Rio Grande cutthroat trout chased down and caught by Brad Williamson this summer.

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Esther Norman
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This fall s southern conclave is shaping up to be a good one. Whether we have high water or low water the programs will keep you interested in spending a day or two at the fair grounds.

1 Volume 1 Issue 9 e-newsletter September 2008 In this Issue National news p. 2 Bug column, p. 4 Hopper droppers, p. 5 Five basics, p. 6 THE truth, p. 7 Generation down, p. 8 Fishing report, p. 9 Photo pages, p. 10 Looking ahead, p. 12 Rio Grande cutthroat trout chased down and caught by Brad Williamson this summer. Conclave around the corner! This fall s southern conclave is shaping up to be a good one. Whether we have high water or low water the programs will keep you interested in spending a day or two at the fair grounds. Pat Smith has asked the Corps of Engineers to shut down the flows for Thursday s fishing programs. Don t hold your breath. An extremely wet spring followed by 2 hurricanes soaked the White River system. Below is a link to the recent crests of all three reservoirs. If we do see low water, look out. All the reports (see below) are spectacular under low water conditions. Make sure you are stocked up on midge patterns and soft hackles just in case. Take advantage of the boat access during high flows. For updates on the conclave visit the southern councils site at: ave.php. Niki Christopher is coordinating the food effort, so be sure to click on over to our message board and sign up to contribute. National News and Updates from FFF Clubwire Positions & Letters: Letter to all House Natural Resource Committee Representatives urging their support of strong provisions to protect and restore our ocean ecosystems and resources, and the economies they support through the mark up of Oceans-21 (HR 21). It establishes a national policy for the protection, maintenance, and restoration of marine ecosystem health and calls for implementation of that policy at the Federal level and through regional ocean partnerships.

2 Letter to Senator leaders Reid (NV) and McConnell (KY) urging them to support the passage of the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill that addresses the regulation of ballast water management. One of the biggest threats to sustainability of our native species and their habitats is non-native invasive and injurious species. This legislation will help address the protection of our native species. Staff Activities and Program Updates: Hot off the press the latest news on invasive species and what you can do to help. Sign up for monthly updates about invasive species with Clean Angling News. To read the first issue or to sign up go to: Author and FFF member Rosa Dierks has generously donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her new book to conservation efforts of the FFF. Just in time for the great summer reading, Booksurge has just published Troutfly by RG Dierks. If you enjoy fly-fishing, politics, suspense and international intrigue, this novel is for you. Troutfly is the first novel of a trilogy tracing the courage and sacrifice of US fathers and sons during WWII, Vietnam, and the global war on terror. Purchase a copy today and support the important work the FFF does for our fisheries. Proceeds go directly to the FFF Foundation conservation fund. To learn more about this book or to purchase your copy go to: Sacrifice-Fathers- Sons/dp/ /ref=sr_11_1?ie=UT F8&qid= &sr=11-1 documents. The Conservation Coordinator represents the FFF on the Fish, Wildlife and Energy working group for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. This working group strives to improve the process for energy development on our public lands to make sure that our fish, wildlife and habitat resources are not diminished in the process. In July, the Conservation Coordinator attended the working group summer meeting that was held in Durango, Colorado. The mountain west is a focal point of efforts to extract natural gas and oil on our public lands. A number of educational field trips to energy development sites and conversations with Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Division of Wildlife, New Mexico Fish and Game and Ute Indian Tribe officials were the highlights of this meeting. Above is an image of an energy development site on Ute Tribal lands near Ignacio, Colorado in the heart of prime access for hunting and fishing. Participated in numerous conference calls as part of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Fish, Wildlife and Energy working group for Energy Issues and Endangered Species Coalition steering committee. Book Review Reviewed by Bruce E Harang Trout Flies for the 21 st Century by Dick Talleur The Lyons Press, Guilford, CT, pages, Spiral softbound, illustrated Color, suggested price $24.95 This is a fly pattern book of favorite fly patterns of In July, the FFF and the Coconino the author and his friends. These are divided into National Forest Service met to discuss the seven chapters encompassing dry flies, progress of the Gila Trout recovery efforts parachute - style dry flies, wet flies, nymphs and on the West Fork of Oak Creek, Arizona. emergers, general streamers, Northeast The next phase of the project is securing a streamers, and special and novel patterns. There crew to complete the National is nothing new or novel in this selection of fly Environmental Policy Act required patterns however. In fact most, if not all, have FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 2

been published before by the author and many others. The selection of fly patterns is very eclectic and will in all likelihood present a few patterns that will catch the eye of most readers.

3 been published before by the author and many others. The selection of fly patterns is very eclectic and will in all likelihood present a few patterns that will catch the eye of most readers. Each pattern is illustrated by a very well shot photograph and the pattern recipe. Those fly patterns with commentary or several variations presented have photographs of a smaller size than those without. These smaller photographs while nicely done are a bit small for general viewing while you are at the tying bench. The fly pattern recipes are presented in a very small type and the constituent parts are run together so that following them at the tying bench is not easy. On the positive side each pattern is on a single page such that page flipping while tying is not required. Overall, the design and layout of this book is below average as far as reader ease of use. In fact, the best design feature is the spiral soft binding that allows the book to be laid flat for use at the tying bench and closed as a normally bound book for storage on a shelf. The most interesting and best portion of this book is the first chapter explaining in the anatomy and desirable attributes of modern genetic hackle. You will want to check this book out carefully before deciding to put your hard earned cash on the barrelhead. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 3

Macroinvertebrate column Leech (Order: Hirundinea) Pollution tolerant Identifying characteristics: Flattened, has sucker on each end, more muscular than aquatic worms; many are patterned and brightly

4 Macroinvertebrate column Leech (Order: Hirundinea) Pollution tolerant Identifying characteristics: Flattened, has sucker on each end, more muscular than aquatic worms; many are patterned and brightly colored Interesting fact: Out of the 63-plus species of leeches, only some are blood-feeding. Habitat: May be found on the substrate or attached to a host animal in a wide variety of aquatic habitats. Water quality rating: Pollution tolerant, may be found in water of any quality Ozark Reservior Report Hurricane Ike dumped another few inches of water into the White River system. The Corps of Engineers out of the Little Rock District is currently predicting Table Rock Lake to crest September 19, Bull Shoals September 18, and Norfork September 21. As they say, this is subject to change. Track their predictions at xt. Clinton Lake conditions Date: 17 September 2008 Lake Elevation: Normal pool: Outflow to Wakarusa: 800 CFS Surface temperature: 74 F Wind: SW at 3 mph, peak: 13 mph Get daily updates here Perry Lake conditions Date: 16 September 2008 Lake Elevation: Normal pool: Outflow to Delaware: 1500 cfs Surface temperature: 70 F Wind: S at 2 mph, peak: na Get daily updates here Food source: Predator species scavenge and prey on other invertebrates, such as aquatic insects, mollusks and other freshwater worms. The ectoparasitic species require a blood meal of a vertebrate host. Credit: used by permission, Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 4

5 Hopper-droppers and other two-fly set ups by Niki Christopher How many of you fish a dry fly with a nymph dropper only when you re stream fishing for trout? You shouldn t reserve this technique just for trout: this is the perfect time of year to try a two-fly rig. Bluegills will often hit a dry fly, and they love nymphs of all sorts. The classic late-summer twofly rig is a hopper-dropper combination for bass and bluegills. Tie on a grasshopper imitation, tie in about twelve to eighteen inches of tippet to the hook bend, and secure some sort of wet fly or nymph to the tippet. If you re trying to discourage small sunfish and bluegills from biting, use larger flies. Let the hopper sit for a while, twitch it, then strip it back in or recast to another spot. If they re not biting the hoppers, they might take the dropper on the retrieve. Another tandem rig that is fun to fish is a popper-dropper combination. The action the popper imparts to the dropper fly can be very effective. Heavier nymphs can sink a dry fly or make it sit unnaturally, so don t overload your top fly. If you want to fish larger, heavy nymphs, use a large, buoyant top fly, or use two wet flies and let them sink together. A large Chernobyl Ant will float well even while holding up a heavilyweighted dropper, and allow you to work the top of the water and the bottom at the same time to find the bass. (Yes, bass like Chernobyl Ants at least the ones in Kansas do.) Smaller bass and catfish like buggy-looking nymphs drifting by on the bottom, too. There s no firm rule on how long the dropper should be, except that it should be long enough to get the fly to where the fish are. On streams, the general rule of thumb is to make the dropper tippet about six inches to a foot longer than the water is deep. You may find that s too long in water with a lot of snags, or if you re fishing slower water. I generally start with about 18 inches to two feet in lakes and ponds, and adjust if necessary. If you re getting into a lot of snags, shorten it up a bit. If you suspect that the fish are down deep, make the dropper tippet longer. Lighter two-fly setups are usually no harder to cast than single flies, although you may find that longer dropper tippets may give you some trouble, at least at first. Heavier flies may also be a little trickier to cast, but this isn t precision fishing, for the most part, so relax and live with some slop until you get the hang of it. Don t let your line sag on the backcast. Two-fly set-ups are more prone to tangles and can be harder to extract from bushes. Use a lighter-weight tippet on the dropper than on the top fly: if your dropper snags and can t be retrieved, the tippet will more likely to break below the top fly, and you won t lose both flies. Some writers recommend tying the dropper tippet to the leader, not the hook bend. I have found that the dropper gets fouled on the top fly less often when I tie it to the hook bend, but you might get different results. Keep in mind that some states bar multi-fly rigs, or bar them in certain areas: check the local regulations before you start tying on a second fly. (It s legal in Kansas everywhere, so far as I have been able to determine). I ve even tried fishing three flies at once, and the British sometimes fish with as many as five, but I m skeptical about whether the additional difficulty of casting and untangling them is worth it. One bad cast can cost you a lot of flies! If you re not sure what s biting, fishing two flies in a tandem rig is a good searching tool, and gives you two chances for every cast to get a hook-up. If the fish consistently go for one of the flies and ignore the other, you ve got your answer. If they ignore both, switch them out or change the dropper depth until you find something that works. Sometimes you ll get lucky and end up with bluegills on both flies: now that s some fun! Copyright Niki Christopher 2008 FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 5

6 The Five Basics of Fly Casting by Capt. Paul Sodie Sodamann All fly anglers can benefit from reviewing the basics of good fly casting. Although there is much discussion on what actually makes up the basic fly cast, a good reference source is "The Essentials of Fly Casting". This booklet is available from FFF for only three dollars. The five basic techniques mentioned in this booklet make up what I believe are the heart of casting, and you must know them if you are planning on working toward becoming a Certified Casting Instructor. In simple form, these "essentials" are: 1. Keep slack to a minimum. 2. Power must be applied at the proper place in the stroke. 3. There must be a pause at the end of each stroke (forward and backward). 4. The size of the casting arc must increase with the length of line outside the rod tip. 5. For tight loops, the rod tip must move through a straight-line path. Along with these techniques, the booklet provides some definitions of some basic casting terminology. As with any instructional information, these essentials will make more sense if accompanied by some hands-on demonstration and practice with an instructor. I am regularly asked by fellow anglers for suggestions on how to correct a problem or for ways they might improve their cast. With few exceptions, the problems are directly tied to one or more of the five basics. How an angler accomplishes the basics is his or her individual style and as we all know, styles vary. Some prefer a rod path to the side, others a rod path which travels more directly overhead. All these rod paths, arm movements, wrist movements, etc., play a role in an individual developing a good cast, but the bottom line is that the five essentials must be present in any good cast, no matter the style. I strongly urge fly anglers of all levels to strive to improve their cast by attending workshops, classes, or receiving one-on-one instruction. As someone once said, "If you re not living, you are dying", and it s also true that if you are not learning, you become stagnant. Capt. Sodie is a life member of the FFF, is a Master Casting Certified Instructor, fly-fishing guide, and a pilot. He can be reached at FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 6

There is your truth, her truth, and THE truth. By Dick Wedel Probably spoken by some marriage counselor, somewhere in the USA. Since I am telling the story, I ll promise to tell the truth.

I want you to listen to all of it before you respond. I want to tell you something that you don t know about me.

7 There is your truth, her truth, and THE truth. By Dick Wedel Probably spoken by some marriage counselor, somewhere in the USA. Since I am telling the story, I ll promise to tell the truth. I was sitting at the breakfast table one morning last summer when my wife said, Dick, would you put down the paper and listen to me? There is something I need to tell you. I want you to listen to all of it before you respond. I want to tell you something that you don t know about me. You could say I was all ears, but I started to sweat and to hold my breath, and to think really fast. OK, I said as I coolly put down the paper. She continued: As long as we have been together you have fished, and I have not. I ve helped you get ready for trips; I have even gone with you on some trips. I ve learned that there are two reasons you can be late for supper. One is that the fish are biting. The other reason is that they are not biting. I nodded. Wait, I m not done yet. Remember last month when Rachel was here and you took her over to fish the Madison River? She might be in her thirties, but she still wanted her mom to be there to watch. Remember how I just sat there on that rock with nothing to do--while you two fished for hours? Yes, I certainly do. But we weren t there that long Well, it felt like a long time to me. So I have decided I want to get a fishing license. I exhaled. This summer we both got our licenses without all the discussion. She still says that for her fishing is more like casual dating than a real commitment. And this is a true story. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 7

8 Generation Down: Lower Water Fishing September 8th, 2008, by Jimmy T Hurricane Gustav moved its way through Louisiana and up into Arkansas and settled over the northern part of our state, dropping some more rain on us. At Bull Shoals Dam, we received 4 3/4 inches. However, the upper stretches of the drainage system got much more, and up to 10 inches of rain fell in the northwestern part of the state, as well as in the southwestern part of Missouri. The Bull Shoals lake level has risen to feet and the Norfork Lake has risen to Norfork Lake appears to have stabilized, while the Bull Shoals lake is still rising due mostly to the opening of the flood gates at Table Rock dam. The gates were open on Friday at 2:00 pm with the release of 15,000 cfs. Since the areas south of us also received some heavy rains, as well as some flooding further downstream (100 miles), generation at Bull Shoals was cut on Thursday to a minimal amount and on Friday, there was no generation. On Friday I did fish the state park area with sowbugs on a long leader with a small shot and balsa indicator. The fish were all over this bug. We did spot two big brown trout and made an attempt to hook up with these fish, but there were so many aggressive rainbows that our flies were taken before they had a chance to reach the larger fish. On Saturday, generation began again with a unit of water. I had a buddy in town and we met up at the dam at 6:30 am and walked down to the river. It took us half an hour to figure out the fish, and we got into them pretty heavy. I used a loop-wing emerger #20 and my buddy used a floating ant in a pool and ripped on them as well. After the water rose further to two full generators, we got in my boat and fished till 6:00 pm with sowbugs. We did try some streamers, as well as the floating bi-visible, to no avail. We racked up some big numbers of rainbows for the day. On Sunday we hit the river again in the boat. The bite started out slow and picked up as the day went by. My first fish of the day was a 21 - inch brown trout followed later in the day by a 20-inch brown trout. Once again, sowbugs seem to be the choice fly for this day. The White should stay lower for another day or two, as the Newport gage is reading just above 18 ft. The flood stage is 14 feet and it is dropping quickly. When it hits this level, look for more and heavier generation from both rivers. To book your fly fishing trip with Jim call I have a fishing friend who has made a blog of various gages. Check out his site for this info. blogspot.com/ Credit: Jim Traylor, used by permission Jim Traylor PO Box 751 Bull Shoals, AR FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 8

FISHING REPORT 9-10-08 September 10, 2008--by mountainriverjournal Dry fly caught brown How s hundred fish days, a 34 brown and a bunch of 20 + fish sound?

9 FISHING REPORT September 10, by mountainriverjournal Dry fly caught brown How s hundred fish days, a 34 brown and a bunch of 20 + fish sound? That s low water on the White and Norfork, more moderate flows returning this weekend! WHITE RIVER: The White has been nothing short of sensational the past week. It goes to show the high water we have had all year has been tremendous for the fish. The trout are muscled up, hefty and pull like steam trains. But we can probably expect a gradual return to high-water fishing over the next few days, and then we are in Ike s hands. Dries really have been the ticket early, try larger foam ants, Parachute Adams or Parachute Ants 10-16, presented to fish working the edges, and over grassbeds, even in a few inches of water. The 18 brown above, was in some really skinny water. Scuds, sowbugs and midges have been the mainstay for most fly fishers. Black and copper Zebras or black and silver Whitetail and Super Midges have been very good. McLellan s Woven V-Rib sowbug has claimed its share of fish, and of course, you can throw buggers. Try swinging them across riffles as the Journal did for an hour or so Monday afternoon, after missing a bunch of fish on a swung soft hackle. As the water comes back, try larger midges over the grassbeds. The midges have been prolific at times; and then in higher flows, sowbugs, scuds and San Juans. NORFORK: The windows of wadable water on Norfork, too, are narrowing after a fun week. The fishing on Norfork was excellent as well, though we didn t hear of many fish bigger than 20 just one 24 rainbow (and just writing that makes us think how good we have it here). But there were 100+ fish days for several Norfork afficionados. Zebra Midges in black/copper and olive seemed to be the fly of choice. We also heard of some good dry fly fishing with larger hoppers and attractors like Chernobyls fished tight to the banks. Credit: used by permission, Mountain River Fly Shop, FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 9

10 Photo Pages Julie and Rick show off the box at Sopris Creek in Carbondale, CO. Rusty and John Shelton. Capt. Sodie looks over a cast. Topeka meeting in August. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 10

11 Photo Page cont. Stream photos from Sept. 6 sampling of Deer Creek, KS. Photos by Martin Kollman. Leo demonstrates the turbidity test. Garold checks his net. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 11

12 Looking Ahead Sept. 17 th, Wednesday, 6 pm social 7 pm Monthly meeting, Conroys October 2-4, Thursday-Sat., Southern Conclave of FFF Mountain Home, Arkansas Over 20 people participated in the September 6 th stream sampling of Deer Creek, by far our largest group to date. Martin Kollman photo. FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 12

Club Officers 2007-2008 Flyatolah Greg McDonald GMAC64@sunflower.com President Jeff Frye jeff@freestateflyfishers.org Treasurer Craig Rogers Craig.rodgers@att.net Scribe Eric King eking@ksbor.

13 Club Officers Flyatolah Greg McDonald President Jeff Frye Treasurer Craig Rogers Scribe Eric King VP Conservation Mike Grose VP Education Kurt Moomau VP Membership Rick Laughlin VP Entertainment Mike Hough Mike Zimmerman Free State Fly Fishers is a Lawrence, KS based club dedicated to promoting the sport of fly fishing in Northeast Kansas through education, conservation, and community service. Formed in August 2005, Free State Fly Fishers is an affiliate club of Federation of Fly Fishers operating as a 501c-3 corporation under FFF's charter club program. Our FFF club number is K99784 Internet Tyrant Eric Shumaker Rafflemeister Leo Beier Newsletter Contributing editors Niki Christopher R. Steve Dick Kurt Moomau Mike Grose Copyright Free State Fly Fishers and authors 2008, use with permission only FSFF IS A CHARTER CLUB OF THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF FLYFISHERS 13

Pre-spawn carp n can produce a few nice fish. This 13 pounder was hooked just ten feet from shore.

Pre-spawn carp n can produce a few nice fish. This 13 pounder was hooked just ten feet from shore. Volume 1 Issue 5 e-newsletter May 2008 In this Issue Conservation Corner, p. 2 Member profile, p. 3 Bug/Fly column, p. 4 OK Kids Day, p. 5 Fish photos, p. 6 Iwamasa photos, p. 7 Wiped Out!, p. 8 White