Brad Norgaard President

602-670-9582

Don Mickus Vice President 602-920-2350

Alan Davis Secretary

925-785-5583

Barney Rouse Treasurer

602-482-8239

R E E L L I N E SR E E L L I N E S Established 1962 www.azflycasters.org We support catch and release. June 2019

President’s Lines

It was a cold morning in the tent, but the dual-burner propane heater was working well, keeping off the deepest chill. I took a deep breath and saw the cloud vapor hanging in the air. The pre-dawn was indicated by the lightening color on the tent walls. Reaching out of my covers to grab the flashlight, I looked at my watch. 5:20 AM. My much-anticipated day was about to begin. Throwing off my covers, I knew I had a short amount of time to add another layer of clothing and answer nature’s call. It was going to be close. Outside the tent, I could smell the freshly-brewed coffee in the crisp mountain air. Some of my tent mates started to stir as the new day was dawning. We all were expecting a great day on the water. Looking at the lake, I could see it was calm, with just a hint of frosty breeze. No rising fish. Too cold for the bugs to come off. The fish would be deeper than normal this time of year. That’s fine with me, I’d just have to use my sinking line to reach them. Six of us from AFC went up to Fish Camp on the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation a few weeks ago and had a great time. We experienced every kind of weather one might expect this time of year: rain, snow, sleet, hail, and wind, sprinkled with a small amount of sunshine, all in a 24-hour period. Despite that, we caught some hungry Apache and brown trout. The accommodations were great, with large, four-person cabin tents equipped with wood burning stove, new cots, and mattresses. The food was plentiful and served promptly at the pre-arranged times, we just had to listen for the horn. The supplied aluminum flat-bottom boats also were new, equipped with a trolling motor and freshly-charged battery. Every comfort for the guests was graciously accommodated. If you haven’t participated in Fish Camp, I highly recommend you seize the opportunity. It is a unique and rewarding experience not offered anywhere else. We all had a great time fishing together, swapping lies, and bragging about our biggest fish. This should be a bucket list item if you reside in Arizona. See you on the water or down by the campfire. Your President, Brad Norgaard 602-670-9582

MISSION STATEMENT

The Arizona Flycasters Club is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to encouraging, supporting, and educating its members and the community in the sport of fly fishing, the techniques of fly fishing, and the ethics of “catch and release,” which promotes the conservation of fish and their habitats. The organization’s activities also promote friendship, enjoyment, sportsmanship, and safety.

AFC is affiliated with Fly Fishers International, an organization dedicated to the betterment of the sport of fly fishing through conservation, restoration, and education.

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SCHEDULE

June 13 7:00 PM General Meeting (SSCC) 18 7:00 PM General Education Class (Fly Tying)(SSCC) 20 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC)

July 11 7:00 PM General Meeting (SSCC) 18 7:00 PM Board Meeting (SSCC) 23 7:00 PM General Education Class (SSCC)

New Member Orientation Classes Sunnyslope Community Center

David Mayl, Membership Chair Attention new members: David Mayl has put together an orientation class, with packet, that is held before every general meeting. These are very informal and fun gatherings designed to help explain things our club offers and perhaps identify what you might be able to do to make our club even more successful. We give everyone the opportunity to ask questions. Though the classes are designed specifically for new members, all members are welcome to attend and participate. We meet just before the general meeting at 6:00 PM in the classroom we use for fly tying at the Sunnyslope Community Center. Hope to see you there. If you have questions, call David Mayl at 480-236-6757.

John Sachen—Mastering Tenkara Fly Fishing

Thursday, June 13, 7:00 PM, Sunnyslope Community Center

John Sachen is a native Arizonan whose first experience fly fishing was with a tenkara rod. He’s been hooked ever since. Tenkara is Japanese-style fly fishing. It has a long history in Japan and is gaining popularity in the United States. Tenkara is ideal for small streams and tail waters and perfect for hiking high mountain streams and headwaters. The relatively-low entry barrier and intuitive nature of tenkara make it an ideal choice for newcomers and for those interested in trying something different. John has successfully fished tenkara for the past four years across Arizona and Colorado in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. He’s even fished tenkara off beaches in Mexico. John is passionate about everything tenkara, and his fluency in the Japanese language has helped him research the history, study the techniques, and communicate with some of the masters in Japan, a place he called home for 30 years. John loves the simplicity of fishing with only a long telescoping rod, fixed-length line, and simple fly patterns which allow him to focus less on equipment and more on presentation using tight-line fly manipulation and nymphing techniques. John’s presentation will focus on the history of tenkara, rod and line types, techniques, and any questions you might have.

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General Education Class - Fly Tying Tuesday, June 18, 7:00 PM, Sunnyslope Community Center

Bob Sickles, Education Chair Join us on Tuesday, June 18, and learn to tie two flies that should be in your fly box for our warm water community lakes and cold water mountain lakes: the Pheasant Tail Ostrich (PTO) and Big Bear Baetis. We will supply all materials and instructions. These flies attract big fish. Just recently, Tim O'Brien caught a 24+ inch Apache trout and several large brown trout on a size 18 PTO at Christmas Tree Lake. If you have questions, call Bob Sickles at 602-953-3761.

Wednesday Fly Fishing Meet-Ups Will Resume In September John Doss, Programs Chair

We will take a break from the heat and resume our casting meet-ups at Roadrunner Park in September on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 at Roadrunner Park. Keep in touch, we occasionally take a quick fishing outing to the Salt River, or we may do some carp fishing here in town, who knows. It’s a great opportunity to get together with like-minded anglers and talk fly fishing. If you have questions, call John Doss at 623-229-8335.

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Win A Tenkara Fly Rod Kit! Craig Mernitz, Fundraising Chair

We are raffling a Tenkara “Sato” fly rod kit known as the Triple Zoom. The rod is adjustable to three lengths: 10’6”, 11’10”, and 12’ 9”. The kit includes everything you need to get on the water and start fishing: Rod Indicator line Tippet Line holder Tenkara flies Nippers Forceps Plus, the winner will receive a complete guide to techniques, gear, history, and philosophy of Tenkara, the Japanese method of fly fishing. This kit is valued at $275. Each square costs $5 and buys one chance to win. The raffle is open to members and non-members. Come to the June 13 general meeting and win. If you cannot make it to the meeting and would like to purchase squares, or if you have questions, contact Craig Mernitz.

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Black Ghost

Hook: 4 - 6xl streamer, sizes 2 - 10 Thread: Black 6/0 Tail: Yellow hen saddle fibers Rib: Flat silver Mylar tinsel Body: Black floss Beard: Yellow hen saddle fibers Wing: 4 white saddle hackle feathers Eyes (optional): Jungle cock nails Head: Thread 1. Place a debarbed hook in the vise and start the thread just behind the hook eye, wrapping back to the bend. At this point, tie in a small bunch of yellow hen saddle fibers to form the tail. 2. Next tie in the flat silver Mylar tinsel for the rib and wrap the thread back to the starting point. 3. Tie in the black floss and wrap it back to the base of the tail in even, flat smooth wraps. Wrap the floss back to the front of the body and tie it off, trimming the excess. 4. Now take the flat silver Mylar tinsel and wrap it forward over the body in evenly-spaced wraps to form the rib, tie it off, and trim the excess. 5. Next cut another small bunch of yellow hen saddle fibers and tie them in under the hook to form the beard. The beard fibers should be about the same in number as the tail fibers. 6. Select 4 white saddle hackle feathers that are the same size and straight. Their length should be about one and one-half times the length of the hook. Keep the feathers on top of the hook so that they go straight back. Tie them in to form the wing of the fly. 7. If jungle cock eyes are desired, tie in one on each side of the fly. 8. Form a neat, tapered head with the thread, whip finish, and cut the thread. The final step is to coat the head with head cement in order to protect the thread head. A popular and easy-to-tie streamer, the Black Ghost was originated by Herbert “Herbie” Welch of Haines Landing, Maine in the 1920s. Today, the Black Ghost has many variations. Many tiers like to substitute bucktail and marabou for the wings. Tie smaller sizes for casting and larger sizes for trolling. The Black Ghost is an excellent casting fly after ice out and the perfect trolling fly on sinking line during summer. You also can swing the fly through current like a traditional streamer, or you can try dead drifting or stripping it through pocket water. The Black Ghost works well on trout, salmon, pike, and bass.

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Board Members Brad Norgaard President 602-670-9582 stream2699@cox.net Don Mickus Vice President/FFFI 602-920-2350 mickusdv@cox.net Alan Davis Secretary 925-785-5583 secretary@azflycasters.com Barney Rouse Treasurer 602-482-8239 barnrouse@aol.com John Doss Programs Chair and 623-229-8335 jdoss@dossigan.com Communications/Social Media Chair Barb and Brian Fayle Hospitality Co-Chairs 602-923-7870 bandbfayle@gmail.com Paul Finell Badges Chair 602-741-6563 paul.finell@yahoo.com Chuck Howey Technology Chair 602-818-7635 howeycn@q.com Norm Johnson Project Healing Waters 602-993-6524 johnsonne1@cox.net David Mayl Membership Chair 480-236-6757 dsmayl@cox.net Craig Mernitz Fundraising Chair 602-739-2385 craigmernitz@remax.net Jim Rondoni Outings Chair 623-363-3368 jrondoman@gmail.com Bob Sickles Education and Raffle Chair 602-953-3761 r.sickles@hotmail.com Steve Nemecek Newsletter Editor 602-540-3846 snemecek@sjbrownlaw.com

AFC Outings

Jim Rondoni, Outings Chair We are postponing the Lake Pleasant float tube outing to Saturday, November 2, when we won’t have to endure 100+ degree temperatures. We have seven people signed up for the August 9 through 12 trip to Bighorn Angler in Montana. Three spots remain. This is an all-inclusive (rooms, food, tackle) trip. We will take final sign-ups at the June 13 general meeting. Mark your calendar: the fall San Juan River trip will be October 19 through 23 at Fisheads San Juan River Lodge. If you have questions, call Jim Rondoni at 623-363-3368.

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Arizona Flycasters Club general meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the second Thursday of every month at the Sunnyslope Community Center. The Annual Banquet and Raffle is held in February or March. Watch for further details. The Arizona Flycasters Club newsletter is published by the Arizona Flycasters Club and is distributed to its members and advertisers. Opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily those of the club. Advertisements are placed as a means of conveying the message of the advertisers. The Arizona Flycasters Club does not necessarily endorse the advertiser’s products or services.

Arizona Flycasters Club P.O. Box 47357 Phoenix, AZ 85068-7357 http://www.azflycasters.org

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Next General Meeting:

John Sachen

Mastering Tenkara Fly Fishing

Thursday, June 13, 2019

7:00 PM

Arizona Flycasters Club

P.O. Box 47357

Phoenix, AZ 85068-7357