S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS TIMES

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S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS JUNE 2016 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: President s Message Chapter 5 by: Richard Higgins 2016 Board Members Richard Higgins: 750-9132 President Jay Jefferson: 809-0290 V.

1 S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS JUNE 2016 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: President s Message Chapter 5 by: Richard Higgins 2016 Board Members Richard Higgins: President Jay Jefferson: V.P. 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 Greg Smith: Treasure Dave Gambetta Secretary Tracy da Silva : Lou da Silva: Mike Gilroy:(425) Richard Wilson: Bill Pshide: Rick McCombs (209) Newsletter Editor Mike Gilroy Web Master Bill Pshide Fly Tying Chairman Trout season has been open for a month now. I Hope everyone has had an opportunity to get out and cast a few flies and land a few fish. The outing for May, a float / fish trip down the lower Sac, was another great success. 5 members braved the flowing river with loaded pontoon boats for a three hour tour, um I mean 3 day tour. The first camp spot was on a gravel bar about 14 miles from the launch site at Park Marina in Redding. The second camp spot was another 14 miles downriver and the last day of the float was about 10 mile, for total float was about 38 miles. The fishing was spotty, catching was hard and all were tired by the end, but had loads of fun. The guest speaker for the May general meeting was Tim Frahm. Tim gave us all of his secrets to fishing the Gualala and Garcia Rivers. He said his favorite month to fish the streams is in March, so if you are fishing the area next season, you just might see him forging the waters in search of the mighty Steelhead. I would like to thank Tim for the informative presentation. The guest speakers for the month of June will be Don Brown. Don will be talking about fishing Lake Almanor. Be ready to ask your questions regarding the best place to fly fish, techniques and other pointers like how to fish the Hex hatch. The club has scheduled an outing June at Lake Almanor, so this presentation is timely for those of you who would like to go. For more information on the outing, come to the next meeting or give Greg a call. Bill Pshide drew another large crowd at the monthly fly tying class. He showed us how to tie the Stimulator. I can tell you it s one tough fly to tie, with a lot of different materials to cram on a small hook, but I managed to hang-in and tie a couple. Next month Bill will be tying the Mr. Rapidan, so come on out and learn how to tie a new one for your fly box. Don t forget that the 2016 Muddy River Shindig is scheduled for July 9 th, at the Jefferson Ranch. Look for the flyer coming soon to your e mail. Well that a wrap for now. Until next month, keep a tight line..richard June Meeting Features Don Brown Don t miss this month s meeting on Wednesday. As always come early for dinner or show up at 7:00 when the meeting starts. Don t forget the free raffle tickets on your birthday month...if you re not sure call your mom and find out when you were born. We ll be planning for the outing to Lake Almanor later this month and swapping lies about all the fish we ve been catching..

2 Page 2 Fly Times Dr. Bill s Fly of the Month Recipe Mr. Rapidan Hook : Dry fly; #12 - #16 Thread: Tan 6/0 Tail : Moose body hair Wing : Yellow calf tail Body : Poly dubbing (yellowish brown) Hackle : Brown and grizzly mixed Mr. Rapidan This Wulff style fly was conceived by Harry Murray of Edinburg, VA. It is very popular on the mountain freestone streams of the Blue Ridge and southern Appalachians. Perhaps it will prove effective in our waters. The pattern can also be tied parachute style with a single post wing. When tied in smaller sizes dark blue dun hackle fibers can be substituted for the moose hair tail. Fly Fishing Tactics (Picking the Fly) Size Matters When choosing trout flies, the relative importance of fly characteristics in your selection, in order, should be: size, shape, color, and action (for stripped flies). In saltwater, action is often more important than exact size and shape. Dropper Flies or Tandem Rigs Dropper flies are a trout angler s secret weapon. A simple dropper rig can be made by tying a small nymph onto inches of tippet material tied to the bend of a dry fly. If the trout takes the nymph, the dry fly serves as your indicator. Nymphs can also be tied in tandem, enabling you to find out which nymph is working better. Wet vs. Dry A fly s construction determines whether it will float above the surface (dry flies), ride partially or completely submerged (emergers), or sink (nymphs and streamers). Fish expect their food sources to be in a particular part of the water column, and knowing where that is is important key to good fly selection. Fly Color: Think Seasonal Don t know where to start with your fly selection? (continued on page 3)

3 Upcoming Events Page 3 Salinas Valley Fly Fishers**2016 Outing, Events and Programs Wednesday June 8th. General Meeting Restaurant Don Brown (Almanor) Richard Higgins June 17-19th. June Outing Lake Almanor Trout and Small mouth Bass Jack Clark? June 15th. Fly Tying Airport Board Room Mr. Rapidan Bill Pshide Wednesday June 22nd Board meeting Restaurant All members welcome Richard Higgins Saturday July 9th Muddy River Classic Jefferson Ranch Annual BBQ Meeting Jay Jefferson August 10th. General Meeting Restaurant Richard Gilliam Surf Perch August Outing Delta or McSwain September Outing Merced River Striper Trout TBD TBD (tactics continued) Think first of seasonal color patterns. Early spring, late fall, and winter flies tend to be darker, matching the colors of their environment. Lighter flies typically appear in warmer weather. Imitation vs. Flattery Fishing flies can be either impressionistic or exact imitations, and their effectiveness often depends on how selective the fish have become due to food availability, weather conditions and fishing pressure. Think Subsurface for Trout At least two-thirds of the diet of trout is made up of subsurface food sources. Even if you prefer dry fly fishing, knowing what nymphs, larvae and crustaceans are available beneath the surface with help you decide on fly selection. Thy Rod and Thy Arm When playing fish, think of your arm as an extension of the fly rod. Keeping your rod tip high and arm extended above your head provides additional shock-absorption and makes it less likely that your line or leader will touch an underwater obstacle. Larger fish, especially once they are closer, can be beaten more quickly with sideways pressure, but extending your rod arm when they surge away is good practice. Muddy River Classic It s time to put the annual barbeque on your calendar. The Muddy River Classic is coming up on Saturday, July 9th. Once again the barbeque will be held at Jefferson Ranch. Unlike past years we ll be meeting at the office and shop area rather then on the river. Who knows what fun and games are in store. One thing is for sure, there will be lots of good food, good friends and good laughs. Don t forget the casting contests and dyna-

About Fishing the Stoneflies Hatch The most prevalent stoneflies within the Sierras are the Golden Stones which hatch in May through July and the Little Yellow

These hatches are more confined as to their time limit of emergence yet can be the dominant hatch when they occur.

Salmonflys, Pteronarcys californica, will hatch around Memorial Day and into June.

Stimulators working the banks, particularly under overhanging foliage will do well.

4 About Fishing the Stoneflies Hatch The most prevalent stoneflies within the Sierras are the Golden Stones which hatch in May through July and the Little Yellow Stones which hatch during the Summer months. Less prevalent, but certainly important, are the Skwala and Salmonfly hatches which occur on a number of Sierran streams. These hatches are more confined as to their time limit of emergence yet can be the dominant hatch when they occur. The Skwala Stones are often mistaken for early Golden Stones and will hatch on freestone streams in the early Spring around March and April. Salmonflys, Pteronarcys californica, will hatch around Memorial Day and into June. Many of the Stoneflies will hang upon shoreline vegetation and fall into the water from wind gusts. Stimulators working the banks, particularly under overhanging foliage will do well. Stoneflies will also lay eggs over the water and sometimes flutter into the water by accident. Trout are often waiting for these periods of time. Rainbow Trout Don t forget your Birthday Month Get 12 free raffle tickets...but, bring your I.D.. Special thanks to James and Helen at the Restaurant for there support of the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers. Their generosity in providing a great place to meet and eat has made the club s meetings an event to look forward to every month.

6 June Meeting Wednesday 8th. Speaker: Don Brown Lake Almanor Outing June 17th-19th Fly Tying Wednesday June 15th. Board the Airport Non-tyers always welcome Board of Directors 6:00 pm June 22nd. 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

7 French Meadow Reservoir

S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS TIMES

S ALINAS VALLEY FLY F I SHERS July 2016 FLY TIMES Inside this issue: President s Message Chapter 6 by: Richard Higgins 2016 Board Members Richard Higgins: 750-9132 President Jay Jefferson: 809-0290 V.P.