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Winter 2024 California Heritage Trout Logo Coming soon... A stream once over run with non-native trout, now restored for federally threatened cutthroat. CDFW capped-off the successful recovery by designating the stream a Heritage Trout Water. I'm headed there for a firsthand look.

Fall 2024 Huckleberry Say when...
How about Fall 2024!!!

Summer 2024 The Flyfish Journal Summer 2024 Cover Searching for a place to fish, I found refuge from the summer heat along the Redwood Coast. More importantly, I realized how an old-growth forest is the perfect home for cold-water loving fish.
Read my story in Volume 15, Issue 4 of The FlyFish Journal.

Spring 2024 Chinook salmon spawning migration underwater Getting Spring Run Chinook Above the Falls on Deer Creek.

Spring 2024 Coastal redwood grove in California. Where the Magic Happens for Salmon and Steelhead

April 5, 2024 Fly Fishing High Sierra Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness With a record snowpack in 2023, fishing the Pioneer Lakes Basin in the High Southern Sierras proved challenging, but patient anglers were rewarded.

March 2024 Golden Trout Creek Meadows Project. What's the Next Chapter in the Golden Trout Project... Meadows!

February 14, 2024 Steelhead photgraphed underwater in the Klamath River. A look back at fly fishing the Klamath River one last time before Iron Gate Dam Removal in 2024.

Winter 2024 Bay Nature Winter 2023 Magazine Look for my coho salmon photography in the Winter 2024 issue of Bay Nature Magazine. The feature story explores how the Russian River watershed could restore healthy runs of coho salmon.

August 30, 2023 California golden trout from John Muir Wilderness At the extreme southern edge of the John Muir Wilderness, California golden trout swim in lakes surrounded by high peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Summer 2023 Bay Nature Magazine Summer 2023 Cover Look for my rainbow trout photography in the Summer 2023 issue of Bay Nature Magazine. The story covers one of the largest creek restoration projects in the East Bay Regional Park District.

May 26, 2023 Fly Fishing Oregon from Wood Drift Boat Meandering through the upper Klamath Basin and flowing with cold spring-fed water Oregon's Wood River is a cold water refuge for some large trout.

April 28, 2023 California Heritage Trout Logo California Heritage Trout Challenge Honor Roll has been updated. Long time supporter of EcoAngler Rich Moore checks into the Honor Roll with Certificate # 489. Rich - thanks for the support!

January 16, 2023 Bob Marshall Wilderness Westslope Cutthroat Trout The Bob Marshall Wilderness supports a vast network of rivers and lakes with healthy populations of Westslope Cutthroat and the ocassional Bull Trout.

December 27, 2022 Sockeye salmon are abundant in Bristol Bay Alaska For a simple angler like me, there are millions of RED reasons to protect Bristol Bay from an open pit mine.

September 2022 American Fly Fishing Magazine September 2022 Cover Look for my Klamath River steelhead photography in the September / October 2022 issue of American Fly Fishing Magazine.

June 2022 Alaska Magazine June 2022 Cover Camping on gravel bars each night, giving space to feeding brown bears and fly fishing for Silvers, Rainbows and Dollies on the Goodnews River - Look for my story in the June 2022 issue of Alaska Magazine.

May 28, 2022 Goose Lake Trib Creek Fly Fishing You'll find native redband trout tucked away in a remote corner of California.

February 2022 Pilot Peak Strain Lahontan Emerging as Monster Pyramid Lake cutthroat Visiting the Ghosts of Lake Lahontan.

December 2021 Surf Fishing California Season Greetings from the California Surf!

September 2021 Fly fishing in the High Uintas Excellent small stream fly fishing can be had along the high, North Slope of Uintas Mountain Range for Colorado River Cutthroat.

July 2021 A Union Pacifc Train crosses the Upper Sacramento River Remembering the Cantara Spill on the Upper Sacramento River. 30 years later, it's still a bad memory.

May 8, 2021 Fly Fishing the John Muir Wilderness for Golden Trout. Fly fishing the John Muir Wilderness in pursuit of California Golden Trout.

April 15, 2021 South Fork Smith River in California for fly fishing A recent addition to California's Heritage Trout Waters, this river also remains one of the few un-dammed watersheds in the Golden State.

March 25, 2021 Mister Pink Salmon Why Mr. Pink?

July 2020 McCloud River Redband Trout photographed underwater. A blown opportunity for the Wintun Tribe, Livingston Stone and a fish called Mykiss Stonei

Spring 2020 Surf Rat Fly Pattern on Reel When fly fishing for surf perch - ORANGE is the new Black.

March 2020 Fishing Pyramid Lake Nevada 2020 Smaller numbers and Bigger fish appear to be the new normal for Pyramid Lake in 2020.

February 2020 Fisheries Magazine February 2020 I'm extremely honored to have the American Fisheries Society publish my photograph of a Lahontan Cutthroat on their February 2020 issue of Fisheries Magazine!

January 2020 Southwest January February 2020 Fly Fishing Magazine Cover Look for my EXPOSURE on fly fishing for Pyramid Lake's Lahontans in the January/February 2020 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing.

December 21, 2019 Restoration Creek A different kind of restoration story for the Holiday. Hope you enjoy and have a safe and Mer ry Christmas!

December 14, 2019 Fly fishing the Lower Feather River The Low Flow Section of the Feather River has been changed by a long history of gold mining, a huge flood surge in recent years, and a massive earthen dam. Inspite of this, the steelhead fishing goes on strong.

October 17, 2019 Yellowstone River flows through Native Cutthroat Country Yellowstone Cutt Country is the homeland to it's namesake trout, and a country under siege.

September 1, 2019 Rainbow Trout of Yosemite's Dorothy Lake The NORTH is by far the most remote and wild of Yosemite's Kingdoms.

July 10, 2019 NOAA Fisheries As part of NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight, I've contributed photography to their effort to raise awareness of California's Central Coast Coho.

Archive of Content

 

Fly Fishing for Wild Trout

California Wild Trout Streams by Michael Carl

Apple iTunes download Google Play download





Showcasing California's most productive and scenic wild trout streams, Wild Trout - California's Top 10 Wild Trout Streams is available on Amazon, Apple Books and Google Play.



Ecological Angler?

By definition, ecological is the interactions and relationships between organisms and their environment. The science of ecology teaches the angler, it is impossible to separate the study of a species of fish such as trout from the study of their environment.

A good ecologist can dovetail into dovetail until the whole thing stretches out of sight. We call it an ecosystem now; earlier Americans called it the Sacred Circle. Either way it can make your little head swim with a vision of a thing of great size and strength that still depends on the underpinning of its smallest members.
Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing
by John Gierach  

Fly Patterns

It starts with a trout's favorite class of food - aquatic insects. (Grasshoppers, ants, beetles, minnows and leeches are also on the menu here.) And in the case of the angler, the fly patterns which imitate these insects. The goal of the EcoAngler is to recognize the insects that freshwater trout survive on, and to the extent possible the ecology of these tiny creatures.

Trout Stream Habitat

The EcoAngler focuses on trout habitat in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Northern California. Each of the fisheries covered in habitat includes information critical to your angling success - such as fly patterns, map of area and flow information.

Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Species

No species of fish has excited the freshwater angler through the years as the trout. California is home to two native trout species (rainbow and cutthroat) and numerous subspecies including California golden trout, Lahontan cutthroat and Kern River rainbow trout.

EBooks Reports and Reviews

As the author of several Ebooks, I document some of the West's most unique native trout and salmon fisheries. Extensive photography coupled with maps and access information provide the reader with a do-it-yourself guide to experience these fisheries.

Conservation Articles & Photography

Fisheries Magazine

Fisheries Magazine February 2020 I'm extremely honored to have the American Fisheries Society publish my photograph of a Lahontan Cutthroat on their February 2020 issue of Fisheries Magazine!

The February issue features a story on the continuing success of wild reproduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout in the Truckee River.



TROUT Magazine

Trout Magazine 2018 Look for my photography in the feature story highlighting TU's 20th Anniversary of the North Coast Coho Project in the Summer 2018 issue of TROUT.

The article details Trout Unlimited's groundbreaking conservation partnership with a private timber company on California's North Coast enters its third decade restoring and protecting critical habitat for coho salmon and steelhead.

Trout Magazine 2016 Look for my photography in the feature story The Complicated Relationship Between Beavers and Trout in the Winter 2016 issue of TROUT.

Writer Philip Monahan reports on the ecological role of the beaver (Castor canadenis) in freshwater habitats. He writes: Aside from man, no animal has such a profound impact on its ecosystem, and many anglers see the beavers' work as predominately destructive--turning a babbling trout stream into a slow-moving wetland, for instance. However, wildlife biologists recognize that each of these "destructive" effects has a flip side...

Trout Magazine 2015 Look for my photography in the cover story State of the Trout in the Summer 2015 issue of TROUT.

The Trout Unlimited Science Team takes an extensive survey of native trout in the United States. The report includes chapters on the Pacific Coast, the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada, regions which have been plagued by drought in recent years. The report finds native trout throughout the West are in trouble due to the "one-two punch" of drought and hot temperatures throughout the region.

Trout Magazine 2014 Look for my photography in the article Walking A Trout Tightrope in the Spring 2014 issue of TROUT.

Writer Jay Cassell delves into the day's hot button issue - Is there a way to balance wild and hatchery trout in our nation's waters. Thankfully, after years of indiscriminate stocking, many state and federal agencies are reevaluating their policies. The future of wild salmon and trout populations will pivot on striking the right balance.



Bay Nature

Bay Nature Magazine Russian River Coho Feature Photo Look for my coho salmon photography in the Winter 2023 issue of Bay Nature Magazine. The feature story covers how the Russian River watershed could restore healthy runs of coho salmon.

A large infusion of federal dollars is funding a last-ditch effort to bring coho salmon back to life through out the Russian River.


Bay Nature Magazine Summer 2023 Cover Look for my rainbow trout photography in the Summer 2023 issue of Bay Nature Magazine. The story covers one of the largest creek restoration proj ects in the East Bay Regional Park District.

The resurrection of Alder Creek - bringing over half a mile of a once-buried stream back to life.




Bay Nature Magazine A Quest for Coho

In this feature story for Bay Nature I put down my flyrod (just for a while) and do some research. Driven by curiosity about the coho salmon that once lived and spawned in the streams of the Santa Cruz and San Mateo Coast, I begin a three year quest to find them.

Learn what I discovered and meet some of the folks dedicated to helping this fragile population survive in the
October - December 2012 issue of Bay Nature.




Fly Fishing Articles

The Flyfish Journal

The Flyfish Journal Summer 2024 Cover The flows are low. The air temp is bordering on hot. I step into the creek and dip my hand. The water is chilly. The creek’s banks are fully armored with alders, willows and briars. Only brief, dappled light pierces the surrounding forest canopy. I’ve entered a different world.

In my search for a place to fish, I found refuge from the heat of a summer day along California’s Redwood Coast. More importantly, I came to realize how an old-growth forest makes a perfect home for cold-water loving fish. Read the full story in the Summer 2024 issue of The FlyFish Journal.

Alaska Magazine

Alaska Magazine June 2022 Cover During a 70-mile river float down Alaska's Goodnews River I witnessed one of the earth's greatest wildlife pageants. Within weeks of ripening blue-berries, crimson red sockeye had pushed into the upper reaches of our destination in the Togiak Wilderness. For over a week I watched predators and scavengers find their way down to the river to feast off the bounty of these migrating sockeye.

Camping on gravel bars each night, giving space to feeding brown bears and fishing for salmon and Dolly Varden is partly what the essay is about.  Look for my story in the June 2022 issue of Alaska Magazine and read about an untouched Alaskan wilderness.

Northwest Fly Fishing

Northwest Fly Fishing Magazine July 2018 Cover Look for my feature article on Fly Fishing the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River in the July/August 2018 issue of Northwest Fly Fishing

Our country's greatest proponent of experiencing wilderness, John Muir wrote in The Yosemite, Every one who is anything of a mountaineer should go on through the entire length of the canyon, coming out by Hetch Hetchy. There is not a dull step all the way. And I would add the fishing in the Tuolumne River isn't bad either.


Northwest Fly Fishing Article featuring the Wild & Scenic Merced River

I wrote a feature story for the January/February 2008 issue of Northwest Fly Fishing. The article covers fly fishing the Merced River in Yosemite Valley flowing down through the Merced Canyon until it meets the South Fork of the Merced.

Southwest Fly Fishing

Southwest July August 2017 Fly Fishing Magazine Cover Look for my feature article on the Upper Middle Fork San Joaquin River in the July/August 2017 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

If you’re a fan of catching wild trout surrounded by strange geologic formations, then you can’t do any better than fishing the Middle Fork San Joaquin River as it flows in, out, and through Devils Postpile National Monument.

Southwest September 2015 Fly Fishing Magazine Cover Look for my article on Heenan Lake in the September/October 2015 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

Going to fish Heenan Lake can be risky. You might damage your rig getting down to the launch area. An angry confrontation over your personal fishing space could break out. So why take the risk? The answer seems clear to me - trophy size Lahontans.

Revive

Revive Fly Fishing JournalLook for my photo essay appearing in the Summer 2016 issue of Revive

The story is as much about the opportunity to catch a trout-of-a-lifetime, as it is about correcting the past of an ancient desert lake in Nevada.

Ultimately, it wasn't about breeding just any trout to stock into Pyramid Lake.



Salmon & Steelhead Journal

Salmon & Steelhead Journal Look for my feature article on one of North America's finest steelheading rivers the - Rogue River - in the Spring 2012 issue of Salmon & Steelhead Journal.

With a focus on the middle Rogue, you'll learn effective techniques to fish thisclassic steelhead water.


American Angler

American Angler MagazineLook for my feature article - Secrets of the Sierras 4 Classic Walk-In Trips appearing in the current May/June 2010 issue of American Angler.

You'll learn about some terrific wild trout fisheries of the Central Sierra Nevada.





Fly Fishing Photography

Southwest Fly Fishing

Southwest Fly Fishing Exposure Photo Essay on Fly Fishing Pyramid Lake Nevada

Look for my EXPOSURE on fly fishing for Pyramid Lake's Lahontans in the January/February 2020 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing.

Southwest May June 2019 Fly Fishing Magazine Cover Look for my native cutthroat photography in the Exposure Section of the May / June 2019 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

The photographs include a Lahontan cutthroat native to the Tahoe Basin of California, a Whitehorse Basin cutthroat from the southeast corner of Oregon, a Yellowstone cutthroat, and a Pilot Peak strain Lahontan from Pyramid Lake Nevada.

Southwest Fly Fishing Exposure Photo Essay on California Surf Fishing

Look for my EXPOSURE photo essay on fly fishing the California Surf in the January/February 2019 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

Southwest Fly Fishing Magazine March April 2018 Cover I contributed photography for a feature story on the Tuolumne River Meadows Section in the March / April 2018 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

Yosemite National Park is home to a vast and healthy population of wild trout. And if you're a fan of catching wild trout in one of the Sierra Nevada's most scenic alpine meadows, then Tuolumne River through its namesake meadow has got the goods.

Southwest Fly Fishing Magazine November December 2017 Cover Look for my photograph of a California Golden in the FishEye two page spread of the November / December 2017 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

I photographed this California Golden Trout in it's namesake creek - Golden Trout Creek. As the early evening sun dropped, the light softened and this golden turned perfectly in front of the camera capturing the sunlight along it's body. Their colors are striking and I hope you get the chance to see one first-hand!

Southwest September October 2017 Fly Fishing Magazine Cover Look for my Exposure photo essay on fly fishing the Eastern Sierra around the Mono Lake Basin in the September October 2017 issue of Southwest Fly Fishing

The Eastern Sierra Nevada in the early fall explodes with color. Most of the creeks draining the eastern slope of the Sierra support healthy groves of aspen trees, and early October can be an amazing time to explore the Mono Basin with a fly rod and a camera.


FLY FISHERMAN

Fly Fisherman Magazine

Look for my photography on fly fishing California's Goldfield Bows in the June/July 2016 issue of FLY FISHERMAN .

The Lower Yuba River's runs of wild steelhead trout and resident trout persist in a watershed that was driven like a rented mule. The discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada in 1848 set in-motion habitat destruction on the Yuba on a grand scale. Despite the dams and hydraulic mining, aquatic insect hatches can be prolific. And where there is food, there are trout.

FLY FISHERMAN Photo Contest

A huge thanks to Ross Purnell and the staff at Fly Fisherman for selecting this photograph and to the folks at Sage for putting the EVOKE reel in my steelhead arsenal.

Fly Fisherman Magazine October December 2013

As you can see in the photo detail, the drift boat is definitely hand crafted. I believe this one represents the third drift boat Dennis Nagel has built since I've known him. Dennis designed this boat precisely to float the Wood River. The Wood is a small, spring creek and has a few obstacles to get through including a really low bridge.



MidCurrent

I'm truly fortunate to have my photography in the MidCurrent gallery! MidCurrent hosts a Who's Who of fly fishing photographers - I feel honored to be included as part of the display!

MidCurrent Fly Fishing Photography




Outdoor Life

Outdoor Life

Look for my photography on fishing for native golden trout in the September 2014 issue of Outdoor Life .

















Fly Fishing Photography

Fly Fishing