INTERMEDIATE FLY TYING 2013 By: Mike Berube & Dan Ferguson

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1 Spokane Fly Fishers December, 2012 DECEMBER MEETING December 12th, :00 P.M. By Carla Ferguson / Mike Fortney December 12th is the date of our Christmas Party. Mike Fortney is chairing this event, using his organizational skills. Mike and his helpers are decorating the hall, Carla and her helpers are preparing a wonderful main course of turkey, ham, salmon, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls. The other members get to show off their culinary skills by bringing all the side dishes and desserts. If your last name starts with the letters: A---H Please bring a Dessert I---P Please bring a Hot Dish Q---Z Please bring a Salad This is always a fun meeting. You get to talk with fellow members, enjoy good food, and get a chance to win a Christmas tree ornament, created by various members, and the gingerbread house (from Carla) with the reinmice (by Dan). You may also participate in the gift exchange by bringing a $10 gift to be placed under the tree. Kurt and Wendi Tempel will be handling the open bar. If you have any questions, please call Mike at INTERMEDIATE FLY TYING 2013 By: Mike Berube & Dan Ferguson There is still time to join the Intermediate Fly Tying Class. Signup sheets will be at the December meeting. Or you contact Mike Berube at , tytlynz@gmail.com or contact Dan at nwflyguy@comcast.net. The class lasts 6 weeks (Thursday nights from 7 to 9) starting January 3rd, and only costs $35. OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS President Kurt Tempel Vice President Gale Allen Treasurer Nedra Bayne Secretary Sherie Patano Board Position 1 Brad Thompson Board Position 2 Dan Wight Board Position 3 Mike Fortney Past President Mike Berube Sgt. At Arms Dan Wells Contact us at: P. O. Box 4141 Spokane, WA Or sffishers@comcast.net COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Programs: Gale Allen Barbless Flyer Editor: Linda Howe Conservation: Dan Ferguson Outings Don Tietz Membership Sherie Patano Fly Fishing School: Mike Berube Librarian: Larry Ray Project Healing Waters: Norm Scott FFF Liaison: Dan Ferguson Beg. Fly Tying: Betty Smith-Lambert Int. Fly Tying: Dan Ferguson AROUND THE BEND Dec. 12, SFF Meeting, 7PM CHRISTMAS PARTY Dec. 18, SFF Board Meeting 6 PM Jan. 9, SFF Meeting 7 PM Jan. 14, SFF Board Meeting 6PM

2 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 2 PREZ SEZ By: Kurt Tempel Wow--it's almost Christmas! Where did Fall go? I'm thinking I really need to get out and fish and hunt more--that will be my New Year's resolution! That said, it was a great November for the Spokane Fly Fishers. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, under Brad Thompson's direction, our Fly Auction raised over $3,000! This will go a long way towards ensuring we continue providing top-notch speakers for our club members. Don't get me wrong, we've got some great fishing icons here in our local area, but if we want to continue growing and meeting our club members' needs we'll need to bring in the best speakers from around the country and Canada. Through your donations we're able to make this work. A special thanks to bidder # 17 for her most gracious donations--even if she had a little help--from all of us! We've got our Christmas party coming up on the 12th. Mike Fortney is heading up this event. Mike will take any kind of support we provide him--please call him if you want to help out. I look forward to Carla's famous salmon along with the wonderful potluck dishes everyone brings. Likewise, we'll even have our wine and beer garden open again--so you don't want to miss out on this evening of friendship and fun. Call Mike if you have any questions. On a different note, we're looking for a club member that is able to transfer our vast VHS video library onto DVDs. Larry Ray is heading up this project for our club library. If you know someone give him a call. On the horizon I'm looking forward to our Winter fly tying classes. If you are a beginner please contact Betty Smith-Lambert. If you are an intermediate tier give Dan Ferguson a call. These classes are a lot of fun plus there's no better time than Winter to be tying flies for the upcoming fishing season. Hope to see all of you soon. PAST PREZ TIP OF THE MONTH By Dan Ferguson THINGAMABOBBER STOP Great idea I ran into on Reds Fly Shop s web site. This allows you to easily adjust the depth without knots or kinks. Simply slide the Thingamabobber on your leader butt and using the thin end of an old fly line, tie a nail knot on either side. Pull very tight and it will slide up or down with enough pressure to hold in place. Works best with a heavy butt nymphing leader. Check out the video at: Courtesy of Red s Yakima River Fly Shop

3 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 3 A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR LIFE By: Mike Berube Would you like to give someone a Christmas gift that grows every year, improves with age and use and costs less than anything close in comparability? The Spokane Fly Fishers are starting their annual fly fishing school on 7 March, The school lasts 8 weeks on Thursday evenings from 7:00P.M. to 9:00P.M. at St. Francis school, 1104 W. Heroy. In addition to these classroom sessions there are three casting classes on Saturdays at Mirabeau Park and two pontoon/water safety classes, one on a lake and one on a river, both on Saturdays. Cost for all this is only $ for 18 and up, and $60.00 for years old. Cost includes club membership until May 31, Already a member? The cost for you or your spouse is only $75.00 (does not include the membership fee). Send check for reservation, payable to Spokane Fly Fishers, to Mike Berube, N. Humboldt Drive, Spokane WA Call Mike at or tytlynz@gmail.com for information or questions. JANUARY SPEAKER - JANUARY 9, 2013 DAVID PAUL WILLIAMS FISHING FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS By: Gale Allen Our January speaker again comes to us from the Pacific Northwest. He s a Washington State Westsider, but don t hold that against him. David Paul Williams caught his first smallmouth bass in 1972 in a small northern California stream. The awesome power of that first bass left an indelible impression and led to an ongoing love affair with smallmouth bass on a fly. He has caught smallmouth in huge reservoirs, brilliantly-clear water lakes, and small ponds. He has caught them in the Columbia River, its tributaries, backwaters and sloughs. He has caught them in famous Western rivers and unnamed step-across streams. His extensive fishing experience and knowledge have led to him being labeled the acknowledged northwest master of smallies on the fly rod. We are fortunate to secure David for the evening as he has published more than one hundred articles on fishing for various papers and magazines, and has professionally tied flies for Orvis. Mark your calendars for January 9th to be sure you don t miss this presentation.

4 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 4 FLY OF THE MONTH PROVIDED BY FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS Dave s Real Skunk Dave Hamilton of Grants Pass, Oregon, ties this pattern at nearly every show or conclave that he attends. In addition to the skunk, he has also tied this pattern with fox mask dyed black, orange dyed squirrel, natural squirrel, mink and woodchuck. Materials list: Hook: Down eye nymph hook, 1X long, size 12, etc. Bead: Glass bean green outside and red center. Size 8 bead head. (or brass bead) Weight: Lead wire, inch Thread: 8/0 black Tail: Skunk guard hair Rib: Copper wire, fine Collar: Ostrich herl, black Tying steps: Step 1: Smash down barb or use barbless hooks. The fish are eager to release, and the hooks are easier to get out of the angler. Slip on bead. Step 2. Put 4 to 6 wraps of lead wire behind bead. Step 3. Attach thread behind the lead coil, and build a thread ramp behind the coil end. This holds the lead coil in place. Step 4. Wrap thread over the lead to secure it, and then wrap back to a point over the barb. Cut off a small clump of guard hairs and under fur. Dave takes the under fur home and puts it in a blender to fluff it up. You can use the under fur as it is but he prefers to fluff it up. Stack the guard for the tail. Measure a shank length tail, cut of the excess right behind the lead coil, and tie it on top of the hook. Step 5. Tie fine copper wire under the hook, bend the tag end back, and wind thread over it to make it extra secure. Dave does this with the hook Upside down. Step 6. Dave put the dubbing directly on the thread. He feels that skunk under fur is an outstanding material. Wrap dubbed thread forward to the bead. Then counter wrap wire rib. Cut wire at top of the bead. Fold it back, and put a few thread winds over it. Step 7. Wind thread back to the body, and tie on a black ostrich herl. Put on a half hitch and move the thread out of the way. Wrap the ostrich herl forward, secure and trim excess. Whip finish right behind the bead. Put on a little head cement. Dave thins his head cement by 50% and it soaks in immediately. Very quickly you will get up to speed with this fly. So, tie a bunch and go fishing. Yes, it catches fish. Fish it in streams and lakes like you would any other wet fly. Use a floating line if it is shallow water, a sink tip if is a little deeper and a full sink line in the deep water. Vary the retrieve and depth until the fish tell you what they like. Keep it up until the fish get bored with your presentation.

5 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page FLY AUCTION REPORT Once again, Brad Thompson did a superb job in chairing this event. Everything ran smoothly. We want to thank Art Ross for being our auctioneer, keeping the interest up and the bidding strong. As you all know, the proceeds from this event help to run the club for the year and we are pleased to announce that we made about $3,000. This was accomplished by the generous donations of our members who provided 77 lots of flies and the 55 bidders who enhanced their fly collections. We also want to thank those who assisted during the evening. Some members came to the meeting at 4:30 to set up the tables and chairs in the room, labeling the fly selections, recording the bids, placing the flies for presentation, and collecting the money. The same members stayed after the auction to return the room to the way we found it. The event would not have been a success without these volunteers. During the evening, Kurt Tempel and Mike Berube presented two awards (which were announced at the picnic in May) to the recipients who did not attend that event. Sheri Patano is pictured receiving her Movers and Shakers Award which is given to relatively new members who have become very involved with the club. The Fly Fisher of the Year Award was presented to Carolyn Sells for the years that she has hosted outings, worked with pontoon safety, and assisted at all Fly Auctions and Conservation Raffles. Their involvement is appreciated by the club. Start tying now so that next years auction can be even more successful. BEGINNING FLY TYING CLASS Sign-ups are being taken for the 2013 Beginning Fly Tying class, for members, taught by Betty Smith-Lambert. This year the classes will run on five consecutive Saturdays, beginning February 2nd. The cost of the class is only $25 and includes the use of all the tying devices and all the materials needed to complete the class. This is a great way to see if tying your own flies is a hobby you wish to pursue. There will be a sign-up sheet at the December meeting (Christmas Party) and at the January meeting. You may also contact Betty at to sign up or ask questions. MEMBERSHIP Sherie Patano, Chair We have two renewals this month Jeffery Johnson and Don and Nancy Wright Welcome back.

6 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 6 BOOK OF THE MONTH By: Larry Ray The Compleat Angler (or The Contemplative Man s Recreation), Izaak Walton, Recent weather trends remind us that the season for fireside reading, with good drink and verse at hand, is upon us. We are fortunate that our SFFC Library has books providing entertaining insight into the fishing of the past - even the distant past. Foremost among these is a copy of Izaak Walton s The Compleat Angler, the work that many consider the old testament of angling literature. Written in the leisurely style of the mid-1600s, it must be read leisurely and carefully. Such reading will yield a multitude of discoveries and revelations, engrossing the reader in the images and practices of the time. You will be gratified at the degree to which you find commonality with the angler of Walton s day and pleasantly surprised at how you recognize some of the tackling methods that are discussed. The story line is set upon an ongoing debate between the angler, Piscator, a hound hunter of river otters, Venator, and a falconer, Auceps, during a trip through the English countryside. Each tries to persuade the others regarding the ultimate practical and philosophical supremacy of his preferred recreation, quoting classic historic literature as well as biblical scripture in support of his assertions. Far from being laborious reading, these references provide delightful insight into the degree to which attitudes affecting recreational life of the period were grounded in religious and philosophical reflection. The sub-plot of detailed instruction continues to follow Piscator, the angler, as he schools Venator in the various fishing methods of the day. They pursue chubs, trout, grayling, salmon, bream, Pike, Perch, and even tench, while encountering a variety of English country cousins along the way. The book is, aside from its philosophical purpose, a general treatise on angling and is not limited to fly fishing. There are careful instructions regarding live-keeping of various types of worms ("lob-worms, squirrel tails ) for bait fishing (even for salmon!), as well as the use of natural flies and minnows. Two pages are devoted to the proper manner in which a worm is to be threaded on a hook! Walton s detailed physical descriptions of some of the fishes pursued, during the various seasons and whether fresh from sea or in spawning dress, will mesh nicely with your own recollections. Walton s discussions of fly tackle and tactics are of particular interest, of course. He recommends a single horse hair, if possible, be used for what we would consider a leader. However, he encourages the dry fly angler to fish downstream and to allow only the fly to touch the water. (Distance casting with balanced enameled lines held on lightly tooled reels was still far into the future.) When his fishing companion loses a trout when breaking his line trying to beach it, Walton describes the proper way to use the bend in the rod to fight the fish, even to the point of throwing the rod in the water and letting the trout eventually tire itself by dragging the rod about the pool, which he endorses as his own common tactic! Meanwhile, the discussion that ensues regarding the escaped fish s fate with the hook still lodged in its gut is touching and eerily similar to discussions we hear today regarding the merits of catch and release and resulting trout survival. (Continued on next page)

7 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 7 (Book Review continued from previous page) Tyers will enjoy the section on preparation and use of artificial flies, providing primitive dressings and interesting descriptions of materials. With some deference to terminology and quaint, old English style, the actual instructions read much like the tying manuals of today. and still looking at every stop or turn, that your gold, or what materials soever you make your fly of, do lie right and neatly; and if you find they do so, then, when you have made the head, make all fast and then with a needle or pin divide the wing into two, and then with the arming silk (tying thread) whip it about crossways betwixt the wings The book contains much in the way of merriment and mirth, in keeping with the writing of that period. It is replete with poetry, most of which extols the virtues of angling and its contemplative side. There are warm references to country inns, virtuous milkmaids and their mothers, as well as metaphors involving gypsies and singing beggars. There is, however, none of the ribaldry one might expect to find in writings of period. (Indeed, at one point Piscator objects strongly to another in the hunting party who engaged in such banter.) The illustrations, by Arthur Rackham ( ), are absolutely enchanting! Ranging from the whimsical to the serious, they follow the plot and are particularly informative. The paintings of the characters, including Walton himself, and the various settings are revealing in details of dress as well as of the interiors of the inns and shops of the period. Rackham s work is included in various editions of Peter Pan and Aesop s Fables, among others, and Rackham was one of the very noted illustrators of his day. These illustrations are, by themselves, worth the check-out effort. Finally, this is one of those books that holds something for every angler by way of personal discovery. For example, being a falconer as well as a fly fisher, I found it especially fascinating that the boasts and vanities of the falconer of that period, regarding the heights attained by the bird he had trained, were vary similar to those of the falconer of today. So, treat yourself to an enchanting journey through Merry Olde England with the man who many consider the father of it all by borrowing The Compleat Angler from your SFF Library.

8 THE BARBLESS FLYER Spokane Fly Fishers P. O. Box 4141 Spokane, WA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR NAME TAGS TO THE MEETING NEXT MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2012 CHRISTMAS PARTY 7:OO PM ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL 1104 W. HEROY THE MISSION OF THE SPOKANE FLY FISHERS IS TO PROVIDE A FAMILY FRIENDLY ORGANIZATION FOR PROMOTING THE SPORT OF FLY FISHING THROUGH EDUCATION, APPLICATION, AND CONSERVATION.