www.wyflycasters.org
Page 2 OFFICERS Joe DeGraw, President Melody Weinhandl, President-elect Alex Rose, Vice President Spencer Amend, Secretary Kim Levine, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2010 John Fanto Jamie Gibson Joe Meyer Gene Theriault Terms expire in 2011 Bob Fischer Scott Novotny Jim Sparks Bill Wichers Terms expire in 2012 Casey Leary Russ Newton Andrew Sauter Matt Stanton The Backcast is the monthly newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters, an affiliate club of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy and the Federation of Fly Fishers. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the views of the officers, board or members of the Wyoming Fly Casters. Annual dues are $20 for an individual, $30 for a family, or $250 for a lifetime individual membership or $450 for a lifetime family membership. Visit the club website at www.wyflycasters.org. The deadline for submission of information for each issue is the last Wednesday of the month. Make contributions to the next issue by e-mailing material to the Backcast editor at ChevPU57@aol.com, or call (307) 436-8774. The Backcast is available either in electronic format or through USPS snail mail. To receive each newsletter through a monthly e-mail, you must be able to open .pdf (Adobe Acrobat, a software format available free of charge) documents. Generally, each issue is roughly 1 MB in size, some are larger. Your e-mail provider may have limits on the size of attachments. In order to be added to the e-mail list, send a request message to ChevPU57@aol.com. In addition to receiving each issue of the newsletter earlier than your hard copy peers, email subscribers are able to print each copy in vibrant color -- an added plus if the issue is rich in color photographs. By subscribing electronically, you also save the club roughly $17.40 a year in printing and postage expenses.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drag-free Drif ts by Joe DeGraw, President, WFC
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reetings fellow Wyoming Fly Casters! As I begin my term as president of the Wyoming Fly Casters, I ponder how much of an honor and privilege it to serve such an organization. I am encouraged by the wonderful things that have been accomplished this past year, the standards of excellence by those who have served as officers and as board members, and those who have graciously contributed their time and efforts both great and small. First, I would like to thank John Robitaille, our most recent president. He has done a wonderful job leading our organization this past year. I would also like to acknowledge Ed Rate who has spent the past several years as our treasurer and Richard Soffe, who has spent several years as a board member. Likewise, I acknowledge Tom Grogan and his efforts as secretary. Besides board members and officers, I would like to send my regards to Randy Stalker who spends many hours publishing the newsletter, the Backcast. The efforts of Don Jelinek, Alex Rose and others who assisted in making the Great Rockies Sport Show such a success. As many of you know, our club raised well over $1,000, and brought in several new members. The guidance of Dick DePaemelere, Jim Sparks, and Spencer
Amend are graciously acknowledged during my service as president-elect. Lastly, I would like to say thank you to the members of the banquet committee in preparation for the upcoming banquet. I am sure it will be a success as a result of these members’ efforts. Everyone mentioned here and those to whom I failed to mention, your efforts are gratefully appreciated. Thank you. Looking forward, I believe there are a great many opportunities that are unfolding before Wyoming Fly Casters. We have a great slate of officers and board members. The board comprises both experience and youthful energy, which I believe will prove invaluable. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm of Alex Rose in the area of membership and publicity of the club. I anticipate his efforts will bring greater awareness of WFC's mission of conservation and promoting the sport of fly fishing to the community. Along these lines, I am encouraged by the proposed closer ties between TU and Wyoming Fly Casters. I hope this will enable us to increase our efforts in the area of conservation. In closing, I believe that great things lie ahead. I look forward to getting out on the water with many of you either on spare of the moment day trips to any one of our club outings. Joe
Tailing Loops by Randy Stalker, Backcast editor he club is in good hands. As a result of the recent election, many new, younger faces have decided to shoulder officer responsibilities. And the club is attracting new members to its ranks. Both are healthy developments. The best advice anyone can give to new members is: get involved. • Joe Meyer is planning a work/outing at Antelope and Sheepherder ponds on
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the 33 Mile Road. If interested, and available at two days’ notice, give him a call (235-1316). He plans to have fly tossers catch some of the small bluegill in Sheepherder, put them in a bucket, and introduce them to their new home in Antelope. The purpose here is to provide small tasty prey for the 9-12 in. bass in the pond and hopefully the nutrition will swell them to 18 in. bass for next year. Tight lines, Scoop
Cover shot: Marvin Nolte with an 11 lb., 12 oz. bonefish, caught on Jan. 19 on Andros Island in the Bahamas. It nailed a size 2 bonefish scampi, and took 20 minutes to land.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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BRAG BOARD From the membership
The brown trout on the Bighorn River are exceptionally well-colored in the spring. Members of the WFC are to attend the annual trek to Cottonwood Camp on April 11-12.
G&F to explain regulation changes for the new year Lee McDonald of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is scheduled to outline the new fishing regulations during the April 8 general membership meeting of the Wyoming Fly Casters. And for May, Alex Rose is to present a program on fly fishing the backcountry throughout the United States (Wyoming as well as the Appalachian Trail). Details in the next Backcast. In June, Scott Heywood of Angling Destinations in Sheridan is slated to present a program on fishing in salt water, perhaps featuring bonefish. • The second outing for 2009 is schedled for next month. Plans are now being made for the annual trip to the Big Horn River outside of Ft. Smith, MT, set for April 1012, during the Easter weekend. Lloyd Ferguson and Ed Rate are again the streamkeepers, and Don “Chef Ptomaine” Jelinek has accepted a request that he again organize and help prepare three of the meals. The club has reserved “the condo” at Cottonwood Camp again for the
weekend. The best way to fish the Big Horn is to use a drift boat to shuttle you from spot to spot, but some opportunities exist for the wading fisherman. Be sure to have some of these patterns in our box for the Bighorn: Scuds, Ray Charles sowbugs, baetis nymphs, midges, rock worms, San Juan worms, eggs, and an assortment of streamers. Any questions? Contact Lloyd Ferguson at 234-2234. • Make plans to attend the May 16 outing at Cardwell, with Scott Novotny as streamkeeper and chef. The Cardwell access is always a productive fishery in the spring, and the WFC has traditionally held a fishing trip to take advantage of this opportunity. Signup sheets are already circulating, so be sure to get your name on it, or notify Novotny (gscottn@gmail.com) of your intentions. Effective patterns, based on past spring fishing trips to Cardwell, include midge nymphs, rock worms, soft hackle bead headed hare’s ears, squirrel leeches and scuds. An egg may also be productive.
Joe Meyer with just one of the many rainbows caught at Alcova’s Okie Beach on Mar. 13. He used his favorite lake fly, a Streamliner.
Russ Newton with a 20-inch rainbow, caught at the Outhouse Hole below Grey Reef in March.
Alex Rose caught and released this slab of trout on Mar. 1, a 22-inch rainbow, while fishing Fremont Canyon. It was caught it on a size10, golden foam egg pattern.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
FLY
of the month
STIMULATOR 3xl dry fly hook or curved dry hook, sizes 4 - 16 Elk or deer hair Yellow superfine dry dubbing Brown and grizzly dry fly hackle Fine copper wire Orange and yellow dubbing 8/0 orange fly tying thread Select a small clump of deer or elk hair. Stack the hair, trim it, and tie it in as a tail. Take care not to use too much pressure at first. Using too much force, may cause the hair to flair out. Tie in a piece of copper wire. This will be used to rib the fly. Next start to apply dubbing to the fly. Use wax if you can't get the dubbing to adhere to the thread. Wrap the dubbing forward to create a nice body that tapers forward. You will need to dub just over halfway on the hook shank. Take a piece of brown dry fly saddle hackle. Prepare the hackle by stripping off a few fibers from the stem. Tie in the hackle where you finished dubbing. Wrap the hackle backwards towards the tail of the fly. Once you reach the point where the copper wire is tied in, wrap the copper wire forward in the opposite direction of the hackle. The copper wire will lock the hackle in place, and add durability to your fly. Select, and prepare another clump of deer or elk hair. Using the same technique as above, tie down the wing. Take some grizzly dry fly hackle, and prepare, and tie it in as above towards the back of the fly. Add some yellow dubbing to your thread, and wrap forward, building up a heavily dubbed head. Wrap the hackle forward, and tie off the excess, and trim. Add a whip finish to the fly, and a dab of head cement to secure it.
Jim Dean was going through some Long Island, Bahamas pictures and he came across this one. These shoes (size 14) belonged to a character named John Traut and he left them with Bernard Adderley, the host at Atlantic Hydeaway Bonefish Lodge. When John and Jim returned the following year, Bernard had placed them with his other treasures in his "trophy case."
Cutt-Slam continues strong Over 500 have earned the certificate Wyoming's Cutt-Slam program continued strong in 2008 with 89 anglers completing the requirements to earn their Cutt-Slam recognition. This brings the total to 562 anglers who have completed their slam since the program was started in 1996. During the year, a significant milestone was reached when Cheyenne angler Matt Hoobler became the 500th person to submit a completed cutt-slam application. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department continues to get numerous inquiries from anglers planning their own Cutt-Slam expedition. The Cutt-Slam was the brainchild of the late Pinedale area fisheries supervisor Ron Remmick who wanted to draw attention to the management efforts being done on behalf of the cutthroat. He looked at Wyoming's four cutthroat subspecies and the Cutt-Slam was born. Since that time, cutthroat management efforts have continued with some of the most notable efforts being the reclamation of LaBarge Creek and waters in the Little Snake River drainage for Colorado River cutthroat. Anglers who complete the Cutt-Slam are recognized for catching Wyoming's
four subspecies of cutthroat in their native range in Wyoming. The four subspecies are the Yellowstone, Snake River, Bonneville and Colorado River cutthroat trout. Successful anglers receive a certificate listing the name of the angler, color artwork of the four subspecies and notation on the date and location of each catch. The Cutt-Slam program has been featured in fly fishing magazines and on several television programs. Anglers completing the slam come from most states and several foreign countries. To qualify, an angler needs to provide a photograph of each fish and information on the date of catch and water where it was caught. There is no minimum size requirement. Releasing of fish is encouraged and may be required depending on the regulations for different waters. Anglers interested in participating in the Cutt-Slam program can contact G&F regional offices and G&F headquarters in Cheyenne for information on drainages and different waters in the state where the various cutthroat subspecies are available. Cutt-Slam applications and listings of different cutthroat waters can also be found on the G&F web site.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Letters to the editor Alleged Flaming Gorge record trout was an e-mail hoax Just a heads up so you know. That "World Record" trout that was caught was caught up in Saskatchewan. It was in last year’s Field and Stream. It is actually a "Liphod" (can't remember if that is the right word) or a genetically engineered trout that carries an extra set of chromosomes. This makes them sterile but they grow abnormally large. It was raised in a rearing station but escaped when a chunk of ice tore through the holding pens dumping the trout into the river. I have the issue if you would like to see it. I just thought you might like to know. Neil Ruebush
tus of the fishery and efforts to maintain and improve habitat conditions below Gray Reef. Trout numbers are currently well under the carrying capacity of the river below Gray Reef, partly because of the relatively poor habitat conditions, but also due to poor reproductive success the past several years. In particular, the huge drop in flow by the bureau in May of 2007 and again in 2008 had a devastating impact, destroying eggs and eliminating the possibility that large numbers of young trout would recruit to this fishery. The lack of a flushing flow last fall allowed excessive silt accumulation to continue into the 2009 spawning season. The upcoming flush will certainly enhance spawning conditions and overall trout habitat, but its relatively late date (March 30 - April 3) will disrupt some spawning, destroy eggs laid by early spawners and may result in a suboptimal hatch of trout, in a year where a bumper crop of young fish is badly needed. Again, the Wyoming Fly Casters really appreciate the Bureau’s and Department’s efforts to maintain and enhance the world class trout fishery in the North Platte River. We hope future negative impacts to the river’s fishery (like the May 2007 and 2008 drops in flow) can be avoided. We recommend that future spring flushing flows occur prior to March 25 to minimize disruption and adverse impacts on spawning rainbow trout. We also recommend that fall flushing flows be provided if requested by department biologists, when sufficient water is available in Seminoe and Pathfinder reservoirs. The close working relationship between your agencies has provided many benefits to the North Platte’s varied fisheries and we hope that excellent coordination and cooperation continues. Sincerely, Joseph J. De Graw, President Wyoming Fly Casters
We recommend that future flushing flows occur prior to March 25 to minimize adverse impacts on spawning rainbow trout.
WFC seeks earlier flushing flows on the North Platte Mr. John Lawson, Area Manager U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mr. Al Conder, Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Dear Mr. Lawson and Mr. Conder: I am writing on behalf of the 100+ members of the Wyoming Fly Casters, Casper’s only fly fishing club. As dedicated trout anglers, we have a keen interest in maintaining the world class trout fishery in the North Platte River. We know that for the most part, irrigation and hydropower generation are the bureau’s highest priority water uses in the North Platte system. And, we recognize and greatly appreciate past efforts by the Bureau and Department to enhance the North Platte River fishery (instream flow below Pathfinder Dam, flushing flows below Gray Reef Dam, etc.). However, we have concerns about the present sta-
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CUTT-SLAM Matt Stanton won a cutt-slam trip from TU last year, and here are the results; in order, Yellowstone, Snake, Bonneville and Colorado:
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Homemade flies produce burly trout by Alex Rose Vice President, WFC "Oh, Sir, doubt not that Angling is an art; is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly?" -- Sir Izaak Walton, who in 1653 published "The Compleat Angler," the angling classic, the third most published book in the English language following the Bible and the works of Shakespeare.
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y wife and I were driving through Wind River Canyon when I saw two fly fishermen standing in a shallow riffle while a man watched from the bank. I eased the car off the road near a bright yellow truck with a Colorado license plate. I was surprised that Greenies were fishing so far north of Grey Reef. I let my window down and politely asked the man about the fishing. "They've been crushing them all day," he said, bluntly. I asked what they were using. "Egg patterns and San Juan worms." Well, he was speaking my language. That evening, I hunched over my vice and tied up fresh egg patterns and large rock worms. The next day, I woke early, drove to Wind River Canyon, and parked at the first campground below the dam. The water was very low, and locating fish proved difficult. Finding trout without spooking them was nearly impossible. I waded upstream until I found a submerged boulder with at least four chunky, colorful rainbows darting back and forth, jockeying for position. I began casting, but the trout
A large cutbow caught with a rainbow warrior pattern.
ignored my worm-egg rig. I then tried tiny flies, a copper John and a tiny zebra midge, but they wouldn't elicit strikes, either. So I snipped off the entire rig and tied on a solitary rainbow warrior, a bold little nymph that reflected sunlight like a diamond. New club member Russ Newton introduced me to the rainbow warrior at the Outhouse Hole. He was fishing one side of the river, and I was on the other. He was catching fish with his warrior, while I was flailing. Newton said that he learned about the rainbow warrior -- a dubious name that sounds more appropriate at a gay pride rally than for a fly pattern -- from a Colorado guide, who used a warrior to catch and release several trout at the Outhouse Hole. Newton had tied up his version of the warrior and gave me a fly before we left the hole at dusk. I began drifting my tiny rainbow warrior near the boulder and instantly hooked into a large rainbow. I delicately played the fish before beaching him. I received one more strike with the warrior before the remaining fish returned to their stubborn, tight-lipped status.
I could have continued changing flies and trying tiny nymphs and midges. But instead, I threw a Hail Mary pass, of sorts, and tied on my version of a molting crayfish. The crayfish was tied with thick, wide strips of lead around a hook, big, red eyes, rabbit fur dubbing and strips of pine squirrel for claws. I tossed it at the base of a bounder and initially thought I was hung, until I received that ever pleasant jerking, along with the sweet satisfaction that a large fish actually mistook my creation for food. I moved downstream, and began casting my crayfish to a large trout that remained very still. After 20 minutes of wiggling, jerking, and drifting my crawfish in front of the trout, I learned that the fish was actually a rock, which accounted for the stillness. A typical day of fly fishing is full of these small victories and defeats, and most fly anglers I know have a self-deprecating sense of humor. That's what prevents you from snapping your over-priced piece of graphite across your knee like a piece of kindling. I moved upstream and discovered a perfect long riffle, and returned to my
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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STREAMSIDE CHEF by Daren Bulow
Big Trout Recipe
You always hear how good little brookies taste out of a mountain stream. So why do you never hear that big browns or rainbows taste good? It is because big trout tend to be a little mushy when you cook them. Here is a sure fire way to make those big trout taste delicious
Rose caught this 22-inch bruiser in Wind River Canyon. It appears that a bird of prey took a swipe at the back of this rainbow.
rock worm-egg combo. After only three casts I hooked into a very large, irate rainbow that shot completely out of the water, torpedo-style, before crashing back down with a large belly flop. After a tough fight, I netted a stocky, 22-inch bruiser that easily weighted over four pounds. By late afternoon, the sun slowly dipped behind a canyon wall and a long, dark shadow spread over the water. I waded downstream to the large boulder, wanting one more chance at catching a big fish. The shadow made it difficult to locate the submerged boulder, but I eventually found it along with a 20-inch rainbow. I tied on a homemade fly, yet unnamed: a white, rabbit hair streamer tied similar to a pine squirrel leech, on a size-4 hook, featuring a gold bead and a silver propeller. I lobbed the thing toward the boulder, twitched it a few times, and then felt this violent jerking as my rod doubled over and shook. I beached the rainbow, took a picture, and then loosened my grasp of his tail and watched him swim into the inky, black shadow. The fishing, over all, was challenging, and involved wading in an unfamiliar river, where dogged persistence and fly changes compensated for a lack of knowledge or experience. I only landed four fish, but they were large, quality fish,
the smallest being 18 inches. All four trout were caught with homemade flies, instead of being mass-produced by overworked, underpaid employees in a Thai sweatshop. I know from first-hand experience that a fly anger can completely and thoroughly enjoy the sport without ever touching a vice. I fly fished for nine years before taking up tying.. Yet I've discovered that tying has opened up an entire world of possibilities in the quest to creative new, unique, and enticing fly patterns. And besides creativity, I found a ruthless logic to tying your own flies: You have the opportunity to present flies that a trout has never seen before. Newton, a talented fisherman, commented that the trout at Grey Reef often see the same flies and learn to avoid them. His philosophy is that if you create a fly that's slightly different than the ones sold at fly shops, then you increase your chances of eliciting strikes from leery trout. But if you have the creativity and experience to create a successful fly pattern, give it a respectable name, something like "Prince nymph" or "Ray Charles." The following is a message to the inventor of the rainbow warrior fly pattern: Silly goose, don't name your fly after a rainbow.
... I learned that the fish was actually a rock, which accounted for the stillness.
Ingredients and Utensils Sharp fillet knife Large Teflon flying pan Camp stove, if camping Grease pan cover Spatula Metal tongs Paper plates and towels 1 large trout (24-30 inches) per person Shore Lunch brand breading flour 48 oz. of cooking oil Salt and pepper Egg or milk Lemon Tartar sauce Preparation Cut the large trout into two large fillets, then cut them into small, thin pieces. The fillets should be as thin as you can get them; about a quarter of inch thick. Once this is done, cut the filets into 2 by 6 inch strips. Pour half to three-quarter oz. of oil in frying pan and heat to 375 째F. Mix one cup breading mix with water until batter is the consistency of cream. Place dry breading mix in shallow bowl. Moisten fillets with beaten egg, milk or water. Dredge in dry mix. Shake off excess breading and dip fillets into batter, forming a light, even coating. Immediately (and carefully!) place fillets in hot oil and fry for approximately two minutes until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels before serving. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon. It the best tasting large trout you will ever eat.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drift boat fishing 101 Chapter 7: Five Fundamentals (Part 3) rrules Loosen during CastingPerhaps the scariest thing to a fly fisherman-novice and expert alike-is making a cast and having the tip section of the fly rod go sailing into the river. At first, the fly fisherman is not sure what happened. But, as soon as he or she realizes that the tip section is missing and all that is being held is the butt section of the rod, panic ensues. The fisherman starts yelling and grabbing at the fly line as though this hysterical reaction can retrieve the tip section. The best remedy in that situation is complete and total relaxation. Bear with me a moment, please. As nice as graphite fly rods are, they have a common failing: the male to female ferrule is not a union that remains tight. It loosens gradually with prolonged casting. The best suggestion is to check the union routinely, making sure that the sections are tight and guides are aligned perfectly. No matter how often the fly fisherman checks the ferrule, sooner or later the union separates, and the tip section gets thrown overboard. When that happens, relax and strip the line in as though fishing a streamer or jig. If you are casting a fly size 12 or larger, the fly
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usually catches in the tiptop, retrieving the tip section of the rod. Flies in that range of sizes cannot pass through the opening in the tiptop. If you are casting small flies (size 14 and smaller), the small fly catches or passes through the tiptop, but catches on one of the other guides of the tip section. The only concern about fishing small flies is durability of the leader. If it fails, the tip section is lostanother reason that learning how to cast and fish big flies first is a good practice. Make mistakes with those kinds of flies; then learn how to cast and fish smaller sizes of flies. How Not to Set the Hook-Hooking a fish is simple, as already explained. The only motion required is lifting the rod, provided the free line is looped over the trigger finger. All the fly fisherman has to do when a fish strikes is initiate the back cast. In other words, turn the shoulders and lift the rod with the forearm, making the rod move as though it were sending line, leader, and fly over and behind the casting shoulder. Some fly fishermen for unexplained reasons do everything else, ranging from total inaction to contorting the body beyond anatomical design. The
The following article is an excerpt from the electronic book, Hunt - Don’t Pray - for Fish, Techniques and Strategies for Fly Fishing from a Drift Boat, written by Harley W. Reno, Ph.D., a friend of the Wyoming Fly Casters and occasional program presentor. The entire content is copyrighted by the author, and is used here with his permission. The CD is available for purchase through the Federation of Fly Fishers, and 80 percent of the $25 cost of each CD is being donated by the author back to the federation for its conservation and education funds. In the coming months, other chapters of Dr. Reno’s book are to be featured in the Backcast.
following are some examples of how not to hook a fish. When a fish strikes, some fly fishermen turn their bodies sideways, as if making the rod and line go in another direction helps hook the fish. Some fishermen step back out of the yoke and never move the rod. Abandonment of the yoke risks doing a half-gainer into the cold water. Sadly, such a dive is worth five style
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter points only. For those who "set the hook" by twisting or risking a cold bath, there is little hope that fly fishing will ever become a favorite sport or wondrous form of art. Those individuals are best encouraged to open dance studios. One fly fisherman a few years ago spent a whole day demonstrating the simplest, but least productive technique of all. He claimed the technique was the one used by most fly fishermen in the state of Colorado. Every time he got a strike-his specialty was floating flies-he gently twitched the line held in his free hand. He refused to modify or abandoned his technique. He also never hooked a fish. At the end of the day, he was advised that if he used the hooking technique advocated by his guide in the state of Idaho, perhaps he would become a more productive fisherman in Colorado. Be Adaptable and Never Give UpFly fishermen often give up too easily and too soon when fishing is tough. Those who quit early attribute failure to the "fish not biting." The successful fisherman, however, knows that fish never quit biting; instead, fish relocate somewhere nearby and start feeding on something else. Consequently, the successful fisherman is always analyzing the cause of not catching fish, evaluating the strategies or techniques being used, formulating alternative strategies, and setting about testing alternatives. In short, he or she never accepts failure gracefully, because failure many times is the result of adherence to dogma in the face of changing environmental conditions. The following experience on the Bow River of Alberta (Canada) vividly illustrates the point. The Bow River is famous for its trophy trout. It also is famous for its thick grass, which grows from the bottom to the surface-often a distance of several feet. Fly fishermen are encouraged by local experts to fish one of two flies: bead-head nymphs drifted under strike indicators in the small channels coursing through weed beds, or green Woolly Buggers stripped across the surface of channels in weed beds. Both flies and techniques are effective most of the time and under most environmental circumstances. However, in late summer, after arrival of the first cool weather, the Bow River becomes choked with drifting grass. Sometimes there is so much grass on the move that guides refuse to fish. According to local experts, when the Bow runs full of grass, trout quit feeding; at least they quit hitting flies. One explanation is that the fish are stuffed. Another is that the fish
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M Y F LY B OX This month, Don Jelinek opens his river box, containing Joe Meyer tied crawfish, with streamers, leeches, halfbacks and the ubiquitous San Juan worms.
simply quit feeding altogether due to difficulty finding food amongst the drift. The latter supposition probably is the more plausible explanation. Trout, like any other group of fishes, feed continuously whenever food is available. They must consume more energy in the form of foodstuff than is expended in gathering food in order to grow and reproduce. If trout have difficulty sorting food from drift, the simplest way for them to find food is to change feeding localities by moving to places free of drifting grass. Indeed, when my uncle, Paul Reno of Oakland, California, and I fished the Bow River in early August 2000, trout had abandoned areas that were productive a few summers earlier because they were choked with stationary and drifting grass. The trout simply moved into riffles, downstream of shallow areas. Rooted grass in shallow areas acted like filters, removing drifting grass from the water. The only material passing through each filter was food and microdebris. Apparently, there was enough food drifting through each riffle to balance the energy costs of constant swimming. We changed our focus from fishing deep, slow-
er waters as we had done during a trip several years earlier to fishing riffles. We found each riffle packed with big Rainbow and Brown Trout, especially where the riffle ran into quieter, deeper water. One riffle we fished was adjacent to holes 8 and 9 of the Cottonwood Golf and Country Club southeast of Calgary. That riffle yielded several large Rainbows and a trophy Brown, the acrobatics of which temporarily disrupted the golf tournament in progress. The point is this: Paul and I observed a change in environmental conditions between trips to the Bow River and adjusted our strategy and techniques to accommodate the change. Our flexibility begot success. If every fly fisherman is equally observant and flexible or adaptable, his or her rate of success will increase. The Realization Fly fishing from a drift boat is easy. Catching fish is easier, even if you cannot throw a line more than 20 feet. The fish do not care! Just remember, "easy" is predicated on believing in and using the five fundamentals just discussed.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING February 11, 2009 The meeting was called to order by the president. MSC was called to accept the minutes from last meeting. MSC was called to accept expense report from last meeting. Joe DeGraw gave a brief report about plans for the upcoming WFC Banquet. Kim Levine, chair of the Conservation Committee gave a report of the exploratory meeting with Nelli Williams and TU. It was concluded that the WFC wants to work closely with TU. MSC for the Conservation Committee chair and/or a designee will attend local and state meetings. Proceeding was a general discussion of the TU - WFC future relationship. The WFC will not become a TU chapter, rather an affiliate. President Elect Report: March's general meeting with have speaker Scott Haywood and Randy Stalker. April outing will take place on the Big Horn in Ft. Smith.
May outing will take place at Cardwell. Old Business: April's outing from the 10-12 to Ft. Smith MT. was discussed. A decision was made that the $85 cost of the trip must be paid by members who have signed up no later than the March general meeting. MSC for the WFC to cover expenses for the reservation of an extra cabin. A general discussion of the budget took place. MSC to accept the budget Joe DeGraw presented. A general discussion of the broken park bench located along the parkway was had. It will be temporarily fixed soon. The club had a commissioners license graciously donated. Andrew Sauter will be in charge of the selling of this item. New Business: A general discussion about donating funds to help build a handicap fishing access point behind Mike Lansing field. MSC for Kim Levine to look into the situation further. These minutes have been submitted by T. Grogan.
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING March 18, 2009 The meeting was called to order by the president. Trent Tatum, co-owner of the The Reef Fly Shop and North Platte Lodge, came to the board in order to share his concern with the irregularity of the flushing flows of the north platte river over the last two years. A discussion ensued following his words. It was determined that the board will write a letter, and encourage other guides and outfitters to do the same, to express concern over this topic. Herb Waterman spoke to the board about Cardwell and the boundaries of this area. He explained the club outings at Cardwell have been taking place on Pathfinder Ranch property. The board will be looking into this issue in the future. Joe DeGraw gave a brief report about plans for the upcoming WFC banquet. President Elect Report: April's general meeting with have speakers from the Wyoming Game and Fish to discuss the North Platte River fishing regulation. April's outing will take place on the Big Horn in Ft. Smith. May's general meeting will feature speaker Alex Rose. May's outing will take place at Cardwell. Vice President's Report: A look into future summer clinics will include a women's fly casting clinic and a family fly casting clinic.
Alex Rose also presented a letter to local guides to encourage joining the WFC. A discussion about the content of this letter was discussed. Old Business: Jamie Gibson wanted to thank all of those who participated in the cleanout of the WFC storage sheds. Andrew Sauter announced the club made $4500 for the selling of the commissioner's License. Great job and thank you Andrew! An update of the Lusby trial was given by Bill Wichers. He discussed the Wyoming Federation's position with the trial and the cost of introducing an intervener lawyer on behalf of the Wyoming Game and Fish. MSC for the board to become an affiliate of the Wyoming Federation for $50. MSC for the WFC to donate $500 to the federation predicated on whether the judge allows the federation to intervene with a lawyer. New Business: MSC for the WFC to renew signage for $500 dollars on Platte River Parkway. MSC for reimbursement for two people to travel to Lander for the Trout Unlimited state council meeting. MSC to record board member attendance at board meetings into the minutes. These minutes have been submitted by T. Grogan.
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APRIL 2009 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 1
FRIDAY
2
3
April Fools Day
5
6
12
19
8 Regular meeting, 7 p.m.
13
14
Bighorn River outing; Easter Sunday
4 Annual Banquet
7
Palm Sunday
SATURDAY
9 Passover
10 Good Friday
Full Moon
15
11 Bighorn River outing
16
17
18
23
24
25
WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
20
21
22
Arbor Day
26
27
28
29
30
Deadline for Backcast info
G&F to survey anglers on the N. Platte Beginning in mid-March, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department began conducting aerial surveys of anglers on the North Platte River between Gray Reef Dam and Robertson Road and ground surveys at the Miracle Mile. The surveys will be conducted eight days per month until the end of October. Aerial surveys between Gray Reef and Robertson Road will involve a small aircraft flying a few hundred feet above the river twice each sampling day. Biologists will also interview anglers on count days to gather information such as how long they fished that day and how many fish they caught and released or kept. Survey results will allow biologists to generate an estimate of the number of anglers fishing the river during the season, the total number of hours spent fishing, catch and harvest rates, size of harvested fish and other data. Collecting these data provides the foundation for other types of population modeling, which allow biologists to predict the effects of angling on the North Platte River trout fishery. Since the Gray Reef fishery is managed as a wild fishery (no stocking), it is important for fish biologists to understand the dynamics of recruitment and mortality to ensure the sustainability of this world-class fishery. The department's goals at the Miracle Mile are slightly different. Biologists will collect the same information, but will also look at harvested fish to determine if they are wild, stocked Firehole rainbows or stocked Eagle Lake rainbows. Since the Miracle Mile does not have sufficient spawning habitat to sustain desired numbers of rainbow trout, biologists rely on annual stocking of fingerlings. For the last four years G&F has been stocking equal numbers of Firehole and Eagle Lake rainbow trout in an effort to determine which strain performs best in the Miracle Mile. Population sampling has shown that the two strains exist in approximately equal numbers following four years of stocking. The creel survey should show whether anglers catch one strain more readily than the other. The department requests that anglers cooperate with any survey requests and to call the Casper G&F office at (307) 473-3400 with any questions.
Exchange trip mulled with USRFF club Joe DeGraw, the new president of the Wyoming Fly Casters, has entered into a discussion with Jason Hurley from the Upper Snake River Fly Fishers regarding an exchange trip. He had suggested it might be of interest to the members of the Upper Snake River Fly Fishers and the WFC to do two joint club outings. One will be on the Henry's Fork or the Snake River and the other on the WFC’s home North Platte River. Details are yet to be determined. Anyone willing to partake or act as streamkeeper is encouraged to DeGraw at 258-0177.
Wyoming Fly Casters P.O. Box 2881 Casper, WY 82602
www.wyflycasters.org
The mission of the Wyoming Fly Casters is to promote and enhance the sport of fly fishing and the conservation of fish and their habitat.