This Month's Meeting - Wednesday, January 10, Manuel's Tavern. This Month's Presentation

Transcription

1 This Month's Meeting - Wednesday, January 10, Manuel's Tavern This Month's Presentation Rus Schwausch of EPIC Angling & Adventure will tell us about his two fishing destinations-of-a-lifetime located on the Alaska Peninsula - Alaska Wilderness SAFARI and Alaska Wilderness OUTPOST. Each experience will take you far away from paved roads and the typical structured Alaska fly fishing lodge setting... there are no fine paintings and no fancy carpet at these fishing camps. Rus has been fishing, adventuring and guiding in Alaska since Little did he know that his first trip to Alaska back then, on a 100 mile unguided float trip with his buddies, would send his life in a completely new direction. He describes himself as "a former engineer, turned fishing guide, turned outfitter." Plus, he's a Wilderness First Responder and U.S. Coast Guard licensed. Upcoming Programs February - Capt. Matt Miles March - Steve Galletta April - TBA May - Landon Mayer June - Jeff Currier Great Raffle Prizes SPECIAL RAFFLE Enter to win our special raffle. Is it a guided trip...a new fly rod...the only way to find out is to come to this month's meeting! Last month's presenter, Martin Carranza donated 2 free guided days on Miami's Biscayne Bay, a $1,200 value, for the special raffle. Congratulations to Mark Stevens, the lucky winner! REGULAR RAFFLE There will be 11 winners in our regular raffle who can choose an item from the table filled with flyfishing gear. A 12th winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to a local fly shop.

2 FLY RAFFLE Remember to bring some flies for the fly raffle. Tie your own or pull some from your fly box. You get one ticket per fly and a chance to take home a pitcher full of flies. Silent Auction The silent auction for the photographic nature prints donated by Doug Brady will be open for the months of December and January. Bids will be accepted until the end of the January meeting at which time the highest bidder will be awarded the print. The wildlife prints are of National Geographic quality with all proceeds going to AFFC charities. If you are interested, please view the magnificent image of the eagle in flight print during the December and January meetings and submit your bid. Looking Forward to 2018 Note from the President 2018 is going to be a good year for the Atlanta Fly Fishing Club! Last fall, Mike Greene asked the AFFC's Board to think about why members join the club and what value the club should provide. He followed up the Board discussion with a membership survey. The results are clear-our club wants to: go fly fishing, meet other fly fisherman and improve our fly fishing skills. Well maybe not in those exact words, but fellowship, trip opportunities and skill development all seem to be core to the AFFC's reason for existence. The AFFC Board is an enthusiastic group of fly fishermen who are using the momentum started in 2017 to create success in 2018 with club sponsored trips, meetings with engaging speakers, time to socialize at meetings, opportunities for skill development and many more items. What is needed to make 2018 a GREAT year? Our club members - coming to meetings & mingling, going fishing & sharing the reason for your fishing success and participating in the club events & clinics. So, go fish, mingle and participate in making 2018 a great year for the AFFC. See ya' on the water. Greg Upcoming Trips AFFC Club Trip - Glacier Breaker By: JD Forrester When - February (Depending on weather conditions) Where - Cherokee, NC Cherokee KOA, info reserve You must make your own reservation. This AFFC trip is limited to 20 members Where to fish - The Raven Fork is right outside the campground and fishes really well in the Winter. It is not too far to the Tuckasgee and the 2 delayed harvest sections. This is a good area for Winter fishing. NOTE-This info is for planning only. I have not made reservations nor will I until I have a weather forecast for those dates. I will sent an to the club when my reservations are made.

3 AFFC Club Trip to "Ole Florida" By: Doug Brady Greetings AFFC anglers. We've got an exciting new Saltwater adventure you won't want to miss! This April, we're introducing "Ole Florida". Captains Scotty MacCalla and Nick Sassic of our Louisiana Redfish adventure, have designed this immersive new fishing experience in the central, east coastal area of Florida. In three days we'll fish three different waters, all while getting a taste of the old Florida beauty and charm. Enjoy waters teeming with life, magnificent scenery, and opportunities to sight fish in comfortable spring weather. Visualize Spanish moss on live oaks overhanging the tannic waters of the St Johns River as we hunt for bass. Witness sunrise over the world famous Indian River lagoon as we prowl for reds and speckled sea trout. See herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills, brown and white pelicans, royal Poinciana's and palm trees on full display as we explore ocean shore line or inlets. If you've ever wanted to fish some of Florida's most productive and scenic waters with good friends and excellent guides, this is your trip. The spaces will go fast, so contact Doug Brady with your questions and get on the list. dbfishes@gmail.com The cost should be roughly the same as our Louisiana adventures (approximately $1,1 00) and cover three days guided fishing, lodging and food. An added bonus is that participants will be able to extend their adventure if they wish since the region offers many wade, kayak and boating waters ripe for discovery. Four anglers per 3 day session, and we've got at least two sessions reserved for club members. Come fish "Ole Fla" with the AFFC and get your salt on. Fishing Reports AFFC Club Trip to NOLA By: Doug Brady Session 1: For 3 days the wind howled, and the rain fell constantly, but at least it was freezing cold. While "snowpocalypse 2017" raged through Atlanta, the bayous suffered a similar and very rare fate but without the nobility of snow. Gordon Middleton, Dave Peacock, Bret Nelson, and myself were landlocked. Our only consolation, happy hours would come early. As many of us have experienced, such are the vagaries of weather and long distance fishing adventures. Actually, beyond the adult beverages, which did flow, the first session was an outstanding culinary experience. Bret proved to be quite the chef whipping up a magnificent shrimp creole pasta one night, while Captains Nick and Scotty grilled rib-eyes another night and delicious redfish on the half shell still another. Dave kept the wine and stories flowing and I vaguely recall homemade chocolate chip cookies and blueberry pie making appearances. So even if we didn't catch a lot of fish that first session, at least we all gained weight. To be sure there were several nice reds caught the first day before the weather soured, (one of which we feasted upon) along with a huge black drum caught by Big G, but our time on the water was too brief and then Mother Nature frowned. Session one would be about food, and fellowship, both of which were excellent. Session 2: What a difference a day or three makes. As Jeff Smith and Andrew Cox replaced Bret and Dave at Camp Drum, the clouds were gone and a

4 high pressure system with bluebird skies ruled. The temperatures were still brutally cold, but we knew the fish would wake up in the afternoon, likely be visible, and hopefully eager to feed. We were stoked, desperate to break out of our camp confines, and to our delight not disappointed. Good sized fish were popping shrimp and rising in the water column presenting glowing orange targets. Cruisers roamed the shorelines seeking crabs, occasionally flashing tails and backs. Knees nocked, casts that would normally be spot on went wild. Line management was an issue, and trout sets removed too many bugs from hungry flaring fish. In our haste to make up for lost fishing or in the excitement of the moment, too often we rushed our presentations. We all needed to calm down, and channel casting directors Ed Chamberlain and Bill Kessler. In spite of our mistakes, these marvelous fish bailed us out. Even after violently yanking a bug from their mouth they would eat again if we would just cast back to them. Unlike a stuck trout, these reds don't pout and swim off to sulk in a soft eddy when they taste steel. Heck, these guys eat spikey things for a living, and when something pokes them in the mouth, they get aggressive and swim around looking to get even. Their cooperation greatly increased our catch rates and settled us down. As the days progressed so did our feel for the game at hand as well as our skills. Food, fellowship and cocktails continued to be a terrific part of the adventure, but now we knew each coming day would be crystal clear, slightly warmer and provide us hungrier fish to target. The final day had me paired with Gordon and Captain Scotty. We immediately headed to a location where he had discovered Big fish the previous afternoon. On the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, parallel to a barrier island, Captain Scotty poled towards the shoreline. The water was clear and well before we got to lands edge a big bruiser swam lazily into my view. My casting skills returned and we landed our first of approximately 30 monster reds that day. It would only get better. Soon there were multiple fish cruising towards us as we poled for the point of the island. Large black bars in the water that looked like logs with fins attacked our bugs. Nearing the point, the Gulf tossed one and two foot swells upon the sandy shore, and in those swells we could clearly see reds heading our way. Some were half exposed showing huge dorsal fins and tails. It was an awesome and exhilarating sight. As the boat rode the swells, water would wash over the bow and we'd roll in mid cast. Focusing on the fish and trusting in Scotty we avoided going swimming and doubled up 7 or 8 times with fish pushing 35 pounds. There were no small fish that day and when it was all over we had shredded one fly line and shattered one fly rod. We all took a beating, but adrenaline is a powerful ally and we wouldn't feel a thing till the next day. As Gordon declared, it was a redfish rodeo, and we rode the bull till the bell rang. Goodness knows it isn't always like this, and in fact neither G nor myself could ever recall a better Big fish day in our 15 years in the Bayous. But, who knows, it could be like this again or even better next year. That distinct possibility, along with the excellent fellowship is what keeps us going back year after year, and might just tempt you into joining us in We sincerely hope so. Giddy up Cowboys.

5 When I wrote about our first trip, I called it the Trip of a Lifetime. I was mistaken. This one was far better than the first. If you like to catch really hard fighting big fish, you really need to put Peacocks in the Amazon on your bucket list. Amazon - Second Time's the Real Dream By: Joe "Burf" Burford Jimmy Dew, his brother-n-law, David, his nephew, Stuart, and I returned to the Amazon again for one week last October to again fish for Peacock Bass. This time, we fished the Rio Igapo Acu, a tributary of the Rio Maderia. The Maderia is a major Brazilian river which flows west to east and joins the Amazon just south of Manaus. The Igapo Acu flows through the Igapo Acu Indian reservation and is considered prime Peacock water because the reservation only allows four boats on its portion of the river each year. Our outfitter, Acute Angling, provides all four boats. The result was that we saw no other sports fishermen on the river during all 6 ½ days we were there. There is a direct flight on American Air Line from Miami to Manaus and a direct return flight. We flew down one day early and spent the night in Manaus. Next morning it was pontoon planes to the river to meet our guides. Our accommodations were again on the mother ship, Blackwater Explorer. Great food, plenty to drink, both hard and soft, and really good, air conditioned rooms. Each of us had our own room with a full bath. Clean clothes and hot showers every day. Two fishermen per guide with shallow draft boat. Really great spinning or casting gear, your choice, when blind casting flies got to your shoulder. Jimmy and I were the only ones of the 8 person group that fly fished. We would spin-cast until we hit a school and then one of us would use our fly rod. Of four boats, we came in second with 437 Peacocks in 6 ½ days. We approximate that a little over a quarter were caught on flies. Largest we (Jimmy) caught was just shy of 13 lbs. Me, I topped out just over 9. Most were in the 8 to 10 lb. range. But, an 8 lb. Peacock fights like a 25 lb. Redfish. All muscle. Great stamina. I would guestimate like a 15 lb. Large Mouth but I've never caught a 15 lb. Large Mouth so I'm not certain on that one. Pound for pound, I've caught nothing like a Peacock on a fly in the US. Peacocks are not a sight fish. You have to blind cast. Flies are big, bright and flashy. Jimmy used a 10 wt. with floating line and a 6 to 7 ft. 40/20 leader. Peacocks are not leader shy. Me, I used my 9wt. with the same setup. Given the biggest we caught was around 13 lbs., an 8 wt., or if you're skilled, maybe a 7 wt. would have sufficed. But because there are bigger ones in the water, both of us decided that safe was better than sorry. Exhausting but safe. A surprising fact. On the river, no mosquitos!! That's right no mosquitos and virtually no gnats. Now 25 yards into the jungle, the mosquitos look like very small birds, but you don't have to go into the jungle unless you are really adventuresome. We were not! David and Stuart spin-casted. They also had the best boat. 482 Peacocks. They also landed the biggest lbs. (Photo - Grinning young man with really big fish.) All totaled, the 4 boats caught 1721 Peacock Bass.

6 Redfish in Buras, Louisiana By: Jimmy Jacobs The first full week of December, Polly Dean and I drove down to Buras, Louisiana in Plaquemines Parish to the south of New Orleans to chase redfish for two days with the guys at Cajun Fishing Adventures lodge. The action was sight casting to fish in 3 feet or less of clear water. Most of the reds we saw were in the 18- to 30-inch range, with some bigger ones too. Despite the reputation of Louisiana reds being dumb as rocks, these fish turned out to be rather skittish. You got one cast (unless they spooked when you started to cast) and then they were gone. Fortunately, there were enough of them to allow for multiple opportunities. The conditions were probably the result of it being during the full super-moon we had that month. The fish were able to feed all night, so they were not as aggressive as usual. Also, we saw no big schools that are prevalent at other times. You can get the full story that Polly is writing about the trip in the spring 2018 edition of Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine at You also can see a video of Polly fighting a redfish on the SSFF Facebook page at The HI is Hot! By: JD Forrester I was excited to be invited by "Country" Jeff and Toni Mills to come up and fish the Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN for 3 days. It was much better than I ever expected.

7 The first day Jeff and I went to the powerhouse on a cold and windy day. Generation was one and to be honest I did not have high expectations, but I was completely wrong. We both started catching fish from the very beginning. Jeff got the fish of the trip, a really nice 16 inch brown. I caught around 16, with several on an Adams and the rest on a 18 pheasant tail and beadhead 16 prince. I think Jeff got his big boy on a white wooly and he also got some on a dry. The next day saw cold/cool weather but with sunny skies below the rock wall. We were greeted with rising fish to our surprise. I think they were hitting size 18 grey bwo's. Although we had a good day, I got around a dozen, we would have caught more if we had used a 18 or 20 parachute Adams or a RS2. Winter dry fly fishing-awesome! The last day was grey and over-cast and chilly at Big Bend. We had to go to dry-droppers. But it still was a good day. I got 19, with most on a 18 pheasant tail or prince. Final thoughts - The river is full of Brookies, maybe 80% of my fish were Brookies. If you find a sunny, cold day on the Hi, you may get a bwo hatch. Jeff was a blast to fish with, even if he had vidokey of the back. Toni fixed the best fried cheese (among other things) that I have had. I had a blast, thanks Jeff and Toni. Sub-Zero Fly Fishing By: Gregg Goff It takes either determination or stupidity to fly fish a spring creek when late morning temperatures are below zero (-5 F). For my brother-in-law and me, we chose the former. The good news is that the temperature did heat up to 7 F by late afternoon (friendly sarcasm intended). Surprisingly, there was no wind and that was significant as wind typically has greater impact than temperature. Oh, if you are wondering why the water was not frozen it is because the spring emits water at a constant temperature well above freezing (usually in the 50s F) and the water is continually flowing. Once the sun set behind a Gallatin mountain peak, temperatures plummeted below zero, again. Yet, that is typical this time of year in the Paradise Valley region (Montana). For you geography buffs, a more refined reference point would be Yellowstone National Park. We were north of it. We actually drove in from I-90 in Livingston, MT. Having fished Armstrong Spring Creek a few years ago, we wanted to fish one of the two remaining spring creeks in the region: DePuy Spring Creek or Nelson Spring Creek. Since DePuy was closer, we selected it. As with all three spring creeks in this area, one must "pay to play". The cost is actually "cheap" this time of year - $40/angler/day. That is one-third of what the fee is during the peak months. In short, we landed 10 trout between us with several more missed. Such a result is good for a spring creek in general, excellent for a spring creek in freezing conditions! All were browns and rainbows (no cutties on this day). I landed the first trout, a 'bow, using a hot pink squirmy worm on a 7-weight fly rod. Yet, 6X tippet breaks easily when snagged. I lost too many trailing nymphs, i.e., point flies. Prior to arriving at DePuys, we stopped at the Yellowstone Angler Fly Shop. For streamers, the guys at this establishment recommended woolly buggers using a modified leader. So, after losing several nymphs, I cut my leader to about half its length (maybe a little more). The leader diameter was larger and that turned out to be a necessity. I tied on a brass, cone head, black woolly bugger. SLAM! Another rainbow trout followed by four brown trout. The browns were the bigger of the two species. Needless to say, we had to clear our eyelets and fly line of ice every 8-10 casts, as expected. The cardinal sin is getting the reel wet. If the reel freezes, one's drag will be gone and, as a result, so will any large trout. Drag is a necessity for the larger trout. Throughout the day we were surrounded by wildlife - white tail deer, mule deer, bald eagles, various ducks, Canadian geese, and white swans. We encountered several deer on the make-shift snow paths. Surprisingly, the deer only trotted away. None darted or put on a full burst of speed. It was as if they were somewhat accustomed to people. Also, the scenery was continually captivating as the snow capped Absaroka and Gallatin mountains beautifully reflected the winter sunshine up to a sapphire blue sky cascaded with wind whipped cirrus clouds. There was no shortage of inspiring

8 natural beauty. Based on the above, it goes to show that fly fishing in freezing temperatures can have its bountiful rewards! Fishing DH Waters By: Debra Pauli On Friday December 29, I fished Toccoa at Sandy Bottoms area. The day was beautiful with many fisherpersons out to enjoy the day. We didn't have much luck but a guy from TU told me he had success with Y2K. I don't think I am hitting bottom enough. It was beautiful day and cold. Also fished Smith Creek on December 16. Another recently stocked area where the fish weren't responding to anything. I used a natural colored cork and the fish actually rose to the cork. We believe that fish responded to pellet feed. Best quote of the day is when I asked another fisherman if he had any luck. He said he had caught a number of fish in a few minutes. I asked what he was using and he said "Power Bait". I explained that was illegal and he shrugged his shoulders. On December 3, I fished with friend who caught TigerTrout in the Amicalola. Again, not good day for me. In summary, not a great month for me. Obviously must work harder on technique. The Good in a Bad Situation By: Gregg Goff When temps are 0 F or below and the snow varies from inches, one's options for fishing are limited. That's when one has to look for the "good" in the bad situation. With that said, my brother-in-law, B- I-L (as he requested me to call him), implemented his prowess. Having grown up in a northern climate, he was familiar with winter fishing tactics, approaches, techniques, etc. Towards the end of December (the 29th) he and I went ice fishing near Billings, MT. The area was a state-stocked pond in Broadview, MT, for rainbow trout and largemouth bass. After using an auger to drill a few holes, we rigged the small rods. We implemented jigs with either maggots or GULP minnows on the hook. You did not misread. I wrote "maggots". That probably sounded as odd to you as it did me. But, Scheels (an outdoors store) sells such bait for such a purpose. The bass had lockjaw, but those 'bows were frequent biters! We had planned to go ice fishing the next day at a different location for yellow perch. But, a heavy winter storm dumped one to two feet of snow on us during the morning. By mid-afternoon, the sun came out and the sky was cloudless. With no wind and subzero temps, it was ideal for ice fishing. Regrettably we had to spend that gorgeous weather outside shoveling, snow blowing, and clearing the driveway, sidewalk, and deck. It was a chore, but it was priority. So, the ice fishing for yellow perch will have to wait till next December (for me). It is no guarantee

9 that the weather will be as cold as it has been this Christmas/New Year's. The water may not even be frozen. If that is the case, Big Horn River here we come!!!! See, I know how to find the good in a bad situation, too! Good Day on the Chattooga By: JD Forrester Fishing has not been great as of late, except for today, December 19! Copperhead and JD went to the Chattooga and had a pretty good day. Copperhead got around 14 with several on a dry. The fly formally known as prince worked well for him but the dry that worked was the RS-2. Copperhead says that fly has worked on at least 4 different rivers for him. JD finished with around 18 and the flies that were working were the super-charged zebra and BB midge. All in all a great day on the water. Pictures of the Month

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11 Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine The Winter 2018 edition of Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine now is available at It features a profile of former AFFC (or he may still be on the roster)member Scott Swartz, who founded the Atlanta Fly Fishing School and is still associated with it. He now lives in St. James City, Florida and runs the Florida Fly Fishing Schools. Additionally you'll find a story by AFFC member Polly Dean about snook fishing on Pine Island Sound at Fort Myers, and my own profile of the iconic Dr. Ford's Rum Bar & Grill on Sanibel Island. Tips, Instruction, etc. Interesting read on the intricacy of fishing current. Includes some good tips on technique and leader design. The ability to pick your fly line up off the water quietly can be the difference between success and failure. Fly Rod Length and Action By: Clyde Buchanan Newcomers to fly fishing often ask, "What rod do I need?" The easy answer is that it depends what you're fishing for - trout or salmon, panfish or bass, bonefish or tarpon etc. When my wife bought me my first fly rod (mistake or magic!), we went to the Buckhead Orvis and talked to Sam Rizzo (now deceased but well-known to many Atlanta fly fishers). I told him I wanted to fish mainly for trout but the occasional bluegill or bass. Fly-rods perform several tasks: casting, repositioning (mending) flyline on the water, and playing a fish. They cost hundreds of dollars, so you want the best investment. Sam recommended an 8.5 foot, 5-weight, medium action rod. The 8.5 foot rod was easier for a newby to make the change from spinning-length rods to fly-rod. Rods shorter than 8.5 feet are useful for fishing tight, bushy streams. "Weight" refers to the line weight the rod is designed to cast. A 5- weight rod with matching line would easily handle any trout I was likely to encounter and bass up to 4 pounds or so. Medium action is a good compromise for presenting dry flies, or slinging streamers or indicator rigs. In other words, this rod did everything I wanted but no tasks ideally. It is a great rod, moderately priced with a breakage guarantee (important as I have broken rods in more ways than imaginable). I still use this rod on the Hooch or as a back-up travel rod. It is broken down into four sections and stored in a hard case. Two-piece rods are harder to deal with on airplanes. The "action" of a fly rod refers to its flexibility - slow, medium or fast. I haven't seen many slow action rods, except for bamboo rods. Slow action rods bend throughout the full length of the rod - maybe an advantage for dry fly presentation but lacking the "backbone" to haul in a larger fish. It takes longer to "load" a slow action rod, meaning fully bending the rod to optimize the rod's energy to cast fly-line backward and forward. Medium action rods start bending from the middle to the tip. They are easy to cast and tend to compensate for casting errors. Fast action rods are stiff through about 75% of their length, bending more toward the tip. Fast action rods load quickly and can be more powerful for playing fish. Personally, I like fast action rods because I lack the patience to let slower action rods fully load. Caveat: One fly-rod maker's fast-action rod may compare to another maker's medium-action of the same length and weight. So, when choosing a rod, trying it out under actual fishing conditions is best. It is not good to buy a rod simply by whipping it around in a fly shop. Even rods made by the same manufacturer have slight variations in action. For example, I found that an Orvis 9-foot 4- weight fast-action casts much like an Orvis 10-foot 5-weight fast action. I prefer to fish an indicator rig to get deep where trout most often lie. Ideally, such a "heavy" rig is best cast with a fast action rod in the 9-10 foot range because the rod is powerful enough to handle the weight on the end of the line. I especially like a 10-foot rods when fishing in a float tube. Longer rods keep more line off the water, thereby reducing fly-line drag in varying currents and aid in mending line as well. Longer rods do exaggerate errors in casting accuracy, however. Fly rods over 6-weight generally come with a fighting butt. Fly rods designed for saltwater species are resistant to the corrosive effects of salt and sun.

12 As you go after larger fish, rod lengths tend to be longer and the line weight to be higher. This chart is my suggestion to match fish to fly-rod weight: Small trout and panfish up to 3 pounds - 2 to 5 weight, freshwater rods Large trout, bass and carp weighing 4 to 10 pounds - 6 to 8 weight, freshwater rods Steelhead and salmon weighing 10 to 30 pounds - 8 to 12 weight, freshwater rods Bonefish and permit weighing 8 to 20 pounds - 8 to 10 weight, saltwater rods Tarpon and tuna weighing up to 150 pounds - 12 to 14 weight, saltwater rods Large tuna and marlin weighing up to 400 pounds - 14 to 16 weight, saltwater rods I don't fish saltwater, so saltwater rods in the table are derived from The Science of Fly-Fishing by Stan Ulanski. I don't have much experience with two-handed switch or spey rods, so I can't help there. Flies & Fly Tying Kent Klewein's perspective on fishing the hot new fly is an interesting read. So you thought you knew something about feathers. For Sale Wading Boots Ed Chamberlain KORKERS Wading Boots $100 Size 11 Like new; worn few days one trip. Three sets of soles: rubber, felt, studded felt. Boa Lacing. Retail $179 Ed Chamberlain Fly Rod - Hardy Zephrus JD Forrester I have decided to sell my Hardy Zephrus 9' 5 weight fly rod. Rod is in like new shape. $350. JD Forrester Saltwater Rod - Sage 9 weight By: Bob Prator

13 If you are looking for a great rod to use on those big reds this is for you! Sage 9 foot Model Xi , Excellent condition, barely used, $350. bobprator@gmail.com AFFC 2018 On-Water Clinics By: Ken Louko Signing up for 2018 AFFC On-Water Clinics During 2018, there will be a series of on-water clinics conducted for the benefit of all AFFC members. Knowledgable AFFC members have volunteered to be clinic leaders for each clinic. One clinic in early June, the On-Stream Entomology Clinic, will be conducted by an expert non-member. The clinic sign up process takes place by contacting the person(s) listed for each On-Water Clinic (see the current schedule). Updated 2018 AFFC On-Water Clinic Schedule (as of 12/21/2017) Starting off in January, JD Forrester will lead a clinic called "Midge Fishing for Trout". The following month, Terry Shikano (Dr. DH) will conduct a clinic entitled "Fishing the 'Hooch DH". The dates for all clinics will be set by each clinic leader throughout the year dependent upon member interest, the weather outlook, and collision avoidance with other events or club sponsored trips. Additional topic knowledgeable "assistant clinic leaders" may assist them while conducting each clinic. Additionally, two (2) AFFC sponsored special on-water clinics will be conducted for both "Beginner/Relatively New" fly anglers and "Intermediates" who have fly fished for a while. Currently, we are looking for clinic leaders and individual mentor volunteers for each of those two sessions in order to provide maximum "one-on-one" time for each participant. Please contact me if you are willing to help out as a clinic leader or interested in being a "mentor for the day" at these very special AFFC clinics to be held in March and May. Clinic dates will be announced via on Yahoo!Groups and in the monthly newsletter as each clinic leader zeros in on the best dates to hold the clinic. Also, clinic leaders may elect to use an alternate site location from the ones currently listed below. Again, pay attention to update announcements via AFFC Yahoo!Groups . Below is the latest list of AFFC on-water clinics for However, the list is subject to change/modification due to any unforeseen scheduling conflicts, or topic changes, that may come up throughout the year. Ken Louko AFFC Education Director Ken@SpringCreekAnglers.com Cell Only approximately 60% of AFFC's membership receive Yahoo!Groups s. If you know any members that are NOT receiving Yahoo!Groups , they are missing many club communications including updates to the 2018 On-Water Clinics schedule. Encourage them to contact Membership Directors, Terry and Holly Shikano, to enable Yahoo!Groups receipt. Terry's address is: tshikano@gmail.com * Confirmed Clinic Leaders * Promoted at the upcoming Atlanta Fly Fishing Show in early February. Clinic Leaders Clinic Location January JD Forrester Midge Fishing for Trout 'Hooch (Buford Dam) (PFD Required) Sign up contact: JD Forrester clanforrester@yahoo.com

14 February Terry Shikano Fishing the 'Hooch DH 'Hooch DH Area Sign up contact: Terry Shikano March TBD Beginner Fly Fishing Class * 'Hooch DH Area (Beginner/Relatively New Fly Anglers) Sign up contact: Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com Late March Chuck Bishirjian Fly Fishing for Stripers & Lake Sidney Lanier Ken Louko KY Spotted Bass (Boats provided) Sign up contact: Chuck Bishirjian cbishirjian@comcast.net Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com April JD Forrester Dry Fly Presentations 'Hooch (Settles Bridge) Casting w/12-14' Leaders & Mastering the Reach Cast Sign up contact: JD Forrester clanforrester@yahoo.com May TBD Intermediate Fly Fishing Class * 'Hooch (Jones Bridge) (Intermediate Skills Members) Sign up contact: Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com Early June Diane Minick On-Stream Entomology Clinic Dukes Creek (New) (30 Maximum) Sign up contact: Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com Late June Karl Kortemeier Fly Fishing for 'Hooch River Float'Hooch DH Stripers (Via Kayak or Float Tube) Sign up contact: Karl Kortemeier Karl.kortemeier@gmail.com July (Tentative) Terry Shikano Fly Fishing for Shoal Bass 'Hooch DH Area Sign up contact: Terry Shikano tshikano@gmail.com August Karl Kortemeier Fly Fishing for Carp 'Hooch (Bull Sluice Lake) (Requires Kayak or Sm. Boat) Sign up contact: Karl Kortemeier karl.kortemeier@gmail.com September (None Scheduled) October Ken Louko Introduction to Trout Spey 'Hooch (Jones Bridge) and Single Hand Spey Sign up contact: Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com November Chuck Bishirjian Fly Fishing for Stripers & Lake Sidney Lanier Ken Louko KY Spotted Bass (Boats provided) Sign up contact: Chuck Bishirjian cbishirjian@comcast.net Ken Louko ken@springcreekanglers.com December (None Scheduled) Have you considered being a member of Fly Fishers International? AFFC is an affiliate club of FFI... FFI is an organized voice that represents you on maintaining public access, restoring fish habitats and keeping a watchful eye on issues that have a negative impact on our sport and the environments that it depends on. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Member only access to exclusive features and content on their website including: * Flyfisher Magazine * Tying Times Newsletter * The Loop - Journal of Fly Casting Professionals * The Fly Tying Video Library (over 165 videos!) * Exclusive discounts on hotels, car rentals and insurance * Fly of the Month * And much more!

15 Discounted entry into FFI events FFI Decals and Patch Most importantly, the knowledge that you are helping to preserve fish habitats; providing education of our next generation of fly fishers; and, supporting Fly Fishers International on-going conservation efforts. Yahoo Groups and Membership Renewals By Terry Shikano Membership Renewals can be done in one of three ways: 1. At the club meeting 2. Sending the renewal form with a check to Atlanta Fly Fishing Club, P.O. Box 52944, Atlanta, GA Please make sure that your address is legible. 3. PayPal Member communications We have two distribution lists that go only to AFFC members: Yahoo Groups (general member communication) and the monthly newsletter. They are handled by two different systems. Additionally, we have a club web site and Facebook page. Yahoo groups - Members have been experiencing problems with the Yahoo Groups s. Here are some things to remember: When you join AFFC, we will send an invitation via Yahoo Groups. You need to ACCEPT our invitation AND CREATE A YAHOO ACCOUNT. If you sign up only for special announcements, most likely you will not receive anything. Sign up for individual to receive information on club trips, etc. Sometimes our invitation is considered junk mail, so if you don't see it, check your spam folder. If you don't get , contact Holly (shikano@gatech.edu) or Terry (tshikano@gmail.com). We can verify your , and send another invitation. Like our invitation, your system might consider our club as span. If that happens, modify your settings. Unfortunately, we have not found a way to change your address on our end. We need to send another invitation to your new address and you need to create another yahoo account. You can post a message to our Yahoo groups by sending it to Atlantaflyfishingclub@yahoogroups.com. Communications are moderated and one of the club officers will need to review and approve your message before it is sent out to all club members. Newsletter- The monthly Newsletter is edited by Phil Sehenuk and Bob Prator and sent out via Constant Contact. If you are not receiving the club newsletter, please contact Holly or Terry. We can verify your address. There is no additional step. Please do not unsubscribe from our newsletter if you don't really mean it. It keeps your address in the do-not-contact list, and we cannot revert it. You will need to provide a new address if you want to start receiving the newsletter again. Follow AFFC on Facebook AFFC has a Facebook page. Go to the "Atlanta Fly Fishing Club" page in Facebook and click on "follow". You will then get additions to the AFFC timeline and posts from members whenever you view Facebook. Check Out the Club Website Home

16 Membership Renewal