Come join me and Jim this coming Saturday, May 31 at the Pasadena Orvis store for an in-house discussion / slide show & fly tying session, as we dive into the world of the elusive Corbina and demystify the secrets to catching them on a fly, off the beach, through sight casting and blind vicinity casting. Bring lots of questions, we will try to answer them all and tell a few stories in between. Looking forward to seeing some new faces and having fun… I will sign some books as well
Cheers –Al Q
Did you ever get the wind knocked out of you?
Last Thursday, we lost one of the last of the fat-tire cowboys—Larry Thane Acord, he was 76 years old.
Larry lived many lives. He was a bush pilot in Alaska. He repossessed airplanes. He raced the Baja 1000. He rode motorcycles with Steve McQueen. He served as a Navy corpsman. He led ski patrols, saving lives in avalanches. And he was a master craftsman who could build anything from scratch.
The last few years of Larry’s life were tough. Doctors gave him ten years to live—thirteen years ago. He outlasted that prognosis like he did everything else, with grit and humor. He even wore a T-shirt to his oncology appointments that read, Hard to Kill.
But the hits kept coming. He lost the love of his life, Marilyn—his high school sweetheart—just over a year ago. He faced numerous health challenges, and to top it off, he was displaced by the Palisades fires. Lately, he had been living with his good friend John in Santa Monica.
This past Thursday, I called to check in on Larry. I just wanted to hear his voice, make him laugh, maybe grab lunch. I knew things had been hard, but I never truly worried—he was tougher than nails.
When the phone was answered, it was John, his very close friend. I asked where Larry was. He paused, then told me Larry had passed—just ten minutes before my call. He had climbed up on the roof in the Palisades to clean the gutters. We’d all told him it was a bad idea. He fell and died on impact.
It took me a few days to process the shock. It didn’t seem real. Larry was invincible. This wasn’t supposed to be how his story ended. I asked Larry once to describe himself. He said, “I was never the golf club, I was always the golf ball.” Yep, Larry was always fearlessly putting himself out there to have adventures, be the best he could be and help people along the journey. Not a bad life.
I’ve come to peace with the fact that he’s with Marilyn now. He’s no longer in pain. And while his loss hurts deeply, I’m grateful for the incredible impact he had on everyone lucky enough to have known him. He was a true inspiration from a generation that never complained, always worked hard and loved his friends.
Love you and will never forget you pal. –Al Q
It was quite a dedication this past weekend for the historic Long Beach Casting Club in Southern California. I was very honored to take a very small part in this monumental achievement. There are not many fly fishing clubs in the west that have turned 100 years old. Ever since I came to California back in the late 70s, I can remember visiting this club to watch the amazing casting champions compete from around the world in trout accuracy games, distance casting, and bass plug accuracy. Being part of this celebration was very special for me, kudos to all at The Long Beach Casting Club for upholding its great fly fishing history and putting on such a classy event. Here’s to the next 100 years! –Al Q
PS: I did do a nice article on the club’s history in the latest issue of tail magazine entitled “100 Years Young!”, check it out!
Conway came to me and said he wanted a retro color palette similar to the 70s surf vibe. So we refreshed the logo and moved away from the original blue background. I channeled my inner Endless Summer. The result is fun interpretation and that hit the mark. These will become patches that will be on some hats in different colors. I believe Conway will make shirts too. There is a square version as well. Reach out to Conway at Bowman Bluewater for more info!
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!
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!
flies, sand & surf 