Spokane Fly Fishers April, 2011

Transcription

1 Spokane Fly Fishers April, 2011 APRIL 13th MEETING: 6PM TO 9PM (or Until the Questions End or We Get Tired) FLY FISHING EXTRAVAGANZA By Gale Allen and Dean Knudsen Our April meeting will feature representatives from Washington and Idaho Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the Forest Service, fly shops and fly tiers. This year the Club has attempted to make many of the booths a bit more hands-on. Not only will you be able to talk with Fish and Wildlife and fly shop representatives about fishing area lakes and rivers, but we'll have more information and one on one contact about techniques in fly tying, knots and knot testing, and fishing nontraditional species for our area including pike, carp and bass. We'll have tiers that are well acquainted with tying parachute hackle, deer hair, and foam as well as a table set up for beginners to tie their first fly. You'll be able to learn to tie a certain knot and test its strength or test the strength of knots you currently use. One can learn about one man pontoon boats and pontoon boat safety and meet artist Deanna Camp who donated many renderings for last months conservation raffle. Of course, Chris Donley has again graciously agreed to cap our evening with his annual stocking and fishing report for all of our local lakes. Please come and also enjoy a break during the evening (5 to 7) while eating a hot dog or sausage served with chips and a soft drink. This will be a busy and informative time. Experts have been lined up this year to answer your questions. Take advantage of their knowledge, it s a quick way to jump start resolution of a problem or question area. The meeting will begin at 6PM and we have planned for it to culminate around 9PM. See you there. OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Board Position 1 Board Position 2 Board Position 3 Past President Sgt. At Arms Mike Berube Kurt Tempel Gale Allen Bob Kowal Gail Bailey Klaus Rissmann Dan Wight Mike Melmoth Contact us at: P. O. Box 4141 Spokane, WA Or sffishers@comcast.net COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Programs: Kurt Tempel Barbless Flyer Editor: Linda Howe Conservation: Mike Keegan Outings Don Tietz Membership Mary Kovatch Fly Fishing School: Mike Melmoth Librarian: Robert Stock Project Healing Waters: Tim Reed FFF Liaison: Dan Ferguson Beg. Fly Tying: Betty Smith-Lambert Int. Fly Tying: Dan Ferguson Club Chef: Carla Ferguson Volunteer Coordinator: Judy Kaufman AROUND THE BEND April 9-10, Clarkfork Outing April 13, SFF Meeting EXTRAVAGANZA 6 PM TO 9 PM April 20, SFF Board Meeting 6:30 PM April 30, Pontoon Safety Class

2 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 2 PREZ SEZ By: Mike Berube March was a very busy month for our club. It started off with our annual Conservation Raffle. We had about 150 members and guests show up and win some really nice items. We raised $ which will go towards our conservation efforts. A special thank goes to Mike Keegan and his committee, they did a great job organizing and running the event. Thank you Carla for your awesome enchilada, rice and beans dinner. Everyone loved them. The annual fly fishing school got underway also this month and will run until the end of April. Except for the boiler breaking down in the school hall, causing some of the 60+ students to wear gloves and mittens, the school is going smoothly. We also had our first outings of the season, see reports in this flyer for information on them. This month's meeting, our annual Extravaganza should be a lot fun and very informative. Gale Allen and his committee have put together a great program for us, plan on attending this show. Honorary Memberships Awarded: I wanted to get this into last month's Barbless but we had limited room. I am happy to announce the SFF Board has granted Honorary Memberships to Leroy Hyatt and Bob Newman due to their contributions and donations to the club. If you see them at a meeting say hi and welcome them to the club. MEMBERSHIP Mary Kovatch, Membership Chair There are four new people who have joined the Club this month. They are: Bob Bates, Yves Nievergelt, Jon Wittry, and Steve Wright. Please give them warm welcome. DUES Don t forget that your dues are payable by May 31, If you pay by then your dues are paid for the year You may pay at the April meeting by check or cash, or you may mail your check to: Spokane Fly Fishers at P.O. Box 4141, Spokane, WA There was a renewal form enclosed in the March newsletter. DIRECTORY The new Directory will come out in September this year, not in April as in the past. This is so that the Directory can be more up to date. If you have need of any Roster information, do not hesitate to contact me: , or kovamare@msn.com RELEASE OF LIABILITY WAIVER FORM If you plan to attend any club functions, you need to sign the Waiver Form. These are available at the meetings, along with a list of those who have already signed. You only need to sign a form ONCE, you do not need to sign one every year.

3 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 3 CONSERVATION CORNER By: Mike Keegan CONSERVATION DAY AT COLVILLE NATIONAL FOREST The conservation project for Colville National Forest is set for June 25. It will likely be on Sherman Creek for tree planting. We are also expected to fish to gather information for the Sherman Creek fishery. FISH IN THE CLASSROOM Seven schools are now participating in our area which extends from Tekoa to Valley to Mead. The release of the fish is set for Thursday April 28th at Liberty Lake. Our club is assigned to fly casting sessions for about 100 students in groups of 10 each. The sessions start at 10:00 AM and go to 1:10 PM. We need several more volunteers for a total of 10. A signup sheet will be at the April meeting. CONSERVATION RAFFLE REPORT Gross receipts were $4800 with 139 ticket buyers. 148 items were raffled off including 16 trips and 5 floating devices. We had 63 donors. Many thanks to all who contributed and participated. SPOKANE RIVER SIGNAGE Spokane Fly Fisher member, Dean Knudsen, took the initiative for signage notifying the public about the Closure for the Spokane River below Monroe St. Bridge and above Upriver Dam. A total of 30 signs are planned. These will be 3" X 10" and will be posted on kiosks and existing signposts. HANGMAN CREEK TREE PLANTING Spokane Fly Fishers is donating $300 for purchasing willow trees to plant on Hangman Creek between Latah and Waverly. This is part of an effort for fishery restoration. When we know a date for the planting, club members will be informed. DONATION THANK YOU By: Dan Ferguson Our thanks to Keith Barton of "Singlebarbed" fame for his generous scissor donation for our tying programs. Be sure to check out for an entertaining and informative site with daily blogs. I've used the 6th finger scissors for a few months and like them for my smaller detailed flies.

4 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 4 ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2011/2012 The nominating committee has the following candidates to present for your consideration. President Mike Berube Vice-President Kurt Tempel Secretary Sheri Patano Treasurer Gale Allen Board Position 1 Brad Thompson 3 year term Board Position 2 Dan Wight 2 years remaining term Board Position 3 Klaus Rissmann 1 year remaining term Sgt at Arms to be appointed by new president Nominations from the floor will be accepted at the April meeting before the vote except for Board Positions 2 and 3. as they are unexpired terms. Installation of the newly elected officers will be at the May Awards Picnic. SFF AWARDS PICNIC MAY 14TH, 2011, STARTING AT 10 AM By: Kurt Tempel Come join in for our end of year potluck picnic and annual awards presentation at Clear Lake. Food, friends, and fun promise to be the theme for this year's event. We've reserved a covered pavilion at the Fairchild AFB Recreation Area (just in case it rains) next to the water's edge. We'll have games for all--perhaps even a long-distance casting competition for those who want to participate. Cost is $5.00 per family (or single person)--payable the day of the picnic. Our club is providing burgers, brats and soft drinks. Feel free to bring other beverages of your choice. We'll circulate a signup sheet at the April meeting so we can get a rough head-count of who's attending. For potluck side dishes, salads and desserts request families bring food according to the following plan: Last Name-A-G Side dish, H-O Desserts, P-Z Salads. This event is a family and children friendly event so bring your spouse and the kids and enjoy. For those who want to launch a boat at the Fairchild marina and fish a couple of hours before the picnic, gates open at Remember, Kid's Fishing Day is the week prior at this location and there will probably still be hungry trout hanging around. Contact me or Mike Berube for more information. Hope to see you all there! 2011 FLY FISHING SCHOOL ATTENDEES The school is now in full swing. The attendees this year are: Nedra Bayne, Ken & Susan Beck, Cheryl and Bob Brandt, Martin Brown, Darin Burt, James Carrick, Claudia Carrigan, Edward Chezem, Deanna & Jim Christiansen, Don Connell, Jackson Cooper, Ralph Coston, Gary Davis, Tom Davis, Dave Dixon, Brian Durheim, Larry Gardner, Cathryn & Paul Gibb, Caryn & Steve Goodman, Julie Henry, Dave Johnson, Eric Kincanon, Ellen & Mike Kirschbaum, Mike Klungland, Bert Lomax, Jim Mark, Lamont Miles, Ken Moore, John Morrow, Mike & Zach Natwick, Chris Nerison, Mike Norwood, Carlton Oakes, Celene Olgeirsson, Chuck Olsen, Jeremy Roewe, Ella Rowan, Cheryl & Dave Sampson, William Sander, James Sawyer, Dave Schwartz, Norm Scott, Wally Sharpe, Brian Singer, Don Spencer, Nancy Thom, Anita Tuider, David Wells, Gary West, Jon Wittry, and Don Yates.

5 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 5 NEW MEMBERS THANKFUL Celene Olgeirsson and myself Brian Durheim (we helped sell raffle tickets at the conservation event), would like to thank the club, and Wholesale Sports for their generous donation of the 9' pontoon cataraft. Being new members and new to fly fishing, this really gave us a great opportunity to get out on the water sooner. We have attached a photo taken the night of the drawing. We would also thank the other members who gave so generously to make the conservation raffle such a successful event. We look forward to participating in the events sponsored by the club. See you on the water. PONTOON SAFETY COURSE - APRIL 28TH By: Don Tietz Do you have it all figured out when you re on the water in a pontoon boat? Maybe, on occasion, you have a question.. How can I maneuver around a lake a bit more easily? I really would like to do some river fishing but I m just not that confident (but I wouldn t admit that to ANYONE!!) on moving water. What s the big issue with water safety. I can swim REALLY WELL! If you have questions or feel you could use a refresher on pontoon maneuvering and safety why don t you join us on April 28 th for the start of a three part session of Spokane Fly Fishers Pontoon Safety Class. On Thursday, April 28 th we will have our classroom session at 7:00 PM. During the classroom session we will provide a basic understanding of: Knowing your water craft, Rigging to Float, Water Terminology, Maneuvering your boat, Whitewater Ratings, Reading Water, Water Safety and River Etiquette. On Saturday April 30th there will be, for those attending the class, an on the water session at Medical Lake at 10:00 AM. Here you will get hands on experience and training from experienced members of our club. You will get an opportunity to see the setup of a pontoon boat and recommended safety equipment and put the skills of maneuvering your boat into practice. After completion of the lake on the water class a river session will be planned covering river specific issues. The training team will notify you when this session will be. The timing depends on river conditions. We will do our best to schedule the river session as soon as we can safely be on the river. For club members who are not enrolled in the Spokane Fly Fishers School that would like to attend these classes please contact Don Tietz at or come to the Pontoon Safety Booth at the Extravaganza at the April club meeting to sign up. There will be a $10.00 fee for those not enrolled in the Fly Fishing School to cover material costs including a booklet on the classroom lesson plan.

6 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 6 COFFEE POT OUTING REPORT Saturday, March 19, 2011 By: Judy Kaufman If I hadn t been the host of the outing I wouldn t have gone. I m glad I was the hostess. Yes, the snow stopped, the skies cleared, the sun shone and the wind blew (a little). It was the typical beginning of a Coffee Pot Outing. Seven members showed up. We all caught fish. The fish, Rainbows, were good size, anywhere from 17 to 20 inches. Largemouth Bass were also caught. The water was cold, in some places only 38 degrees. The fish definitely preferred the warmer water. Black, brown, green Woolly Buggers in various sizes took fish. There was no interest in Chironomids. I m sure this will change as the water warms. Thanks to those that offered a warm drink to the hostess and especially to Paul Olsen who brought Hostess Donettes to the hostess. SPOKANE KIDS FISHING (Look out, casting for the 1 st time, bobber disappears, Fish On!!) CLEAR LAKE, SATURDAY, MAY 7 AM OR UNTIL YOU WANT TO QUIT By: Judy Kaufman Hooks are baited, the command to START FISHING is given and immediately the air is filled with red and white bobbers. As soon as the bobbers hit the water they disappear and lots of children have hooked their first fish. There are excited shouts as the fish are landed. This is what the SPOKANE KIDS FISHING program is all about, getting kids interested in fishing and involved in outdoor activities. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council present the event. The Spokane Fly Fishers, other fishing, youth organizations and businesses help sponsor this event monetarily and with heartfelt labor. KIDS FISHING begins at 8AM and ends at 3. Between those hours 1,000 children, ages 5 14, fish for 30 minutes or catch 3 fish, whichever comes first. Every child catches at least one fish. For a $10 registration fee, the child fishes, receives a T- shirt and a Zebco rod and reel. Volunteers are needed to help with the fishing, handing out the equipment and fish cleaning (the kids may keep the fish or donate them to a homeless shelter). If you volunteer to help you must be at Clear Lake at the Air Force Camping Area by 7:00 AM on May 7 th. Breakfast for a fee is served starting at 6:00. The Spokane Fly Fishers volunteers meet at the Iron Skillet at the Petro Truck Stop at the Medical Lake Exit at 6 AM for breakfast. Volunteering at this event is fun!! You get to help many kids catch their first fish, and with families and friends cheer for them, and, of course, take pictures. Sign up at the April meeting or call Judy You may obtain entry forms electronically by Googling Spokane Kids Fish forms.

7 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 7 HEADS UP (FROM THE MARCH 18, 2011, SPOKESMAN REVIEW) Anglers might want to consider purchasing a fishing license before current licenses expire March 31 at midnight. New licenses will be needed April 1. In addition, all anglers must return their catch-record cards by April 30, even if nothing is caught or they did not fish. MC GINNIS LAKE OUTING HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF HOST. BADGER LAKE OUTING WEDNESDAY MAY 18th - 4:00 PM Host: Mike Berube Hey folks this should be a great outing! The weather should be a bit more settled by then and conditions should be at their best to catch some nice rainbows. Access to this lake is great, easy to launch a pontoon boat, float tube or regular fishing boat. This would be a great time to work on your boat operator skills to prepare for some of the more challenging water at later outings this year. Two years ago we held our 1 Fly Contest here and lots of fish were taken. The number one pattern at the contest was the Olive Willy followed closely by the Damsel Fly Nymph and Rickard s Stillwater Nymph in sizes Do a search on the internet for recipes to tie these patterns, they re all easy ties. Don t rule out the chironomid for this lake. You might want to be ready with a floating line and a full sink line. To get there follow these directions (or use your GPS): Take I-90 west to the Cheney Exit. Go through town and turn left on South Cheney Plaza Road. Follow the road for 8 10 miles until you get to Williams Lake Rd and turn right. Follow the road until you see South Badger Lake Rd, turn right again. You ll see the lake on your right, follow the road until you see the public access/boat ramp sign on your right. Turn right down the dirt road and you soon be at the access area. The rest rooms will be on your right when you get to the upper parking area, this is a good time for a pit stop before you head down to the lake. Rig up and start fishing! There will be a sign up sheet for this and all of our other outings at the meetings, please sign up then. Contact Mike Berube at or at tytlynz@gmail.com if you have any questions.

8 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 8 ONE FLY CONTEST - MAY21st AT WEST MEDICAL LAKE Host: Dan Wight Basically the rules are: choose one barbless fly, catch and release as many fish as possible between 10 AM and 1:30 PM, count the number of fish caught and record the length of the longest (for tie breaking purposes). If you lose the fly you originally tied on, count only the fish caught to that point for contest purposes. You may continue to fish with another fly but those fish can't be used for the contest. Registration begins at 9:30 AM. The fees will be the same as last year - $5 for members and $10 for non-members. The West Medical Lake access is just past the old Butlers Boathouse at the south end of the lake. West Medical is one of our better producing lakes and is an easy drive out Interstate 90 west of Spokane. To get there from the freeway take the Medical lake exit westbound which is Hallett Road ( #902) to the town of Medical lake and go south (left) on #902 which is main street I believe and go right on out of town and around the little lake Medical lake to Fancher Road, which is the westbound road that goes by West Medical Lake. The access is easily visible. If you miss the exit you can get off the freeway at Salnave Road which is the Southern end of Route #902 and will take you back up to Medical Lake. The flies for this lake are simple and include buggers, Carey Specials, Six Pack, Olive Willy's, damsel fly patterns and Stillwater nymphs, chironomids and mayfly emergers and drys if a hatch happens along the shores. But generally it's a wet fly show. One of, if not the most popular of our outings, we will have burgers after the fishing. Sign up is important as the head count will make shopping easier. If you like something special with your burger, salads and such, bring that if you wish! I sure hope all our famous helpers will appear as this years host is "organizationally challenged". Please bring chairs as we are always short of them. It is not comfortable to eat standing up. If it floats, it'll work here with a PFD. Float tubes are easy to launch on the ramp, as well as boats and pontoons. It can be breezy so come prepared, you call always take it off. This is the perfect place to practice your techniques and test that 5 or 6 weight rod. THIS IS A GREAT PICNIC. Sign up for the ONE FLY CONTEST at the next club meeting of call our host, Dan Wight, at , if you have any questions.

9 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 9 KAMLOOPS LAKE OUTING - JUNE 2 5 HOSTS: Judy Kaufman and Mike Berube We will be having a quick informational meeting on this outing at our next monthly meeting. Plan on meeting at approximately 5:30 PM during the Extravaganza. Outing Base Camp: Roche Lake Provincial Park, West Campground. Campsites are limited, primitive (no hook-ups), no reservations are allowed. There is also a resort at the lake if you prefer more comfy accommodations, there web address is: You can make camping reservations here, $35.00 per night for two people, $5.00 for each additional person. Phone number is We're excited to have this area on our outings schedule this year. In recent memory the club hasn't ventured this far into beautiful BC for quite a while. A quick search on the internet will reveal why we want to explore this area. Since nobody in the club is very familiar with this area it is a true exploratory trip on our part. And it is quite a trip, about 7 1/2 hours. From the Roche Lake Campground we'll fish Roche Lake first then plan our strategy for the next couple of days. You will need some sort of watercraft, a pontoon boat or small fishing boat will get the job done. Some of the lakes will have restrictions so plan on not being able to use a gas motor or even an electric trolling motor. For fly patterns, have your chironomids, damsel fly nymphs, bloodworms, leeches, woolly buggers, and dragon fly nymphs ready. For equipment plan on bringing your 5-7 wt rods with floating and sinking lines. A burger and hot dog dinner will be provided by the club on Saturday evening. Please plan on bringing a side dish, salad or dessert to the dinner. Entry and exit into Canada should be a breeze for you providing you have one of the following: a valid US passport or WA Enhanced Drivers License/Enhanced ID. Check out the following sites: (then select Canada) A BC freshwater fishing license is required. Specific information can be found at this site: We will have to buy a Non-resident Alien License, either $20.00 per day or an 8 day for $ Whichever works for you.

10 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page 10 WILLIAMS LAKE OUTING - JUNE 8, PM Host: Fred Howe Williams Lake is located South of Cheney. To get there, take the Cheney exit off I-90 (highway 904). Follow through town to Mullinix Road which is about one mile West of Cheney. Turn left (South) on Mullinix Road to Williams Lake Road. It s about 10 miles. Turn Left (East) and look for the sign for the public launch. Take that road to the parking and launch area. This outing starts at 5 PM. A boat, pontoon boat of some type of float is needed to fish this lake. If you have any questions, call Fred Howe at Many of the new members have signed up for this outing and mentors have been requested; so, we would like a lot of the more experienced members to come and assist. For new fisherman, mentors will be available to answer any questions and assist those who would like it. WASHINGTON FLY FISHING FAIR AND EXPO When: April 29 th and 30 th Where: Ellensburg, WA. Kittitas County Fair grounds The Washington State Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers will be holding its annual Fly Fishing fair this 29 th and 30 th of April in Ellensburg Washington. If you have ever wondered what fly-fishing is all about then you don t want to miss this upcoming event. There will be something for everyone. Some of what will be available will be one hour free seminars, tying demonstrations, casting games and casting classes. A number of vendors will be on site to show you what is new in the world of fly fishing and the gear that will help you become a better angler. If you have not been to an event such as this you are missing out on something special. You will see some of the best from the Pacific Northwest show you their skills and help you through the games and classes. You can learn more if you access the web site listed below: The Washington State Council is a 501 C 3 organization and profits from the fair help with their ongoing conservation and education efforts for the fisheries of Washington State. If you want more information, or have any questions, contact Dan Ferguson at

11 THE BARBLESS FLYER Page OUTINGS SCHEDULE Chairman: Don Tietz DATE OUTING HOST RATING/EXPLANATION 3/19 Coffeepot Lake Judy Kaufman 1: Could be cold and windy 3/26 Amber Lake Mike Melmoth 1 4/9-4/10 Clarkfork Don Tietz 2: Float: Bridge abutments Small rapids, obstacles 4/16-4/17 McGinnis Lake CANCELLED 1 4/30 Pontoon Safety Still Water Class at Medical Lake 1 5/7 Kid s Fishing Day 5/18 Badger Lake Mike Berube 1 5/21 One Fly Contest West Medical Lake Dan Wight 1 5/21-5/22 Bailey/McDowell CANCELLED 1 6/2-6/5 Kamloops Area Lakes J. Kaufman, Mike Berube 1 6/8 Williams Lake Fred Howe 1 6/11 Coffeepot Lake NEED HOST 1 6/18-6/19 Grande Ronde Carolyn Sells 4: Wade: slick rocks, boulders, visibility. 4: Float: Low fast water, Obstacles 6/18-6/19 N. Fork of CDA Mike Melmoth 2; Wading 6/25-6/26 Blackfoot River Carolyn Sells 3: Float: obstacles, sweepers 6/25 Conservation Outing Mike Keegan 7/8-7/10 Georgetown Lake Gale Allen 1 7/16 Spokane River Judy Kaufman 3: Float: rapids, obstacles, Sweepers 3: Wade: slick 7/22-7/24 Kelly Creek Jim and Lisa Hudson 3: Wade: access, slick 8/5-8/7 St. Joe River Dan &Carla Ferguson 1-3 Wade: some locations 8/20-8/21 Kootenai River Dan Wight 2-3 Float: rapids 9/10-9/11 Clark Fork River NEED HOST 2: Float: bridge abutments, Small rapids, obstacles 9/16-9/18 Missouri River Carolyn Sells 2: Float: obstacles 10/1 Spokane River J. Kaufman/T. Reed 3: Float: rapids, obstacles, Sweepers 3: Wade: slick 10/1510/16 Grande Rhonde Carolyn Sells 4: Wade: slick rocks, Boulders, visibility 4: Float: Low fast water, Obstacles. For Outing Ratings, please see the February Barbless or check the website. Some of the outings listed above need hosts, or will be cancelled.. If you can be of assistance, please call the Outings Chairman, Don Tietz, at

12 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 APRIL 13, 2011 EXTRAVAGANZA FROM 6 PM TO 9 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.