Festival of Fly Fishing in Lodi

Floyd Dean, of Sausalito, casts at the Festival of Fly Fishing at Hutchins Street Square on Friday. Also pictured is Richard Dunton, of Galt. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Festival of Fly Fishing in Lodi

Learn how to cast from experts today

By Joelle Milholm
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Saturday, October 24, 2009 7:05 AM PDT

Comments (2 comment(s))

Some of life's best-keep secrets lie within fishermen.

Their experiences on the water have helped them master the timeless art of catching fish and their adventures along the way not only make for entertaining tales, but sometimes even contain little pearls of wisdom.

Dozens of fishermen and women are in Lodi ready to divulge their juicy tips on how to cast, how to tie flies, what equipment to use and how to be a better fisherman as part of the Festival of Fly Fishing at Hutchins Street Square. The festival began Friday and will conclude with a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. session today.

Inside Hutchins Street Square, almost every room and theater is showcasing fly fishing. There are endless tables with fly-tying equipment set up with instructors ready and waiting to demonstrate. There are seminars and vendors with everything from rods, to flies, to fly-fishing boats. Many different fishing groups, like Healing Waters — an organization dedicated to teaching wounded military veterans how to fly fish — are also on-hand.

Outside the building, fly casting masters put on demonstrations on the grassy lawns and have even put up a long casting pool only a few inches deep to practice casting into. Floyd Dean is one of the fly casting masters teaching classes and demonstrating his vast knowledge of fly casting.

Dean and his wife, Janet, who is also an accomplished fly fisherwoman and caster, are from Sausalito but travel all over the country and world to fish and instruct at different fly fishing festivals.

Dean, last year's American Casting Association All-Senior Fly Accuracy Champion, has been studying fly casting for 19 years. He's studied dozens of different casts, including ones for different distances and others to emulate the flight and splash patterns of different insects.

He specializes in older casts, ones that fishermen relied on before the 1960s when strike indicators were invented and nymph fishing became popular, negating the need to cast accurately and from long distances. He has made it his mission in life to teach all the casts he has learned to others at festivals like this weekend's in Lodi.

"People don't learn to fly cast. They think they do, but they really don't know how to fly cast," Dean said. "When you go to one of these shows, there are five or six of them that can really cast. The rest are just flopping it all over the place.

Rod Buchanan, of Tracy, ties flies at the Festival of Fly Fishing at Hutchins Street Square on Friday. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

"It takes a certain amount of discipline to make this thing work. You can't just rent a video, buy a fly rod and go fishing," Dean said.

Each of Dean's casts have a name and purpose. Some are better for certain water conditions or for different types of flies. He's spent hours at libraries looking through hundreds of fly casting books, and he is trying to assemble the most complete book on casting ever.

"I've got to finish it or the art of fly casting will be lost," Dean said, of the book he is trying to complete.

From the Christmas Tree Cast to the Pin Point Tuck Pile Shoot with a Reach, each cast is unique. He's especially proud of the Johnny Bench Cast. After casting the fly straight out into the water, Dean then whips it back right into his left target hand and catches the line about a foot above the fly. It's a perfect strike, and looks just like how the Hall of Fame Cincinnati Reds catcher used to catch pitches.

Some of his casts are a little more for show than fishing, but in order for them to go into the book, he has to go out and catch a fish on each one.

"To justify it, I have to catch a fish on it. Otherwise people say, 'He can't catch fish,'" Dean said. "But if you can put the fly where it needs to go, with a mend, then you can hire the best guide, he can give you the best fly and you've you got it made. But if you are the worst caster, then nothing is going to help you."

Jack Lewis, an 11-year-old from Chico, travels around to different fly fishing exposés and after four years of fishing is pretty talented. He said he learned some new casts and tips from Dean on Friday and was out practicing them in the casting pool.

On Friday, there were more instructors and vendors than spectators at the festival. Dean is hoping more will come today so he can continue to pass on his art.

Contact reporter Joelle Milholm at joellem@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

Gator wrote on Oct 26, 2009 4:55 PM:

" jbhiker we don't always see eye to eye but you have this one nailed... "

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jbhiker wrote on Oct 25, 2009 4:37 PM:

" More Vendors than spectators! With the big debt$ coming from Hutchins Street Square, I would think the Paper would stop being so cheap and give their Calender a link. I suppose a little free publicity goes against your rules. "

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