Monthly Meeting October 14, 2024
CALIFORNIA STEELHEAD with LUKE GERATY
The Pacific strain of the steelhead trout is for many a true bucket list fish. This oversized rainbow trout variant has been the subject of countless books, videos and has the well-earned sobriquet “the fish of a thousand casts.” There are no easy, wide open steelhead trips – these fish make you work hard but reward you with hard fought battles.
Pacific steelhead have a dynamic life cycle that includes time in fresh and saltwater habitats. These fish are born in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to coastal estuaries, then enter the ocean where they mature. They usually return as adults to the same streams where they were born to spawn and begin the cycle again. They can repeat this process up to three times and become extremely large by the end of their life cycle. The Summer run fish in California and Oregon enter the rivers on their upstream journey around July and can be targeted until the end of September. These fish can be quite aggressive and will often take a dry or skated fly. Their larger brothers, the Winter run fish, force the fly angler to endure nasty weather, heavy sink tips and require a lot of patience. It has now become common to use a Spey (two handed rods) technique to handle the rigors of casting all day with limited back cast room. This presentation will whet your appetite to hunt for these beautiful, yet endangered, trophies of our State.
LUKE GERATY
Luke is a guide with Confluence Outfitter based in Reading CA and has devoted much of his life to the study and pursuit of steelhead. His presentation will cover seasons, gear, fly choices, conservation efforts all accompanied by epic photography.
Born and raised in Alaska, Luke Geraty has been fly fishing for over 35 years and has chased fish all over the world, including eastern Africa, New Zealand, throughout the “lower 48.” Luke regularly guides in Northern California for a variety of species on a variety of fisheries. Luke is a “Jack-of-all-trades” wannabe “renaissance man” with three advanced degrees in philosophy and theology, a passion for photography and videography, and a love for great food and good people! A resident of Red Bluff, Luke and his wife have 5 kids and a bunch of pets. For the past twenty-five years, Luke has been a pastor, a theologian teaching at various universities, and a fly fishing guide.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about this magnificent California fish.