Page 2 OFFICERS Alex Rose, President Melody Weinhandl, President-elect Vacant, Vice President Vacant, Secretary Ed Rate, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2010 Jamie Gibson Joe Meyer Brent “Smokey” Weinhandl Vacant Terms expire in 2011 Bob Fischer Scott Novotny Bill Wichers Vacant 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 next to last day 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 to ChevPU57@aol.com. In addition to receiving each issue of the newsletter earlier than your hard copy peers, e-mail 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 alexmrose@hotmail.com "There is nothing evil to be found in all our hundreds of miles of trout waters. Only the celestial pavement itself is cleaner than the pure, sweet water, forever washing its bed and bounds and forever singing o'er its wholesome task. A trout stream is a good place for most folks to be." -- The Idyl of the Split-Bamboo, by Dr. Gorge Parker Holden, first published in 1920 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FORT SMITH, MONTANA, AND DUBOIS, WYOMING , Feb. 14, 2010 hen a large, male trout squirts a milky, white substance all over your landing net, you know that love is in the air -- or at least in the water. It was Valentine's Day. My lovely bride and I, along with two friends, made a trip to a spectacular stretch of river on the Wind River/Bighorn River system. The romantic "egg hatch" was in full swing, and I had a box full of golden and chartreuse egg patterns, a trout's version of heartshaped candies. I also included several flies of a pattern I invented, a Chernobyl egg cluster. The pattern is my contribution to the fly tying world: four small, bright, orange walleye beads tied to a size-10 scud hook. The cluster resembles realistic trout eggs, and seams to glow in the water. The pattern is particularly devastating during late afternoon, just before the sun dips below the horizon. I am proud of the diplomacy that went into the planning and execution of this fishing trip. My wife wanted to spend some time with her best friend, Trey. And Trey's husband, Jason, just happens to be a fly fisherman. So presto: The Valentine's Day fishing outing was born. (Erin referred to our trip as a "couple's retreat." Sure. Whatever.) While Erin and Trey spent the morning and afternoon in a comfortable hotel room, being industrious, knitting and making jewelry, Jason and I chunked egg patterns at "Jenny Craigs" in a blue-
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ribbon trout stream. The average rainbow trout in our stretch of river was easily 20 inches. And after spending the afternoon battling frisky, husky rainbows that boasted the shoulders of linebackers, we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub with our sweethearts. The moral to this story is the following: If you ever want to go on a romantic fishing trip with your wives or girlfriends, and if this trip includes a fisherman, you must use the appropriate wording. Remember that it's never called a "fishing outing." It's a couple's retreat. • Do you know someone that is interested in learning about fly fishing? Send him or her to the club's Cabin Fever Clinic on March 6, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., at the Casper Recreation Center. Some of the club's finest casters and tiers will be on hand to provide one-on-one instruction to potential fly anglers. The clinic is free, and a family-friendly event. • It's election time. On Mar. 10, the Wyoming Fly Casters will have the most important meeting of the year, because this is the opportunity for club members to select the leaders of this organization. Hope to see you there. • Mark your calendars to attend the club's annual spring banquet and fundraiser on April 3, at the Ramada Plaza Riverside. Tickets are $25. If you've never attended the banquet, it is the largest event of the year for the club. It's a time of camaraderie, raffles, auctions and good food. It's a significant fundraiser, as well. • In April, there will be a changing of the guard in the leaders of this club. I am happy to pass the torch to Melody Weinhandl. If she receives the same support that I received from the board, I am confident that she will make a fine president of this organization. I'd like to thank a few board members for their exceptional service to the club in 2009: (continued on page 7)
Cover shot: Jim Dean with a husky bonefish during a trip to the Bahamas.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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Platte fish surveys reveal good, bad, news Fish population surveys completed in 2009 on the popular Gray Reef and Narrows sections of the North Platte River near Casper revealed a good news, and a not so good news situation. First, the good news. The river still has a lot of fish and a lot of big fish. For the not so good news, the river doesn't have the astounding numbers of fish it had several years ago. Casper fisheries biologist Matt Hahn said the current estimate in the eight mile stretch from Gray Reef dam to the Lusby access area is 1,200 trout per mile. Owing to the size of the fish this works out to more than 2,400 pounds of fish per mile -- numbers which more than qualify the water as a blue ribbon fishery. But, those numbers are only about half of the 2008 total which was 2,100 fish and 4,200 pounds per mile. Hahn said the reduced numbers are due to an almost total failure of the spawn in 2007. "It was simply a situation where there was too much water at the wrong time," Hahn said. "There were unusually heavy rains and snow in the spring that put a lot of water in the river from Gray Reef and downstream. This, along with the normal higher releases in spring filled Glendo, and to keep it from spilling, flows were cut back. The fish had already spawned during the high water period and the lower releases from the dam left the majority of the redds high and dry before the eggs could hatch." During the spring spawning period, flows are normally kept higher as water is needed to move to Glendo for irrigation, but those high releases weren't needed throughout the 2007 spawning period. "The best situation for spawning is stable or steadily increasing flows during the spawning and incubation period of April into July," Hahn said. "The Bureau of Reclamation does an excellent job of balancing the multiple demands for water in the system while also providing flows to promote the fishery. However, spring floods are not predictable and require changes to be made from the planned operations." Hahn did say that while the numbers are down, catch rates are holding steady. "We had big year classes of rainbow trout in 2005-06," Hahn said. "In Gray Reef, the typical rainbow lives to five or six years of age and then they are out of the population. Gray Reef is managed as a wild fishery and wild fisheries are cyclical
The river doesn't have the astounding numbers of fish it had several years ago. in nature. There will always be good and bad years, but the fish will bounce back." To a large extent, the number of fish in the popular Gray Reef to Lusby reach is dependent on the numbers of younger fish in the lower reaches below Government Bridge. As they get older, these fish swim upstream which accounts for the large average size of the fish in Gray Reef. To put the 2007 spawn into perspective, surveys in 2008 in the Bessemer Bend area revealed 400 one-year-old rainbow trout per mile. In 2009, the total was 550 oneyear-old fish per mile. Contrast this with 2,600 one-year-old fish per mile in 2006 and it is easy to understand the fishing forecast Hahn has for the next two years. "There will be fewer fish and fewer over 18 inches," Hahn said. "This decrease will also be reflected in a decline in angler catch rates. Even though Gray Reef is managed as a wild fishery, the G&F has stocked the river with more than 60,000 rainbows in the 4-7 inch range to buffer the poor recruitment years.
Lyin’ and Tyin’ clinics slated The final one is Mar. 13 at 9 a.m.
Through years of research, fisheries biologists have a good handle on the age of the fish as it relates to their size. In the Gray Reef and lower section, the typical one-year-old fish is 9-13 inches, twoyear-olds are 13-16 inches, age three rainbows are 16-18 inches and those larger are four plus years of age. Though rainbows are far and away the most numerous trout in the river, there are also browns and a few cutthroats. While there are undoubtedly larger fish in the river, surveys did turn up rainbows to five pounds and an 11-pound brown. For the future, the success of the spawn is largely dependent on consistent water flows during the spawning period and until the fry emerge from the gravel. In Gray Reef, for rainbow trout, this is from March into early July. It is critical to spawning success that water flows are not decreased during that period, but sometimes weather conditions, as was the case in 2007, negatively affect the spawn. For nearly 20 years, the Bureau of Reclamation has assisted the spawning effort by releasing high flows for a few days during the pre spawning period in March. The flushing flows not only benefit spawning trout by removing fine sediments, but also serve to enhance the overall production of invertebrates (i.e. trout food). "With this continued effort along with good water flows, Gray Reef should continue to be one of the top fisheries in the country." Hahn said.
The Lyin' and Tyin' clinics will be held this year at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The final date for the year is Mar. 13. For new members not familiar with these clinics, they provide an excellent opportunity for tiers of all skill levels to socialize while tying flies. The sessions are also a great opportunity for beginning fly tiers to learn from the experienced tiers, and to get one-on-one tips and instruction regarding the art of tying. New members or beginning tiers simply show up with a vice and materials, and the pros will show, step-by-step, how to tie bugs.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
FLY
Tailing Loops by Randy Stalker, Backcast editor chevPU57@aol.com
of the month
Listening to two spey bums drone on about grain weights and skagit heads is about as interesting as listening to “War and Peace” read by Gilbert Gottfried.
WOOLLY BUGGER Hook: TMC 5262, 5263 or Daiichi 2220 #2-12 Bead: (Optional), sized to hook Thread: 3/0 Monocord Flash: Black holographic flashabou Tail: Marabou Rib: Small wire, color of choice Body: Medium chenille Hackle: Rooster saddle It is considered a nymph by some, and rightfully so when fished deaddrift, and a streamer by many others. I guess I'll go with the streamer section here, just because I typically fish it as a streamer with either a rapid retrieve or dead drifted. The bugger is one of the most versatile flies on the planet. It can imitate a leech, minnow, crawdad, stonefly nymph, cranefly larva, and probably a hundred other organisms. It is most often fished as a streamer with a fast, jerking retrieve in rivers and with a slower, steady strip in lakes and ponds. I like to weight all my buggers, so they stay down in the water column, and will often add a tungsten bead or cone to their heads to add some more weight. There is nothing like tossing a bugger from a drift boat at every likely looking pocket on the bank. Target shooting makes for an entertaining day, and the savage rips this fly produces make it hard to give up on if the fish show ANY interest at all. Trout seem to prefer the cover of an overcast or rainy day for their bugger feasts, and this can be some of the best fishing to be had in the right conditions. Tie up a bunch of buggers in a variety of colors. They will all work at one time or another. Favorites are all black, all brown, all olive, olive with a black tail and hackle, all ginger/tan and all white.
f you haven’t yet noticed, the club is enjoying a healthy crop of new members. Welcome! The Wyoming Fly Casters is a club which defies definition; some view it as a social fishing club, others consider it a conservation tool, and more than just a few would like it to feature more epicurean delights. It is for you to assign your own definition as you become immersed in the club’s activities, whether they be fishing opportunities, fly tying or casting instruction, conservation projects or enjoying the fellowship during the regular meetings. Some are plunging into the fray; for example, Diana Halcomb volunteered to shoulder the responsibilities of media liaison, taking the reins from Marty Robinson. But for me, anyway, I most enjoy the fraternity of fishing outings, especially those which involve rustic camping over a summer weekend. The club offers a few of these during the year, and new members should take advantage of these opportunities. Veterans are always willing to “show you the ropes.” No outings have been slated, so far, this winter, but maybe one will be offered in the pre-runoff of May. Perhaps a few of you new members could take the initiative and organize, publicize and host a fishing outing at your favorite piece of water. The club is always in need of new ideas and new destinations. • During the February general membership meeting, I briefly described an intentionally vague opportunity for new public access to a tributary of the North Platte. When I asked for volunteers, I was underwhelmed by the response. Only four expressed an interest. The prospect is the work of Gary Ross, who has been talking with the landowner. The idea is to perform some stream improvement work (removal of weeds and Russian olives, placing rocks in the creek channel, etc.), and in
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return the club would be granted exclusive fishing access to the stream. Ultimately, the walleye pond may be offered as a fishing hole for children. The door is still open for the WFC to pursue this opportunity, but if it balks, someone else may recognize its potential and champion it. • A change has been made, effective this month, in the “Brag Board” regular feature of the Backcast (page 5 of this issue). Many contributors routinely use the phrase “undisclosed” or “secret place” to describe the river or stillwater where a fish was caught, photographed and released. They prefer not to identify where the fish was caught, fearing that legal weekend immigrants south of the border (the Wyoming border, that is) would gain access to the information from the Backcast’s posting on the web, and drive from Colorado in large numbers and ruin the solitude of the fishing experience. Not to mention, they may leave with a limit of the whopper fish. This may be an exercise in futility, however. Colorado fly tossers probably already know about Huge Antler River, Missing Trooper pond, Venison Creek, B&N pond, Honeywater River, etc. So this month, photos without cutlines are used in the Brag Board in an afford to preserve somewhat of an anonymity to pet fishing holes. • The one place in the house which my wife avoids in her weekly cleaning, whether it needs it or not, is my fly tying bench, sitting neatly in a corner of the basement. Sure, she vacuums underneath the table, but leaves the jumble of deer and elk hair hides, feathers, thread spools and bobbins, hook boxes, etc. untouched. Of course, her face contorts in a mawkish frown and she shakes her head as if to say, “I’ll never understand it, but I’ll try to accept it.” During cold winter months, such as Saturdays like Feb. 20, when a deep blanket of snow settled over the Glenrock area, it’s always a good idea to stay warm and enjoy some indoor recreational activities. Now that the football (continued on page 9)
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Walk-in fishing areas provide more access Walk-in area fishing atlases for 2010 are now available at Game and Fish offices and license agencies throughout the state. The atlas contains maps which show the fishing areas and list the species of fish available in each area. The walk-in program has been responsible for establishing access to streams and lakes and ponds throughout Wyoming. Walk-in fishing areas are part of the same public access program that provides walk-in and hunter management area access for hunting on private lands. According to Game and Fish public land access coordinator Matt Buhler, fishing areas now available through the walk-in fishing access program encompass 4,944 acres of lake/pond access and nearly 97 miles of stream access on private lands. Buhler said that many of these areas allow anglers to get through private lands to get to public lands where much more access is available. Buhler reminded anglers to respect the private lands they are using. "There is a great opportunity to get outside and take advantage of the fishing areas provided to anglers through the walk-in fishing program," Buhler said. "This opportunity is provided only because private landowners choose to enroll their property for fishing access." The walk-in fishing areas supplement the more than 100 places to fish that anglers can access through Game and Fish public access easements and Game and Fish wildlife habitat management areas. In addition, Wyoming has extensive public fishing opportunities on National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming State lands. The walk-in atlas contains 58 fishing spots in11 drainages. In addition to WGFD offices and license agents, atlases can be found on line at http://gf.state.wy.us . Fishing atlases are valid for the calendar year. The walk-in program is funded, to a large extent through the Game and Fish AccessYes program. The AccessYes program is comprised of contributions from anglers and hunters made at the time of license purchases and applications.
M Y F LY B OX . . . G A R Y R O S S
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Slated program topics In March, Scott will give a presentation on how to use Flycaster's Facebook page and in April, Al Condor has agreed to give a presentation on the electro fishing results from last year as well as discuss the hatcheries.
Nominations sought for officers, board The annual election for Wyoming Fly Casters officers and board members will occur at the general meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 10. If you are interested in pursuing a board member or officer position (president-elect, vice president, treasurer, or secretary), please contact Alex Rose to have your name included on the ballot.
STREAMSIDE CHEF by Daren Bulow
Cajun Trout Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed tomato soup, undiluted 1/3 cup water 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 Trout Cooked rice for accompaniment Preparation In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add Trout, diced green bell pepper and oregano; cook until tender-crisp, stirring often. Add tomato soup, water, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil then add cod. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Serve with the cooked rice.
Mail subscribers: do you have a red dot on your mailing label? If you see a RED DOT on your mailing label this will be your last Backcast unless you renew your membership. You will not be able to vote in the upcoming election and you will be removed from the mailing list unless you renew your membership. Once you have renewed your membership your membership privileges will be restored. Mail your renewal to P.O. Box 2881, drop it off at one of the fly shops, or, better yet, come to the March meeting. For those of you who receive the newsletter electronically, you will be notified not by a red dot, but by an e-mail notification.
Banquet committee seeks raffle items The spring banquet committee is seeking items to be raffled off at the April banquet. Examples of items: An antique bamboo fly rod, fly tying equipment, float tubes, and boxes of flies. If you have something of value to donate that would make a nice raffle item and raise money for the club, please contact Joe Meyer, 235-1316. The banquet is slated for Saturday, April 3.
Fishing at the library by Herb Waterman The Natrona County Library has two separate sections of fishing literature. One section is devoted to fishing stories and how to do it books. A separate section under a different call number concerns fly tying. Fishing DVDs are filed separately under the same call numbers that refer to the stories and fly tying. Beginning in 1974, a series of nine Wild Trout symposiums have been held at Yellowstone National Park. The proceedings of the last two meetings are on CDs; the earlier proceedings are hard copy. This material will be added to the library’s collection.
The Platte River Fly Shop is sponsoring and hosting the Fly Fishing Film Tour on Thursday, Mar. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Natrona County High School auditorium. Tickets are available at the fly shop in advance ($12) or at the door ($15). Kids under 14 are admitted free of charge. Net proceeds are to benefit Project Healing Waters. • Door Prizes • Register for all-expense paid trip to Patagonia
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BRAG BOARD President’s message (continued from page 2) • Ed Rate. Rate emerged from "retirement" to fulfill the duties, once again, of treasurer. Rate managed the club's finances with integrity and professionalism. • Matt Stanton. Stanton resurrected the club's conservation committee, and coordinated a clean up along a large stretch of the North Platte. He's been the club's liaison to Game and Fish, and Trout Unlimited. Stanton has reminded us all of an important mission of our club: conservation. • Casey Leary, for stepping up to be secretary. • Joe Meyer. The Wyoming Fly Casters should be a club where new members can learn how to fly fish. I'd like to recognize Joe Meyer, for his "Fishing with Joe" outings of 2009. Joe
has served as the unofficial welcoming committee for the club, and has introduced dozens of new fly anglers to the sport by taking them out on the water, and showing them how to catch fish. Over the last two years as an officer, I've had the pleasure to become the acquaintance of many Fly Casters, including officers, board members and general members. An organization is only as good as its members, and our club is filled with fine people. I leave office content that we have our sights set on two major conservation projects. The Bolton Creek erosion control project, a Game and Fish conservation project, will help prevent silt from choking the North Platte. During the January board meeting, directors approved up to $5,000 and 200 hours of labor for the project. The North Platte River Special Recreation Management Area, down-
stream from Government Bridge, would allow approximately one-mile of public, walk-in river access to the North Platte. The club is supporting the Conservation Fund, the BLM and Game and Fish with this significant conservation and access project. Over the last two years, I have written fishing stories, and recently, president's letters, in every Backcast. Although writing has been a rewarding, creative outlet, it's time for a break. This will be my last write up, for a while. I want to thank Randy Stalker for finding my words fit for print. He has created a first-class publication, a newsletter we can all be proud of. I close with the words of one of the original fishing writers, Izaak Walton: "I have laid aside business, and gone afishing."
Alex
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
ELECTION BALLOT PRESIDENT-ELECT (Vote for one) __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ VICE PRESIDENT (Vote for one) Andrew Sauter __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ TREASURER (Vote for one) Matt Stanton __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________
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SECRETARY (Vote for one) Casey Leary __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ BOARD -- 3 year term (Vote for four) Greg Groves __________________________________ Don Jelinek __________________________________ Joe Meyer __________________________________ Will Waterbury __________________________________ Herb Waterman __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________
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INSTRUCTIONS Make a mark through one of the boxes across from the candidate(s) of your choice. Vote for one candidate for officer positions, and as many as four for for the three year board vacancies. In order to be entitled to vote, you must be a WFC member in good standing (dues current). Absentee ballots can be mailed to the club (P.O. Box 2881, Casper, 82602). All other ballots will be marked and collected during the membership meeting on Mar. 10. Nominations from the floor will be accepted before ballots are cast, especially for the position without any announced candidates. • Officers elected in March take office in April. The obligation of an officer or a board member is to attend a general membership meeting and a board meeting, on the second and third Wednesdays of each month, respectively, at 7:00 p.m.
BOARD -- 1 year term (Vote for one) Kim Levine __________________________________ Alex Rose __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Editor’s message (continued from page 4) season is over, another diversion is needed. Times like these find me in the “cave,” as my wife calls it, replenishing patterns chewed up or missing from a past season of fishing. Most of the flies were lost, not on fish, but overhanging tree limbs or subsurface rocks. To create the proper ambience, the ears must be cradled in comfort as the eyes and hands go about their pleasurable work. No iPods allowed here. Not even a CD player. Instead, I prefer the warm sound of analogue; a cartridge and tonearm gently tracing the grooves of an LP record. Albums from such artists as Focus, James Gang, Crusaders, Tim
Weisberg, Chuck Mangione and Sergio Mendes sound as good today as the day I bought them during the 1970s in Laramie. Many of these albums have not yet, and probably will not ever, be converted into the digital domain. My 13 year-old, taking a break from the joystick of his PlayStation 3 war games, gives me a condescending frown. “What are those things?” I can tie one or two flies, depending on their complicated nature, before the record needs to be turned over. A nice break. Sure, there might be some hiss or an occasional pop, but there is something smooth about listening to an LP album on a turntable. It’s like using a medium action Sage LL four weight to cast a size 18 parachute Adams to a wary brown trout sipping the surface. • It has been at least three or four years since the WFC has held at formal outing in Yellowstone Park. For years, the club would congregate in mid-July
and fish opening day on the Yellowstone River, and for a fun diversion, float tube Yellowstone Lake. But predatory lake trout, illegally introduced and first observed in 1994, are exploding in population and the native cutthroat trout is in peril of survival. For a long time, the question was asked, “Where did those lake trout come from?” Well, it appears Herb Waterman has the answer. According to a 2002 report in “Yellowstone Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences,” the answer lies in otolith microchemistry. Although the guilty party may not ever be known, at least the when and where may be answered. The detective work indicates the lake trout have been reproducing naturally in Yellowstone Lake since 1986 or 1987. The trout were probably transplanted into Yellowstone from Lewis Lake -- just 6.2 miles to the west. Lake trout “otolith” fingerprints helped unravel the questions of stocking origin and timing. Otoliths are calcium carbonate structures located in the inner ears of fish that grow by continually adding new layers. Trace elements from the water, such as strontium, are incorporated into the new layers of otolith, imparting a unique elemental structure, or fingerprint, that can be used to help identify where a fish lived at different times of its life. Large lake trout removed from Yellowstone Lake in 1996-97 may have been the original transplants. Comparisons of strontium/calcium levels were made between these fish and trout from Lewis and Heart lakes as well as younger lakers thought to have lived their entire lives in Yellowstone Lake. The studies suggest the lake trout were introduced perhaps in 1986, and repeated illegal introductions continued through 1996. The study will be used as a management tool to deal with the lake trout and prevent other illegal introductions.
Scoop
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REVIEW
Voices of the Platte On Wednesday evening, Feb. 24, the Nicolaysen Art Museum hosted the “world premiere” of the art film, “Voice of the Platte,” a 20 minute production featuring a variety of Wyoming Fly Casters characters providing humorous anecdotes about the sport of fly fishing in the Casper area. The film was part of the Casper College’s annual Humanities Festival and Demorest Lecture. The documentary is the product of Greg Omelchuck of Texas, a filmmaker and commercial animator. It was produced by Dave Zoby, the chair of the Casper College English department. Zoby is also a fly fisher. Among the characters appearing in the film, which was shot in high definition during a week in early June, are retired G&F biologist Fred Eiserman, the Three Amigos plus one (Kathy Knapp, Nancy Stickert, Kristie Brown and Marty Robinson), Herb Waterman, Bill Mixer, Jim Sparks, Jim Dean, Lloyd Ferguson and Ed Rate. In addition to the interviews, there is also footage of WFC members fishing (but not necessarily catching) at Grey Reef and Fremont Canyon. Omelchuck shot over ten hours of footage, which he edited and compressed into 20 minutes of film time. The documentary is now to be entered in the Wyoming Film Contest. If the film wins a cash prize, proceeds are to be used for another Wyoming art film. Copies of the film were given to each of the “stars” of the video, and is to be made available, free of charge, on Omelchuck’s website at a later date. The film is most certainly to be presented during a regular meeting of the WFC sometime this spring. -- Randy Stalker
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drift boat fishing 101 Chapter 13: Strategies (Part 2)
Fishing a logjam is risky, requiring a skilled oarsman. Neither angler has an advantage, especially if each is casting a different fly.
ogjam A logjam always holds fish. However, fishing in a logjam is just as tricky as fishing the top of an uprooted tree. Water rushes into and under the logjam. That has a tendency to suck the drift boat into-and occasionally under-the logjam! Only a skilled oarsman should try inching the boat close enough to a logjam to let both fly fishermen cast to and drift flies under the logjam. As the boat drifts to and by the logjam, there is only enough time for each fly fisherman to make one or two casts. Neither fisherman has an advantage, especially if each is casting a different kind of fly. Each fly fisherman should first cast the fly onto the shallow gravel just upstream of the logjam and let the current suck the fly into and under the logjam. When fish are looking for something on or near the surface, they take the floating or submerged fly just as it clears the edge of the gravel bar or as it nears the leading edge of the logjam. When the fish are looking for sculpins or nymphs of Stoneflies, they take the sinking fly just as the fly sweeps over the edge and begins sinking through the horizontal shearing plane. If neither fisherman gets a strike, cast again, letting each fly do the same thing only a little further downstream. At the end of the logjam, make sure the fisherman
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using a big, heavily weighted fly thoroughly fishes the up-sloping face of the attendant hump of gravel. Fish are always found on the face of that gravel hump, and they usually are protected by logs overhead. About the only way to get a fly down to those fish is by casting at the face of the logjam, letting the fly be swept down to the fish, and hoping-no praying!-that the fly does not snag. Snags and lost flies, however, are the dues paid for fishing the end of a logjam. But, the chance of hooking a big fish makes the risk justifiable. Obviously, the key to fishing a logjam falls on the shoulders of the oarsman. He or she must be strong and skilled enough to hold the boat in the fast current, maneuvering the boat downstream just enough to let each fly fisherman drift his or her fly under and around logs. If a fish is hooked, usually it is large fish. That puts another burden on the oarsman because the boat must be maneuvered clear of the logs and downstream far enough to land the fish in calmer water. Of course, that presupposes that the fish can be physically persuaded to leave the protective cover. Tangle of Trees Tangled trees are tough to fish because there is little room to cast, less room to maneuver a fly, and even less room to oar a boat. Despite those limitations, a tangle of trees can be fished. In general, the fisherman in the front of the boat has the advantage. If a portion of the tangle of trees is along a bank, and trunks are lying parallel to the bank, the fly fisherman has two choices. He or she can fish the exposed side (or boat side) of the tangle, or cast across the tangle and fish the quieter side (or bank side) of the tangle. Exposed sides of the tangle hold fish, but most often the fish are small. When a small fish is hooked, there is no challenge to landing the fish. Just lift the fish out of the water. The bank side of the tangle is another story. For one, it always harbors the bigger fish. For another, the big fish is difficult to land because the brush is thick, the pockets are small, and the boat is
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.
both dodging entrapments and moving downstream at a good clip. In other words, the fish has the advantage; but there is no want for excitement! For most fishermen, a floating fly like a parachute grasshopper or subsurface fly like a wooly bugger, super renegade, or girdle bug is the best fly. Of course, I prefer something big and heavily weighted; then, too, I lose lots of flies and most of the fish hooked. But I have fun! Whenever a big fish is hooked, the oarsman must bring the boat against the tangle and let the fisherman maneuver the fish close enough for netting. Netting a big fish in this situation means a longhandled net and sometimes a foot journey across partially submerged logs. That is a challenge! The oarsman sometimes can maneuver the boat around the end of the tangle and encourage the fisherman to drag the fish clear of the tangle to the boat. That too is a challenge. Whatever you do when fishing such a tangle of trees, remember the first requirement is to concentrate on fishing spots most likely to hold big fish. The second requirement is to hook the fish. The last requirement is to worry about how to get the fish out of the tangle. Too many fishermen disregard the first two requirements and never have the chance to fulfill the last one.
The midstream portion of a tangle of trees usually has a strong current running through the mess. The fly fisherman in the front of the boat is the only one who can fish the upstream parts of the tangle. The oarsman must hold the boat stationary and let the fly fisherman cast downstream to the tangle. Obviously that means the fly fisherman in the rear must be seated and out of the way of the line and fly traveling the long axis of the boat. A big woolly bugger or any big, heavily weighted streamer is ideal for fishing the upstream side of such a tangle of trees. If a fish strikes, it is with a vengeance. Be ready and hang on. If there is no action, the next option is to fish the shallow side of the midstream tangle of trees. On the shallow side, the water is not moving as fast, and both fly fishermen can cast and fish with less stress. The oarsman also can relax a little. Just about any kind of fly works, so the fly fisherman can pick and choose accordingly. Just remember, the deeper, darker, and denser the cover, the bigger the fish-and the more flies that must be sacrificed. On rare occasions, the tangle may stretch all the way across the stream. In that situation, the water flowing through the tangle moves at differential rates, forcing the oarsman to gingerly maneuver in the tightest of openings. I have found lots of fish in fast water of midstream tangles of trees, especially when the faster water flows over and under logs anchored at right angles to the current. Fish sometimes stack up behind those horizontal logs, feeding on whatever drifts over or under individual logs. The best way for both fishermen to fish that situation is with a grasshopper, jig, or tiny fly dangled a few feet off the tip of the rod. Really! There is no room or reason to cast. Just drop the fly in or on the water. If there is a fish behind any of those logs, it will take the fly. One or two fish is what one can realistically catch in that situation. So, the fly fisherman that gets there first is the one who is rewarded. Oh, amongst fishermen of warmwater species, that technique is tantamount to "doodle socking." Bend in a Stream If the bend in the stream is acute and the current especially fast, the countercurrent on the inside edge of the bend may be whirlpool-like. A big whirlpool is something that should be avoided, both for reasons of safety and general paucity of fishes. If the whirlpool is less violent or moving in a gentle ellipse, spend as much
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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time as possible fishing every aspect of the countercurrent. There are two ways to enter and fish the countercurrent on the inside edge of a tight bend. The first way is to float past the bend and countercurrent; then oar back upstream into the countercurrent. The other way is to cut the bend short, entering the countercurrent at its upstream apex. Decisions regarding how the boat should enter the countercurrent are the responsibility of the oarsman. The oarsman chooses the direction that is not only the safest and least strenuous, but also affords the best opportunity for hooking fish. Once the oarsman has decided, each fly fisherman is free to fish dry, subsurface, or heavily weighted flies. The best strategy is for the fisherman in the front to fish dry flies and the fisherman in the rear to fish subsurface or heavily weighted flies. That way neither fisherman has the advantage, and all levels of the water column are fished. If the boat enters the countercurrent from below, the boat can either float in the countercurrent moving along the bank, letting the fly fishermen cast to and across the shearing plane, or float in the quiet water of the shearing plane, letting the fly fishermen cast across the countercurrent along the bank. Keep in mind that fish in the shearing plane orient upstream looking into the main current, with the bigger fish being found on or near the bottom and smaller fish found higher in the water column. Big, heavily weighted flies fished on sink-tip lines are the best choice for fishing deep in the shearing plane. Small dry flies like caddisflies and mayflies in sizes 14 or less, grasshoppers in size 10, or stimulators in sizes 8 or 10 work well for smaller fishes near the surface of the shearing plane. Keep in mind, too, that fish in the countercurrent along the bank face into the current (i.e., they are looking downstream per se). They generally hold along the sloping bank or are scattered among the dense debris partially buried in the mud, sand, and gravel at the bottom of the slope. Fish holding along the bank in the countercurrent are mostly small- to middle-sized. They readily take small dry flies like those just mentioned. Fish holding amongst the brush and debris can be caught on any buggy- or bushy-looking bead-head nymph fished deep under a strike indicator. Fish in the apex of the countercurrent may be oriented any direction. Those living in the riffle-like shallows
orient into the current. Those in quieter water have few, if any, currents to influence their orientation. Those fish are best caught on the same small dry flies and bead-head nymphs noted above. However, any bead-head nymph fished in the apex must be fished shallow under the strike indicator. If the boat enters from the apex of the countercurrent, more than likely the boat will drift downstream in the quieter water of the shearing plane. Fly fishermen are limited to casting towards the bank, fishing for the smaller fish inhabiting the countercurrent and shallow, riffle-like water at the apex. When I enter a countercurrent from the apex, I do so as quickly as possible. Once through the apex, I rest the boat in the quiet of the shearing plane just long enough to let the fish in the apex calm down and return to the shallows. Once calm returns, the fly fishermen begin casting into the apex and progressively work "upstream" against the countercurrent along the bank, using any combination of previously mentioned dry flies or nymphs. By the way, an apex that is broad and shallow is an ideal place to take a break, step out of the drift boat, and do some wade fishing. If the bend is almost imperceptible, all currents flow in the same direction, with the current on the outside edge of the bend moving slightly faster than the current along the inside edge. Somewhere out from the inside edge of the bend, the bottom slopes precipitously downward into the channel along the outside bend. A few large fish commonly hold along the sloping edge. Here is how to fish the drop-off along the inside edge of a slight bend in a stream. Position the boat in the shallow water where there is about a foot of clearance between the bottom of the boat and streambed. Cast a large, heavily weighted fly towards the drop-off. Something like a woolly bugger in brown, black, or green; a Matuka sculpin; or my favorite, a streamliner, works just fine. Strip the fly four to possibly six times. Pick up the fly and recast. With surprising regularity, one of those big fish is hooked. Just remember, when a big fish is hooked, the first thing the fisherman feels is the "thump thump" of the head being shaken from side to side. If that motion does not free the fly, the fish starts bulldozing its way into the deeper water of the channel along the outside edge of the bend. The rest of the story you know and certainly can envision.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
MARCH SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1
2
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 3
FRIDAY
4
SATURDAY 6
5
Cabin Fever Clinic, 1-4 p.m. Casper Rec.
7
8
9
10 Regular Meeting, 7 p.m.
Daylight Savings Time begins
14
15
16
17
11
Lyin’ and Tyin’ clinic
Fly Fishing Film Tour
18
19
WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
21
22
23
24
28
29
30
31
Deadline for Backcast info
13
12
20 Vernal equinox
25
26
27
Full Moon
APRIL MONDAY
SUNDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1 April Fool’s Day
4
5
6
7
SATURDAY 2 Annual club banquet
Good Friday
8
3
9
10
D
E Bighorn River LL outing CE
Easter Sunday
CA
11
12
13
14
N
15
16
17
22
23
24
Regular Meeting, 7 p.m.
18
19
20
21 WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
25
26
27
29
28 Full Moon
Deadline for Backcast info
30 Arbor Day
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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WFC TREASURER'S REPORT PERIOD ENDING 1/31/10 INCOME Date Jan 15 Jan 21 Jan 31
EXPENSES Jan 10 Jan 13 Jan 21
Vendor/Item Deposit - Raffle - 1/13-101.00, dues-505.00 Deposit dues - 190.00 Dividend Checking Acct only- January 2010
Amount $ 606.00 $ 190.00 $ .39
TOTAL
$ 796.39
#4006 - Izaak Walton League - Rent January 2010 #4007 - A. Sauter- Mtg Refresh 27.34 less dues (10.00) #4008 - Ugly Bug - Raffle Items 1/13
$ $ $
TOTAL
75.00 17.34 96.73
$ 189.07
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFT Feb. 17, 2010 Called to order at 7 p.m. Bob Fischer was excused. Nancy Stichert was a guest to answer questions regarding insurance. Ed Rate received two insurance quotes for the WFC. One from Philadelphia Insurance was $708 covering fishing activities only, not other activities such as the Cabin Fever Clinic or Expo. Great American Insurance Company was $904 with no exclusions. The board approved we purchase insurance coverage from Great American Insurance Company. The secretary’s report was approved. Ed Rate reported the club is earning over $1 a day interest from the new financial institution as opposed to earning .67 a month. The board approved the treasurer’s report. Ed Rate reported when negotiating the costs of the Christmas dinner, neither Ed Rate nor President Rose were advised by Bullwhip Catering of an additional 15 percent set up charge. President Rose contacted Bullwhip Catering and was advised the set up fee was posted on the website. Bullwhip Catering responded that WFC does not have to pay the 15 percent, however WFC will not be able to use Bullwhip Catering again. The WFC did not pay the additional 15 percent fee as it was not reported to the club at the time of negotiations. The board approved the WFC will get written estimates in advance with caterers for all future functions. Conservation Report: Matt Stanton reported the committee is drafting a letter in support of the Bolton Creek project. Banquet Committee: Joe Meyer indicated they are working on posters, have received many raffle items, have confirmed John Japp will be the auctioneer, will have one
main door prize and 5-6 additional door prizes. He reported the committee is making good progress on the banquet. Old Business: President Rose wrote a letter to Wyoming delegates supporting the Special Resource Management Area below Government Bridge. He presented the letter to the board for review. President Rose reported the Natrona County Parks Department is seeking input regarding the management plan of waters in Natrona County and WFC will have a member assist. New Business: Brent Weinhandl will finalize the ballot for the upcoming elections and provide the information to the newsletter editor. Brent reported the posters have been printed for the Cabin Fever Clinic and presented examples for the board. President Rose advised the Casper StarTribune and Casper Journal have been notified of the Cabin Fever Clinic. Both will publish articles in their respective papers. The board approved Casey Leary will purchase a beginner flyfishing kit to be raffled off not for profit at the Cabin Fever Clinic. President Rose is working on a publicity program of tying flies on television and more information will be presented at a later date. Melody Weinhandl reported she has programs lined up for the next few months, however is in need of outings. Please contact her if you have any suggestions. Neil Ruebush reported the Big Horn Outing was canceled due to a lack of interest. Ed Rate suggested a committee review the financial books of the WFC every year. Nancy Stichert volunteered for the audit committee. Adjourned at 8:14 p.m.
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.