April Meeting Highlights

The April meeting was an enjoyable evening and very well attended by the Club members. The meeting was kicked off by President, Eric Sauer as he introduced our newest member Terry Zeitner. Terry was voted in unanimously by the members. We also welcomed a few guests that evening Paul Phillips and Marty King. Hopefully they werenât scared off and we will continue to enjoy their company at upcoming meetings.

Eric then announced that the upcoming trip to Blue Lake needed a new sponsor. The trip was set for the weekend of April 30th. We want to thank Jim Hagy for stepping up and agreeing to lead the trip. We look forward to a great report at our May meeting.

Steve Murray addressed the membership concerning the up coming trip to Corbett Lake. For most of you, the Club outing to Corbett Lake in British Columbia has been an eventful way to spend Memorial Day weekend. Steve indicated that the trip is almost upon us again and if you are interested in going you need to do the following.

 

First: Check with your fellow Club members to see who is going and find out if there is still room available in the cabins that they have reserved around the lake. If not, you will need to contact he resort directly to try and reserve a room if it I still available. If there is noting available at the lake, you will have to consider getting a room at one of the local hotels in Merritt.

 

Our guest speaker for the evening was Bob Jateff WDFW Region 2 Biologist for the Methow - Okanogan fisheries. Bob provided an in-depth report on the quality of the fishing and issues facing a number of the lakes in his region. He spoke about the issues facing Blue lake, Aeneas lake, Chopaka lake and the Methow River. If you want to learn more about the lakes and rivers in Region 2 go to wdfw.wa.gov/reg/region2.htm. The map below provides an overview of the WDFW Regions and can be located at http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/regions.htm

 

The April Board meeting was held on Wednesday April 27th at Alfyâs In Lynwood. Eric kicked off the meeting with the review and approval of prior meeting minutes. Eric then asked Steve Murray to draft a proposed revision to the Club By-Laws concerning the annual election of Club Officers. Steve completed his draft which was reviewed and approved by the Board. This amendment will be addressed at the upcoming May and June meetings and will be brought to a final vote during the August or September meeting.

 

Steve indicated that he has scheduled the Auctioneer for the annual Club Auction to be held in December. The Board is looking for volunteer members to help run this years auction. If you are interested please contact Eric.

 

Eric then reported that the Club will be conducting its annual Fly Fishing Classes beginning June 21 and will run for 6 weeks. We are looking for members to step up and help instruct students in the art of fly casting, fly tying, reading the water, fishing techniques and knot tying. If you are interested in conducting one of these classes please let one of the Board members know.

 

Eric also wanted to let everyone know that the monthly Board meetings will be moved to 6:30 PM on the 4th Wednesday of every month instead of 7:00 PM. Also, the Board will be looking into the cost of liability insurance to cover the Club in the event of possible injuries to Club members during Club outings. Please stay tuned for more information on this issue.

 

 

The Tightline
Text Box: Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds Volume 4 Issue 5 May 2005

Club meetings:

The 2nd Wednesday of every month @

South County Senior Cntr.

220 Railroad Avenue

Edmonds, WA

Social hr @ 6:00 PM

 

Club Board Meetings:

The 4th Wednesday of every month @

Alfiâs

196th Avenue

Lynwood, WA

Dinner @ 6:30 PM

 

 

NOTE:

If anyone is able to provide Eli with transportation to and from the monthly meetings, please see Dick Hedges.

MEMBRS:

Norm Primc wanted to pass on a note that there are still 2 fly rods for sale from the auctions.

 

1 Sage XP 4-90, 2pc

1 Sage XP 6-90, 2pc

 

Both rods retail for $600 each and the Club is looking to sell them for a minimum price of $350.00.

R.L. Winston Salt Water Rod 8wt 9'6" in length  Mdl #LTX

 

If you are interested in purchasing one of these beautiful rods, please contact Norm Primc at 425-481- 1653 or through email at normprimc@hotmail.com. normprimc@hotmail

WDFW Regional Offices

The May Guest Speaker Program

 

Jim Kerr Guide from Port Townsend

Will be our speaker for the evening.

Jim Fishes the many beaches of northern Hoods Canal for both Cutthroat and Silvers.

He also Guides at Sekiu in the saltwater for salmon and guides the many rivers in the Forks area of the Olympic Peninsula both for salmon in the fall and steelhead in the winter and spring. Jim is not only a great guy to fly fish with for the experienced angler but also for someone who is just getting started and he is great instructor too. If you have never fished for salmon with your fly rod and with the Pinks running this year itâs the prefect time to give it a try. Give Jim a call,(360) 301 4559.

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.
For those of you that might be looking for interesting reading on fly fishing in the West.

Colorful, informative and entertaining, "West Coast Fly Fisher" is a must have book for all fly fisherman looking to tackle west coast waters. Whether your an ardent angler or a novice beginner at the sport, you'll find lots to learn from this timely compilation. Each writer is well versed and acknowledged for their expertise in targeting certain species of fish, and "West Coast Fly Fisher" captures the essence of several lifetimes worth of angling knowledge from each of these masters under one cover.

Author and fisheries biologist Brian Chan, focuses on his passion for the past twenty-four years--fly fishing for Kamloops trout. Brian has worked on trout management in B.C.'s Kamloops region, concentrating on the thousands of productive lakes that dot the province's southern interior. An ardent fly fisherman, Brian Chan has authored "Fly Fishing Strategies for Stillwaters", and contributed to the "Gilly", another well respected compilation of writings.

Author Art Lingren has been heavily involved in the fishing community for most of his adult life, known for his association and contributions to respected organizations such as the Steelhead Society of B.C. and B.C. Federation of Fly Fishers (BCFFF) to name a few. Art's books include "Fly Patterns of Roderick Haig-Brown", "River Journal: Thompson River", "Fly Patterns of British Columbia", Irresistible Waters: Fly Fishing in B.C. Throughout the Year", and River Journal: Dean River. In this book, Art Lingren takes a close look at the many varying aspects of fly fishing for both summer and winter run steelhead, and presents it in a concise and highly informative manner.

Barry M. Thornton is certainly one of British Columbia's best known outdoor writers. Highly involved in the fishing community, his works include "Steelhead", "Saltwater Fly Fishing for Pacific Salmon", and "Salgair: a Steelhead Odyssey". Barry actively writes for a large number of publications and has received awards from both the Outdoor Writers of Canada and the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association. Considered by many as a pioneer of fly fishing for salmon on the west coast, Barry shares some his best pointers on the subject in "West Coast Fly Fisher".

Kelly Davidson has been a guide and instructor of fly fishing throughout most of his life. An active member of Steelhead Society of B.C. and the B.C. Federation of Fly Fishers, Kelly focuses his writing skills on the intriguing topic of fly fishing for the elusive sea-run cutthroat trout.

Author Harry Penner, well acclaimed for his articles and nature photographs, shares a sampling of the expert skills he has acquired throughout his many years as a guide in British Columbia's coastal rivers. In "West Coast Fly Fisher", Harry provides a comprehensive look at fly fishing strategies for all species of salmon in coastal rivers.

The works presented in "West Coast Fly Fisher", represents collectively centuries worth of expert angling knowledge,. packed into a short 150 page guide. If you like to fly fish in BC, or you've thought about testing the waters, then make sure you pick up a copy of "West Coast Fly Fisher".

West Coast Fly Fisher
Can$24.95
Five famous fly fishers reveal their secrets -share their passion-for West Coast fly fishing

Featuring:

á Top 50 fly patterns

á Fishing Pacific Northwest lakes

á Winter and summer steelhead

á Saltwater fly fishing for salmon

á Fishing West Coast rivers for salmon

á Fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout

á Basic knot patterns
Flyfishing in British Columbia

Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds

PO Box 148

Edmonds, WA 98020

 

EGG-LAYING
CADDIS

Imitate this stage of the caddis life cycle for the best dry-fly action.

ALLEN MCGEE

Intro | Presentation Techniques | Sizing the Patterns

Allen McGee Photo
Egg-laying caddis imitations are designed to either float high enough to skitter and bounce across the surface or swim through the water like the naturals. Effective spent caddis patterns imitate the natural's splayed wings. Top row: Deer Hair Caddis, Soft Hackle Diving Caddis, Hare's-ear Soft Hackle; middle row: Agent 99, Mathews' Spent Caddis, Lawson's Spent Partridge Caddis, Bead Thorax Diving Caddis; bottom row: LaFontaine Diving Caddis, Quad Wing Caddis, Delta Wing Caddis.

Bead Thorax Diving Caddis David Siegfried Photo

Agent 99 David Siegfried Photo

Mathews' Spent Caddis David Siegfried Photo

Quad Wing Caddis David Siegfried Photo

LaFontaine Diving Caddis David Siegfried Photo

Lawson's
Spent Partridge Caddis David Siegfried Photo

 

Most fly fishers know that caddis are an important trout food. Trout often prefer caddis pupae because adults fly quickly off the water after emerging. Pupae are easier targets than adults, so trout expend less energy eating them. Thus we do well to imitate emerging pupae instead of adults during caddis emergences.

However, adult caddis are available to fish at another stage for a long period of time. When female caddis lay their eggs (a stage called ovipositing), adult patterns work best. To anticipate when trout may feed on ovipositing females, look for caddis flying in large swarms upstream and low over the water. These are males looking for receptive females to mate with. The males are not usually available to the fish, but the females are available soon after they mate and lay their eggs.

When females are ready to lay their eggs, they return to the water and deposit them. Many species, including the most prevalent species, Hydropsyche (net-building caddis), dive underwater and lay their eggs on rocks or boulders on the stream bottom. Then they swim to the surface before flying away to mate again, or die and drift downstream spent. Trout feed on these insects descending to the stream bottom and ascending to the surface.

If you see caddis bobbing up and down touching the water, these are egg layers depositing eggs on the surface or getting up enough speed to break through and dive under the meniscus. Diving is the most common form of egg-laying behavior, but some caddis lay eggs underwater by crawling down submerged tree limbs or rocks. A soft-hackle pattern is a great imitation for these divers.

Caddis also lay eggs while drifting in the surface currents. Brachycentrus (Grannom) and Dicosmoecus (October Caddis) are two species that dip their rear abdomens, which contain the egg sacs, into the water and release eggs that settle to the bottom. Imitate these caddis with adult patterns that have appropriately colored egg sacs.

As Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot by watching." It's important to watch and determine whether the fish are really eating adult caddis. In some cases an emergence may be taking place alongside egg laying.

If you see fish rolling or porpoising, or see splashy rises, they are probably eating emerging pupae. However if adult caddis are floating downstream, bouncing over the surface, skating across the surface, or floating spent downstream, try fishing an egg-laying adult pattern on or below the surface. You won't see diving caddis unless you see them bobbing over the water before diving. Fish adult surface egg-laying patterns with a drag-free drift or add a rod-tip twitch combined with a downstream presentation if you want to skate the fly over the surface like an adult.

Regardless of how each species lays their eggs, they eventually end up as spent adults awash in the film. Spent caddis look larger than live caddis because their muscles have relaxed and their wings are splayed. These spent caddis drift downstream on the water's surface, and since they aren't struggling to fly away, the fish rise to them more leisurely than for emerging caddis pupae.

But these rises are not as subtle as when fish rise to mayflies. When there are a lot of spent caddis on the water, the rises are often powerful and intense. Fish to these surface-working fish with spent caddis patterns, a dry-fly presentation cast (such as Harvey's slack-line cast), and a drag-free drift.

 

Allen McGee is the author of Soft-Hackled Nymphs (Amato, 2005). He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.