Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers, 257 North Main, Pocatello, Idaho 83204, Google SEIFF. President s Message

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1 Club Chronicle Since 1972, promoting the sport of fly fishing March 2015 Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers, 257 North Main, Pocatello, Idaho 83204, Google SEIFF I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E President s Message March Club Meeting Fly of the Month Calendar of Events Reservoir Snow Levels Pocatello s Fly Tying Guild February Board Meeting Winter Fishing the Midge Casting About Fly Fishing Expo Taylor s Hot Spot Fishing License Proposal I experienced a great midge hatch on the Big Lost River yesterday President s Message Dear Members, Friends and All Interested Parties, Before I go on with anything else, I have to give you my Daylight Report. I left Idaho Falls last night at 6:15 PM and it was still light not a lot of light, but at least enough light to make the drive back to Tyhee a bit easier and a little more pleasurable. I pulled in to my driveway at just about 7:00 PM and looking off to the west (very far west I might add) I could still see a hint of orange from the sun that had set almost 45 minutes earlier. For me, this does nothing but brighten my spirits and anticipation for longer days and warmer weather. We are through the worst of it now. I do realize that our winter here in Southeast Idaho has been unseasonably warm, but still things should be getting even better as we move through the Ides of February and finally into the blustery days of March. I am an optimist.let s hope it just gets better and better as we progress through the spring. Winter fishing this year has been good overall. Warmer temperatures have made fly rodding bearable to the point of even not wearing gloves. I experienced a great midge hatch on the Big Lost River yesterday. No fish up on the midges yet, but I would expect that to start happening any time soon. It is extremely difficult to go to work when it will be 60 degrees and sunny on a day in FEBRUARY!!!! Nevertheless there are people that say going to work is an import part of what gives us worth and a purpose..well those people must not be fishermen. I mean really.60 degrees in February and I can t go fishing! A truly great philosopher once said that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. Now that is some truly outstanding philosophizing. I am going to go with that guy. (may be it was a woman) I ll go with her too!!!! It was great once again for SEIFF to be part of the eighth annual Sportsmen against Hunger campaign. This year s fundraiser was held at the new Cal Ranch store on Saturday January 31. Donations this year surpassed any of the last 7 years. Many thanks go out to all members that manned our booth and those club members that came and visited and donated to the cause. Pocatello s Western States Caterpillar Company will match the donated amount of $3, and that amount will be given to the Idaho Food Bank. The Idaho Food Bank in turn, with the $ , will provide as many as 5 meals per donated dollar to hungry members of the community Sportsmen against Hunger Cal Ranch Store Thanks to SEIFF and all community members that have made this endeavor such a success. Very Sincerely, Tom Banyas, President-SEIFF Clicking on this icon will connect you to the SEIFF website for more information about this topic.

2 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 2 Upcoming Club Program State of the Waters The March 12 th, 2015 meeting of the Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers should prove to be both entertaining and informational. Again, Mr. Dave Teuscher, Region 5 fisheries biologist for the Idaho Fish and Game Department will be here to give his perspectives on the upcoming fishing season here in Southeast Idaho. Dave brings a wealth of expertise and experience to this meeting, which has become a yearly event. This could be the 10 th year for a member of the IDFG to give SEIFF the annual rundown on what the prospects will be for all of the great fishing to be had literally in our own backyard. Of particular interest to many club members is what impact current snow levels will have on the many lakes and reservoirs in our area. Last year, many reservoirs were drawn down to critical levels, due to high irrigation demand and only a nominal snow season for the winter of Some drainages experienced above average snowpack, while others (especially in the lower elevations) received far less. Hopefully, Southeast Idaho will have received ample moisture to ensure good fishing throughout the entire 2015 season. If you are a fisherperson that has questions on a particular lake, reservoir, stream or river, I urge you to attend Questions from a fisherman s perspective could include information on such areas as: Chesterfield Reservoir, Twenty-four mile, Daniels, the Blackfoot Reservoir (pelicans), the Upper Blackfoot River, American Falls Reservoir and the Snake River below the reservoir. These are just a few of the many fishing possibilities that are offered for our enjoyment throughout the year. Another aspect of Mr. Teuscher s State of the Waters presentation will also include information on both the Edson Fichter Pond in south Pocatello and the newly constructed pond in the Wellness center off of Bench Road and Chubbuck Road. This new complex, when completed will be an exciting edition to the areas parks and will be something Pocatello residents will be proud of and use for many years to come. If the Edson Fichter pond is any indication of how popular of an urban fishery is, then the new complex pond should prove to be more of the same. If you are a fisherperson that has questions on a particular lake, reservoir, stream or river, this is the meeting that I urge you to attend. Our collaboration with the Region 5 IDFG has been an excellent one, and one in which I expect to continue for long into the future. The Thursday March 12th meeting will be held at The Portneuf River Outfitters Fly fishing store located at 257 North Main St. in Old Town Pocatello. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM. As always, The SEIFF club meetings are free to the public and open to anyone that has like interests and concerns. Club meetings are held the second Thursday of each month from October thru April. The Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers are a not for profit organization and are a Trout Unlimited chapter club. Becoming a member of Trout Unlimited will automatically place you as a member in the Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers. Sincerely, Tom Banyas, programs guy for SEIFF

3 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 3 Fly of the Month The Sandy Mite Tom Dial Contributor This fly was designed and originally tied by Franz Potts. This fly is a classic and is near impossible to find in many fly shops, unless the shop has a tier that can tie a few of them for their bins. I recently came upon tying instructions on the International Federation of Fly Fishers web site. It is the featured fly of the month for the IFF in January. The fly is tied at their website by our local fly tying officiando Chuck Collins. On the website he shows a simplified version of this classic. As many of you may recall it is tied with horse mane hair and embroidery floss. Although the pattern says you can use thread, I prefer the embroidery floss I have also used red & green floss. My father first introduced me to it many years ago as a teenager. We fished it and two other Pott s patterns The Sandy Mite, & The Dyna Mite (black horse mane and red floss) in the Coffee Pots and lower Box Canyon Sections of the Henry s Fork. The Dyna Mite was my one of my favorites Pott s flies. They were truly deadly. My feeling is that the Pott s patterns work best in a non-spring creek environment, faster waters, etc. I still fish it from time to time on the Madison, Box Canyon, The Firehole (it can be deadly there if you clip off the horse mane wings and substitute a brown soft hackle. It is neat to see one of l local tiers tie this pattern on a national website. Our club truly has some of the best tiers ANYWHERE. Great job Chuck!! The address is: Fedflysifhers.ort/Tying/FlyoiftheMonth.aspx Dates to Remember -Upcoming Events General Membership Meeting program State of the Water by Idaho Fish & Game Board of Directors Meeting, Portneuf River Outfitters, 207 N. Main, Pocatello, Idaho Wasatch Fly Tying and Fishing Expo, South Towne Expo Center, Sandy, Utah General Membership Meeting Bob Jacklin Board of Directors Meeting, Portneuf River Outfitters, 207 N. Main, Pocatello, Idaho : Idaho Falls Fly Fishing Expo, Shilo Inn Federation of Flyfishers, International Fair, Bend Oregon, for more information see: Materials List Hook: #4-16(10) Mustad 3906 Thread: 6/0 Black Weave: Orange embroidery floss or size A thread Body: Light brown horse mane hair Hackle: Light brown horse mane hair (same as body) Sandy Mite

4 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 4 Reservoirs Snow Levels Reservoir Levels in the surrounding watersheds as of February 20, 2015: HENRYS LAKE 99% ISLAND PARK RES 85% AMERICAN FALLS RES 78% LITTLE WOOD RES 52% JACKSON LAKE 77% PALISADES RES 81% RIRE RES 59% Source: usbr.gov/pn/hydromat/gurtea.html Bureau of Reclamation Snow Levels: Feb Feb HENRY S FORK 98% 108% SNAKE RIVER-PALISADES 110% 129% BLKFT-PORTNEUF BASINS 87% 97% BEAR RIVER 86% 111% BIG WOOD 95% 86% LITTLE WOOD 85% 69% BIG LOST 92%-101% 75% Source: idwr.idaho.govwaterinfomration/watersupply/swe/snowwater-maps.htm Idaho Department of Water Resources For further information, see: David Ashby s article in the Idaho State Journal, 21 February 2015, p A4. Dave notes that according to Alex DeSmet (the meteorologist for the NWS s Pocatello Office) the snowpack is in good shape and pretty much where we want it to be. Dave s article also points out the reservoirs are in good shape, most are higher than normal, except Blackfoot and Bear Lake reservoirs are slightly below average, which is reflected in the numbers above indicating that the Bear River Basin has 15% less snow level in 2015 as compared to In fact the snow levels in almost all water basins show a drop below last year s levels. Comparing the Snow Water Equivalency Tables for 2012 to 2015 (See: Idaho Water Resources Web Site, set out above) the snow equivalency levels in 2014 are similar to those in 2013 with a few notable exceptions (namely the Big Lost water basin which was 112% of normal in 2013). Thus, it is good news most of the reservoirs are in good shape because as you can see the snow pack in 2015 is below 2014 s numbers. Some optimism is held out for the weather models for the next three months predict above average precipitation for increased amounts to the snowpack levels. Pocatello s Fly Tying Guild In case many of you are not familiar with Pocatello s Informal Fly Tying Guild. If you are not, then you should, because Portneuf River Outfitters has a group of fly tiers that meet Tuesday & Thursday at PRO from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM (sometimes longer), and Saturdays, after the fly tying demo, from about 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This group is composed of all skill levels or tiers and fish tale- tellers. Bring your own equipment and spend some fun time with a great bunch of folks. Any skill level could improve just being with this friendly group. In addition to picking up some great fly tying tips on materials, equipment and patterns, you can get some great information on some great places to fish, as well. This is not a formal group, but most guilds started informally, and the members gained great information in furthering their craft and knowledge. The club is also supporting the Casting for Warriors event again this year by furnishing tied flies for the families for the fishing retreat event. Tying with the Guild would be a fun group project. Dry, wet, nymph and leech type patterns (3 of each) for a dozen flies will be arranged in a SEIFF club fly box and donated to each veteran family member. Anyone is welcome, all ages and skill levels, even if you don t tie, drop by for a cup of coffee, and join in the fun and great conversation.

5 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 5 February Board Meeting By Tom Banyas, President Attendance: Tom Banyas,Darrell Brown, Tom Dial, Pete Griffin, Bob Huerta, Denny Jones, Clyde Lowther, Bud Smalley, John Taylor and Roger Thompson. Mr. Pete Griffin was introduced and confirmed as SEIFF s new secretary. Congratulations to Pete for his willingness to be a part of SEIFF! Minutes: The minutes from the last meeting were read and accepted as read. Financial Report: Clyde Lowther reported that the current balance in the SEIFF account is $20, Casting for Warriors: Caryn Elliot from Casting for Warriors talked about next year s program and has asked for SEIFF s support in providing 15 boxes of flies for their program to use for this next year s event. The date of the retreat will be one month earlier,-august 28-30, SEIFF agreed to provide the 15 boxes of flies. Trout in the Classroom: A motion was made and seconded to reimburse Jennifer Jackson for $ for chillers repair for the Trout in the Classroom program and Tom Banyas for $ covering other necessary Trout in the Classroom supplies. Idaho Wildlife Society: SEIFF will provide a donation for the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society in the amount of $ for a combination fly rod/reel. This donation will support their fundraising efforts for this nonprofit organization. Dave Johnson s Family: The use of matching SEIFF funds for a Dave Johnson s family contribution was rescinded. Only those funds collected as donations will be given to the Johnson Family. This was done after discussion concluded that club funds for this purpose would be outside the by-laws of the chapter and our 501 (c) 3 status. The Board awarded the Club s Annual Award of Distinction to Dave. Tom and Darrell will prepare a plague with the club logo and some photos of Dave which will be presented to his family. February Board Meeting (Cont.) New Club Policy: There were no objections to the revised SEIFF policy statement regarding selection of club officers and was accepted as written. By reference the newly adopted policy is attached to these minutes (copy of the policy is available on the club website). A committee comprised of Darrell Brown, Denny Jones and Clyde Lowther has been formed to solicit prospective candidates to fill vacant office positions. Sportsmen Against Hunger Campaign: This was the most successful in all of the 8 years it has been in existence. A total of $6,462.00, that includes a matching donation by Western Equipment, was collected. The Idaho Food Bank will be able 5 meals for every donated dollar in feeding those in need within our community. A huge THANK YOU to all club members that help make this year s campaign the very best ever. ISU Fly Club: The ISU fly fishing club was contacted by Tom Banyas and a possible collaboration between the two clubs was discussed. The Board Meeting was adjourned at 8:40PM. Winter Fishing - The Midge (Cont.) Yes you may catch your share of whitefish using this technique but you will also get those trout. For some reason it seems that when you start catching whities you don t catch trout and the reverse. This might be my imagination but it sure seems that way. During the winter just catching any fish on a fly is enjoyable so suffer thru the whities and you will be amply rewarded. Tie up a few of these flies and get ready for some fun winter fishing. Variations Diptera Insects Club Program: The March 12 th, 2015 program is set for Mr. Dave Teuscher, IDFG Fisheries Manager, to give his State of the Waters presentation for the upcoming fishing season here in SE Idaho. Mr. Bob Jacklin is tentatively scheduled to give a club presentation for the April 9 th, 2015 SEIFF general club program.

6 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 6 Winter Fishing - The Midge By Buck Goodrich Winter and spring can be prime time for fishing the old midge. This little creature has been the source of frustration and enjoyment for fly fishers for as long as people have been fly fishing. Many articles have been written on the subject but most of them are not based on catching fish but instead on expounding on someone s new midge pattern. This article is about catching fish during a midge hatch. Technically speaking the midge or snow fly is a member of the order Diptera and has a complete metamorphosis (egg, larvae, pupae and adult). There are over 73,000 species in the world. Deer flies, crane flies, black fly and mosquitoes are all members of the Diptera order. The family these little guys belong to is chironomide. So much for the technical stuff lets talk fishing. First, the pattern is not important. You need three basic colors: red, gray and black. Tying the fly can easily be accomplished by your spouse or young kids. The pattern I use has a 3/32 black or copper bead on a midge hook (like Tiemco 2487) in sizes Most of the time size 16 works great. After placing the bead on the hook and putting the hook in the vise, attach a small diameter copper wire on the hook. Don t forget extension cords can be a great source of copper wire but disconnect them before you strip the insulation off. Next dub the color you desire on the hook. The dubbing material is not important. I make the red midge dubbing from acrylic yarn and mix a small amount of orange Aunt Lydias yarn with it. I don t like to use mono color dubbing so most of the time I will mix something with the base color. For gray, muskrat works well and black use acrylic yarn with a small amount of gray Aunt Lydias Yarn. Rib the body and the fly is done (the ribbing probably isn t necessary but I feel better tying the fly with more than 1 material). You can make a fancier fly but it won t work any better. Now it is time to fish this anti Atlantic Salmon Fly. You can fish dry for midges, if you like self punishment, but to catch fish you should fish wet. Most of the fish feeding around, you during a midge hatch, are not feeding on the surface. Fight your desire to fish dry! The fishing technique is an old one and apparently was developed in Montana. It uses a strike indicator (either a regular strike indicator or a good floating dry fly) and one or two flies. The flies should not be fished too deep (1 to 2 feet is typical) and of course use a floating line. Simply casting the fly upstream and getting as long of a drag free drift as possible is all it takes. When the strike indicator goes under set the hook. This technique works on lakes and reservoirs as well as moving water. (Continued on Page 5) Casting About We have had some nice, unusual weather lately. I hope all of you enjoyed it. Bluebird days. A few items of importance for you. PROGRAMS: Tom Banyas has worked hard to bring some great programs to our area and I hope that you thank him for his hard work. Boots Allen was a great program, and very well received and attended by the membership. We have two more coming that should be worth your time. Dave Teuscher will present March s program for Idaho Fish and Game. Dave is an IDFG fish biologist for our Region 5. This has been such a wellattended program that it has become an annual presentation to our group. Dave will talk about the status of the local fisheries, snow pack and fishing conditions. NO ONE does it better or is more knowledgeable. We have another outstanding program for April. It will be Bob Jacklin from West Yellowstone, Montana. What a treat that will be!!! Bob is a nationally known fly fisherman, fly tier, author, presenter, fly caster, and owner of Bob Jacklin s in West Yellowstone, Montana. The places and times for this program are set out in the Newsletter. Be sure to check your Newsletter next month for the details on the Jacklin program as we may have to change the venue for it in Appall to accommodate the anticipated attendance. OFFICERS: it is time for the board to select new officers for the next 2-year terms. A selection committee has been appointed. Members of the committee are Darrel Brown, ; Clyde Lowther, ; Vic Loiselle, It is anticipated that the slate of officers will be presented to the board at the next board meeting on 19 March So, if any you would like to be considered, please contact one of the foregoing before 19 March. I would also like to welcome and introduce the club to our new Secretary that has agreed to fill Dave Johnson s position as Club Secretary, Pete Griffin. Pete is an elementary teacher at the Roosevelt Academy charter school. He offers an after school fly tying program and built his own aquarium for raising trout in his classroom. He volunteers at the Lutheran summer church camp, Camp Perkins, by teaching fly tying and casting for a week long experience. He is married to Connie whom he met at Camp Perkins. Peter has been an avid fly fisherman for many years and enjoys his annual trips with his friends fishing for steelhead and fishing Hebgen Lake. Pete and Darrel Brown teamed up for the Casting for Warriors at Camp Perkins and were the primary instructors teaching fly tying and casting to the veterans and their families. (Continued on Page 7)

7 SEIFF Club Chronicle March 2015 Page 7 Casting About - Continued DAVE JOHNSON: The club collected approximately $350 for the Dave Johnson memorial. The Board awarded the Club s Annual Award of Distinction to Dave. We are in the process of preparing a plague with the club logo and some photos of Dave, which will be presented to his family. Thanks to all of those who donated to help out his family, who need the financial help. If any of you wish to make a donation to help out Dave s family, there is still time to go to Portneuf River Outfitters and drop off some change. Be sure to let Roger or Vic know the donation is for Dave Johnson s family. Fly Fishing Expo The Southeast Idaho Cutthroats Fly Fishing Expo will be held this year from 17 April to 18 April in Idaho Falls at the Shilo Inn. SEIFF has been a supporter of this event every year by volunteering help at the Expo and by providing boxes of flies tied by our SEIFF members for auction or raffle at the Expo. If you want to participate, the Expo fly boxes are available at Portneuf River Outfitters for you to put your hand tied flies in. They come in 3 different sizes. So, if you want to tie a dozen flies, there are the smaller boxes, medium boxes for 2 dozen or more and the larger boxes for more dry flies, streamers, terrestrials or a combination of the foregoing. Our tiers are some of the best in Southeastern Idaho. This is a chance to showcase our talent and support a great project. If you have not attended this show before, then I would make arrangements to go, take a kid, grandkid, son or daughter, because they have a great kid s program, fly tying, casting, etc. The workshops are great and some of the best tiers in the United States, including Buzak award winners, come to this show and demonstrate their ability. Many of the tiers from our club also tie and demonstrate as well. Although the workshops cost, admission to the Expo is free. Taylor s Hot Spot Big Lost River John Taylor, Newsletter Contributor The Big Lost River is the best first place for some good dry fly fishing during the spring or late winter. There should be some decent midge hatches along with b.w.o.'s! These hatches generally start around 11:00 a.m. and go to around 2:00 p.m. emergers, cdc compara duns, Griffiths Nats should be effective patterns to name a few. Fishing License Proposal Idaho Fish & Game The IDFG proposal to implement a new resident hunting/fishing/trapping license and fee increase, with a price lock for loyal license buyers has been assigned a bill number: HB m - by the House Resources and Conservation Committee. We understand that the Committee will hear the bill on the 29 th of this month. The Committee chair and members need to hear from sportsmen who support, or oppose, this proposal. Please help us spread the word that this IDFG proposal will be considered by the House Resources and Conservation Committee this week. If you could, take just a few minutes to send a message to the Committee chair and your representative expressing your position on this bill. Then, pass this on to at least one additional concerned sportsman, and ask he or she to do the same. These legislative contacts to make a difference. The House Resources and Conservation Committee is chaired by Del Raybould (draybould@house.idaho.gov), Vice Chair is Kathleen Sims (ksims@house.idaho.gov). Committee members are: Mike Moyle (mmoyle@senate.idaho.gov) Ken Andrus (kandrus@house.idaho.gov Paul Shepherd (pshepherd@house.idaho.gov) Fred Wood (fwood@house.idaho.gov) Judy Boyle (jboyle@senate.idaho.gov) John Vander Woude (jvanderwoude@house.idaho.gov) Marc Gibbs (mgibbs@house.idaho.gov) Steven Miller (smiller@house.idaho.gov) Linden Bateman (lbateman@house.idaho.gov) Van Burtenshaw (vburtenshaw@house.idaho.gov) Ron Mendive (rmendive@house.idaho.gov) Julie VanOrden (jvanorden@house.idaho.gov) Rick Youngblood (ryoungblood@house.idaho.gov) Donna Pence (dpence@house.idaho.gov) Mat Erpelding (merpelding@house.idaho.gov) Ilana Rubel (irubel@house.idaho.gov) You may comments to idleginfo@lso.idaho.gov or to individual legislator addresses above. Phone messages may be left at There is access by the bridge in the middle of town, halfway between dam and town and right below the dam. If unsure, just stay below the high water mark!!!!--- Good luck and good fishing!!!!

8 South East Idaho Fly Fishers (SEIFF) 257 North Main Pocatello, ID A PUBLICATION OF Google SEIFF or go to: SEIFF Board Officers Tom Banyas, President TBD, Vice-President Clyde Lowther, Treasurer Pete Griffin, Secretary Tom Dial, Newsletter Editor Darrell Brown, Webmaster/Newsletter Layout SEIFF Board Meetings Club members are welcome to attend the meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at 7:00 pm in the Portneuf River Outfitters fly shop at 257 North Main in downtown Pocatello. Website: Google SEIFF or html