Olympic Flyfishers of Edmonds

Club News For June

The following are highlights from the April meeting for those who were not able to attend.

Guest Speaker

The Club invited John Weinheimer, WDFW District 5 fish Biologist to speak at the May meeting. His presentation focused on the many lakes throughout SW Washington. He specifically spoke of the many lakes in and around the Mt. St. Helens. There is an article on the WDFW website, ãAn

The Tightline

Newsletter, Issue 4 Volume 5

May 2004

 

Club Meetings :

2nd Wednesday of every month @

South County Senior Center

220 Railroad Ave.

Edmonds, WA

Social Hour 6:00PM

Dinner 7:00 PM

 

 

Club Board Meetings :

4th Wednesday of every month @

 

Alfi's

196th Avenue

Lynwood, WA

Dinner 7:00 PM

Topic Index For June

á Club News

á Guest Speaker

á Article

Interview with John Weinheimerä and can be found at www.wdfw.wa.gov/pubaffrs/1stpersn/weinheim.htm

May Outing

The May outing was the traditional trip to Corbett Lake in Merritt, British Columbia. The reports were not yet available at the time of the printing of this newsletter, but I am sure the trip was a huge success as always and there will be many a fish story at the June meeting.

Guests

The Club would like to recognize and welcome a number of guests that were present at the May meeting. They included Scott Hitchcock, Dick Simmons, Jim Hagy and Steve Worthington. We hope to see you gentlemen at future meetings.

Club Activities

The Club is sponsoring a ãFishing Classä over the next few weeks. The class will begin at 7:00 PM Tuesday June 22nd and will run through Tuesday July 27th. The class will cover numerous topics as it relates to fly fishing in the waters of Washington state. The instructors will be teaching various fishing techniques for the lakes and rivers of Washington, fly casting and all important ãnative entomologyä. During this class you will learn about the many varieties of insect life that populate Washington lakes and rivers, the various stages of their development When and how to fish the various types of fly patterns will also be taught. The class will be hosted by Steve Murray, along with a number of other club members. If you are interested in attending or know someone who is, please do not hesitate to contact Steve or any one of the other board members. The e-mail addresses can be found on our

THE NEXT CLUB MEETING WILL BE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9TH, AND THE BOARD MEETING WILL BE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23RD.

Guest Speaker For the June Meeting

 

Chris West will be our guest fly tier and speaker for the June 9th meeting.  Chris is a professional guide with Emeral Waters Anglers, and a outstanding fly tier.  Some of his wonderful saltwater patterns are sold though the Umpqua Feather Merchants and can be found in some of our local fly shops.  Chris also owns and operates the

www.PugetSoundFlyFishing.com website, check it out if you have any interest in fishing the beaches of Puget Sound.  Chris will be be speaking about the fiahing opportunities for this summer and fall on Puget Sound beaches.  He also will be tying a number of his bait patterns Chris is also going to do a five hour on the water fly fishing seminar for our Club June the 19th, 7:00 am Sharp at the Camano Island State Park.  Chris will be covering all aspects of beach fishing

 

 

All About Trout - The Right Approach

 

It pays to be stealthy on the way to the bank. Consistently fooling wild trout takes plenty of skill and a liberal dose of good old-fashioned luck. But you can create some of your own luck÷and dramatically increase your chances of success÷by not underestimating your quarry.

   In almost three decades of fishing for trout in flowing waters, I've seen many anglers make a huge mistake before they even fling out their first cast. Whether fishing with a fly, lure or bait, it's critical that trout anglers exercise extreme caution when approaching the water they wish to fish. The old axiom that says ãIt's all in the approachä is never truer than when applied to trout fishing in flowing waters.
Rainbow Trout

 

This is the Liberace of trout÷lots of flashy colour and a grand performer when hooked on any kind of tackle. Although there are some regional colour variations, rainbows are usually silver-coloured with black spots over the body and dorsal and caudal fins. Its flanks are marked with distinctive pinkish bands, which become more pronounced during spawning in spring. Rainbows eat primarily aquatic insects such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies, but will also munch on small fish and fish eggs. It is the widest-ranging trout in Canada, spread out virtually from coast to coast.

 

   The water where trout are found is often clear and shallow. The fish regularly hold just off the bank. Such conditions make trout especially wary, because they know they're susceptible to predators. In the excitement of wanting to start fishing, you'll be tempted to march right up to the water, have a quick look around and then start casting. The problem is that one, or several, trout might have been holding just off the rock or in that submerged logjam near where you are now standing. In stomping up to the water with all the stealth of a hippopotamus, you spooked all the nearby trout, causing them to swim away in fear to better hiding places.

   Trout rely heavily on their eyes, and to a lesser extent their senses of smell and hearing and their ability to pick up vibrations in the water. A trout holding in the bottom of an eight-foot-deep clear pool can easily see a tiny caddis fly land on the surface of the water above it. The same trout also can spot a stonefly nymph being carried by the current towards it. With such keen eyesight, there's no question that same trout also will see the shadow of an osprey hovering overhead, or the profile of an angler who has ventured too close.

   The key to successful trout fishing is seeing the fish before they see you. To start with, wear dull-coloured clothing; a white shirt or hat will announce an angler's presence to a trout as readily as waving a flag. Next, invest in a good pair of polarized sunglasses. They will allow you to see into the trout's underwater world, providing a heron's-eye view of hidden logs, boulders and other structure, perhaps even a holding trout. They also make it easier to wade safely and responsibly.

 

The actual approach to the bank calls for a high level of sneakiness. Be on full alert, as if you were stalking a trophy whitetail buck in heavy cover. Stop several times en route to observe what is happening on or under the water. Take advantage of hiding places behind natural cover, such as a willow clump, tree or rock. If you see a trout, or a promising-looking holding spot, in the water in front of you, circle downstream well away from the water. In water that is extremely small (translation: narrow and shallow), you might have to kneel well back from the water and flip out a cast at a trout you've spotted.

Brown trout are the whitetail deer of the fish world. Both are extremely wary, easily spooked and require equal doses of patience and expertise from people who successfully pursue them. They are golden brown in color, and sport large black spots, often surrounded with pale halos, on the gill cover and most of the body. Their flanks sometimes have red or orange spots with light halos. Their diet includes invertebrates, insects and small fish, with the odd mouse and frog thrown in for variety. Browns are common in southern Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

 

      As you get closer to the water, move slowly with measured steps, carefully placing each foot down softly and avoiding kicking rocks, sticks or anything else in the water. Then you can start to cast.

      Trout generally hold facing upstream, watching for insects and other food floating downstream toward them. Anglers approaching from downstream, or behind the trout, are virtually hidden from view, making the downstream approach the best one under almost all conditions.

      If you plan to hike a fair distance downstream before beginning to fish your way back up, it's important to travel well away from the bank, to avoid being seen by any fish holding close to shore. Even allowing your body to cast a shadow over a pool or shallow run will spook any holding trout in any heavily fished piece of water. Depending on their level of fright, these trout might be impossible to catch for a period of time ranging anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. When that happens, you might as well move on to the next spot because the game is up. The trout have won the round

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website at: www.olympicflyfish.com.

 

Upcoming Events

At the May meeting, fellow Club member Randy Sobczak informed everyone that the Silver Lake Winery was presenting ãFishFestä, on June 26th at Silver Lake Park in Everett. FishFest, a celebration of wine and seafood, is Silver Lake Winery's annual festival celebrating the shared passion for seafood and wine. FishFest will be held on the shores of Silver Lake in South Everett. Visitors may participate in a fishing derby, live music, art and tour the many food booths. The event begins at 10:00 AM on the 26th and ends at 5:00 PM. This should be a wonderful event and if you are interested in learning more about the event, contact 425-339-5250 for more information.

NO CLUB OUTING PLANNED FOR JUNE. If you are interested in hosting an event, please contact myself or one of the other board members. Our fellow club members are always looking for an opportunity to fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cartoon by Gene Trump

The Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds

PO Box 148

Edmonds, WA 98020

 

www.olympicflyfishers.com

 

First Trout
- Greg Tims

 

It laid upon the water, that ragged fly I tied;
I had cast it toward a midstream rock where surely Trout would hide.

The fly, it drifted slowly as it neared the hidden lair,
but currents played against my line, I just knew I would despair.

Then suddenly the surface splashed nearly scaring me to death,
And, surprisingly, my fly was gone leaving me far short of breath.

I felt a tug then raised my rod and downstream he did streak
Taking line from my old reel while my knees became so weak.

He pulled, I eased, he eased, I pulled - this seemed to take forever,
Then with one final valiant leap he surrendered his endeavor.

I reeled him in and stared in awe as I eased him toward my net,
He was the first I caught by fly, I would always be in debt.

So carefully I removed that hook admiring his every inch,
He seemed to know I would put him back since he didn't even flinch.

Now every time I fish this stretch I seek him high and low,
And pray that rainbow aged with me from thirty years ago