This past Sunday, The Pasadena & Santa Clarita Flyfishing Club hosted a beautiful tribute to one of California’s beloved fly-casting legends, Ray Bianco, at the historic Pasadena Casting Club pond where Ray was a fixture. I saw many old flyfishing friends, and we reminisced over so many great stories about Ray. He was only 5’4, but he was a giant in the pond casting a spey rod. Ray was also once a Duncan YoYo National Champion as a teenager. (why do we learn cool stuff about people after they die?) Ray had incredible hand and eye coordination. He was also a great jockey, riding with legends like Willie Shoemaker. Ray taught thousands of anglers how to load flyrods and make good loops with a very soft calm voice that made you feel like an old favorite uncle. He was quite a character, lived life to the fullest and passed at the age of 84. The fly fishing community will be missing this man for a long time. I can still see him bombing over hundred foot casts with ease. RIP Ray!

Meet Kyla McLay, a very young, talented underwater photographer from Palos Verdes.
Please check out this cool article I stumbled upon written by Jessica Stewart for My Modern Met.
Click here for article!

Kyla’s Instagram

No Winnie the Pooh T-Shirts – Poland? Check out the Global Rescue website for these interesting facts: click here!

If you enjoy bass fishing as much as I do, here’s a great opportunity to catch lots of bass and support a great cause in Cast Hope for kids. My buddy Conway Bowman has secured one of California’s premiere bass lakes just before it opens to the public. Its going to be a fun day, please click the link below for more information and how to register, this event will sell out! Lake Barrett Bass Bonanza!

Click here for a listing in your area.

Click Link for YouTube Video!

This American Museum of Fly Fishing film series is pretty cool. The premise of the series is to hand vintage bamboo rods to modern anglers and see how they perform. Traveling to different waters—both salt and fresh—we put classic bamboo rods to the test. Along the way, our anglers share their experiences, giving a fresh take on fishing with old-school gear. The journey is both visually stunning and insightful, offering a look at how far fishing equipment has come while celebrating the craftsmanship of the past.

In this past episode shot at Lake Isabella, CA, we enlisted my carp guru buddy, Trevor Tanner and put him to the test using a E.F. Payne Rod Co., 8 weight, circa 1956. Video shot by our friend, Meris McHaney. Hope you enjoy! Please support the AMMF!

California’s Premier Fishing Tackle, Boat, Travel & Outdoors Show!

Returns for the 15th year! It’s in my opinion the best sportfishing show we have! I will be walking the show on Thursday. Hope to see many friends out there.

The Pacific Coast Sportfishing Tackle, Boat, Travel, and Outdoors Show is the West Coasts Premier Outdoors Show. Located at the Orange County, Fair & Events Center in beautiful Orange County, California the show draws vendors from all over the country including manufacturers, retail sales, travel lodges and dealers of hundreds of outdoor products.

7 halls, 217,000 sq feet of Salt and Freshwater Fishing Tackle, Boats, Travel Destinations and Everything Outdoors!

SHOW DATES & TIMES:
MAR 6: Thu, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST
MAR 7: Fri, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST
MAR 8: Sat, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM PST
MAR 9: Sun, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST

Tickets are $20 at the door. Online Tickets are $20 + Eventbrite Fees. Kids 12 and under & active duty military with valid current id are free.

I wish I could have been there but circumstances kept me on the West coast. I guess I was there in spirit when I was asked by my friend Andy Mill to write a few words which he read before the 200 plus audience. I know Bobby had to be smiling down with all that love in the room. He was a good friend and mentor to me when I first started out in saltwater flyfishing. We fished, tied flies and had many great adventures on and off the beach. I will miss him dearly! Please click here for the full story recap on The Average Angler blog.

Bob Popovics Day: https://www.senatenj.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=580

AMFF Posthumously Honors Bob Popovics with the 2025 Izaak Walton Award – American Museum Of Fly Fishing

-Al Q