Warm Summer Months Come to an End by Dean Growdon Summers in northeastern California are a truly remarkable time of year, when the days stretch long, the skies glow bright, and the outdoors seems to call from every direction. Countless lakes invite people to enjoy water...

Fall is for Streamers! by Dean Growdon Fall offers one of the best chances of the year to hook into a trophy trout in our streams and rivers. As the days shorten and the water cools, big fish begin feeding more aggressively to prepare for winter....

A Whole Lot to Do by Dean Growdon If you are an outdoor enthusiast, this is one of those times of year when the calendar starts filling up fast. Archery season is in full swing, dove season opens September 1st, and the productive tributaries to Lake...

Prioritizing you! by Dean Growdon As the years pass, we begin to feel the weight of our choices, routines, and responsibilities, and we start to see how deeply they shape our health and well-being. Whether we spend our days in a high-stress profession, doing physically demanding...

Tradition in the Mountains. by Dean Growdon With the relentless heat we’ve been enduring, it’s hard to believe that one of our most cherished traditions is already knocking at the door—a time when camouflage emerges from the closet, archers are tuning their bows, rifles are being...

Last Cast by Dean Growdon This week’s column feels a little different. For weeks I wrestled with whether I should write about this subject, but the men I mention below each left a lasting imprint on our community in their own way.  Loss is part of...

Warner Mountain Adventure by Dean Growdon I’ve been fortunate to spend time in the southern Warner Mountains, but I had never explored the northern reaches until recently. A couple of weeks ago, my wife, Carol, and I had a couple of free days, so we packed...

Safe Catch-and-Release Techniques for Anglers by Dean Growdon Catch-and-release fishing can be a controversial practice. Some warmwater species, such as bass and panfish, tend to survive release at relatively high rates and are less vulnerable to post-release mortality. Trout, however, are much more susceptible to death...

by Dean Growdon Last week, one of my good friends from Southern California came up to share a day of fishing with me. Our time was limited — I had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon, and Highway 36 construction is always a gamble, with the...

Lake Almanor: An Angler’s Paradise by Dean Growdon Growing up in Westwood, I was fortunate to live only a short drive from one of the most magical places of my childhood: Lake Almanor. In those days, the lake felt like part of life in the northern...

The Caribou Wilderness Area by Dean Growdon In Lassen County, we are fortunate to have several wilderness areas, but one holds a special place in my heart: the Caribou Wilderness, a true treasure in our own backyard. My earliest memories of the area come from childhood...