Balance of State black brant season opens SOLID BUILT 25 Free hunting day in California; wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/ Handmade quality construction, Hunting/Free-Hunting-Days focused on every small detail. Time tested design with new DECEMBER materials and an enhanced modern design. Most bighorn sheep hunting seasons open 2 2 Balance of State American crow season opens FORM & FUNCTION 10 Last day of fall wild turkey season Our boats are built using the 16-24 Southern Zone bandtail pigeon season dates latest in technology. 19 Fort Hunter Liggett Period 3 tule bull elk hunt season open (503) 812-6441 21 Second Northeastern Zone scaup season opens 24 Last day of statewide pheasant season breakerdoryboats.com 25 Second archery-only pheasant season opens 31 Last day of general bear hunting season

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For a list of upcoming bass tournaments, go to nrm.dfg.ca.gov/ FishingContests/default.aspx. General black bear season is open concurrently with the general deer hunting season in deer zones A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10 and X12 and extends through Dec. 31.

Northern California’s Collins Lake hosts the NorCal Trout Challenge Tournament of Champions on Nov. 4-5. (CHRIS COCOLES) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

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HUNTING

BAG YOUR T-DAY BIRD YES, SPRING’S FAR MORE POPULAR, BUT IT ISN’T THE ONLY TIME OF YEAR TO HUNT TURKEYS – HERE’S HOW TO PURSUE THEM IN FALL By Cal Kellogg

pring turkey season is extremely popular with the California hunting fraternity, and why not? Playing chess with big gobblers is a lot of fun, plus the season comes after the long gray months of winter, when few other hunting opportunities exist. In contrast, the fall turkey season is largely overlooked by many hunters. During the fall, multiple hunting opportunities are in full swing, with big game hunters chasing deer and bears, waterfowlers pursuing ducks and geese and upland enthusiasts stalking the woods for quail and squirrels. With all these opportunities to choose from, turkey hunting often gets lost in the shuffle. Fall turkey hunting also doesn’t offer the glitz and glamor of the spring season. There are many magazine articles, outdoor shows and videos about spring turkey hunting, but the fall season gets much less coverage. As a result, it captures the imagination of

There’s neither the glitz of working fancy calls and decoys, nor the glamour of a strutting tom, but fall turkey season still holds a special place in author Cal Kellogg’s heart. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING

Listening for turkeys at dawn is a great way to locate birds. (CAL KELLOGG)

fewer hunters. Another factor driving the lack of interest in fall turkey hunting comes down to the tactics employed and the likely target of the hunt. During the fall, calling takes a back seat to woodsmanship, and many hunters simply don’t have an interest in pursuing turkeys if calling isn’t the centerpiece of the hunt. In terms of the target, while you may harvest a handsome longbeard in the fall, the most likely target will be a plump hen or a long-legged jake. You don’t hear many deer hunters brag about going on a doe hunt, and likewise not many turkey hunters will be heard telling stories about the 12-pound hen they bagged. I guess I’m a hardcore turkey hunting junkie because as much as I love spring turkey hunting, the fall season also holds a special place in my heart. My first-ever turkey was harvested in fall. I appreciate the fact that during the fall any turkey, bearded or not, is fair game and I also like the generous bag limit the season offers.

REGULATION CHANGES You can legally take three bearded

birds during the spring season. In the fall you can harvest a bird per day. Of course, possession limit is two birds in fall, but if your household is like mine, turkey dinners, turkey sandwiches and turkey soup make even the biggest birds disappear. And for the new gobbler hunter, the fall season might actually offer a better opportunity for success. New hunters tend to struggle with calling and often call way too much during the spring. Since calling isn’t as big of a factor during the fall, the new hunter doesn’t need to worry about making rookie mistakes. In spring, part of the challenge is finding and outmaneuvering a gobbler, but outmaneuvering other public land hunters is also part of the equation, which new hunters often find frustrating. During the fall season, hunting pressure is seldom an issue. The season is a month long and I’ve rarely come across other turkey hunters this time of year.

FALL TECHNIQUES TO KNOW OK; you’ve never hunted turkeys during the fall, but I’ve sold you on the idea of giving it a try. Let’s take

18 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

a look at fall tactics that work in the real world. If you research fall turkey hunting, you’ll find articles and videos advising you to scatter a flock so that you can set up and call the birds as they begin to regroup. I’m sure this tactic has worked, but such a strategy has some real-world problems. If you’re big and clumsy like me, charging off through the woods to scatter a flock of turkeys will more likely than not result in a pulled hamstring or a twisted knee. The wild turkeys I’ve met run like rabbits, fly like eagles and are on constant alert. Could I scare a flock of turkeys away? Yes. Can I move fast enough to make a flock of birds scatter like a rack of billiard balls? Probably not. Plus, if I’m close enough to a flock of birds to scatter them, I’m just going to pick out a fat hen, drop the hammer and dinner is served! I’ve killed a lot of fall turkeys, but I’ve yet to intentionally scatter a flock to do it. Most of my birds have come as a result of ambush hunting or still hunting. Due to the sharp senses of wild turkeys, an ambush paired with light calling is always my first choice,

birds over the course of two weeks. If you hit the fall turkey lotto, you might stumble on a bachelor group of longbeards and have the opportunity to bag one or more of them. A 20-pound gobbler with an 8- to 10inch beard is the ultimate prize when it comes to fall hunting.

CALLING, AMBUSHING AND STILL HUNTING

Tracks, droppings and shed feathers indicate turkeys are in the area. During the fall it is likely the turkeys you find will stick around for several days or even weeks, allowing you to pattern them and set up the perfect ambush. (CAL KELLOGG)

but still hunting without calling can pay dividends if conditions are right.

WHERE ARE THE BIRDS? The first challenge of smacking a fall turkey is finding an area that holds them. I’m lucky because I literally live in the turkey woods. This allows me to scout year-round and gives me an idea of where some birds are hanging out. Yet I recognize you might not be so lucky. You might have to make a long drive to the turkey woods, making preseason scouting tough to impossible. If you can’t scout, the next best thing is to listen for birds early in the morning. As night gives way to dawn, turkeys will typically hang out on the roost for 45 to 60 minutes before they fly down. During this period, they are quite vocal. Both hens and gobblers will cluck and yelp. Gobblers and jakes gobble all year long, so it’s not uncommon to hear a gobbler fire off from the roost during the fall. To locate turkeys by sound once the season is underway, pick out an area with good road access where you know turkeys reside. Drive from ridgetop to ridgetop during the critical dawn hour, getting out of your rig from time to time to listen. The sounds turkeys make carry a long distance in the chilly dawn air, particularly if there isn’t any breeze.

If your listening posts don’t reveal birds, you can walk or drive dirt roads looking for sign in the form of tracks, droppings and shed feathers. Fall turkeys aren’t as easy to see as spring turkeys. In the spring the birds tend to spread out for the breeding season, while in the fall they flock up for safety. It’s a lot harder for a bobcat to sneak up on a dozen birds than it is to pounce on a lone turkey. The good news is that once you put in the work and locate a group of birds in the fall, there is a very good chance they’ll stick around for the entire season. One year I killed a jake and three hens from a single group of

In the spring turkeys talk as part of the mating ritual; in the fall they still communicate through vocalizations. Turkeys are social animals, so when I’m trying to ambush birds and steer them to within shotgun range this time of year, I like to make the occasional yelp and scratch on the ground with a stick to imitate the sound made by content birds feeding. Think minimal calling and then cut the number of yelps you are inclined to make in half. Do this and you’ll be on the right track. The number one mistake both fall and spring hunters make is calling too much. Turkeys like to travel trails and roads, so backwoods two-tracks and old logging roads represent good areas to set up. Remember that even if you didn’t have time to scout before season, you’re going to have to spend some field time unraveling where the birds are roosting, feeding and traveling. Fall hunting is a marathon, not a

Calling is not as important during the fall season as it is during the spring, but light use of a mouth, slate or box call can help close the deal during the season that runs Nov. 11 to Dec. 10. (CAL KELLOGG) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING If you decide to take the stillhunting avenue, you’ve got to move very slowly and deliberately. Take a step, try to make minimal noise and pause frequently to scan your surroundings. When you think you are moving at a snail’s pace, slow down even more!

CAMO AND SHOT

Kellogg ambushed this jake while hiding in an improvised blind along an overgrown backwoods jeep road. Note the rattle can camo job on the author’s shotgun. Full camouflage is an important piece of turkey hunting success regardless of the season. (CAL KELLOGG)

sprint. The season is long and time spent finding birds will pay dividends in the end. Day in, day out, still hunting is a poor option because turkeys are acutely attuned to that sort of assault. You would be too if bobcats, coyotes, foxes and hawks were constantly trying to eat you! The only time I feel I’ve got the edge on turkeys in terms of still hunting is when the wind is blowing hard or when it’s raining.

Windy conditions make it tougher to hear and see an approaching hunter. When it’s raining, turkeys often keg up under dense trees to stay out of the main brunt of the rain. Turkeys trying to evade rain are reluctant to leave shelter, as wet feathers make it harder for them to take flight. As a result, I’ve been able to walk within range of turkeys during rainstorms, despite the fact they could see me.

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Head-to-toe camo is just as crucial in the fall as it is in the spring. In my opinion, a face mask and gloves are the most important part of your camo. I’ve killed a bunch of turkeys wearing plain olive-green work pants, but I’m careful to match my shirt, gloves and face mask to the surroundings. For ambush hunting, you might consider constructing a simple blind to give yourself even more concealment. You don’t need anything elaborate, just something to help break up your outline and hide any movements you might make. During the spring, the goal is to take a shot at the gobbler’s head. Twenty to 25 yards is the sweet spot where your pattern is fairly wide yet still dense. This gives you a margin for error while still ensuring multiple hits in the brain and spine. Fall hunting is less predictable. Sure; you might get a standing shot at 25 yards, but you’re equally as likely to get a 40-yard shot at a hen running to get out of range. For this reason, it is critical to pattern your gun. This will dictate your maximum range. I shoot tungsten shot exclusively for turkeys these days. Yes, tungsten is expensive, but as the package says, it is heavier than lead and harder than steel. I can tell you from experience tungsten hits like a hammer even at extended ranges. During the spring, I run with No. 7 shot forced through an extra-full choke. For the fall season I like larger No. 4 shot or duplex No. 4 and No. 6 loads. The larger shot gives you more range and it also allows you to punch through a bird’s feathers should you need to body shot at a wounded turkey that is on the run. CS

HUNTING

After author Tim Hovey (left) moved from California to Idaho, his Golden State pals Jose De Orta (middle) and Duy Phan joined him there for what turned out to be pretty good upland bird and waterfowl hunting,with some bonus trapping to boot. (TIM E. HOVEY)

BIRDS, BUNNIES, BEAVERS AND BUDDIES

A TRIO OF CALIFORNIA SPORTSMEN MEET UP IN IDAHO FOR EPIC HUNTING, TRAPPING ADVENTURE By Tim E. Hovey

y good friend Jose De Orta has been hunting with me for a very long time. I first met Jose through another friend in 2004, and we’ve hunted everything in California from mourning dove to wild pig.

Our kids grew up together and hunted the hills of Central California and the high desert with us. If I was out chasing anything, chances are that Jose was hunting with me. I first met Duy Phan in 2016 through Jose. He was a new hunter and, having worked with Jose, had seen all the successful hunting photos

we had accumulated over the years. After a few starter hunts, he soon became a regular figure on trips. He was enthusiastic about getting out in the field and, more importantly, his slightly twisted sense of humor meshed perfectly with ours. Despite the abundance of wild game available to California hunters,

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING forward to spending more time on side ventures and seriously couldn’t wait to see what Idaho had to offer for my outdoor passions. I was soon to discover that as far as hunting and fishing, Idaho was my paradise. Once the moving boxes were unloaded, I spent all my free time exploring public land and finding my own hunting spots. When Idaho’s upland season rolled around, I was in the back hills looking for birds. I soon discovered that Idaho had a few more bird species open to wingshooters. It wasn’t long before my California buddies and I were sharing texts and photos back and forth of our hunting successes. During my first season here, I was able to locate areas that held grouse, pheasant, quail, chukar and Hun. I was feeling confident I could get my friends on game, so I let both Jose and Duy know that they were more than welcome to come on up to my new home and hunt with me. Since that first invite towards the end of 2020, Jose and Duy have been up here five times to hunt the Idaho back hills with me. Their pattern is to fly out in the spring and hunt varmints using my firearms, and then to drive out during bird season in the fall to hunt with their shotguns. Our 2022 fall trip would be one to remember.

Hovey scored his first Canada goose in Idaho on a whirlwind day when the guys chased various waterfowl and upland birds. (TIM E. HOVEY)

one of our favorite things to pursue was upland birds. We’d make plans weeks in advance of the dove opener and we’d hit the quail grounds just about every weekend during the season. Since Jose also had a chukar spot that regularly held birds, we’d make sure to hike the desert hills for that colorful partridge at least a few times during the fall. Over the years we gradually introduced Duy to other types of hunts like small game and predators, but

hands down, when the upland game bird season rolled around, the three of us would always find ourselves hunting mourning dove, quail and chukar. All we needed was a shotgun, a good spot and the willingness to hike a bit, and we routinely saw success. Some of my favorite hunts were experienced with these two.

AFTER I RETIRED FROM my state job, sold my California home and relocated my family to southern Idaho, I looked

24 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

LEAVING CALIFORNIA AT 3 a.m., Jose and Duy made the 13-hour drive to my place in Idaho. They made it clear that once they arrived, they wanted to hunt, so I picked the guys up at 5 p.m. and we headed straight for the dove fields. We spent an hour or two picking off mourning dove and Eurasian dove. It was great getting the gang back together and we enjoyed an awesome shoot. But since they were dragging from the long drive, we called it early, grabbed some food and relaxed back at my place. The following day was going to be an early start, so I didn’t want to run them too hard that first afternoon. The next day, with three sets of

HUNTING

De Orta, Hovey and Phan with the rewards of a day spent running the hills for upland birds. (TIM E. HOVEY)

waders in the truck, we headed to a piece of private property I had been trapping on the last two seasons. I had made arrangements with the landowner to let Jose and Duy hunt the property for waterfowl in exchange for a week’s worth of free trapping. The parcel had several ponds located in the center and there were a few duck blinds placed throughout. While I had been tending my trapline, I’d noticed that lots of ducks and a few geese called the property home. We arrived before sunup and made our way to one of the blinds. It was forecasted to be a windy and overcast morning, perfect for waterfowl hunting. Thirty minutes before shooting time, we tossed out some decoys and settled in for the morning flight. Duy had never hunted waterfowl before, so I could tell he was anxious and excited.

This first-day haul of dove would make for good eating. (TIM E. HOVEY) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING posted schedule for the releases, but I thought we could at least swing by one of the parcels and try our luck. At the wildlife area, we headed off in different directions and started kicking the brush for pheasant. After an hour without taking a shot, we decided to drive over to a different section of the property. Within minutes of leaving the truck, I heard two shots from where the guys were hunting. Figuring they were getting into birds, I headed off in a different direction to give them room to hunt. I luckily got into a couple birds, scoring a limit after another hour of hiking. Circling back to the truck, I saw Jose and Duy were already there. They were all smiles and showed me their birds as I made my way to the tailgate. “Ducks in the morning and pheasant in the afternoon!” Duy said. “What a great hunt!” That evening we shared beer and pizza and talked about the day. Sitting there laughing, I realized how lucky I was to have a couple of good friends who enjoyed hunting as much as I did.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, AFTER a hearty breakfast we headed off to look for quail and Hun. At the hunting area, I

Phan scored his first-ever chukar. “I saw him smiling first. He returned to the truck with the only chukar of the trip,” Hovey writes of his buddy. (TIM E. HOVEY)

AS THE HORIZON BEGAN to glow, the ducks started to fly. They flared perfectly at our decoy set and soon we were dropping ducks. It didn’t take Duy long at all to calculate how to lead waterfowl and drop his first duck, a drake mallard. The morning shoot was exciting and productive. Ducks of all kinds seemed to be everywhere and responded favorably to our decoy set and location. Towards the end of the flight, a lone Canada goose decided to fly too low on my side and I dropped my first such Idaho bird. When the

flight died down, we had harvested 17 ducks and one goose between the three of us. It was an absolute epic waterfowl morning for my visiting buddies. We stowed the birds on ice and headed for our next stop, where we’d trade our waders for upland vests and hunter orange. I wanted to swing by a huge wildlife area run by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. During the pheasant season, the agency will occasionally release pheasants on numerous land parcels all around the state. There is no

26 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

De Orta was excited to check out the snared beaver they found on the trapline Hovey was working for a client. (TIM E. HOVEY)

HUNTING

The 13-hour drive from California was well worth it for Phan and De Orta, as well as the author. “I feel fortunate to have such a tight group of friends who enjoy hunting with me,” Hovey writes. (TIM E. HOVEY)

pointed the guys towards the habitat where I had seen birds before. We spread out and started kicking the bushes. It wasn’t long before Jose found the quail. We spent three hours running the back hills and dropping quail. Duy peeled off into a different canyon and got into a small covey of Hun, and he dropped one from the group. Back at the truck, we unloaded our vests to see the count. We had killed nine quail, four Hun, one cottontail rabbit and a greenwing teal off a desert pond. Another successful day to remember. With one full day left on their trip, we decided to do a little exploring. I had a chukar spot, but it was a bit of a drive, but the guys were up for seeing more of Idaho. I also had to swing by a property and check a few beaver

traps, something both Jose and Duy seemed very interested in. I drove north to the canyons where I’d hunted chukar before. At the spot, I took a two-track further up into the hills, which leveled off into a plateau. Before the truck came to a stop, we kicked up a large chukar covey that scattered into a boulder field. We exited quickly, grabbed the shotguns and started the chase. The terrain was steep and rough, and I knew we wouldn’t get too many chances. After a short hike, I heard a couple of shots from where Duy had gone. I saw him smiling first. He returned to the truck with the only chukar of the trip. On the way home, I stopped to check my traps. As luck would have it, I snared a beaver for a paying client. Both Jose and Duy were very excited to see some success on the trapline.

28 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

THE BOYS HEADED BACK home early the next morning, and were gone by the time I got up. I checked my phone and noticed messages on our group text thanking me for the awesome trip. It was for sure an amazing few days. As I looked through my photos, I realized we had killed mourning dove, Eurasian dove, several species of duck, a goose, pheasant, quail, Hun, chukar, a lone cottontail rabbit and had trapped a beaver. I couldn’t remember the three of us ever having a better outing. While I do miss hunting with my good friends, all of them have come out at different times of the year to visit and hunt. I feel fortunate to have such a tight group of friends who enjoy hunting with me in my home state of Idaho. Until the next trip, guys! CS

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

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30 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

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HUNTING

An active, hard-working dog deserves a quality diet and it’s up to you to make it happen. Get lazy or cut corners and your dog is the one that will suffer. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

ABOUT THE FULL CIRCLE DIET By Scott Haugen

want to talk about one of the most disturbing things that I continue to see – overweight hunting dogs. Unfortunately, this is one of those topics I’ll be writing about until the day I die. There’s no one to blame but the owner. A fat dog will never be in prime condition, will battle all sorts of physical and mental ailments and its life will be cut short. Do you really want that? Muscle stiffness, joint pain, inflamed tendons, gut soreness, bleeding gums, ears laden with wax that smells like yeast, excessive itching and neurotic licking are some of the obvious signs your dog is not eating a healthy diet. A dog should never eat

table scraps rich in fat or salt. Many dogs can’t even handle raw beef nowadays due to the environment in which cattle are raised. I feed my dogs a lot of raw meat as a food topper at dinner time. From venison scraps to bloodshot bird chunks that aren’t fit for human consumption, to bones from deer, elk and bird keels, even cooked fish scraps, my dogs only get wild game. I’ve tried several forms of raw beef over the years, even grass-fed bovines, and both of my dogs have immediate and obvious reactions to it. Kona, my male pudelpointer, quickly gets ear infections, and Echo, my female pudelpointer, experiences instant gut pain as she struggles to

digest it, along with sore joints and muscle stiffness that’s so painful she can’t hunt the following day.

WHAT CAN YOU DO about it? Enter NutriSource Pet Food’s Full Circle Feeding program. This is something I’ve been doing for my dogs for years, I just didn’t have a label on it. What Full Circle Feeding entails is the use of high-quality kibble, toppers and treats. I’ve tried various brands of dog food over the years, and NutriSource is the only one I’ve found that optimizes my dogs’ health, mobility and ability to hunt and work hard, year-round. For my versatile gun dogs there is no off-season, and we train or hunt every single day, so they

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING postbiotics and makes a perfect frozen treat both of our dogs love. I’ll also use the new Element Series freeze-dried raw sliders and bites. This extra-highprotein fodder is a great topper, treat – even a full meal that’s easy to travel with on hunting days. Giving your dog the same protein day after day can set off allergies and ingredient intolerances. Full Circle Feeding can help maintain good gut health and will stop issues before they start.

NutriSource Pet Foods offers a complete line of treats, toppers, kibble and more, and is what author Scott Haugen exclusively feeds both of his gun dogs. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

always have to be in top shape. NutriSource utilizes high-protein recipes in all of its foods, treats and toppers. Animal proteins like chicken, turkey, pork and fish have different amino acid profiles. Each amino acid plays a different role in building cells and keeping systems running, which is why I rotate my dogs’ food on a regular basis. Rotating proteins introduces all the beneficial amino acids you need for a healthier hunting dog, and they will love the variety. Keep feeding the same food every day for years on end, and you’re not optimizing the full benefits of what amino acids offer. Feed a rotational diet – say, chicken, then fish in the next bag, turkey in the next – and you’ll see how happy

and healthy your dog is with a highprotein diet that carries optimal levels of carbohydrates. Their coats will also be better, digestion will be optimized, allergies will be fewer, immunity will be boosted and they’ll be less stressed. On the morning of a hunt I never feed my dogs for fear of stomach twist. They’ll eat at the end of the hunt, then they sleep for three hours before going outside. This optimizes digestion and minimizes stress too. Sometimes I’ll add raw food to their breakfast, but usually save it for dinner each night. My treats are almost exclusively NutriSource brand, as they optimize protein levels, are low fat and many are great for the teeth and gums. I’ll use the Come-pooch-a topper, as it helps promote healthy digestion through

32 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHERE to begin, visit nutrisourcepetfoods.com and take the Full Circle Feeding quiz. Within minutes it will get back to you on a diet plan that’s built specifically for your dog. The results provide a great starting point and complete program that’s worth following. And believe me, you will notice a difference, fast. NutriSource foods appear pricey at first glance, but because protein content is so high you actually feed less, making it nearly as economical as cheaper foods with subpar ingredients. Follow the feeding guidelines; they’re in place for a reason. You can feed big-box store foods that are cheaper, but face it, do you really want to cut corners when it comes to feeding your dog? Think of it as you eating cheap, fast food your whole life because you want to save a few bucks. A dog’s life is short and you can optimize their health and performance, give them a better quality of life, even extend it, with a proper diet. It’s a small price to pay for your best friend. If you want to maximize your dog’s health, performance and relieve stress, feed it a disciplined, all-around diet. You’re the one in control of what your dog eats, so make the best effort to give them the highest quality of life they deserve. As we all know, their time with us is way too brief. CS Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his basic puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com. Follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

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34 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

FROM FIELD...

The LaCrosse Alphaterra is a comfortable boot that author Scott Haugen has found many uses for, so it’s a perfect holiday gift for hunters. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

GIFTS TO KEEP FOOD COOL, FEET WARM MORE OUTDOOR GEAR IDEAS FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPERS SECOND OF THREE PARTS By Scott Haugen

PELICAN COOLERS

I first used the Pelican 14-quart Personal Cooler on dog training sessions and big game scouting trips last summer. I was so pleased with its ability to keep things cold and frozen, I stepped up to their 70-quart Elite cooler, and I’m glad I did. Both coolers serve specific needs while I’m hunting and camping. The Elite is one of the best-performing big coolers I’ve ever used – be it on

e’re a month away from the holidays. But if you can’t wait that long, use the excuse of birthdays, the weekend, hump day, Thanksgiving or anything you can think of to treat yourself or a loved one to these fine pieces of outdoor gear. I used and tested a lot of cool gear and gadgets this year, and these items impressed me the most.

extended hunts, weekend outings or defrosting the freezers at home. The latch and seal systems are userfriendly and I love the nonskid feet. And with their deeper recessed design, the cupholders in the Elite actually hold cups. Rugged handles, durable design built for protection and performance. Info: pelican.com.

CHÊNE GEAR WAX CANVAS TIMBER BAG I’ve been a big fan of Chêne waders,

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

HUNTING 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil ½ teaspoon powdered ginger ½ teaspoon black pepper

... TO FIRE

STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons peanut or coconut oil ½ onion, chopped ½ bell pepper, chopped Two chili peppers, halved (optional) Two green onions, sliced ½ inch fresh ginger, julienned

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE As Echo the dog can attest, California’s upland bird hunting seasons and diverse species allow hunters to bring home a mixed bag of quail, dove, pheasant and even wild turkey. And as Tiffany Haugen found out, a sweet and sour sauce kicks up the flavor of that breast meat from the fall harvest. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

MIX UP UPLAND BIRDS AND FLAVORS By Tiffany Haugen

ny of California’s upland game birds can be cooked up “mixed bag” style, as they have roughly the same cooking times. Wild turkey is also a delicious option for this dish. The trick is to slice them all into small, bitesized portions to ensure even cooking. Do not overcook these tender game birds, as they will toughen up quickly. While some upland hunters agree that

chukar are hard to beat, others claim early-season blue grouse are the best-eating upland game birds in the Golden State. Still others say quail are tops no matter when in the season they’re taken; pheasant enthusiasts argue the same. All of California’s upland birds provide excellent eating, which is why mixing multiple species is a safe bet. Last fall my husband Scott went grouse hunting in the Cascade Range. He shot a ruffed grouse right off the bat, then happened upon some blue grouse. Then he ran across a big flock of mountain quail and finished off the morning upland slam with some valley quail. With fresh forest birds in the kitchen, my wheels started turning, and this recipe is the result. I slow-cooked the legs and thighs in a small Crock-Pot. Here’s what I did with the breast meat: Breast meat from four game birds (about 1 pound)

BIRD MARINADE 2 tablespoons orange or pineapple juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 36 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

¼ cup orange or pineapple juice 2 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water and ¼ teaspoon salt In a small bowl, mix sweet and sour sauce ingredients until thoroughly combined. Be sure to dissolve the cornstarch in the water before adding to the sauce. Set sauce aside. In a medium bowl, mix bird pieces with marinade until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a large skillet, sauté onions on medium-high heat until soft. Add peppers, green onions and ginger and continue sautéing for one to two minutes. Push everything in the pan to the edges and add marinated birds, with marinade, to the center of the pan in a single layer. Cook on each side for one to two minutes and then mix all ingredients together. Add sweet and sour sauce to the skillet and continue to sauté between two and five more minutes or until sauce thickens and bird meat is cooked to desired texture. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with more green onion, basil and sesame seeds if desired. Editor’s note: To order signed copies of Tiffany Haugen's popular book, Cooking Big Game, visit scotthaugen.com for this and other titles.

HUNTING ptarmigan hunts, where I trekked over 15 miles across the tundra throughout the week. They’re great to wear around the house after a rain, in camp, to change into after a day of duck hunting, or just to have in the truck for when you need to keep your feet dry or protected but don’t want a knee boot. Info: lacrossefootwear.com.

MONTANA KNIFE CO. SPEEDGOAT

Haugen was impressed with Pelican’s durable and built-to-perform Elite 70-quart cooler, which comes in a range of color options. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

boots and clothes for two years, so thought I’d give their new gear bag a try. While the name implies duck hunting applications, I’ve also used it on multiple dove and pigeon hunts, dog training sessions and to haul my valuable camera gear. It’s also a great carryon if you’re flying. The traditional look is classic, the straps, buckles and pouches are durable, and it stores more than you think would fit. It’s padded for protecting fragile items and is one

of those all-around pieces of gear you’ll find yourself using a lot. Info: chenegear.com.

LACROSSE ALPHATERRA BOOTS I first wore this boot to keep out grass seeds during summer dog training sessions. Then I wore it into the woods checking trail cameras. I was so impressed with its comfort and ankle support that I took it to Alaska this fall. It was going to be my camp boot, but I wore it on multiple

“One of the most versatile hunting knives I’ve ever used,” says Haugen about the Montana Knife Company Speedgoat – high praise from someone who has used a lot of blades over 47 years in the woods. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 38 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

Light, durable with an ability to fit the needs of any serious hunter – from skinning a bear to caping elk, boning out deer, cleaning birds and fish, to cutting rope – this knife does it all. And it only weighs 1.7 ounces! It’s fast, dependable, keeps a great edge and is one of the most versatile knives I’ve ever used. Info: montanaknifecompany.com.

LOOPROPE The LoopRope is like a bungee cord on steroids. It’s equipped with eight evenly spaced loops, 450 pounds of cord strength and comes in 3-, 4- and 5-foot lengths. The loop system allows one LoopRope to do the job of multiple bungees. I’ve used them to lash deer to ATVs, strap ducks and decoys on a packframe, secure gear to a quad

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calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

and countless other jobs, including as a last-minute dog leash on a recent day. Once you get it, you’ll be amazed at the number of uses this tool has, and you’ll want more of them. Info: looprope.com.

YETI CAMINO 5O CARRYALL TOTE BAG The backseat of my truck always has clothes strewn about. By midwinter, I struggle to find clothes I know are there, and my dirty, wet dogs trample them. Now I can store a variety of clothes in an orderly fashion, keep them clean and I know exactly where they are in the Camino 50. On a 10-day road trip it held all of my hunting clothes to fit a range of conditions – from the mid-30s to pouring rain to 100-plus-degree temperatures. Adjustable dividers make it easy to separate all kinds of gear, plus I like how the rigid bottom and sides keep it upright. It’s way more convenient than a duffle bag, more durable and I use it all the time. Info: yeti.com. There you have it: Several pieces of quality gear that you’ll find me using for years to come. Happy holidays and good shopping. CS Editor’s note: Want to learn how to skin and cape an elk? Order Scott Haugen’s popular Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game DVD at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

40 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

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calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

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42 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING Becoming a temporary crewmember – in this case, the boat’s cook – on the San Diego-based charter vessel Sea Watch has given author Joe Sarmiento some perspective. “A lot of the crewmembers on the various boats treat me like one of the guys,” he writes. (JOE SARMIENTO)

I WAS A MIDDLE-AGED ‘PINHEAD’ AN ANGLER EXPERIENCES THE CREW LIFE ABOARD A CHARTER FISHING BOAT

By Joe Sarmiento

n Southern California sportfishing boat parlance, a “pinhead” is essentially a deckhand apprentice. They’re usually young boys – typically 13 to 15 years old – who work for free on the sportfishing boats. They get to ride for free, earn a meal and have a limited opportunity to fish. For those benefits, they

provide free labor. If they survive being a pinhead, learn the requisite skills and prove to be reliable workers, they become a paid crewmember. If you love being out on the ocean and fishing, it’s a great deal. I fished a lot as a child and teenager back where I grew up in Washington off of Puget Sound. But when I left for college, graduated, entered the workforce, got married,

started a family, etc., I lost fishing for a long time. I was one of those onceor twice-a-year guys who would go fishing while on vacation. My love for fishing was rekindled by my father and son. I took my family from Los Angeles up to visit my parents in Seattle. It was 2007 and my son Jacob was 7 years old. My dad suggested that we take Jacob to a trout farm. Jacob had so

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING small nuances of successful fishing. My skill level grew so that I could realize the full potential of the gear I used. I observed how 10 percent of the guys on the boat on any given trip caught the vast majority of fish. I came to realize that each small detail that I learned from crewmembers and 10-percenters only led to a tiny increment of improvement in my fishing proficiency. However, if I could learn all those small details, consistently put them all together and deploy them at the appropriate time, I could step up to the level I wanted to achieve. I could become one of those guys on the boats who consistently caught the most fish and was always in contention for the jackpot.

Sarmiento’s kids Jacob and Juliana in 2011, getting ready to head out on the Southern California half-day boat New Del Mar, based in Marina del Rey. “My love for fishing was rekindled by my father and son,” he writes. (JOE SARMIENTO)

much fun that when we returned to Southern California, he kept asking me, “Dad, when are we going to go fishing?” Pier visits turned into halfday sportfishing boat rides. Half-days progressed to three-quarter, then full-day and overnight trips.

BY THE TIME I started my SoCal Salty blog (socalsalty.com) in December 2010, I was fishing pretty much weekly. I still had a regular office job at the time. I was a weekend warrior, but I was getting out on a regular basis. Despite keeping a more regular fishing schedule, I understood I was still a novice. I didn’t know the right equipment to match with the various presentations used across the wide range of species that I was learning to catch. Along with the knowledge gap, there was a skill gap as well. I marveled at how proficient the crewmembers were at catching fish. They had the right gear and knew

when to use it. While I struggled to get bit, they could walk up, do what they do and almost immediately hook up. It was like magic to me. Keep in mind, too, that a lot of these crewmembers were much younger than me. Things that I consider routine now, they did with ease. I longed to know what they knew so that I could fish like they did. One day, I had the idea that it would be a cool, content-rich experience (for my blog and now growing social media presence) to be a 40-something pinhead and get that crewmember education on one of these boats. I was still married, though, and had a lot of financial responsibilities, so the idea never came to fruition. Over the years, I got a lot of fishing education from the crewmembers on the boats. I also found mentors in the various styles of fishing we do that could take me beyond 100-level proficiency and teach 400-level information where I learned the

44 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY; I’m in my 50s. A lot of the crewmembers on the various boats treat me like one of the guys. I help them out in my own small way, but it’s more promoting their boat through my writing and social media than doing any actual crew-related tasks on the boat. One of those boats is the Sea Watch out of Seaforth Landing in San Diego (seaforthlanding.com/boats/seawatch .php). Captains Kris Karpow and Ryan Myers often text me to let me know what’s happening on the boat and send pics that I can put out there to fishing folks who follow me on social media. Whenever I want to ride, I’ll text them to find out if I can jump on, and they always try to accommodate me. On a fall Friday, I had my friend Susan McKee come down from Seattle to fish with me. She bought a ticket on the Sea Watch, and they let me ride so that I could act as her guide for the charter. Susan and I were waiting at the top of the ramp to board the boat. I got a call from Capt. Kris. I figured he was calling to let me know that it was OK to come down before the rest of the passengers so we could get comfortably situated. Instead, Kris had something else in mind … “Hey, Joe, the cook didn’t show up for this trip. I would really appreciate

FISHING

Sarmiento’s moonlighting as the fishing vessel’s cook on this particular excursion kept him busy. (JOE SARMIENTO)

Sea Watch crewmember C.J. loads live sardines into the bait tank. (JOE SARMIENTO)

it if you could step in and help out.” Oh; I wasn’t expecting that. The guys know I can cook. I’m always posting food pictures on Facebook. But it’s one thing cooking for myself and a guest or two. It’s another thing entirely taking food orders and pumping them out in a kitchen I’ve never cooked in before. I was nervous about saying yes, but at the end of the day these guys have treated me well over the years. Here was an opportunity to give back to them in a more meaningful way. I took my things down to the boat and boarded. Capt. Kris wasn’t working this time, but he was onboard getting the galley set up for the trip. He gave me a quick tour of the kitchen. Kris showed me where things were and how to turn on the flat-top grill, among other things to note, then wished me luck and left.

I was already in the know with how things worked with the passengers (you keep a running tab that they pay at the end of the trip), so it was really just a matter of getting prepared to deliver the normal menu items (largely breakfast burritos and burgers) in a timely fashion. Ryan came down from the wheelhouse before heading to the bait receiver to check in on me. He let me know he was a resource if I had any questions. While the boys loaded up live sardines for our trip, I commenced to get to work in the galley. I started a pot of coffee and got some bacon and hashbrowns going on the flat-top. I updated the crew roster on the whiteboard and prepared for the customers to board. On the way out from the harbor, people filtered into the galley. They ordered coffee and put in their

breakfast orders. At first, I felt an unfamiliar queasiness cooking on a moving platform, but as things got busy I concentrated on the work and pumped out the orders. By the time we made our first stop, I had filled all the orders and was able to step out of the galley and fish. The primary program for this kind of fishing currently is fly-lining bait – meaning, just the line, hook and a sardine – and no additional weight. While simple in concept, there’s definitely some nuances to doing it successfully, but that’s a whole other article.

I CAME OUT OF the galley, pinned on a bait and flipped it out. The bait took off. Sometimes you just know it’s going to get bit, and sure enough, this one did. I let it run for a bit, flipped the lever drag into gear and it popped

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING Susan McKee, the author’s friend from Seattle, fights a tuna. Sarmiento had planned on being her guide, but asked to be the fill-in chef, he earned the fish he’d catch along the way. (JOE SARMIENTO)

off. Ugh! When I reeled in the bait, it was molested from the dorsal fin down. I maybe could have let it run longer. Or maybe it just wasn’t to be. Capt. Ryan had noticed from the wheelhouse. “I saw that, Joe.” That was a frustrating stop. Lots of fish hung with the boat for awhile, but they just didn’t want to bite. I was one of the few people to get bit and hadn’t converted my opportunity. We moved on. The next several hours dragged on. There were a couple stops, but

no biters. Meanwhile in the galley, I served lunches. I engaged with the customers. I let them know, “This is how these trips go. It only takes one stop to change everything.” Despite my encouragement, I could see most of them were losing interest. There was one customer, Dave, who kept returning to the galley for beer. The day was winding down and I told him, “Dave, a beer isn’t going to do it. It’s not going to stop the boat. If you want the boat to stop and catch a fish, you need to take it up a notch.”

46 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

“What do you mean?” he asked. “You need to order a double bacon cheeseburger. I’m going to cook it for you, and when it’s ready and I put it up on the counter, that’s when we’ll stop on fish.” I’ve observed this phenomenon countless times in my own experience to discount the veracity of my statement. Dave considered what I said. “OK, Joe; let’s do it!” As I cooked his burger and prepped the bun, the boat stopped. I saw Dave on deck. “Told you, Dave!” It’d be a better story if that was the magical stop where everyone caught fish. It wasn’t. But the boat did stop. About 30 minutes later, though, while Dave was finishing up his burger, the boat slowed down again and Capt. Ryan could be heard saying, “C.J., pop a scoop.” Sometimes a captain will say something like, “Slow ones and twos,” meaning, “I’m seeing a few marks of fish; let’s see if throwing a little bait on them gets them to respond.” When the captain instructs the deckhand on the tank to pop a scoop, he’s telling him to throw a lot of bait. It indicates that the boat is on top of a big school and it could be a major opportunity. They bit. The bite started out and the fish were small football-sized yellowfin tuna. I was fishing 40-pound line and wasn’t getting bit. I dropped down to 25 pounds and immediately hooked up. I soon discovered, though, that this was no small fish. Also, yellowfin tuna don’t have the stamina to maintain a long fight like bluefin (at least not the smaller ones). After their initial run, they just don’t have the same staying power. Three times I was able to reel my line back enough to see my monofilament top shot. Three times the fish took another run and I lost my gains. When I finally got it close once more, pop, it busted me off. I had spent over 30 minutes on this fish, only to lose it. I took a moment to gather myself. I put away the 25-pound setup and grabbed my 40-pound combo, a Fishing Syndicate FSC 700XH, paired with a Shimano Talica 12II. Luckily,

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Sarmiento happened to catch the trip’s biggest bluefin (far right). “The deckhands pull the fish out of the refrigerated saltwater hold at the end of the day to allow customers to take pictures before they start cutting the fish,” he says. (SUSAN MCKEE)

48 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

the bite was still going. I got back in the game and pretty quickly I was bit again. With my heavier setup, I quickly dispatched the fish. It was maybe a 30-pound yellowfin tuna. I wasn’t done yet. I kept fishing and got bit again. This time it was a healthier fish. It took me around the boat a couple times. Because I had to follow where the fish wanted to go, my line got tangled with some of the other customers. But C.J. and James took great care to get me untangled and prevent me from losing the fish. It took a while – at least 30-plus minutes – to land it, but eventually I did, and it was a nicer tuna. I’d guess it was about 60 pounds, and it would be the biggest fish anyone would catch this time around. For one day at least, I was a crewmember on a sportfishing boat in Southern California. I acquitted myself well, both in my duties in the galley and my skills while fishing. It felt really good. Thanks, guys, for the opportunity! CS

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50 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

FLYING HIGH AT EAGLE, ALMANOR TWO DAYS, TWO LAKES, TWO MEMORABLE TROUT FISHING TALES FOR DAD, SON; WATERS PRIME IN EARLY NOVEMBER By Cal Kellogg

e were off a boulderstrewn bank in 25 feet of water. Something crushed the soft plastic Trigger Minnow working 17 feet deep, ripping the line out of the downrigger clip. The rod tip popped up for a two-count and then buried into a hard bend. I grabbed the wildly bucking rod, then handed it off to 11-year-old Elias. I knew quality fish were going to bite when the conditions were right, but I could tell that my buddies weren’t so sure. The lake’s surface had been flat as glass all morning and I’d spent a lot of time selling my philosophy of patience and staying the course. Now my strategy was paying off. The wind was blowing hard and the boat pitched and rolled as we crawled forward through sloppy whitecaps. It was go time! “I’m reeling but nothing is happening,” Elias said, standing in the middle of the transom. “That’s because it’s a strong fish. Don’t adjust the drag; just keep working the reel and let the rod wear him down,” I advised. The fight went on for long minutes. Elias’s dad stood to his son’s left with the net at the ready and I stood at his right filming with my GoPro. Scott was on the boat’s wheel, maneuvering to keep the fish directly

Eleven-year-old Elias Masri battled this impressive Eagle Lake rainbow while trolling October 7. He and his dad Abdul had a memorable two-day adventure at two of Northern California’s premier trout fisheries. (CAL KELLOGG) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING behind us and out of the other lines. We got our first look at the big, blocky rainbow when it flashed to the surface off the port corner before power-diving straight down. We got several more tantalizing looks at the incredible rainbow before Elias was able to slide the 20-inch, 3-plus-pound trout into his dad’s waiting net. While trout fishing is a year-round sport here in the north, I think fall offers the best fishing. During the fall, our rainbows, browns and cutthroats are at their heaviest after a summer of easy living cruising in deep, cool water surrounded by forage. As shorter days and cold nights

drive down the surface temperature of our lakes and reservoirs, trout that had been hidden in deep water all summer move back up to near the surface. Urged on by instinct, these trout feed aggressively as they sense the lean, cold days of winter looming just around the bend. For anglers, this fall feeding fling translates to aggressive, easy-totarget trout that are in the top 20 feet of the water column.

ELIAS’S BIG TROUT I met Elias and his dad Abdul this past summer. They are hardcore fishing fanatics and are determined to learn

With trout transitioning toward the surface, author Cal Kellogg and his two friends utilized downriggers to cover the top 20 feet of the water column at Eagle Lake and Lake Almanor. (CAL KELLOGG) 52 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

all the nuances of trout fishing. When I told Abdul about how much I enjoy targeting fall trout, I could see the wheels spinning in his mind. “I’ve got a busy work schedule later this fall and Elias will be busy with school, but what if we went on an early fall trout road trip to a couple of your favorite trout lakes?” Abdul asked. “I’ve got a fishing buddy named Scott up in Seattle. I think he’d like to fly down and join us.” I’m always up for a trout fishing road trip, so I enthusiastically agreed. I suggested we visit Eagle Lake and Lake Almanor. I told Abdul that in a state blessed with amazing trout

FISHING fishing, Eagle and Almanor are among the best of the best.

OCTOBER 7: EAGLE LAKE Dawn broke cold and crisp on the first day of our trout hunt. Eagle Lake is a time capsule of eons past. The lake was once part of Lake Lahontan, a huge body of water that covered much of the Great Basin in what is now northwest Nevada during the last ice age. Today, Eagle Lake, Pyramid Lake to the east and Walker Lake to the south are the only remnants of Lake Lahontan. All three of these lakes are slowly shrinking and at some point far into the future, they are destined to dry up. Eagle is highly alkaline and its rainbows have adapted to survive and prosper in these waters. The only other fish here are tui chubs. During the 1950s, Eagle Lake’s

The iconic Almanor Dam outlet tower dates back to the 1930s. (CAL KELLOGG)

Soft plastic Trigger Minnows proved to be the most effective trolling baits at both Eagle and Almanor during the two-day trout fishing adventure. (CAL KELLOGG)

trout population teetered on the edge of extinction. Inconsistent flows into the lake from Pine Creek and other tributaries impacted spawning success. Hit-and-miss spawning combined with other factors like impacts from logging and cattle grazing had driven the trout population down to a few hundred fish or less. Luckily for trout anglers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife stepped in, collected spawning rainbows at the mouth of Pine Creek and raised their offspring in a hatchery. Thanks to these efforts the trout population at Eagle Lake became strong once again. A side benefit of the hatchery program is that Eagle Lake-strain rainbows have now been planted all over the world. These trout grow quickly and live longer than other rainbow subspecies. The average lifespan for other rainbows under optimal conditions is five to seven years, while the Eagle Lake subspecies has been known to reach 11 years. A 3-year-old Eagle Lake rainbow is typically 17 to 18 inches long. The

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING

Anglers are encouraged to release any brown trout they land while fishing Lake Almanor, but this fat battler got hooked in the gills and ended up going home for dinner. (CAL KELLOGG)

average fish in the lake goes about 1¾ pounds and big fish weigh in at over 5. For me, the draw of Eagle Lake is threefold. First, its rainbows are, pound for pound, the hardestfighting trout I’ve ever caught. A lot of anglers say they fight with the ferocity of steelhead. Second, Eagle Lake trout offer outstanding table fare in the form of firm red filets that taste more like salmon than trout. Finally, I’m fascinated by Eagle Lake’s geography. It straddles the line

dividing the evergreen forests of the Sierras and lower Cascades to the west and the arid high desert to the east. The slopes surrounding the lake to the west are covered with dark timber, while the terrain to the east consists largely of basalt hills covered with sage. Since Abdul, Elias and Scott had never visited Eagle before, I ran through all this information as we motored away from the launch ramp at the Gallatin Marina. The surface of the lake was glassy

Lake Almanor is a large, relatively shallow body of water that holds some of the biggest and hardest-to-catch rainbow and brown trout in the north state. Mount Lassen looms over the north end of the lake. (CAL KELLOGG) 54 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

smooth – never a good thing for trout fishing, but especially bad for hooking up at Eagle Lake. The trout here love choppy conditions, and I’ve had some really memorable afternoons fishing the lake when the wind was really whipping. I knew it would be scratch fishing until we got a breeze. I hoped the wind would come up early, but as things turned out the lake remained glassy until after lunch. Having fished Eagle a great deal over the years, I was certain the

FISHING trout would be feeding on the lake’s abundant tui chubs, so I rigged up our rods with soft plastic Trigger Minnows and a variety of different trolling flies. Naturally colored Trigger Minnows turned out to be the bestperforming bait when teamed with an Action Disc and trolled at 2 mph. We prospected a variety of different areas in the lake’s southern basin, picking up the occasional keeper rainbow and noting areas that showed signs of trout and bait on the sonar. When the wind started pushing in earnest, we shot back to the best area we’d found beneath the mountain locals call the Eagle’s Nest. A crowd of boats had been fishing the area with limited success in the morning, but in the afternoon we had the water to ourselves. The bite wasn’t wide open, but we averaged a handsome trout on every other pass we made along the rockstrewn bank. The largest trout we landed was Elias’s aforementioned rainbow. At the end of the day as we drove toward Lake Almanor, I thought about the action we’d experienced. I think for the best fishing we were about three weeks early. While we enjoyed very good fishing overall, I think the action will be absolutely epic during the first week of November.

OCTOBER 8: LAKE ALMANOR I describe Almanor as a trout fishing university. The big lake is full of trout, with some of them massive. When you’ve got your line in Almanor, there is a chance of hooking a 15-pound brown, 10-pound rainbow or an 8-plus-pound king salmon, but there is a problem. Almanor is extremely rich in forage in the form of insects and huge clouds of Japanese pond smelt. The forage is the key to the size of the trout and salmon found in the lake, but it also makes them very tough to catch. They are constantly surrounded by food, so your presentation has to be perfect, and luck has to be on your side for consistent hookups.

Hammer time at Eagle Lake! An acrobatic Eagle rainbow breaks the surface. (CAL KELLOGG)

Lake Almanor is a large reservoir. While the lake is only about 90 feet deep at the deepest point, it boasts 1.3 million acre-feet of water when at full capacity. The impoundment was formed on the North Fork of the Feather back in the 1920s, when the river was dammed and flooded a meadow-covered valley. The rich soil of the meadow fuels the lake’s forage base, and several areas of the lake feature springs where trout often stack up. The locations of these springs are kept very close to the vest by local anglers and north state trout guides. I’d fished Almanor twice during the month of September from my kayak, so I had a very good idea of where to go and what to pull. We dumped Abdul’s boat in at the Canyon Dam ramp about an hour after sunrise and immediately headed for the east shore, where big numbers of trout were blitzing pond smelt. When I’d kayaked Almanor, 30 feet was the magic depth and my natural-colored Trigger Minnows

were the best offering. The small soft plastic minnow imitations were a dead ringer for the size and color of the baitfish Almanor’s trout were targeting. As soon as we started marking trout, I noted the fish had moved up in the water column since my trip and were holding from 15 to 20 feet deep. With nervous fingers we rigged four downrigger rods with Trigger Minnows and dropped offerings to 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet. Five minutes later an awesome 18-inch rainbow erupted from the lake right behind the boat. A beat later the 20-foot-deep line ripped off the downrigger. We were hooked up! The previous day we’d taken turns fighting fish. Scott had bagged the last ’bow at Eagle, so Elias led off at Almanor. He fought the fish like a pro and slid it into the net. Fifteen minutes into the trip and we had a nice keeper in the box. The action we experienced at Almanor was a lot like the fishing at Eagle. We never got into a hot bite,

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING but the action never really stopped either. We ground up and down the east bank and picked up a fish every 30 to 45 minutes. Some of the trout were in the 14-inch class, while the larger grade went 17 to 20 inches. Most were rainbows, but we did pick up a couple browns. The larger of the two browns went about 17 or so. I try to release all the browns I hook at Almanor, but unfortunately, this one really gulped the bait down and the hook got into the gills, so we put him into the box with our collection of quality rainbows.

In the afternoon, we had the good fortune of picking up a hard-fighting Almanor smallmouth. When you are trolling around dense schools of baitfish, you never know what’s going to turn up at the end of your line. By 4 p.m., we were all pretty tired from setting downrigger lines and fighting fish, so we called it a day.

take place in early November. I stopped at a pullout on Highway 32 next to Deer Creek and whipped up a couple sandwiches for dinner. As I ate, I could see trout in the creek coming up and grabbing caddisflies off the surface, confirming something I already knew. If you’re into trout fishing, California is a great place to live! CS

TWO SPECIAL DAYS

Editor’s note: Cal Kellogg is a longtime Northern California-based outdoors writer. Subscribe to his YouTube channel Fish Hunt Shoot Productions at youtube. com/user/KelloggOutdoors.

As I drove home, I reflected on the two frantic days of trout fishing we’d experienced. As with Eagle, I think the best fall action at Almanor will

The trout fishing wasn’t wide open at Lake Almanor on October 8, but plenty of quality trout were brought to the net by (from left) Scott, Elias and Abdul. (CAL KELLOGG) 56 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

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calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

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Fly Fishing

FISHING

BASIC TRAINING FOR TROLLING A NEWBIE’S GUIDE TO PULLING TROUT LURES AT OVERLOOKED SOCAL WATERS By Jeff Walters

outhern California is known for its beaches and warmer climates, but did you know it is also known for some underrated trout fishing? That’s right, the Southland offers some outstanding yearlong opportunities. When I say yearlong, I mean as in all year, with no season restrictions in any waters that have native or stocked fish. However, the locations of these waters and the methods used to fish them are what most anglers don’t even know about. Here is information on getting in on some of that trout fishing action.

STATE WATER PROJECT FISHERIES Most lakes and reservoirs in SoCal are owned and managed by some water authority or group, such as the California State Water Project, which consists of 34 reservoirs and lakes, 701 miles of aqueducts, five power plants and 24 pumping stations, making it the largest in the nation. That’s a lot of water, with most of it open to fishing and stocked with trout to draw in more anglers and more revenue. According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife stocking reports, there are over 500,000 pounds of trout stocked each year throughout the state and another 500,000 pounds from private vendors (nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants). Most of these locations are intended to hold large volumes of water,

Lori Canahan holds a Mount Lassen Trout Farm trout caught at Diamond Valley Lake in Riverside County’s Hemet. While Southern California’s fisheries aren’t as well known for trolling, newbies can find success by following author Jeff Walters’ basics. (JEFF WALTERS)

making them a perfect deep, coldwater environment for trout, which leads to one fishing topic that has not been talked about very much in these parts – trolling. It’s a big deal for fisheries in the Sierra and in the northern part of the state. But elsewhere, many anglers don’t know how or where to troll for trout or even what to use. Here are some tips to help become more familiar with Southern California trout trolling, and the lures, lines, reels and setups to use, how to rig your line, and more.

LURE OPTIONS Let’s start off with lures: what types,

size, color, action and – most important of all – performance. Most lures used for trolling are spoonlike and imitate shad and other baitfish. When trolled, their wobbling action and reflective surface attract trout and other gamefish to strike. Available in multiple colors and offered in different sizes and weights, there’s a large selection to choose from based on the water being fished. The deeper and wider the water, the heavier the lure. Umbrella rigs are very common and have anywhere from three to eight lures attached to a weighted head. The rig looks like the exposed arms of an open umbrella and mimics a school

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

FISHING column. However, there are tricks to make this happen and most of that is in what type of line is being used.

TALKIN’ LINES

A collection of minnow-imitating trolling spoons and plugs that should be in every angler’s tackle box. (JEFF WALTERS)

of baitfish. The most common lures attached are ones that look like shad; however, note that only three of the lures can have hooks attached to them, per CDFW code.

Next are the classic minnow lures that mimic the primary food source for these gamefish. These types of lures are usually much lighter in weight and harder to get down deeper in the water

Monofilament lines have long been a favorite among anglers for their versatility and ease of use. To rig up a trolling line using mono, start by selecting a reel with a medium to high line capacity and a smooth drag system. A line strength of 20- to 30-pound test is ideal for most trolling situations. Attach a monofilament leader of about 6 feet to your mainline using a barrel swivel. This leader acts as a shock absorber and reduces the chance of fish detecting the mainline. Fluorocarbon line offers low visibility underwater and exceptional abrasion resistance. Choose a line with a 15- to 25-pound-test rating. Since fluoro is denser than water, it’s less likely to float, allowing your lures to reach the desired depth quickly. Use a

Mount Lassen Trout Farm delivers fish into a Southland lake. The author’s research found that between California Department of Fish and Wildlife and private stockings, almost 1 million pounds of trout are planted over the course of the year. (JEFF WALTERS) 60 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING lighter-weight fluorocarbon leader to maintain the invisibility factor while presenting your bait. Braided lines are renowned for their remarkable strength-to-diameter ratio, making them perfect for deepwater trolling. Pair a sturdy trolling reel with high line capacity with 10to 20-pound braid. Due to its minimal stretch, braid offers excellent sensitivity and the ability to feel even the slightest nibble. Since this type of line is visible underwater, it’s recommended to attach a fluorocarbon leader of about 10 feet to maintain stealth. Leadcore is another favorite and a very effective type of line to use. It is braided, multicolored line with very thin lead or other pliable dense metal inside to help get the line down to a certain depth faster. Each colored section is 15 to 25 feet long and lets the angler know basically how deep they are trolling. Leadcore line is used mostly with the open baitcaster reels

TIPS FOR RIGGING UP FOR TROLLING

Here are some tips on how to rig your setup for trout trolling: • Use swivels: Incorporate barrel or snap swivels between your mainline, leader and lures. Swivels help reduce or prevent your line from twisting and tangling while the boat is in motion. • Choose the right lures: The choice of trolling lures is crucial. Select those that mimic the prey of the target fish species and vary your presentation by adjusting trolling speed. • Adjust depth: Utilize downriggers, divers, planers or leadcore lines to control the depth at which your lures swim. Different fish species prefer different depths, so experimentation is key. • Regularly check gear: Trolling places significant stress on gear. Regularly inspect your lines, leaders, knots and reels for signs of wear and tear. Replace any compromised components promptly. JW like the Penn General Purpose Level Wind, along with a very long mono or fluorocarbon leader. Crafting and rigging a trolling line requires careful consideration of line type, reel choice and setup specifics. Each type of line brings its own strengths to the table, whether

it’s the versatility of mono, the stealth of fluoro, the strength of braid or the hybrid approach. By tailoring your trolling line to your target species and fishing conditions, you’re setting yourself up for a successful and rewarding day on the water. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

Holiday Gift Guide

WMD Guns

wmdguns.com Give the gift of long life! The proprietary NiB-X nickelboron-coating process from WMD Guns extends firearm life by permanently defending against wear, abrasion, rust and corrosion. So this year, give NiB-X-coated parts – they just might be the longest-lasting gifts you ever give! (And check out WMD’s Beast NiB-X AR rifles/pistols.)

TactaLoad

tactaload.com TactaLoad is a new company providing quality aftermarket accessories. The FLASH-5 is a unique shotgun stock incorporating an internal magazine that offers the shooter instant access to five additional rounds of ammunition. The FLASH-5 protects your spare ammunition and feeds them out the bottom of the stock fast!

Patrick’s Fly Shop

patricksflyshop.com Patrick’s Fly Shop offers fly casting and fly-tying classes for all experience levels. Fly-tying class schedules are listed on the website and casting lessons are scheduled by appointment. Gift cards for classes or products can be purchased in-store or online!

Eastern Washington Guides

Anglers Edge Sportfishing

anglersedgesportfishing.com At Anglers Edge Sportfishing, a six-person fishing charter out of Westport, Washington, they are passionate about fishing and providing their clients with the best experience possible. If you’re ready to have a great time and make some unforgettable memories, contact them today. Gift certificates are available and make a great Christmas present.

easternwashingtonguides.com The perfect gift: a waterfowl facial! The folks at Eastern Washington Guides love landing birds in your face! They offer fully guided hunting and fishing trips around the greater Columbia Basin, Moses Lake and the Potholes Reservoir. Waterfowl trips target Canada geese, snows and ducks with hunts available throughout the holiday season. Give the one you love the perfect gift, a waterfowl facial from Eastern Washington Guides. Happy holidays! To get $50 off your booked trip, use code NWSGIFT at checkout. 62 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

Black Hills Ammunition

black-hills.com The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) from Black Hills Ammunition pushes modern 6.5 high-BC projectiles another 250 feet per second faster than the 6.5 Creedmoor and with comparable accuracy. Ballistics with these calibers were similar, but the 6.5 PRC has advantages over all of them. For Black Hills’ first loading, they chose to load this cartridge with the Hornady 143-grain ELD-X.

Knives of Alaska knivesofalaska.com The slim drop-point Alpha Wolf coupled with the Cub is specially designed for hunters who need excellent field-dressing capabilities with almost no weight. This set is super light (9.9 ounces) and perfect for hunters who hunt the mountaintops, where every ounce of weight matters.

Holiday Gift Guide

Alaska Family Motorhomes

alaskafamilymotorhomes.com Alaska Family Motorhomes is offering a free bedding package on any motorhome or camper van rental booked prior to January 15, 2024. Just email afmotorhomes@gmail.com with the subject “Holiday Free Bedding” and make your reservation on their website and they will do the rest.

Dead Foot Arms

deadfootarms.com The SCW 2.5 kit is by far the most compact PDW-style stock or brace that the industry has ever seen. While compact, it is very versatile with a collapsed length of 2.5 inches, button-free deployment, and six length-ofpull settings.

AlumaGrips

alumagrips.com The Desert Eagle grips from AlumaGrips have undergone a redesign with improvements that are second to none. First, almost 1/8 inch was removed from the thickness of each grip, then the radius on the back edge of the grip was enlarged to reduce the overall circumference. Finally, AlumaGrips eliminated the need for two screws, as well as the plastic insert that traditionally is needed for mounting the grips. Excellence in design and function, that is the goal of AlumaGrips.

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2023 California Sportsman

Holiday Gift Guide

Davis Tent

davistent.com The sleeping bag cover from Davis Tent is a great way to protect your sleeping bag and add a little warmth. You can even sleep under the stars on a starry night! Roll your sleeping bag, pillow and sleeping pad up and it’s a perfect bedroll to keep all your sleeping gear organized.

Silver Horde

silverhorde.com The KatchKooler Deluxe “keeps your catch fresher.” The compact design makes it easy to stow and a high-density closed-cell foam layer insulates the fish to keep it extra cold on the boat. Made with durable waterproof outer fabric and equipped with a strong handle. Silver Horde suggests reusable ice packs to protect your catch from bacterial degradation and prevent leakage. Great to transport fish home or to a derby weigh-in. It’s the perfect gift for the angler in your family.

64 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

Fish Hunters Guide Service

fishhuntersguideservice.com Contact Fish Hunters Guide Service to find out how you can get $50 off a full-day guided fishing trip. Offer not valid on half-days, or per person pricing. Discount is valid off of the total price of your trip.

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Holiday Gift Guide

Cut Plug Charter

seattlesalmonfishing.com Cut Plug Charter offers Puget Sound fishing trips for salmon and lingcod. They specialize in hands-on fishing experiences with light tackle.

California Wild Sheep Foundation

cawsf.org California Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation, formed in 2001, has worked with agencies and other conservation groups to combat disease and provide habitat enhancements for the iconic desert sheep in California. CAWSF encourages all who are interested in putting and keeping sheep on the mountains to join them.

Westview Marina

Puget Sound Fly Shop

pugetsoundflyshop.com Christmas is right around the corner. Puget Sound Fly Shop offers gift cards and many items that would make the perfect gift for the avid fly fisherman.

www.westviewmarina.com/ m3dia/promo-video-2021 Epic British Columbia, Canada, fishing/catching adventure. Drive or fly in, four nights lodging, three full days of guided fishing/ catching salmon, halibut, lingcod and much more, with all your meals off a large restaurant menu. $2,100 USD each for a crew of four to six people.

Lazy Bear Outfitters

lazybearoutfitters.com/ products/lazy-bear-gift-card Give the gift of adventure with a Lazy Bear Outfitters Gift Card, redeemable for a dream Montana fly fishing trip or quality merchandise. Make their outdoor wishes come true! 66 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2023 | calsportsmanmag.com

Fly Gyde

flygyde.com Give the gift of adventure and lifelong memories this holiday season with Fly Gyde’s versatile gift cards! Whether it’s chasing a 40-pound Chinook or landing a personal-best steelhead, gift cards can be tailored to any denomination and used for unforgettable guided fishing trips or premium gear from Fly Gyde’s online fly shop.