The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

With the growth of the NCFFB has come the need to manage the New Board with a Steering Committee that can help set the direction for the Board and help us grow for the next 10 years towards meeting the needs of Northern California Fly Fishers. The Steering Committee looks forward to hearing your ideas and towards your participation in continuing to develop the new NCFFB Community.

Meet your Steering Committee members:

Dawn Alvarez

Interests:

I am a fly fishing fanatic with a great dog named Snicker. I converted from bait to fly fishing 9 summers ago after an epiphany on the Elk River in Oregon involving a 14 inch rainbow caught on a friend's fly rod with a dry fly. I have relentlessy pursued the sport ever since. I tie my own flies, which, contrary to what my friend told me, has not saved me any money, but has given me lots of satisfaction. I live wherever my work as a wildlife/fisheries biologist takes me, which for the last few years has been Nevada (nearly all of it), Oregon (Medford area), the Mendocino coast (from Elk to Rockport), and Plumas National Forest. I am currently attending Humboldt State University and working on my masters in Fisheries Biology.

Board Roles: Fire Goddess, Author and Board Moderator!

Phil Fischer

Interests:

I'm an avid fly fisherman who was born and raised in the Bay Area and have fly fished for trout all over California and the Western United States. I have been fly fishing for almost 40 years and fly tying for almost as long. I had the good fortune to have been mentored by Andre Puyans and taught fly tying classes at Creative Sports in Pleasant Hill for a number of years. I currently own Phil's Custom Trout Flies. It is a heck of a lot of fun to learn patterns and new techniques from other areas. My favorite waters are some secret spots in the Sierra just above highway 49, the area surrounding Sunriver Oregon, and the Yellowstone area in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. I really like trying new waters, and even better experimenting with new flies on those waters that catch fish!

Board Roles: Fly Tying, Author, Photographer and Board Administration!

Paul Hendricks, AKA Carpy

Interests:

I was raised in Stockton, so I started fishing pretty young on the Delta when I was around 7 or so. Tied my first fly at age 13 at a Boy Scouts meeting in Santa Rosa. Fished flies, hardware and bait for many years, but have primarily FF the last 30 or so years. I have a dog named Jake and an affinity for Root Beer. Been living in Chico for the last 28 sum years, life is good. The NCFFB is a great place, but you are going to get back what you put into it.

Greg Miller, AKA GM

Interests: Fly fishing for me has long been a passion. During the regular trout season you can find me chasing fish all over the north state. I currently live in Cobb (where is that you ask?) and during the fall/winter I spend quite a bit of time chasing California's ultimate game fish: the steelhead. When I'm not out fishing I keep busy working at Agilent Technologies and maintaining this site - the NCFFB.

Board Roles: Photographer, Videographer, Author, and Board "tech guy".

Buzz Natzke

Interests:

I live in Ripon and consider the Lower Stanslaus my home water. I have been fly fishing for ~40 years, the last 20 seriously. I have a lovely wife and four great kids (22,20,17,15), several of which actually like to fish with me! I am in the process of starting my own fly rod building business. I have been building rods since about 20 years ago, but really got interested after I went to one of the NCFFB Rod Building Bashes several years ago and learned a great deal from Dennis and Frank! Since then I determined that I could make this into a great retirement business.

Board Roles: Board Ideas Guy, Head Spellchecker and Harvestor of Karma!

John Schmidt

Interests:

I am a transplanted NYer who learned to FF in the creeks flowing from French Meadows Resevoir. I have been a board reader since the very first days when it was run out of Chico State. I am one of the 11 Original Bashers and one of three All-Time Bashers (along with GM and Sade).

I have made many FF friends from the NCFFB and been introduced to FF waters like the Y and the T. When I retire like Ed K (9/2/11), I hope to learn to fish steelhead in coastal rivers. When I’m not FFing, I coach HS JV girls BB and follow the Sharks.

Board Roles: Sausage King (if you have to ask - don't!) and Name Tag Guy.

Bjorn Stromsness

Interests:

Long time Board member, Original Basher and new dad. I have a passion for conservation and currently am the Development Director for Friends of the River. I an avid fly fisherman and enjoy spending as much time as possible standing in cool, clear rivers around the state in pursuit of trout as a catch and release angler. My Board reputation was coined long ago when I came back to camp at the first Bash telling of large numbers of fish caught. This was labeled as a "Bjornian Number". The term stuck, and it has come to mean a very large number - especially when talking of fish. It's larger than 10 but smaller than a Google.

Board Roles: Board Conservation and Editor of the Conservation Corner!

Neal Taniguchi , AKA Silent Reader

Interests:

I've been a fishin fanatic since 3 years old, and have been flyfishing for close to 16 years. My flyfishing activities have curtailed somewhat because of our growing family. However, I at least try to attend the bashes. By the way, I first signed on as Silent Reader somewhere around 10 or 11 years ago. I was one of those lurkers that just read the posts. However, a couple of characters by the names of "Carpy" and "Billy" lured me out of the ciber shadows, and I've been a campfire regular ever since. Its truly amazing how much this board has grown, and I'm equally amazed at the number of people I've met at bashes and on the river.

Board Roles: Kibbitzer, advisor, complainer, whiner.

If you ever have questions about the board or something doesn't appear to be working right never hesitate to ask.