Page 2 OFFICERS John Robitaille, President Joe DeGraw, President-elect Alex Rose, Vice President Tom Grogan, Secretary Ed Rate, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2009 Spencer Amend Bob Fischer Scott Novotny Richard Soffe Terms expire in 2010 John Fanto Jamie Gibson Joe Meyer Gene Theriault Terms expire in 2011 Darin O’Dell Kim Levine Jim Sparks Bill Wichers 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 John Robitaille, President, WFC t's September and the leaves are turning, the ducks are showing up, the bucks are thinking of love, and the water is going down. It's truly a great time of year. My old fishing partner and I took advantage of the cooler weather, and cooler water the other day. We spent the fishing trip on the Big Horn River we purchased from the WFC banquet that was donated by the Magic City Fly Fishers. On the way to Montana, we thought we should stop and enjoy the scenery of the Middle Fork of the Powder River. This marked the first time either of us had experienced this little water in the fall. Wow. That was worth the extra miles. I took a 2 weight rod and hooked easily 50 fish in a few hours. Dry flies were bringing fish clean out of the water. One of which turned out to be a 15" brown, on a 2 weight rod, that feels like a 25" brown. So, with the beauty of the red rocks, the memories of watching the big white flag on the end of a white-tail deer bounding through the hay meadow, the wonderful colors of the fish and the fall colored trees behind us we set out to Fort Smith with much anticipation. We brought 5 and 6 weight rods, but soon wished we had brought 7 weight rods. In the first hour I had lost three large fish to weed beds - good start I thought; but then the wind started. It was blowing a good 20 - 25 mph up river. The river was a bit off color, our guide told us, and he thought it was due to the lake turning over. The moss was floating down the river, not like the Platte, but problematic none the less. Despite it all, I managed to land about a dozen good sized fish, one of
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which was a very large brown. However, my old fishing partner did not do as well as I did. I can't help but wonder, did he do that on purpose or was he really trying and just had bad luck? Either way, I won this round; and I can't wait until the next round to see how we do. We plan on a return trip to the Big Horn, possibly in the spring this time. A special thank you goes out to Lloyd Ferguson and Randy Stalker for the wonderful job they did on the WFC poster banners. These two were tireless and spent countless hours producing some outstanding poster banners for the club. This project was their idea, and thanks to the insight of your WFC board, it was funded. Great work guys. If you did not have the opportunity to view them at the Expo, you will have other chances to view them at various WFC events. A big, big thank you goes out to all who helped with the Wyoming Game and Fish Expo. Scott Novotny came up with the idea of putting the Backcast in a binder and made it available to all who passed the booth. Nice going Scott! Thanks to all your efforts our booth was a success! Due to a great deal of help from club members, not from Mother Nature, we had a successful WFC picnic. A full-size thank you goes out to all who helped with cooking, preparing and bringing food. Thank you to those wonderful people that joined in on the Platte River Revival, always a good cause, and a good feeling to do something worthwhile with friends. I was not able to attend, but I hope the fishing after the clean up was good. Hope to see you with a rod in your hand and a rod in my hand soon!
Tailing Loops by Randy Stalker, Backcast editor ot many fish were caught (see page 3), but everyone attending the Glenrock float outing on Sept. 27 left with a full stomach and a smile on their face.
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Chef Ptomaine did a stellar job, as usual, cooking brats and burgers. This was one of the more popular outings of the year, with 13 fishermen on five boats making the four mile float. (continued on page 7)
Cover shot: Dick DePaemelere protects himself from the intense sun in the Bahamas.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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FISHING REPORTS From the membership
Dick O’Quinn with a husky rainbow caught on a halfback during the Glenrock float outing.
Mick Novotny with one of the whoppers caught at “Joe’s Secret Spot” recently. The fish was estimated to weigh close to 8 lbs.
Upcoming programs and club outings outlined Two outings are scheduled for the Wyoming Fly Casters in October. On Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m., yes, that’s P.M., the club is hosting an outing at Grey Reef for some night fishing. The festivities will begin with a bonfire in the campground, followed by moonlight fishing. Bring tents if you want to camp, along with favorite beverages and head lamps. Alex Rose is the stream keeper. For more information, email Rose at alexmrose@hotmail.com or call his cell phone, 828-467-3789. And just a week later, on Oct. 18, an outing is slated for the Trapper's Route area. Fly fishers should meet at the access area on Rt 220 across from Government Bridge at 8:00 a.m. Joe DeGraw is the streamkeeper. Lunch is to be served at noon at the
access point. He suggests fishermen could float from Lusby, stop at the ramp to have lunch, and resume the float to Sechrist. To sign up for the outing, send an email to joseph_degraw@yahoo.com, or call him at 258-0177. Sign-up sheets for both outings are to be distributed at the general membership meeting on Oct. 8. • The program for the October meeting features a presentation by Alex Rose on fly fishing in the Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains of Kentucky and North Carolina. In November, Dick Crysdale is to present a program on guiding in Yellowstone and conservation. And of course, the December meeting is the annual Christmas program.
Spencer Amend nailed this rainbow on the Lusby to Government Bridge stretch of the river in early September on a red rock worm.
Thanks for the help at the Expo Hi there Wyoming Fly Casters, Just wanted to give a HUGE thanks to all of you helped out at the Fly Casting booth at the Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage EXPO. It was great to team up with you on that and despite some rainy weather on Friday, a great crowd came through the station. Lots of
good exposure for both WFC and Wyoming TU! I look forward to working with you again in the future. In appreciation, Nelli Williams Trout Unlimited Wyoming Coordinator Lander
Kim Levine with a frisky rainbow from the Platte River by Glenrock.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
FLY
of the month
ELK HAIR CADDIS Hook: dry fly, 10-18. Thread: 6/0 tan. Rib: extra fine copper wire. Body: superfine dubbing. Hackle: brown rooster neck. Wing: elk hair. Pattern Description The Elk Hair Caddis was developed in Montana by Al Troth. Make the body no thicker than one-third the hook gap, and tapered from back to front. Hackle serves two functions on this fly; flotation and the appearance of legs. Caddis have only six legs so it doesn't take many turns to fulfill this requirement. More importantly, hackle serves as outriggers to support the fly on the waters surface. Six to eight evenly spaced turns of hackle create more than enough surface area while still letting the body shape and color show through. I size the hackle (over the dubbed body) so it is equal to one to one and a half gap widths. If it is too large the fly looks bigger, too short and the fly may float on its side. Flies intended for calm, flat water over selective fish suffice with less hair than the same size fly meant for heavy pocket water. As a rule of thumb, the right amount of hair when compressed will be equal to the diameter of the body. There is some room for interpretation in regard to the length of the wing. Anywhere between one and one and a quarter shank lengths seems about right to me. Fish the Elk Hair Caddis a few different ways. Dead drifting under bank side vegetation can have great results, and I have found that skittering the fly a bit brings out the predators. It seems as though trout can't resist a bug that is trying to get away and this skittering really rings the dinner bell.
Joe Meyer releases a night hawk he “caught� on a backcast while fishing at a pond. At dusk, he tied on a grizzly hackled halfback, not noticing the number of night hawks swooping down to eat the large moth-like insects hatching and flittering above the surface of the water. The hawk nailed the fly in mid-air. Joe went on to catch some fish, too.
Expo attendance sets a record More than 8,300 students from across Wyoming learned more about wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation, thanks to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Hunting & Fishing Heritage Expo, held Sept. 11-13 in Casper. The student attendance marks the highest ever for the event, now in its eleventh year. "Education is the primary goal of the Expo, and this year we were able to reach 2,000 more students than in previous years," says Wendy Hayes, Expo coordinator and conservation education manager for the Game and Fish. "We changed the format of the Expo to a Thursday, Friday, Saturday event, and moved it to one week later in September. Our hope was that more students would be able to attend, and judging from the numbers, the new format was a success." Held each September, the Expo is a free educational event and open to the
public. Since 1998, the Expo has been educating the public and building support for wildlife, natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation. Participants can experience more than 150 hands-on activities and exhibits, including shooting, archery, canoeing, fish identification and turkey calling. The Expo also highlights Wyoming's rich outdoor heritage. "Wyoming has such history steeped in the landscape and the outdoors," says Hayes. "We tried to bring that to life through activities like the LaRamie River Black Powder Brigade's Mountain Man Camp, Native American youth dancers from the Wyoming Indian Schools, atlatl throwing and talks given by Michael Bad Hand Terry on Native Americans of the West." Expo is the premier conservation education event for the Game and Fish. More than 139,000 people have attended the Expo in the last ten years.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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No flushing flows this fall No flushing flows are slated for this fall on the North Platte River below Grey Reef Dam, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Originally, the flushing flows were scheduled for mid-October. “This fall there are just too many construction activities in the river to allow us to schedule a week of drastically fluctuating river flows,” Al Conder, Casper region fish supervisor for the G&F, said. He said the flushing flows will be deferred until spring. The G&F requests the flushing flows with the BuRec in an effort to clean fine sediment from fish spawning gravels and to increase the production of invertebrates that fish depend on for food. Anglers welcome the flushing flows because it stirs up the food, which results in better fishing success. Brown trout spawning habitat will not benefit from a flush this fall, but the spring flush should improve spawning conditions for rainbow trout. The trout per mile in the river ranges from 4,500 below Grey Reef to 800 west of Glenrock.
New signs help Platte River rafters Boaters on the North Platte River in the Laramie region should find it easier to navigate the waters, thanks to new signs recently installed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and members of the Platte Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. New red and blue signs designating private and public land were installed late July on the North Platte River from the Bennett Peak BLM access put-in downstream to Treasure Island. The signs alert floaters to land status: red markers designate private land, blue markers indicate public and private land open for access downstream from the side of the river the sign is posted on.
M Y F LY B OX Fall is the time for stripping streamers; hence, this month we feature Ron Dutton’s streamer box. It contains many of the most useful streamers, but the sculpins on the bottom right were tied by a friend, and are for display purposes only as they are too valuable to risk losing on a snag or a big fish.
Only one fishing reg change mulled by the G&F for 2009 The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is proposing a single change to the fishing regulations for 2009. Illegally introduced walleye were recently discovered in Buffalo Bill Reservoir. These fish have the potential to significantly impact this important wild trout fishery. The WGFD wishes to encourage anglers to harvest as many walleye as possible in hopes of keeping
the population in check. The only change being proposed can be found in Section 23, page 18 of the draft regulations. Currently Buffalo Bill Reservoir falls under the statewide creel limit of 6 walleye per day or in possession. We are proposing to add one line to the exceptions for Buffalo Bill Reservoir in Park County that states the creel limit on walleye shall be unlimited.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
by Alex Rose Vice President, WFC 'Fish are, of course, indispensable to the angler. They give him an excuse for fishing and justify the fly rod without which he would be a mere vagrant.' -- “Sparse Grey Hackle,” Alfred Miller
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here is a small, virtually unknown lake tucked far into the Popo Agie Wilderness filled with large cutthroat trout that will recklessly and relentlessly pound your dry flies. My story begins with Kip Carey’s book, “The Official Wyoming Fishing Guide.” I spent the winter flipping through this extensive, detailed guide, and fantasized about catching trout in what Edward Abbey would call “the back of beyond,” places where few anglers venture and the trout are fat, sassy and naive. After selecting a lake, I called a backcountry fly fishing guide in Lander, seeking more information. Although Carey’s book is a terrific resource, some of the information is outdated. This is understandable, since the book provides details on hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams, and conditions often change. When I asked him about the lake, he paused, and then hesitated to answer, which I interpreted as him trying to protect a good secret. “Well, I’ve never fished it before,” he said. “But I have heard that it is very good.” So this summer, after the guide’s recommendation, my wife and I parked at the trailhead and eagerly began our hike to the Popo Agie Wilderness. We walked about 3.5 miles until the Forest Service
A large cutthroat trout caught in the Popo Agie Wilderness..
blazes disappeared. Then we followed rock cairns another 1.5 miles to a large, remote backcountry lake known to hold nice cutthroat trout. We set up camp, and Erin zipped inside our tent. My wife enjoys her “wilderness experience” from the confines of a nylon shell and mosquito netting. I prefer seeking out large fish in pristine lakes. So I unsheathed my rod, doubled checked my map, and followed a steep, rocky drainage to my destination, a small lake rumored to hold brawny Yellowstone cutts. The fishing conditions were terrible: A heinous wind ripped across the lake causing white camps and waves. Dry fly fishing, and even casting were impossible. I sort of slung my line out into the water and began stripping my leech. After ten minutes, my line stopped,
jerked, and the fight began. Soon, I landed a healthy 16-inch cutthroat trout. I quickly killed it and slid him onto a stick. Although I generally practice catch and release, I turn into a predator in the backcountry. I enjoy supplementing my dinner of instant mashed potatoes with fresh trout, roasted to perfection over a sizzling campfire. Every fish I caught was at least 15inches long, and I watched several large cutts follow my streamer to the shore, their noses just inches from my fly. The next morning, I rose early and hiked back to the lake. I tried my pine squirrel leech streamer, and caught and released a few large trout. But then I noticed one trout cruising the surface, occasionally rising to sip insects. I quickly clipped off my streamer and tied on an ant. The fish had disappeared,
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter so I cast my fly to the general area. I then watched a large fish rise, inspect my ant, and slowly unhinge his jaws and eat my bug. I paused about two seconds before gingerly setting the hook and landing the 15-inch cutt. A few weeks later, I returned to this beautiful lake, sans wife. The weather was cold and rainy, and occasionally the sky spat hail. I still managed to catch an 18-inch cut on a leech. Slowly, the weather began to cooperate. The skies cleared, the sun emerged from the clouds, and the lake miraculously became alive with large, cruising cutthroat trout. Lily-white angels descended from the heavens with trumpets and played joyful tunes. At least that’s what it seemed. I presented small flies to these fish, which slowly rose, carefully inspected, and rejected my flies -- every time. I tried this for a few hours, which was the sporting equivalent of beating my head against a wall. They say that the definition of insanity is constantly trying the same thing and expecting different results. So instead of using small flies, I tied on a large grasshopper and flung it toward three unsuspecting large cuts. A fish noticed my fly and ate it without hesitation. Conventional wisdom says that when trout refuse dry flies, go smaller. But one of the wonderful things about fly
fishing is that trout do not always abide by our carefully cultivated ideas and paradigms. And if trout are willing to take large flies, I’m happy to cast them. I caught and released three more trout before returning to camp. The next morning, I awoke to clear skies, sunshine and no wind. I hiked to the lake, and found that every trout appeared to be cruising the surface. At one point, I watched seven large cutthroat trout sipping midges. I started casting a size 12 orange stimulator and consistently either received strikes or hooked fish. The water was clear, and I was able to sight cast to dozens of fish. Although I had stern refusals, I frequently received strikes with my stimulator. I landed between 15-to-20 large cutthroat trout, all of them between 14 and 17 inches, resulting in some of the best fishing in my life, truly sublime dry fly fishing. Note: I purposely left out the name of this lake, because too much publicity can harm a fishery, and the Backcast is easily accessible through the club’s website. I’d hate to see this lake defiled by Power Bait or Velveeta cheese. But if you are a club member, I’d be happy to give directions to this remarkable lake, which should fish well until the snow flies. Membership has privileges. For more information, e-mail me at alexmrose@hotmail.com.
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Tailing Loops (continued from page 7)
This outing may become an annual tradition, based on the positive comments from the exit-polling of those attending. We started at the Cole Creek Road (county 22) boat ramp, and floated downstream, occasionally being forced to portage the boat across extremely shallow stretches, and finishing several hours later at the Rabbit Hill (locally known as White Rocks) access. Most of the fish were caught in deeper, faster water. I have fished this stretch of the river every weekend for five weeks as preparation for this outing. And each weekend, the water level dropped from the previous weekend, changing the fish holding areas and what fly pattern was the best producer. Initially, it was PMD emergers fished behind a humpy. The next weekend it was San Juan worms behind a bead-headed halfback. The next time the fish preferred a stripped vanilla bugger. And the final time, it was a baetis nymph, specifically a Barr’s emerger, that hooked the fish. But each time I fished the river, my success rate decreased. From double figures the first time, to six fish the next week, declining to just one a week before the outing. So, I suppose, it was appropriate that I was skunked at the outing. It’s a humbling experience to strike out on one’s home water. But I did catch moss on almost every cast. But several fly tossers visiting this stretch of the river for the first time, particularly Dick O’Quinn and Rex Eggleston, outfished most of the veterans. They need no convincing that this is a choice leg of the river. I like it not because the fish usually cooperate, but because the river can be floated in complete solitude. The only diversions are the occasional deer, antelope, bald eagle, wild turkey, duck or pelican which call this place home. This column may perhaps be counter-productive, as the secret of this part of the river has now been revealed. Other outings are proposed for the balance of the year; two slated for October, then there is the annual Rob Robinder event at Miracle Mile, usually held in November. And in December, don’t forget Alcova Reservoir. Be there, Aloha.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
A course in drift boat fishing 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.
Rod waving is the result of the tip of the fly rod (A) being moved in an arc when the fly fisherman simultaneously moves his or her forearm up and down, and cocks and uncocks the wrist (B). The result is the line also moves in an arc, splashing the water at the end of the back cast and falling short of the target in the forward cast.
Chapter 4: Casting System (Part I) he fly fishing system consists of a series of components, each of which has a specific function. If all components work together, the fly, regardless of size and weight, will land consistently on the target X-distance from the fly fisherman and drift boat. Components of the casting system are (1) torso and shoulders, (2) arm, (3) hand, (4) thumb, (5) rod, (6) reel, (7) line, and (8) leader. The first four are biomechanical in function, and the latter four are physical amplifiers. The biomechanical components initiate, control, and conclude the casting action. The physical components only exaggerate what has been directed. Performance of the system is related directly to the amount of energy imparted to the system by movement of the biomechanical components. The great thing about fly fishing from a drift boat is that the fly fisherman
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does not have to learn a lot of fancy casts. Casting is as basic as meat and potatoes for supper. The fly fisherman has only to learn the basics. Nothing more! More complicated casts like the double-haul and roll are nice to know, but, they are not requirements for fishing from a drift boat. Their necessity, more or less, is rendered obsolete by the stealth quality of the drift boat. The drift boat lets the fly caster move close to the fish, where, in a simple, one-cycle motion, the fly is delivered on target without much effort. False casting is used sparingly, if at all. The fly fisherman who learns to end the cast by landing the fly downstream of the line has a decided advantage: a fly that gets close to the fish before the line hits the water stands a better chance of being inhaled by the fish. A line that splashes on the water first often spooks the fish and drags the fly unnaturally. The fishing
equipment, and casting techniques and strategies discussed later in this chapter, simplify the whole process of fly fishing, letting the fisherman focus on getting the maximum return (i.e., enjoyment) from the time available when fly fishing from a drift boat. The technique of throwing a downstream bend in the line also is discussed later in this chapter. The first thing a fisherman should understand about fly fishing is that the line always follows the tip of the rod. If the tip of the rod moves in an arc from in front of, over, and behind the fly fisherman, and moves through the same arc from behind, over, and in front of the fisherman, the line—leader and fly too— trace those same arcs, first slamming the fly in the water behind the fly fisherman and second collapsing on the water short of the target in front of the fly fisherman. Figure above:. Rod waving is the result of the tip of the fly rod (A) being moved in an arc when the fly fisherman simultaneously moves his or her forearm up and down, and cocks and uncocks the wrist (B). The result is the line also moves in an arc, splashing the water at the end of the back cast and falling short of the target in the forward cast. “Rod wavers” move the casting system mostly by hinging the wrist as though saying “good-bye” to a friend or member of the family. Some exaggerate the waving by lifting the forearm slightly
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter on the back cast, letting the tip fall near or to the horizontal, and lowering the forearm on the forward cast, again letting the tip fall to or below the horizontal. Moving the tip through an arc in both directions is the nemesis of all beginner fly fishermen. If not corrected early, the movement becomes an almost incurable affliction, the dominant characteristic At the beginning of the cast, one hand of all “rod wavers,” and holds the rod, and the other holds the the principal reason for loose line gently, but firmly. The thumb abandoning such an artof the hand holding the loose line, ful, rewarding, and relaxinstead of being pressed against the loops on the index finger, is intentionaling pastime. ly left open to show parallel alignment If, however, the tip of loops across the bases of all fingers. of the rod travels in a flatter arc from the target to slightly behind the fly That is all right. And it is not a requirefisherman and moves more or less in a ment. The only thing that is important is flat plane from behind the fisherman to a that each fly fisherman is satisfied and stopping point slightly above the horisuccessful with his or her casting techzontal in front of the fly fisherman, the nique. After all, the whole reason for fly line will follow in a flatter arc from the fishing is having fun. True? target to behind the fly fisherman and in In the following paragraphs, I an almost flat plane in front of the fly describe a casting technique which prefisherman to the target. The line sails out empts worrying about flexing or hinging flat in the back cast and unwinds the wrist or coordinating movement of smoothly from a flat, tight loop during the rod, fly line, and arm. Instead, the the forward cast. That is the “art” in the technique I teach focuses on moving the artistry of the accomplished fly fishertip of the rod through a flat plane and man. delivering power to the fly rod in both Instructors of fly casting universally the back and forward casts by slightly emphasize the need to make the tip of rotating or twisting the shoulders, torso, the fly rod travel in a flat plane and avoid and hips during the casting motion. The making the tip move in an arc by hinging technique is not novel with me; rather, it the wrist. The techniques advocated by is employed to varying degrees by every instructors that accomplish those aspects experienced practitioner of fly casting. of casting are as varied as there are Here is how to throw a level or flat line instructors. Most techniques are simple time after time, regardless of environand effective. But some require mind and mental conditions. muscular coordination far beyond that of At the beginning of a cast, the hansome mortals. dle of the fly rod should rest in the right For example, some instructors teach hand—for a right-handed fly fisherbeginners to punch the fly rod backwards man—with the handle lying in the and forwards with a sudden motion by crease between the palm and fingers. The the forearm. The thumb amplifies and thumb must be positioned on top of the accelerates forward motion of the fly rod, handle, and the tip of the rod pointed at fly line, and fly. Other instructors bind the target. The left hand gently, but firmthe forearm of the beginner to the fly rod ly, holds the loose fly line. by wrapping a length of Velcroâ around A full, smooth cast is initiated by a the beginner’s wrist and butt of the fly slow turn or rotation of the torso, right rod immediately behind the reel. The shoulder, and arm away from the target. makeshift splint prevents the wrist from Rotation away from the target is accomhinging, thereby more or less forcing the panied by a strong, upward and backward tip of the rod to travel in a flat plane. pull of the right forearm and hand. That Unfortunately, many fly fishermen never brings the rod up and over the right succeed in mastering control of the wrist.
Page 9 shoulder. The coordinated movement of the shoulders, arm, and hand flex or load the rod, causing the line, leader, and fly to sail or shoot over and behind the fly fisherman’s right shoulder. If enough energy is imparted to the system in the beginning, the left hand can feed some loose line into the back cast. When the line, leader, and fly have straightened out in the back cast, that straightening is telegraphed back through the rod to the hand. Immediately, the torso, shoulder, and arm—acting as one unit—begin rotating together towards the target initiating the forward cast. Continued rotation increases pressure of the thumb on the handle of the rod and accelerates movement of the tip of the rod towards the target. The sensation is one of driving the thumb through the handle of the rod. The fly rod begins pulling the line, leader, and fly towards the target. As the tip of the rod begins angling downwards toward the horizontal in front of the caster, the tip automatically stops because the wrist, being oriented vertically, has limited hinging ability in that plane. The sudden stop of the tip above the horizontal lets the line continue accelerating towards the target in a tight loop over the head and right shoulder of the caster. Any loose line remaining in the left hand can be fed to the line traveling towards the target. When the tight loop in the line fully rolls out, the leader rolls over, and lets the fly fall vertically, gently settling on or quietly splashing in the water. If the tip of the rod reaches or falls below the horizontal, the tight loop in the line widens or opens. An open loop resists flying through the air because more surface of the line is exposed in an open loop. As a result, the line, leader, and fly cannot fly as far. Should the fly fisherman be casting into a breeze or wind, the line almost always collapses on the water short of the target or is thrown back into the face of fisherman. There is nothing more frustrating or emotionally deflating to the beginner or novice fly fisherman.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
OCTOBER 2008 SUNDAY
MONDAY
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6
TUESDAY
7
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
2
3
4
8
9
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11
WFC General Membership Meeting, 7 p.m.
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13
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SATURDAY
15
Night fishing outing
16
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WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
18 Trappers Route outing
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27
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Deadline for Backcast info
The WFC Banquet Committee is preparing to meet in early October to begin setting plans for the upcoming Banquet in April. (April 4, for those that don't already know). If you are interested in becoming a member of this committee, or any other committee for that matter, please let John Robitaille (john@pawyo.org) know as soon as possible. Get involved and enjoy your club!
FOR SALE Special prices for WFC club members! Fly lines, fly reels and fly rods. Call Don Jelinek, 267-7477 • Patagonia SST jacket, XL. Brand new. $240 (list $315). Call Scott Novotny, 266-3072 • Float tube-$50. Call Kathy Knapp, 577-7703
Wyoming Fly Casters Board Meeting September 17, 2008 The meeting was called to order by the president. MSC was called to accept the minutes from last meeting. MSC was called to accept expense report from last meeting. President Elect Report: Sept. 27 will be the monthly outing that will include a float trip starting near Coal Creek Rd near Glenrock. The monthly outing on Nov. 18 will be held at Trappers Route starting at 8 AM. MSC was called to pay up to $400 for the speaker at the November general meeting. Vice President Report: Oct. 11 at 9:00 PM will be the first ever night fishing outing at Grey Reef. A big thanks to Charlie Shed for his dedication to help teach the art of fly casting to members of the Wyoming community through the Wyoming Fly Casters. Old Business: The official resignation of Steve Burgfechtel was read at the meeting. MSC was called to accept his resignation. New Business: A thanks is in order to Lloyd Ferguson and Randy Stalker for their time, effort, and dedication in creating posters to help represent the WFC in community functions. The posters were deemed a great success and look very sharp as well! Thanks from the WFC Board! A brief discussion about the WFC involvement in the Rocky Mountain Sports Show was discussed. It was determined to wait on the involvement until after this years show. A discussion of the Christmas banquet dinner was had, Dick D. did a great job in collecting prices and food options. MSC was called to choose the Herbadashery as the catering business. These minutes have been submitted by T. Grogan.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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Treasurer’s Report for August 2008 Income Description
Amount
deposit - dues - 40.00, 8/13 Raffle - 85.00
125.00
Total Income
125.00
Description
Amount
Izaak Walton League - Rent August 08 Kinkos - Membership List Ugly Bug Fly Shop - Raffle 8/13 Joe DeGraw - Tensleep Outing
(75.00) (10.08) (85.46) (122.96)
August Bank Charges Total Expenses
(3.00) (296.50)
Balance Income Expenses
2,054.62 125.00 (296.50)
Balance
$1,883.12
Date 8/18/2008
Expenses #3902 #3903 #3904 #3905
Checking Account 8/1/2008
8/31/2008
Money Market Account 8/1/2008 Balance-(WFC Funds) Balance (PRE Funds) 8/31/2008 Interest Income
30,419.15 1,216.44 30.87
8/31/2008
Balance
$31,666.46
Checking Account Money Market PRE Funds - Reserved
$1,883.12 $30,450.02 $1,216.44
Total
$33,549.58
Recapitulation
8/31/2008
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.