Fly Line A Monthly Newsletter! March 2010

Transcription

1 G R E E N C O U N T R Y F L Y F I S H E R S Fly Line A Monthly Newsletter! March 2010 Club Officers and Directors President Riley Osborn Vice-President Larry Johnson Sec. / Treas. Gary Kilpatrick Fly Line Editor Lents Prendergast Directors Bobby Donnell Lary Smith Lents Prendergast Ed Hinton Shawn Childress Gene Holland Meetings at East Side Arvest Bank at 7 P.M. First Tuesday of the Month Fly Fishing School 23-Feb Intro 25-Feb Coffeyville Materials Thread Control Rods & Reels Tie Pine Squirrel Leach 2 - Mar Lines & Leaders Tie Foam Bug 4 - Mar Fishing Knots Tie Chain eye nymph 9 - Mar Still Water Fishing Tie Wooly Bugger 11-Mar Intro to casting Tie Hares ear Nymph 16-Mar How to Fish Flies Tie Elk hair Caddis 18-Mar 23 & 25-Mar Casting Aux Equipment Tie Spark Bug

2 G R E E N C O U N T R Y F L Y F I S H E R S PRESIDENT S CONNER March Meeting President's Ramblings These are exciting times to be a Green Country Fly Fisher. The Bartlesville school has been going great with 16 students and the Coffeyville school has just started. The club members have been very supportive for the schools and many members have been there to help the school directors. The Bartlesville school members will be invited to the March meeting to meet the club members and listen to Ken Richards talk about fishing in Arkansas. We have many events planned including the club outing at Pawhuska lake on March 13th, conducting a tying and casting introduction to Dewey 8th graders on March 23rd, working with the Cherryvale 6th grade class on May 6th. and helping at Kid's Day on Idle Hour lake in Altamont, KS on June 6th. Our full outing schedule can be found on our web site. We also be participating at the Burn Camp in August and the carp tournament on June 12th. Spring fishing is just around the corner. The Trout fishing at Lake Pawhuska is strong and Roaring River just had their opening day. The Spring spawn for blue gill is also just a few weeks away. The Sand Bass will be heading upstream for their spawn as soon as there are a few warm days. March Tying Our monthly tying session will be on March 18th at Arvest Bank starting at 7:00PM. Bruce Keen will be demonstrating spinning deer hair that evening. 2" Ken Richards and Kevin Calhoun of Just Fishin' Guides will join us to talk about Smallmouth fishing in Arkansas and Missouri, and Reel Recovery. Reel Recovery is a fly fishing program for men with cancer. This will be a good program and a chance to learn about how our sport is helping more people enjoy their lives. With over 40 years of fly fishing experience and over 13 years guiding, Ken Richards, owner of Just Fishin' Guides, has the knowledge to guide your fishing excursion whether it's wading or in a Hyde drift boat, fly or spinning rods. His love for the outdoors and passion for fly fishing are contagious. You and your party will enjoy some of the greatest waters in the four state area. Experienced and novice fly fishers alike will enjoy their Just Fishin' Guides excursion. We tailor each trip to your experience and desires. If you are just starting your fly fishing experiences, Ken can teach you some of the basic elements of fly fishing. We even have equipment, so you don't have to invest in rods and reels to try your hand at fly fishing. Consider yourself an experienced fly fisher? You'll appreciate Ken's knowledge of area streams and rivers. And he's always willing to trade fishing secrets with you. DUES ARE NOW DUE PAST DUE Membership dues should be paid to Gary Kilpatrick for 2010 as soon as possible. The dues are $16 per family. ONLY $0.038 cents a day

3 G R E E N C O U N T R Y F L Y F I S H E R S CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 9 == End of Fly Fishing School The Bartlesville school has been in session since Jan 26th and will finish on Mar 9th. There were 17 students registered for the class. The group seems very excited about the sport of fly fishing and most seem to be ready to join the club. Some of these students will be at our March meeting on the 2nd. Our club members have been very supportive with 8-12 members helping out at Bartlesville school. The Coffeyville school began on Feb 23rd. (Dennis or Larry will have to supply more detail). March 13 == Outing Pawhuska Lake, Osage Hills, Riley Osborn coordinating Lake Pawhuska is the site for the March outing on the 13th. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. The lake is just west of Pawhuska with a 2 mile access road running south from highway 60. Only primitive camping is supported and there is a small camping area on the south side of the lake. You will need a trout stamp along with your license. Pontoon boats are supposed to carry an Oklahoma boat license. There is no camping fee. Last year some members camped on Friday night in spite of the rain. March == Sow Bug Roundup Sowbug Roundup, Redeemer Lutheran Church Family Life Center, Mt Home, AR. Sponsored by North Arkansas Fly Fishers club. Times: 9am-4pm Thu-Sat. Over 100 fly tiers, seminars, casting, and exhibitors will be there. $5 adults for all 3 days, under 12 free. Website: March 24 == Dewey Mid-High Days For the last four years Green Country fly fishers have done a fly tying demonstration at Dewey mid high and last year we added a casting class for the 8th grade boys. We have been invited to come back this year on March 24th. We will need about 6 to 8 volunteers to make the program work. We need 4 people for the tying sessions. There are 4 sessions with about 8 to 10 boys per sessions. We will need 4 people to do the casting sessions. Most of the members who have helped with this program enjoy the day a lot. - Apr 10 Lake Eucha, and Spavinaw river, Lary Smith and David Moore coordinating - May Club Picnic - May Outing -a trip to the Mined Lands and the Tulsa Club will be joining us. - Jun 12 Carp Derby, Birch Lake, David Moore and Shawn Childress coordinating - Jul 10 Lower Illinois tentative to power generation of flow from dam, Shawn Prufer coordinating - Aug 20 White River, (may be affected by river flow) - Lary and Karyl Smith coordinating - Sep 18 Elk River, Tiff City MO, Riley Osborn coordinating - Oct 23 Mined Lands, KS, Larry Johnson coordinating - Nov Idle Hour Lake, Altamont, KS, Dean Reed coordinating - Nullam arcu leo, facilisis ut" 3

4 BARTLESVILLE FLYTYING SCHOOL

5 Field Notes by Sean Lynott White Bass As I try to hug a little closer to the fireplace it is hard to believe that we are approaching some spring fishing action. The recent rains and thaw have turned the Elk River into a swollen muddy torrent but these higher waters will start enticing white bass to start leap-frogging upstream to await the spawning run. Our only native member of the temperate bass family, white bass are active early spring spawners. Schools of males migrate upstream to spawning areas as much as a month before females. White bass prefer to spawn in rocky or brushy areas along riffles and stage in deeper water above and below these areas. These are good areas to target. During spawning, the female rise to the surface and several males crowd around her releasing eggs and sperm in unison. Large females sometimes release nearly a million small eggs during the spawning season. After release the eggs sink to the bottom and become attached to rocks, hatching in 2-3 days. The old saying that white bass bite best when the redbuds bloom holds some truth in southeast Kansas. Water temperature, typically about 50 degrees to start the run, is important but photoperiod is important, as well. As the days get longer, the females will start to move. Usually by late March and early April, the run is at its peak. The stretch of the Elk I have highlighted accounts for more than 70% of the white bass spawn in Elk City Reservoir. River flow is big determining factor in fishing opportunity. For Elk City an incoming flow of 120 cubic feet per second (cfs.) or less typically spells high success for white bass anglers. The following link will provide incoming flow into the federal reservoirs in the area. Just upstream of the parking lot is the confluence of Salt Creek and the Elk River. Downstream from the confluence is a larger pool that will act as a staging area, farther down stream is another great riffle. If the fish are there more than likely so will the anglers. If the river is low enough you can simply fish off the exposed gravel bar. However, waders will provide you access to some prime areas that other can t reach. I typically cast quartering down and let my fly swing in the current. There is nothing subtle about a spawning white bass strike and it is not uncommon for them to set the hook for you. An eight foot rod, five-seven weight is a great rod for this type of fishing, sling shot cast or roll cast will also serve you well. Fly selection is relatively easy as any of your favorite streamers in white will work. I favor a weight forward sinking tip, but always carry a floating line as well just incase the flow is lower than expected. For the avid angler who has yet to dip a line this spring, it's time to get ready; the white bass run is about to take off. And crappie won't be far behind. If you are interested in try these hard fighting fish out, me seanl@wp.state.ks.us with Elk River White Bass in the subject line and I will try to provide run information as I get it.

6 Bartlesville Green Country Flyfishers dues are $16, and most of our members pay in December and January. You can pay at the meeting or mail to Gary Kilpatrick, 1230 Dogwood Court, Bartlesville, OK The Flyline Newsletter of the GREEN COUNTRY FLYFISHERS P. O. Box 1053 Bartlesville, OK GCF supports Catch and Release Time spent fishing is time well spent