THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE INSIDE President’s message . . . . . . 2 Brag Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Upcoming programs/outings . 3 Fly pattern of the month . . . . 4 River cleanup day . . . . . . . . . 4 Conservation corner . . . . . . . 4 My Fly Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 A Father’s Day gift . . . . . . . . .5
Golden trout, part II . . . . . . . 6 Drift Boat Fishing 101 . . . . . 8 Bailiff with a Bible . . . . . . . .10 Wounded Warriors project . .11 A Case for Carp . . . . . . . . . .12 Board minutes . . . . . . . . . . .14 Financial report . . . . . . . . . .15 Club calendar . . . . . . . . . . .15
Page 2 OFFICERS Alex Rose, President Melody Weinhandl, President-elect Vacant, Vice President Spencer Amend, Secretary Kim Levine, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2010 Jamie Gibson Joe Meyer Gene Theriault Brent “Smokey� Weinhandl Terms expire in 2011 Bob Fischer Scott Novotny Jim Sparks Bill Wichers Terms expire in 2012 Casey Leary Neil Ruebush 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 Alex Rose, President, WFC was recently casting dry flies to Yellowstone cutthroat trout, at a high country lake perched in the Popo Agie Wilderness. Eight light-lipped cuts were stacked up in the inlet. They refused to be stimulated by my stimulators. So I tied on a large golden egg and lobbed the thing at them. I twitched it a few times. In crystal clear water, I watched a naive cut promptly swim over to my egg and inhale it -- this wasn't dry fly fishing, but pretty darn close. I set the hook and brought the fish to shore. I was a little surprised that this trout took my fly. Similarly, I'm surprised to find myself writing the monthly president's letter, "Drag Free Drifts." I'm used to my writing being buried farther back in the publication. With new responsibilities as president, at a recent board meeting, I expressed concern about my ability to be present at general meetings and board meetings. With my work schedule, my days off from work are Tuesday and Wednesday, and I've planned a series of camping and backpacking trips throughout the summer and into the fall, until the snow piles high in the back country. During my absence at general meetings, Andrew Sauter volunteered to lead the meetings. Board meetings have been moved to Thursdays, and I'm grateful to our board members and officers for making this change. I thank Joe DeGraw for his leadership, and wish him well with his academic and professional pursuits. I hope that he can find time to close his books and explore the streams and lakes around Laramie. I appreciate his enthusiasm for conservation issues, and for representing the Wyoming Fly Casters at the recent Trout Unlimited meeting in Lander. I'm also thankful for his participation with the conservation committee. I believe in the mission of the Wyoming Fly Casters: "... to promote and enhance the sport of fly fishing and the
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conservation of fish and their habitat." I believe that the club can make an important contribution to our community and to our local fisheries. One example of a community benefit is the recent casting clinic led by Charlie Shedd, with assistance by Joe Meyer and Spencer Amend. Fifty people, from throughout the state, from Lusk to Cheyenne, contacted Shedd about casting instruction. The first clinic was capped at 15 students. There was so much enthusiasm for this event, some of the folks on the waiting list showed up at the clinic just to watch the WFC teach casting. Another example of a community benefit is the club's involvement with the Wounded Warriors/Healing Waters project on July 29. The Healing Waters project is a national organization that supports severely wounded veterans. Many of the veterans recently served in Iraq or Afghanistan. For this event, club members taught veterans how to tie flies. Those WFC members attending included Joe DeGraw, Joe Meyer, Russ Newton, Dick O'Quinn, Herb Waterman, Marty Robinson, Art Van Rensselaer, Randy Stalker and Scott Novotny. Local guides took them on float trips down the North Platte River the previous day. Of course, these activities would not be possible without the participation of our members. I'm grateful to Joe DeGraw, Charlie Shedd, Joe Meyer and Spencer Amend for donating their time for casing and or tying instruction. I'm also thankful to Matt Stanton for resurrecting the conservation committee. Finally, I'm grateful for the commitment of our board members and officers, a good combination of seasoned and new members. I look forward to what we can accomplish over the next eight months. Enjoy what's left of the summer. August is prime dry fly fishing, so get out there, ramble around, linger on our streams, and savor the sunshine. Winter will arrive, soon enough. Tight lines, Alex
Board meetings have been moved to Thursdays, and I'm grateful to our board members and officers for making this change.
Cover shot: A North Tongue River cutthroat and the size 10 stimulator that caught it.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter Lake Helen in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, west of Buffalo.
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BRAG BOARD From the membership
Fly-fishing the backcountry is August program subject Alex Rose will present a program during August's general meeting on backcountry fly fishing throughout the United States. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12. During the spring through fall of 2000, Rose hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. He fly fished mountain streams, lakes and glacial ponds along the way. Rose will present a slide show that includes images from his six-month, backpacking-fly fishing adventure. He will also show slides from a backpacking-fly fishing trip taken in the Eastern Sierra of California, where he caught very large golden trout. Lastly, he will include slides from backcountry trips in Wyoming in the Cloud Peak Wilderness and Popo Agie Wilderness. • In August is the traditional Ten Sleep outing. It is slated for the second weekend in the Big Horns, Aug. 7-9. The streamkeepers are Kim and Molly Levine and Matt Stanton. In the past, this has been one of the most popular and well-attendings of the year. To get there, take highway 16 west
from Buffalo. About three or four miles west of Meadowlark Lake, turn right at Deer Haven. Continue north on the gravel road until you cross the bridge at Deer Park campground. The outing is headquartered in the meadow across the bridge. The streamkeepers are intending to offer dinners on Friday and Saturday nights, and breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Fishing is within walking distance. The next outing is slated for September and will be a float on the Glenrock stretch of the North Platte. Details will be provided next month. The September general meeting is to feature the annual cookout. Don Jelinek is in charge of the barbecue. • Mark your calendars for these upcoming events: In October, Casey Leary will host the Rod Robinder outing on Miracle Mile. In November, Wayne Hubert, PhD in zoology at the University of Wyoming, is to present a program on “Useful Invertebrates for Trout Fishermen in the North Platte River.” And in December is the annual Christmas party.
Joe Meyer hooked and landed this over five pound rainbow at an undisclosed place with an undisclosed fly pattern.
Alex Rose caught browns and rainbows in Outlaw Canyon (Middle Fork of the Powder River) several times this month, finding the fish liked parachute dry flies and orange stimulators.
Alex Rose and Tom Grogan backpacked and fished a lake at 10,700 ft. in the Wind Rivers and caught Yellowstone and Snake River cutthroats on dry flies. To include your fishing report, send information to the Backcast editor, c/o ChevPU57@aol.com.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
FLY
of the month
Wyoming Fly Casters sponsors North Platte River cleanup day WFC, fly shops, fishing guides and volunteers combine efforts to clean up blue ribbon fishery
H&L VARIANT Hook: TMC 100SP-BL #10-20 Thread: brown, black or white 70 denier (I used brown here for photo clarity but will typically use white to hide the thread in the wing bases) Wings/Tail: White calf body hair Abdomen: Stripped peacock herl quill Thorax: Peacock herl Hackle: Brown rooster neck or saddle The H & L Variant (or House and Lot) is an old school fly that has never really fallen out of favor here in the Rockies. President Eisenhower used it almost exclusively. The white wings and tail make this pattern super visible and the subtle peacock and stripped quill body are attractive enough to pull fish in after close inspections. The H & L is a great pattern to hang a dropper from as its hair wings and tail create great buoyancy and visibilty for subtle takes. Wrap a thread base. Stack a generous clump of straight white calf body hair and tie it in for the wings. Stack another slightly smaller clump of calf body hair for the tail. Separate the wings with X-wraps. Strip the butt end of a peacock herl by running your thumbnail down the stem from the middle of the feather toward the base and tie this stripped stem onto the hook at the bend. Wrap forward. Tie in seven or eight fine peacock herls. Roll the herls in your fingertips to spin them into a cord. Wrap a short segment of peacock herl at the front of the stripped peacock body. Prepare and size two hackle feathers and tie them in and wrap on both sides of the wing. Whip finish and clip the thread. Add a drop of cement to the thread head.
The Wyoming Fly Casters, along with local fly shops, fly fishing guides and other volunteers will leave their fishing rods at home on Saturday, Aug. 15 when they head to the river for a day of cleaning up the North Platte. An armada of drift boats filled with fly anglers and guides plan to clean the North Platte from government bridge to Robertson Road, in Casper. "This is a wonderful opportunity for local volunteers with a shared interest in a healthy river to clean the banks of the North Platte, a world-class, blue ribbon fishery," said Matt Stanton, the WFC conservation committee chairman. "Garbage along the river isn’t just bad for water quality and wildlife, it takes away from the scenery. No one enjoys worrying about broken glass or
watching wind blown grocery bags during a day on the river." Following a day of filling garbage bags, the Wyoming Fly Casters are going to host a barbeque and forum for local fly fishing guides, and let them voice any concerns they have about conservation issues and the North Platte. The forum will take place at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse. The Two Fly Foundation is supporting the cleanup, along with governmental agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Game and Fish and the City of Casper. Participating fly shops and guide services include Cowboy Drifters, North Platte Lodge, Platte River Fly Shop and the Ugly Bug Fly Shop.
CONSERVATION CORNER Reprinted from www.cleanangling.org All of the waters that we depend on to support our fishing and boating are being threatened by invasive species that have the potential to devastate the natural habitats. These invaders are often inadvertently spread by anglers and boaters who are carrying unwanted hitchhikers to their favorite waters. We must all take these simple actions to stop the spread of destructive invasive species: INSPECT - carefully examine all of your equipment at the end of your trip to see if there are any visible signs of unwanted material attached. This includes any types of plants or mud. If you see any sign of a problem, clean you gear. CLEAN - first remove any visitable material by hand then use water to wash your equipment clean. It's ok to clean with water from where you are leaving because you will be leaving behind any problem that you may have picked up. However, never clean your equipment at your put in spot since you can easily be cleaning off hitchhikers that have been with you since your last trip. If you cannot clean before you leave a site make sure to clean at home where there is no chance that an invader can reach the water. DRY - a thorough drying of your equipment will kill any live invaders you may have picked up. If you are counting on drying to eliminate any hitchhikers you must make sure that every bit of hidden moisture is gone before you can feel that you are safe.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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WFC needs help for Expo The WFC needs volunteers and leadership for Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo to be held this September. The club needs volunteers to provide casting lessons and to man a booth at the Game and Fish Expo taking place Sept. 10-12. This is an excellent opportunity for the club to promote fly fishing and to put our best foot forward with the public. Although the WFC has pledged to participate in the event and have made a donation, thus far, as of July 27, no one volunteered to coordinate the booth and to ensure we have enough casters and volunteers in place. If you are interested in making our participation with the Expo a success this year, please contact Alex Rose at 828467-3789.
Record pumpkinseed For the third time this year, Wyoming has a new state record fish, the latest entry being a pumpkinseed that was caught out of a Big Horn area farm pond in Sheridan County. The new record pumpkinseed was caught by Sheridan angler Anthony Wendtland and weighed in at .62 pounds, more than doubling the old record of .29 pounds that was caught in 2002 from a pond in Platte County. Wendtland's fish was 8.7 inches long and had a girth of 8.5 inches.
M Y F LY B OX Joe DeGraw carries all his flies in one box, a big one. Most of the patterns are streamers, but there are also nymphs, worms, eggs, scuds and even a few dry flies thrown in for variety.
Fellow Fly Tossers! I would like to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity to lead Wyoming Fly Casters. It was a wonderful opportunity which a great deal was learned. As Alex Rose steps into the role of president, I wish him the best of luck. I feel Alex's genuine interest is the sport, the future of the club, and willingness to get involved will provide invaluable. I trust he will do an amazing job. Joe De Graw
A FATHER'S DAY GIFT
Chase and William Boname brought a smile to their dad’s face on June 21 at Pathfinder Reservoir.
by Capt. Mark Boname I was fortunate enough to take both my son's fishing today on Father's Day which was a gift in of itself. My original plan was to go to Pathfinder Reservoir to check out the carp conditions, but due to high winds, I figured it best to go hide out in the protected coves of Alcova Reservoir. We did not catch many fish but we were rewarded with a 28 inch Brown Trout with a 17 inch girth that I weighed in my net with a Boga Grip right at 10 lbs. (caught on a #2 Vanilla Bugger). Both my boys took turns during the five minute fight and helped each other get the fish to the boat before it was released. What more could a father ask for?
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Part II
“The golden trout is larger than life. It’s not just a trout, but an embodiment of trout fishing literally taken to its highest realm. Because they dwell in our highest, starkest, and most remote terrain, goldens are not a casual pursuit. They provide a true quest …” -- Ralph Cutter, Fly Fisherman Magazine
Lake Sublime, 11,546 feet
by Alex Rose President, WFC
W
hen reaching the top of the steep, rugged ridge, I was relieved to find a very large lake surrounded by glaciers. The lake closely resembled the shape of the one drawn on my map. I then began a long rock scramble over boulders, carefully jumping and hopping from rock to rock, aware that one wrong step could end in disaster with a broken leg or ankle. It took a very long time to navigate a path through this frustrating maize of giant boulders. I eventually found a flat spot, about six feet long and four feet wide, just enough space to squeeze in my sleeping bag. I found a shaded area underneath a tall boulder and stretched my aching body underneath. My feet and knees hurt. I lit a cigarette, took a long drag, exhaled, and let waves of exhaustion sweep through my tired, spent limbs. I peered from underneath the rim of
my sweaty baseball cap and studied the surroundings. At over 11,500 feet, I was above tree line, and all I could see were the sharp, jumbled angles of boulders, towering mountain ridges, magnificent, sweeping glaciers, and the turquoise-blue water of an alpine lake. After a long rest, I was somewhat revived. I pulled on my wool pants, stuffed my pockets with fishing gear, unsheathed my fly rod and rock hopped down to the lake. The water was still and calm. I tied on a streamer pattern, a beaded, olive Mutuka. I began a methodic, rythmic pattern of casting and stripping the line. My mind began to wander. I wished I had packed in a spinning rod and lures. I even fantasized about worms. But overall, I was exhausted and happy, and too tired to care if I caught any fish or not. Sometimes, when simply accepting events as they are, amazing things take place. In this case, I glanced down at my fly and noticed two very large trout following it. I couldn’t get them to strike, though. So I tied on a different streamer,
a large, black wooly bugger, and added a second fly behind it, a tiny, beaded, pink scud. I watched a fish swim immediately swim toward the wooly bugger and jerk his head side to side in stern refusal. Then the trout noticed my pink scud, swam directly to it and ate it without hesitation. I gently lifted my rod, careful not to jerk the tiny hook out of his mouth. The trout gave a few scrappy head jerks, and I knew my hook was set. I soon caught and released my first golden trout, a colorful 12-inch fish. After a few hours, the sun set behind a distant ridge and cast a long shadow over the basin. The temperature grew cold, and I was just about to quit when my fly line stopped and the tip of my rod twitched. I set the hook, and a very large trout dove deep. My rod bent over, and my reel sang to the tune of Lake Sublime. After a fierce battle, I caught a large, chunky, 16inch golden trout, taken on a size 18 beaded pink scud. After releasing the handsome fish, I
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter reeled in and weaved through the boulders back to camp. I crawled into my sleeping bag and cooked dinner on my tiny camp stove: instant mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese, washed down with a cup of tea. “We seek the woods to escape civilization and all that suggests it,” said Horace Kephart, “Dean of American Campers,” in his classic book, “Camping and Woodcraft.” “It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.” After finishing dinner and putting my tiny camp in order, I crawled into a goose down cocoon and pulled the sleeping bag tight under my chin. I gawked at the stars, etched out constellations, and watched shooting stars slice through the Milky Way. When my eyelids grew heavy, I rolled over in the mummy bag and slept. The next morning, I packed my rucksack and navigated the boulders back to the lake’s outlet. I stopped to rest and smear sun screen all over my face, neck and arms. And then I noticed a very large insect, a long, black may fly, land on my chest. I looked up and noticed swarms of may flies hovering over the rocks. Goldens were rising everywhere. I quickly popped open my fly box. The closest match I could create was with an Adams, size 14, much too small but it would have to do. I tied the fly on and cast to a large golden trout rising to dead may flies. The trout grabbed it without hesitation and I brought in a feisty 12-inch golden. With long loops, I sent my line sailing over the lake toward rising trout. My fly disappeared in a boil, and I slowly brought in a powerful 15-inch golden that glistened in the sun. After several more casts, a large trout snapped at my fly and I quickly set the hook. The trout sprinted across the lake while ripping out line. I looked down at my reel and was shocked that this trout, this golden trout, had taken out my entire fly line and was still running. I also knew that the chances of landing this fish were slim, because the water at the outlet was shallow and rocky. Sure enough, the trout wrapped around a rock and snapped my 5-lb. test line. Soon afterward, I reeled in and left Lake Sublime, a gorgeous alpine lake with stunning scenery and very large golden trout.
The return to Lake Sublime After the thrill of catching large, gorgeous golden trout in the backcountry, I wanted to drop out of life for a few weeks, live out of a rucksack -- like Jack Keroac, another Eastern Sierra enthusiast -- and roam from one alpine lake to the next in search of goldens. Unfortunately, an extended fishing trip simply wasn’t an option. But I returned to Lake Sublime for a weekend trip, and I brought along Mark Hachtmann, of Independence, Calif., an avid Eastern Sierra backpacker and fisherman. Since 1971, Hachtmann, 54, has hiked over 1,000 miles in the backcountry and caught over 1,000 trout. Fishing is not a recreational activity for Hachtmann; it’s a practical way to eat in the backcountry. Once, Hachtmann said that he hiked 18 days in the Sierra without re-supplying, and consumed approximately 100 fish. He can’t bear to catch and release trout, because in the backcountry, fresh trout provide nourishment. Because of the long hike required to
get to this lake, I was determined to catch goldens by any means necessary. I brought my fly rod and a spinning rod, along with a box stuffed with a variety of flies and a few choice lures. I even brought along Rainbow Power Bait (“desperate means for a desperate situation”). I asked Hachtmann his strategy for catching fish in the backcountry. He paused, and then looked down at his chest. “Believe it or not,” he said, “I have caught between 80 and 90 percent of my trout with Velveeta cheese.” I was both shocked and slightly appalled. “Don’t insult the trout!” I yelled. “Well, it is more sporting than using Power Bait,” he said. We rock-hopped across boulders to the outlet of Lake Sublime. I strung my
Page 7 fly rod and tied on two flies: a large, beaded, olive mutuka trailed by a beaded pink scud, size 16. I cast my rig into the water and slowly stripped my line back toward the shore. The line stopped as my rod jerked forward. Determined not to lose this fish in shallow, rocky water, I held my ninefoot rod high while madly stripping in line. The trout thrashed just below the water’s surface. The gorgeous, 13-inch golden trout was a spectacular creature, with a bold, wide, red stripe of red down his side, his belly bright gold. Hachtmann snapped a picture, and I slid the trout on a stringer. I began casting my rig and rapidly caught large goldens; every fish measured between 14 and 16 inches. It was pure bliss: The stars were lined up just right, and the trout were hungry and relentlessly pounding my flies. We caught and released about nine fish, and kept two additional goldens on a stringer. I caught several fish on flies; Hachtmann caught one trout with Power Bait, and a second one with a small lure. Meanwhile, the clouds began to darken, and blue skies gave way to gray storm clouds. I joked with Hachtmann that a storm “was not on the itinerary.” The temperature plummeted between 20 and 30 degrees in about a half hour. The snow began to fall. We reeled in, grabbed the stringer and headed back to camp. Using my hiking stick and parachute cord, I pitched my tarp using a modified A–frame, with three sides of the tarp held tight to the ground with large rocks. I crawled under my shelter and listened to the snow, falling much more heavily, tap against the tarp. Hachtmann took refuge in his tent. After about a half hour, the storm passed and we emerged from our shelters. A thin layer of snow covered the ground. We cooked the trout and seasoned them with plenty of lemon pepper and salt, and enjoyed a backcountry, gourmet meal underneath clearing skies. The meat was the color of salmon, and Hachtmann noted that the flavor was both “light and sweet.” For the “catch-and-release” fly anglers horrified that we killed and ate large golden trout, I close with the words of the great fly fishing writer John Gierach: “In every catch-and-release fisherman’s past there is an old black frying pan.”
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drift boat fishing 101 Chapter 10: Wind, the Fly Fisherman’s Best Friend (Part 1) uring the summer, a ridge of high pressure develops routinely and lingers over the western third of the continental United States. Fronts moving east off the Pacific Ocean are forced northward across British Columbia, southeastward across the prairie provinces of Canada, and, finally, across the eastern third of the United States. When that happens, the weather is predictable on a daily basis, especially over the Great Basin, including the states of Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and, stretching geography a little, perhaps parts of Montana and California. The weather is the same from day to day, week to week, and sometimes month to month. Daytime temperatures are cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Summer is the time when fly fishermen flock to the principal rivers and streams of the Great Basin. Mayflies and caddisflies commonly hatch every day. Small stoneflies emerge on a regular basis. On selected rivers, large stoneflies emerge during a few days in early summer and during a few days in late summer and early fall.
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Basic Meteorology What some fly fishermen do not realize is that physical and biological behaviors of winds, insects, and trout also are predictable day after day. When high pressure settles over the Great Basin, the air is dry and elastic, expanding during the day and contracting during the night. That physical fundamentalism drives and regulates the biological behaviors of stream and canyon organisms. As the sun rises in the morning, its radiance begins heating the floors of desert valleys. The higher the sun gets in a relentless march from east to west across the sky, the warmer the day becomes, eventually reaching maximum temperatures at about 4:00 in the afternoon (all times hereafter are expressed in Daylight Savings Time). Thereafter, temperatures gradually decline as the sun settles lower and lower towards the western horizon. As temperatures increase in the morning, air above valley floors begins expanding. The ridge of high pressure
pushes downward towards the surface from higher altitudes, forcing the expanding air to move horizontally up canyons of nearby mountain ranges. The movement of air across the valley floor and up nearby canyons evaporates dew that settled on vegetation just after dawn. If the canyon includes a sizable stream or river, a breeze begins blowing upstream around 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning. If the canyon is both large and deep, the breeze may become gale-like by mid-afternoon. Moisture evaporated from valley floors in the morning condenses as it rises above ridge tops. Sometime around noon or shortly thereafter, cumulus clouds begin appearing above ridges. As winds increase upstream, the clouds get larger and larger, reaching maximum size between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. Some get large enough to spawn localized thundershowers. Soon they dissipate, vanishing almost totally by 7:00 in the evening. Shortly after 5:00 p.m., winds begin to subside, dying altogether by 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. By about 8:00, cool, moisture-laden air above ridge tops begins to sink. A sudden chill is felt, as a breeze begins flowing down the canyon. The cool breeze progressively escalates until shortly after daylight. The rising sun begins warming air above the ridges; cooler air ceases to cascade down the canyons; and the dense, cold air filling the valley floor again releases contained moisture as dew about daylight. That is enough about desert meteorology. Basic Biology Why is wind the fly fisherman's best friend? That is an easy question to answer. The whole biology of streams is dependent upon wind, specifically the diurnal, upstream wind. Without the upstream wind, any desert stream soon would be stripped of its most important insect life. And without insects, the trout and other populations of fishes would disappear. For all practical purposes, streams would become biological deserts. Stories told and relived by grandfathers to children about trout fishing would never be. Please think about the following
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.
question for a moment. What are the principal food organisms of trout? Insects-especially stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies-and a scattering of other aquatic invertebrates like crustaceans (e.g., crayfish and scud), annelid or segmented worms either living in the water or washed in from adjacent banks (viz., earthworms), occasional terrestrial insects like grasshoppers accidentally blown into the water, and small fishes. Of the insects, how many kinds are considered efficient fliers? Only caddisflies are so regarded and, to a lesser extent, gnats, mosquitoes, and midges. The caddisfly beats its wings fast just like butterflies and moths. The caddisfly zips hither and thither across the surface of water and performs exotic and erotic up-and-down dances in concert with others for the purpose of attracting potential sexual partners. The rest of the insects are considered "feeble fliers." At best, feeble fliers flutter, relying on wind to gain altitude and disperse individuals. Yet feeble fliers are more abundant, and, more often, they fulfill dietary requirements of trout and other fishes. In the next few paragraphs, let us review the life histories of two feeble fliers, namely the salmonfly or troutfly (Pteronarcys californica) and small
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter mayflies such as riffle-dwelling heptageniids and some baetids, which commonly include the Pale Morning Dun or Blue-winged Olive known to most fly fishermen. And let us also briefly examine a few behavioral aspects of the small red-legged grasshopper. Caddisflies are excluded from further discussion because their emergence and aerial acrobatics are restricted to the times when wind is wanting, namely early mornings and late evenings?the times when most wade fishermen do their things, so to speak. Salmonfly-The salmonfly is the largest stonefly, measuring two or more inches in length. Nymphs of the salmonfly inhabit clean, fast-flowing portions of streams and rivers of the Great Basin and northwest Pacific coast. Emergence of the salmonfly is nothing short of spectacular. Bushes hanging over the stream become so loaded with Salmonflies that they droop to the surface of the water, bouncing up and down in response to passing water. Each bounce of the limb sees more and more salmonflies fall into the water only to be swallowed by hungry trout with insatiable appetites. In some stream systems, emergence starts in May, while in others, it is delayed until the middle of July. But, in most streams, emergence is early to late June, lasting for several days and progressing upstream at a rate of a few miles per day. During the "hatch," the sky can be filled with millions of those huge insects. The salmonfly in aquatic ecosystems plays much the same role as does the domestic bovine in terrestrial ecosystems. The nymph-like a cow-is a grazer, converting plant protein into animal protein. The nymph, in turn, is eaten by everything-trout, birds, you name it. Almost every predator in the river depends on the salmonfly for the energy to grow and reproduce. The life cycle of the salmonfly spans three years. All but a few days are invested in growing the nymph to an adult. Adults live only long enough to mate and lay eggs. The eggs hatch soon after being deposited in the river. The nymph spends the next three years grazing nightly on vegetation ensconcing exposed surfaces of rocks in the stream. At the end of three years, the nymph begins migrating from deep channels towards the shore. On the deep side of the river, migration is vertical, while migration towards the shallow side of the river is more or less horizontal. Once the nymph reaches the bank, it waits until evening before climbing out
of the water and up any vertical object on land. After the exoskeleton dries, it splits, and the adult insect crawls out. The two pairs of wings expand and dry quickly. When daylight comes, the female salmonfly has mated, and is ready for fluttering and making the one-way flight upstream borne on mid-morning breezes and afternoon winds (males usually die shortly after mating). Once upstream, females land on streamside vegetation and begin producing fertile eggs that are housed in a pair of egg sacs (each egg sac is about the size of a 00 buckshot). When the eggs are ready for laying, females flutter from the vegetation out over the water. The two egg sacs are dropped into the river. The female dies shortly thereafter. Each egg sac sinks and breaks, liberating a few hundred eggs. The eggs hatch into nymphs that resemble the wingless adults. The whole adult episode lasts scarcely longer than three days. The importance of the migration of stonefly nymphs cannot be overestimated. Trout, which spend the winter and spring in the deep channels, voraciously feed on exposed nymphs during the migration. Trout follow nymphs toward the surface on the deep side and into shallows of the opposite side of the river. At the height of the migration, Brown trout in shallows, for example, frequently have half their bodies exposed as they search for, root out, and feed on nymphs among rocks and under debris. Once trout are to the bank, they stay there until forced back to deeper water by declining water levels at the end of the irrigation season. In general, banks provide most of the cover trout use during warmer seasons of the year. Here is an important note. Each year a phenomenon occurs which should interest those fly fishermen who like to fish hatches of the salmonfly. Many, if not all, streams that have annual hatches of the salmonfly are regulated by floodcontrol dams. The rate of discharge from dams is controlled by federal authorities during periods of potential floods and water masters during other periods for the benefit of agricultural enterprises and fulfillment of demands by municipalities and industrial interests downstream. By mid-August, the demand for water wanes because crops have matured and await harvest. In some rivers like the South Fork of the Snake River of Idaho, the flow correspondingly is reduced rapidly between mid-August and midSeptember, specifically to conserve water
Page 9 and provide populations of the brown trout, for example, with stable water conditions during the spawning season from October through most of December. That is the good news. However, two-year-old larval salmonflies in the river probably are affected adversely by the sudden decline in rates of flow. That is, the nymphs have spent the time since the run-off the previous May and early June grazing among the rocks of the streambed, especially in places where the water runs clear and is saturated with oxygen. When the water suddenly starts dropping in late August, most nymphs grazing amongst gravel in shallow water, I suspect, are left high and dry. That probably kills most and perhaps induces a few survivors to undergo transformation into sterile "adults" (the two-year-old winged insect would not exhibit the bright orange on the venter of the threeyear-old, winged adult; instead, the venter logically would retain the brown or tan color of the nymph). That is the bad news. Coincidently, the late summer drop in water is time when the carnivorous tiger stone (Claassenia nebulosa) emerges (sometimes the tiger stone locally carries the epithet "golden stone"). Unlike, the salmonfly, the male tiger stone is incapable of flight, manifesting vestigial wings only. The female, however, is capable of flight. As a result, the terrestrial male must catch and inseminate the emerging feminine nymph just as she exits the water and before she sheds her exoskeleton, becoming an adult (insemination of a larval form by a functional male is rare in nature, indeed!). If she is not inseminated before ecdysis, she remains a virgin and incapable of laying functional eggs. Yes, there is a second annual emergence of stoneflies; albeit smaller than that of the salmonfly in late spring! Anyone casting a Chernobyl ant or any other dry-fly imitation of a salmonfly that has a light brown venter can catch big trout, including brown trout. When a brown takes a fly during low-water conditions, the water explodes. Brown trout have such nasty dispositions! That is the good news. Sadly, no population of stoneflies, regardless of species, can survive natural and unnatural rapid fluctuations in water levels in any river. Each year, populations of the salmonfly have declined, and in the South Fork of the Snake River, for example, the decline has been both horrifying and tragic over the past score or more years. That is the really bad news.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
half hour. “Can you two gun nuts holster your egos and focus on fishing,” he orders. “Oh, sorry... he’s still upset because I out-fished him last month on North THE WFC IS GRUDGINGLY ACCEPTING THE REALITY THAT Tongue. I caught a 5 lb. brown there.” “Funny, there aren’t any browns in few members are willing to shoulder the responsibilities of streamkeeper. the no-kill stretch of the river, but you In the last few years, the term’s definition has been amended from “host” managed to catch one? Do you have a to “cook.” photo to back up that claim?” Some fly tossers, mulling whether to attend an outing, want to know “Tell that to the fish,” the first one who is cooking, what is on the menu, and how many meals will be preretorted. “I also caught a whopper of a pareds. As one long-term member has observed: “Are we the Wyoming brookie on a size 2 bugger on Bull Fly Casters or the Central Wyoming Knife and Fork Club?” Creek.” “Enough!” the exasperated referee whistles, as if calling a foul on a basketBut it is becoming readily apparent by Randy Stalker, ball court. “From this point on, any statethat yet another position is sorely needed Backcast editor ment must be preceded with taking an at club outings, especially overnight oath while resting your hand on the ones. And it will be even more difficult a camera, but I reached for the .590 Bible.” to fill. Patton on my hip. Sasquatch disappeared Instead of the rapid-fire bragging of Recent outings have demonstrated before I could get a shot at him. He the last hour, the only sound to be heard the club is in need of an umpire to sit in would have looked great as a trophy on was the popping from the burning wood judgment of the fishing narratives told my wall, right next to the 20 lb. brown I in the campfire ring. over the evening campfire. Perhaps this caught underneath the Cole Creek Finally, one guy asks, “Who brought bailiff with a Bible could be on hand as bridge last year. the Bailey’s? Are we going to have anothearly as the Ten Sleep outing this month. “.590 Patton? That’s a peashooter er round of toasts, like we did on the Campfire conversation usually compared to my .640 Eastwood,” bragged Bighorn in April?” sounds something like this, as a group of the guy who prefers to toss diminutive The stern-faced bailiff observed the fishers surrounds the glowing embers: flies. “It throws a 500 grain bullet at 2500 campfire chatter to be wholly different “I had an incredible day on Paint fps from the 5 in. barrel. I can cover all for the next few minutes. Rock today,” one boastful angler begins. six shots with a dime at 50 yards.” “Boy. I nearly “I must have had 30 fish in an hour, got skunked today. I not including those that shook the Candid campfire conversations challenged finally caught a 6 hook. Gee, I must have changed in. brookie on my patterns six times, replacing flies size 16 elk hair cadthat were too chewed up to be dis about an hour effective any longer.” before dusk.” “Only 30 fish?” interjected “Yeah, it was another. “I caught one on nearly tough out there every cast on the middle fork of today,” agreed Ten Sleep Creek. Those brookies another. “I was takmust have been on steroids as the ing pictures most of smallest one was 14 in. I had severthe time, and I got al doubles, with one on the dry and one shot of Homer another on the nymph at the same battling a fish on time.” his 4 weight before “Yeah, well, I wanted to be it broke him off.” more sporting,” chimes in another. “I must have “I was using an extended body size been in the wrong 28 clipped deer hair hopper, trailed stretch of the by a size 8 tungsten bead head halfstream,” another back. I caught fish on both, never says. “I threw everything at them, dries, snapping my 8X tippet. My five-ought “How can you do that when a dime nymphs, terrestrials, streamers and not a rod really got a workout.” is almost smaller than the caliber of bulbump. Pass me another can of Corona.” Another one changed the subject let you are shooting?” doubted the “Boy you sure used a lot of patterns. slightly. “I was using a pattern designed to Patton-wielder. I’m just the opposite. I still have the same imitate the instar pupal stage of the fibSometime during this deepening fly I tied on in the morning. It’s not that berus frequens mayfly. The fish were realconversation, the bailiff -- like an NFL I like the pattern that much. It’s just that ly keying in on this hatch.” coach throwing a red flag to protest a call I can’t see to tie on a different one.” “I got you guys beat,” another says. “I on the gridiron -- reaches for his Bible to “Okay,” the bailiff sighs. “The origiwas having an incredible day of fishing contest the exaggerated and probably ficnal conversations were much more interuntil I saw Bigfoot trample through the titious accounts by the fishermen. His BS esting. Resume play.” woods and across the creek. I didn’t have detector has been blaring for at least a
De-barbing whoppers
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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Know anyone who’s under the weather? Do you know of a WFC member who is recovering from an illness or surgery or a death in the family? If you do, please contact Joe DeGraw at 258-0177. He will make the arrangements to send a get well card, a book or a sympathy card to that person to let them know that we're thinking of them.
FOR SALE Dick O’Quinn teaches a Wounded Warrior how to tie a wooly bugger on July 29 at the National Historic Trails and Interpretative Center, in conjunction with the Healing Waters project which supports severely wounded veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan.
New to the club? Need some advice? Most people join our club to learn where to fish and to improve their fishing technique. If we are to keep members active, experienced members of the club need to be available to give lessons on technique or fishing location information. To that end, Joe Meyer and Daren Bulow
would like you to know that they are available to help and they are encouraging other members to add their names to this list so that new members can call someone for help, offer ideas on fishing spots, or maybe even take them fishing. Call Joe at 235-1316 or Daren at 247-2578.
Fleece fingerless fishing gloves. Coleman two-burner stove, like new. Call Don Jelinek 267-7477 • Patagonia SST jacket, XL, Brand new. $240 (list $315). Call Scott Novotny 266-3072
Digital reminders are available for programs Do you have trouble remembering when there are WFC functions? Have you ever forgotten a function and then remembered about it when it was over? Scott Novotny is undertaking a reminder program for club activities, etc. He requests that members send him an e-
mail so that he can have your e-mail address and then he will send out a timely reminder by e-mail of any activities. He promised that your e-mail address would only be used for the purpose of sending the reminder. Send your e-mail to Scott Novotny at gscottn@gmail.com.
Bring your camera along on your next fishing trip, and use it to document your catch and release fish. Then send the digital image to the WFC newsletter editor for consideration of inclusion in the next issue. Contributions are always welcome. Who knows ... maybe your photo will be the next month’s cover.
Protect our environment
Inspect - Clean - Dry Take the Clean Angling Pledge www.cleanangling.org
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
The author with a 22 lb. carp from Wheatland Reservoir No. 3.
by Daren Bulow have been fly fishing for carp since 1992. I used to and still to get weird looks, snide comments and outright laughter when I tell people I fish for carp. Even within the WFC, I have people be downright snobby to me when I tell them I fly fish for carp. Fly fishing for carp is becoming a little more mainstream, but there are always the nay sayers. So I wanted to make a case for fly fishing for carp. It is actually more like a challenge. So here is the challenge. Think back, what was the biggest trout you caught on a fly rod in Wyoming this year? What has been the biggest trout you caught in your life in Wyoming on a fly rod? Remember those numbers. So I looked through my fishing journals to see the biggest trout I caught last year: 24 in. The biggest trout caught on a fly rod in
I
Wyoming in my life is 28 in. So what? The biggest carp I caught last year 22 lbs. I also caught five 21 lb. fish, eleven 20 lb., fish, and too many to count between 10 and 20 lbs. I used to weigh and take pictures of every fish I caught. I don’t bother to weigh them until they push 20 lbs. Size matters Carp come in two sizes -- big and bigger. The smallest carp I have ever caught was 18 in. On a bad day you may only get one fish that weighs 8 lbs. If you were fishing for trout and you caught an 8 pound fish, you would consider it to be a great day. A great day of carp fishing is measured in hundreds of pounds of fish caught. Fishermen always remark that you are just catching carp. I always ask this question: Would you rather catch a one pound trout, a 5 lb. trout, or 10 lb. trout?
Everyone always chooses the 10 lb. trout. So when I have the choice of choosing catching a 20 in. trout or a 20 lb. carp. I chose the 20 lb. carp every time. I’st not that I don’t like trout fishing; I just like catching big fish. ZZZZZzzzzzz factor The ZZZZZzzzzzz factor is the sound of line screaming off your reel. When was the last time you had a trout take you to your backing? When fishing for carp it is an everyday occurrence. And if your find big fish it may be an every fish occurrence. They are fast and powerful fish, that can take you to your backing in an instant. Carp-all tunnel Carp fishing with a fly rod is great fun, and once you get the hang of it, you can catch a lot of big fish in a day. I use a rod with a fighting butt. Several years ago
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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STREAMSIDE CHEF by Daren Bulow
Smoked Steelhead
The North Platte River downstream of Glenrock produced this 16 pounder.
I was fishing every weekend, with a regular rod. I was catching 150-300 lbs. in combined fish in a day. By the fourth weekend in a row my wrist was sore and I had to start wearing a wearing a wrist brace. My wife called it a carp-all tunnel brace. I hope I have given you some inspiration to give it a try. If you do decide to fly fish for carp here are a few tips that can g r e a t l y improve you catch:
when they drop the flow rates. The access points downsteam from Douglas on the road to Esterbrook also hold a lot of fish. Getting outfitted for carp I use a 7 weight fast action rod, but any 6-8 weight rod will be effective medicine. Load the reel with a weight forward floating line and 0X tippet. My fly selection is very simple. For fish that are feeding on the bottom I use variation of the Crazy Charlie; I move the eyes to the back of the hook. I use it in white so you can see it easily when sight fishing. Using the white color you can see the fly and strip it in to place the fly directly in front of feeding fish. For surface feeding fish I use foam hoppers or foam bluegill poppers with a dropper 10 in. behind. The dropper doesn’t seem to matter. Throw the hopper or popper in front of the feeding carp and twitch it. They then get curious and swim towards the hopper or popper. One cautionary note, don’t pop the popper, just move it slowly to make a wake, so you don’t scare the fish. Once the fish come close and strike, about 80 percent will take the dropper and 20 percent hit the hopper or popper.
A great day of carp fishing is measured in hundreds of pounds of fish Scouting caught. When you first start out you have to figure out where to go. Just like deer hunting, scouting and exploring pays off. You are looking for shallow flats that hold not just a few fish but a lot of fish. I don’t fish out of a boat, so I spend a lot of time glassing the flats, just like you do when you are deer or antelope hunting. I am glassing the water looking for tailing fish. Once you find the fish on a flat you can usually go back week after week, year after year and find fish. Wheatland No. 3 produced a lot of fish last year. The water was very, very low in 2008. I can’t even guess if any fish have survived. Alcova, Pathfinder, Glendo and Boysen all hold fish, it is just a matter of finding them. On the Platte, I fish the one ton bridge below the power plant in the spring and fall
Tying your flies I tie all my own because I like size 6 carbon steel hooks for all of my flies.
In light of this month’s article on carp fishing, I wanted to do a recipe for them. The only way I have ever eaten them is smoked and they taste just about like any other smoked fish. Since eating a carp may repulse you, I decided to substitute steelhead. I actually have smoked a lot more steelhead than I have carp. I will tell you this: If I catch a steelhead I don't practice catch and release; they taste too good to let go. This is just the directions for the brine and preparation for smoking. Since each smoker is different, please refer to the owner’s manual as how to do the actual smoking. I will recommend Jack Daniels wood smoking chips they give everything a wonderful taste. Ingredients 1 cup of brown sugar 1 cup of kosher or pickling salt 1 cup of sugar 3 quarts of water 1 fresh steelhead - chunked into 6 inch whole skin on pieces Preparation Combine the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl and then place the fish in the brine for 6 or 8 hours. Take fish out of brine and allow them to dry out on racks in the refrigerator; this allows a glaze to form. This glaze traps the brine and fish oils in the meat. It is now ready to be put on the smoker.
They won’t bend, and it may not matter on the 10 or 20 lb. fish, but the day you get on the 30 or 40 lb. fish you won’t be kicking yourself because of a bent wire hook. So now all your have to is go out and give fly fishing for carp a try. Drop all those misconceptions. Catch a carp, let him make your drag scream, allow him to put a sharp bend in your rod and straighten out your hooks. You may end up with carp-all tunnel.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFT July 15, 2009 The meeting was called to order by President Joe DeGraw at 7:00 pm. All board members were present except for John Fanto [unexcused absence], Gene Theriault [unexcused absence], Bob Fisher [excused absence], Bill Wichers [excused absence], and Russ Newton [unexcused absence]. John Dolan, Richard Soffe, Janet Milek, Smokey Weinhandl, and Randy Stalker also attended all or parts of the meeting. Secretary’s note: At the board’s request, I include a list of absent members in each month’s report. A list of board members can be found in each month’s Backcast. Unless otherwise noted, all Board decisions – being done according to proper procedure – are by unanimous vote. Any positive suggestions for improvement in subsequent meeting reports will be carefully considered. John Dolan, representing the Two Fly organization, confirmed that group’s offer of money to help support the barbeque that will be part of our river cleanup and guide’s forum on Aug. 15. They will provide $500 to WFC if we will agree to provide 2-3 boats to help support the Platte River Revival cleanup on Sept.r 19. Richard Soffe and Janet Milek spoke to WFC’s role in the Game and Fish Expo on September 10-12. They thanked WFC for past support and asked for our continued participation and donation. Kim will follow through to get our donation in their hands. Janet asked that WFC provide 3 volunteers to man the fly casting area from 9-4 on the 3 days of the expo. They will provide signs indicating our participation. Alex will write a piece for Randy to include in the Backcast detailing the need for volunteers. WFC will also have a booth inside the arena as we have done in the past. Minutes from the previous meeting and the treasurer’s report through June were approved. The Conservation Committee [Matt Stanton] discussed the WFC river clean-up below Grey Reef that will take place on Aug. 15. The clean-up will be followed by a barbeque and by discussion with local guides on their views about concerns, problems, and opportunities on our river. The board approved $500 to support this project, for such things as trash bags and additional funds for the barbeque, with the understanding that no WFC funds will be used to provide alcoholic beverages to participants. The barbeque and guides forum will be held at the IWL Clubhouse. Vice President’s report: Alex Rose reported on the very successful casting clinic conducted by Charlie Shedd and assisted by Joe Meyer and Spencer Amend. In fact, so many people wanted this instruction [about 50] that two additional sessions are scheduled. The next sessions will be August 10 & 11. Joe Meyer is handling calls to line up and schedule participants. Alex is still working on more detailed information concerning printing and mailing costs for the Backcast and hopes to have that task completed by the August Board meeting. Some board members have expressed frustration that we are spending so much time on what appears to be a minor item. Andrew Sauter is still working on draft language related
to the criteria for including club members’ names on the Speas Memorial Stone. Scott Novotny mentioned that grass and weeds have currently overgrown the stone. President-elect’s report: To previously announced events, Melody added that Randy Stalker will be streamkeeper for a September outing in the Glenrock area, and indicated that Casey Leary will be leading an outing to the Miracle Mile [November?]. Feedback varied on the recent Tongue River outing, but it boiled down to the fact that although fishing was not up to some past experience, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves – and nobody got stomped by a moose. Melody has a copy of the streamkeeper guidelines drafted by Dick DePaemelere last year. Basically as streamkeeper, you get to call the shots. It was suggested that whenever possible, inexperienced streamkeepers be paired with those who have already had the privilege. Old Business: Joe DeGraw indicated that on July 29, from 8-10:30 am, the WFC will provide a light breakfast and fly tying demonstration/instruction for ~10 wounded veterans in our support of the Wounded Warriors Project. Joe Meyer & ????? will provide the tying expertise. There continue to be problems of communication regarding who commits to what regarding meals on outings [per the recent Tongue River experience]. Streamkeepers can help by being clear on their information/instructions. New business: Succession: The bylaws are unclear on this point. Following Joe DeGraw’s resignation due to his move to Laramie, there was considerable discussion about succession. In the end, it was agreed that Alex Rose will serve as president through the remainder of the current term. A new vice president will be sought. Board meetings will be moved to the third Thursday of the month, beginning in August, and Andrew Sauter will run general meetings, also beginning in August, until Alex’s schedule permits him to take over that duty. John Fanto contacted several board members concerning his desire to resign from the board. With regrets and with much gratitude for past service, the board accepted his resignation. Russ Newton was also relieved of board duties due to changes in his work schedule that preclude his participation. Smokey Weinhandl volunteered to fill the remainder of John Fanto’s term on the Board. Alex will contact other potential candidates who have indicated an interest in board participation regarding filling the remainder of Russ Newton’s term. Clarification of the bylaws regarding succession [and perhaps other changes] will be a topic for the future. Kim will investigate possibilities of better/cheaper service on WFC bank accounts and report to the Board in August. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm. Respectfully Submitted: Spencer Amend, Secretary, 7-16-09
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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TREASURER’S REPORT FOR JUNE, 2009 Income Date
Num
Description No Transactions
Amount
Income - Total Expenses Date 7/1/2009 7/8/2009 Expenses - Total
$0.00 Num
Description Monthly Bank Activity Fee Don Jelinek - Walker Jenkins Outting - food
3990
Amount ($3.00) ($138.00) ($141.00)
Net Income for Period
($141.00)
Mentor is still needed for PRE
THANKS!
PRE (Platte River Emergers), our youth group, needs an adult sponsor. The sponsor would help lead the group and see that it flourishes. You would also serve as liaison between PRE and the Wyoming Fly Casters. If you would be interested in this sponsorship, contact Dick DePaemelere at 234-2595.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
The Wyoming Fly Casters thanks the local Starbucks coffee houses for donating breakfast to the Wounded Warriors and tyers for the recent Healing Waters event in Casper.
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Deadline for Backcast info
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.