www.wyflycasters.org
Page 2 OFFICERS Alex Rose, President Melody Weinhandl, President-elect Vacant, Vice President Spencer Amend, Secretary Ed Rate, 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 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 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 "I fish all the time when I'm at home, so when I get a chance to go on vacation, I make sure to get in plenty of fishing." -- Thomas McGuane, The Longest Silence bout a year and a half ago, I took my 11-year-old nephew, Christian, on a camping and fishing trip to Gray Reef. It wasn't a coincidence that we camped at the Reef during the spring flush. During a crisp, spring morning, Christian walked down to the handicap access ramp and began casting his gold spinner into the churning river. Within 20 minutes, he hooked an 18inch rainbow. Later that day, while standing around the glowing coals of a campfire, a wise man who had camped next to us gave Christian some good, sound advice. No, he didn't tell him to "just say no" to drugs. He didn't advise him to study hard in school, or to mind his parents. He said, "Fish every chance you get." This is good advise for anyone, of any age, and this has been my mantra over the last 10 years, ever since my grandfather introduced me to trout fishing and gave me his fiberglass fly rod that had the action of a wet spaghetti noodle. Fishing is an adventure, a passion. It's a way to connect with the outdoors and nature. This last summer, I camped, backpacked, and fished every weekend, for 12 glorious weeks in a row, from the Wind River Mountains, to the Big Horn Mountains, to the Black Hills. My guest bedroom turned into base camp. As soon as I returned from one adventure, I was planning my next outing. At times, my wife would not accompany me of these trips -- in particular, the adventures that required backcountry travel in areas without established trails. Arranging these trips, sans wife, required delicate negotiations
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and diplomacy. As much as I love and adore my wife, fishing will always be -- my mistress. • On Sept. 10 - 12, the Fly Casters participated in the Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Expo at the Events Center. I stopped by our booth, periodically, to say hello to the volunteers. It was great seeing the children crowded around our table, learning about fish and aquatic insects. I want to thank Marty Robinson for helping to coordinate and staff our booth, and Art Van Rensselaer, Richard Soffe, John Fanto, Herb Waterman, Matt Stanton and Ed Rate for ensuring that we were well represented at the Expo. Outside, our fly casting instructors were Joe Meyer, Spencer Amend, Jim Herrin, Art Van Rensselaer, Russ Newton, Tom McGeorge, Bob Stewart, Kim Levine and Andrew Sauter. Thanks to all the volunteers for helping out at the Expo, and promoting the sport of fly fishing to the next generation. • On Sept. 26, Joe Meyer planned an innovative, new outing for the Fly Casters simply called, "Fishing with Joe." The outing specifically targeted new members learning how to fish. At the time of this writing, the outing is still in the planning stages. But I look forward to hearing how it went. On Oct. 24, I am the streamkeeper for a night fishing outing at Gray Reef. I'm hoping the weather holds out. During last year's outing, I caught four large rainbows at night, including a 22inch fish. This is a great opportunity to catch a real pig, so if you are interested, contact me by my cell phone, 828/4673789, or by e-mail, alexmrose@hotmail.com. I better draw this letter to a close, because I must pack for a vacation to Yellowstone and the Tetons. Erin and I are going to do something real novel for this trip. We are going to camp. And fish.
Alex
Cover shot: Spencer Amend smiles about a fish caught at the Cardwell access.
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BRAG BOARD From the membership
Mary Jo Hibschweiler wades and makes a cast in Miracle Mile. The club is to host an outing on the Mile on Oct. 17 -- the first to be held there in the last several years.
Two outings set for October The program for the October meeting is to feature Joe Meyer’s presentation on how he mounts flies for fly plates, for auction during the April banquets. No other information was provided. 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. The dinner fare, as in previous years, will be catered and the slated holiday programs include Christmas fly contest, white elephant exchange, the fly walk and a photography show reviewing the year. • On Oct. 17, Casey Leary will resurrect the Rod Robinder outing on Miracle Mile. This outing has not been held for several years. But in the past it has been a popular and well-attended outing. Casey provided the following promo for the outing: “The section of North Platte River from Kortes Dam to Pathfinder Reservoir is known as the Miracle Mile. It has been characterized by areas of deep swift water interspersed with numerous islands and associated gravel bars and side channels. Nymph patterns such as pheasant tails sizes 12-18, rusty scuds sizes 12-18, beadhead hare’s ear sizes 12-18 and San Juan worms have proven effective in the past. On occasion, fish will take the dry fly so
some Adams and Griffiths gnats in sizes 14-20 can catch a few fish. Waders are recommended as the water will be cold. A staff can also be helpful as the wading can be difficult. To get there, take 220 West from Casper to Alcova, then turn left (south) on County Road 407, turn right on County Road 351 which crosses the North Platte River. Bring a sack lunch. I will try to park on the west side of the river, a half mile or so south of the bridge. Rod Robinder was a long time member who volunteered many hours for the club and was a MacTavish award winner. Following his death we had an annual outing at the Miracle Mile in his honor for many years.” And the following weekend, Oct. 24, Alex Rose is to host the second annual night fishing outing at Grey Reef. For this outing, you may choose to stay for the night, or fish for awhile and then return home. Several members are planning to set up housekeeping in the Grey Reef campground, and a community fire is to be burning all night. (Be sure to pay your camping fee, or the park police will collect it in the morning.) It is unknown at this point if a meal is to be served, or if everyone is on their own. During last year’s outing, large, gaudy streamers proved to be the most effective patterns. If you plan to attend one or both of these outings, be sure to sign up during the club meeting on Oct. 14.
Joe Meyer caught this fish, which he contends tipped the scale at 4-1/2 pounds, at his “secret place” on Sept. 25 with an elk hair caddis.
A large cutthroat, caught by Alex Rose in the backcountry of the Wind River Range, on a house fly pattern. The fish hammered this fly.
Here is a 17-inch rainbow caught on an orange stimulator -- Alex Rose’s "go to" dry fly this summer -- in the Middle Fork of the Powder River.
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
Tailing Loops by Randy Stalker, Backcast editor e are now approaching, in your humble scribe’s opinion, the best time of the year. The cold snap of the air, the yellows and golds of autumn’s foliage, and the thinning crowds on some of my favorite waters. On Saturday, Sept. 26, for example ... a float trip on the Glenrock stretch of the river was devoid of anyone other than our two pontoons and one drift boat and the only company we enjoyed were the occasional bald eagle, osprey, wild turkey, mule deer, antelope or various ducks and killdeer (see page 6). October is usually a terrific month for fishing. Most of the competition has donned blaze orange and is scouting the hills for game, leaving the rivers and creeks to the diehards. One drawback, though, is I’m avoiding Boxelder Canyon for the next few weeks because a fly rod is no match for a rifle. So get out, and between football games, enjoy the flavor of the fall. The WFC is offering two opportunities this month to join with others on two different stretches of the river. Oct. 17 is the first time the WFC has frequented the Miracle Mile in years. This outing is named in honor of the late Rod Robinder, who had a special fondness for “the Mile.” And a week later, the second annual night fishing outing at Grey Reef is being offered. A large campfire is promised to be stoked all night to warm those who risk a dunking by stumbling in the darkness, and their pride could be assuaged by a sip of Bailey’s. Although some will choose to camp below the dam, others will fish and return home in the wee hours. Last year, the night grew chilly, perhaps sinking into the 20s, but still some members slept in a tent or the bed of their pickups. Others seized on the opportunity to stretch out in Chef Ptomaine’s warm Dodge camper. • The club was saddened by the loss of Bill Ryan, a WFC member and past trustee, on Sept. 22. He died while elk hunting outside Saratoga. He was just 56 years old. We raise a glass to his memory. Bill’s death should serve as a
W SOFT HACKLE RAY CHARLES SOWBUG Hook: Dai Riki 075, Tiemco 3769, sizes 12-18 Thread: Uni-thread 8/0 fire orange Body: Light tan, gray or pink ostrich herl Back: Pearlescent Mylar (small or medium depending on size) Rib (optional for increased durability): Medium gold wire If you’re planning a trip to the Bighorn River in Montana, don’t even consider launching your boat without a few of these staples. They are easy to tie and regularly fool the feisty rainbows and browns below Ft. Smith. The Ray Charles is one of the top producers. It represents a sowbug, a crustacean found in abundance in the Bighorn. This pattern is effective year round, and is often the "up" fly in the guides’ double-fly system. Size 16 is the most commonly used size. It acquired its name because even a fool, or a blind man, could catch fish with this pattern on the end of the tippet. Tying instructions: Tie strip of pearlescent mylar to the hook and wrap back to the rear of the shank. Tie in one or two strands of gray ostrich herl. Palmer herl forward and tie off near eye of the hook. Wrap the gold wire forward providing a segmented effect. Bring mylar forward, tie off. Tie in a partridge hackle and wrap it around the shank once or twice. Whip finish, with the red or orange thread producing a pronounced head. For some reason, the fish have demonstrated a preference to flies tied with red or orange thread.
reminder that none of us have a guarantee of tomorrow. All the more reason to embark on more of the pursuits we enjoy before the grim reaper, in due time, calls us home, too. Bill, as the memorial rock placed at the Fly Casters access at the Speas hatchery says, “now fishes with the angels.” His name will join other recently departed members etched on the memorial stone. • Here’s an update on the Lusby lawsuit, as provided by Bill Wichers, who, with a few other WFC members, attended a district court hearing on Sept. 21: “Judge Park had both parties verbally state their cases. The plaintiffs went first and essentially told the judge they believe the easement is clear and unambiguous and asked him to enforce it as written and ignore the sales contract and history of use and original intent of the easement. The Game and Fish made the opposite arguments. The judge did not make a decision on Monday, but did state that he would have a ruling out in the next three weeks or so.” Stay tuned ... • Other than a few photos and some short messages, few contributions have been made for this issue of the Backcast, so you must wade through three columns of feckless meandering by your editor and a page of float trip photos in order to fill large and conspicuous holes of white space in the 12 pages of this issue. As always, photos and prose are always welcomed for inclusion in the newsletter. It’s your Backcast, so help make it reflective of the club in general. • Perhaps many other Fly Casters keep a journal of their fishing trips like I regularly do. Before venturing on a fishing trip to a given piece of water, I consult this diary to glean information on the weather, the successful patterns and other information from the same date on previous years. An Aug. 30 trip to the North Tongue River was one of the more memorable fishing excersions I made this summer. It did not involve camping, as five us climbed into a crew cab pickup and ventured up for the day, returning in the darkness. We left and returned at
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9 o’clock. “The Tongue was in prime condition,” the entry begins. “The water was lower, but the fish eagerly cooperated.” This was in contrast to the club outing held on North Tongue during the weekend of July 10-12. “The fishing on all three days was slow. A few fish were caught on dries, but the majority of the cutthroat preferred the nymph,” the July entry records. But a month and a half later the river was in full bloom. The Yellowstone and Snake River cutthroats in the nokill stretch rose to dry flies, but also hit nymphs suspended on droppers. Depending on the time of day, the fish were keying on caddis, mayflies or midges, although hoppers were effective all the time.
M Y F LY B OX “Oh, how I love the sweet sound of a fish stripping line off the Hardy Featherweight reel, accompanied by the bend on a four weight medium action rod,” the diary entry continues. “A grasshopper or stimulator, trailed by a beadheaded flashback pheasant tail nymph was my first rig, later replacing the nymph with a soft hackle hare’s ear. Over three-quarters of the fish took the nymph, particularly in the riffles. As the day wore on, the fish demonstrated they preferred smaller imitations, so I switched to a size 18 elk hair caddis, and ultimately was forced to tie on a size 24 vis-a-dun to fool the now finicky fish. In some riffles, the fish were leaping from the water, inhaling some emerging insect.” Mark, Cory, Gary, Glenn and I vowed to return to the Tongue later in this fall, but we have yet to realize that pledge. The Tongue, according to locals, is a fishery which remains kind to fly tossers even when the snow flies and until the weather forces road closures. So, I suppose, there is still time to schedule a club outing on the Tongue. But be sure to bring your fleece jacket!
Scoop
Here is Jory Delinger’s arsenal of river ammunition captured during the Bighorn River outing, featuring midges, rock worms, scuds, nymphs, and a large selection of streamers.
Douglas bait fisherman nets a new state record crappie It was Terry Young's lucky day. The 66-year-old Douglas resident and a friend were fishing off a boat at Glendo Reservoir on Aug. 31 when his friend asked to switch sides. So Young cast into the same spot his buddy had just vacated and pulled in a new state record white crappie. "I tossed the minnow out there and -- wham -- he hit it. It must have been my lucky day." The 2.45 pound fish was 16.25 inches long with a 13.5-inch girth. It beats the old state record of 2.31 pounds and 15-inches long, set by Joseph Whitfield of Cheyenne in 2000. Whitfield's fish also came from Glendo. Young caught his fish on a minnow and a bobber in eight feet of water at about 9 a.m. on a clear, late-summer day. He wouldn't reveal the exact loca-
tion he caught the fish. "That's a secret," he says. Being retired, Young spends a lot of time fishing. "But, I don't usually catch fish like this one. It was so big that at first I thought it was a carp, and then I thought it was a largemouth bass." When he realized the fish was a crappie, he knew it was a big one and wondered if it might be a record. He later took the fish to Douglas Grocery and had it weighed and immediately called the G&F to inquire on the current state record. He drove to Casper the next day to complete the required paperwork and have his picture taken with the fish. Young plans to have the fish mounted for future display. "I was amazed; I'm still amazed. That there is a huge crappie."
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
A lazy float
(and some fish, too)
The third annual Glenrock float was “officially� cancelled due to the inavailability of drift boats; however, the outing was modified and resurrected to include fly tossers who could fish the river from pontoons. Three members showed up on Sept. 26, and a few fish were caught under ideal weather conditions, mainly on jumbo vanilla buggers. In future years, all forms of watercraft are to be welcomed to participate in the fall float outing, and attendance may improve.
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F Matt Stanton and Marty Robinson run the club booth during the Wyoming Game and Fish Expo in early September in the Casper Events Center. And on the right, Russ Newton and Art Van Rensselaer provide some casting lessons to some rookies at the G&F Expo.
New to the club? Need 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.
Digital reminders are available 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 email 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.
A hearty group of veterans and newcomers alike accompanied Joe Meyer on a trip to the ponds on 33 Mile on Saturday, Sept. 26.
CONSERVATION CORNER by Matt Stanton, chairman On Sept. 19, boat owners Andrew Sauter, Spencer Amend and John Dolan generously donated their time and expertise behind the oars for the third annual Platte River Revival cleanup. I was fortunate enough to spend the day manning the "muscle" spot in Spencer's boat as we floated the Morad to Wotco section of the river. Our group, which included Andrew's boat, a raft, two canoes and two kayaks removed two truck beds worth of garbage from the river including 16 tires. Though the volume of garbage removed from the river is disturbing (over 1 million pounds to date), it's good to know there are conservation minded individuals throughout the community. • After taking a month off to enjoy the remainder of the "warm" weather, the WFC conservation committee will meet again on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The meeting will be held downtown at the Wonder Bar at 7 p.m. The committee will be discussing the issues and suggestions collected during the August guides' forum. Anyone interested in the conservation committee is welcome to attend and offer input. If you would like to join the committee and can't make the meeting just give me a call at 258-9915.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drift boat fishing 101 Chapter 10: Wind, the Fly Fisherman’s Best Friend (Part 3) iffle-dwelling Mayflies-Few fly fishermen ever correlate the summertime passage of shadows across a riffle with the emergence of riffle-dwelling mayflies and concomitant feeding orgies of trout in riffles. At best, a few fly fishermen see and perhaps participate in a portion of the phenomenon, albeit the end of the orgy only. In other words, the fisherman arrives just as the sunshine returns, mayflies quit emerging, and trout are in the process of retreating to deeper, quieter waters. Nevertheless, the fly fisherman wades into the riffle and begins casting and drifting a pale morning dun or parachute Adams without success. Soon the fisherman gets discouraged, lamenting that the trout are not hungry after all the commotion of a few minutes ago. He or she wades ashore, without ever noticing encroachment of another shadow on the riffle. When the fly fisherman is some distance away, he or she turns around for one last look and sees the riffle again churning with feeding trout. He or she immediately rushes back to the riffle and begins casting frantically, perhaps hooking one or two fish before the orgy again subsides. When no more fish are caught or seen, and the sun is again shining brightly, the fly fisherman rationalizes that he or she spooked or carelessly "put the fish down" in the excitement of capitalizing on activity in the riffle. And the
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cycle is repeated, repeated, and repeated all afternoon, until exhaustion sets in or clouds begin dissipating. Has that ever happened to you? Understanding the afternoon formation of cumulus clouds, biological relationships of shadows and riffle-dwelling mayflies, and corresponding trout behavior begets memories for a lifetime. However, one also must recognize and be prepared for the "wade fishing two-step" practiced by friendly competitors on or near the riffle. Whenever fly fishermen fishing with me want to mix fly fishing from a boat with some wading and casting small dry flies in riffles, I plan on reaching selected riffles by early afternoon, when clouds are forming but not yet dense enough to cast shadows across the water. By the time clients and I arrive, the riffles have experienced a bigger hatch of drift boats than mayflies. Fishermen from those boats, of course, are wading each riffle, beating surfaces to froth, having little if any luck, and complaining that the fish are not biting. I advise my clients to start casting bead-head nymphs in the deeper waters below the riffle, because wade fishermen probably have not disturbed that water much during the morning. Those that do as suggested usually catch a few fish - at least enough to attract the attention of fishermen wading the riffle. Wade fishermen never turn and overtly walk straight downstream to the
The following article is an excerpt from the electronic book, Hunt - Don’t Pray - for Fish, Techniques and Strategies for Fly Fishing from a Drift Boat, written by Harley W. Reno, Ph.D., a friend of the Wyoming Fly Casters and occasional program presentor. The entire content is copyrighted by the author, and is used here with his permission. The CD is available for purchase through the Federation of Fly Fishers, and 80 percent of the $25 cost of each CD is being donated by the author back to the federation for its conservation and education funds. In the coming months, other chapters of Dr. Reno’s book are to be featured in the Backcast.
end of the riffle and elbow their way amongst other fly fishermen! Those behaviors are reserved for wade fishermen of the Merced and Feather rivers of California, Colorado River of Texas, and Salmon and Irondequoit rivers of New York. Wade fishermen of rivers in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are far too subtle and conscientious. Without staring at those catching fish in deeper water at the end of the riffle, wade fishermen in the riffle slowly take a small step downstream, first with the downstream foot, followed by the upstream
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter ing a grasshopper is simple. When grasshoppers begin singing about midmorning, cast any kind of grasshopper towards the bank, landing it about a foot short of the edge. That is about as close as trout are to the bank unless, of course, the bank is vertical and water is deep. When the bank is vertical and water is deep, fish are right against the edge. In both situations, let the grasshopper float and spin a few moments. Many times the fly drifts or spins out from the bank towards deeper water, forming a loop in the leader that bends back towards the bank. When the loop forms, twitch-do not lift-the tip of the rod upward about one or two inches. That is just enough to move the leader, making the grasshopper chug or teeter up and down as if it were alive and being driven towards the bank by the jumping legs. The best grasshopper imitations are any made from Dopey’s Hopper spun hair in the fashion of Dave's Hopper. That imitation is square-faced-hence it "chugs" when twitched, and it is strong enough to survive repeated mastication by trout. Another good imitation is a parachute hopper, albeit it just floats. I tie a grasshopper fashioned with a preformed foam body and wings made of red squirrel tail (I am allergic to deer hair and becoming more and more sensitive to elk hair). The fish are not particular from cesses. Meanwhile wade fishermen castwhence the wings and bodies of ing into deeper water see what is happengrasshoppers come. And they are not ing in the riffle and start doing the "wade concerned that my grasshopper is a fishing two-step" upstream. hybridization of a fly designed for sunBy the time wade fishermen reach fishes and an imitation of a salmonfly and and surround the clients, the cloud has tiger stone. The fly is called Dopey's passed, mayflies have stopped emerging, Hopper. and feeding has subsided. That is the sigThe next time you fish streams or nal to clients that they should change rivers of the mountain West, the wind is tactics and fish deeper water downblowing upstream with the force of a stream. They do - and soon are catching gale, and your fly line is thrown back into fish from deeper water. Seeing the action your face, wrapping it around you and downstream, the wade fishermen begin everything else nearby, please do not get the wade fishing two-step, this time mad and curse. Instead, politely, quietly, downstream. Sadly, wade fishermen and with some humility thank Mariah for never catch on to what is happening. the opportunity of enjoying yourself, Out of absolute frustration, eventubecause, without Mariah, there would be ally a few ask the clients what is the no trout fishing to enjoy. If you are fishsecret to their success. Always the quesing a stream with populations of other tioners are surprised by the simplicity and game fishes and the same thing happens, logic of the bio-meteorological explanaplease be humble enough to express simtion. Guides, however, never ask and are ilar gratitude, because fishes in those embarrassed when the explanation streams also are dependent on insects comes from their clients. whose biology is tied to upstream winds. Grasshoppers-The strategy for fishfoot, all the while casting across the riffle in front of them. Soon, those once fishing the riffle are standing at the edge of the deep water and casting bead-head nymphs. That is when I suggest to my clients that it is time to try fishing the riffle. Coincidentally, it is about time for clouds to start casting shadows everywhere. Each client snips off the bead-head nymph, ties on a "dog gnat," walks upstream, and wades into the riffle. By then, riffle-dwelling mayflies have started hatching, and the riffle begins showing signs of trout feeding on drifting mayflies - first right where the riffle makes confluence with the deeper water and a few minutes later, in the riffle around and amongst the legs of practitioners of the wade fishing two-step, and then my clients. Soon the clients start hooking fish and become vocal about their suc-
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STREAMSIDE CHEF Hemingway Trout Ernest Hemingway described this recipe as “can’t be bettered.” Ingredients 3 green onions, chopped 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 trout (each about 8 oz.) Seasoning salt 6 slices bacon 1/2 cup Bisquick 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal Lemon wedge Preparation Combine green onions, parsley, lemon juice, and pepper. Sprinkle trout cavities with salt, then spread each with onion mixture. In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain. Combine baking mix and cornmeal on a piece of waxed paper. Coat trout on both sides with mixture. Arrange half the trout in pan. Cook, turning once, until fish is lightly browned and flakes readily when prodded in thickest portion with a fork. For a 1-inch thick fish (measured in thickest portion), allow 5 minutes per side. Cook remaining fish in reserved drippings. Slip a bacon strip into cavity of each fish. Garnish with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
No Static Electric Residential and Commercial Wiring Neal Hibschweiler 307-251-4872
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFT Sept. 17, 2009 outings which participants do not contribute to the outings. The board also approved a motion that all proposed outing expenses need to be approved by the board before any outing and if excessive expenses occur, they must be brought before the board for review. Bill Wichers reported a hearing will be held at the District Court in Casper on Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. to rule on a summary judgment motion on the Lusby lawsuit. Essentially, the judge has been asked to rule right now on the case and he has three options: he can deny the summary judgment motion, he can make a ruling Monday or he can decide to rule on it at a future date. This hearing is open to the public and you are encouraged to attend and show support for continuing the historical public access on this property. The board approved the Christmas party be catered as done in the past. Casey Leary will research costs at Herbadashery, Gegi’s and Bullwhip Catering and report back to the board. The board approved the board meetings return to the third Wednesday of each month as President Rose’s new work schedule permits. President-elect Melody Weinhandl reported October’s general meeting program will be Joe Meyer presenting mounting flies, November will be Wayne Hubert, a zoologist from the University of Wyoming, and December will be the annual Christmas Party. Joe Meyer will take new members fishing to 33 Mile Ponds again on Sept. 26 and all members are invited. Casey Leary will be the streamkeeper for the Robinder Outing October 17 and Alex Rose will again have a night outing on the North Platte River on Oct. 24. The meeting was adjourned around 8:45 pm.
The meeting was called to order by President Alex Rose at 7:07 p.m. All members were present except for Secretary Spencer Amend (excused absence), Andrew Sauter (excused absence) and Bob Fischer (unexcused absence). The board approved the secretary’s and treasurer’s reports as printed in the Backcast. Treasurer Ed Rate reported he reviewed the club’s financial records, reported they are in proper order and all accounts in good standing. He also explained that for the spring Bighorn outing, the club did not subsidize any boat rental or parking permit. The board discussed the credit cards the club had purchased a few years ago. Due in part to a lack of activity and annual fees being imposed, the board decided to close the account. The conservation committee reported they are discussing ideas brought forth from the guides at last month’s meeting. The committee is developing and prioritizing an agenda for further discussion. Matt Stanton said the Platte River Revival cleanup is Saturday, Sept. 19 and three club members have volunteered their boats for this activity. Board members reported many members of the club volunteered to assist at the Wyoming Game and Fish Expo. Over 7,000 youths attended the Expo this year. The club displayed aquatic insects and had fish stamps at the booth, both which were well received. Other members demonstrated casting skills. The board wanted to thank all who volunteered their time. The board approved to give a WFC hat to all members to volunteered at the Expo and to Don Jelnick for overseeing the WFC picnic. The board had a lengthy discussion about streamkeepers and meals provided at outings. A motion was passed where the Wyoming Fly Casters will not contribute monetarily to
CLASSIFIEDS -GOOD STUFF FOR SALE (CHEAP!)
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.
Fleece fingerless fishing gloves. Coleman two-burner stove, like new. Call Don Jelinek 267-7477 • Patagonia SST jacket, XL, Brand new. $175 (list $315). Call Scott Novotny 266-3072
Protect our environment
Inspect - Clean - Dry Take the Clean Angling Pledge www.cleanangling.org
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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TREASURER'S REPORT PERIOD ENDING 8/31/09 INCOME Date Aug -3 Aug- 3 Aug -5
Vendor/Item Deposit-Credit Card income - Banquet Deposit - Monthly Gen Mtg Raffle- June/July Deposit - Monthly Gen Mtg Raffle April/May $195.00, dues $60.00 Deposit Monthly Raffle 8/12 88.00, Sale Merchandise $2.00, Dues $100.00 Void cks #3848, #3854 Ugly Bug Donation TOTAL
Aug 13 Aug 31 EXPENSES Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 3 Aug 5 Aug 12 Aug 12 Aug 12 Aug 20 Aug 21 Aug 21 Aug 28 Aug 31
#3991 #3992 #3993 #3994 #3995 #3996 #3997 #3998 #3999 #4000
Amount $2,513.25 183.00 255.00 190.00 390.29 $3,531.54
Izaak Walton-Rent July/Aug. PHYFF (Wounded Warrior Program) donation (Void) Platte river Fly Shop - Award Pins, Banquet Joe Meyer - Banquet 5.00, Casting Clinic 32.00 Tony Martin Aug Backcast 91.14, Postage 166.00 Kinkos Backcast-Apr,May,Jun,Jul 417.01, Int.50.00 Spencer-Amend Postage-re notice river cleanup Pat Lafountain - Propane Cleanup BBQ Wy Sect State - Annual Corp Report Transfer to Money Market Acct. Bank Service Charge
$150.00 300.00 157.50 37.00 257.14 467.01 44.00 6.40 25.00 $10,000.00 3.00 $11,447.05
TOTAL
OCTOBER SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Full moon
Regular meeting, 7 p.m.
Columbus Day
18
19
20
21
Miracle Mile outing
22
23
WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
25
26
27
28
24 Night outing at Grey Reef
29 Deadline for Backcast info
30
31 Halloween
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.