CHROME SPOTS AND FANGS – BEYOND THE BUCKET LIST

With GLENN UEDA

In February we welcome the return of local personality, guide and crowd favorite Glenn Ueda with an exciting new program, sure to inspire the more adventurous among us. The presentation chronicles his tireless search for the most powerful cold water fly rod species available, exclusively found in fly-in destinations.

Featuring an annual run of ten-thousand chrome Silver Salmon, your journey will begin in remote Southeast Alaska on the intimate ten-mile long Katalla River. Arguably the most sporting of all the salmon species, always acrobatic, and known for its love of topwater flies, "Coho" are great fun, whether holding in brackish tidal pools fresh from the surf to shallow grass-lined beaver ponds to cobbled upstream riffles and runs. You will then pack up and soar into the remote Yukon's pristine Toobally Lakes where we will stalk shallow reefs and points for big powerful Lake Trout and aggressive Northern Pike. A side trip for beautifully adorned Arctic Grayling will put a deep bend in your 4wt outfit as you skate Elk Hair Caddis! A perfect ending, we will conclude our journey with a 250-mile flight through the rugged snow-covered Alaska Range to test the fish-filled waters of the mighty Holitna River. It is one of the few rivers in the world that contain exotic tarpon-like sheefish! As a bonus, the presentations will include generous giveaways from his amazing sponsors, Orvis and Scientific Anglers.

MORE  ABOUT YOUR  PRESENTER

A native of Southern California, Glenn was introduced to surf fishing as a child by his father. Every Sunday, from Morro Bay down to San Onofre, they caught their own bait and targeted everything from striped bass to barred perch to corbina. Reading about fly fishing in Field and Stream, Glenn soon learned basic fly casting and tying at world famous Long Beach Casting Club, He was ten. A local pond provided endless joy fooling bluegill, crappie and bass. Almost five decades later following a rewarding career as an architect, he sought new challenges. Taking all of those cherished surf and freshwater lessons he built a very successful business “So Cal Flats Fishing Guide Service” teaching fly anglers the art of sight fishing in shallow surf for one of the world’s most challenging species, the California Corbina. Guiding highly skilled anglers from all over the globe, many agree after a day’ of stalking that “Ghost of the Coast” is as difficult if not worse than the very popular and highly coveted flats permit.  

Loving all things fishing, Glenn also enjoys sharing his passion for our sport, filling his annual calendar with presentations and tying demonstrations to many of the fly fishing stores serving Southern California including Fishermen’s Spot, Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store, Orvis Pasadena, and The Fly Stop. Those presentations, whether in person or via Zoom, “Ghost of the Coast – Sightfishing for California Corbina”, “Midnight Madness – The Hunt for Trophy Calico Bass” and “Planet Carp - Fly Fishing for the World’s Popular Fish” have been well received by virtually every fly fishing club from Santa Barbara to San Diego too. 

An extension of his teachings, Glenn has written and collaborated on a number of feature articles for such notable publications as Fly Fisherman, Fly Fusion, Sport Fishing, Saltwater Sportsman, California Fly Fisher, Pacific Sportfishing Magazine, and Western Outdoor News.

Borne from an affinity for sight fishing, he has ventured abroad for exotic species such as Baja Mexico roosterfish, dorado and tuna, Belizean permit, tarpon and bonefish, Christmas Island giant trevally, triggerfish and milkfish, Amazon peacock bass wolffish and arowana, Argentinian golden dorado, pacu and pira pita, and most recently Colombian “vampire fish” aka payara. Fishing over 150 days annually, Glenn also enjoys the challenge of stalking finicky hard-fighting carp in metropolitan Los Angeles to massive Montana impoundments to the narrow canals of Japan. Developed specifically for pursuing these “golden bones” in all conditions, his extremely popular Loco Moco carp fly has followers in virtually every state that contains carp as well throughout Asia, Europe, and Australia.  

With a background in long range big game fishing, he also enjoys venturing well offshore, seeking hard-fighting pelagic and coastal species, all from his 20’ Edgewater center console. An immense aquatic resource, his coastal stretch of the Eastern Pacific Ocean supports a very healthy population of California Yellowtail, Pacific Bonito, Kelp Bass (aka calico bass), and Pacific Barracuda, as well as seasonal visitors such as yellowfin tuna and dorado, all eager to slam a well-presented fly.

Having landed 132 species on fly to date during his aforementioned international and domestic travels, he is perhaps most proud of his IGFA Fly Rod World Records for California Corbina on 4#, 12# and 16# tippet, all captured and released on his local beach.