Category:
Fly Fishing fishing fly fishing retailer leland outfitters Underground Entertainment
Added Date:
Thursday, 28 May, 2009
Summary
When Orvis fired up their sporting-clays style casting course in Bend - and with the "shopping as a carnival" approach of the big box stores (Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc) seemingly conquering the outdoor gear world - I wondered if theme-park style retailing wasn't the future of outdoor industry.
Content
When Orvis fired up their sporting-clays style casting course in Bend - and with the "shopping as a carnival" approach of the big box stores (Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc) seemingly conquering the outdoor gear world - I wondered if theme-park style retailing wasn't the future of outdoor industry. After all, REI stores feature climbing walls, Bass Pro Shops features huge fish tanks, and we've already mentioned Orvis' "sporting clays" style casting course.
Soon, we'll have another fly fishing industry entrant into the fray: San Francisco's Leland Outfitters - already a very active online marketer - is opening a "fly fishing ranch" in Sonoma, complete with retail store, casting ponds, mini-stream, and a few other goodies [ ed: The article isn't clear, but the ranch appears the ranch is a pay-to-play site, which we could have guessed, but didn't]: sonomanews.com > News > Sports
Lots of work remains to be done on the rest of the ranch, but Leland staffer and local resident Eddie Schoenbin gave me a tour this week. It will be a real fly-fishers' dream spot when completed, including casting ponds (with trout in them), a little stream in between the ponds, a meeting and seminar space and other amenities. No specific date has been set yet for the shop opening, but watch this newspaper for an official announcement. By the way, the ranch is not open for visitors, and there's lots of work going on, so it is best to wait until they announce the opening before heading out there.
It appears to be a gutsy move in a tough economy (though it's likely all this was planned long before the economy did a startling imitation of platform diving into a glass of water). And lest we forget, a major fraction of the fly fishing world's revenues are spent in large, metropolitan areas.
Orvis rolled out its Bend retail store and casting course with a pretty serious media party (the Underground was invited, but had to attend a class that weekend, which suggests responsible behavior is hugely overrated), yet it's probably too soon to get a clear sense of the casting course's usage and effect on the retail side of the equation. So what do the Undergrounders think? Will fly shops soon require an "attraction" to remain viable in competitive metropolitan markets - and in the face of competition from lavish big box retailers? Are you more likely to buy from Leland's retail shop in Sonoma because of the amenities (casting pond, etc). Undergrounders, the floor is yours.
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Nestled in the north end of the Sacramento Valley, Shasta County and its three Cities - Redding, Anderson, and Shasta Lake - are 545 miles north of Los Angeles; 162 miles north of ... moreSacramento; 433 miles south of Portland, Oregon; and 592 miles south of Seattle, Washington.
In 2004, as an effort to increase tourism in the area, the Sundial Bridge, designed by world-renowned architectural designer Santiago Calatrava, was completed. The Sundial Bridge casts its gnomon shadow upon a dial to the north of the bridge accurately once a year during the Summer Solstice. With the objective of providing pedestrian access to the north and south of Turtle Bay Exploration Park, the Sundial Bridge has not only lived up to its purpose but has also become an icon for the City of Redding in the present day.
Redding is one of the best places to launch for Trophy Rainbow Trout & Trophy Steelhead Fishing in Northern California. A number of great rivers are within an easy drive and local guides can on any given day help you figure out where the fishing is great.
The Klamath river, Sacaramento river, Trinity River and the Feather river are all being frequented by local guides and fly fisher.
The Sacramento River is the principal river of Northern California in the United States, and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, near Mount Shasta ... more(in Siskiyou county), the river flows south for 445 miles, through the northern section (Sacramento Valley) of the Central Valley, before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay. It forms a common delta with the San Joaquin River before entering Suisun Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay. The river drains about 27,500 square miles, with an average annual runoff of 22 million acre-feet, in 19 California counties, mostly within a region bounded by the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada known as the Sacramento Valley, but also extending as far as the volcanic plateaus of Northeastern California.
The Merced River originates in the Southeastern corner of Yosemite National Park. Its headwaters begin at 7900 feet at the Clarke Range. It flows over Nevada and Vernal Falls, and ... morelastly, Illilouette Creek before she flows through the main Yosemite Valley. Then the Merced, picks up water from Tenaya, Yosemite, Bridalveil, and Pigeon Creeks near the end of the valley, and meeting up the water from Cascade Creek before the river flows through the Merced River Canyon and then outside the park. Its South and North Forks join it a few miles outside the park.
The Lower Merced is another river that can be drifted, water flow permitting, or walk & waded January through May.
Enjoy a day fishing the Truckee River near Sierraville, California. With our extensive experience fishing the Truckee River, we have the vast knowledge needed to help you catch fish ... moreand have fun doing it. We specialize in guided trips for fishermen of all types from first-time anglers, to experts.
Duration: 4 hours - 8 hours
If you have ever driven over the Lower Sacramento River or even fished it, you know that due to its shear size and abundance of water, this makes it extremely intimidating. That's ... morewhy having a knowledgable Lower Sacramento River Fly Fishing Guide is so important. A great guide will not only put you on the fish, but will also show you the fishy spots accessable by land, the put ins and pull outs for boats, as well as the bug life, the flies to use and when you go on your own, how to put all that t ogether to be successful. The Lower Sacramento River is a big tailwater fishery and California's biggest trout river, and its rainbows are just as big and powerful as the river they live in. If you want big fish and year-round fishing, this is the river for you. With more food than your local all you can eat buffets (2,500 insects per square foot of river), the average fish grows to a healthy and hard-fighting 16-18", and pigs pushing two feet are not out of the question, so bring some big guns. The fishing season is year-round, and water temperatures remain fairly constant too, as the river comes out of the bottom of Shasta Lake.
This river consists of long, indescribable, spring creek like stretches that are broken up by islands, deep pools, long riffles, gravel bars and undulating shelf’s, many of which are more pronounced during lower flows.
If having one of the best trout fisheries in the state isn’t enough, the Lower Sac also hosts some great runs of Steelhead and Chinook salmon too. It also hosts a variety of other fish, such as, shad, squawfish, stripers, largemouth and smallmouth bass, these populations of fish become higher the farther you get away from Shasta Lake. The highest flows are during the summer months, when snow melt is at its greatest, so a drift boat is highly recommended.
You can walk and wade during the higher flows if you so desire, but staying near the bank will be your safest bet. The best time to walk and wade the Lower Sac is going to be during fall, winter and early spring, there is very little snow melt, and the rain that falls goes to filling up the lake, so the river is low and great for walk and wading. This is the time to get out there and really learn the river's bottom and fish those slots that only come out in lower flows, either way “PLEASE WADE WITH CAUTION”. But due to the river’s size and the amount of private property along its banks, those that prefer to wade have two options. One is to fish from public parks and access points along the 16 miles or river between Redding and Anderson, or, from your boat, getting out at the riffles and fishy slots to make some casts.
Public access is fairly easy though on the Lower Sac, there are 6 boat launches, and many public parks and access points along the river that flows almost parallel with interstate 5.
-Brian
World class experiences in a world class location. We are passionate about guiding in Yosemite - fly fishing, hiking, majestic forests, and our surrounding waters! We explore and we ... morefly fish because the little voice that we hear, drives us into the most beautiful destination locations that the Sierra Nevada mountain range has to offer. Discover beautiful Yosemite National Park, it's hiking trails, it's fly fishing on the Merced, and the mighty Tuolumne rivers; or the seemingly endless Stanislaus river, and the stately Mokulmne river. We have a deep rooted love for Yosemite and it's surrounding areas, but this is only out done by sharing that passion for fly fishing and hiking with others, and watching our clients catch a sunset, a fish, a memory, and a passion for the outdoors!
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