VOLUME 53 MAY 2018 NUMBER 05 MAY MEETING. Thursday, May 17, Farmhouse Rest. Wet Fly / Social Gathering: Dinner / General Meeting:

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1 VOLUME 53 MAY 2018 NUMBER 05 MAY MEETING Thursday, May 17, Farmhouse Rest Wet Fly / Social Gathering: Dinner / General Meeting: 6:00PM 7:00PM President s Message: By: Tim Cooley Greetings Fly Fisher s We lost a fellow fly fisher, Russ Osenbach in April. His presence will be missed at our meetings and events on the rivers and lakes. We extend our condolences to Norah and his children, Joe M. Osenbach (Pat), of Great Falls, MT, Melanie Fowler, Derek Osenbach and Ashley Osenbach; siblings, David (Mary Ann), John (Carol), Jean, Judy (Thomas) and Joannie (Michael); grandchildren, Ezra, Juliana, Claire & Violet. I hope everyone has a great summers, as this will be the last WAHOO until September. Make sure and take lots of pictures and video so that you will be able to show and tell during our November meeting. By then your count of fish will have risen and the big ones that got away will have increased in size. We always look forward to hearing of your trips and adventures. Most of all make sure you are safe out there. Wear your Life Vest! Have a great summer. Tight Lines.

2 This Months Presentation: By: Bill Keeler The guest speaker will be Scott Willison (Confluence Fly Shop). His Topic will be Fly Fishing Ross Lake and Lake Whatcom. Scott Willison is the owner of the Confluence Fly Shop. He s been fly fishing for over 30 years throughout his home state of Washington, and has also fished in the Bahamas, France, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Wisconsin, British Columbia, Costa Rica and Mexico. Scott has an English Writing and Teaching degree from WWU, has taught in public schools and worked as an educator for the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. Scott also guided fly fishing on area rivers and beaches prior to his days in the shop. He serves as a Native Fish Society River Steward for the NF Stilliguamish River and is an active member of the Fourth Corner Fly Club. Sometimes he has a beard, sometimes he doesn t. Big Water Tactics A Tale of Two Lakes Finding fish in a large body of water can feel like an intimidating prospect and fly fishers often miss out on some amazing fisheries because they just don t know where to begin. Big lakes offer challenges for anglers when it comes to approaching the water, formulating a plan and adjusting to seasonal changes in conditions and fish behavior. Scott Willison, owner of the Confluence Fly Shop will talk about two of his favorite local fisheries, along with the similarities and differences in fly fishing for trophy smallmouth bass in urban Lake Whatcom and for bragging sized rainbow trout in Ross Lake in the North Cascades. He will discuss tactics for locating fish throughout the season, presentations, equipment and favorite fly patterns for two often overlooked fly fishing meccas in our own backyard. He will also talk about how to access both waters by various means and how to best prepare for the experience. Either one of these lakes could be a presentation unto itself, but the hope is that you will walk away with a strategy that will help you catch a variety of species in any number of places you may have never considered fishing with a fly. Fly of the Month Ross Lake Shiner: By: Scott Willison The Ross Lake Shiner is essentially a Marabou Clouser, which I adapted to match the general color scheme of the red-sided shiners that provide the main food base for the trout and char in Ross Lake. Marabou Clousers are versatile baitfish patterns that can be tied in an array of colors to match anything from the sand lance that coho and sea run cutthroat eat in Puget Sound to the fathead minnows

3 being haplessly pursued by big Pass Lake brown trout. They flutter and swim enticingly with their marabou wings and weighted dumbbell eyes, are quick and easy to tie and don t use expensive materials to construct, making them ideal for the rocky, stump-ridden terrain of Ross Lake. Hook: #6 Gamakatsu B10S Thread: White or Olive 140 Denier Ultra Thread Eyes: Small yellow or red pupil Pseudo Eyes Top Wing: White Marabou Bottom Wing: (From bottom) silver Ice Wing Fiber, burgundy or maroon marabou, Black Light Angel Hair, dark olive marabou, olive black barred UV Predator Wrap Lateral Flash: 2 strands of 1/100 micro pearl Flashabou down each side Russ Osenbach: By: Tim Cooley April 20, April 16, 2018 Russ John Osenbach, 64, a long time Skagit Valley resident, passed away Monday, April 16, 2018 at Everett Providence Hospice Care with his family by his side. Russ was born in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania to Russell and Evelyn (Sieck) Osenbach on April 20, He grew up in Delano, PA, attended local schools and worked his way through Penn State University with a Major in Music. Russ earned his master's degree from University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana. Russ proudly dedicated his working career providing human and family services to the community he served. Russ and Norah married in Great Falls, MT on June 22, 1985 and raised their family in the Skagit Valley. Russ was an accomplished fly tyer and fisherman, and he and his wife have been proud members of the Fidalgo Fly Fishers. They also enjoyed being members of the Majestic Glass Corvette Club. Russ is survived by his father, Russell; wife, Norah; children, Joe M. Osenbach (Pat), of Great Falls, MT, Melanie Fowler, Derek Osenbach and Ashley Osenbach; siblings, David (Mary Ann), John (Carol), Jean, Judy (Thomas) and Joannie (Michael); grandchildren, Ezra, Juliana, Claire & Violet. Russ was predeceased by his mother, Evelyn; brother, Daniel; and brother-in-law, Daniel. Russ will be laid to rest in a private family burial. A Memorial Service will be held at the Abundant Life Church, Bellingham, WA on Friday, April 27, 2018 at 7:00

4 PM. The family would like to express their gratitude to Skagit Regional Hospital, Providence Medical Center and Hospice Home Care Center for their professional care and comfort to Russ and his family. Louie Cordin: By: Danny Beatty Louie Corbin Pass Lake CD Every year when the annual budget is presented to the Fidalgo Fly Fishers, the Louie Corbin Pass Lake CD is mentioned. The treasurer always tells the club that the money is earmarked for use at Pass Lake. Of the total amount of the CD ($1673), 87% or $1450 is the Louie Corbin fund. I have thought for some time that the entire CD should be The Louie Corbin Pass Lake Fund and do away with the percentages. There have been many new members have been introduced and joined since the fund was established in the 1990s. I would like to tell you about Louie Corbin and how the fund was established. LOUIE CORBIN AT HIS FLY TYING DESK I met Louie Corbin in the early 1960s. He worked in the maintenance department of the Anacortes School District and I was a teacher. Louie and his wife Enid Corbin owned Sunnyhill Kennels where he had an office and fly-fishing room. Dale Elliott, Fidalgo Fly Fisher Charter Member, also a teacher in Anacortes, and I would go to see Louie at his office and he would teach us how to tie flies. Louie started fishing Pass Lake in the 1930s. In my Fly Fishing History of Pass Lake article, there is a 1930s picture of Louie Corbin standing along the road with some large Brown Trout. He claimed to have fished Pass Lake on every Opening Day from that time until the lake became a year-round fishery. Then he chose a day in late April for his Opening Day. When the Fidalgo Fly Fishers got involved with changing the regulations on Pass Lake, Louie joined the club and became very involved with the creel census, sending data to Jim Johnston (F & W Biologist), meeting with Johnston and just being around the boat launch area to visit with fly fishers. His efforts resulted in his receiving a State Fish and Wildlife Award. Some of our members remember attending a

5 small ceremony in one of the picnic shelters at Bowman Bay. There is much more I could write in telling about Louie Corbin. I interviewed him twice and one of those interviews may be read online: If you decide to read the interview be sure to click download upper right for easier reading. When Louie Corbin died his wife gave Dale Elliott his fly tying desk and I received his spool carrousel which is shown in the picture above on the right side. All of his flies and some other items were given to the club to sell. It was his wish that any money from the sale of those items be used at Pass Lake. I packaged the flies in groups of twelve and sold them to club members over a period of many months. Finally, the money was combined which went into the CD which is part of our treasury. To honor Louie s wishes, the money may only be used for purchases that enhance or improve Pass Lake. The picnic table at the boat launch is an example of something that he would approve. I remember the graveside services when it was asked if anyone had something to remember about Louie. I related the story about how Enos Bradner, long time Outdoor Editor of the Seattle times, introduced Louie (around 1940) to a group of friends as The Mayor of Pass Lake. As I finished the story Enid turned around and smiled as a thank you for the anecdote and remembering. New Member: By: John Freeman Tom Yaun Joins the Fidalgo Fly Fishers at the April 2018 Meeting Bruce Freet, Tom Yaun, Danny Beatty and Bill Keeler John Freeman - Photo When asked to tell about his fly fishing experiences, Tom sent the following: I started fly fishing in 2015 when a young man came in with a string of nice crappy. I love pan fish. He caught them on a red and white fly he made himself. I went to Holiday Sport and got enough material to make it and it worked great. At the same time a friend gave me what fly tying and fishing gear he had. I had the expertise to

6 make one fly. When I saw the clubs add for the class I tried to sign up but it was full. Two years later I got in. I'm too old and don't have enough time to learn it all on my own, so I got myself a teacher. He walked up to me at a neighborhood meeting and asked Are you Tom Yaun who signed up for the fly tying class?". I replied "yes, are you taking it too?". He said "I'm the instructor". Thus, my mentor and friend Bruce Freet entered my life. I started attending club meetings in January I know a half dozen or so members from way back. I attended a few events and like the atmosphere, friendliness and helpfulness of the group. I was also impressed by the leadership of the club and the culture they foster. Fly fishing and tying is my new hobby and field of study. Every fishing trip presents a new fly to tie and a new critter to learn about. I created a new fly out of my imagination and tried it on Pass Lake. It was very successful. What a thrill! Thank you Fidalgo Flyfishers for the class, the club and the tradition you uphold and represent. Tom Yaun Up Coming Events: Note: Please check the Outings and Event page on the web site, things get added from time to time. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER ALL! Pass Lake Fish Census: By: Bruce Freet Preliminary Results of the Pass Lake Fish Census, Spring 2018 Here are the preliminary results of our Pass Lake Fish Census from March 17 through 31 st. We had the same number of volunteers and number of fishing trips as last year, but only about 60 % of the fish were caught. Our sample size of 131 was far less than we had hoped. While there were less fish caught per hour, the rainbow trout 15 inches and longer were heavier, as was the case last year. So, the trade-off continued --- more rainbows and smaller sizes or less rainbows and larger! We only caught 6 brown trout, and if we consider past years data, most of us are not specifically fishing for them. Mark Wilbert from the Whidbey Island club caught the largest rainbow at 19 inches 2 ¼ lbs., and Bruce Freet caught the largest brown trout at 20 inches and 3 lbs. Gary Molenaar of Mount Vernon contributed the most volunteer hours and caught the most fish. Jeff Geibig of Anacortes was a major contributor to the fish census as well. Members from the Fourth Corner, Whidbey Island, and Evergreen fly fishing clubs participated too. These results are preliminary because they haven t been analyzed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) yet nor compared with their gill netting data, which they do every year since we started the catch and release fish census in The WDFW has changed their fish stocking rates as a result of our involvement and data collection. Thanks to our Pass Lake Fish Census Committee for helping make this year s census a success: Robin LaRue; Loren Greenwood; Dave Nunnally; Ryan Johnson; and Bruce Freet. Measuring our effort:

7 Period Sampled Number of Participants Number of Trips Total Hours Total Fish % RB % BR Spring % 7% 1.5 Fall % 9% 0.9 Spring % 15% 1.3 Spring % 16% 0.9 Spring % 16% 1.2 Spring % 5% 0.8 Measuring fish growth: length in inches and weight in ounces. Rainbow Catch Data Total RB % over 16" Largest Avg Length 14" Avg 15" Avg Fish/ Hour 16" Avg Spring % 17 1/2" Fall % 20" Spring % 17 1/2" 14.0 insuff. data Spring % 19 3/ Spring % 23 (3 lbs) Spring % Brown Trout Catch Data Total Browns % over 16" Largest Brown Avg Length 14" Avg 15" Avg 16" Avg Spring % 19 ½ 16.6 Spring % Spring % Spring % 21 (4 lbs) Spring % Insuff. data Insuff. data Insuff. data 25

8 OUR SOUND, OUR SALMON: By: Denis Wilson The World's Largest Legislative Removal of Net Pens Patrick Myers, Outreach & Development On March 22nd, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed HB2957 into law, an act that will effectively ban the practiceof open-water Atlantic salmon aquaculture in Washington state. Wild Fish Conservancy is proud to have played a major role in this victory. For years, we ve followed the movements of the net pen industry, studied its impacts on the marine environment, and organized to raise public awareness and advocate for policy change. This background of work culminated in our formation of the Our Sound, Our Salmon coalition nearly a year ago, a diverse partnership of 109 businesses and organizations alongside more than 12,000 individuals. Under the banner of Our Sound, Our Salmon, WFC worked diligently to organize a peaceful floating protest in Rich Passage, held the industry accountable in the aftermath of the Cypress Island Net Pen Disaster, and developed materials and research to help inform key decision makers. We find it heartening that a measure to protect wild fish, killer whales, and coastal communities was passed in large part due to the outspoken voices of concerned citizens, the very citizens to which our public waters belong. In the coming months, expect to see WFC continue to raise awareness of the threats posed by Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV), a virus that was found in every tested escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound. Expect to see WFC stay the course with its lawsuit holding Cooke Aquaculture accountable for its transgressions. Most importantly, expect to see WFC standing in firm solidarity with our neighbors to the north, and doing everything in our power to assist them in their own efforts in their own efforts to remove Atlantic salmon net pens from their public waters.

9 Boats for sale: By: Bill Keeler We received a generous donation from a gentleman in the Biz Point area of Fidalgo Island. After many years of fly fishing and rod building, he wanted to pass on a few things to the Fidalgo Fly Fishers. As you can see in the photo, he donated a 10 Smith Brothers wooden pram. He bought the unfinished boat from the Samish Island boat makers several years ago and personalized it with his finishing touches. The boat will need a good cleaning and a new set of oars, but is very water worthy. Secondly, the fine gentleman donated a customized 8 Buck s Bags Bronco edition pontoon boat. He built boxes, rod holders and access plates to accessorize the sturdy and trustworthy pontoon boat. The bladders seem to hold air quite well and can be topped off with the available double acting hand pump and connections. The boat comes with a good set of oars and flippers. These boats will be offered for sale to the members of the FFF club and the proceeds will go to the club. The Board will discuss the asking prices for the boats, we will communicate that as soon as possible. Expect to see more on these boats in the very near future, they are likely to be on display at some of the upcoming outings. So, start saving those pennies, digging for loose change in your sofa or consider selling your rubber band collection to raise funds for one or both of these boats.

10 Photo s of the Month: By: Carl Hendricks Great view of fellow members and their boats Fly Shops: The Confluence Fly Shop 2620 N. Harbor Loop Drive #9 Bellingham, WA (360)