OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RED STICK FLY FISHERS

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1 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RED STICK FLY FISHERS Next Membership Meeting: Monday, June 11th, 7:00PM at the Wildlife and Fisheries Building on Quail Drive Next Fly Tying Meeting: Monday, Oct. 24, 7:00PM at Orvis Store, Baton Rouge, La.

Programs are held the second Monday of each month at Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries located on Quail Dr. at 7:00 pm. Fly tying is held the fourth Monday of each month, except December.

2 Above taken Sept. 25th, 2010 at La. National Hunting and Fishing Day, LDWF Education Center A great example of why we volunteer!!! Red Stick Fly Fishers (RSFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of fly fishing, conservation and outdoor ethics. Programs are held the second Monday of each month at Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries located on Quail Dr. at 7:00 pm. Fly tying is held the fourth Monday of each month, except December. The location currently alternates between Orvis, Cabela s in Gonzales and Bass Pro Shop in Denham Springs. These events also begin at 7:00 pm. Dues are $25 for individuals or families, free for students. RSFF is affiliated with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) Gulf Coast Council. Submissions to The Red Letter must be received by the Editor no later than the first Monday of each month. Correspondence or club information can be obtained through the club web site, or by (see last page for member contacts), or by regular mail at: RSFF PO Box 3761 Baton Rouge, La RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 1 Baton Rouge, La

Let s welcome our June 11 th meeting speaker, Todd Masson Our next meeting will be Monday, June 11, at the Wildlife and Fisheries Building on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Time is 7:00pm.

June 22-24 is our annual "Grand Isle Fly Fishing Weekend", a two-decade long tradition that pits our fly fishing prowess against speckled trout of the Cajun Bahamas.

3 Let s welcome our June 11 th meeting speaker, Todd Masson Our next meeting will be Monday, June 11, at the Wildlife and Fisheries Building on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Time is 7:00pm. Casting lessons outside start at 6:00pm, weather permitting. June is our annual "Grand Isle Fly Fishing Weekend", a two-decade long tradition that pits our fly fishing prowess against speckled trout of the Cajun Bahamas. We're also into the summer-long CCA STAR tournament, with speckled trout as the target species for the Fly Rod and Kayak Divisions. To hopefully improve our odds of catching the bigger trout, we've enlisted Todd Masson to come do a Question & Answer session for our June meeting. Todd's name is synonymous with speckled trout: he authored the book "Specks" and co-authored "Trout Masters" with Jerald Horst and Don Dubuc. The former editor of Louisiana Sportsman has written numerous articles on speckled trout and saltwater fishing in general. Currently Todd operates the website laspecks.com, and co-hosts "Speakin of Specks" on AM 1350 (New Orleans) with Don Dubuc from 7:00am to 8:00am Saturday mornings. He's also a field reporter for Louisiana Outdoor Adventures on FM in Baton Rouge on Thursdays 2:00pm. Rather than give a formal presentation, Todd will do a Q&A which will allow us to get right into to the meaty topics! The public is invited to this meeting, and we'll have refreshments. So mark your calendars! Grand Isle Fly Fishing Weekend 2012 by Randy Leonpacher Salt Water Chair In case you missed last month's article please take time to have a look at it. No need to re-cover old ground here. The attendance status on the weekend is that we are fairly close to the same level as in years past. The Fly Fishing Clubs which will have folks in attendance are North Louisiana, Natchitoches, West Monroe, Jackson (MS), Lake Charles, in addition of course to our own RSFF. In all, I'm guessing we will have close to our usual 70 folks attending the weekend. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 2 Baton Rouge, La

Those who have signed up should send in, or settle up on their $84 bed or $353 cottage rate before, or by the RSFF meeting. The few who are on the fence need to make a decision.

Room assignments will be made once th e dust has settled which will be the week before the event.

4 Those who have signed up should send in, or settle up on their $84 bed or $353 cottage rate before, or by the RSFF meeting. The few who are on the fence need to make a decision. For everyone else, there are only a couple of spots left. However, time is running short to sign up if you are interested in attending. Room assignments will be made once th e dust has settled which will be the week before the event. About this time, folks attending can begin to look for postings on the RSFF Forum with particulars about the upcoming event. Nature on the weather. I hear good sized fish are being caught semiregularly in the surf and in the marsh near Grand Isle. Who knows?.. This might turn out to be our best trip ever.... Now, if only we can get a bit of cooperation from Mother Finally, to all making the trip - Please BE SAFE!!!! Spring 2012 Catch and Eat a Good One! by Dugan Sabins, Program Chair Well, we had another Spring Catch and Eat this year, May 18-20, and we touched all the bases. A good crowd of flyfishers crowded the fishing areas from Galliano/Golden Meadow lakes, bayous and marshes to Grand Isle area beaches and all habitats in between. It was arranged to have a NEW moon and the Grand Isle tides had a pretty good range in the 1 foot level; rising tides were in the morning and falling tides in the afternoon and evening. For the upper marsh fishing areas we had to add around 4 hours to tides for Grand Isle to get the right times. We were supposed to have some low 5-10 foot E/SE winds but you know how that goes! Some 15 mph winds with higher gusts were around on all three days just in case we forgot who is in control here. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 3 Baton Rouge, La

The catch this year was a hodgepodge but as usual the fillets overflowed for the Saturday night fish fry.

Kayak fishers included a recovering Joe Kahler who recently had another round of arm/shoulder reconstruction/rehabilitation. According to Joe everything checked out even if he was not back to 100%.

Once again Steve Lee our favorite Natchitoches and former Red Stick Fly Fisher came down and partnered with Mike Lafleur but without his new fishing craft this time. Other kayakers included Pres.

5 The catch this year was a hodgepodge but as usual the fillets overflowed for the Saturday night fish fry. It was admitted that some fishers downgraded to regular tackle to put fish in the box but fly rod caught fish were also added. Kayak fishers included a recovering Joe Kahler who recently had another round of arm/shoulder reconstruction/rehabilitation. According to Joe everything checked out even if he was not back to 100%. But things looked good and he added some fly caught fish to the mix. Once again Steve Lee our favorite Natchitoches and former Red Stick Fly Fisher came down and partnered with Mike Lafleur but without his new fishing craft this time. Other kayakers included Pres. Dan Weber, fly tying chair Emmitt Simmons, Kurt Loup and son Paul and I think Hogy Notzel might have fished from one but Hogy knows for sure! Among boat fishers were Dugan and Randy, the Lundin s, Tom, Rick and Marc and newsletter editor Sheldon Anderson and partners. There might be some others I missed here. And the fish? Well there were some fishers who reported frustrations but others who were able to track some down. Randy and I had a tough time in Catfish Lake and nearby eastside canals. We suspect that some of the pipeline dredging and shrimp trawling in the area was responsible for the off water color and had and effect. We did manage a few small trout in the lake and loads of gafftop catfish already!! Some gafftop were near 5 pounds and could be quite a fight on fly rod and clouser albeit a lot of down pulling and not much surface action. Our bright spot was finding some inch trout under gulls in Bay Courant. I managed to net an 18 inch speck on a large chartreuse and white clouser in the fray and other nice trout were landed on popping cork rigs. Alas the 15 plus winds drove us in early and limited out catch. Sunday we added some inch reds from Bayou Monnaie. Other catches were reported from the Bason s area to the north of Golden Meadow and down the highway one corridor and on the Grand Isle and Elmer s beaches. One highlight was a nice red landed by our youngest fisher on RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 4 Baton Rouge, La

6 the trip, Paul Loup, fishing out of his dad s kayak. I think Kurt was fishing in the marshes off La 1 north of Grand Isle. And so give credit to all the fishers who contributed to the fish fry that I did not mention by name here. They are equally deserving of credit! And so this leads to the fish fry event which took place once again at Boudreaux s Condeauxs in Golden Meadow. I d say it more than lived up to its past reputation with plenty of eats and drinks and stories for all. The fish included fresh caught reds and specks but no one added any gafftop fillets even though their catch was substantial and under certain conditions are supposed to be good to eat. Maybe next time. And also the big jumbo count white shrimp were fairly priced at the Seafood Shed so once again they were added to the fry. Also added were some egg plant and squash to fry courtesy of Hogy and a Thai fried shrimp dish from Kurt that got cleaned out early. There were the usual fresh fries and other goodies to munch on including a super guacamole dish to dip in from Mike Lafleur. Special thanks go to the Lundin s, Tom, Rick and Marc for doing most of the frying this trip. As usual though we thank all the other volunteers that helped in numerous ways including fish cleaning and bagging, and the myriad of jobs that needed to be done to feed the masses! Thanks to you all. Coming up for the saltwater flyfishers are the Grand Isle trip, June and Fall Catch and Eat in November. So get ready for more coastal flyfishing action! Fly Tyer s Bench May 2012 by Emmitt Simmons Introduction Grand Isle Here We Come Father s Day is right around the corner but what I am really looking forward to is our annual trip to Grand Isle. Wading and fishing in the surf or exploring the marsh with my kayak is always a wonderful experience even when the fish don t bite. With a shrimp fry one night and a fish fry the next you just can t beat Grand Isle for a memorable weekend. Hope to see everybody there. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 5 Baton Rouge, La

Pete Cooper s A Really Good One As Demonstrated by John Calmes Hook: Sizes 4 to 4/0, x-strong, standard to 1x-long, stainless, forged, and with a micro barb and a helluva sharp point!

7 Pete Cooper s A Really Good One As Demonstrated by John Calmes Hook: Sizes 4 to 4/0, x-strong, standard to 1x-long, stainless, forged, and with a micro barb and a helluva sharp point! Thread: Green in color to match the rest of the fly. Body: Ice chenille sized to match the hook and same general color as the fly. Wing: Bucktail in the same color and 2 to 2 1/2 times the length of the hook s shank (A bit longer on the largest flies. A size 3/0 or 4/0 fly some 5 inches long is just right.). Krystal Flash in the same color. Brass hourglass eyes sized for the particular-sized hook. Peacock herl. Super Glue Directions Place the hook into the vise with the point down, and wrap a thread-base from just behind the eye to the start of the bend. At that point tie in the body material (ice chenille) and advance the thread about half-way back up the shank. Apply a drop of Super Glue to the thread-wraps that secure the body-material, then compactly wrap the chenille to the hanging thread. Over-wrap the chenille one time there, then advance the thread to a point just far enough behind the hook s eye to allow placing the eyes and tying in the bucktail. Advance the body-material to the hanging thread, tie it off there and trim it. Tie in the hour-glass eyes on the outside of the shank there and add a drop of Super Glue to the wraps across the eyes. Invert the hook in the vise (Now point-up). Secure the bucktail wing with a half-dozen threadwraps, add a drop of Super Glue to them, and then secure the wing tightly. Tie 6 to 8 pieces of Krystal Flash to each side of the fly and the same amount of herl (Or maybe a bit more) to the top, RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 6 Baton Rouge, La

8 ensuring that all reach to or near the ends of the bucktail. Whip finish and add a drop of Super Glue to the final thread-wraps. (Note: Solid chartreuse, olive, and purple are effective on specks, reds, and flounder. Use sizes 2 to 1/0 in general, and 2/0 in the surf and other big-fish spots. Big jacks, bull dolphin, king mackerel, and bull redfish seem to appreciate the larger sizes best.) A Hand Crafted Lanyard By John Calmes John was inspired by the commercially made lanyards made by Orvis, Cabelas and Bass Pro but decided he could do it better and more economically. After studying these creations John came up with his own version of a lanyard and it is very nice indeed. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 7 Baton Rouge, La

9 Materials of Construction: 5 0 1/8 diameter parachute cord Wood Beads size and shape as desired. Two would be the minimum but add as many as desired to complete your lanyard. I chose two about ½ in diameter. 5 Each Heavy Duty Black Swivels say about 1/0 in size. Two each 2 sections of ice dispenser tubing available at hardware and home improvement stores. You may be able to buy this material by the foot at a hardware store. Four each 4 sections of tubing. Assembling the Lanyard Start by placing a swivel on the paracord Add 2 4 sections of tubing (one on each side) of the swivel. Pushing the cord thru the tubing can be a little hard. Wrap heavy fly tying thread around end of paracord. Run the thread thru the tube and pull the cord through the tubing. You can also use a needle to pull the thread and cord through the tubing. Add 2 swivels (again one on each side) at the end of the two tubing sections. Add 2 4 sections of tubing Add the final two swivels Add two 2 sections for tubing Add two wood beads Center the entire assembly on the paracord and tie figure 8 knots to secure the two wood beads and prevent the tubing and swivels from shifting around too much. Now you have your assembled lanyard and all that remains is to adjust the length of the lanyard to suit your taste. Once you ve decided how long you d like the lanyard to be secure the two ends of the paraord with a simple knot. Trim to length if desired June 2012 Featured Tyers - Jack and Suellen Lithgoe - June 25 th, 7:00pm, Orvis - Baton Rouge, LA. This month Jack and Suellen Lithgoe will be demonstrating two patterns. Jack will demo a spoonfly, one of the deadliest redfish patterns out there, and Suellen is still in the process of selecting her pattern. I know you will enjoy this session so please come out to Orvis and we ll pass a good time. Good Fishing to All, Emmitt Simmons RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 8 Baton Rouge, La

10 From a friend of the club Keith Richard and a worthwhile program!!! Hardly a day goes by that a friend doesn't ask me how I am enjoying retirement. My "stock" answer is "I highly recommend it". That wouldn't be possible if it were not for the blessings gained from my involvement in the efforts of Reel Recovery. While I am blessed to have my health and a truly wonderful family unit, the efforts of Reel Recovery to reach out to cancer patients of all types and in all stages of the disease has added a true sense of meaning and purpose. All I ask of you today is to take 2 min. of your time to view the YouTube video link below. If you know a man who could benefit from a 3 day retreat to the World famous White Lake Lodge in Gueyday, La., have them me and I will get them pointed in the right direction. Members of Acadiana Flyrodders have seen to it that all the expenses at the lodge will be paid for 12 patients. The retreat is Oct. 9, 10 and 11th. All the participants have to do is show up with a doctor's release indicating that they are able to attend the retreat. They don't even need to know how to fly fish. We will teach them there and have buddies with them to assist them on each outing. "Thanks" for your time. Keith Richard RSFF Calendar of Events by Catch Cormier, Events Chair What's happening in the weeks and months ahead. Asterisk (*) denotes a RSFFsponsored event. Activities designated with (M) are only for members and their immediate family, or members of other clubs. All other activities are open to the public. For the most up to date list, go to and click "Calendar" page to see what's scheduled. Recurring Activities * Membership Meeting: 7:00 p.m., 2nd Monday of each month, Wildlife and Fisheries building, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. Casting instruction prior to meeting during Daylight Savings Time. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 9 Baton Rouge, La

11 * Fly Tying Sessions: 7:00 p.m., 4th Monday of each month. Meeting locations rotate. For more info, contact the Fly Tying Chair, Emmitt Simmons, at - January, April, July, October - Cabela s. - February, May, August, November - Bass Pro. - March, June, September, December - Orvis. Fly Tying Clinics by Friends of RSFF - Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. 4th Saturday of each month except December, 9:30am to 12noon, Conference Room. Bring tools and equipment, materials provided. Call Ron Brooks (225) Events Spring-Summer, 2012 May 26 - Sept 5 - CCA Louisiana STAR Tournament. For 2012, the Fly Fish and Kayak Divisions return, along with the Consolation Drawing for a TFO BVK Fly Rod for all those who weigh-in a qualified speckled trout in the Fly Fish Division. Qualified meaning 14 inches or more, caught using accepted fly fishing methods and flies, etc. For more details, go to and click on STAR. * June (Fri-Sun) - Grand Isle Fly Fishing Weekend, Blue Dolphin Inn, Grand Isle. Co-sponsored by south Louisiana and Mississippi fly-fishing clubs. Registration required. Call Randy Leonpacher (225) or Barry Dauphin (337) or go to Jul 21, Casting for Kids II, 2nd annual Casting for Kids Fishing Tournament Saturday, July 21, 2012 Bobby Lynn's Marina South, Leeville, LA Entry fee $30 includes registration, t-shirt, meal at weigh-in. KAYAK DIVISION: Categories include slot red, flounder, trout, and leopard red. Each category awarded 1st and 2nd place, and within each category, only one fish can be weighed in per person. Sponsored by Clarity Hospice of Baton Rouge, Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club, and the Sunshine Program. Food, fun, raffles, and fishing all for a great cause - to help raise money for children with a lifelimiting illness. All proceeds of the event will go to the Palliative Care Foundation of Baton Rouge. For more information, or to sign up or help sponsor this event, please contact: Michelle at mkpoucher@gmail.com, or Sybil at sbyrd@clarity-sunshineprogram.com. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 10 Baton Rouge, La

12 Aug 3 5, 2012, TSL Rodeo, 8533 East Park Ave., Houma, LA (map), 62nd Annual Terrebonne Sportsman s International Fishing Rodeo Friday-Sunday, August 3 - August 5, 2012 Weigh station: East Park Recreational Center, Houma. Rodeo starts 12:01 a.m. August 3 Scale hours: 12noon-6pm August 4, 10 am-4 pm August 5. Divisions: fresh water, offshore, shoreline, *-saltwater fly fishing-*, tag and release, blue water, scuba. For info, contact Larry Jordan or Troy Aug 18, 2012 Ride the Bull 3, Bridgeside Marina, Grand Isle, LA (map), "Ride the Bull III" - Extreme Kayak Fishing Challenge Presented by CCA and Calmwater Charters Come join the fun on Saturday, August 18, 2012 at Brideside Marina on Grand Isle. The format is simple - land a Bull Red from your Kayak or other authorized paddle craft in Caminada Pass. Awards will be given for largest Bull Red landed and weighed (and released). Net Proceeds from the tournament used for fishing and kayak access on Grand Isle. For rules and info, go to RSFF Board Position home work/cell address Dan Weber President dweberg@aol.com Don Richardson Past President drichardson33@cox.net Greg Brignac Vice President gbrigna@gmail.com Ron Braud Treasurer braudrp@eatel.net Sheldon Anderson Editor sa.adventures@yahoo.com Mike LaFleur Secretary lafleurmf@aol.com Glen Cormier Events catch@laflyfish.com Jack Dial Coldwater JDial213@aol.com Emmitt Simmons Fly Tying elsimmons@cox.net Randy Leonpacher Saltwater RMLeonpacr@bellsouth.net Bill Brown Membership Bbrownflyfish@yahoo.com Roger del Rio Conservation dri92640@aol.com Dugan Sabins Education/Programs dugansc@bellsouth.net Jack Lithgoe Warm water JackLithgoe@gmail.com Friends of RSFF, Please support our club sponsors! Cabela's - Gonzales, LA All outdoors. St Croix, Sage, Ross, Cabela's own fly rods and reels, fly tying materials, lines and accessories. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 11 Baton Rouge, La

13 Green Trout Fly Shop N. Range Ave. Denham Springs, La. (Located in Seldom Seen Antiques). or Specializing in TFO products, Teeny fly lines, warm water flies and accessories. ***** A Bayou Runs Thru It - PO Box 1062, Broussard, LA 70518, (337) , Jerome & Dena Hebert - Custom Flies, Wildlife & Game Fish Art. Backpacker Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA, (225) , Camping, canoes, kayaks, outdoor clothing. Bass Pro Shops - Denham Springs, LA 70726, (225) All outdoors. Sage, Bass Pro, Redington, TFO fly rods, reels, fly tying materials, lines and accessories. Free fly tying class every 4th Saturday. Fish With Rich Guide Service - Capt. Rich Waldner, New Orleans, La, (504) , Fly fishing for reds and specks in the Southeast Louisiana Marsh Louisiana Fly Fishing Louisiana's online fly fishing resource since Check the LFF Calendar and Forum for all events related to fly fishing and kayak fishing in Louisiana and the region. Louisiana Sportsman Magazine PO Box 1199, Boutte, LA, (504) , Louisiana's premier outdoors magazine and online resource. Temple Fork Outfitters Makers of affordable quality fly fishing products. RSFF, PO Box 3761, Page 12 Baton Rouge, La

Next Membership Meeting: Monday, June 10 th, 7:00PM at LRCE. Louisiana Resource Center for Education (LRCE) , 7-9 PM

May 2013 The Red Letter OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RED STICK FLY FISHERS Next Membership Meeting: Monday, June 10 th, 7:00PM at LRCE. Louisiana Resource Center for Education (LRCE) 225-924-7600, 7-9 PM