S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS TIMES

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S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS March 2014 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: Resident s Message Tracy Decoy da Silva President s message 1 Fly of the Month 2 Monthly Program 3 Sponsors 3 Outing Schedule 3

1 S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS March 2014 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: Resident s Message Tracy Decoy da Silva President s message 1 Fly of the Month 2 Monthly Program 3 Sponsors 3 Outing Schedule 3 Articles 4 Maps 5 Events Board Members Tracy da Silva President Rod Sanchez Vice President Richard Wilson Treasure Scott Naylor Secretary Roger Caton Board Member Mike Gilroy-(425) Board Member Chuck Humphreys Board Member & Poet Rick McCombs Newsletter Editor Jay Jefferson Mascot March is here, and thus marks the end of Steelhead season, not that we had much of a "season" here on the Central Coast. Those who traveled north got some fish, but overall the weather and water has made it tough on the noble Steelhead. But hey, at least were getting some rain, right? Coming this month to our general meeting is Ed Lawrence, all the way from Montana. Ed will be sharing his knowledge of the Madison, Yellowstone, and Missouri Rivers. This should be a good one. Montana is a fabulous place. Plus, there is rumors of a Mystery side raffle. A dollar a ticket will get you the chance to walk out with a new.? We have an outing planned to Pyramid Lake on the weekend of 21st.-23rd of March. Talk to Rod Sanchez, the unofficial fishmaster, about the particulars. If you ve never been to Pyramid, you should really think about going. It's a western favorite that could give you the fish of a lifetime if luck is on your side. We are also still trying to put together a surf perch trip in the coming weeks, Scott Naylor is trying to devise a plan to get out on the beach for some pre-outing fishing to test the waters. Recent reports have been telling of pretty good perch fishing. Also in outing news, we've decided to look at Merced River for an April trip, on the weekend of the 11th-13th. It's likely that the Merced will be too low for our usual fall trip. We ll be keeping our eye s on the flows to get the timing right. If you need any suggestions on gear or accommodations talk to me or one of our Merced regulars and we ll try to line you up with some ideas. Thanks to the DFG regulations which keep this river open all year now, we can fish it before the trout opener! Hope to see you at the meeting, and on the outings. Tracy Ed Lawrence featured in March Montana guide, Ed Lawrence, will be the featured presenter at this month s general meeting at the Landing Zone. Ed is out of Bozeman Montana and his outfit guides on several of the waters of the Big Sky Country. In addition to Ed s presentation, we ll have the usual fishing reports, sign-ups for Pyramid and other upcoming outing and a generous raffle. Scott has also arranged a buck a ticket mystery raffle. You may want to bring a couple extra bucks from the cookie jar for that one. Rod will be on hand to provide more information on the upcoming Pyramid outing. So with all that happening, we hope you ll find time to join us.

2 Page 2 Fly Times What s going on in the world of fly fishing and tying? Fly of the Month Maholo Midge Maholo Nymph Hook:TMC 2457 Size 8-12 Thread: Black 6/0 Head: Gold Bead Tail/wing case/legs: Pheasant tail Body: Red tinsel Rib: Copper wire Thorax: Olive or Peacock Ice Dub Fly Tying this month will focus on solutions to tying problems - How to do those things that you re having problems doing. Most all the techniques the fly tyers use are relatively simple, but as one of my favorite saying goes: It s simple; it just ain t easy. Old Doc Pshide will be on hand to analyze what ails you, and of coarse the will be a gaggle of opinions to confuse you as well.. Just remember to listen to the Fly Doctor and you ll be okay in the morning. For those interested in going to Pyramid Lake, the Maholo Nymph is the featured fly this month, but it s not going to be the focus at the monthly fly tying session, but it s been included just in case you might want to tie a couple before taking off for the outing. I ve has been sitting at the tying vise up here in Sutter Creek working on flies for Pyramid and if I make it down the hill for the general meeting, I ll bring some flies to share with the guys who ll be going to Pyramid. Recommended flies for Pyramid Historically the go to fly at Pyramid was the black red tailed Woolly Worm. Now days in addition to Woolly Bugger you ve got the Tadpole, Midnight Cowboy, Albino Wino, and all the Beetles. Go figure! Chuckie s Poetry Corner Fishing s for Sissies I ain t going fishing, cuz I m panning for gold Fishing s for sissies, least that s what I m told So I grab my old sluice box a pit and a pan And head for the desert, cuz that there s my plan No bath for two week and I m start n to smell I been look n for water, but there s none in the well The buzzards are a circling they call my name Saying he ll be bones in the desert, and Chuckie s to blame

3 Upcoming Events Page 3 Salinas Valley Flyfishers**2014 Outing Schedule and Programs March 12th. General meeting Landing the sirport March 19th. Fly Tying Airport Board room Featuring Ed Lawrence Featuring Tying Tips Tracy dasilva Bill Pshide March 21st- 23rd. Outing Pyramid Lake Lahonton Cutthroat Trout Rod Sanchez April 17th-18th Outing Merced River Rainbow Trout Tracy dasilva April Outing Monterey Bay Sunset Beach Surf Perch Scott Naylor May Outing possibilities Kirman Lake Carson River Brook Trout Rainbow June Outing possibilities Davis lake Indian Creek Trout Check out the website Dave Gambetta has jumped in to work on the website. So check it out, give him some feedback and for sure send him any fishing pictures you take. With the new administration in place and Dave at the helm of the website, you can expect some new ideas on the horizon. While you re at it, send those picture to me too (rickmcfly@sbcglobal.net). I m working on a photo page for the newsletter. It s still a month or two away, but your photos are needed. For all the latest info. in what s happening in the wide world of fishing, go to: salinasvalleyflyfishers.org Special thanks to Geoff Malloway for his ongoing support of the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers and for his many efforts on behalf of stream habitat and the preservation of the fish that we all seek to catch. Next time you re out his way, stop by and say hi.it does seems that Geoff has mellowed a bit over the years. It might even safe to take you wife in the store..though it s not recommended Geoff Malloway Central Coast Fly Fishing 7172 Carmel Valley Rd. Carmel, CA ( )

4 Page 4 Fly Times The Pyramid Lahonton Cutthoat Story Pyramid Lake, at one time, boasted the biggest trout in the world or close to it. The official lake record is reported to be 41 pound, but the local Puite Indians clamed to have caught fish as big as 60 lbs.. These catches all occurred prior to 1943 when the Pyramid Cutthroats were determined to be extinct. The huge fishes demise was the product of massive diversion of water from the Truckee River, mostly for agriculture and the subsequent loss of the fishes only spawning grounds. In the mid-1970s, the Paiute Indian Tribe opened a fish hatchery at Sutcliffe and began stocking Pyramid Lake with Lahontan Cutthroat Trout from Summit and Heenan Lakes. The water in Pyramid Lake is saltier than Lake Tahoe, and that kept out the Rainbow and Lake Trout. The original Lahonton population in Lake Tahoe had been extinct since about 1930, largely because of competition and hybridization with other trout species that had been introduced into the lake, The Piute Indian tribe re-established a Lahontan cutthroat sport fishery and in addition saved Pyramid Lake s endangered Cui-ui sucker from extinction. Anglers subsequently bought tribal licenses, hauled milk crates and ladders out into the lake to battle the high winds and cold water and considered any catch that weighed 10 pounds or more a trophy. Unfortunately, the Summit / Heenan Lake strain does not live as long or grow as large as the original strain of Pyramid fish. However, in the 1970s, fish believed to have been stocked almost a century ago from the Pyramid Lake strain were discovered in a small stream along Pilot Peak area of western Utah border, This Pilot Peak strain was reintroduced into Pyramid lake starting in 2006 as part of the reintroduction and planting programs maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [8 Today these fish can be recognized by their missing adipose fin (small fin located behind the dorsal fin) which is clipped when they leave the hatcheries ] In the last 2-3 years therehas been adramatic increase in the number of exceptionally large fish caught and now the pound trophy fish of five or ten years ago are being replaced with bruts as heavy as 25 pounds and getting bigger. Going fishing? Rods A variety of fly fishing rods can be used to fish Pyramid Lake depending on which technique you are using. The most popular fly fishing technique at Pyramid is making long casts with a very fast sinking line or shooting head For this method, a stout 9 to 9 ½ foot 7-8 weight rod is the most common. Anglers come to the lake every year expecting to use their 5 or 6 weight rod and find out that they can be over-powered by the weight of the fly line and the winds that can be very strong from time to time. Anglers make the assumption that they are good at fighting fish and a 5 weight is fine. It is the situation that calls for a heavier rod, not the size of the fish so much. Nymphing has become very popular at the lake as well, especially in the spring. Shorter casts and lighter lines can be used and a lighter rod will do the trick. Anglers use anything from a 4 weight to an 8 weight for this technique. Wind is still a factor and a 6 weight or 7 weight is probably the way to go for best results. A little bigger rod helps with mending line and roll-casting when it really gets windy. Switch rods have also become popular to help with casting in windy conditions. Shooting Heads Long casts and covering lots of water is a great way to catch fish at Pyramid Lake. The idea behind a shooting head is to have more weight in the front end of the line for longer casts. Most shooting heads have a 20 to 35 ft head and some sort of a thinner diameter running line to help with distance. The most common shooting head for Pyramid Lake is one with a very fast sinking head to get the flies to the bottom as fast as possible. Running lines come in many varieties. The most common are either floating or ones with intermediate sink rates. Because most of the time you will be standing in the lake, a floating running line is easier to use. If your running line sinks you will most likely need to incorporate a stripping basket. Full sinking lines can be used but they are much harder to cast and do not keep flies on the bottom as well as a shooting head. You will most likely not do as well at Pyramid if you settle for a full sink line. Integrated lines such as the Teeney 300 or the Rio Outbound fast sinking lines can be a good choices. Floating Lines are used mainly for nymphing. Most anglers use a floating line and an indicator with a couple of bead head nymphs for this application. Any floating line will do. A line with an indicator tip can help you see when to mend and if your leader is straight. There are some neat floating shooting heads that can really add some distance to your casts as well. Hope to see you there..ed.

5 Pyramid Lake

6 Pyramid Lake Outing March 21st.-23rd Contact: Rod Sanchez Fly Tying Wedn. March 19th. A/P board room 6:00 p.m. March 12th. General meeting 6:00 7:00 Board of Directors Meeting@ the Airport Board Room March 26th. 6:00pm Salinas Valley Fly Fishers P.O Box 1793 Salinas, CA Editor: Rick McCombs rickmcfly@sbcglobal.net "All You Need to Know" Mailing Address Line 1 Mailing Address Line 2 Mailing Address Line 3 Mailing Address Line 4 Mailing Address Line 5

S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS TIMES

S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS. 2015 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: President s message 1 Fly of the Month 2 Monthly Program 3 Sponsors 3 Outing Schedule 3 Tribute / 4 sale 4 Maps 5 Events 6 2015 Board Members