Penticton Flyfishers
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Volume 10, Number 4 December, 2013
Penticton Flyfishers Box 354, 113-437 Martin St., Penticton, B.C., V2A 5L1 Editors Ken Woodward Nick Pace Email pentictonflyfishers@gmail.com
Website www.pentictonflyfishers.ca
President Larry Martin 250-497-7881 fs-lemartin@shaw.ca Treasurer Ken Baker 250-493-2926 kbbaker@telus.net Secretary Bob Holley 250-770-8180 Membership Director Tom Knight 250-492-3049 twknight@telus.net
The Penticton Flyfishers are members of: BC Federation of Fly Fishers (BCFFF) BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) Federation of Fly Fishers (International FFF) Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA)
In this issue: President’s Report ........ 3 Photo Gallery ................ 4 Kokanee Egg Take ....... 8 Kokanee Questions ....... 13 Fishing with Jon, Pt III . 14 New Products................ 19
Club Video List ............ 20 Lighter Side .................. 21 Links ............................. 22 Classifieds ..................... 23 Events Calendar ............ 23
Cover photo by Ken Woodward
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President’s Report
I
am very pleased with the level of club member participation in our activities so far this year. The fish ladders at Penticton Creek were removed in record time due to many helping hands. The hatchery will require daily visits for several months so please see Phil to sign up. If you are not available on a regular basis and would like to take a look at the progress (especially for our out of town members) get hold of any executive member and we will arrange a time to view the hatchery. The casting clinic with Dennis and Verlie Grant is part of our continued theme to improve club member technical fishing skills. We intend to have at least two indoor casting practices in the new year. Drop in to fly tying, too, as the conversation often includes how to fish the demonstrated patterns as well as discussion of current club activities. As most know George will be getting a heart tune up and we expect he will soon be able to do more grunt work and a little less supervision of our projects. I've never known a flyfisher that didn't have a story to tell so lets help Ken out by submitting an article. Articles can be submitted at any time for future editions. For those without electronic access a paper copy will do. You can trust me to type and submit it for you - no problem - just be prepared for some editorial comment. Larry Martin Kaleden, B.C. <'))><
Penticton flyfishers at work and play.
Artwork by Dave Whitlock. Used with permission.
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Photo Gallery Good News Bear (Phil Rogers photos)
Send us your pictures of fishing trips, fish, nature or something cool you saw while out in the backcountry. pentictonflyfishers@gmail.com
Mike Roberts, Ron Flack, Tom Knight and George Graw with the PFF Good News Bear. The reason Ronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes are closed is that he is daydreaming about his upcoming road trip to Arizona with his new motorhome. He then might head over to Belize to help his son in the fly shop or help with the guiding business. Must be nice!
Emmerson, Pat Rogers and Mike Roberts with our bear.
He looks great!
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Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (Ken & Wendy Woodward photos)
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Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (cont'd)
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Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (cont'd)
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Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection by Larry Martin & Phil Rogers
Getting the holding pen ready.
Deploying the net.
As sometimes happens this was a fishing trip, not a catching trip...
The holding pen was in place and the net set, but after three sets we only managed to capture one carp.
The next attempts were more successful.
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Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
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Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
Success!
Some eggs...
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Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
...some milt...
...and a bit of gentle mixing in water, and the eggs are fertilized and ready for incubation.
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Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
Approximately 95,000 eggs were collected. Those taking part were: Paul Askey - MFLNRO (i/c) Brian Jantz - MFLNRO Jerry Mitchell - MFLNRO Klaus Wolff - Summerland Hatchery FWFS Ken Baker - PFF Doug Collins - PFF Ron Flack - PFF George Graw - PFF Bob Holley - PFF Dean Marchand - PFF Larry Martin - PFF Phil Rogers - PFF Bill Therriault - PFF Dave Tiffany - PFF Tom Dellamater and Kevin Smith helped out at the hatchery when there was a problem with the system not draining properly on collection day two. The Public Works Dept of the City of Penticton were a big help in rectifying the situation, which threatened the entire operation. Tom also designed and built the holding pen, which was used during the capture of the kokanee. We have eggs in three of the four upsetting jars at our hatchery. We now have to keep a close eye on the eggs for the next two to three months while we wait for the eggs to reach the eyed stage of their development. A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped get this operation off to a great start.
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Kokanee Questions by Larry Martin
below are Okanagan kokanee from the glory days... or are they? Only one of these Pictured pictures is of a mid-80's Okanagan Lake kokanee. The four-kokanee picture is from Kalamalka Lake this year and the single fish is from Skaha Lake last season. Do we need another Creel study to determine the lack of available quality fish from Okanagan Lake? Quality rainbow and kokanee numbers are down, according to those who have fished the lake for decades. The Okanagan Lake Action Plan started with high hopes for some solutions. We got closure of the kokanee fishery and harvest of Mysis shrimp. These were likely a necessary beginning for a potential recovery. The kokanee fishery is now open, yet there is no significant difference in the number or quality of fish available than there was during the closure. What's going wrong? It seems the problem went away with the fishers. No one fishing means that no one is bringing these issues to the attention of the Ministry, Government and the fishing community at large. The 10-year plus recovery plan did not work, so what's next? MY guess, NOTHING IS NEXT unless we keep the pressure on.
Jim Sutherland photo
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Fishing with Jon - Part III by Jon Pew like to go fishing. That doesn’t mean that I’m particularly successful if catching fish is the measure and, given the time and money that I spend on my hobby, it may be reasonable to expect more productivity, but I do get out and about. Following my passion for our sport and continually taking on new adventures has resulted in the accumulation of a wonderful array of memories and mementoes. It has also allowed me to strike new friendships and provided the opportunity to travel to destinations that I would otherwise not have visited. It’s been a wonderful journey and I don’t plan on it ending anytime soon. My fishing memories are priceless and unique and it seemed a shame not to share them with others, so when our Editor, Ken Woodward, approached me about doing an article for the newsletter, I was only too happy to oblige. Herein, I’ve collected my photos and tried to organize them by venue whether that be a special lake, river, or country. If you enjoy reading about my fishing adventures even half as much as I’ve enjoyed experiencing them, the effort has been worthwhile. (Editor's note: This is the final instalment. Thanks, Jon!)
I
The Methow It’s a two-hour drive south from Penticton to the junction of the Methow and the Columbia Rivers. The Methow has a good run of hatchery steelhead and Phil Lund lives on the bank of the river so we fish the river often. The Methow is just a big Kettle and has a good trout fishery in the summer. It’s a worthwhile trip for those who haven’t been there.
The Methow joins the Columbia River at Pateros, just downriver from Brewster, Washington.
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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty river with lots of good steelhead habitat.
This is a good example of the arid habitat encountered at the junction of the Methow and the Columbia River Valley.
A picture of the river from above. The country is wooded and picturesque further upriver.
A typical Methow steelhead. (KW photo)
The regulations state that adipose fin-clipped hatchery fish must be killed, so this one was kept. Wild (aka native) fish may not be removed from the water, even for a quick photo. (KW photo)
Angus Cameron tight to a Methow steelhead. (KW photo)
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The Thompson The Thompson River is close to home. It’s a mean river that can kill you if you’re not careful and the rocks, which seem to get bigger every year, are as slippery as greased bowling balls. At the same time, the river’s beauty is unique and the wild steelheads are world-class fighters. The run is threatened, which is a world-class shame, and the decision to have a recreational fishery is made annually and never certain. If it opens, it’s usually in early- to mid-October but we like to fish the river in December, once the bulk of the anglers have put their gear away for the winter. (Ed. note: There is currently a regulation proposal to change the fall regulations on the Thompson from "closed until open" to "open until closed".)
Phil guides on the Methow and brings his boat up from Washington State. It’s safe and stable on the Thompson.
An example of the water that Phil's boat negotiates effortlessly.
More fast water. A life preserver is mandatory.
An example of Thompson River scenery and the arid beauty of the place.
The old man and the river. Landing a fish.
Almost bragging rights. Phil Lund with a nice Thompson steelhead.
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Costa Rica Fishing for Tarpon in Costa Rica was another of Phil’s great ideas. Originally, there were four of us who were slated to make the trip but it ended up that only Bob and I went. We hadn’t a clue what we were getting ourselves into and even less idea how to fish for tarpon if it turned out that we found fish. Tarpon are a fighting machine that can grow to more than 200 pounds, although the biggest we caught were probably in the 125 pound range. We thought that if we caught a couple it would be just fine. Maybe it was luck and we just “hit it right” but in the end, it was the trip of a lifetime. We caught more fish than we wanted or needed. We hooked triples if the guide fished as well as ourselves and by the time we left it was the fishermen, not the fish that were played out.
We landed in San Jose, the capital, and made our way by car and boat to Tortuegara on the west coast.
Big Eddy Brown, our knowledgeable and patient guide, was indispensible. When a fish hit you dropped the rod towards the water rather than raise the rod tip. Old habits die hard and we often forgot. Eddy would say “Bow to the king mon!! Bow to the king!”
Bob and Jon waiting for the hit. The fish roll on the surface - it’s something to do with their swim bladders - which makes them easy to search out. Once we found fish we would situate ourselves upwind and wind drift trailing large gaudy flies on 12 weight rods.
This is the objective. Eddy would gaff the fish by the lower jaw and remove the hook in preparation for a live release and minimal mortality. This is about a 75 lb. fish.
Penticton Flyfishers
A bigger fish brought to boat.
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Notice the fish jumping in the distance. Immediately after the hit, a tarpon will aerialize and often we saw the horizon below them when they were airborne. They would then run 200-300 yards and jump again before diving. It was hard work getting them off the bottom without breaking a 12 wt. fly rod.
And yet another fish close to being a statistic.
We caught other species as well. I think that this is a Dorado. Bob needs a waist belt for this fish! What a wimp.
Got it! It was difficult to get a photo before the fish was back in the water.
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New Products by Nick Pace
Scott Radian Fly Rod
N
ow, roll casts to a tricky seam, and short, delicate casts with fine 6X leaders are just as easy as long distance streamer deliveries to the opposite bank. And after the cast, when you need extended fishability, Radian rods give you incredible mending abilities and tippet protection without sacrificing the authoritative hook setting and fish fighting power you expect from a fast action rod. But, it’s more than advanced technology that makes the Radian so amazing. Check out the components and workmanship. There isn’t a finer production rod in existence. Features like titanium framed SiC stripping guides, custom reel seats with burled box elder spacers, the very top grade Portuguese cork, and the new patented Universal snake guides from American maker Snake Brand round out the most fully loaded rods to ever grace a rod rack.
ReAct Technology - Brings together X-Core with a new complex materials and taper system to dramatically increase recovery speed X-Core Technology – Enhanced feel, incredible stability, and unequalled performance. X-Core combines the industry’s most advanced composite technologies with cutting-edge design FiberFuse-Enhanced resin uses new chemistry to create stronger bonds between each fiber Multi-Modulus Design - fine-tuned flex and recovery ARC - Advanced Reinforced Carbon reduces torque and increases strength. Handcrafted in the USA - Built from beginning to end in Montrose, Colorado.
(from http://www.scottflyrod.com/)
Pieroway Fly Rods MD600 – the ‘rocket launcher’, guaranteed to get you more distance with less effort, even with big tips and large flies. Don’t get fooled by the lightweight of the 600, this powerhouse enables casters of all abilities to fish the whole river with style and ease. (from http://www.pierowayrods.com/)
Spirit River Tying Materials This company has taking UV technology to another level, folks. There are many materials that we think of that are UV coated, for example Krystal Flash, dubbing and Angel Hair, but Spirit River has added materials like calf tail, bucktail, peacock herl, CDC feathers, guinea fowl, marabou, rabbit and much more to their menu of UV products. At the presentation from Todd Oishi given to our club a few years back we learned how important using this technology was to a day on the river or lake. The UV2 materials will give that extra edge when lighting conditions are low or you need to get the attention of finicky trout or steelhead. Have a look at their website - spiritriver.com - and see what items they carry. These items will be showing up in Trout Waters in December to early January.
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Club Video Collection
T
he following is a list of the great videos we have in the club collection. Remember that club members are welcome to sign out videos at monthly club meetings - a great way to get fired up for fishing!
Video 1 2 3 4 5, 6,12 7, 8, 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17, 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
Title Fishing the Dry Fly The Essence of Fly Casting Anatomy of A Trout Stream Advanced Fly Casting The Essence of Fly Casting Fly Fishing Still Waters Fly Fishing for Trout Fly Casting Clinic Nymphing and Fly Fishing for Trout Western Fly Tying Proposed Dam on Similkameen, Princeton Light and Power Tying Trout Flies Where the Trout Are Salmon Spectacular Secrets of Angling Success for Large Mouth Bass Penticton Creek Strategies for Still Waters How to Fly Fish Lakes Fundamentals of Rod Building Flies for B.C. Catch and Release Earl Anderson Tying Flies Skeena Steelhead Fly Fishing Still Waters Vol. 2 Fishing Crustaceans & Snails Fishing and Tying Caddis Flies Fly Tying With John Massey What's Up With Tube Flies Understanding Fly Tying Materials Trout in Still Waters The Fabulous Bighorn Tying Flies With Jack Dennis & Friends Just Fly Tying Fron Ice Off to Ice On Tying at 96 Seattle Sportsman Show Tying Western Dry Flies Successful Fly Fishing Strategies Matching the Hatch Part 1 Matching the Hatch Part 2 Catching More Steelhead Successful Fly Fishing Tech Part 1 Successful Fly Fishing Tech Part 2 Flies for B.C.
Author Gary Borger Gary Borger Doug Swisher Mel Kreiger Alf Davey Gary Borger Gary Borger Jack Dennis Gary Borger Gary Borger Charlie White PFF Brian Chan Kevin Longard Kevin Longard Brian Chan B.C.S.S. Brian Chan Gary Borger Gary LaFontaine John Massey
Gary Borger Gary Borger Jack Dennis Mo Bradley Henry Hoffman Jack Dennis, Mike Lawson Gary LaFontaine
Jim Teeny Tom White Tom White Kevin Longard
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Club Video Collection (continued) Video 48 49 50
Title Fly Fishing for Pacific Steelhead How to Fly Fish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Beginners Fly Tying Demonstration
51 52
Fishing Montana's Salmon Fly Hatch International Spey Casting
53 54 55 56 57
Fly Fishing Strategies for Still Waters Using GPS With Maps Where the Trout Are Strategies for Still Waters Vol. 1 Flies for BC
Author Lanni Waller Kevin Longard C. Cousins, H. Hoffman, S. Saprunoff Dale Burk Jim Vincent, Simon Gawesworth, Leif Stavmo Brian Chan Gary Borger Brian Chan Kevin Longard
The Lighter Side TMI Bill: Hey Phil, are you going fishing? Phil: Yeah! Bill: Ya got worms? Phil: Yeah, but I'm still going! Fishing Rules Rule #1: The least experienced fisherman always catches the biggest fish. Rule #2: The worse your line is tangled, the better is the fishing around you. Rule #3: Fishing will do a lot for a man, but it won't make him truthful. Skunked Jim had an awful day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four trout. He told the fish salesman, "Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?" "Why do you want me to throw them at you?" "Because I want to tell my wife that I caught them." "Okay, but I suggest that you take the salmon." "But why?" "Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take salmon. She prefers that for supper tonight." Priest Playing Hooky The priest was a fisherman, but he hadn't fished in months. One perfect Sunday morning he just couldn't resist. He called up his bishop and claimed he had laryngitis. The priest then headed out to his favourite fishing spot. The hook hadn't been in the water five minutes before he got a strike, and he landed the biggest fish he had ever caught - although he had seen bigger ones. A half hour later he caught the biggest fish he had ever seen. Another forty-five minutes later he landed a fish that broke a world record. All this time Saint Peter and God had been watching the priest from heaven. Saint Peter turned to God and said, "How can you reward this priest like that? He lied. He let down his congregation." God smiled at Saint Peter and replied, "I am not rewarding him; I am punishing him." Saint Peter was confused, so God continued, "Well, after he finishes, who can he tell about it?"
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Links!
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n this section we post links that we find interesting: articles that we find on the internet or in fly magazines, direct links to fly fishing and environmental concerns, and so on. If you have any interesting links, please send them to us by email at pentictonflyfishers@gmail.com.
Casting a Voice (video) - According to longtime angler Rob Brown the Skeena River drainage is "the last bastion of wild steelhead." This film examines the value of the Skeena River and its fish, and the steadily growing risks it faces from development and energy transportation proposals. The energy industry is vital to Canada's economic strength, and the Northern Gateway Pipeline project would use parts of the Skeena as a corridor to reach new global markets. There is also immense value in the diverse ecosystems and wilderness that make up the Skeena watershed. Produced, filmed & edited by Dimitri Gammer. Top sinking line tips to use when fishing a stillwater (video) - Join RIO's Advisory Team members Brian Chan and Phil Rowley as they share some of the top tips they use when fishing sinking lines while stillwater fly fishing. Wings for an Angler (video) - digitized version of a 16 mm film about legendary angler Lee Wulff and his floatplane. Apparently it's from the only copy of the film in existence.
Please tell us what you want to see in this newsletter! Suggestions and member submissions are always welcome – and needed!
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Classified Ads Brand new fishing jacket for sale: Redington Sonic Pro, Men's Medium. I bought this jacket for my wife but it is too big for her. It has been tried on once only in the house - it still has the tags on it! I have the same jacket and I like it a lot. More info here.
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Calendar of Events ď&#x201A;ˇ April 9-12, 2014: 58th BCWF Annual General Meeting and Convention, Kelowna, B.C., co-hosted by Region 8 Do you know about an upcoming event? Please let us know as soon as possible. Send the details to pentictonflyfishers@gmail.com
Retail price is $300. Grab it for $150. Interested? Contact Ken Woodward at 250-491-0644
Please email us with your items to sell. Provide a phone number, email address and let us know when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sold. There is no cost to post items in the classifieds. Hint: Items with photos sell much faster.
Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!
Peter Cameron Morrison March 16, 1960 - November 5, 2013 Rest in Peace