CANT MISS THIS EVENT!!!

California Rivers Festival
Sat. March 14th, 10am to 4pm
Sacramento Waldorf School, 3750 Bannister Road, Fair Oaks

Mark you calendar for a popular annual event that has something for everyone: kayakers, whitewater boaters, fly fisherman, families interested in learning about California rivers, and anyone who wants to get involved in river conservation.

Bring your old gear and buy good gear for just dollars - last year PFD's went for $1, paddles for $5, and bucket boats for $50/100!

At the auction bid on items like: 14" Aire tributary raft from Sierra Outdoor Center, 2 Hardshell Kayaks from California Canoe & Kayak, 2 Inflatable Kayaks from Aire, and much more.

Attend workshops and hear a personal introduction from Scott Ligare before viewing his film "Last Decent" on kayaking rivers on several continents before they are dammed, for a trailer and summary visit thelastdescent.com

Visit http://www.californiariversfestival.org for more information and regular updates.

The latest Rafting/Kayaking Camera

Tom Rider, great boater and advocate for rivers, just alerted me to a new waterproof camera from Olympus called the Olympus TOUGH-8000 "Hard as Nails" - with crazy specs like waterproof to ten meters, shock proof, freeze proof and crush proof while also being a high quality camera! I am sure I could test out all those features (maybe not freezing). It is so new I don't see any reviews online for it. Anyone tried it? Other cameras that work really good? (I like my Pentax Optio)

You can read more about it at the Olympus website, here:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1448

The fate of this river...

Any day - this California river could be federally protected and preserved....or not. Make sure it is protected - Learn more and take action by visiting: https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=182

How about we start spending our money wisely?

I don't know about you...but the news is scary...just don't know how much farther down we can go...financially....international markets, our country, our state, ourselves.

I just can't believe that Governor Schwarzenegger and others are EVEN THINKING about building more inefficient EXPENSIVE dams (spending millions through a "water bond" so we can finance this wasteful spending and pay more for it later).

Especially since there are things that we can do now - to better manage our water supply, a natural resource - for free and other things we can do as a state for a fraction of the cost.

Seriously, build more dams...no thank you.

To learn more visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/DamFacts

Odds and Ends

Greetings, as the resident fly fishing guru (Hey if Tom Stienstra says so, I'll take it), I have a few odds and ends to share for those of you who may have piscatorial inclinations.

• The Trout Underground is a blog you should check into if you like the Upper Sacramento, Bamboo rods or fishing in general. More consistent than a winter BWO hatch and some beautiful photos round things off very nicely.
• Way Upstream is a blog that comes from the fishy side of Patagonia. We love that company for their long-standing support of our work and for their commitment to environmentalism.
• It may not be my river or my fishery, but the folks at Felt Soul Media have put together a really beautiful looking film about the fight to stop the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay. Red Gold is a thing of cinematic beauty.
• River of Renewal, a movie about the Klamath, which IS one of our rivers, is making the rounds through film festivals. It might not be coming to a theatre near you, but it's probably worth the drive. Upstream Battle is another Klamath film also making the rounds.

With the sun out again today and nary a cloud on the horizon my thoughts are turning to the snow pack and a fast-forward to the heat of August... if you have a rain dance, now is the time to break it out. I'm working on a presentation to give to fly fishing clubs around the State about how this drought is mixing with the weird world of California water politics. If you are in a fly fishing club, or any other kind of organization, interested in having this preso, drop me a line.

Bjorn - FOR's Official Fly Fishing Guru (well, practitioner, at least) and Development Director

bjorn@friendsoftheriver.org

CA doesn't have a water supply problem, CA has a water management problem

...and Dams are no longer the answer.

Read George Miller's insightful article from the San Francisco Chronicle (by clicking on the post title above).