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Founded in 1947, the Pasadena Casting Club is a group of fly fishing enthusiasts dedicated to the art of angling and casting, conservation, education, catch and release philosophy, and camaraderie through Club meetings, outings and events.
HomeNovember 2011

Peter Piconi:
Fly Fishing San Diego Bay and its Coastal Kelp Beds 

Thursday, November 10, 2011



A reasonable number of PCC members have figured out some simple math: if you add saltwater to your list of possible destinations, your fly fishing opportunities more than double. If you want to try some saltwater fly fishing relatively close to home, San Diego is a great destination, with a year round fishery. Two of the choices San Diego offers are San Diego Bay and the near-shore kelp beds, and Peter Piconi will be the expert at our November meeting sharing his knowledge.

San Diego Bay can be fished from float tube or boat and has both topwater and subsurface fishing available. San Diego Bay is a very rich and diverse fishery because of its size and temperature differentials. We’ll learn tactics for all kinds of fish (from bonefish (!), bonito, and halibut to yellowtail, calico, and white bass) during all of the seasons. The second part of Peter’s presentation will cover the near shore kelp beds, including the best timing for such fishing and the different floating and sinking line techniques. These strategies will cover species by species, e.g., potholing for calicos or “grip it and rip it” for bonito. Some of Peter’s suggestions will be new to even those who have done this type of fishing before, so all of you will be getting valuable new tips.

Peter Piconi first presented to us in 2008 three years ago for a different program and was well liked. Peter has been fishing San Diego Bay since 1995, where he started the first full-time guiding service catering to bay and near-shore anglers. He’s been featured on numerous fly fishing TV programs and instructional DVDs. Peter is also an accomplished photographer and writer, having been published in Salt Water Fly Fishing and South West Fly Fishing magazines.

Peter is retained by Umpqua Feather Merchants as a contract tier and is a Sage instructor for Southern California. Peter guides on San Diego Bay about 150 days a year, as well as running clinics for casting and surf fishing and leading trips to British Columbia, Baja, Oregon, and Alaska.

Peter was born in Fallbrook (think avocados) and started his life-long love of fly fishing when he was 12. He is a graduate of Humboldt State University where he earned his degree in Wildlife Management and has since worked as biologist in not only California, but also Idaho and Alaska. 



If you want to learn about some exciting local fly fishing opportunities you may have overlooked, consider joining us at the San Marino Masonic Lodge, 3130 Huntington Drive, San Marino, this Thursday evening, November 10th, at 7:30 p.m.

Seymour Singer