Fly Fishing in Los Angeles? Yes, within an hour drive of our shop you can be fishing for wild Rainbow Trout, world record size Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Carp, Panfish, and a host of saltwater species that will stretch your string. We are the only full service fly fishing shop in Los Angeles county. We carry a complete line of the finest flyfishing gear including Sage, Simms, Winston, Scott, Umpqua, Ross, Hardy, Greys, Lamson, Waterworks, Scientific Anglers, Abel, Redington, Fishpond, Cortland, Orvis, Rio, Whiting Farms, Outcast, Renzetti, Patagonia, Tilley and Tibor to name a few. We have an impressive selection of fly tying tools and materials including Whiting Farms, Wapsi, Harelin and Nature’s Spirit. In addition we have an ever-changing selection of vintage fly fishing equipment, including bamboo rods, and an extensive selection of vintage and collectable books. If you are flying into Southern California for business or a family vacation we are within easy driving range of LAX, all the LA beach resorts and just an hour from Disneyland. We ship worldwide and, until we get our shopping cart up and running, please call us at (818) 785-7306 or toll free @ (877) 785-7306 for your fly fishing needs. Come in and have a look around. Let us know if you have any questions.

Our staff in their own words:

Steve Ellis
Founder/Co-owner

Born in Camden, NJ (seems like back when it was a colony).

Moved to Southern California in 1958.

Graduated from San Fernando Valley State College (Now CSUN) when Ronald Regan was Governor and after a short stint at USC School of Pharmacy.

While at Valley State in 1968, my father decided to buy a North Hollywood fishing rod blank manufacturer (disaster in the making!) and a small retail tackle shop. After deciding that making fishing rods was too involved, we grew the tackle shop and I decided that we would add a small fly fishing department. Upon graduating, I made the important decision that I didn’t think I could work for anyone in the “real world “ and decided to work full time in fishing (I am still paying for that thought less decision). We moved from North Hollywood to our present shopping center in June of 1970 with a 750 sq ft. full service tackle shop. Deciding that the future for Fishermen’s Spot was fly fishing, we kept growing. Next stop 1500 sq. ft. and finally 2300 sq. ft. of half fly and half non-fly. In 2000 we decided to take a giant step and convert everything over to fly fishing and dump the rest. In January of 2001 we moved 100’ft to the east in the same shopping center. In 2004 my brother decided he wanted to retire from the family run business and in 2005, I took on a new partner, Ken Lindsay, my long time friend, who obviously wasn’t thinking intelligently at all.

Besides California, fly fishing has taken me to Belize, New Zealand, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Chile and Argentina.

My favorite type of fly fishing is small stream dry fly and Hot Creek Ranch is among my favorite local locations.

Ken Lindsay
Co-Owner

I was born in Dunmurry, N. Ireland about 100 yards from the Glen River, a delightful little trout stream, and I learned much about how trout feed from observing them in this stream as a small child. At 18 I came to California seeking fame and fortune. I first walked into Fishermen’s Spot in the fall of 1970 and met Steve and we have been friends ever since. In the mid ‘70s I went to work for Dave Inks and Andre Puyans at Creative Sports in Pacheco, California. Under the tutelage of these fine gentlemen I gained a vast amount of knowledge about fly tying materials, fly-casting, knots & rigging, fly tying, and entomology. I became manufacturer’s representative in 1979 and continued in this field for the next 15 years representing several fine manufacturers including Cortland, Mustad, Simms, Lamson, Fisher, Thomas & Thomas, Umpqua, Pflueger and J W Outfitters. This gave me the opportunity to travel and fish all over the West.

When Steve offered me the chance to own a piece of “The Spot” six years ago, I thought about all the things I had learned about the retail fly fishing business and bought in anyway.

Fly fishing has taken me to many beautiful locations, including Alaska, Canada, Western U. S., Christmas Island, the British Isles and Chile. I have a long list of other places that I want to fish and many species that I have yet to catch. That’s the fun of fly fishing. You are never finished learning and growing in this sport.

David Wratchford
Licensed Guide/Fishing Fanatic

I was raised on Long Island, N.Y. where a neighbor introduced me to fly fishing at age 12. After a brief stint chasing Largemouth Bass and Bluegill I quickly graduated to the superb saltwater fishery that surrounds that area. When I wasn't working on commercial and party boats I was chasing Stripers, Bluefish and False Albacore on the beaches.

I started training horses at the age of 16 and soon moved to a ranch in Montauk, N.Y. simply fueled my passion for the salt. When I moved to California in 2000 I was introduced to the Sierra and the Pacific. It didn't take long before all my free time was spent exploring these fisheries and our local lakes. The next logical step was making such a pest of myself at the Spot that they had to hire me, and here I am. I became a licensed guide in early 2010 and have had fun guiding on the beach and local lakes and teaching surf classes for the shop. Now if Ken and Steve would just open a shop where there are Redfish.....

Grant Wagemaker
Retail sales

I was born in Waltham Massachusetts and raised in an inner city housing project by a single Mom, so fishing wasn’t a part of my life until we met John Naclerio. John became a big part of our lives as did his passion for fishing. We became regulars at every Opening Day for trout season and fished all over the State for Bass, Pickerel and Bluegill.

Although he didn’t use it much John was the proud possessor of a split cane fly rod which he would let me cast from time to time when we at a spot where I wouldn’t get hung up in the trees. I never caught anything on that rod but to this day I can still remember the smell of it coming out of the sock and how great it felt in my hands. When John passed away I inherited that rod.

I moved to California, hired on with Pacific Telephone and started a family in the early eighties so fishing took a back seat for a while. When my sons were old enough we started taking family camping trips to the Kern River and fishing was back in a big way. We happily fished for trout with ultra-light spinning gear using spinners and salmon eggs. It was during this time that I put down the spinning gear for good and graduated to fly fishing full time. I was a happy small stream trout fisherman until a friend introduced me to fly fishing in the salt. I went from 3 wt. and 5 wt. rods to 10’s, 12’s and 14’s! I have been fortunate to fish the salt in some great destinations including Baja Mexico, Christmas Island and both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Ellie Brittain
Retail Sales

I had no idea I’d get into fly fishing, until 2003, when my husband, Charles, took a fly casting class in 2002 at a local fly fishing club. I'd only fished once before and he said I should try it, since I love the outdoors and we like camping near streams. I tried it, joined the club, and, almost right away, became the Newsletter Editor for four years, when I didn’t know anything about flyfishing? Now, fly fishing is a big part of my life.

I’m a dental hygienist, so you know, we like things clean and neat. I’ve discovered that fly fishing is just that. You don’t have to put those icky worms on your hook. You tie on artistic, natural looking flies, some even, handmade by my husband! You’re in beautiful surroundings, in clean water, and clean hands (most of the time). It’s something that my husband and I enjoy together. It’s fun planning our next fishing destination. (I still want to go to Italy someday though!) We set the fish free. We take care of our streams. So it’s all good! This is a great way of life, right?

I mostly trout fish the Owen’s river and I’ll never forget the thrill of catching my big brown in Hot Creek. I’ve backpacked and fished in Yosemite and the Sierra. Floated the Madison in Montana, fished in Yellowstone National Park. I’ve surf fished and I’ve gone to Ascension Bay in Mexico, where I caught numerous, feisty, bonefish, barracuda and almost caught a permit. Awesome! Someday I hope to catch that elusive permit. I look forward to many more fly fishing and travel adventures to Alaska, Christmas Island, Chile……

Palma Lindsay
Travel Adviser