CHICO AREA FLYFISHERS

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CHICO AREA FLYFISHERS Short Casts April 2014 Our next meeting will be April 9th, 2014 @ CARD center, 545 Vallombrosa Av., Chico. Time: 6:30 fly tying and 7:30 meeting. Includes refreshments.

It is also time to translate the second part of the value of the annual dinner into action and that is new members. We got several at the dinner and of course everyone else re-enlisted so to speak.

1 CHICO AREA FLYFISHERS Short Casts April 2014 Our next meeting will be April 9th, CARD center, 545 Vallombrosa Av., Chico. Time: 6:30 fly tying and 7:30 meeting. Includes refreshments. President s Line Now that we have successfully survived the annual dinner, it is time to think about fishing. It is also time to translate the second part of the value of the annual dinner into action and that is new members. We got several at the dinner and of course everyone else re-enlisted so to speak. A good way to start would be with the next meeting, April 9, 6:30 fly tying and social at the CARD center and the meeting at 7:30. There is always something new to learn there just by talking to people who have been fishing various waters. Also in this edition of the newsletter is the fishout schedule. This is not for a select group but for all the members and guests. I know I learned more from a club fishout fishing one weekend with Walton Powell than I learned in the ten years after. We also all have friends and acquaintances who fish and would probably like to Chico Area Flyfishers Secretaries Minutes April 2nd, 2014 Meeting 6:00 at the Sleeper home. Those present: Larry, Dennis, Terry, Dave, Dana, Eric, Frank, Pat and Don. Secretary s report by Pat Sleeper for Lincoln Gray M/S/P Dana/Dave. Treasurer report by Don Sleeper - gave a detailed report of the dinner income/expenses and the proposed budget for Tabled waiting for additional bills. Speaker Andrew Harris coming April 9th; Masonic lodge rented for 2015; April 26th Hat creek opener with Eric; looking into ordering CAF logo hats; new computer for speakers, etc. M/S/P Dave/Dennis. Bass fish out and barbeque for the club members: May 10th with a $10.00 pp cost for facilities, etc. please call to have your name put in the hat for food, map, etc. Some speaker shifting will be occurring in June, Oct and Nov.; other discussions, etc. Respectfully submitted by Pat Sleeper learn more about how to fly fish. Our fishouts are the great time to do that. Our club can grow and prosper. It just takes a little time to come and share at the meetings and the fishouts. See you there. Just a reminder. Shasta Trinity is having a fly tying expo on April 5 & 6 in Redding for those who would like to go there and learn new techniques. If anyone does go, please take notes. It is something we may want to try in the future. Speaker April 9th, 2014 will be our next meeting with Andrew Harris as our guest speaker. At the CARD center, 545 Vallombrosa Avenue, Chico, CA Andrew will be our guest fly tier which starts at 6:30 and the meeting starts at 7:30. He will be talking about the spring fishing in the Fall River area. Andrew began his guiding career at Clearwater House on Hat Creek in 1997, guiding clients on the rivers surrounding Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen. Andrew has also guided extensively on the Feather, Yuba, Lower Sac, and Trinity Rivers. Andrew has fly fished in the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, New Zealand, Chile and Tasmania. Andrew is the author of Plumas National Forest Trout Fishing Guide and is a frequent contributor to California Fly Fisher magazine. Andrew lives in Red Bluff, CA. We will have snacks and drinks at the meeting...see you there. Pat Sleeper

Fishout 2014 Trout Season Opener Burney Area (Hat Creek, Baum Lake, Pit River) What: Trout Season Opener Fishout to the Burney Area Hat Creek, Baum Lake, Pit River, Fall River When: Saturday, April

Great camping in this area RSVP: Please RSVP (Eric See 899-1918) if enough RSVPs, CAF may organize an afternoon lunch or dinner It is likely that there will be a Stillwater Group fishing Baum Lake

The Fishing Hat Creek - One of the more consistent early season places to fish as the flows are always very constant here, and access and wading is very good.

2 Fishout 2014 Trout Season Opener Burney Area (Hat Creek, Baum Lake, Pit River) What: Trout Season Opener Fishout to the Burney Area Hat Creek, Baum Lake, Pit River, Fall River When: Saturday, April 26, 2014 Camping: Some people will be camping. If you are interested in camping, please contact Eric See and we ll try to coordinate things. Great camping in this area RSVP: Please RSVP (Eric See ) if enough RSVPs, CAF may organize an afternoon lunch or dinner It is likely that there will be a Stillwater Group fishing Baum Lake and a Stream Group. Attend the April Monthly Meeting for more information or contact Eric See ( ) for details. The Fishing Hat Creek - One of the more consistent early season places to fish as the flows are always very constant here, and access and wading is very good. Not only is Hat Creek a beautiful stream, it is a very pleasant place to visit. Especially once you are downstream of the Powerhouse Riffle. If you have not been to Hat Creek, it is well work a visit. Pit River Unlike Hat Creek, I would not use the term pleasant when describing the Pit River experience. Rugged, beautiful, and absolutely loaded with fish is how I would describe the Pit River. When in the Burney region, I always seem to gravitate toward the Pit for at least a day of fishing because it is my favorite river to fish in California. Just be prepared for tough wading on slippery, uneven rocks. Move slowly, use a staff, and go catch fish. Baum Lake - For those not interested in stream fishing, Baum Lake is ideal for float tubes, pontoon boats, and small skiffs, and several CAF members are experts with this water, which holds some very large rainbow and brown trout. Fall River Andrew Harris, the Speaker for the April Meeting, will be covering the Fall River so be sure to attend! Redge Hawkley with this Picture of a 12.1 pound 30 inch trout that I caught on at 9:20 in the morning. It was caught on an indicator and nymph rig that I learned from Lincoln Gray at the last meeting and is the one he uses on the Sacramento River. The nymph was a black body with stainless steel rib with a silver bead and black thorax Cheryl Armstrong with a nice steelhead from the umpqua river. 2

3 CAF General Meeting Speaker List 2014 CAF meets monthly and presents a variety of exciting flyfishing-related programs throughout the year. The meet ings also include monthly fly tying demonstrations, raffle prizes, refreshments, and the very best info and lies about Northern California Flyfishing. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Fly tying begins at 6:30pm - general meeting begins at 7:30pm. Location: CARD Center Vallombrosa Avenue - Chico, California, We look forward to see you at our next meeting! Date Speaker Program April 9th (Wed) Andrew Harris Spring fishing in the Fall River area May 14 (Wed) Craig Nielsen TBA June 11 (Wed) Dave McKinney Movie on fly fishing- TBA Sep 10 (Wed) Jon Baiocchi Davis Lake Oct 8, (Wed) TBA TBA Nov 12 (Wed) Michael Kossow Adopt a Stream - biologist/game warden Chico Area Flyfisher s Fishout Schedule 2014 This is where you can locate future outings that Chico Area Flyfisher s provide to its Membership. These Club Fishouts are designed to give fly fishers the best opportunity to catch fish and enjoy the outdoors. Our Club has many accomplished anglers who are willing to share their skills with others and you are only limited by willingness to become involved. From selecting promising locations and time, to helping those members new to the sport, we try to make these trips fun, exciting and successful. We are also looking for additional fishout leaders. If you have one of those favorite spots that you don t mind sharing with others and would like to lead your fellow CAF members for a day of fishing fun, and fellowship please contact Don Sleeper or Eric See. This schedule may change depending on the fish bite or weather conditions. Date Location Fishout Leader April 10 thru 15 Pyramid Lake Don Sleeper April 26 Trout Opener Eric See Hat Creek, Baum Lake, camp on new Pit River campground May 10 Bass Pond Don Sleeper BQ Lunch will be provided, $10 fee helps with food costs, clean up, and rest room rental. May 24 Crater Lake Don Sleeper June 1st Sun Little Grass Valley Creek Reservoir (2.3 mile walk) Off Buck Horn Summit on Hwy 299 June Almanor Hex hatch Open July Philbrook Reservoir Open August Open Open Sept 20 Lewiston or Davis Don Sleeper Oct 1st Pyramid Lake Open Oct Almanor Open Nov 8 Eagle Lake Don Sleeper Nov Big Chico Creek Eric See Other ideas: Floating Indicator Clinic, Float Tube Clinic, Fly Casting Clinic, Yuba River, Fort Bragg area Surf Fly fishing--- 3

On the Road Again: Pyramid Lake By Don & Pat Sleeper We fished Pyramid Lake March 13th thru March 17 in beautiful weather; Pyramid was almost calm at times, dead calm.

We camped at Warrior Beach which was beautiful. This trip was a kind of check out for our club fish out scheduled for April 10th thru April 15th. Again we plan to camp on Warrior beach.

But I did landed a 25 incher, though not on camera.. We used Teeny Lines (shooting heads) with black and white streamers followed by beetles of varying colors.

4 On the Road Again: Pyramid Lake By Don & Pat Sleeper We fished Pyramid Lake March 13th thru March 17 in beautiful weather; Pyramid was almost calm at times, dead calm. Then Sunday arrived and it turned: almost three foot swells rolled across the lake with 45mph winds so we packed up and left in a hurry. Fishing was a little slower but, we all hooked fish. We camped at Warrior Beach which was beautiful. This trip was a kind of check out for our club fish out scheduled for April 10th thru April 15th. Again we plan to camp on Warrior beach. We fished from pontoon boats and float tubes at Warrior. A couple of us even used ladders. The fish ranged between 2 and 6 lbs, any fish is a trophy fish on the fly at Pyramid. But I did landed a 25 incher, though not on camera.. We used Teeny Lines (shooting heads) with black and white streamers followed by beetles of varying colors. But most of the fish were caught using nymphs and chironomids under an indicator of a dark color or red. We all enjoyed a wonderful time camped on the beach at Warrior. Elton Hinkle with a small one... Don with another small one... Chico Area Flyfishers Pyramid Lake Fishout April 10-15, 2014 Call me if you plan to attend. Don Sleeper Cell Fishing and camping permits can be purchased online at Fly Fishing We plan be at Warrior Point camping on the beach with trailers. Accommodations can be arranged at Crosby s (775) (Reservation, license and Information) Fish should be coming in close to spawn this time of the year in 1 to 10 feet of water. Pyramid Lake fishing is done by wading, float tubes, or using a common household ladder. The wind can be a little rough there for the ladder keeps you out of the water and allows you to cast further. We use black and green wooly buggers and foam beetles behind the wooly buggers. Sinking and intermediate lines are the preferred lines. But floating lines with a nymph and indicators work well. Even top water minnow patterns can be used in the fall of the year with the large bait balls of chu chubs. 4

Fly of the Month for April 2014 Iced Case Caddis By: Ray Narbaitz Last year, I was on a drift trip with Lincoln Gray on the Lower Sac. While we caught some fish, it was still a bit slower than normal.

5 Fly of the Month for April 2014 Iced Case Caddis By: Ray Narbaitz Last year, I was on a drift trip with Lincoln Gray on the Lower Sac. While we caught some fish, it was still a bit slower than normal. Of course, things are relative. A slow day on the Lower Sac can often be a fantasy day on other bodies of water. In any event, I wasn t doing all that well with the usual suspects we had been fishing, so I was rummaging around in my Nymph Box to see if I could find something a little different. Sure enough, I came across an old fly that I had not used in a number of years. My rapidly failing memory told me I had been successful with it back then, so I decided to give it a try. I d like to say that after I put it on, it was the old strike every cast deal. Actually, I could say that, it just wouldn t be the truth. However, with that fly, my strike to time fished ratio improved significantly. The fly is kind of garish, with a green Krystal Flash body and a black head. I chose the Iced Case Caddis for the Fly of the Month, because it reminds me a lot of that fly, but I like the looks of it a little better. It has plenty of flash, but is not quite as blatant about it. With the Caddis hatch already starting on the river, I think this would fish quite well there. Hook: TMC3769 or & 16 Thread: Black 8/0 Bead: Black or Copper Weight: 3 turns of Lead Wire Rib: Copper Wire, small or brassie Abdomen: Peacock Ice Dub Thorax: Caddis Green or Chartreuse Ice Dub 1. De-barb the hook, and thread on the Bead. 2. Place the hook in the vice. 3. Take two or three turns of lead, and push them up into the back of the bead. 4. Start your thread, and use it to anchor down the lead. 5. Tie in the ribbing, back to the bend of the hook. 6. Dub the thread with the Peacock Ice Dub, and wrap it up to about the 2/3 point of the shank. 7. Spiral wrap the ribbing up the Abdomen, secure it an break it off. 8. Dub on the Green Ice Dub, and wrap it up to the bead. It should continue the taper from the Abdomen, so it is bigger around than the body. 9. Whip finish right behind the bead, and cut off the thread. For a long time, Fly Fishermen (Persons) had the reputation of being rather snobbish about their sport. A common belief was that they had their noses so far up in the air they would drown in a heavy rain storm. That reputation, unfortunately, had a lot of truth to it. I m glad to say that I don t see nearly as much of that elitist attitude today as I used to when I first started Fly Fishing. Perhaps it s hard to be a snob while using a bob.uh, Indicator. In any event, in a book entitled 1,001 Pearls of Fishing Wisdom: Advice and Inspiration for Sea, Lake and Stream, by Nick Lyons, I found this quote that I feel says very well what I always thought of that elitist attitude. I ain t got no objection to them fellers with the jinted poles. And I don t mind nuther their standin off an throwin their flies as far as they ve a mind to. But what does rile me is the cheeky way in which they stand up and say there isn t no decent way of fishin but their way. Frank R. Stockton Notes: I think another variation on the fly that would work well would be to use Peacock Black Ice Dub for the Abdomen. 5

Chico Fly Shop Fish First Chico, CA Chico, CA (530) 345-9983 (530) 343-8300

President: Larry Willis...520-8556 Vice President Pat Sleeper.

..345-1197 Board Members: Eric See...899-1918 Scott Joyce...899-8500 Dana Miller.

..570-1342 Past President: David McKinney.

.. Terry Mich Ron Leger Custom Fish Carvings 530-343-5191 rlegerfishcarvings@gmail.

6 Chico Fly Shop Fish First Chico, CA Chico, CA (530) (530) Sierra Stream & Mountain Chico, CA ( LOCAL GUIDES BOARD MEMBERS President: Larry Willis Vice President Pat Sleeper Secretary: Lincoln Gray Treasurer: Don Sleeper Board Members: Eric See Scott Joyce Dana Miller Lance Gray Dennis Boyd Dave Mckinney Past President: David McKinney Committee Chairpersons: Fish Master...Don Sleeper Conservation... David McKinney Web Master: Don Sleeper and Richard Wilkerson Fly Tying... Terry Mich Ron Leger Custom Fish Carvings Newsletter Editor Scott Sleeper Proofreader Ray Narbaitz CAF WEBPAGE FISHING REPORTS Change of address? Not receiving newsletter? Contact Don Sleeper

CHICO AREA FLYFISHERS

CHICO AREA FLYFISHERS Short Casts September 2013 Speaker September 11th, 2012 : Hogan Brown! Our meetings are located at the CARD center, 545 Vallombrosa Avenue, Chico, CA. At 6:30 fly tying and 7:30 meeting.