4310 Dunsmuir Ave, Dunsmuir, CA 96025
Ted Fay Fly Shop stands on the main street of Dunsmuir, California, as both a working fly shop and a living monument to one of the most consequential figures in Northern California fly fishing history. Ted Fay (1915–1998) guided on the Upper Sacramento River for nearly five decades, pioneering the catch-and-release ethic on these waters long before it became common practice and helping establish the conservation culture that made the river the world-class trout fishery it remains today. He was among the first guides in California to advocate with genuine conviction for wild trout preservation and the return of wild fish, a philosophy that shaped generations of anglers who passed through his boats. The shop that bears his name honors that legacy with the seriousness Fay himself brought to the water.
The Upper Sacramento below Box Canyon Dam at the foot of Mount Shasta is one of the most underrated wild trout rivers in the American West. Cold, clear, and regulated as a wild trout corridor for much of its length, the river holds dense populations of wild rainbow trout in riffles, runs, and pocket water that respond to a hatch calendar extending from February midges through October blue-winged olives. The golden stonefly emergence in June and July produces some of the most exciting dry fly fishing in California — aggressive rainbows rising to bushy dry flies in fast, bright water while the volcanic cone of Shasta stands above the canyon rim. Ted Fay Fly Shop stocks a comprehensive selection of proven Upper Sacramento patterns, carries the major rods, reels, and wading systems, and operates a guide service that continues in the spirit Fay established: patient, conservation-minded, and deeply knowledgeable about the river he loved.
“There is something irreplaceable about fishing with a shop that carries this much history. The staff know the Upper Sacramento as intimately as any people alive — every pool, every riffle, every hatch window. We fished the golden stone emergence in late June and caught wild rainbows on dry flies all day with Mount Shasta looming above us. The shop stocks exactly the patterns that work on this river, nothing generic. A true pilgrimage shop.”
“My guide from Ted Fay was the finest I've had in California — incredibly knowledgeable about the Upper Sacramento's wild rainbow population and deeply committed to fishing it responsibly. He talked about Ted Fay's conservation legacy with genuine reverence, and you could feel that ethic in how he guides: careful wading, fast releases, real respect for the fish and the river. Stunning water, the right way to fish it.”
“Fished the Upper Sacramento three days in a row out of Ted Fay's shop. First day I bought flies on the staff's recommendation — exactly right. Second day hired a guide for the canyon section I'd never waded. Third day I was on my own with real confidence in the water. This is the full experience of discovering a great river with genuine local expertise.”
