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November 2017

DO YOU KNOW

Many Club members would like to fish

with you. See page 3

UPCOMING FISHING EVENTS

? ? ?

CLUB PURPOSE: Promote fly fishing, conserve regional fishing resources, encourage friendship & cooperation among all anglers.

NEXT MEETING: 14Nov at CG Public House & Catering in Kennewick. Starts 6p

PROGRAM: Todd Fuchigami, a Senior Guide for Ellensburg Anglers, will present "Fly Fishing Central Washington Rivers with emphasis on the Naches, Klickitat and upper Yakima". Todd grew up fishing the reefs and open water of Oahu, Hawaii. He joined the Army in 2003 and has been stationed throughout the continental U.S. Todd was introduced into the world of fly fishing while stationed in North Carolina. He caught his first trout on a fly in the Smoky Mountains. Since that time he’s been an avid fly fisher, and lives to share this passion with others. His job in the Army as a Flight Medic and Medical Instructor is apparent when he’s working with new anglers. He's fished for striped bass

off the coast of New York, stalked monster bonefish in Hawaii, and chased trout in several states on both coasts. Todd's favorite pastime is chasing trout in the desert creeks of Eastern Washington. Learn more about Todd and Ellensburg Anglers at: Ellensburg Angler

2017 OFFICERS President-Mike Wade 509 713-0859 Mike's email 1st VP-Membership: Rich Holten 2nd VPPrograms: John Strand Treasurer: Jeff Drowley Secretary: Denny Kreid Directors at large: Craig Anderson Dennis Collins Ted Lewis Newsletter Editor: Ron Reed Past President: Ted Poston

MEETINGS Second Tuesday of every month except Mar, Jul, and Aug

6:00p -Wet Fly-no host 6:30p -Dinner-$18 7:15p -Program - free

MEMBERSHIP DUES $25/yr Indiv&Family $35/yr Business To update personal info please contact Rich Holten: 509 521-4291 or email

CBFC CLUB WEBSITE

Mike’s Musings by Mike Wade, President

Last month I lamented the fact that so few steelhead seemed to be returning to the Columbia River this year. Fortunately, the fish count has picked up considerably since that report. Unfortunately, the numbers continue to be much lower than normal. Still, some people seem to be catching steelhead here and there. On our annual float on the Grande Ronde, Dennis Collins and I graciously let Denny Kreid and Rod Gilge catch one each. Who else has had success? Let us hear about it at the meeting.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has launched a program to simplify the recreational fishing regulations and they are asking for public input. The public comment period closes on November 30. I know that many of us are on the WDFW electronic mailing list and have received notification of this; but, for those of you who are not, you can review the proposed changes and comment on them by visiting the WDFW website at: Fishing Reg Changes.

November is election month for the Columbia Basin Fly Casters during which we select the members who will serve on our Board of Directors and provide leadership for the Club. The nominating committee has proposed the following slate of officers for 2018: President – Craig Anderson First VP (Membership) – Rich Holten Second VP (Programs) – John Strand Secretary – Denny Kreid Treasurer – Jeff Drowley Newsletter Editor – Ron Reed Past President – Mike Wade 3 Year Director – Wanda Shearer 2 Year Director – Ted Lewis 1 Year Director – Dennis Collins Of course we will also accept any nominations from the floor prior to the election which will be held at our Annual Meeting November 14.

Wish My Fly Box Looked Like This

2018 Sportsman Show

by Ted Poston The Tri-City Sportsman Show will be 19-21Jan at TRAC in Pasco. With the new year comes change …. a new location for our booth in the Atrium. The Atrium is the main corridor separating the Arena and the Exhibition Hall. We expect a smoother operation with more space. We will have Booths A7 to A11 for our regular booth and kids tying stations. As in past years, we will have a raffle, a person demonstrating fly tying, and kid’s fly-tying stations set up. The Fly Tying Theater will be curtained off next to our booths to minimize distractions. In total, we will have as much as 10x50 ft to work with. There will be fewer flies demonstrated in the fly tying theater compared to prior years. The Club’s booth cannot function without membership support. The 2018 show will be managed by Jim Saunders and Denny Kreid, who will coordinate volunteers and the Fly Tying Theater. The Show is perhaps the Club’s main vehicle for public outreach to promote fly fishing. We garner signups for free fly-tying, rod building, and casting classes. We will start circulating a sign-up sheet for both the booth and the fly-tying theater at the November Club meeting.

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Jim’s Improved River Rat

Thread: 6/0, red. Hook: Steelhead hook, size 2-6. Tail: Yellow squirrel tail. Ribbing: Fine silver opal tinsel. Body: 1. Yellow Antron thread wrapped two-thirds up hook. 2. Black Antron thread wrapped to thorax. Wing: 1. First wing, orange squirrel tail tied between yellow and black Antron. 2. Second wing, red squirrel tail. Hackle: Black hen, two turns. Eyes: Jungle cock.

Originated and tied by: Jim Shearer (Featured in NW Fly Fishing; good fly for Grande Ronde River)

7 Fly-to-Leader Knots video by RIO Products

This video shows how to tie 7 of the most popular fly fishing knots for attaching a fly to tippet material. Instructions are shown for tying the: Trilene; Turle; Clinch; Pitzen; Non-slip Loop; Homer Rhodes; and Improved Clinch knots. The instructions are easy to see with clear directions. In addition, each illustration finishes with a laboratory test that breaks the knot under a controlled environment to measure the strength of each knot. Bet you can’t guess the strength ranking of these knots. You might use a different knot after seeing this video. All knots tested in this film were tied with 10-lb RIO Steelhead/Salmon tippet material. RIO video of 7 knots

Fish with a New Friend

The Club maintains a list of members who would like to go fishing with other Club members. There are several reasons to get your name on the list. Some reasons are: 1. If you are a beginner or new to this area,

go fishing with a long-time resident to learn where to go fishing.

2. For safety reasons, it is always a good idea to fish with a buddy; somebody who has your back in case of an emergency.

3. You can learn some tips on how to fish for the several species available in this area.

4. Your buddy can take a picture of your GREAT BIG fish!

The list, only distributed to listed folks for privacy reasons, is maintained by Rich Holten, the Club membership chairman. Contact Rich, 509 521-4291, to get your name on the list and to get a copy of your new fishing friends.

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DISCLAIMER The opinions or endorsements of products or services expressed or

implied in this Newsletter are solely the responsibility of the author, or the Editor

if no author is listed; and do not necessarily reflect the

consensus of CBFC members.

Likewise, website links are only for reader convenience and information.

Clean Your Fly Lines Now, Not Next May

[Excerpts from RIO Products 10Oct2017 Newsletter]

For many people, October brings the end of another fly fishing season. Rods are wiped down, reels oiled and put away, and fly lines sometimes cleaned!

Fly lines get dirty, like anything else, yet few anglers take the time to clean them. At the end of a fishing season, this is the very best time to do so before they are put away for a few months.

Cleaning a fly line is pretty quick and easy, and requires very little time or equipment. Watch instructional video here: RIO Video on Cleaning Your Flyline

When Fishing Was Simpler

October Caddis Nymph

[Excerpt from Fly Fish Food website]

When the big boy sedges come out to play, it's always good to have a go-to nymph or pupa pattern to go along with your favorite October Caddis, dry-fly patterns. The nice thing about the October Caddis, or Dicosmoecus, is they're big enough bugs you don't have to worry about throwing on your reader glasses like you do when you're tying on midges. Plus, this soft hackle is a super-easy tie to begin with. See fly recipe and info at: www.flyfishfood.com - caddis-soft-hackle

Beginning Fly-Tying Class

A fly-tying class will he held on three afternoons during November at Walla Walla Community College. For cost and details see: Fly tying in Walla Walla

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"Anglers exaggerate grossly and make gentle and inoffensive creatures sound like wounded buffalo and man-eating tigers."

Roderick Haig-Brown

Silicone Fly Boxes Here’s a new product you can add to your Christmas Wish List. With silicone, hooks come and go without ever leaving a trace, which translates into an extremely durable and longer lasting fly box.

It is 100% waterproof and will float if dropped into the water. Each side is protected by its own clear lid so you can easily see your flies without exposing them to the elements.

The boxes are available from Green Caddis Outfitters: greencaddis.com/silicone fly box

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GARY ROBERTS WITH CHINOOK TAKEN ON COLUMBIA R. ABOVE RINGOLD 29SEP.

Going Fishing Guide Service Bruce HewittWashington and USCG licensed and insuredBurbank, WA 99323 509-430-6448

Fishing eastern WA rivers and reservoirs for salmon, steelhead, trout, walleye and sturgeon.

KNOW ANY PROSPECTIVE CBFC MEMBERS?

Please forward a copy of this newsletter to them, and bring them to the next meeting.

tight lines and BIG fish.Ron Reed, Newsletter Editor

Cutthroat Frenzies by Mike McWethy

Westslope cutthroats are notorious for their aggressive feeding frenzies. They will often come back repeatedly to a missed fly. Or, a whole pool will come alive after the first take, creating a "hatch" with their competitive behavior. Often, that first hookup will result in a second cutthroat chasing the hooked fish, trying to steal the "food" from its mouth. And usually, the chasing fish is larger than the hooked fish. When fishing close together, my son and I will call out "chaser" to let the other know to cast a fly close to the action.

On the Selway River one October, we finally connected on a chase scenario. My son hooked up and another fish started chasing it. The second fish took my caddis about five feet from Guy's fish. Immediately I saw a third fish and yelled "chaser". I let my cut play while Guy released his. His first cast to my chaser resulted in a hookup. A triple in about two minutes!

Go Get Chrome [excerpted from RIO 17Oct2017 Newsletter]

It is said that steelhead are "a fish of a thousand casts", and though there is a lot of truth in this, there are a few ways a steelhead angler can increase the odds.

1. After heavy rain, wait for rivers to start falling before going fishing. Steelhead rarely take a fly when they are running, which they do as rivers rise.

2. Where laws allow, try fishing two flies. Put your larger fly on the end of the leader, and a smaller "follow up" fly on a dropper about 3 feet away. Use a steelhead tippet ring to attach the dropper to your leader.

3. The colder the water temperature, the slower the fly should swing and the deeper it should be presented. Once water temps get below 40-F, use an intermediate based Skagit line to present the fly deeper and slower, like the iFlight.

4. Use bigger flies as the water gets colder, and make sure they swing as slowly as possible. Fish slow moving pools and use lots of mends and slack to get the right presentation.

10 Soft-Hackle Flies You

Need to Know http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/10-soft-hackle-flies-you-need-to-know

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•Basic instruction tailored to the individual

•Advanced instruction for improving technique, distance and consistency

•Custom Clinics for organizations/Groups/Schools

Russ Brown’sCattails West Fly Casting

International Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Instructor Since 1997509-628-6402 Cattails.west@charter.net Richland, WA

Taking the mystery out of casting a fly

TM

Grand Ronde Steelhead Trip

by Dennis Collins Rod Gilge, Denny Kreid, Mike Wade and I spent five days on the Grand Ronde in early October. We fished on our own for two days on a few favorite runs above Boggan’s Oasis. Then, we met guide Zach Williams and his PNW spey guides, Chad Becker and Ian Faurot, for three days of floating and fishing from Boggans to the mouth of the river.

We worked hard swinging streamers and nymphs for steelhead; but, only hooked up with two. Denny and Rod each caught one. Not many fish were caught, but what a great way to spend a few days on the water in spectacular country with good friends, good food, and good times.

The Grand Ronde is always a tough river to fish, but the steelhead will hit a skated, dry fly. I think I'll go again - fish or no fish.

Get to Know Club Member

Bob Newell

Tell us about your first fish. it was a sunfish, pumpkinseed, from a warm lake in western Montana.

Who taught you to fish? my father taught me to fish although he was mostly into trolling. In college I met some friends who taught me to fly fish.

What are some local venues you like to fish? My wife likes to fish for bass, walleye and perch; so, we mostly fish the Columbia River.

What are some destination venues you like to fish? At times we go to Oregon to fish lakes.

What are some of your Go-To flies for still water?...for creeks?... for rivers? On still water, a damsel nymph, hare’s ear, or bread crust works well. Since so many lakes in this area contain hatchery trout, I created a fly with a hare's ear body and mylar hackle that works well. I don't fish creeks and rivers much anymore; but when I do, I try to match the hatch. A Parachute Adams works most of the rest of the time.

What kind of fish do you target most often? Bass, walleye, perch and rainbow trout.

What are some of your favorite fishing books and magazines? Over time, I have found that many magazines start repeating the same info. I used to read Fly Tyer Magazine a lot. What is it about the sport of fishing that keeps you involved? It’s the challenge to figure out what to use to catch fish.

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BOB NEWELL

ROD GILGEGRAND RONDESTEELHEAD

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WEB HOT-LINKS to FISHING STUFF

FLY TYING Fly Tying Forum -Free access to over 6,000 patterns

OTHER FISHING CLUBS Fly Fishing Clubs in Washington

Fly Fishing Clubs in Washington that belong to the International Federation of Fly Fishers

REGULATIONS Idaho Fishing Seasons & Rules

Oregon Fishing Regulations

Washington Fishing Regulations & Seasons

Washington Emergency Rule Updates

Links to Regs & Licenses for all 50 States

FISHING INFORMATION Idaho Fish & Game Fishing Information

Oregon Fishing Resources and Information

Washington Fishing & Shellfishing Information

Columbia Basin Bulletin's Significant developments related to salmon and steelhead recovery and other important Columbia/Snake River Basin fish and wildlife issues. River and stream data USGS current and historical data for Washington State.

Take Me Fishing Lots of info, maps, links for beginners.

CONSERVATION Coastal Conservation Association’s purpose is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. CCA’s objective is to conserve, promote, and enhance present and future availability of coastal resources.

Wild Fish Conservancy. Native Fish Society.

Wild Salmon Center.

Trout Unlimited.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Columbia Basin Fly Casters Post Office Box 791 Richland, WA 99352 2015

Date: _____________________

Name_____________________________ Renewal, no change in address/phones/

email

Street Address:_____________________ City:______________________________

State: _______ZipCode:______________

Primary Phone: _______________

Work Phone: ________________

Email:____________________________

Name(s) of Family Member(s) or Business

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

ANNUAL DUES:(Please Check One) Please make checks payable to CBFC

Family Membership ($25) Business Membership ($35) Includes

business-card size, fishing-related advert in newsletters. Send artwork as xxx.jpg digital file to editor

Who can we thank for referring you to our Club? __________________________________

To be completed by Treasurer: ___Cash __ Check #__________ Membership Database updated:_________

Wind River, WY, Mountain Lakes and

Streams by Jerry Ritenour

Last August, a long-time friend, Ted Enterline, and I backpacked across the southern Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming. This northwest to southeast trending range is about 100 miles south and slightly east of Yellowstone. The range is about the same distance north of Rock Springs. We started at Sinks Canyon near Lander, hiked east and exited at the Big Sandy trailhead near Pinedale. The total trip length is hard to determine exactly, but was around 30 to 40 miles. We spent nine days and hiked with 60-lb packs for seven days, about six hours per day. Pretty tough on two old guys who thought

they were in shape. Of course, it rained for the first two and a half days. Just when we thought there was going to be nine pretty

miserable days, the sun came out and it was great weather for the rest of the trip. The east-side trail was good for the most part, but steep in spots. The west-side trail from Jackass Pass to Big Sandy Lake was awful; and, we were lucky not to have entered from the west. The number of people we saw, though quite high, was not a problem. At the Big

Sandy trailhead there were 200 vehicles when we exited. Fortunately, very few if any of these folks who were mostly climbers went farther than Jackass Pass/Lonesome Lake.

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NORTH FORK POPO AGIE

But enough logistics, the real questions is, how was the fishing? We fished every day except the entrance and exit days, and caught fish all but one day. Initially, we fished the middle fork of the Popo Agie and caught

mostly small brooks; but, they made a nice dinner. It was Deep Creek Lakes on days three and four. We struck out on day three, which was a bit of a half hearted effort, due

to exhaustion and rain. But on day four we hammered nice cutts and one cut/golden cross. These fish were generally 14-16 in. with at least a dozen 18-20+ in. I landed around 30 fish. On day five we hiked to Ice

Lakes looking for some very large brookies that I had caught in the 70’s, but were unable to find them. We did, however, catch some nice 10-13-in. brookies, which were delicious. On days six and seven, we fished the North Fork of the Popo Agie. These fish were brookies, rainbows, and cutts, averaging 8-10 in. with an occasional one 12-14 in. Not as big as the lake fish, but nice and plentiful (30-40 fish). On day eight we fished the Big Sandy River, which is one the

most beautiful small trout streams you will ever see. However the fish were very small, I did catch one 12-in. brown. All in all, it was a great trip. Ted and I are working up another next year. If I were going to the Winds again, I

would avoid the Big Sandy area due to the crowds. The downside to that is a lot of the less crowded trails start a 1000 feet lower.

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DEEP CREEK LAKE

October 2017 Board Meeting Minutes

by Denny Kreid

Call to order 7:00 PM by President Mike Wade

Board members present: Mike Wade, Ron Reed, Craig Anderson, Jeff Drowley, Ted Poston, Dennis Collins, John Strand, Rich Holten, Jeff Drowley, Ted Lewis, Denny Kreid, also in attendance – Jim Saunders

President Mike Wade asked if there were any concerns on the part of the board with regard to Conflict of Interest. None were identified and the meeting proceeded per the agenda provided.

Secretary Report - Denny Kreid There was no Board Meeting in September due to a lack of a quorum and thus no September minutes. The August 27 Board Meeting minutes prepared by Denny Kreid were the most recent minutes. Lacking any comments, the Secretary Report was approved by the Board

Treasurer Report - Jeff Drowley presented the updated Profit and Loss Statements for August and September. Following discussion by the Board the statements were approved as presented.

VP Membership Report – Rich Holten reported that current paid up memberships in CBFC stand at 111, which is considered final for 2017. Rich said that the meal count process is working okay at this time.

Programs report – John Strand reported that Craig Schuhmann will be unable to make his planned presentation in November. However, Craig has agreed to come in February 2018 and will include a tying demonstration. The November 2017 program will be provided by Todd Fuchigami. Todd is a guide at the Ellensburg Angler shop. The December meeting will be the traditional

Christmas gift exchange. The January 2018 meeting program will be provided by Chad Jackson from Washington Fish and Wild Life. For April or May 2018 John will pursue Dave Dozer of Sisters Oregon for a program on making and fishing with bamboo fly rods

News Letter Editors Report – Ron Reed is currently preparing the November News Letter and requests input by November 7.

Conservation Committee Report - Committee Chair Dennis Dauble was unable to attend so there was nothing to report at this time.

Other Business

Casting for Recovery – Four CBFC volunteers including Mike Wade, Denny Kreid, Frank Mora and Wanda Shearer participated in a Casting For Recovery program at Reds Fly Shop on the Yakima River on October 8. It was a great experience for the volunteers and participants and we plan on participating again next year.

Meeting Venue - In conclusion of Board discussions over the last two months, it was confirmed by the Board that CBFC will continue to meet at the Country Gentlemen for our monthly meetings.

2018 Sportsman Show – The 2018 Sportsman Show will be held at TRAC on January 19-21. This year CBFC has been assigned to a triple slot booth in the central area between the rest rooms. We will have room for a fly tier table, a kid’s tying table and a curtained area for the fly tying theater. Ted Poston is going to head up the preparations with Jim Saunders and Denny Kreid will assist Jim in the operation of the booth. We will be requesting volunteers to set up and run the booth as part of the November and December meetings.

2018 CBFC Officers- The nominations put forth by the CBFC Board are as follow

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• President- Craig Anderson • First Vice President for Membership –

Rich Holten • Second Vice President for Programs –

John Strand • Secretary – Denny Kreid • Treasurer – Jeff Drowley • News Letter Editor – Ron Reed • Directors at Large

o Dennis Collins o Ted Lewis o Wanda Shearer

• Past President – Mike Wade

Future Board Meetings - November 28, December 19 at Mike Wade’s house.

Short Wing Emerger [Excerpts from The Cutthroat Chronicles]

No one has contributed more trout fly patterns than the House of Harrop. Bonnie Harrop created this pattern which has gained much renown for effectiveness. First created in the 1980s, it is ideal for use during BWO emergences. Because BWO emergences will provide the bulk of dry fly fishing for the rest of the year, consider tying some for presentation during such events. Hook: Daiichi 1180, size 14-22. Thread: Brown 8/0. Tail: 3-4 Wood duck fibers. Rib: Fine gold wire. Body: Dyed olive fur dubbing. Emerging wings: 1 or 2 duck quill segments on either side of body. Legs: 6 brown partridge fibers. Head: Same material as body.

Book Report - Creative Fly Tying

by Rich Holten The author, Mike Mercer, started his fly fishing career as a guide for one of the best fly shops in the nation, The Fly Shop, in Redding, CA. As a guide on the famed trout waters near Redding. he was able to observe all sorts of fly fishing conditions and insects and to translate these observations into new approaches to tying flies. Just as he felt he was burning out as a guide, the owner of The Fly Shop offered Mike a full-time job in the shop as the manager of a growing mail-order business. With all of the materials and tools of the shop at his disposal, Mike turned into a fly-tying machine, cranking out new patterns for the shop to sell. Eventually these patterns made it into the nation’s top fly fishing magazines and Mike’s fame spread. His book, Creative Fly Tying, describes the process he went through in developing some of his most famous flies. Mike meticulously shows the reader how to tie these flies. Need a new caddis emerger or a Green Drake nymph? The book has them and more. According to Kelly Galloup, these flies catch fish. (Note that Kelly Galloup is not shy if he doesn’t like something.) As a bonus, Mike added a short chapter on reading the water which is an very informative. As always, if you would like to check out this book or any other of the club’s books listed on the website, contact Rich Holten (509 521-4291); and, he will have the book ready for you at the next meeting.

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