- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ever seen an angler tie a fly?
You will if you visit Briggs Hall during the 110th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 20.
"The Art of Fly Tying" by the Fly Fishers of Davis is an integral part of the insect events and activities at Briggs Hall, home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The anglers are eager to show you how to tie a fly and then gift it to you.
At the 2022 UC Davis Picnic Day, we remember veteran fly fisherman Paul Berliner asking a six-year-old girl if she'd like a fly tied for her.
She wasn't sure at first, but when she saw the neon pink feather, she was hooked. She loves pink.
The Fishers of Davis is a "non-profit organization with 100+ members from communities in the central Sacramento valley," the website indicates. "Our charter is to promote the art of fly-fishing and to protect our natural resources and fisheries through community education and conservation. FFD is an affiliate of the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), an international non-profit organization and its Northern California Council (NCCFFF). Our meetings and membership are open to the public, and we provide equal opportunity membership without any discrimination."
During the COVID pandemic and the cancellation of UC Davis Picnic Day, many organizations went virtual with presentations. The Fly Fishers created a video (click here), narrated by Berliner that won a second-place award in the UC Davis Picnic Day's Blue and Gold category, spotlighting health, recreation and athletics. Also check out Berliner's videos on YouTube)
The Fly Fisher meetings, open to the public, are held the last Tuesday of each month, with a social at 7 and the general meeting at 7:30. (See website for details). All members receive the club's monthly newsletter, “The Fisherman's Line.” See the Newsletters for the current edition and back editions. Yearly dues for adults and families are $30 per year. Yearly dues for students are $15 per year.
Typical meetings include the following:
- An introduction of new members, and reports on who has been fishing.
- A guest speaker who narrates a presentation covering some aspect of fly-fishing or conservation.
- An available library of books and videos for members to sign out.
- Updates on where to fish, club activities, outings, and conservation projects.
Outings take them to such fly-fishing sites as Pyramid Lake, Lake Berryessa, McCloud River, Lake Davis and Trinity River and more.
"Do our members ever get skunked on a fishing trip?" is one of the questions posted on the website. The answer: "Never! (Though, as highly trained professionals, we never admit it.)"
For other insect-related activities at Briggs Hall during the UC Davis Picnic Day, click here.
- Author: Patricia Lazicki
General situation
The colder weather has delayed thrips population development by a few days, but overall the outlook hasn't changed much from last report. The oldest tomatoes have been in ground for more than a month, and planting is progressing rapidly.
Thrips population
Most thrips are currently 1st-generation adults (Fig. 1). These adults are feeding and laying their eggs; second generation egg hatch is predicted to peak in the next 1-2 weeks. Generation 2 adults are predicted to peak in the second week of May.
Figure 1. Predicted thrips population development, based on current temperatures and seasonal long-term averages
For newly hatched thrips to acquire TSWV, the larvae have to feed on an infected plant (Fig. 2). Only thrips that have acquired TSWV as larvae can spread it by feeding as adults. In known hotspots, promptly controlling winter weeds like little mallow (cheeseweed), mustards, and prickly lettuce which may have served as overwinter hosts for TSWV reduces the likelihood of these early thrips generations acquiring the virus and spreading it to young tomato plants.
Figure 2. Thrips life-cycle and relationship to TSWV transmission. Time at each stage is shorter in hotter weather. **The pupal stage, which is in the soil and does not feed, can last much longer in cold weather. Graphic courtesy of Prof. Diane Ullman. Photos by Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM Program emeritus.
- Author: Loren Nelson
A free, one-of-a-kind spectacular botanical display made of flower and plant materials, home and garden exhibits featuring outdoor living displays, and unique garden and plant vendors.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
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