www.wyflycasters.com
Backca!
"e Vol. 39 No. 7
The Monthly Newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters
Trout Derby Recast Member Notes and Classifieds Recipe & Fishing Tip Know your Knots Calendar
July 2012
Will’s Le$er for July Now that we are past the solstice and the days are beginning to become a lot warmer, it is likely to get more challenging to find fish with the hunger they exhibit in the fall and spring. I have heard for years that a smaller fly is always the safer choice when trying to decide pattern to tie on. I must admit that those size 12 and 14 fuzzy nymph patterns are the ones my eye and fingers go to first when looking over the possibilities. Knowing that rising water temperatures, like we see in July and August, change the manner in which trout approach feeding I can’t help but want to offer up a nice big juicy morsel that is easy for them to see, and hopefully attempt to eat. At some point rational decision making comes into play, though not often enough it seems, and a size 18 scud with a size 20 midge dropper gets presented to the trout I am hoping are lying below the surface in the tailwater in front of me. After quite some time spent making cast after cast, getting a few drifts that look like they are supposed to, and being rewarded with zero fish the question has to be asked, “Would that Hare’s ear have been the better choice after all?�
and will hopefully we will have them ironed out soon.
With the river temperature rising let’s try to remember the presentation that Matt Hahn gave in May and be sure to land fish quickly, keep them in the water as much as possible while handling them as little as possible, and when the temperature of the river nears 70 degrees perhaps it is time to put the rod away and sit on the bank enjoying the moment of being at the rivers edge. If you are really in need of a fishing fix you could always just ‘count coup’-fishing with the hook point cut off. The nice part about counting coup is that every legitimate tug counts as one for you. I don’t have the foggiest idea as to what counts as one for the fish.
Roadside clean up at Alcova on Saturday July 7th. Meet at the Robertson Road boat ramp at 9:00 am. Rumor has it donuts will be involved. Bring your fishing gear and wet a line when the cleanup is done.
We had some glitches with last month’s newsletter and the emailed versions. We are working on them 2
Would you please tell anyone who is not receiving their newsletter to send the email address at which they wish to receive the newsletter to send their Email address to Peg Novotny at marketingmavenaha@gmail.com. This will be very helpful. We apparently have numerous different email lists that are contributing to the glitches. Remember that you can always check out what’s happening on the clubs Facebook page. I want to thank everyone who came to the meeting last month at the Speas Fish Hatchery. It was a lovely evening for a BBQ and folks were hungry. The 25 or so people that made the drive almost cleaned us out of the food we purchased for 40. I had to leave early and the reports I received were very good. Dean gave a great and thorough tour of the new hatchery and answered every question asked of him. Since we are not bound to having our meetings at the clubhouse feel free to tell a board member if you have an idea for a meeting. Upcoming stuff for July:
General meeting on the 11th, Program TBA. We will, for sure, be selling the first round of raffle tickets for the bamboo rod that Jamie donated and Rex refurbished. Tickets will be $5 each and we will sell them through the November meeting, with the drawing held in December. Hold on to those stubs! Board meeting on the 18th.
Wishing you quick landings and quick releases. Have a great month on the water.
Will
Will Waterbury, President 503-349-7595 Lee Tschettert, Vice President 307-267-1528 Casey Leary, Secretary 307-473-2441 Matt Stanton, Treasurer 307-258-9915 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Spencer Amend, Neil Ruebush Brent â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smokeyâ&#x20AC;? Weinhandl, DDS Terms expire in 2013 Greg Groves Joe Meyer Alex Rose Herb Waterman Terms expire in 2014 John Dolan, Jim Johnson, Chris McAtee, Andrew Sauter The Backcast is the monthly newsletter of the :\RPLQJ )O\ &DVWHUV DQ DIĂ&#x20AC;OLDWH FOXE RI WKH :\RPLQJ &RXQFLO RI 7URXW 8QOLPLWHG WKH 1DWXUH &RQVHUYDQF\ DQG WKH )HGHUDWLRQ RI )O\ )LVKHUV (GLWRULDO FRQWHQW GRHV QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHĂ HFW WKH YLHZV RI WKH RIĂ&#x20AC;FHUV ERDUG RU PHPEHUV RI WKH :\RPLQJ )O\ &DVWHUV $QQXDO GXHV DUH IRU DQ LQGLYLGXDO IRU D IDPLO\ RU IRU D OLIHWLPH LQGLYLGXDO PHPEHUVKLS RU IRU D OLIH WLPH IDPLO\ PHPEHUVKLS 9LVLW WKH FOXE ZHEVLWH DW ZZZ Z\Ă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
Wyoming Fly Casters
July 2012
After surviving the windy and cold winter months here in Casper, wouldn’t they just jump at the chance to enjoy it? Apparently not. Contrary to popular belief, nice weather is not always best for fishing. On hot days, fish can become listless. I know the feeling. The combination one-two punch of extreme heat and smoke means there will be fewer insects buzzing the water. As a result the fish will go deeper into cooler waters. I wonder what they’re doing down there. Are they getting together with family members or school chums to enjoy the lazy days of summer? Some fisherman must have figured that out long ago because everyone knows that during the summer months you fish early in the morning or early in the evening. If that doesn’t work, patience is key. Perhaps we’ll have to wait until a cold front comes in to displace some of the heat and pray for rain to stop the fires and clear our air. In the mean time we can recount our favorite fish stories or reminisce about the big one that got away.
Peg
July 2012
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Will’s Letter
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Kids Fishing Derby
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Member Notes
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Library Fly Tying Recast
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Brag Time
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Recipe Box & Fishing Tip
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Know your Knots
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Contemplation
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Event Calendar
CONTENTS
Is the heat on? Whew! It’s hot! Generally speaking I enjoy nice weather. It makes me feel healthy and adventurous but fish on the other hand, don’t care if it’s hot and sunny.
TABLE OF
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17th Annual Kids Fishing Derby pulls in a whopper!
By Scott Novotny "Mother Nature Wyoming" couldn't have been any more generous to the more than 350 plus kids that turned out to fish at Harry Yesness pond on this beautiful Saturday morning June 2, 2012. The sun shined and the wind was as gentle as the looks on the faces of the young fishermen who were concerned about getting their fish released unharmed. Two hundred and seventy-seven young fishermen went through the registration table with another seventy-five or so sneaking in the north side of the pond where the bigger fish were reported to be hanging out. No need to register if there are fish waiting to be caught. Complementing the young fishermen where approximately 150 parents, guardians, and supporters. Over two hundred fish were checked in at the Game and Fish station and Green Sunfish were the fish of the day. 4
Rainbows and Cutthroats rounded out the total with a single Goldfish completing the tally. Now I know why it took so long for the hatchery to get up and running! They were raising goldfish instead of Golden Trout to plant at Harry Yesness. Our Game and Fish Dept. thinks of everything. Thanks guys. The Wyoming Fly Casters worked together with North Platte Walleyes Unlimited to help with instruction and putting the poles together for each and every young fisherman that registered. All registrants also received some gear to get their fishing experience off to a grand start. The Fly Casters and N.P.W.U.members had a good time sharing with each other how many different set ups and rigs they had seen that day. Night crawlers six inches long dangling from the end of a continued page 5 Wyoming Fly Casters
continued...
pulls in a whopper!
hook with only 1/8" connected to the hook. The fish thank you for that huge no risk free meal. Eventually one of their brothers bit the bullet and took that last 1/8" into his mouth and put a smile on a kids face. Sinkers on top of bobbers, and marsh mellows that were all the colors of the rainbow. I guess if you have to eat the mellows that the fish won't they might as well be colorful. There were rods that would put any Spey rod to shame in casting distance. We saw Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, Sponge Bob, Transformers, Go Diego Go,and a Zebco. What's a Zebco? I know. It was my first set up from my Dad and the combo that got both my brother and I excited about fishing. I know!! It really doesn't matter what rod and reel the kids were using or how silly we experienced fishermen think they were but what matters is that they were fishing. Bait, lures, and flies are all incrementals in our grand sport but the kids were fishing and fishing with a significant other. Significant other, that is the key. All in all there were approximately 650 people who were out that beautiful Saturday at Harry Yesness pond either fishing or helping kids fish with someone that they cared about. Bringing a nice fish to the net is a great experience. Saturday June 2, 2012 at the "17th Annual Kids Fishing Derby" was also a great experience. Special Thanks to: Casper Recreation Community Recreation Foundation North Platte Walleyes Unlimited Schwann's Sportsman's Warehouse Wyoming Fly Casters
Just some of the WFC members who assisted at the Trout Fish Derby
Fly Casters if you truly believe in our great sport and want to give something back, this is the activity to do it at. One Saturday isn't much to ask. See you next year.
July 2012
A huge thanks goes out to all who were involved in making that day so very special for so very many kids and people. 5
Member Notes:
Classifieds
Large selection of framed, signed and numbered
Saturday, July 7th Alcova Cleanup. Meet at Robertson Road boat ramp at 9:00 am.
Vivi Crandall and Terry Redlin prints (contact me for names/prices)
Wednesday, July 11th the regular WFC meeting will be held. Program TBD. The Official dedication for the Miles Landing Ceremony will be on Saturday, July 14th at 11 am. Representatives from Wyoming Game & Fish, the City of Casper and members of the WFC present. Government Bridge/Miles Landing is the fourth stop along Trapper’s Route. It is located in T. 31 N., R. 82 W., section 23, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4. Wyoming Highway 220 and County Road 404 provide vehicle access to this landing site. The WFC might have some invitational s p o ts av ailable for this event. Attendance is limited to 55 people. If you are interested in attending the event, please email Will at wwaterbu@yahoo.com promptly. First come first served. July 18th WFC Board Meeting. Beginning Fly Casting instruction is being offered by WFC’s “Fishin’ with Joe” Meyer. Joe has gotten permission from Mike at Izaak Walton Lodge to teach beginners at the pond behind the lodge. This will be ‘catch and release’ instruction only. Permission to fish at this location has been approved on one condition, that Joe is present when fishing. If interested please contact Joe at: fishingwithjoe2@gmail.com. or 307-235-1316.
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and Men’s Chaco Z/1 Sandal. Size 13. “Matrix color. New in box, $45. OBO Coleman Fleetwood Colonial Popup Camper 2005 Like New $5,000 To view the camper’s description go to: http://www.roadslesstraveled.us/Popup.html For more details email Scott Novotny at gscottn@gmail.com
Stay tuned for 2012 dates for the Ten Sleep outing = August and the Tongue River outing = September.
Please be extra careful when using fireworks around children. Never light a firecracker from a lighted sparkler.
Remembrances Our members are very special to us and we want to remember them in times of adversity. If you know of a member or their spouse who is ill or is recently deceased, please contact Donna Diesburg at (307) 234-4278 or e-mail her at faith10@bresnan.net.
Matt Stanton 307-258-9915 All Patagonia SST jacket XXL $300.00 2011 model NIB; SST jacket women's older style XL $125.00 NIB SST jacket Small; older style used $50.00 Scott Novotny 307-315-3534 The Patagonia SST Jacket has evolved over the years. New fabrics, pocket designs, zippers, belt loops are all re-designed in the 20011 SST. One thing has stayed constant over the years, the SST Jacket is superbly designed to deal with harsh conditions and be a functional tool in the arsenal of the fly fishier. The SST stands out in it's design, water proof zippers for hand warmer pockets as well as the main zipper. The back belt loop will allow you to thread your wading belt through the jacket and create a lock down tight seal for those deep wading situations. The SST is simply a great fly fishing jacket.
Wyoming Fly Casters
Family moments from 17th Kids Fishing Derby
July 2012
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Fly Tying for Young Adults at Natrona County Library Last month on June 19th, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tie-a-Flyâ&#x20AC;? program was held for young adults at the Casper Library. Lee Tschetter wanted to extend his thanks to Joe, Spencer, Brian, and Mark for their help. The kids had a great time.
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Wyoming Fly Casters
Alayna Hallford Alayna Hallford
BRAG TIME!
Mick
July 2012
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WFC’s Recipe Box Fresh Fried Trout 1 cup flour 1 pinch of garlic powder 2 tablespoons of red chili powder pinch of salt Cut the fish heads off and then fillet the trout. In a mixing bowl add one cup of flour, a pinch of garlic powder, two tablespoons of red chili powder and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, mix two eggs and a tablespoon of water. Dredge the trout fillets in the egg, then batter in the flour mixture and fry to a golden brown. This also works really well with brook trout, but with the brookies there’s no need to fillet; just cut the head off.
Wading in Backcountry Lakes Wading in lakes is a variable experience. Sometimes it’s a walk on the beach; other times it takes a bit more concentration. Beware of sudden drop offs and mud that tries to suck the wading shoes off of your feet. Test the places where you’re planning on stepping. A wading staff can help out immensely. Before wading in to a lake, take a walk around the perimeter. Keep an eye out for a nice, sandy beach that’s safer and more accessible for wading than other areas. - Samet Yahya Bilir 10
Wyoming Fly Casters
Clinch Knot Uses: The Improved Clinch knot is one of the most widely used fishing knots. It provides a good method of securing a fishing line to a hook, lure, or swivel. The "improved" version shown here includes an extra tuck under the final turn (step 9). It is commonly used to fasten the leader to the fly. Because it is harder to tie in heavier lines it is not recommended if you are using over 30 lb test line. Advantages: The Improved Clinch knot is regarded as a fisherman's reliable standby. It is particularly suited for attaching a small diameter tippet to a heavy wire hook. The extra final tuck improves your chances of holding a strong fish.
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July 2012
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July 4th
Alcova Cleanup
WFC Regular Meeting
Miles Landing Ceremony
WFC Board Meeting
'e Backca! Newsle$er www.wyflycasters.org
Wyoming Fly Casters P.O. Box 2881 Casper, WY 82602
The Mission of the Wyoming Fly Casterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is to promote and enhance the sport of fly fishing and the conservation of fish and their habitat. 12
Wyoming Fly Casters