Club Chronicle Since 1972, promoting the sport of fly fishing Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers, 257 North Main, Pocatello, Idaho 83204, Google SEIFF July 2015 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E President s Message Casting About Salmon Fishing Closings & Openings Calendar of Events Meet the Board of SEIFF Fly of the Month Pocatello s Fly Tying Guide Fishing Reports Early fishing (10:00 am 1:00pm) was excellent with some fine fish netted President s Message Dear Members, Friends and All Interested Parties, I am very happy to say that SEIFF s 3 rd annual Twenty-Four Mile Reservoir field trip went off without a hitch..if we don t consider the afternoon deluge we received. Twelve fishers showed up for the event-mostly SEIFF members with some new faces also. The morning began in a beautiful manner with plenty of sunshine and virtually calm conditions. As I was preparing to enter the water in my pontoon boat, I noticed all the Gulls lined up on the far shore. An indicator that the damsel fly hatch had been in full swing and was about to begin again for this day also. Early fishing (10:00AM-1:00PM) was excellent with some fine fish netted. As the early afternoon progressed the storm front that was predicted began to build. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up, along with losing the sun to thick and threatening clouds. Thunder began to rumble with an occasional bolt of lightning detected over the next mountain range. The ever present Gulls, also noticing the change, began to leave the area. Lake/reservoir fishing for me, has always been best during sunny days with an abundance of high barometric pressure. The moment these variables begin to change, most often the fishing will suffer until either the front goes through the area or high pressure returns another day. As the fishing slowed down and the weather took its turn for the worse, it was easily decided to go in and have our French gourmet chef- Chef Victour (ahh ha ha) fire up the Barbie for some delectable cheese filled sausage dogs, cheese whiz crackers, cookies, candy and soft drinks. I might add that the crackers were the whole grain variety and very healthy. Positive heath consciousness is always of major concern to me when purchasing food items for our gourmet lunches. Many non-truths were shared during the luncheon and the weather really began to close in. The rain came and continued for the next 3 hours. Most of us decided to call it a day after lunch was concluded. Interestingly enough, as I came down off the mountain and made to Old Route 30, from Kelley-Toponce road, the rain was virtually nonexistent. Varying weather conditions at higher elevations can be totally opposite from what is going on at the valley floor.always plan for inclement weather conditions regardless of what it looks like when you walk out your front door to go wet a line. With all that said, it was great to get out with members of the club and new acquaintances. Special thanks are in order for Mr. Vic Loiselle, who is always eager to help with these outings. And a Thank You to all that attended. Keep checking our newsletter and website for a possible future outing to Daniels Reservoir in the early fall. Tight Lines to all of you!!! Sincerely, Tom Banyas Clicking on this icon will connect you to the SEIFF website for more information about this topic.
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 2 Casting About Tom Dial, Editor Well, seems as though summer has arrived and the monsoon season has subsided. However, we will still have the usual gully washers from time to time. The annual fishing event to 24 Mile was a success before the group was blown off the reservoir. Nice fish were caught; good eats were had, with good friends a memory made. Thanks to Vic Loiselle for a great job, again and thanks to our unofficial guide Tom Banyas and thanks to those that attended for your support. Bob Huerta donated some time to the Portneuf Clean Up project last month. He volunteered to work in the upper Portneuf area, near the old Utah Bridge. As usual he was running a bit late, so he put the pedal to the metal enroute. As a result, he was delayed by a state patrolman and gifted a $90 donation slip for the state of Idaho. Bob is easy to recognize at club meetings. He is the one with the light wallet and oil all over his right shoe after he removes it out of the oil pan when he exits his vehicle. If you ride with him DONOT sign the form release he wants you to sign. Recently Dave Alexander called to SEIFF s attention that there is a culvert on the Country Club premises at the confluence of the Portneuf River and Gibson Jack, which is blocking the fish spawning migration from the Portneuf to Gibson Jack. SEIFF are going to open a dialogue with Dave Tuescher of Idaho Fish & Game and the Country Club to remove the barrier. Preliminary indications are that it will be costly. Later this month, Tom Banyas, Bud Smalley, Bob Huerta, Alexander, and Tuescher are planning meeting with the Country Club folks to work on removing the obstacle. This project is in its early stages. Anyone interested in working on this project, may contact Tom Banyas, 241-5733. The Newsletter will keep you advised as the matter progresses. Be safe during this summer fishing season, enjoy the environment and keep the wind at your back Salmon Fishing Closings and Openings Mike Demick, IF&G Chinook Salmon Seasons to End in North Fork Clearwater and Lower Salmon Rivers. This Week the North Fork Clearwater River will close to all Chinook salmon fishing the end of fishing hours on June 10. In addition, all sections of the lower Salmon River downstream of Vinegar Creek will close to all Chinook salmon fishing at the end of fishing hours Thursday, June 11. Chinook salmon seasons continue on the Clearwater River upstream from the Orofino Bridge, South Fork Clearwater, Middle Fork Clearwater, Little Salmon, Lochsa, and Snake Rivers. The upper Salmon River opens June 13, while the South Fork Salmon River opens June 19th. Anglers are reminded that changes to seasons or limits may be implemented on short notice. For current information on Idaho s salmon seasons and fishing rules, visit the Fish and Game website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getpage=140, or call the Salmon Hotline at 1-855-287-2702. Mike Demick Conservation Information Supervisor Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game 600 S. Walnut Street Boise, ID 83707 208-287-2883 - Office 208-866-2593 - Cell Dates to Remember -Upcoming Events- 8.11-8.15 Federation of Fly- Fishers, International Fair, Bend Oregon, for more information see http://www.fedflyfishers.org/flyfishingfair 9.20.15 SEIFF Board Meeting. 9.10.15, 7:00 PM The annual meet and greet pizza party details to be announced in the newsletter, later. If you have questions or want to volunteer, contact Vic Loiselle 269-0344.
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 3 Meet the Board of SEIFF Each month, the newsletter will be doing a piece on one or two board members. The idea is to let the members better educated about who serves on the SEIFF Board of Directors. The idea is so the members can familiarize themselves with the board members, which will, in turn, hopefully open more dialogue from the membership with the Board re membership thoughts and input. The membership is always welcome to attend the Board Meetings that are held 7 PM at Portnuef River Outfitters on the third Thursday of each month, except May through July. Meet the Board of SEIFF (Cont.) During any spare time I enjoy fly fishing, golf and occasional visits to any nearby casio. Meet Bob Huerta I was born and raised in Pocatello to Mike and Juanita Huerta. I have 5 sisters and three brothers. I graduated from Pocatello High School in 1962 and enlisted in the U S Army. I served in Alaska and Southeast Asia. After the military I moved to California and worked at several jobs. Upon returning to Pocatello I worked at Blocks Department store and Union Pacific Railroad. After being laid off after 10 years, at age 40, I enrolled in the Civil Engineering Technology program at Idaho State University. After completion of college I was hired by the United States Department of the Interior - Division of Dam Safety. My first job was on the Jackson Lake Dam in Wyoming. During my career in worked on projects in approximately 35 states and worked in Brazil twice on a rain forest project. I have been involved in numerous Super Fund cleanup sites and was called to Texas to assist in recovery of the Columbia shuttle. I officially retired in 2008, but have been called back to work at least once a year since that time as a construction supervisor/advisor for private construction firms. I will be returning again later this summer for a project on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. My wife likes telling people that I have flunked retirement too many times. Bob Huerta Board Member I am married to the former Sandie Kirby. She has successfully retired from the Pocatello Police Department as the Communications Supervisor after 36 years of service. We have one daughter Stephanie Armstrong who is the Physician Liason for Portneuf Med Center. We also have two grandsons, Zander, age25, and Jace, age 15. Meet the Board Continued on Page 4
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 4 Meet the Board (Cont.) Meet Bud Smalley. I ve been a member of the SEIFF for quite a few years. Somewhere in there I served as President for a few years and witnessed firsthand the benefits of riparian fence on the upper Portneuf. That got the creative juices flowing and I hatched a wild idea. I only talked to close friends about it because I did not want perfect strangers to tell me that I was nuts! My friends liked the idea so I formed an exploratory committee made up of people that I had met through the years of fence building with the Club. It included Trout Unlimited, the SEIFF, the Idaho Fish and Game, the Idaho DEQ, The Nature Conservancy and the Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trust to name a few. We discussed my idea and came up with a ton of water law questions that we needed answers for so we invited Randy Budge to educate us. We are also working with the NRCS and other agencies to help on more restoration projects on the Portneuf downstream from Lava Hot Springs in the section that we had the engineering study completed on. My part? I m the meeting organizer. The Portneuf River Project is comprised of knowledgeable, dedicated, hardworking members who love what they do, revel at success and enjoy working with one another. I just get them together. A minor detail, Bud omitted in his bio is that he also received the SEIFF Recognition Award in 2014 for his outstanding conservation efforts and longtime service to the board of directors. Tom Dial, Editor Randy liked where we were headed and gave us the opportunity to take over an Idaho corporation that was about to be dissolved by the Secretary of State for inactivity. We accepted the offer and the Carriboo Conservancy was reborn to preserve and protect the Portneuf from Chesterfield Reservoir to the City of Pocatello. As I and my other three Board members met we realized that we needed help. We meant well but the name proved that we could not spell (that is another story) and we had no idea how to get things done. I re-convened the steering committee and suggested that we bring our collective knowledge, skills and abilities together to work in concert with one another to make improvements on the Portneuf. They agreed and the Portneuf River Project was born. Since that time we have restored the Topaz River Gauge after the USGS asked us for help. We acquired land at what is now Topaz Landing and we rehabilitated it and eliminated 12 foot high sand banks and restored active flood plain and hardened the river banks. We then turned it over to the IDF&G for public access. We have restored two channels of Pebble Creek, drilled a water well and installed three off stream water troughs. We built two culverts across the restored channels and fenced off both restored streams as well as 600 yards of the Portneuf that was always open to livestock. In short we transformed that property. We raised funds and contracted for an in-depth engineering assessment on the seven mile stretch of river downstream from Lava Hot Springs between the two main bridges. That assessment was needed to help us understand why the river is in the shape that it is and what is the best way to rehabilitate and stabilize it. We are using that study as a roadmap for projects in that reach. Bud Smalley - Board Member Fly Tying Demo Currently we are in the midst of installing a gravity fed irrigation system that originates on the US Forest Service land upstream on Pebble Creek. That system will restore irrigation water to five ranchers that was lost a few years ago when their irrigation ditch across the face of the mountain blew out.
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 5 SEIFF Fly of the Month TB s Damsel Nymph This month s fly pattern is designed and tied by our local South East Idaho Fly fisher s President, Tom Banyas. Considering our club outing to 24 Mile Res on June 21, it is also timely. The place (24 Mile), the time (June 21) are picked to coincide with the damsel fly hatches that occur at 24 Mile this time of year. The details about the outing are set out in the President s message of this Newsletter. Tom advises that this pattern has worked well wherever he has had the opportunity to fish with damselfly nymphs. He notes that you should be aware that there could be color differences in the naturals from one lake to another and you should get a good look at the naturals in the body of water that you are fishing and design your fly with those changes in mind. Tie this imitation to keep its profile like the natural-thin and sparse. This is another special pattern, tied by local fly fisherman who has fished these local waters for a long time. Recipe for TB s Damsel Nymph Hook: Tiemco 5262 in size 10 or 12. If you want to tie a bead head damsel, use a Tiemco 5263 (same as 5262, but eye length longer shank.) Thread: Danvilles 6/0 or your favorite, but in a color to match the color of the fly. Tail: Olive or olive/brown partridge soft hackle fibers or sparse marabou fibers. Rib: Fine gold wire. Body: Arizona scud blend in Gray. This blend looks browner than gray and works well when all materials are incorporated into the fly. Abdomen case: Holographic flash, medium, in brown. Thorax case: Olive scud back. Legs: Olive or olive/brown partridge soft hackle fibers. Eyes: Plastic mono dumbbell eyes in either olive or black Pocatello s Fly Tying Guild Tom Dial, Editor In case many of you are not familiar with Pocatello s Informal Fly Tying Guild. If you are not, then you should, because Portneuf River Outfitters has a group of fly tiers that meet Tuesday & Thursday at PRO from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM (sometimes longer), and Saturdays, after the fly tying demo, from about 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This group is composed of all skill levels or tiers and fish tale- tellers. Bring your own equipment and spend some fun time with a great bunch of folks. Any skill level could improve just being with this friendly group. In addition to picking up some great fly tying tips on materials, equipment and patterns, you can get some great information on some great places to fish, as well. This is not a formal group, but most guilds started informally, and the members gained great information in furthering their craft and knowledge. The club is also supporting the Casting for Warriors event again this year by furnishing tied flies for the families for the fishing retreat event. Tying with the Guild would be a fun group project. Dry, wet, nymph and leech type patterns (3 of each) for a dozen flies will be arranged in a SEIFF club fly box and donated to each veteran family member. Anyone is welcome, all ages and skill levels, even if you don t tie, drop by for a cup of coffee, and join in the fun and great conversation.
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 6 Fishing Reports Courtesy of: All Seasons Angler FISHING REPORTS: With warmer days and less overcast rainy weather the flyfishing, hatches and water conditions are changing. Reviewing some of these reports, it seems like reading a normal July fishing reports, not the middle of June. Notice that the Stone Flies are already done in some waters, and starting up in others (i.e the Madison outside Yellowstone), caddis flies are starting to emerge in some areas that would not see them until the lst week in July. For further information call the outfitters included in this report. YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY: Blue Ribbon Flies 6.11.15 The Firehole River: The River is warming up and passing into the danger zone. This may be the last week the River. Clouds that will keep things a little cooler, and the water around Biscuit Basin will be cool in the morning. If you do fish the Firehole, it is recommended you start early and leave by 11 AM. Rainbows have been seen schooling together along the banks. Rainbows can't tolerate warm water the way brown trout can. The coming days will be sunny and hot, which make the Firehole too warm to fish. However, if we get into another stretch of overcast, the river could cool off and fish again. The Madison in YNP will still have some salmonfly fishing. The warm water from the Firehole may slow the fishing down during midday. You could find fish rising to caddis during the early morning hours and just before dark. Swinging soft hackles and nymphing rubberlegs will be another way to catch fish here. The Gallatin is still running cold but the nymphing is picking up. Hit the banks with a rubberlegs or a streamer and you may find brown trout. It will be at least another week until there is consistent dry fly fishing on this river. Make sure to stay above Taylor Fork if you want to fish clear water. The nymphing and streamer fishing may still be good in the muddy water. Hebgen Lake has continued Callibaetis and midge emergences, with even the first few caddis flying around. Make sure you get on the water before the wind comes up because that will put an end to the majority of the dry fly fishing. All you need are Griffiths Gnats, Callibaetis Sparkle Duns, Pheasant Tails and leeches. The Madison below Quake Lake is settling in and clearing up now that the flows have been dropped down to 1,080. Stay up to date on the water flows on Blue Ribbon Flies water conditions page. For dry fly fishing use Stimulators and other attractor patterns. The river is nearly clear and likely to start fishing with caddis in a matter of days. Start with a little blind casting, if that doesn't work out dredge some nymphs or swing a streamer until the fish are willing to rise. The usual rubberlegs and pheasant tails will be a fine set up. The Madison is a summer sleeper, after the flows were raised, I don't think any of us expected the dry fly fishing to start up so soon. THE ISLAND PARK AREA: Henry s Fork Anglers 6.12.15 The reservoirs and stream flows: Fortunately, all of the reservoirs in the irrigation system are filled to capacity. Water has been released in higher volumes from Palisades and Island Park Reservoirs over the past few days. The flow from the Island Park Dam started to increase a few days ago from 370 cfs to the present flow of more than 800 cfs. We expect this to continue until it reaches at least 1000 cfs. The stream flow at St. Anthony has stayed near 1000 cfs in spite of the rapid increase in stream flow from Island Park. Flows of 1000 cfs or less can be critical for health of the river. We ve already seen our early bugs like the Salmonfly, Golden Stone, caddis, and PMDs start several weeks earlier than normal. We ve expected the same from Green Drakes, Flavs and other hatches on the Henry s Fork as well as the Salmonfly hatch on the Madison and the South Fork. Higher flows will help slow things down on the upper river but the Green Drakes and Flavs are well under way on the Lower Henry s Fork. Lower Flows should also accelerate the hatches on the Madison. Predicting hatches is far from an exact science but we expect the Salmonflies to start on the Madison by the 20th of the month. (Continued on Page 6)
SEIFF Club Chronicle July 2015 Page 7 Fishing Reports (Cont.) One thing for certain, higher flows out of Island Park will bode well for the opening day of the Harriman State Park on June 15th. The flows have been below normal on opening day the past few years resulting in spotty fishing. Look for good hatches of PMDs and caddisflies. We have also been expecting Green Drakes and if the flow stabilizes they should start coming off within the next few days. They are already well under way on the Lower Henry s Fork, the Upper Henry s Fork and the Buffalo River. Brown Drakes are also emerging in the evening hours above Coffee Pot Rapids and the Buffalo River. AREA WATERS: Jimmy s All Season s Anglers 6.13.15 Still Water: Damselflies are the game with Daniels and Springfield Reservoirs being best bets for fishing nymphs and dries. Twenty-Four Mile has been a bit iffy with respect to the damselflies. There is a question as to whether Chesterfield Reservoir is filling. Water coming out seems a bit low and clear, but how much is coming in? Filling is best for fishing, especially come summer months. Harriman Fish Pond will receive an injection of hatchery fish before the end of this month. So If you want a chance at the big hold-overs, better go there in the next week or so. Try damselfly and speckled dun life cycle patterns or small leech and snail patterns. The South Fork: The South Fork has been raised over 6000 Cfs at Irwin and same at Heise in the last four days. Thus, the gravel bars that were sitting out, will now be a riffle in most spots. The fish should now be sitting in more traditional riffles and in the side channels better then before. Fish the troughs and mid river riffles too. Additionally, fish the banks with streamers, too Lastly, the dry flies have not appeared yet, and I would still wait another week or so to really start looking for big bugs on the lower South Fork. The flies that I would take with me on a trip to the South Fork would be a Bennet s Seal Brown Rubber Leg size 6 and 8, Pearl Lightning Bug size 14, Psycho Prince Yellow size 14 for nymphs. Streamers would be Krafts Kreelex Minnow copper/gold size 6, Sculpin Sparkle Minnow size 4, and a Gallops Yellow Dungeon size 2. Just to be on the safe side I would take some PMDs such as CFO Morning Dun Spinner size 18, Harrop s Eye CDC Para Dun Spinner size 18. THE SUN VALLEY AND BIG LOST AREA: Silver Creek Outfitters 6.10.17 The fish are there; the bugs are there too. Our freestone rivers are high and off color, but Silver Creek is fishing well. The Brown Drakes are done and now caddis are taking center stage in the evenings. During the day, and depending on the weather, you will see Callibaetis, Baetis, PMDs, and even a smattering of Tricos. Now is a great time to experience the glory of Silver Creek while waiting for the rest of our rivers to clear and drop. The Big Wood: High and muddy. It is going to be a few weeks before the Wood will be ready to go, about time for the Green Drakes! BIG LOST BELOW MACKAY: With flows at 560 CFS, this fishery is too high. THE SALMON RIVER: The Bent Rod, 6.14.15 Salmon River: Salmon season has begun and the fish are beginning to show up. There are reports of 125 fish in at the Pahsimeroi hatchery, and a few already up to the Sawtooth hatchery. The river below the East Fork is running a bit high but the level is dropping, and it is lower and clearer above the East Fork to Stanley. For the fly fishermen, a big irritating streamer like a Circus Peanutis always a good choice, or a glo bug on a sink-tip or with split shot. For the caster and spin fisherman, cured roe or a Flying C spinner.
South East Idaho Fly Fishers (SEIFF) 257 North Main Pocatello, ID 83204 A PUBLICATION OF Google SEIFF or go to: http://www.orgsites.com/id/seidahoflyfishers/index.html SEIFF Board Officers Tom Banyas, President Pete Griffin, Vice-President Clyde Lowther, Treasurer Anne LoPiccalo, Secretary Tom Dial, Newsletter Editor Darrell Brown, Webmaster/Newsletter Layout SEIFF Board Meetings Club members are welcome to attend the meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at 7:00 pm in the Portneuf River Outfitters fly shop at 257 North Main in downtown Pocatello. Website: Google SEIFF or http://www.orgsites.com/id/seidahoflyfishers/index. html