R E E L L I N E S Established 1962 www.azflycasters.org We support catch and release. October 2018 MISSION STATEMENT The Arizona Flycasters Club is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to encouraging, supporting, and educating its members and the community in the sport of fly fishing, the techniques of fly fishing, and the ethics of catch and release, which promotes the conservation of fish and their habitats. The organization s activities also promote friendship, enjoyment, sportsmanship, and safety. President s Lines Fall is finally in the air, and that means fall fishing. In my opinion, this is the best time of year to get on the water. With temperatures dropping, fish are prone to fattening up for the leaner winter months ahead. The fall colors just enhance the beauty of the season. Brad Norgaard President 602-670-9582 Don Mickus Vice President 602-920-2350 Alan Davis Secretary 925-785-5583 Barney Rouse Treasurer 602-482-8239 Some of you may not know I m a bamboo fly rod enthusiast. If you have acquired or possibly inherited an old bamboo fly rod and would like to learn more about it, please bring it to one of our general meetings, and I ll give you an honest assessment of its construction and whether it is a candidate for repair or a wall hanger. I can t look at enough of these vintage classic rods. I ve also been known to fish with one a time or two. We have a couple big events coming up soon. One is our annual fall trip to the San Juan River in October. The San Juan is a world-renowned tail water, and our fall trip is undoubtedly our most anticipated outing of the year. We ll be joined by a few members of the San Diego Fly Fishers. I m really looking forward to what promises to be a memorable experience. The other big event is our 2019 Annual Banquet & Raffle, which will be held on March 3, but I want to get the word out early this year. If you haven t attended one of our banquets, you ve missed out on a great social event along with a raffle full of fantastic prizes, both fishing and non-fishing. Be sure to watch for tickets sales in the coming months. We also really need your donations of new or gently-used items, including handcrafted items. Many of our members make beautiful rods, nets, stained glass items, jewelry, woodworking projects, paintings, etc. Those items draw a lot of tickets and thus raise a lot of money for our club. Also, we could use a couple new members on our banquet committee, so if you d like to lend a hand, let me know. We also still have a couple board positions available, so if you are interested in learning more about serving on the board or just helping out, please contact any board member. We always welcome new faces and fresh ideas. AFC is affiliated with Fly Fishers International, an organization dedicated to the betterment of the sport of fly fishing through conservation, restoration, and education. Tight lines and full nets! Your President, Brad Norgaard
SCHEDULE October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 10:00 AM Weekly Casting Meet-Ups (Roadrunner Park) 11 7:00 PM General Meeting (Barney Rouse/Summer Vacation)(SSCC) 16 7:00 PM General Education Class (Mop and Squirmy Wormy Flies)(SSCC) 18 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC) 20 9:00 AM Casting Class (Roadrunner Park) 20-21 Southwest Council FFI Fly Fishing Faire (Glendale, California) 20-24 San Juan River Outing 22 4:00 PM PHWFF Orientation Briefing (Surprise/CODOBE offices) 23 6:30 PM PHWFF Orientation Briefing (Gilbert/Spirit of Joy Lutheran) 27 9:00 AM PHWFF Orientation Briefing (North Phoenix/All Saints Lutheran) November 7, 14, 21, 28 10:00 AM Weekly Casting Meet-Ups (Roadrunner Park) 8 7:00 PM General Meeting (SSCC) 10 9:00 AM Casting Class (Roadrunner Park) 13 7:00 PM General Education Class (SSCC) 15 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC) 17 Salt River at Blue Point Bridge Outing December 5, 12, 19, 26 10:00 AM Weekly Casting Meet-Ups (Roadrunner Park) 13 7:00 PM General Meeting (Christmas Extravaganza) (SSCC) 15 9:00 AM Casting Class (Roadrunner Park) 18 7:00 PM General Education Class (SSCC) 20 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC) January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 10:00 AM Weekly Casting Meet-Ups (Roadrunner Park) 10 7:00 PM General Meeting (SSCC) 17 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC) New Member Orientation Classes Sunnyslope Community Center Ron Robinson, Education Chair Attention new members: Dave Mayl has put together an orientation class, with packet, that is held before every general meeting. These are very informal and fun gatherings designed to help explain things our club offers and perhaps identify what you might be able to do to make our club even more successful. We give everyone the opportunity to ask questions. Though the classes are designed specifically for new members, all members are welcome to attend and participate. We meet just before the general meeting at 6:00 PM in the classroom we use for fly tying at the Sunnyslope Community Center. Hope to see you there. If you have questions, give Ron a call at 602-867-8820. 2
Barney Rouse What I Did On Summer Vacation Thursday, October 11, 7:00 PM Sunnyslope Community Center John Doss, Programs Chair Join us on October 11 when AFC board member and treasurer Barney Rouse describes his backpacking and trout hunting expedition through the wilderness of southwestern Colorado last summer. Barney trekked nearly 50 miles living off the land and Top Ramen. Raffle Riffles Bob Sickles, Raffle Chair At our October 11 general meeting, we will hold another raffle and sale. The raffle will feature a nice rod, flies, books, and fishing tools, among other things. The sale offers yet another great opportunity to enhance your fly tying stockpile with fur, feathers, and more. Come early and check out the tables, you will see something you want. AFC announces the opportunity to win an amazing prize valued at over $1,000 a Winston Air 4-piece, 9-foot, 5-weight fly rod with Arizona Flycasters 2018" inscription and a nickel silver handle with a burled maple wood insert, a logo Condura travel case, and "The Big Hole" baseball cap with "R L Winston Rod Co." inscription. Here s how it works: You'll see a raffle board with 100 squares at the AFC monthly meetings beginning at the October meeting. Each square costs $10 and buys one chance to win. The squares may be purchased at AFC monthly meetings. The drawing will take place when the board is full. The raffle is open to members and non-members. Come see this beautiful rod at the October meeting! For any questions, contact Craig Mernitz. Win The Fly Rod Of A Lifetime! Craig Mernitz, Fundraising Chair 3
General Education Class Mop and Squirmy Wormy Flies Tuesday, October 16, 7:00 PM, Sunnyslope Community Center Ron Robinson, Education Chair At this month s class we will learn how to make several types of mop flies as well as squirmy wormy flies. These are all easy to tie and highly effective on a wide range of fish. The club will supply all the equipment and materials you need, so make plans now to join the fun. We ll be at the Sunnyslope Community Center on Tuesday, October 16, from 7:00 to 8:45 PM. Casting Class Saturday, October 20, 9:00 AM, Roadrunner Park Ron Robinson, Education Chair We resume our monthly casting classes on Saturday, October 20. Instruction starts at 9:00 AM and finishes around 11:00 AM. Our classes run through April and are held at Roadrunner Park, located at Cactus Road and 36th Street, just off State Route 51. We gather at the northeast corner of the park. The club has rods and reels for those in need and a fine group of casting instructors. It still might be a little warm, so bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, and water. Our first class will review the basic principles of casting. Our goal for those just starting will be to develop the skills necessary to have a great time on the water. For our more advanced casters, we will cover problem solving methods. Southwest Council FFI Fly Fishing Faire Saturday, October 20, and Sunday, October 21, Glendale, California Greg Stock, FFI Representative Southwest Council of Fly Fishers International is holding its Fly Fishing Faire in Glendale, California on Saturday, October 20, and Sunday, October 21. Instruction in fly tying, casting, and fishing will be given by some very talented instructors (and not too far from home this year). For more information, go to www.swcffi.org. I have attended the Faire a couple times and enjoyed it. Feel free to contact me. Greg 4 Phoenix Project Healing Waters Orientation Briefings (Surprise, Gilbert, and North Phoenix) Norm Johnson, Project Healing Waters You ve put it off long enough. In the back of your mind, you ve wondered several times if you could help with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. What exactly is it, what do they do, who are they, could I find a way to help that matches my interests and available time? Come to one of our orientation briefings. No obligation, just sit and listen, and if you think it might work for you, great. If not, no problem, now you know. Bring a buddy. We have three sessions to choose from: Surprise: CODOBE offices, 12211 West Bell Road, Suite 107, Surprise 85378, Monday, October 22, 4:00 PM Gilbert: Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, 1159 North Greenfield Road (between Baseline and Guadalupe), Gilbert 85234, Tuesday, October 23, 6:30 PM North Phoenix: All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 North 7th Street (between Thunderbird and Greenway), Phoenix 85022, Saturday, October 27, 9:00 AM (my favorite: coffee and snacks) Questions? Email Johnsonne1@cox.net or call or text Norm at 602-361-7656.
Hare s Ear Hook: Wet fly hook like Mustad 9671, sizes 12-16 Thread: Black Tail: Partridge hackle fibers Rib: Gold tinsel Body: Synthetic gray dubbing Wing case: Flash braid Thorax: Synthetic gray dubbing Head: Thread 1. Place a de-barbed hook in the vise. Start the thread just behind the eye and wrap back in close turns to the bend of the hook. 2. Take a small bunch of partridge hackle fibers off a feather, trying to keep the tips as even as possible. Tie in the bunch so that the length of the tail is a little shorter than the overall length of the fly. Catch the hair on the near side of the hook, and while holding the bunch firmly, allow it to roll up on top of the hook. Wrap the thread forward in touching turns, being careful to keep the butts in line with the shank of the hook. 3. Next take a length of the gold tinsel and tie it in at the base of the tail. Catch the tinsel to the side of the shank and wrap the thread back toward the eye, securing the tinsel in line with the shank. Return the thread to the base of the tail and hang the tinsel out of the way until it is time to wrap it. 4. Now take the dubbing material, and dub the thread to form a tapered rope. Wrap the dubbed thread forward to form a tight, tapered body. The body should take up a little more than half of the hook and should start small in diameter and taper larger as it reaches the area where it will meet the thorax. 5. Take the tinsel and make about three open spiral wraps over the dubbed body. With two firm wraps of thread, secure the tinsel, and then trim the excess tinsel. 6. The final steps involve building the thorax and wing case. Start by taking the flash braid and tying it in so that it is hanging over the body of the fly. Make sure the thread is wrapped all the way to the transition between the body and the thorax. 7. Using the same dubbing material and technique, dub the thorax so that it is slightly larger in diameter than the body. Make sure to leave room for the head of the fly. 8. For the wing case, fold the flash braid over the top of the thorax and secure it with some tight wraps. Trim the excess flash braid. 9. Wrap a small, neat head and whip finish. Gently pull out some fibers at the bottom of the thorax to help simulate legs or to give the fly a more shaggy appearance. The Hare s Ear might be the most recognized and fished nymph in the world. It is a must-have fly. It can be fished pretty much anytime and anywhere by any method. It is a go-to fly when there is no apparent hatch. Fish simply cannot resist its buggy appearance, and the buggier the better. However, it also imitates many mayfly and caddis nymphs. Try it in slow water, fast water, or still water. The most popular methods are dead drifting and slow stripping. The Hare s Ear appears in some of the oldest fly tying literature and can be tied using a variety of dubbing materials, colors, ribbing, beads, etc. 5
Board Members Brad Norgaard President 602-670-9582 stream2699@cox.net Don Mickus Vice President 602-920-2350 mickusdv@cox.net Alan Davis Secretary 925-785-5583 secretary@azflycasters.com Barney Rouse Treasurer 602-482-8239 barnrouse@aol.com John Doss Programs Chair and 623-229-8335 jdoss@dossigan.com Communications/Social Media Chair Barb and Brian Fayle Hospitality Co-Chairs 602-923-7870 bandbfayle@gmail.com Paul Finell Badges Chair 602-741-6563 paul.finell@yahoo.com Chuck Howey Technology Chair 602-866-9495 howeycn@q.com Norm Johnson Project Healing Waters 602-993-6524 johnsonne1@cox.net David Mayl Membership Chair 480-236-6757 dsmayl@cox.net Craig Mernitz Fundraising Chair 602-739-2385 craigmernitz@remax.net Ron Robinson Education Chair 602-867-8820 robinsonrs@cox.net Jim Rondoni Outings Chair 623-363-3368 jrondoman@outlook.com Ben Sheridan Special Events Chair and Youth Activities Chair 480-223-7815 fishtrem52@hotmail.com Bob Sickles Raffle Chair 602-953-3761 r.sickles@hotmail.com Greg Stock FFI Representative 623-824-6286 eonlystock@aol.com Steve Nemecek Newsletter Editor 602-540-3846 snemecek@sjbrownlaw.com OPEN OPEN Merchandise Chair Volunteer Coordinator Chair Board Positions Available We have two board positions to fill: Merchandise Chair and a newly-created Volunteer Coordinator Chair. These are excellent opportunities to help the club. If you are interested in a position or just lending a hand, please contact any board member. 6
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Arizona Flycasters Club P.O. Box 47357 Phoenix, AZ 85068-7357 Arizona Flycasters Club general meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the second Thursday of every month at the Sunnyslope Community Center. The Annual Banquet and Raffle is held in February or March. Watch for further details. The Arizona Flycasters Club newsletter is published by the Arizona Flycasters Club and is distributed to its members and advertisers. Opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily those of the club. Advertisements are placed as a means of conveying the message of the advertisers. The Arizona Flycasters Club does not necessarily endorse the advertiser s products or services. Arizona Flycasters Club P.O. Box 47357 Phoenix, AZ 85068-7357 http://www.azflycasters.org Next General Meeting: Barney Rouse What I Did On Summer Vacation Thursday, October 11, 2018 7:00 PM This space reserved for your name and address. 8