where to go to college? (close to good flyfishing)

[Loren E]

well i'm in high school and have started to think about where i want to go to college. I am only a sophmore, so i really don't know what i want to go into academically, but i do know i want to be somewhere with good fly fishing, preferably saltwater. What i am looking for is quality saltwater opporunities thru the schoolyear accessed by foot, or maybe by kayak, canoe or pram. the northeast at first seemed like a great option, with so many opportunities to wadefish for stripers, but it seems like this is a poor fishery during the coldmonths of december thru april, more than half of the schoolyear. Theres a lot of great fishing in north and south carolina, georgia, and florida, especially florida, but it seems like use of a flats boat is usually very important, and as a student that's not going to be an option. maybe i could fish some of florida's waters with a yak, canoe or pram? there is also louisiana, texas, and hawaii to think about, among others. i have the first half of april off for spring break, and the family is thinking about taking a trip to sight-see, as well as look at schools and get a first hand taste of the surrounding fishing. So where should i go? thanks in advance -Loren

[sculpin]

Loren I don't know which state to send you to but I can say for sure you can rule Oregon out. :D

[PaulC]

Hey Loren,
If you wanted to stay "in-state" you would have plenty of saltwater access at UCSB or UCSD. Both are great schools depending on the discipline and both are on the water (i.e. no driving really needed). Plus no out of state tuition needed. The diversity of fishing in the bays in SD is superb. Santa Barbara has some great beach action and plenty of inshore action accessible via kayak or boat.

My best suggestion is to look at which schools excel in what you might be interested in. I would put fishing secondary to the education. Fishing is always there, school and the best kick start to a career are not.
Good luck with the applications!
-Paul

[Loren E]

Tristan, i think i would like to study something "natural world" related. I was thinking about environmental law, not the type that seams to deal with pretty miniscule issues like getting into lawsuits to protect 3 of the last yellowtoed newtfrogs in the world, but more fighting the bad stuff going on out there with detrimental effects, like the clear-cutting of forrests, diversion of water, etc. that are wiping out formerly thriving populations of fish and animals and hammering ecosystems. so a basic idea at this stage would be something involving the sciences, or maybe writing or art (these two seem to be less likely to pay for me to fish around the world after graduation). in terms of academic performance, i go to a very difficult high school, marin academy, and i have a GPA a little over 3, so a bit better than a B average. the school has a pretty good understanding with most colleges and does its best to explain that a B at this high school is equal to an A at most all public high schools, and i am going to try to raise my GPA up to the 3.4 or 3.5 range. I am not completely confining myself to the salt, but i've enjoyed living close to trout water all my life, and i'm a lot more excited by saltwater for the most part. i know there is some great trout fishing around the rockies and in many other places in the US but i think i'd rather chase tailing reds than slurping bows if given the choice. when it comes to a school's characteristics, i have gone to relatively small schools all my life, and so i don't know if i would want to go to a gigantic school, although i'm certainly not limting myself to tiny liberal arts schools. congrats on the recent gratuation, where did you go and what are you doing now?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lots of Nor Cal outdoor types have gone to Humbolt State up in Arcadia on the north coast of CA.

[k.hanley]

Say Hey Loren
San Diego would be perfect for your criteria. So would San Francisco. There's need to travel out of State unless you wish to.
Cheers, Ken

[bigtj]

I am a Humboldt grad and I second the recommendation of Bill's, although it's Arcata (near Eureka) not Arcadia (near LA). A great school for fisheries, wildlife, natural resources, geology and environmental engineering majors. There are numerious jetties and harbors with fishing for lings, rock cod, greenling, and leapord shark, and the occasional silver salmon in the fall. The surf areas are good for red-tail perch. You can fish the lagoons (Big and Stone) for steelhead and sea-run cutthroat. There are also a number of lakes in the area with trout in them. The scenery in these areas is gorgeous and the number of people is low compared to the bay area or San Diego. Humboldt bay is a short bike ride from the university and there are lots of like-minded students to "hook up" with for longer trips to share rides. The lifestyle in Arcata is really good as well, it is a quiet town with a lot of really nice people. The only major drawback I can see with Humboldt is it rains a lot and can be fairly cold in the winter. But, if you dress appropriately, it can be a lot of fun. There are also a lot of whitewater kayaking opportunities and lots of river fishing as well (The Mad river has steelhead to 20 lbs and can be reached by a 30-min bike ride from campus). PM me for more information on Humboldt if you're interested.

By the way there are a lot of opprotunities at Humboldt to get involved with the kind of work you are interested in. I got to do stream surveys, volunteer weekends, etc. for some really cool projects right away. Humboldt would be right up your alley in terms of the kind of work you want to do, pehaps as a natural resources planner, working for the forest service, or as a consultant. The work isn't always glamarous but you might end up in a career you feel good about.

Now that being said I think that if you are interested in warmer climates perhaps some place in the Gulf of Mexico like Texas, Louisiana, or Florida might end up being more your cup of tea. San Diego might be the best bet for a warmer climate and staying in California, but you won't have the kind of opportunities that you would in the Gulf for redfish, snook, tarpon, and a really nice mixed bag of other misc. saltwater gamefish. You don't need a flats boat in Florida, by the way, a kayak or your feet will do you fine in a lot of places.

Good luck wherever you choose.

[Loren E]

what a lot of fantastic advice, thanks for all the great replies everyone!

Hey Loren,

I also second the recommendation of Bill and bigtj on Humboldt State. Everything bigtj said is right on. I graduated from there with a degree in Environmental Resources Engineering in 1975 and have made very good use of it for 30 years now with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. While going to school up there I enjoyed steelhead fishing on the Mad River, Redwood Creek and some others and also did some fishing in the salt as well.

Bill


I am a Humboldt grad and I second the recommendation of Bill's, although it's Arcata (near Eureka) not Arcadia (near LA). A great school for fisheries, wildlife, natural resources, geology and environmental engineering majors.

[Bill Avery]

Check out this website: Californiacolleges.edu The website is one that I recommend to my students, because I am a High School Counselor. It has a ton of useful information about careers and it has an interest survey. Hope that helps. Bill

[bp]

while it really ought to depend on education/curriculum - can't believe no one has mentioned U of Montana - Missoula, Mont State - Bozeman, CSU - Ft Collins, No Colorado - Greeley or some others in the Rockies. Western montana has a ton of fishing options and i am gaining a lot of respect for the waters that can be reached from the Denver area.

my 2 cents.

bp

:D Screw it all and come Down Under!!
It's not to hot and it hardly ever snow's!
The Universities are top notch and the U.S dollar is worth more than the aussie dollar,so it would have to be cheaper.
Plus we have some of the best salt water and fresh water fisheries in the world!!
We can fish all year round in fresh and salt.
What else could you ask for!!!
Geez you would swear i lived there wouldn't you!! :D

[bigtj]

bp,

Nobody mentioned the Rockies because they don't have saltwater - Loren is looking for someplace near the salt.

[bp]

BigTJ

like i tell my 12 year old - always read the instructions carefully. there are always important details in there :lol:

giving it some thought i think that the beach and education are mutually exclusive terms - that rules out UCSD and UCSB. if i had gone there in 1981, i'd still be there trying to finish my degree.

Hell, go to the beach school and take up surfing, volleyball and co-eds. save the flyfishing for your later years.

bp