CONSERVATION

Pay it forward. A ripple can become a wave. You never know the far reaching impact of spreading kindness and mountain joy.

Reel Recycling

A RIPPLE CAN BECOME A WAVE

We need to share the river with the next generation of anglers and conservationists. We all have a role to play. No act is too small. It is in this spirit that I started a couple youth programs: Reel Recycling and Fishy Kids.

Reel Recycling is a movement to instruct and equip future generations of anglers. Fly fishing doesn't have to be expensive. It started with guide friends, clients, and I taking our used or donated fly fishing gear and recycling it to kids who might not have had the opportunity otherwise. This began on trips to Patagonia and has been brought back to my home waters. I encourage anyone reading to take a family, friend, or community member fishing.  If you have spare gear, to share or gift, I encourage you to do so.

Our Fishy Kids program was crafted to make fly fishing as fun, informative, and as engaging as possible to maintain the attention spans of our youngest clients. It is a hands-on educational experience, where we dive into observing aquatic insects, learn about fish anatomy, and make an introduction to the world of fly fishing. Please contact for availability if interested.

Restore Hetch Hetchy

The mission of Restore Hetch Hetchy is to return the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to its natural splendor ─ while continuing to meet the water and power needs of all communities that depend on the Tuolumne River.

“I have always called it the Tuolumne Yosemite, for it is a wonderfully exact counterpart of the Merced Yosemite, not only in its sublime rocks and waterfalls but in the gardens, groves and meadows of its flowery park-like floor’”-John Muir.

Hetch Hetchy is one of the great valleys of the world and least trafficked entrances to Yosemite. It can be restored without losing a drop of water for the city of San Francisco. We wouldn’t want to dam Yosemite Valley would we?

At Yosemite Outfitters, we believe National Parks are one of our countries greatest ideas and we cherish time spent here. In a break with historical access, we are no longer allowed to fish below the “high water mark”, rendering it impossible to fish. We hope to see increased recreational opportunities at the lake.

The very damming and desecration of Hetch Hechy is at odds with the mission of the National Park Service. It is the environmental battle that helped create the National Park Service as we know it and is the only time we have ever dammed a National Park. We feel compelled to draw attention to restoring one of the great valleys of the world. The cost is small and the reward is great.

Trout Unlimited

The mission of Trout Unlimited is to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so that children experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. The organization focuses on protecting, reconnecting, and restoring coldwater habitats through science-based, collaborative, and grassroots advocacy.

Yosemite Outfitters belongs to the Central Sierra Trout Unlimited chapter and leads their conservation committee. In an effort to restore Steelhead and Salmon on the Merced and Tuolumne Watersheds. Volunteer opportunities have and will exist in the sampling, electroshocking, snorkeling, and tagging of trout in YNP. We will be collaborating with Yosemite National Park, NOAA, and UC Santa Cruz on these projects. Please contact for availability if interested.