February is cold and it may be difficult to think about getting out in it. But that does not stop the members and BOD of Peninsula Fly Fishers after viewing their website. Their website motivated me to get out!
I was able to correspond with Randy Holthaus and get to know this thriving club. Some of the innovative thoughts to bring in members and fund raise really caught my eye.
Peninsula Fly Fishers Mission:
To provide value to Bay Area members through opportunities for learning, socializing, sharing, skill building, and experiencing the sport of fly fishing.
- We provide a place for Bay Area fly fishers to gather, learn, and connect
- We promote a variety of social fly fishing experiences for all
- We encourage & promote camaraderie amongst club members
- We help develop members overall fly fishing skills: Casting, rigging, fly tying, and various body of water techniques (rivers, lakes, streams, bays, & oceans)
- We welcome members of all experience levels from beginner to advanced
- We value learning, education, and opportunities to try something new
- We value preserving and protecting our states waterways for future generations
- We like to have fun (and laugh about ourselves along the way)
"A fly rod is the connection between the soul, the fish, nature, and life itself."
- Mountain Wisdom
Randy Holthaus is the current President of the club, and I wanted to know how he got here.
How did you get into fly fishing?
I have been enjoying general fishing and fly fishing for decades. Initially, I was mostly scheduling a trip or two a year with a guide from a drift boat. After a few years, I really wanted to become a more self-sufficient and independent fly fisher so I started diving into the sport. Little did I know what I was getting myself into...
How did you find the club?
About 4 years ago, I joined the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club in San Francisco. While taking free casting lessons there, I met a fellow GGACC Member who told me about Peninsula Fly Fishers in Redwood City, closer to where I live. Shortly after, I attended my first meeting at the PFF Clubhouse and the rest is history.
The club members at PFF are very welcoming and made me feel included almost immediately. Club mentors tapped into my eagerness to learn and improve and I was offered a class for beginners to learn the foundational skills - like casting, knot tying, rigging & entomology. After that, I joined club-organized fishouts and started applying these newly learned skills.
Peninsula Fly Fishers is very fortunate to have dozens of recognized experts in the various disciplines of fly fishing, casting, tying, and etc. We have authors, speakers, conservation luminaries, and passionate teachers of our sport.
Today, I am a more knowledgeable fly fisher on rivers, lakes, and surf for all different species of fish, often on flies I tied myself! I am always learning and improving and thoroughly enjoying the process along the way. The club has introduced me to lifelong friends which I am extremely grateful for. And now as acting club President, I am trying to pay it forward for all members.
What is the structure of the board?
Our board consists of 11 passionate voting members. In addition, we added 7 Club Committees (Member Engagement & Newsletter, Fishouts, General Meetings, Skills Development, Events & Hospitality, Conservation, & Webmaster & Social) made up of over 30 active members. These Committees do most of the heavy lifting and effectively spread the volunteer workload around the membership base. The net result is that our members are more actively engaged and receiving greater value from the club overall. It's also a lot of fun…
What are the biggest draws for membership?
I believe members join Peninsula Fly Fishers for many reasons: access to skills development & mentoring, organized group fishouts, interesting guest speakers, shared camaraderie at social events, impactful local conservation efforts, and most importantly building life long fishing friendships.
As a club, we do several promotional activities for our members and our communities (The Fly Fishing Show, hosting Fly Fish Film Festival (F3T), local Art & Wine Festivals, Yuba Fest, Trout in the Classroom, Spey-O-Rama, and sharing on social media). Our existing members are proud to visibly promote and contribute to our community while prospective members see our club energy.
Conservation efforts now and in the future?
As a club, we incorporate active fundraising which allows us to make meaningful annual contributions to many of the most impactful conservation organizations in our Northern California region and beyond. Our Conservation Committee educates our broader membership to actively engage in legislative efforts and volunteer opportunities regarding water conservation, native fish health, and water quality issues. We also have members who have worked on various NCCFFI volunteer efforts like Ah di Nah and Putah Creek clean-up. As you know, a few of our members are also NCCFFI leaders which helps our club maintain broader awareness and perspective.
Peninsula Fly Fishers is also managing the local Trout in the Classroom program, have taught middle school fly fishing and casting classes, and assisted with fly casting, fly tying and knot tying merit badges for the Boy Scouts. We are proud of the work we are doing and hoping to influence the next generation of fly fishers and water and wildlife ambassadors. Non-members are always invited to attend a meeting to get to know us. Contact us for more info at President@peninsulaflyfishers.org
Thank you so much Randy and I’m looking forward to attending some of your events!
Penelope Gadd Coster
Co-Editor and Treasurer, NCCFFI
VP, Russian River Fly Fishers
Check out the website:
"There's no such thing as bad weather...
there's only bad clothing."
Mike McGuire, PFF