Joe enjoys working with all levels of anglers from the beginner to the advanced. Joe takes the time to make sure that his clients walk away a better angler and create memories of a lifetime. This man truly loves what he does, and his enthusiasm is catching! This passion for fishing has driven him to turn what most people consider a hobby into a life style. He is a Celebrity Speaker at The Fly-Fishing Show in Pleasanton, CA. He has been quoted in many articles, books, and has been a featured Guest Host on many radio shows. Joe is committed to giving back to the community with many donated trips to programs such as Project Healing Waters, Wounded Warriors and fly-fishing clubs youth activities.

During October – May; Joe spends his guiding time at Pyramid Lake, Nevada. In June he is at Eagle Lake in Susanville, California. From May – September he is based in Mammoth for the stellar eastern sierra season: Crowley lake, East Walker River and the Upper Owens river.

Joe is currently an ambassador for Aquaz Fishing Gear and resides in Mammoth Lakes, Ca with his wife Julia, & sons Quinn and Logan. In his off-time Joe enjoys fishing and spending time with his family.

Pyramid Lake is a world-renowned fishing destination, known for its trophy Lahontan cutthroat trout and Cui-tui. The lake is located in northwestern Nevada, about 45 miles northeast of Reno.

The best time to fish Pyramid Lake is during the winter and early spring, when the fish are shallow and easy to target with a fly fished from shore. However, the lake is also a good fishery in the summer and fall, when the fish move deeper.

There are a few different ways to fish Pyramid Lake. Shore fishing is a popular option, as it is relatively inexpensive and easy to get started. Joe Contaldi hosts groups to fish from elevated chairs secured to the lake bottom. This provides warmth and comfort for a long fishing day. It also substantially improves angler catch rates!

If you are shore fishing, you will need a Tribal Fishing Permit and a barbless hook.

If you are boat fishing, you will also need a Tribal Boating Permit.

No matter how you choose to fish Pyramid Lake, be sure to follow the regulations set by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. These regulations are in place to protect the fishery and ensure that everyone has a fair chance to catch fish.

Fill your calendar with the best places to fish throughout the year. You won’t want to miss this one.

This presentation will include video of aquatic insects, bait fish & crustaceans trout eat to survive and the fly patterns we use to imitate them.

Longtime contributing author to California Fly Fisher, Mike Malekos with an excellent presentation on fly fishing in California.

It's back! Join us on May 15 at the Marin Rod and Gun Club for BBQ, raffles, beers, and a viewing of the 2022 Fly Fishing Film Tour!

The 2022 show features locations including Costa Rica, Maryland, Belize, Louisiana, Alabama, Australia, Colombia, and beyond. You can expect to see the incredible energy of a cicada hatch in action, follow a legendary spearfisherman across the endless atolls of Belize, watch as a mother passes her passion for fishing down to the next generation, and explore the history of one of the most legendary tarpon fisheries in the world at Casa Mar.

Sponsored by Costa, Yeti, Simms Fishing, Trout Unlimited, Scientific Anglers, Ross and Abel Reels, Nokian Tyres, Adipose Boatworks and Oskar Blues Brewing

For tickets, click here

The presentation is about fly fishing the San Juan River below Navajo Dam. It covers the quality water, bait water and lower river stretches. Jeremy will talk about a variety of topics including bug life, techniques for fishing, how seasons and weather impact the fishing, and access points to name a few. Fly patterns and rigging will also be a topic and the presentation is geared towards giving the viewer a comprehensive understanding of how to successfully fish the San Juan. The Quality Water stretch of the San Juan boasts prolific midge and blue wing olive hatches. The number of large trout is truly staggering, and it’s no wonder that the San Juan is considered one of the best trout fisheries in the world.

Jeremy moved to Durango in 1998 to attend Fort Lewis College. Guiding was the next step for Jeremy after graduating in 2003, and he’s been at it ever since!

Jeremy loves to fish, from chucking huge streamers for angry trout to sneaking around high country creeks chasing brookies and cutthroat. Jeremy also travels to Honduras every year in search of his ultimate quarry, permit. Wherever it is, from the mountains of Colorado to the flats of the Caribbean, Jeremy will do what it takes to leave you feeling as passionate about the sport as he does!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpfuqgpzgrE9ILz8mCeATSz_ezuU_oQk20

Dr. Mark Rockwell has been working on restoring the Klamath River fishery since 2002, when discussions began to relicense four power dams on the river.  Historically, the Klamath was the 3rd most productive salmon & steelhead river in the continental U.S.; only the Columbia/Snake & Sacramento/San Joaquin Rivers had larger annual returns.  The salmon ran by millions annually and steelhead in the hundreds of thousands.  This has been another disaster in a long list of river and fishery losses in America.  Mark has long held "It's time we turn this around and once again see healthy, self-sustaining salmon & steelhead in the Klamath system".

 Mark has been through many ups and downs over this 20 year period and will share his experiences as well as lessons learned.  It is a story of collective effort, creative thinking, determination, and community understanding to find ways forward that benefit everyone.  It can be done, but it's never easy.

Just as in golf, where the match is most often won on the putting green, most trophy trout are caught within 30 feet or less. Veteran Colorado guide Landon Mayer covers close range tactics with nymphs, dry flies, and streamers, and teaches you how to control your cast, make accurate presentations, and feed fish with precise drifts. 

This exciting new program and videos, with epic hook ups and fight scenes, features footage from Mayer’s home waters in Colorado, as well as public water in Pennsylvania and Argentina, and will be sure to take your trout game to the next level.

* Essential tactics for dry flies, nymphs, and streamers

* Mayer’s favorite flies and rigs

* Core casting and presentation techniques in detail

Landon Mayer (landonmayerflyfishing.com) has been a guide on the South Platte River for 22 years and specializes in hunting trophy trout. He lives in Florissant, Colorado.

Tight lines!

Hwy 395 courses through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery in the west. As you travel north from Mohave, the Sierra appear to the West and present a dramatic tableau for the next four hundred miles. It not only provides great scenery but absolutely great fishing as well. In his presentation “Hwy 395 – California’s Trout Highway”, Greg Vinci takes us on a tour of Hwy 395’s best trout waters, beginning at the Owens River Gorge (just north of Bishop) with stops along the way, including Hot Creek, the San Joaquin, the Upper Owens, Rush Creek, the East Walker and the West Walker, ending at the Carson River drainage just south of Lake Tahoe.

Greg’s presentation includes gorgeous photos of streams, rivers, spring creeks and stillwaters, along with fish, fishing strategies, tactics and rigging, flies to use and, of course, lovely locations, many of which have appeared in national magazines. 

Max Garrison of Garrison fishing Guides is Marin and San Francisco's very own fly fishing instructional and guide service.  Max is also a member of Mt Tam Flyfishers and a member of the club's Board of Directors.

Max focuses his instruction and guiding in the abundant freshwater and saltwater options of the San Francisco Bay area. 

With endless coastline and more lakes and reservoirs to count Marin and the surrounding areas have excellent fishing opportunities for the curious and eager fly angler. 

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, halibut, surfperch, bluegill, and more can all be caught within 30 minutes if you live in the 415. 

In this redux presentation, Max will cover common locations, seasons, species, and tactics to boost your confidence in your home waters. There are new pics, videos, season breakdowns and a new timely section on winter rigging for striper and perch. 

"Garrison Fishing Guides hopes to open your eyes to the opportunity of fly fishing in your backyard." 

(Note to participants: This is our first meeting at The Bay Model and we will offer this beautiful venue often in the future.)

Directions from Novato to  Bay Model Visitor Center in Google Maps

Trout lakes are sadly misunderstood--and they represent a whole world of fly fishing that too many anglers, either through unfamiliarity or uncertainty, are missing. This show takes you patiently by the hand and guides you through the techniques, tackle, and flies that take trout feeding in the top layer of a lake. Here you will learn about lake entomology, the intricacies of stalking and catching path-rising trout, when to expect surface feeding on chironomids, and a great deal more. Along with ideas and images that entertain.

Jim Cox will update us on the latest acquisitions. Rivers Conservancy buys land along the West’s finest rivers and streams to conserve habitat for fish and wildlife, protect key sources of cold water and provide public access for all to enjoy.

Jim Cox joined Western Rivers Conservancy in 2011. He has more than 25 years experience working professionally in the nonprofit sector. Jim is a past steering committee co-chair of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, and is an active member of the Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable. Jim holds a Bachelor of Theatre Degree from Willamette University.

In his free time, you can find him fly fishing and hiking along the outstanding rivers of the West.

Local Guide Max Garrison shares his knowledge of guiding in the Bay Area. Event will be co-hosted with Mt Tamalpais Fly Fishers. Zoom details to come in a GGTU email.