Ozark Fly Fishers Newsletter August Pat Neuner - Product Development Manager. Casting Tip 72: August 2018 By: Bill Armon CCI.

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1 Ozark Fly Fishers Newsletter August 2018 General Meeting Thursday, August 23rd 2018 Greensfelder Recreation Complex Queeny Park 525 Weidman Road, Ballwin MO Starting at 7:00 PM Pat Neuner - Product Development Manager Pat Neuner came to Wapsi Fly, Inc. in November 2003 following a long career in the fly fishing industry. Prior to Wapsi, he worked for Orvis and held the positions of Fly fishing Product Developer/Buyer, Customer Service Manager, Travel Department Manager, Inventory Control Manager, Retail Buyer/Merchandiser, Technical Advisor, and fishing school instructor. Pat started fly fishing at 11 years of age; by the time he turned 14, his obsession with fly tying was unstoppable. Pat's friend and past co-worker at Orvis, John Rano, gave him the nickname "The Merchant of Feathers". At that time Pat purchased all the fly-tying materials and flies for the Orvis catalog as well as Orvis retail stores. These days Pat is devoted to developing new products for the Wapsi and Anglers Image catalogs. When he is not working, he spends his time chasing trout, duck hunting, golfing, and spending time with his wife, Lauren, and their son Ben. Casting Tip 72: August 2018 By: Bill Armon CCI From Casting Tip of the Month: February Clean lines cast best: A clean line will shoot better. A clean line will float higher. A clean line will have less coil memory and will reduce tangling. A regularly cleaned line will last longer. How often should a fly line be cleaned? The way to tell if a line needs cleaning is if you can feel grit when you run the line through your fingers. Also, if the front few feet start to sink this is a good sign. A fly line should also be cleaned as soon as possible if it is exposed to heat, solvents, insect repellants, or sunscreens. Also, dirty water or casting practice in a yard will get your line dirty. If a line has cracks in the surface or feels brittle cleaning will still help but these lines should be replaced. One author says if you get in the routine of cleaning your line after every 3 rd outing it should last 150 outings. How should a fly line be cleaned? It seems almost everyone agrees that soaking in soapy water is the best way to deep clean a fly line. Use only a small amount of mild dish soap in lukewarm water and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Then draw the line thru a clean soft absorbent cloth to remove the grit and to dry it. It some cases it may be necessary to use a special cleaning pad that acts as an abrasive (while not hurting the plastic) to get the grit off. This is a good time to stretch the line as you pull it thru the cloth. When the line is dry a dressing should be applied. Which dressing? The important thing is to use a product made for plastic if it is not safe for use on plastic it is not safe to use on a fly line. I recommend using one that is recommended by a line manufacturer. While some line dressings are sold as cleaners most are no better at cleaning then water alone however they do improve the lines performance and they should be used. They are also great to use on a wet fly line while on the water. The main value of dressing a line is to lubricate it, (shoots farther, floats higher, and tangles less). Keep in mind that while dressing a dirty line on the stream will improve the lines performance it will trap the dirt under the dressing so be sure and actually clean your line when it gets dirty. The fly line is probably the most important part of your equipment. Try casting a dirty line then clean and apply a dressing and try casting again. You will become a believer in keeping your lines clean and well dressed.

2 Presidents Message: It is time to start getting nominations for the club elections coming up in January. We need people to volunteer to put their names into the hat to fill the positions that are becoming vacant. The club can t go on without people willing to get involved with the day to day stuff that goes on. Please consider this opportunity to help with what it takes to make things happen with the club. Our existing board of directors have done an outstanding job the last four years and I see no reason why it will not stay the best fly-fishing club in the Midwest, as long as members get and stay involved. If you are interested, please contact our Nominating Chairman, Dan Rasch, , drasch27@hotmail.com If you have any questions about what the directors do please feel free to call me. Steve Antonic, , sjantonic@charter.net Outings August OUTINGS REPORT 2018 ELEVEN POINT ALTON, MO October 19, 20, 21, 2018 Our host is Brian Sloss of Eleven Point Cottages & Guide Service in Alton, MO who will provide our housing in town in his renovated houses. I have reserved two Cottages for eight singles. Cottages are renovated houses with bed rooms and other sleep areas. Housing is very limited around Alton. We will have full working kitchens for evening cookouts Friday and Saturday. Friday night BBQ will be Brats, Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Slaw, soda, water and dessert. Saturday night will be BBQ Ribs, baked potato, salad, rolls and dessert. Cost per person two nights stay and two dinners $ Grandma s Saturday AM on your own. Wade Fishing is available above and at the Hi-way 19 bridge, but to fish the 5-mile Blue Ribbon section you need a canoe, kayak, belly boat or guide service. I have Brian ready to provide guides for hire for an all-day float in the Blue-Ribbon section for $350 plus tip for two includes rods, flies, lunch and drinks on Saturday. Let me know if you want to fish with a guide Friday or Sunday. ½ day is $250 plus tip. Website for Brian is Mail your checks made out to Ozark Fly Fishers, 5886 Chrisbrook Drive, St. Louis, MO Tel: Mobile: olanderedward@att.net Outings Schedule for 2019 February FYAO Montauk - 2/8,9 &10 March Spring River - Mommoth Springs, AR 3/29,30 & 31 April Taneycomo Lillels Landing Branson, MO 4/26,27 & 28 May Montauk 5/17,18 & 19 July Montauk 7/12,13 & 14 September White & Norfork Rivers Norfork, AR 9/13,14 & 15 October Eleven Point River Alton, MO 10/18,19 & 20 Edward Olander Outings Chairman Ways & Means Attention Members: At the August Membership Meeting we ll have an assortment of hand tied flies to purchase. We are selling twelve flies for $3.00. We have plastic cups and lids to store them. Jerry Kniepman Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 2

3 Conservation / Missouri Stream Team # EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SAVE THE DATES! Watch the OFF Newsletter and Calendar for details concerning the events that are listed below. If you plan to attend or have any questions about these events please contact Scott Darrough at or swdarrough@yahoo.com AUGUST ST Annual Operation Clean Stream - Big River (Byrnes Mill City Park, Byrnes Mill) - by invitation - Stream Team # Trashmanian Devils AUGUST 25 Passport to Clean Water (Greentree Park, Kirkwood) - sponsored by Stream Team #5 - Open Space Council SEPTEMBER 22 Missouri Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Level 1 Workshop (Eureka High School, Eureka) - register by September ST ANNUAL OPERATION CLEAN STREAM August 25, :00 am Byrnes Mill City Park Byrnes Mill, MO The Trashmanian Devils, Ozark Fly Fishers and other Stream Teams will again work together on cleaning this stretch of the Big River. The last few years have seen an enthusiastic volunteer commitment on behalf of Ozark s members. If pulling tires and debris from the river does not sound fun, ask your fellow members who have attended. We have a great time. If you don t want to help with the cleanup come anyway, have lunch, socialize and see what we are about. Donuts (donated by the renowned St. Louis Donut Drive - In), juice and milk will be provided in the morning. By noon we will have completed our cleanup and adjourn to lunch. Clean streamers work hard and play hard. Pizza and other food will be provided by the generous donation of local restaurants along with soda and water. If you go away hungry it will be your own fault! As always, after lunch we will have attendance and pay raffles. Once again this year Leinenkugel Beer made the request to partner with us on our cleanup. Leinenkugel has been involved with promoting clean waterways (Canoes for a Cause) in their home state of Wisconsin for numerous years. Five years ago they began a push into the mid west promoting their program with our site being the first in the state of Missouri to partner with them. Leinenkugel has been quite generous with their donations and trade giveaways by means of the free raffle they provide. Note that alcohol will not be consumed during our cleanup to ensure the safety of our volunteers and to abide by the regulations of the park. It is recommended that sturdy footwear be worn during this cleanup. Beach wear such as flip flops and sandals are discouraged. Remember your sunscreen and hat. Bring a change of clothes, we get dirty! Work gloves and 51 st Annual Operation Clean Stream t-shirts will be provided. Volunteers wanting to bring their water craft are welcome. A number of canoes will be on hand for cleanup duty. If you are interested in manning one of these canoes please reserve by mention of the contact information listed below. IF ATTENDING PLEASE NOTIFY so that you can be placed on the volunteer list, reserve a canoe, or relay your t-shirt size. If you have any questions about Operation Clean Stream or Passport to Clean Water (see below), contact Scott Darrough at or swdarrough@yahoo.com PASSPORT TO CLEAN WATER 2018 August 25, :00 am - 1:00 pm Green Tree Park Kirkwood, MO Also on this day and keeping with tradition, Ozark Fly Fishers will represent the Missouri Stream Team Program at Green Tree Park on the day of the cleanup. The Open Space Council will host their Passport to Clean Water (11:00 am - 1:00 pm) for youth ages 5-18 and their families. Over 250 kids attended this event last year. If you do not plan on attending the cleanup, consider bringing the kids to the PASSPORT. WANTED! - FLY TIERS AND STREAM TEAM INTERPRETERS FOR PASSPORT TO CLEAN WATER EVENT August 25, :00 am - 1:00 pm Green Tree Park Kirkwood, MO Any Ozark members wishing to promote the conservation of our streams will be able to do so by lending a hand at the Passport to Clean Water as explained above. Ozark members are needed to tie flies on safety pins for distribution to the youth attending this event. Members are also needed as interpreters of the Missouri Stream Team program. Since its inception, Ozark has always participated in the Passport. In years passed, our volunteers have had a hard time tying enough flies to meet the demand that this program generates. We need more tiers and interpreters. In the future I would like to see a lead person for both interpretation and tying at this event. These individuals would be responsible for coordinating Ozark s participation. If interested in volunteering please contact Scott Darrough at or swdarrough@yahoo.com By volunteering you can make a difference. Remember that the youth of today will represent the future of conservation - tomorrow! Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 3

4 The Bohigian Conservation Area: a unique gem in the Ozarks By Bill Hoagland Staff Writer for River Hills Traveler The Missouri Department of Conservation has hundreds of designated conservation areas that it administers throughout the state. The administrative responsibilities for these areas are divided into eight regions. One of those regions is the Ozark Region and within that region alone are 104 conservation areas. Some are well-known; others, not so much. One little-known conservation area that is a unique gem and that deserves special mention is the Bohigian Conservation Area, located in south-central Missouri near the town of Newburg in Phelps County. This conservation area is located in the Mill Creek drainage that ultimately flows into Little Piney Creek. I have been told that there may be as many as five Mill Creeks in Missouri but this one is much different than the others. This Mill Creek is a spring-fed Blue Ribbon trout stream and is one of the few streams in Missouri that has wild, self-sustaining rainbow trout rather than hatchery trout. The story of how Mill Creek got these trout in the first place is a story in itself. These trout in Mill Creek are believed to be descendants of McCloud River red-band trout." In the 1870s, the U.S. government initiated a program to introduce trout from the West Coast to various streams in the Midwest and East Coast. To do this, so-called aqua trains were commissioned to transport fertilized fish eggs extracted from trout caught in the upper reaches of the McCloud River in California to various locations in the Midwest and East Coast. These trains would be loaded with fertilized fish eggs placed in wooden barrels, milk jugs and other containers and kept alive until reaching their destination, whereupon the eggs and hatched fry would be released in the designated stream. Obviously, the streams that were to receive these eggs and fry had to be located near railroad tracks. Fortunately for us, the confluence of Mill Creek and Little Piney Creek is adjacent to a major railroad line running between St. Louis and Springfield and that is why Mill Creek was one of about four Missouri streams seeded with McCloud River red band trout. This seeding occurred sometime between 1890 and 1930, although the exact dates are not clear. The important thing is that the trout placed in Mill Creek survived the trip, they became self-sustaining and they are still there to this day. (More about the trout in Mill Creek later.) The history of how the Mill Creek valley became settled is another interesting story. It was first populated with Native Americans and later by settlers moving west. Many of the settlers in the Mill Creek valley arrived shortly after the Civil War and they appear to have come primarily from Kentucky and Tennessee. One such family was the Yelton family, who set up a homestead on the banks of Mill Creek and began farming. In 1869, they built a log cabin on the property that they were homesteading. This log cabin was unique for several reasons. First of all, it had a second story, which was most unusual in those days. Secondly, it was positioned so that it would receive rays from the morning sun to warm it up and it was cooled by the mist of a nearby spring in the evening. Members of the Yelton family or their descendants lived in this cabin for the next one hundred years. They did not have electricity in the Mill Creek valley until 1947 and life in the valley was hard, particularly during the depression. The cabin held a lot of people from time to time, including many displaced non-family members whom the Yeltons allowed to stay with them during the hard times. In 1981, the property, cabin and an adjoining 120 acres were put up for sale. This acreage included three spring-fed ponds that by that time were stocked with bass and bluegill, plus one of the largest fens in Missouri and over one mile of frontage on Mill Creek. Fortunately for everyone concerned, the property was purchased by Dr. George Bohigian, a board-certified ophthalmologist practicing in the St. Louis area. Dr. Bohigian is a unique individual. He is modest and personable, but despite his easygoing demeanor, he has been very focused for more than 50 years on his profession and his patients. Among other accomplishments, Dr. Bohigian has consistently been listed in various publications as one of the best ophthalmologists in the St. Louis area for years and he has authored or co-authored more than 60 articles in various medical publications regarding diseases of the eye. Today, he is professor of clinical ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Bohigian is also an avid outdoorsman and nature lover. Back when he was looking for a place to buy in the Ozarks, he just wanted a place off the beaten track where he and his family could go to enjoy nature and spend quiet time together in the outdoors. Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 4

5 Among other interests, he enjoyed fishing for trout with a fly rod and was intrigued by the fact that if he bought the Yelton property, he could have three stocked ponds and private trout water at his back door. He also had a deep appreciation for the history of the Mill Creek valley and for that reason, he and his family decided to leave the Yelton cabin intact and to use it as their home away from home. As time went on, Dr. Bohigian acquired more property that adjoined the original 120 acres that he had purchased in Improvements were made to the cabin by adding a garage and living quarters at the south end of the cabin for a caretaker. By 2000, Dr. Bohigian owned approximately 440 contiguous acres. But time moves on, and in Dr. Bohigian s case, his children were graduated from college so he, his wife and children decided they would try to find an entity to take over the property to keep the historic log cabin and the pristine property intact. After a lot of thought and deciding in part that they wanted the public to enjoy what they had enjoyed for the past 25 years, rather than selling the property to someone who would keep that part of Mill Creek for themselves, the Bohigians decided in 2007 to enter into a donation/sale arrangement with the Missouri Department of Conservation. This, of course, included what had been more than a mile of private water on Mill Creek. Those of us who have spent time trout fishing in Montana know that private water on a trout stream is a coveted trophy. (In Montana, Ted Turner on the Ruby River and Tom Brokaw on the West Fork of the Boulder River guard their private water like a dog with a bone.) That is why we trout fishermen can particularly appreciate the significance of donating private water so that the public can enjoy it. And that is exactly what Dr. Bohigian did. But there is another unique aspect to Dr. Bohigian s donation and this relates to the fact that before he went to medical school, he was a school teacher. It is often said that once a teacher, always a teacher, and that certainly applies to Dr. Bohigian. Under his agreement with the Department of Conservation, he and his family retained the right to use the cabin and an adjoining ten acres (including the three ponds) for an additional ten years. But beginning in 2017, these ten acres, including the cabin, were transferred to the Department of Conservation on the express condition that these ten acres and cabin would be for the exclusive use of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T) as a biological research center and field station. It was the vision of Chris Bohigian, Dr. Bohigian s wife, that this could be the platform for long-term education and research in the area of environmental sciences. According to Dr. Stephen Roberts, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Business at Missouri S&T, the school has already hired the founding director for the field station, they have already won a planning grant from the National Science Foundation and they have become a member institution of the Organization of Biological Field Stations. The subjects that will be taught at the field station will include biology, geology, hydrology, engineering and chemistry. If you want to see the Bohigian Conservation Area for yourself, it is located on Forest Service Road #7550, just off of County Road P, southwest of Newburg. There are two parking lots for fly fishermen at each end of the property and these lots allow for easy access to Mill Creek. There are also hiking trails on the property with plenty of opportunity for birdwatching and other outdoor activities. If you are planning on wading in the creek, remember that felt soles are prohibited. And as for the trout in Mill Creek, this is a Blue Ribbon trout stream, and under the applicable rules, you can only keep one fish over 18 inches. Most of the trout in Mill Creek are generally in the five- to nine-inch range but occasionally someone will catch a trout in excess of 18 inches. Catching an 18-inch trout in Mill Creek will definitely be a rare moment but to properly celebrate the occasion, it seems to me that the big ones over 18 inches living in Mill Creek have earned the right to be released back into the water when the photo session is over. Our thanks go to Dr. Bohigian and his family for sharing this interesting property with the rest of us. (Bill Hoagland has practiced law for more than 50 years in Madison County, Ill., and lives in the Alton area. He and his wife, Annie, have been outdoor enthusiasts all of their lives. He can be reached at billhoagland70@gmail.com.) PLEASE GIVE ATTRIBUTE TO THE JULY 2018 ISSUE OF THE RIVER HILLS TRAVELER: Jimmy Sexton, Owner/Publisher RIVER HILLS TRAVELER 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO Office: (800) , ext. 1 Direct line: (417) FAX: (417) Mobile: (417) Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 5

6 27 th Annual Catch and Release Opening Weekend at Bennett Springs A reminder to save the date for this year s Catch and Release outing. The dates are Nov This is our best attended outing of the year and always a good time to be out fishing and being with friends we sometimes don t see all year. The forms will appear in next month s newsletter. If you have any questions, please call Steve Antonic, , sjantonic@charter.net MISSOURI STREAM TEAM VOLUNTEER WATER QUALITY MONITORING LEVEL 1 WORKSHOP September 22, :30 am - 5:00 pm Eureka High School Eureka, MO For those that completed their Stream Team Introductory Level this past spring, the next level of training (Level 1) awaits. Stream Team #31 NEEDS YOU! Note that registration ends on September 12. If you are interested or have any questions concerning this workshop, contact Scott Darrough at or swdarrough@yahoo.com Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 6

7 Communications Ozark Newsletter Want to become more involved, have a knack for writing and would like to share information, tips or likewise subjects on fly fishing with the rest of the club. Another benefit of membership is our monthly newsletter. Newsletter articles are due for consideration on the 1st Thursday of each month. As space in the newsletter fills up fast. Please limit your proof read articles to 500 words or less in 10 pt Times New Roman. If interested please contact John Tymony at Cell: (314) or submit your article for consideration to: ozarknewsletter@gmail.com Groups.IO Ozark Fly Fishers Inc has left the Yahoo Groups. Ozark has now gone to Groups IO. If your was active on the yahoo group at the time of the changeover. You re already a member of the new group. You still need to create a account with Groups IO to post. If have not done this and you want to join in on the fun it is easy to join Groups IO. All you have to do is search in your search bar Groups IO and when it comes up ask to join. Put in your and Create your own password. Write it down, save it and keep it simple. If you lose it or forget it nobody can find it or get it for you. That s all you have to do to become a member of Groups IO. Once you have done that search the Groups IO far Ozark Fly fisher s, ask to join the group and it will send an invitation. It is that easy. We also have a subgroup in the Groups IO of Ozarkflyfishers for the tiers in the club. Once you re a member of the Ozarkflyfishers main group you can then join the Fly Tiers of the Long Table sub group. You have to be a member of the Ozarkflyfishers main group to join the sub group. It s just a matter of asking to join as you did with the main group. Having problems, contact me at: Shur-way@sbcglobal.net Mike Swederska A Call for Photos Here is an opportunity to share with the group and others, pictures of the big one you put back and to capture that moment of time in the Ozark Fly Fishing Archives. Please, send any photos/videos you d like to share to OFFinstagram@gmail.com. Inyour , please list the date, location, fly, and fish species, or any other information you wish to share (e.g., rod type, guide s name, tippet size, etc.). I hope to see a lot of your pictures and videos! -Jake Voss O.F.F on the Web Use the following to access the Ozark Fly Fishers website from your phone. Mark Thalhammer Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 7

8 Board of Directors Officers Directors Chairman President: Steve Antonic Communications: John L Tymony Casting: Brian Ellis Vice President: Bill Armon Conservation: Scott Darrough Fly Tying: Mike Ott Treasurer: David Crawford Education: Jim Gera Stream Team Coordinator: Scott Darrough Secretary: Dan Elhmann Membership: Al Bourisaw Past President: Marlan Graham Outings: Ed Olander Ways & Means: Jerry Kneipman Stream Team 31 Coordinator / Current River Blue Springs Creek Mill Creek Scott Darrough Glen Bish Bill Leslie Ozark Fly Fishers Objectives Founded 1971 To promote fly fishing as the most sportsmanlike and enjoyable way of fishing and the method most consistent with the preservation and wise use of our game fish. To practice conservation of natural resources and to support efforts for environmental quality a nd pollution control.to provide advice, education, and assistance to promote the art of fly fishing. To demonstrate applied techniques in fly fishing, tying, casting and related subjects Ozark Fly Fishers meet at 7:00 PM on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Queeny Park Rec Center (Unless noted differently see Calendar) Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 8

9 Please support our corporate sponsors Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 9

10 Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc August 2018 Page 10