www.wyflycasters.org
Vol 42 No 3
The Monthly Newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters
March 2015
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March 2015
What’s inside Bob Homer, President Derrick Dietz, Vice President
Terms expire in 2015: George Axlund, Joe Meyer Terms expire in 2016: Lee Wilson, Kelly Kukes Terms expire in 2017: Bob Fischer, John Yost, Spencer Amend The Backcast is the monthly newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters 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 life- time family membership. Visit the club website at www. wyflycasters.org. To pay dues or contact the club, write to P.O. Box 2881, Casper, WY 82602. The deadline for submission of information for each issue is a week before the end of the month. Make contributions to the next issue by e-mailing material to the Backcast editor at secretary@wyflycasters.org or call (307) 2671903. 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 program available free of charge) documents. Usually, 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 secretary@wyflycasters.org. 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 sub-scribing electronically, you also save the club roughly $17.40 a year in printing and postage expenses.
natrona county public
library
Cheryl Wilson, Secretary Lee Tschetter, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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6-7 thread nymph
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casper Star Tribune Article
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spring banquet
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fishing highlights
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cabin fever
15 CLASSIFIEDS
CALENDAR
Front Cover : Photo by Lee Wilson, 2014 ; Back Cover : Photo by Lee Wilson, 2014
NEW MEMBERS!
If you haven’t already, call Joe Meyer at 307-235-1316. He’ll give you pointers and advice to make sure you catch The big one! Mission Statement: 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.
Description:
The Wyoming Fly Casters club was formed in 1974. The membership currently consists of approximately 160 members. The WFC was organized by a group of dedicated fly fishermen and since the club’s inception the Wyoming Fly Casters have strived to further the sport of fly fishing through conservation and education. Conservation of our water resources is one of our primary goals and in cooperation with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department we have and will continue to carry out worthwhile projects for the benefit of Wyoming fisheries. In addition to conserving Wyoming’s water resources we encourage conserving the fish themselves. A fish safely released today will live to give sport to others. For easy access to digital version of newsletter go to: www.wyomingflycasters.org
Wyoming Fly Casters
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President’s letter Greetings Fellow Fishermen!
As we roll the calendar forward to March we are all looking ahead to warmer weather and better fishing days. One way to get into the swing of things is to attend some of the get-togethers that will be happening in March. As you know, the WFC supports the Healing Waters Project. They will be featured at Thankful Thursday at the Beacon Club on March 5th starting at 5:00 p.m.. The purpose is to raise funds to support our veterans who have served and are now in need of help. There will be a raffle and an auction for guns, float trips, art work and many fishing related items. Next on the calendar is the General Meeting on the 11th. Our featured speaker will be Aaron McCreight. Aaron is the CEO of the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. He will address some of the projects and efforts that the city is doing to improve fishing habitat through the city. He will also explain how he markets fishing here on our beautiful, blue ribbon trout fishing river. Don't forget the last Lyin' and Tyin' is Saturday, the 14th from 8:00 to 12:00 a.m. What a perfect time to learn how to tie flies and tell stories about your fish that you've caught! That same day in the afternoon will be Cabin Fever from 1:00- 4:00 p.m. It will be at the Casper Rec Center. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is a time to learn how to cast along with a chance to watch fly tying demonstrations. As usual there will be a drawing for a fly fishing pole. Last year a budding young fly fisherman won it! Volunteers are needed to help. If you are unable to teach casting or demonstrate how to tie flies, we need several of you to help man the front table. It is easy. It amounts to telling people about WFC and how to join WFC, making sure they sign up for the drawing, and explaining what they can do while they are there. Please come help and enjoy the company of your fellow fly casters. Keep in mind we are still prepping for the annual banquet. For those of you who are new, the purpose of the banquet is to raise funds so we can meet our mission of enhancing fly fishing and fish habitat. It will be held Saturday, April 11th at the Ramada Plaza. That is the same place it has been held in recent years. Doors open at 6:00p.m. for raffles, social hour and drinks. Dinner will be at 7:00. Before 6:00 we are going to need help to set up. This will just include putting the center pieces on the table, setting up bucket raffles and auction items, generally getting things in order. The Ramada sets up the tables, the bar, the podium, etc. Two of the committee who formerly have done a lot won't be able to do much. Tickets are available now at the Ugly Bug or through Cheryl. We also need folks to take tickets at the door; not a difficult task but a way to help the club. Again I would like to remind and encourage you to renew your membership. This is a very worthwhile group and there are lots of fun times to be had. We will no longer be sending out the Backcast to non-paying members. As you can see there are plenty of fun times in the next months. There will also be good times to learn about and improve your fishing skills. This is about all the news and events coming up. So until next time, Keep a taut line! Bob
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March 2015
Natrona Country Public Library
Although the North Platte River one of the most important elements of the environment of Casper and the surrounding area until recent decades the river was barely visible and not accessible, and some major stretches of the river that were visible were something you really didn’t want to look at or go near. The life of the river, and how it has been transformed over the last few decades is an amazing story of dozens of government agencies, the city and towns and county, non profits, fishermen, BP, Chevron-Texaco, Platte River Parkway Trust, individuals and a core group a few people in critical positions who worked together to bring the river back to life. It is a story few people have heard. Bill Nelson, Natrona County Public Library Director, has a strong interest in the river, initially from a fisheries perspective, and that broadened into the bigger history of how the river has arrived at its present state. He quotes a 1948 Public Health Service report, “This 150 mile stretch of the North Platte River (Casper to the Nebraska state line) is so grossly polluted that it is doubtful if recovery can ever be obtained.” Bill and the Library staff [including WFC member Lee Tschetter] completed a two year project of ten oral histories with a group of gentlemen from Game and Fish and the Bureau of Reclamation and individuals, who were the core group responsible for revitalizing the river: John Lawson - Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau); Fred Eiserman, Al Conder, Bill Wichers, Bob Wiley – Wyoming Game and Fish; Bob Breuer and Craig Toal – Department of Environmental Quality; and Herb Waterman, fisherman. These folks tell the story of how Game and Fish and the Bureau worked together and with many, many others to meet the Bureau’s goals of providing irrigation water and electricity, and Game and Fish’s goals of a clean river and a blue ribbon fishery. Without these oral histories, the story would likely have never been told and a big piece of Wyoming’s history lost. Kudos to Bill Nelson and the Library staff.
Wyoming Fly Casters
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Attention Fly Tyers! We are working on getting new members ready to hit the water, and we need your help! We are currently asking for the following flies so that Joe can add these to the new member packets. Each member will receive a few flies to welcome them to the club and get them started in the right direction. Here are a few of the flies we are looking for:
Pine Squirrel Leech Halfbacks Stimulator (See next page) Elk Hair Caddis Midges
Renegades San Juan Worms (various colors) Rock Worms Eggs Pheasant Tail Nymph
Please submit all donated flies for the spring banquet to Joe no later than March 11th.
Flashbacks (pg 9) Bead-headed flashbacks
Do you want to learn how to tie flies but don’t know where to start? Join us for Lyin’ and Tyin’! We meet the second Saturday of the month throughout the cold winter months. There will be spare vices and supplies needed to learn how to tie like a pro in no time! Call Joe Meyer at 235-1316 for more information!
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March 2015
Black Beauty (Thread Nymph)
Credit for this pattern, and images below go to Charlie’s Fly Box. Go check him out on Facebook, and on his website - http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/ Pattern Description: Pat Dorsey, the illustrious South Platte River guide, popularized the Black Beauty in recent years. The Black Beauty is the ultimate guide fly; quick and easy to tie, durable and the thing catches fish. The Black Beauty is the basis for a number of other patterns with just slight differences. Tie it with white thread and a black or gray dubbed or marker colored head and you've got a Miracle Nymph, add a silver bead, substitute silver wire for the rib and you have a Zebra Midge, red thread and no head makes a Blood Midge. You get the idea, a simple thread body ribbed with wire for segmentation and flash and a small dubbed head combine to match a variety of midge larva. You can tie up a complete size and color range to match midges anywhere using this fly as a pattern and varying the colors. Don't forget to tie some with small metal or glass bead heads, too. I have included pictures of my favorite versions at the end of the tying directions with recipes included. I use the Black Beauty and other thread midges on a dropper behind a Pheasant Tail or RS-II much of the time and in tandem with a Brassie or Poison Tung during the winter months. This fly is particularly successful on tail waters and holds it's own on freestone rivers during low water periods and the
Attach the thread at the rear of the index point and clip any butt end you may have. Leave the thread hanging at the rear edge of the index point, DO NOT move the thread to the bend.
Clip a six-inch length of wire and tie it in at the rear edge of the index point. There should only be a small layer of thread on the hook at the index area, not all the way down the shank.
Materials Needed: Hook: TMC 2487 or 2488, #16-24 Thread/Body: Black UTC 70 Denier (the 70 denier makes a really shiny, smooth body and builds quickly; it works great down to about a size twentytwo, but is a little too big for flies smaller than that) or 8/0 Black. Rib: Extra fine (#22-28) or fine (#16-20) copper wire. Head: Black beaver or rabbit dubbing.
Wrap the tying thread over the wire (keeping the wire along the near side OR the top of the hook) all the way to the bend of the hook forming a smooth, even body. In the case of the Tiemco 2487 (curved scud style hook) wrap the thread body back to about a third of the way down the bend (consult the picture above if you still have questions).
Continued on page 7
Wyoming Fly Casters
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Return the thread to the rear of the index point forming a smooth thread body with tight, concentric wraps and let the bobbin hang.
Wrap the wire ribbing forward with five to seven spiraling turns to the index point. Once there, grasp the end of the wire in your thread hand and hold it above and slightly in front of the hook. With your other hand take the bobbin and make three or four tight wraps of thread over the long end of the wire where it meets the hook (which should be at the rear of the index point).
Pull down on the bobbin below the hook and give the tag end of the wire a sharp tug to the rear, which should snap it off cleanly at the tie down point. If the wire won t break off easily you are probably using wire that is too big. Re-position the hook in the vise so the front end is now more parallel to the floor. This will keep the thread from sliding off the front end of the hook as you continue.
Pull a small amount of dubbing from the package and apply a bit of dubbing wax to your fingertips. Twist a one-inch length of dubbing onto the thread being sure to keep it tight. Wrap this dubbing onto the hook from the rear edge of the index point, slightly up onto the body, and forward again to just behind the hook eye, ending with bare thread hanging at the index point.
Whip finish in the index point and clip the thread. (Shown here with a bead head).
Blood Midge/ Bloodworm Red 70 denier thread body, silver wire rib, bulbous red thread head.
Olive Miracle Insect green 6/0 thread body, copper wire rib, black colored thread head.
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March 2015
Casper man catches trout every month for 18 years, inspires others to do the same Christine Peterson, Casper Star Tribune February 26, 2015 It was the last day of March 2001, and Brent Pickett needed to catch a trout. His streak depended on it – a streak he’d held for more than four years and wasn’t about to break. The problem was, he’d had an emergency appendectomy days before, and a drain tube still jutted out from his abdomen. Photo by Dan Cepeda He told his wife he had to go fishing. Pickett had caught a fish every month since 1997 in good weather and in bad, and he wasn’t going to let a ruptured appendix stand in the way. She conceded, finally helping him onto a snowbank to cast into a little patch of open water outside of Chadron, Nebraska. He caught one, then another, and finally his wife said it was time to leave. When he turned around, he slipped. “I fell down the snowbank, and I’m lying there, and I’m in pain,” he said. “My sutures are bleeding more than they were.” Sprawled on the ground, instead of feeling regret when Pickett looked up at his wife, he thought: “This was worth it. I’m glad I did it.” That’s the thing about a mission – you just don’t give up. On Feb. 12, Pickett used a red rock worm in the North Platte River to catch the first trout of his 19th year reeling in one trout a month. “That’s pretty impressive,” said Blake Jackson, head guide at the Ugly Bug Fly Shop in Casper. But Pickett isn’t the only Casper angler forcing himself out in the cold and wind to keep a record strong. The Wyoming Fly Casters, a group of Casper anglers, has a fish-a-month-club. Fly Caster’s member Bill Mixer can’t remember exactly when it started, but he has a plaque dating back to 1998. His fishing buddy, John Dolan, has caught a trout in Wyoming each month for about 25 years. What makes these anglers stand in water that’s barely above freezing as wind whips around their heads when most fishermen would be home tying flies and waiting for warmer weather? Two reasons, they say: a goal, and a love of fishing... (To finish reading the rest of this article, see the Trib.com website. There is a link to it already up on the Facebook page - If you haven’t liked the Wyoming Flycasters on Facebook yet, now is the perfect chance!)
Wyoming Fly Casters
Wyoming Flycasters 40th Annual Spring Banquet Saturday, April 11th 6:00 p.m.
Live and silent auctions! Bucket Raffles! 50/50 Raffle! Prizes include float trips, rods, firearms and gear!
Tickets available at: The Ugly Bug Fly Shop Platte River Fly Shop Or call Cheryl @ 267-1903 Proceeds from this year’s banquet to benefit Project Healing Waters
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March 2015
Fishing Highlights
WFC member Chuck Williams sent in these photos from a 2008 fishing trip he took with Joe Meyer
Joe with a nice fish earlier in February, photo by Spencer Amend
A few more great pictures from Chuck Williams. Looks a little warmer than it has been here!
Wyoming Fly Casters
WFC 2015 Officer and Board Election Ballot PRESIDENT (Vote for one) ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ VICE PRESIDENT (Vote for one) ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ TREASURER (Vote for one) ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ SECRETARY (Vote for one) ___ _____________ ______________________________ ______________________________ BOARD -- 3 year term expiring 2018 (Vote for four) ___________________ ___________
INSTRUCTIONS Mark through the boxes adjacent to the candidate(s) of your choice. Vote for one candidate for officer positions, and as many as four for 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 March 11th. Nominations from the floor will be accepted before ballots are cast, especially for the position without any announced candidates. Officers and board members 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 -- 2 year term expiring 2017 (Vote for two) ____ ______________ ____________ _______________________________
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BOARD -- 1 year term expiring 2016
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This is a sample ballot that you will see at the general meeting on March 11th. As you can see, there are several spots to fill on the board, and as of now, we have received very little response. I encourage everyone to consider running, even if it is just for one term. You will have complete support of the board and the clubyou won’t have to start from scratch. If anyone is interested in running for one of the positions, including general board members, please contact please plan to attend the general meeting on March 11th. We are looking for a few different board positions. Cheryl Wilson will be stepping down as secretary, to a general board member. Kelly Kukes will be leaving the board. John Yost has agreed to take over the Secretary position. Voting will take place at the March general meeting, so please plan to attend. Thanks!!! Cheryl
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March
Wyoming Fly Casters
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Letter from the Editor
Flycasters, I hope everyone’s 2015 has been off to a good start! We are just about to head into the busiest part of the year, as far as club functions go. I encourage everyone to volunteer and take part in as many activities as you can. I know a lot of this information has already been included in the President’s letter, but I will just make sure the information gets out there. First up, we are still going to be meeting every two weeks for the Spring banquet committee. I am looking for volunteers to help us set up the day of the banquet. Right now we are off to a pretty good start in the planning and organization of the banquet (THANK YOU to all of my great volunteers). We are going to need some help the day of to set up, as two of the committee members are pregnant, and won’t be able to do much more than delegate. I will put out more reminders for this as we get closer to the date. Cabin Fever is coming up next weekend, on March 14th. As usual, it will be held at the Casper Rec Center (see flier for information on previous page). We are looking for volunteers to help with casting instruction and fly tying demonstration. Please contact me at 267-1903, or Joe Meyer at 235-1316 for more information. Lyin’ and Tyin’ will also be held on March 14th, starting at 8:00 a.m. This will be the last session of the season, and won’t start up again until November. This would be a good one to come to- get some flies tied now before it starts to get warm again! The Spring Banquet will be held April 11th. It will once again be held at the Ramada Plaza (same as the last few years). Tickets are $35 per person, and are available at the Ugly Bug Fly Shop, the Platte River Fly Shop, or you can contact me at 267-1903. Please get your tickets early! We are planning a fun banquet for you this year, and we will even have a few firearms to raffle off- you don’t want to miss it! Free Fishing Day / Kid’s Free Fishing Day will be on June 6th this year. This is always a lot of fun, so plan to come out for a few hours at some point and help us out! I may or may not be able to attend this year, depending on when my little boy decides to make his debut! I will have more information on this in the next few months. PLEASE plan on attending the general meeting on March 11th. This will be our election day, and we really need everyone to make it to vote. We are looking for some new board members, so consider putting your name in the hat! If you haven’t already paid your membership dues, please plan to do so at the March meeting. If you can’t make it, you can also mail it in: Wyoming Fly Casters, P.O. Box 2881, Casper, WY 82602. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see everyone at the meeting next week.
Cheryl
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March 2015
WFC Board Meeting February 18, 2015 Call to order: 7:00 p.m. Members in attendance: Bob Homer, George Axlund, Bob Fischer, Joe Meyer, Spencer Amend, Derrick Deitz, Lee Tschetter, Kelly Kukes, Lee Wilson, Cheryl Wilson, John Yost Previous meeting minutes - George moves to approves, Joe seconds; all in favor. Lee T. - Treasurer’s report - there are 55 members that have paid their dues so far. These are due in March. Christmas party caterer dilemma - Lee T. will get in touch with the caterer about the issues from the Christmas party. We have decided to discuss the fee with her and see what she is planning to charge. Based on the math (number of people who did not receive their meals v. how much per ticket), we will offer a maximum of $680. Al Condor made a presentation on the current status of the Blue Downey project: The project is currently on hold for further engineering and planning. We don’t know how much the dam will actually be. Right now they have $5,000 allocated to the project (from the Game and Fish). The design/engineering services will be about $15,000 (they don’t have an actual bid for this, it is just an estimate). Right now they are asking for contributions for the design services. They do not have an engineer on board at this time. Questions: Are there funds in place for the actual project? Not currently, but it might be easier to find the funds with an engineered plan. Is this even worth it? The project is only about one surface acre. However, it is one of the only public access fishing spots in the area. The Game and Fish is currently evaluating the cost benefit of the project. The priority of the project is set to medium. Right now there aren’t many small projects out there that are being worked on that we could help with. Blue Downey is not currently a G&F stocked pond, but if the traffic increases, there could be a reason to stock the pond. Motion made: We put our commitment on hold until we know if there are more contributors out there who are willing to help fund the planning and/or project. George seconded. All in favor. Aaron McCreight is our speaker in March. There will be a fish summit/meeting sometime in the near future, and we need a few members present to take part in the conversation. Current board status: Bob Homer will be stepping down as President. Cheryl Wilson will be stepping down as Secretary but will stay on as an active board member, at least until June. The current board will have their last meeting in April, then the new board members will be taking over. There are a few board members who are willing to re-arrange their current positions on the board to accommodate changes, but we are still looking for a few additional board members and positions. This will all be discussed at the general meeting in March. Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Cheryl Wilson
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Calendar
BANQUET COMMITTEE MEETING 6:00 P.M. CLUBHOUSE
GENERAL MEETING 7:00 P.M.
BOARD MEETING 7:00 P.M.
March 2015
LYIN’ AND TYIN’ 8:00 A.M. CABIN FEVER 1:00 P.M.
BANQUET TICKET SALES @ SPORTSMANS
BANQUET COMMITTEE MEETING
5:30 P.M. Ugly Bug
UPCOMING EVENTS: Spring Banquet: April 11th Kid’s Fishing Day: June 6th
Wyoming Fly Casters P.O. Box 2881 Casper, WY 82602
march 2015