Permits are required to fish in all lakes and rivers of California, as well as the Ocean. In Northern California, there is an additional Bay/Delta Sportsfishing Enhancement Stamp which is required. Some lakes have additional permits required (as in Lake Merced in San Francisco). Nonresidents can purchase a permit for 1, 2 or 10 days.

No permit is required when fishing from a public pier in Ocean waters.

I suggest that Mr qc read the Department of Fish and Game website.

Freshwater fishing season runs from the last Saturday in April to the second Saturday in October.

Most of the freshwater rivers and streams in California are stocked. Yosemite is an exception. It is only native and has a catch and release restriction as to all rainbow trout. There are several species of trout in California waters and it would be a good idea for Mr qc to familiarize himself with them.

You didn't mention when you are going to be in California. I hope it is after the season starts. If so, he will have an excellent time fishing in the waters of the Sierra. There's nothing quite like standing in bone chilling water all day long . He'd better pack his waders. Yosemite fishing is really for the highly skilled, with only native fish and no plants. It is so sad to see kids spending all day trying to catch something, but they never do. If that happened to me as a child, I probably wouldn't have grown up enjoying the sport.