Members' Bio: Where'd you come from?

[WanderingBlues]

Welcome to the fray Jason. Got a feeling we'll all be reading your adventures with gusto.

[midger]

Welcome Jason and nice bio. We've all been there at some time in the past, but once it finally clicks its great!
I look forward to more of your exploits in the future, and am sure you'll admit that its far more comfortable with waders and boots then it is in your skivvies.

[socalnel]

I originally hail from Chicago suburbs where I spent much of my childhood riding my Schwinn Collegiate (I know I'm dating myself) to local lakes and ponds. I started fly fishing when I was 11 or 12, and even got into fly tying for a while. High School, girls, cars, college, married life, and 2 great kids intervened in the years that followed and it wasn't until about 5 years ago that a good friend re-ignited my interest in fly fishing.

I now spend most of my "on the water" time tossing flies on the East Walker.

[Wildman]

Better later then never! Welcome to the forum. A lot of our members enjoy those Eastern Sierra waters as well.

[kaster]

Hey Everyone!

I'm Kevin, 24 from the bay area, now living in Orange County, Ca. Looking to get back into fly fishing full time.

Just moved to SoCal, and trying to figure out the waters down here, but will still be making the occasional trip to Lake Pyramid, NV.

[WanderingBlues]

Howdy Kevin! You'll find plenty of good folks down in the OC to get you squared away. Welcome to the fray!

[Wildman]

Welcome to the forum, Kevin! You'll find a great group of folks here to fish and hang out with. They sure have been a great help to me!
Jim

[fivefish]

Thought I'd throw my name in the mix...

Hi, I'm from Bakersfield, CA and have been fly fishing for 6 years now. I like to explore the harder to reach stretches of the Kern River for trout, smallmouth bass, and carp, and don't get nearly enough trips to other destinations. In my eyes I'm a pretty terrible caster but somehow I still find a way to catch fish.

I'm a web developer by trade and might have made a site or two you've been on recently. I don't think I'll post much more than the occasional trip report when it's not an overly sensitive area, as I have no filter and can easily offend others (a byproduct of the A.D.D. I fight with daily).

Hopefully I can post a fish report soon. The Kern has been quite dull this year and I am hoping to be able to hit the Eastern Sierra at least once before the year ends. I also hope to meet some new people to fish with and maybe reconnect with some old friends.

[WanderingBlues]

Jeeeezuz Christ... They'll let anyone in this joint. Welcome back.

[darrin terry]

Jeeeezuz Christ... They'll let anyone in this joint. Welcome back.

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back (yes I actually watched the TV show that's from during its original run).

[jabseattle]

Hey-I'm a recent transplant from the Seattle area and now living in Palm Desert for the past 10 months. I've been fly fishing for about 15 years and now that things are slowly settling down it's time to get out and explore. It seems like I will be driving quite the distance to find a decent fishery, but I use to drive all over the state of Washington looking for the next stream or river to cross off my list. I'm just in beginning stages of putting my list together along with maps. I have research and there are quite a few books out there for resources for fishing So Cal and the Eastern Sierras. I'm trying to decide which river to hit first in the mid November Kern or Owens and both look to be good bets.
If I wanted to get only 1-3 books about the fishing which books should I get?

Thanks,
Jared

[WanderingBlues]

Welcome aboard, Jared. I'd go for the Lower Owens over the Kern this time of year. There's also some surprisingly good water within an hour of you.

[jabseattle]

Thank you and I very much appreciate the tip. I'm excited to fish a new area. I've been given some intel on an area just about an hour away which I'm hoping I can do for those day trips where I need to get out of the desert valley.

[mosquito]

Well it's about time that I take a minute to introduce myself and start contributing.....since it's been requested and only appropriate that I start with an introduction. I've been reading posts here for quite some time. I was introduced to this forum, by an old college roommate and friend, that frequents this site.....FlyinFish.....Señor Arvin.

I first became interested in fishing when I was really little. My parents and grandparents used to take my sister and I camping and fishing when we were really young. It all started with a spinning rod and some power bait. As I grew a little older I would spend the summer days with my grandparents and that's where I first learned about fly fishing.

My grandfather was an avid fly fisherman. He learned to fly fish on his own and tried to dissect the sport as best as he could, studying, highlighting and underlining magazines and books, practicing his casting in his front yard on a daily basis and even tying flies as though he was preparing to start his own fly shop.
In the mid 40's my maternal grandparents left their shop in East LA and settled down between Lone Pine and Independence in the Eastern Sierras. They took two pieces of luggage and had a small barrack that they would call home for the next few years. The lived alongside some of their friends and made new friends in their new "gated community" known as Manzanar.....where he was a member of the "Manzanar Fishing Club." (http://www.fearnotrout.com/)

My grandfather would tell me stories of leaving camp and heading out to do some fishing. It was during this time that he began to explore parts of the Eastern Sierra.
As I found myself spending the summer days with my grandparents my grandfather started with teaching me the basics of fly casting. Days and days of practice with a piece of shredded thread attached to the end my line was what ultimately hooked me into this sport.

While I haven't done much salt water fishing for quite some time, this year I was fortunate enough to through some flies at Permit and Tarpon off the Keys. Interestingly, the last time I went salt-water fishing off Dana Point my brother-in-law caught what we were pretty sure was a salmon....we were not expecting that and so we released it as fast as we could.

While I enjoy any type of fishing I tend to favor fishing near mountains and in streams. I really enjoy heading up to the Eastern Sierras for a quick weekend or a week long trip. While the fishing is great, with or without fish, I've always been convinced that fish only make up a small portion of the experience. Many of my fishing memories don't really involve fish.....maybe that's because I enjoy the company and the experience or maybe that's just a reflection of my fishing!! Lol.

Anyway, I've been lurking this board for quite some time and I figured it's about time that I introduce myself. Looking forward to contributing.

Andi

[WanderingBlues]

Andi, sounds like you found a home here. Welcome to FFA!