Tale Waters The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers

Transcription

1 The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers November 14, 2017 North Arkansas Fly Fishers North Arkansas Fly Fishers meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the Van Matre Senior Center located at 1101 Spring St Mountain Home, AR Membership meeting starts at 7:00 pm. All members and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend. NAFF Board of Directors meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm 1st Security Bank on 9th St. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Visit North Arkansas Fly Fishers Online at Officers President Ken Sickels (870) Vice President Tom Emerick (870) Secretary Pat Smith.... (870) Treasurer David Hea.(870) Directors Conservation Tommy Hagan..(870) Property Kevin Boddy..(870) Education Fred Stumpf Membership Paul Ashton (870) Past President Mike Tipton..(870) Appd. by President Vern Berry (870) is published 2nd Tuesday of each month. Article deadline is 1st Tuesday of the month. Staff: Mike Tipton & Rita Billbe Contact: sowbug@northarkansasflyfisher.org Marilyn Doran to Speak on Streamside Plant Life Marilyn Doran s topic for the October meeting will be: Ozark Riparian Flora -- A brief, and hopefully fun, slideshow overview of plants, including trees, shrubs and blossoming forbs, that are commonly found along our Ozark streams. Marilyn Doran grew up on the White River land that her grandfather and her father farmed. The rather free-ranging lifestyle of her youth did much to promote her naturalist spirit. Marilyn spent 14 years teaching science at Flippin Middle School and has spent the last 12½ years working for the Ar- Cont. next page Sowbug Report The 2018, 21st annual, Sowbug Roundup is fast approaching. And things are happening fast. Invitations to the tyers will go out in the next few weeks and invitations to vendors as well. We are already lining up speakers for the seminars. Volunteers are being corralled. The show is moving forward. As I have mentioned previously, we plan a focus on fishing with Tenkara gear. We have recently confirmed Tenkara USA and Tenkara Bum as vendors for the show. Tenkara USA introduced Tenkara to the USA and Tenkara Bum is the foremost importer of genuine Japanese made Tenkara rods, lines, and equipment. Daniel Galhardo, president of Tenkara USA, and Chris Stewart, the Tenkara Bum, will both be presenting seminars at Sowbug. Terry Briggs is retiring from his position as the chairperson for the Cont. next page

2 Page 2 Marilyn Doran from page 1 kansas Game and Fish Commission as director of Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek. She and her husband Terry own Blue Heron Campground located on the White River near Cotter. Sowbug from page 1 kids activities. We really need someone to step forward and take over this responsibility. The Sowbug Committee meets every 2nd Tuesday at 1:00 PM at the Baxter County Library. We meet every month, year round. All NAFF members are invited to attend and participate. For answers to questions and additional info, contact Mike Tipton at o r m i c h a e l t i p - ton@centurytel.net. Home School Fly Fishing Class Students November President s Message Landon Mayer was our guest speaker in October. Of the four speakers I have had the opportunity to select, Landon was the best in my opinion. He is an excellent speaker and tier. If you didn t attend, you truly missed a great program. How do we attract younger members? Here is a challenge to all Club members: Invite one prospective member to a Club meeting or event next year who s under 60. Be safe and great fishing Ken Sickels Weather Cancellation Policy NAFF Activities or Meeting will be cancelled or postponed when the Mountain Home Public Schools Cancel Classes. Check KTLO radio website for school closing info.

3 Page 3 Fly of the Month Tube Midge Elections in November NAFF Seeking a Social Media Director Hook - 16, 2457 barbless Thread - Black Body Extra small red wire inside clear micro tubing Collar Blood red glitter thread Bead - 1/64 chrome tungsten At the November meeting NAFF members will be electing a new slate of Officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These individuals have stepped up to serve as officers of NAFF: President Mike Tipton Vice President Susan Parsons Treasurer Cindy Lewis Secretary Pat Smith NAFF is looking for a Social Media Director. The Social Media Director would promote the activities of NAFF and the Sowbug Roundup on such social media channels as Facebook, Instagram, and perhaps other channels such as YouTube and Twitter, or whatever is current and exciting. All that is required for this job is an interest and a relatively fast Internet connection. If you are interested, contact Ken Sickels ((870) ) or Mike Tipton ( ) Another red midge for this month. This midge is loosely based on Landon Mayer s tube midge that he tied during his recent program. He describes tying his midge in his book 101 Trout Tips. The Ozark Fly Fishers have a good description of how to tie Landon s fly posted on the internet. This fly was tied by Bob Jensen who caught a bunch of fish on it at Rockbridge the Monday after Landon s program

4 Page 4 October Raffle This month s raffle will feature a pair of women s wading boots by Orvis, A three-piece 8 foot five weight SilverStream flyrod by Courtland, five weight fly line, Crawfish Fish dubbing and Super Bright steelhead dubbing, vintage fly fishing magazines, Rio Power- Flex three pack leaders, Fluorocarbon Tippett, Fly tying material, hooks and tools and a bass pro shop carrying bag.

5 Page 5 Spring River Report A Guide s Questions and AGFC s Answers Danny Barker sent an to Christy Graham with some questions and comments about trout regulations. Here are his questions and Christy Graham s (AGFC Trout Biologist answers. 5. Extend the catch and release area at Rim shoals. That is in the works. 6. Promote the use of Circle hooks for those who use live bait, power bait, corn or similar items. Add it to the Trout Fishing Guide Book. It does prevent gut hooking trout. Water levels are running at 266 cfs at the spring (350 avg.) and water clarity has been clear. The river has been very low and clear. With the lower water, the trout have been going after more technical flies. Try using smaller nymphs and droppers. Fishing a y2k below an indicator with a small nymph below will produce trout on the tough days. On an overcast day stripping woollies and big nymphs can work great. No sink tip needed. Tight lines and good luck, Mark Crawford springriverfliesandguides.com Christy, I m a fly/spin fishing guide on the White and Norfork rivers. I want to thank you and the AGF staff for allowing me to participate in the two meetings on the future of trout in AR. I think the outcome from both meetings is a step in the right direction. I would like to see more done so I have provided you with an additional and modified version of my thoughts. 1. Min. or slot limit for rainbow trout. 2. All cutthroat and brook trout to be released. Not enough of them stocked so release all. 3. Maintain the 24-inch rule for brown trout. 4. Consider making Buffalo Shoals a catch and release area. It has the right habitat for great trout fishing. 7. Change Dry Run Creek to fly fishing or tenkara fishing only. No spinning or spin cast rod and reels. 8. Allow drag chains to be used on the Norfolk River. Chain must be sleeved or encased in flexible plastic or rubber. I use this method on the White and I do very little to no damage to the river bottom. People wading with studded boots do far more damage than I do. It s time to revisit and look at this rule that was made years ago on the Norfork. Danny Barker This Christy s response: Hi Danny, Thanks for taking the time to submit your additional input. I also appreciate you taking the time to attend the public workshops in August. I have responded to your comments/input in the attached document (in italics). Please let me know if you have any additional comments or questions.

6 Page 6 Thank you, Christy 1. Min. or slot limit for rainbow trout. We believe the regulations that we will be proposing this month for Bull Shoals and Norfork are going to be better alternatives for the populations than a slot limit. Slot limits have been used on two of our trout waters (Beaver and Greer's Ferry) and neither have shown evidence of improving the size distribution of the trout populations. In order for a slot limit to work, harvest of fish below the slot has to be high and growth needs to be fast. Neither of those is currently the case for Bull Shoals or Norfork, so they are not good candidates for this management option. We even removed the slot limit on Greers Ferry this year and replaced it with a regulation similar to the one we will be proposing for Bull Shoals and Norfork; there, anglers can only keep one trout over 16 inches during their trip. We will be proposing an even more restrictive regulation that anglers can only keep one trout (of any species) over 14 inches. 2. All cutthroat and brook trout to be released. Not enough of them stocked so release all. As I mentioned at the second management workshop, harvest rates of these species are extremely low. By 1) reducing the daily creel limit of both Brook Trout and Cutthroat Trout from two fish per day to one fish per day, 2) increasing the minimum length limit for Cutthroat trout to 24 inches, and 3) only permitting anglers to keep one trout of any species over 14 inches, we will be providing a very high level of protection of these two species without having to make them catch-and-release only. 3. Maintain the 24 inch rule for brown trout. 4. Consider making Buffalo Shoals a catch and release area. It has the right habitat for great trout fishing. In discussing possible management options, we decided it was in the best interest of our user groups to propose expanding the length of Rim Shoals, rather than create a new, shorter area, such as the Buffalo City area. 5. Extend the catch and release area at Rim shoals. That is in the works. 6. Promote the use of Circle hooks for those who use live bait, power bait, corn or similar items. Add it to the Trout Fishing Guide Book. It does prevent gut hooking trout. Promoting the use of circle hooks has been discussed with our Regional Education Coordinator. He has agreed to promote that message during educational workshops and we in the Trout Program advise anglers regularly that that is one option to reduce mortality from bait fishing. It will be incorporated into the management plan and I will check into the possibility of adding it to the trout fishing guidebook. 7. Change Dry Run Creek to fly fishing or tenkara fishing only. No spinning or spin cast rod and reels. There is no evidence to suggest that fishing mortality on Dry Run is higher from spinning rods than fly fishing tackle. Although we allow both gear types, our electrofishing data shows that catch rates and average sizes of trout are higher on Dry Run Creek than any other trout water we manage. As the regulations are already superrestrictive on Dry Run Creek (catch-and-release, artificial tackle only), this kind of regulation would limit the opportunity to fish on Dry Run Creek for many youth and mobility impaired anglers. We do not believe that more restrictive regulations are necessary at this time.

7 Page 7 8. Allow drag chains to be used on the Norfolk River. Chain must be sleeved or encased in flexible plastic or rubber. I use this method on the White and I do very little to no damage to the river bottom. People wading with studded boots do far more damage than I do. Its time to revisit and look at this rule that was made years ago on the Norfolk. I agree that this is a regulation that needs further evaluation. I ll have to dig into the records to determine why it was implemented and whether the same conditions (for why it was implemented) are applicable today. Sowbug Fly Tiers Update Invitations to Tiers are planned to be sent within the next couple of weeks. A draft has been prepared and reviewed and is almost ready to go! We have had almost two dozen new tiers express strong interest in tying at the Sowbug event and a rapid filling of tying slots is anticipated. In addition, we are expecting some tiers to attend who specialize in Tenkara flies. If you are interested in tying or know somebody who should be invited, please contact Ron Beasley at rkbeasley@suddenlink.net. Tying slots will be assigned as they are confirmed, so you must reply promptly to get your preferred sessions. Ron Beasley 2018 Sowbug Tying Chair Jimmy T s Fishing Report November Another high-water year for both lakes and it shows. Flood gates for both rivers and the Norfork have changed again. Last year with a jet boat I could go around and past Colonels Corner and back up again; but it is no more. Perhaps this is a good sign for the wade, float tube and kayak fisherman in the coming years. Perhaps this latest high-water event will keep a lot of pressure off the downstream side of this area from long hole down into McLellan s. Perhaps it will be better for the fish as well. Less pressure, fewer bait guides pulling them out of those areas etc. Time will tell. Now if only the Sulphur smell would leave. As for the White River, this year s pressure on the water below Bull Shoals Dam has been tremendous. As we all know fewer fish have also been put into the river by AG&F and it shows. Water quality has been down and bad this fall; and it shows. It s not good when we hear negative vibes from fishers

8 Page 8 in our businesses, lodging and on the rivers. But we have been here before. A normal water flow year would be nice for all involved in fly fishing. Some new regulations will go into effect--perhaps on both the Rim Shoals C & R area. I am not hearing quite as much complaining about this as I heard in 2000, which is a good sign. Personally I would have preferred that night time guiding go away along with the possession limit. This river has become known as a world class fishing hot spot. We seem to be doing everything we can to turn it into a simple put and take. We make it harder for those who want to travel and wade fish (think minimum flow). Information from the dams has deteriorated over time and become less accurate. What else can we do to make it worse for those who want to come here and fish? But enough of that. Red, red, red and more red midges. Can t get away from this color to catch fish. Especially midges. Our area has some very talented fly tiers as well as fishers. We have been seeing some very well tied and goodlooking flies from local fishers in the shop this fall. I have become very impressed with the skill level of our local tiers. Credit should go to the local NAFF club for bringing in the Sow Bug with internationally and nationally known tiers. Last month a young man was brought in and those who dropped by the shop learned much. Kudos to the NAFF and the program they are running over there for those who live around here and who travel here to see those events. The skill level shows in both the tying and catching skill arena. It s good to see some younger speakers with a skill level larger than being able to throw a chicken up against the bank and strip it back as fast as one can. The delicate casting, mending in air mending, roll casting, snap casting and rigging have all improved. In the 22 years I have been on this river I ve seen a lot of changes and the biggest change is in the skill level of those who live here. Those skills are being passed down to the younger ones by the fine job the NAFF has and is doing to pass along these skills to younger folks. I would speak about the spawn but you all know what not and what to do by now. The catching should get better as the water quality clears up this fall and through the winter. Cooler temps will for sure fix a lot of those water quality issues. At least we have not seen a huge fish kill this year as in years past when we had hundreds of 20 plus inch rainbows die at the dam. This is rare now for sure. So, for the folks of the NAFF, Wishes and Fishes is offering a 20% discount to you on all our regular items in the shop. We will do this on special order items as well. This of course does not apply to already discounted items or discontinued items. If you would like items shipped to you from our web shop, (theflyfishing-store.com) add NAFF20% to the check out and it will be deducted for you. We will send it to you via USPS for only $3.75 or call the shop at After Thanksgiving we will close on Sundays and Mondays. Also look for the new products we will be bringing in to supply your never-ending need for new materials. All suggestions for new materials are also welcome. This offer is good until the end of the year, so you can get what you want. Includes tungsten beads too! Good Fishing Jim

9 Page 9 Selecting a Tenkara Rod This is the third article on Tenkara fishing and by now, if your interest has been sparked, you may be considering a purchase. When I started my Tenkara adventure, it was fairly simple to choose a rod. There was only one American company that sold Tenkara gear. Tenkara USA was the first and only at the time. I asked Misako Ishimura what size rod to get. She said a 12, 7:3 rod was a good place to begin so I jumped in! Today you will find a dozen or more companies selling fixed line rods and there are all sorts of actions available. There are long rods, short rods, rods that change lengths, powerful rods and ultralight rods. Tenkara is supposed to be simple. I will try to make it so. These are my opinions on how to choose your first Tenkara rod, so get your grain of salt ready. First you must consider where you intend to fish Tenkara. You know by now that this style of tackle was developed centuries ago in the high gradient mountain streams of Japan. They are small waters with small trout. Today, in America, anglers will fish for just about anything with a new breed of Tenkara rods. Manufacturers are using sophisticated technology to produce extremely light and incredibly strong rods made of High Modulus Graphite Carbon Fiber. If you are only going to use Tenkara while backpacking into tiny headwater streams, then rods from 9 to 11 are right for you. These should be light (L) or ultra-light (UL) action. Rod action is often described with a ratio such as: 7:3. This means that the rod has seven stiffer sections near the butt and three more flexible sections near the tip. This works fine if the rod happens to have 10 sections. Many of the shorter rods have fewer. Therefore, you may see the rod described as light or ultra-light action. Some dealers may tell you that the fish being sought should not exceed 14 or so. These ultralight rods are also great for panfish and small bass in ponds. I believe an all-round Tenkara rod needs to be at least 12 long and have a medium stiffness of 6:4 or 7:3. A rod this size may be used on smaller rivers and is great fun with trout that are 10 to 17. I have several rods that are 12 to 13 long with a 7:3 action. All have caught everything from carp to Coho salmon. They are fine for bluegills, crappie, and bass in ponds and reservoirs too. This size rod is light and powerful enough to subdue large fish. One point I want to make is that you should always use as long a rod as you can on any body of water. The longer rod gives the angler more advantage when casting.

10 Page 10 It also gives more line and fly control while fishing. Even on small streams, a 12 rod is a good choice unless the water is choked with overhanging vegetation. This summer I fished a small river in northern Wyoming. It was about as wide as a street and was not shrouded with heavy tree cover. The stream was loaded with brown trout from 9 to 14. I used a 13 6, 6:4 rod to cast mostly dry flies. The long, light rod was extremely effective for fishing the fastflowing seams and pocket water. I was able to use a very light, furled line for delicate presentations. The long rod allowed me to hold the line off the water and float the flies without drag. I could even fish the other side of the current with great accuracy and fooled dozens of trout. There are longer, heavier rods for those anglers who want to push the envelope of Tenkara fishing. Rods of over 13 with an 8:2 action are meant for the biggest rivers and fish of dreams or nightmares. Big trout, salmon, pike and even salt water fish may be challenged with this tackle. You may find the term zoom rods as you browse the stores or internet for your first Tenkara outfit. Zoom rods extend from one length to another. I have a couple: one is my shortest rod of less than 9 intended for tiny brooks. It can reach out to over 11 when the stream widens out. I have another heavy rod that can extend to over 14 from a more standard 12 6 length. These are specialty rods that are versatile, but more expensive. What about price? You can get a Tenkara rod on the internet for under $50. You can also get one for $400. If you aren t totally sold on this whole Tenkara idea, and have a slim wallet, I d say you shouldn t spend more than $100. Another consideration is a Lifetime Warranty offered by some companies. If you are hard on equipment, this extra initial cost will be made up the first time you break your rod. Fisher folk break rods, not fish. If you become enthralled with the fixed line techniques and challenges, then you will no doubt move to higher quality tackle. If you do, you should give your less expensive tackle to a kid. Children from about age four and up love Tenkara. They can actually cast and catch fish with this system without the help of adults. Watching a youngster catch the first fish with Tenkara is a true blessing. Gavyn s go-to Tenkara is a 12 7:3. He recommends it for bluegills and crappie. Gavyn Galyardt 6 yrs This year at Sowbug Roundup there will be several vendors selling Tenkara rods and gear. Each will have an opinion of what rod may be best for you. If you can t wait until March for your first Tenkara experience, then I encourage you to scan the dealers on the internet, haunt the tackle shops and peruse the catalogs to find the rod that matches your waters and your dreams. I have never seen a Tenkara rod that I couldn t catch fish with. As far as I am concerned, there are no really bad ones, just some that are better than others. It s just like the standard fly fishing adage; It s not the rod, it s the driver. Next time I ll tell you what types of lines work well with Tenkara. Until then Happy Shopping! Dennis Galyardt

11 Page 11 NAFF Christmas Party The NAFF Annual Christmas Party will be held at the Big Creek Golf & Country Club, Thursday, December 7th, from 6:00 pm-???. The cost per person will be $ The dress code is Christmas casual. The evening will again feature a Dirty Santa gift exchange ; one wrapped present per person if you choose or one per couple. The gift does not need to be fishing related, but please keep the cost under $15. Participation in the gift exchange is optional. This year in the interest of time each gift can only be stolen twice instead of the usual three times. All dinners include tax and tip, coffee, tea or soda, salad, roll and dessert. An open bar is available for you at your own expense. There will be a wine special: Chardonnay or Cabernet $5 Per Glass. Big Creek Country Club is located at 452 Country Club Drive, Mountain Home, Arkansas. Please PRINT the names of the persons attending below and check which meals you prefer with the quantity. Enclose $20 per person (cash or check made out to NAFF) and mail the form to: Pat Smith, 23 River Run Drive, Gassville, AR You may bring your payment with you; however, advance reservation is required. your reservation with the required information to arredhead@yelcot.net Reservations for the party must be in by November 28 th. It is important that you make a reservation so that sufficient food is available. Walk-ins not accepted. If for some reason you are not able to attend after you have sent in your registration, please advise as soon as possible. No shows will be required to pay if a cancellation is not received prior to Nov. 28. Any questions, please call Pat at (870) (cut here and mail bottom portion) # 12 oz. Prime Rib Au Jus A large cut of slow roasted, flavorful Angus prime rib, served with au jus, creamy horseradish sauce, rice pilaf and baby carrots with dill. # Chicken Piccata 8 oz. Chicken breast grilled and topped with a lemon, caper, and wine sauce and served with Fettucini. # Lemon Almond Salmon 8 oz. Filet of salmon with a light browned almond crust and lemon and honey drizzle. Also includes rice pilaf and baby carrots with dill. # Dessert Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. (Included, but some may not wish to indulge) Total Amount Included: $ Name(s) please print: (for pre-printed name tags)

12 North Arkansas Fly Fishers PO Box 1213 Mountain Home, AR November Monday 6th Trout Unlimited 6:00-8:00 El Chico Tuesday 7th NAFF Board Meeting 1:00-3:00 First Security Bank Tuesday 14th Sowbug Committee Meeting 1:00-3:00 Baxter County Library Thursday 16th Outing to pond at Country Oaks B&B Tuesday 21st NAFF Club Meeting 7:00-9:00 Van Matre Senior Center December Monday 4th Trout Unlimited 6:00-8:00 El Chico Tuesday 5th NAFF Board Meeting 1:00-3:00 First Security Bank Thursday 7th NAFF Christmas Party 6:00-until Big Creek CC Tuesday 19th Sowbug Committee Meeting 1:00-3:00 Baxter County Library