Fly Fishers Club of Orange County

FFCOC Monthly Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Back Bay Conference Center in Irvine.

This month's meeting is this Thursday, June 11th!

Our featured presentation is:

GOING FURTHER with LUKE KINNEY

FFCOC welcomes Eastern Sierra guide, Luke Kinney. In his program, rich with stunning images and videos, Luke will take us to the less travelled paths, trails, lakes and streams around and
beyond Mammoth.

If your view of the Eastern Sierra is limited to Hot Creek, the Owens and Crowley, be prepared to expand those horizons and find solitude and lots of willing trout. Be prepared to break out
your backpack and start hiking.

GOING FURTHER is a presentaƟon on the elements that take us to greater lengths to experience a true adventure within fly fishing. We all know what it's like to fish one more bend and hike one more mile, as magic happens when we go beyond the average and ordinary.

Luke Kinney will be sharing his experience when it comes to backcountry preparation, from gear selection, trip planning, to fly selection. In the spirit of going further Luke will also focus on wading techniques, and the power of the fly change. As anglers we tend to get stuck in what works, but at times we are prompted to mix it up and explore new realms of possibilities. This presentation will hopefully inspire each angler to think outside the box and go further in their conquest for trout.

LUKE’s OWN WORDS
I grew up in Southern California, my father owned a Surf Shop in Pacific Beach and I spent most of my days in the water surfing as a youth. The water has always been an influential part of my
life, whether that is riding a wave on the ocean or standing in a small mountain stream. Unlike some guides, I did not fly fishing from an early age, in fact it wasn't until my mid 20's that I
picked up a fly rod. I've always been fascinated by fly fishing, and my friend Chris Whitty, who is a tatoo artist, introduced me to the sport by taking me under his wing for my initial outings. At the time I was already living in Bishop pursuing rock climbing, snowboarding, and backcountry travel.

Fly fishing was the perfect activity between my more adrenaline pumping hobbies, which as we all know quickly became an obsession. Over two years I started fishing almost every day of
the week, I learned how to tie flies, and like most of my passions dove deep into learning and dedication to the sport. Water is life, and fly fishing became my favorite way to enjoy being in and around the water, finding peace, and solitude while traveling the Eastern Sierra Mountains.

I started guiding in 2018 part time, which eventually led me into stating my own private company in 2020 with the focus on the highest quality experience possible. My drive for Golden Trout Guiding Co. was to not only guide all of the popular rivers we have on the Eastern Sierra, but also experience the less traveled back country, and forest service lands. Over the last five years, my guiding has taken me all over the world, I've been able to host trips to New Zealand, guide in Alaska, and run incredible backcountry trips in our local mountains.

My passion is to teach and learn, from small stream fishing for tiny goldens, to chasing down trophy browns on streamers on the East Walker. I enjoy it all. Guiding for me is as much about conservation and caring for the land and the people as it is for the fish. I go out of my way each year to obtain permits to guide at higher elevations to spread out pressure and fish for trout in
colder and healthier water.

Fly fishing is a privilege and as someone who grew up with a very simple life and means, I don't take any day on the river for granted and I love sharing my passion with anglers.

Website: Golden Trout Guiding Co.
Luke’s email: [email protected]
Phone: (858)750-9820

Attention anglers! 🎣

The park fishing season will begin May 23 and end Oct. 31 this year. But did you know there are some park waterways that are open for fishing beyond the standard fishing season?

Some sections of the Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison rivers will open early for fishing on May 1! Additionally, year-round fishing opportunities are available on sections of the Gardner and Madison rivers.

👉View maps and learn more about fishing in the park at: go.nps.gov/YELL_fish

Tonight’s monthly meeting speaker:

LEONARDO DA VINCI – THE GREATEST FISHING GUIDE WHO NEVER WAS?
This May, we welcome author and fly fisherman David Ladensohn for a fascinating and
unconventional presentation that bridges art, science, and fly fishing.
What if Leonardo da Vinci—celebrated as a painter, inventor, and genius—was also the ultimate
fishing guide?
Through David’s unique lens, we’ll explore how Leonardo’s extraordinary understanding of
water—currents, seams, eddies, and flow—would have made him the most sought-after guide in
Renaissance Florence. While best known for his masterpieces, Leonardo actually earned his
living as a hydrologic and military engineer. His lifelong obsession with water produced
stunning, lesser-known drawings of river dynamics that anglers will find both beautiful and
deeply insightful.
Leonardo’s unpublished writings include hundreds of observations about how rivers behave—
work that still influences science today. He discovered the law of constant flow, designed canal
lock systems still in use after 500 years, and arguably understood rivers better than anyone of his
time.
David brings this remarkable connection to life, showing why Leonardo might have been not
only a brilliant observer of water—but also an exceptional fly fisherman, caster, and fly tier.
Sit back and enjoy a thought-provoking journey into the parallels between high art and fly
fishing.
About the Speaker: David Ladensohn
David Ladensohn has spent over 50 years as an international banker, manufacturing CEO,
mediator, and board member across corporate and nonprofit sectors. Yet his true passion has
always been fly fishing.
He and his wife of 52 years live near Chama, New Mexico, surrounded by world-class trout
streams. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, David now serves
on the board of regents at Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford.
His deep fascination with rivers mirrors Leonardo’s own. After four years of research—
including time spent at Windsor Castle studying original Leonardo drawings from the Royal
Collection—David authored Fly Fishing with Leonardo, which will be available for purchase at
the event. David can be contacted at [email protected].

A good read!

The Therapeutic Power of Fly Fishing How rivers, rhythm, and community are helping people heal through fly fishing

Great article!

Spotlight Destination: The Upper Owens Snow banks, Sierra chrome, and coldwater fishing at its most elemental