Feb Meeting, Feb 15th, 7:00pm

Brian Slusser

Fly Fishing Around Tahoe and Truckee

A great many southern Californians are not aware of the wonderful fishing opportunities in the eastern-north “notch” in the border of our golden state. There is the Truckee River, the Little Truckee River, Prosser Creek, Sagehan Creek and the North Yuba River. In addition to these lovely streams there is terrific fishing on reservoirs such as Boca, Prosser and Stampede. This entire area is easily accessible, lovely in its natural beauty and a perfect place to fish for the beginning or advanced fly fisher.

Our guide for the tour of these uncrowded and beautiful waters is Brian Slusser, who has been guiding fly fishers in the area for 15 years. He will show us what the streams, rivers and reservoirs look like, how to get to them, what techniques to use and what is being done to make them even better. This presentation is long overdue for our club, especially since the area is not that far away, is truly “pretty as a picture” and is perfect for anyone with a fly rod.

Brian's path to his current occupation is fascinating. Here's how he tells it:

It's hard not to develop a passion for the outdoors if you spend some of your childhood growing up in Alaska. I was born in Kirkland, Washington but spent the majority of my first 13 years in Alaska, living in Seward, Nome, and Valdez. My parents moved up to Alaska for work but my father, an avid outdoorsman and pilot, introduced me to hunting and fishing during those years. Just about all of our free time was spent flying into remote areas to fish, hunt, or just have a look around. While in Nome, a coworker of my dad gave me a wolf-mix puppy to raise, which might be where I developed my interest in dogs and long cold winters.

My family left Alaska and relocated to Chelan, Washington where I finished secondary school. My dad and I continued hunting and fishing, pursuing upland birds and deer. We began to spend more time fly fishing. I completed the Ski Area Management Program at Wenatchee Valley College, then graduated with a BS in Business Administration and Marketing from Central Washington University in Ellensburg. I put myself through college by working on a Hotshot crew fighting forest fires during the summers throughout the western states and Alaska. Although the money was good, it severely cut into my summer recreational pursuits.

Throughout college I also worked at Mission Ridge Ski Resort as a ski patroller and avalanche forecaster. This led me to Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, where I have been patrolling for the past 18 years. This is my sixth season as Assistant Patrol Manager where one of my duties is to run our Avalanche Rescue Dog Program, which I have been doing for the past five seasons. My dog, Shooter, and I are also on the Placer County Sheriffs Avalanche Rescue Dog Team. And, yes, I do shoot a Howitzer for avalanche control.

Not long after moving to California, I stopped fighting fires in the summer and started focusing on fly fishing again. After a few years of exploring the waters of the eastern Sierra, I launched Four Seasons Fly Fishing in 1997. Based in Truckee, I guide the rivers, lakes, and streams of the north Tahoe area. In 2000 I expanded my range of guiding to include steelhead fly fishing trips on the Rogue River in southern Oregon and the Upper Klamath in California. I enjoy guiding and instructing single and, if a fly fisher is interested, two-hand rod techniques.

I appreciated the time I spent collecting pictures of the area for my presentation. I will also be showing and explaining an effective nymphing technique and how to build a simple, but deadly, nymphing leader. I will end the program by giving suggestions and showing how to get there and where to stay. I look forward to meeting you all and sharing the wonderful spots where I guide.

This is a program you don't want to miss! See you at the meeting.