Bill Carnazzo

Bill Carnazzo

Bill Carnazzo is a California native, born in Monterey to parents who emigrated from Sicily. His grandfather was a commercial fisherman in the waters of Monterey Bay. Bill grew up around fishing, and hung around at the Old Fisherman's Wharf as a youngster. He fished with his grandfather, and on his own in the surf, on the rocks, and around the wharves. As a teenager, he became interested in fishing the coastal streams in the area for trout and steelhead-the Carmel River which at that time ran to the ocean all year round and supported huge steelhead; creeks such as Garrapata and others south of Monterey; the Little Sur and Big Sur Rivers; and the streams in the Los Padres wilderness area between the coastal and Salinas River drainages

Bill has been fly fishing for nearly 50 years and is a popular fly-fishing guide on the Upper Sacramento, McCloud, Rubicon, Lower American, and North Yuba Rivers. His guiding career began in 1995, and intensified in 2003 when he retired from his position as Chief Assistant City Attorney for the City of Sacramento. A master fly tyer who ties at many fly fishing shows, Bill has created many "fish catcher" fly designs, including October Caddis imitations such as Bill's Stick Caddis. When not on the river or at the tie bench, Bill works part time at Kiene's Fly Shop and teaches fly fishing and fly tying at Sierra Community College. He also gives fly tying classes for Granite Bay Flycasters and will be teaching tying for Kiene's Fly Shop and Fly Fishing Specialties this winter. Bill routinely conducts clinics on nymphing and pocket water fishing for groups, clubs, shops, and others. He presents programs at Northern California fly fishing clubs, concentrating on pocket water nymphing technique and will be featured in the upcoming NCCFFF Conclave at Redding. Bill has authored a number of articles for California Fly Fisher magazine. He was a founding member of Granite Bay Flycasters, and has been club president twice. Bill lives in Foresthill, CA, and has a home in Dunsmuir on the Upper Sacramento River.

Bill has fished many great waters, including most of the rivers in Idaho and Montana; the North Umpqua, Rogue, McKenzie, Metolious, Williamson and other rivers in Oregon; virtually all of the main rivers in California along with High Sierra streams, creeks, and lakes; in Labrador for giant brookies; in Alaska for steelhead, rainbows, and salmon; and in salt water venues such as Loreto.