Across
the Stream - January 2003
A Publication of Heart of America Fly
Fishers
JANUARY MEETING
January 20, 2003 - 7:00pm
It’s
Martin Luther King’s Birthday and
our usual meeting place is closed for the holiday. For this month, we will be
meeting at Community of Christ Church at
79th & Mission Rd., Prairie
Village, KS.
John
Bell will enlighten members with tantalizing adventures from Florida,
Yellowstone and Michigan.
President’s
Messaage
New
Year’s Reflection
By
Dave Andrews
New Year’s day is supposed to be a time of
reflection. As I write this article, I am reflecting on the recent past and
what lies ahead. So many things come to mind that I find it difficult to pick a
single topic for the President’s Message.
Our club’s mission as part of the FFF is to teach
and expand the sport of fly-fishing through education, fishing and
conservation. One of our major challenges is to bring greater diversity to the
sport, especially young people and women. In November, William Jewell College
and the Heart of America Boy Scouts hosted an annual merit badge jamboree at
William Jewell. For the second year, the Liberty Fly Tiers of our club provided
instructors for the new Fly Fishing Merit Badge. (The merit badge program was a
joint effort of the Boy Scouts and the FFF.) When Mike Reuck took ill, I was
invited to participate along with Matt Grundy, Bill Kreitz and Bryan Rogers. We
instructed two groups of boys and adults in the basics of fly fishing,
equipment, knots, casting, tying, conservation, etc. This event truly embodied
our club’s mission. Later, I contacted the HOA BSA about becoming a certified
fly fishing merit badge instructor. I learned that all I needed to do was renew
my lapsed registration as an adult leader and take one hour of Youth Protection
Training and one hour of merit badge counselor training. If all goes well, by
the time this goes to press, I will be a certified Fly Fishing Merit Badge
counselor. Any adult over 21 may become a merit badge counselor by contacting
the HOA BSA at (816) 942 9333.
In November, I renewed my passion for fly-fishing
with my annual trip with friends to Aspen, CO. We fished the Roaring Fork,
Frying Pan, Crystal and Colorado Rivers.
Undoubtedly, this is the most expensive trip I do each year. Between our
lodging at the Butterfield Ranch, dinner at Annie’s and the Jerome Hotel, daily
guides (same ones for 11 years), and a final dinner with Chef Jimmy at his
private residence, well, it all adds up. But, the fishing is awesome. We caught browns, rainbows, cutthroat and,
of course, whitefish. Each day was a 20+ fish day. Each day I landed at least one trout over 23 inches, with most
exceeding 12 inches. Every year I wonder if I can afford to return next year,
but we’ll see.
In December, we had a great time at Bennett
Spring with 46 members attending dinner on Saturday night. Fishing was good.
The weather progressively improved until I was in shirtsleeves Sunday
afternoon. The only bad things were evidence of severe man-made erosion in the
Park and gigging in the newly designated Trophy Trout section of the Niangua. I
will ask Jim Bevan to talk more about this at the January meeting.
Pending final approval at the January 6, Board
meeting, I am pleased to announce that our 2003 Board will be:
• President
- Dave Andrews
• Past
President - John Richards
• Treasurer
- Frank Neal
• Newsletter
- Tom James
• Education
- Dick Martin & Don Grundy
• Auction/Raffle
- Jim Walker
• Membership
- Fred Clark & Cliff Newton
• Outings -
Jim Ohnemus
• Webmaster
- Vicky Newton
• Programs
- John Bell & Cliff Cain
• Southern
Council Liaison - Hod McIntosh
• Conservation
- Jim Bevan
• Library -
Ray Zook
• Historian
- Bill Brant
Other club members who have stepped forward to
take key roles on these committees include:
• Blue
River Conservation Project - Barb Davis
• Greeters
- Cris Carpenter and Don Francis
• Callers -
Carl Zell and Barb Davis
• Hatch of
the Month - Chlorine Bunch
• Fishing
Buddy Program - Pieter Potgieter
If I missed anyone, I apologize profusely. I am
most grateful to each of these volunteers for stepping forward to make our club
better. Please let each of them know how much you appreciate their service to
the club. Many hands make the load light. If you would be willing to serve in
some capacity, please let one of the Board members know. Thank you.
Looking forward, items on the Board agenda this
year include:
• Working with the Missouri Department of
Conservation Discovery Center
• Preserving the small club feel as we are now
140 members and growing
• Avoiding the dangers of becoming a “good old
boy” clique
• Providing adequate computer support (Anyone
want to donate a laptop with a network interface card and floppy drive capable
of running current versions of Microsoft Word and Excel?)
• Upgrading our website
• Making the club more attractive to young
people and women
• Obtaining non-profit status
• Improving our fly fishing experiences
Well, that completes the reflection and the look forward. As you can see, we have a clear mission and a proposed set of objectives for this year. The Board will be busy. But, together, with each member contributing, we can accomplish all this and more. Thank you for your support.
Winter Fly Fishing on Lake
Taneycomo
Winter
dosen’t mean chaining yourself to the tying bench
by
Tom James with Carolyn Parker
It’s winter and the regular trout season at the
state parks is closed. But there is a wealth of opportunity for year round
fishing at Lake Taneycomo. The waters released from Table Rock Dam are a
consistent 42 to 46° throughout the year.
Carolyn Parker of River Run Outfitters in Branson
guides anglers who want to take advantage of the off season to catch rainbows
and browns. Winter Fly fishing is the same as in other seasons. You’ll do well
with your nymphs, scuds and woolybuggers, but you also have the added benefit
of increased midge activity in the winter months. Midges are hatching all the
time as opposed to your caddis or other aquatic insects.
Midge fishing can be challenging at times because
of their tiny size. Carolyn encourages anglers, if they really want to try
something new and different, get down in the little size 20 and 22, or if you
can see them-even size 24 and do some midge fishing.
Midge Setups
Griffith’s Gnat is good if you like to do some
drys and the fish are popping on the days when they are not running water.
Mosquitos and Adams size 18 to 20 seem to be working well. They have a system
they call Free Float. It starts with a small indictor about three feet from the
fly to increase visibility of the rig. The point fly is usually a WD40 or your
favorite midge pattern and from that is a size 22 or 24 Black Foampost Emerger
dropped about 18 to 20 inches. The Foampost Emerger is a little, real simple
thread body with a small piece of white foam right behind the head. This setup
is allowed to “free float” in the surface film. It’s used best in a maximum of
3.5 to 4 feet of water with no or a low one generator running for a nice slow
current.
Power generation is primarily dictated by the
areas power usage. On a colder day, there is going to be greater generation to
keep up with power demand. On those days where one or two generators are
running and you can still wade fish, Carolyn recommends a Red TungHead Midge.
It’s a size 16 scud hook with a tungsten bead head and a red D-rib wrapped one time
around the body. The red or black are the two must have colors. Carolyn loves
fishing one generator. There’s a nice current and makes for a good
presentation. The fish don’t have as much time to look at what you’re thowing
at them and you can sometimes get away with a little heavier tippet.
Dropping the Midge
The Midge
can also be used with nymphs you're used to fishing. Carolyn adds you shouldn’t
shy away from dropping midges off other things—the Bead Head Hare’s Ear size 16
or 14 in a natural color is working well right now. The nymphs are crawling
around the bottom waiting for spring to emerge so nymph patterns will work well
at this time.
Soff Hackle
On good
days when midges are emerging, soft hackles work well. You need to make sure
you have a good supply of colors tan to olive, black and of course red and
orange in size 18. On cooler days, slow down your stripping action. The fish in
the wintertime get a little bit lethargic so a slower presentation works best.
Even in the off season, great fishing
opportunities await. It may be a little colder and the flies might get a little
smaller but so do the crowds on the stream banks. Take a break from the tying
bench and get fishing.
Stan and Carolyn Parker are owners of the River Run Outfitter in Branson, Missouri. They are Missouri’s only Orvis-endorsed Guide service. Visit their website at www.riverrunoutfitters.com
2003 Officers Contact List
PRESIDENT
David Andrews
Home:
(816) 741-8314
PAST PRESIDENT
John Richards
Home:
(816) 781-0545
Office:
(816) 781-0500
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Frank Neal
Home:
(913) 541-8031
Office:
(913) 764-3970
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Tom
James
Office:
816-213-7815
PROGRAMS
Cliff Cain
Home:
(913) 780-3865
Office:
(913) 433-5224
John Bell
Home:
(785) 843-1782
Office:
(785) 271-3139
OUTINGS
Jim Ohnemus
Home:
(816) 322-1381
MEMBERSHIP
Cliff Newton
Home:
(816) 348 7626
Office:
(816) 426 3925 x260
Fred Clark
Home: (913) 831-0305
CONSERVATION
Jim Bevan
Home: (816) 363-8131
Office: (913) 529-5000
BLUE
RIVER PROJECT
Barbara Davis
Home: (816) 587-6219
Office: (913) 319 1607
LIBRARY
Raymond Zook
Home: (816) 941-2862
EDUCATION
Dick Martin
Home: (816) 781-9557
Office: (816) 221-1430
Don Grundy
Home 816-781-9019
WEBMASTER
Vicky Newton
Home: (816) 348 7626
RAFFLE/AUCTION
Jim Walker
Home: (913) 814-0633
Office: (913) 794 8940
HISTORIAN
Bill Brant
Home: (816) 941-9691
Office: (913) 458-6826
SOUTHERN
COUNCIL LIASON
Hod McIntosh
Home: (913) 722-3684
Heart of America Fly
Fishers
2003 Spring Program
Lefty Kreh
Saturday,
March 29, 2003
Missouri
Department of Conservation - Discovery Center - 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, M
Club
members - $40, after, February 20, 2003 - $45
Non-members
- $50
The Meko Special
A bonefish fly with nothing
in particular to imitate
1 Tie in small bead-chain eyes to a regular
saltwater hook size 6 or 4 with light pink Flat Wax Nylon thread.
2 For the tail, tie on Tan Fly Fur, gold Flashabou
and amber Krystal Flash in 2-inch lengths.
3 For the body, tie on Tan yarn and grizzly
hackle.
4 Wrap the yarn and hackle up the shank and tie
off behind the eyes. Finish off with whip-finish and trim the tail to twice the
length of the hook shank.
2002
Auction/Raffle
The annual Auction and Raffle held in November
was again a rousing success with over 75 folks in attendance. Adding to the fun
was the personable auctioneer, J.P. Rozine, and fellow associates from Pomeroy Auction.
Donations from many sources totaled over 60 items providing something for
everyone’s interest. The auction/raffle netted $4,005 to expand club
activities, conservation education and community projects.
Our club is very fortunate to have so many supporters
and we are grateful for their contributions to make our event such a success. I
especially want to express my appreciation to the all the members who donated
items, made contacts with our contributors and supported the auction in so many
ways, including their generous bidding.
Jim
Walker, Auction Chairman
Got a great idea for a program at
an upcoming meeting?
Talk to the Program Committee -
John Bell or Cliff Cain
Fly Tier of the Month
Steve Jenkins
Come early to the HOAFF Member Meeting (6:15 to
be exact) and join the featured fly tyer, Steve Jenkins, demonstrating special
techniques and his favorite fly patterns. Everyone is invited and encouraged to
attend this informative session.
Each
month a new tyer will dazzle and enlighten members with their patterns
guaranteed to bring fish to fly.
Heart of America Fly Fishers Meetings
Meetings are held at 7pm - 3rd Monday of each month
Johnson County
Courthouse Extension, 6000 Lamar, Shawnee Mission, Kansas-Room C)
Fly Tying
Small Groups
The following members have volunteered to host a
small group at their home for flytying and good discussion about flyfishing.
Each person needs to bring their own material and equipment. Contact the
following hosts to join the group:
Geoff Logan
913-338-2313
12409 Cambridge Circle
Leawood, Kansas 66209
Wednesday • 4-6
People
Location: 435 and State Line
Stan Miller
816-941-969
12709 Tomahawk
Mission Hills, KS 66208
Tuesday • 4-6
People
Location: Mission Hills
Bill Brant
816-941-9691
2120 Redbridge Terr.
Tuesday • 8-10
People
Location: MDC Discovery Center
Pete Peterson
913-651-3855
2786 2007 St.
Easton, KS 66020
Friday • 5-6
People
Location: Near Leavenworth KS
Walt Fulps
913-432-0861
10601 West 55th
Shawnee, KS 66203
Weekend • 5 People
Location: Shawnee/55th & Nieman
Upcoming
Events & Programs
Monday, January, 20, 2003 John Bell
discusses fishing in Florida, Yellowstone and Michigan
Monday, February 17, 2003 Fly
Tying/Social Night
Saturday, March 29, 2003 2003
Spring Program with Lefty Kreh
Saturday, April 5, 2003 Blue
River Cleanup Project
April 11 - 13, 2003 Annual
White River Trip-Mountain Home, Arkansas
Saturday, June 7, 2003 One
Fly Tournament - Lone Jack Lake
Visit our Advertisers:
Dan Bailey
Order Toll
Free 800-356-4052
Fax
406-222-8450
209
West Park Street
PO
Box 1019
Livingston,
MT 59047
E-mail: info@dan-bailey.com
Website: www.dan-bailey.com
Ramada Inn
1127
NE Hwy 62
Mountain
Home, AR 72653
(870)
425-9191
Brass Door Motel
Hwy 62W
Gassville,
AR 72635
Motel Phone
(870) 435-2988
Restaurant Phone
(870) 435-2288
(877) 272-7736
Powder Creek Shooting Park
8601 Monticello Rd
Lenexa, KS 66227
Club 913-422-5603
Home
913-390-0544
Dale Fulton’s Blue Ribbon Flies
1343 Hwy. 5
South
Mountain
Home, Arkansas 72653
(870)
425-0447
Fax
(870) 425-6954
http://www.mtnhome.net/fultons/
E-mail:
bluflyar@mtnhome.com
St. Croix Rod
856
4th Ave. N.
Park
Falls, WI 54552
(800)
826-7042
Wapsi
Ask for Wapsi at Better
Fly Shops Everywhere!
Mountain
Home, AR 72653
Sand Springs Resort
1996 Hwy 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-5857
417-588-3110 fax
Days Inn - Mountain Home
1746
Hwy. 62 East
Mountain
Home, AR 72653
Phone:
(870) 425-1010
Fax:
(870) 425-1115
Two Rivers Fly Shop
13718 Hwy 5 South •
Norfork, AR 72658
870 499-3060 • Fax 870
499-5951
Branson Lodge
2456
State Highway 165
Branson,
MO 65616
1-800-334-3104
Rio Products
5050 S. Yellowstone Hwy,
Idaho Falls, Idaho
83402 USA • Tel.
208-524-7760
Fax 208-524-7763
e-mail: rio@rioproducts.com
website:
www.rioproducts.com
Gaston’s Tackle
Bennett Springs State
Park
11798 Highway 64 - Lot
63
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-9449
Loon Outdoors
Rainbow Fly Shop
4706-D Shrank Drive
Independence, MO 64055
816-373-2283
9-5
Tuesday - Saturday
River Run Outfitters
212 South Commercial
Branson, MO 65616
417-332-0460
877-699-3474 (toll free)
Reading’s Fly Shop
11937 Highway 64A
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-588-4334
Trophy Country
Route 1, Box 177A
Huntsville, MO 65269
Phone: (660) 277-4447
Fax: (660) 277-4443
e-mail: rodgers@cvalley.net
Riley’s Station
Miles
& Michelle Riley
129
CR 640
Buffalo,
AR 72653
888-533-2151
870-425-4221
Bennett Spring State Park Concession
Shop
26248 Hwy 64 A
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4307
1-800-334-6946
Larry’s Sporting Goods
25976 State Highway 64A
Lebanon, MO 65536
877-456-7243 or
417-532-8678
e-mail: larrys@bennettspring.com
Andy’s Catch
Phone: 417 - 532-0755
Fax: 417-532-1101
16161 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
K&K Flyfishers’
87th & Grant, Overland
Park, KS 66212
www.kkflyfishers.com • 913-341-8118