Across the Stream - October 2004
A Publication of Heart of America Fly
Fishers
HOAFF October Meeting
Monday, October 18, 2004 - 7pm
Joseph R. Tomelleri, Artist
Joseph will discuss his experience gathering trout and other fish
specimens from around the world.
Sylvester
Powell Community Center 6200 Martway, Mission, Kansas
President's Message
by
Dave Andrews
When I agreed to serve as club
president two years ago, I had no idea the time would fly by. Now, I find
myself rapidly approaching my fourth anniversary as an officer and looking
forward to the clubs future.
Over the last four years, the club has
grown dramatically, implemented fly tying groups, increased our ties to local
charities and conservation groups, expanded our educational programs,
multiplied our auction, acquired 501c3 status, implemented a professional web
site, led the field with our newsletter, implemented new officer positions to
better serve our members, and achieved many more accomplishments.
To have a vibrant club, we depend on
active volunteerism and constant infusion of new energy and ideas. After some
consideration, I announced to our officers that I would not be considering
another term as president. While I have been tremendously honored by the
confidence you all have placed in my leadership, I believe the club will be
best served by getting some new blood into the leadership position. Due to the
clubs operating complexity, the next
president should come from the existing officer group. I believe we have
several excellent candidates to choose from.
Jim Ohnemus has announced his
resignation as Outings Chair. He has done a great job for us this past year.
Lets all thank Jim for his
contributions.
The remainder of the officers have
agreed to stay on. This is wonderful for the club. We are blessed with an
extremely dedicated and talented group of officers. I will be moving to the
position of Past President. This is an advisory position to the new president,
as well as taking on special projects.
John Richards has been in this role the
last two years. He will be continuing to plan and coordinate our clubs annual banquet at Bennett Spring.
Thank you, John. I will be arranging for our Fly Tyer of the Month. Please let
me know if you would like to demonstrate tying your favorite new fly on a
Monday night.
As a continuing member of your board, I
will also be working with the board to revise our by-laws, which are somewhat
outdated.
Finally, I will be encouraging all of
us to volunteer for some open officer positions. We are in need of an Education
Chair to coordinate our increased library and youth education programs. Are you
interested? Call me.
The club would also greatly benefit
from a Recognition Committee and recognition Chair. This would be a group
focused solely on recognizing people who deserve recognition within the club,
within the Southern Council and the FFF.
Many awards are available, but we do
not have the ability today to focus enough on recognition and do the club
business. This should really interest some of our members. Please let an
officer know of your interest.
With Jim Ohnemus resigning from
Programs, we need a Outings Chair to coordinate our quarterly outings for 2005.
Anyone interested? You will quickly become every members favorite person.
Finally, we will also need an
additional officer volunteer to fill the vacancy created when one of our
officers becomes president.
We have approximately 125 active
members in our club. Of this group, 15-20 actively serve as officers, board
members and on committees. For the rest, I ask you to consider sharing the fun.
I promise you will get much more from your club membership.
As
I mentioned earlier, the secret to keeping our club vibrant and appealing is volunteerism.
I want to thank each person who has volunteered during my term as president.
Nothing would have been accomplished without you.
FFF Southern Council
Fly Tyer of the Year
Mike George
We all know that Mike George is a fantastic fly tyer. Now, the
Southern Council agrees and presented Mike with the 2004 Fly Tyer of the Year
Award.
In addition to presenting a Seminar on tying deer hair flies, Mike
donated flies to the Saturday evening auction to help raise money for Southern
Council activities.
Congratulations, Mike for some outstanding work.
2004 Officers
PRESIDENT
David Andrews
davidgandrews@kc.rr.com
Home: (816)
741-8314
PAST PRESIDENT
John Richards
jreyedoc1@aol.com
Home: (816)
781-0545
Office: (816)
781-0500
SECRETARY
Mark Borserine
majborser@aol.com
(913) 381-0722
TREASURER
Paul Bennetts
pbennetts1@comcast.net
913-338-3837
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Tom
James
tom@blackdogsports.com
Office: 816-718-0393
PROGRAMS
Cliff Cain
cliffcain@hotmail.com
Home: (913)
780-3865
Office: (913)
433-5224
John Bell
j.bell@kcc.state.ks.us
Home: (785)
843-1782
Office: (785)
271-3139
OUTINGS
Jim Ohnemus
johnemus@kcp.com
Home: (816)
322-1381
MEMBERSHIP
Cliff Newton
ccnewton@sbcglobal.net
Home: (816)
348 7626
Office: (816)
426 3925 x260
Fred Clark
fclarks@planetkc.com
Home: (913) 831-0305
CONSERVATION
BLUE RIVER
PROJECT
Raymond Zook
rzook@kc.rr.com
Home: (816) 941-2862
LIBRARY
Doug McDonald
mcdoug5148@aol.com
(913) 669-5222
EDUCATION
Dick Martin
rlm@mllfpc.com
Home: (816) 781-9557
Office: (816) 221-1430
Don Grundy
dlgrundy@msn.com
Home 816-781-9019
WEBMASTER
Vicky Newton
svnewton@sbcglobal.net
Home: (816) 348 7626
RAFFLE/AUCTION
Dan
Zimmerman
dzmmrmn@aol.com
(913) 829-4768
HISTORIAN
Bill Brant
flyfish@sky.net
Home: (816) 941-9691
Office: (913) 458-6826
SOUTHERN
COUNCIL LIASON
Hod McIntosh
singingreels@worldnet.att.net
Home: (913) 722-3684
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)
Due to the early voting activities at the Johnson County
Courthouse Extension, we will conduct our October Member Meeting at the
Sylvester Powell Community Center at 6200 Martway, Mission, Kansas. One block
east of Lamar.
Hatch of the Month
Bring a fly or a couple of
flies to add to the Match of the Month collection. During each meeting names
are drawn and the winner receives the collection of flies. This is a great way
to learn new fly patterns and share some of your favorite flies with the rest
of the club. Members can also donate a dollar to enter for the drawing.
Featured Fly Tyer
Featured Fly tyer come
early to the meeting to watch a club member demonstrating fly tying patterns
and techniques.
If you are interested in
being a featured fly tyer, contact John Richards.
Youth Conclave
During
the Southern Council Conclave in Mountain Home, Arkansas, the kids who attended
were able to take advantage of the Youth Conclave.
Dry
Run Creek at the Norfork Dam is set aside for youth and handicapped, catch and release
fishing only.
Gervis
Beirigers grandson,
Noah Richmond, got the chance to fish Dry Run Creek. After several near miss
hookups that prompted eager coaching from the boardwalk, Noah hooked a nice
cutthroat on a scud pattern he tied earlier.
2004 Southern Council Conclave
by Mark Borserine
Within just a five-hour drive, we are
lucky to have one of the major annual events in fly fishing in the nation! The opportunity for learning and the
atmosphere of camaraderie and support at the Southern Conclave needs to be
experienced. That the Conclave is held in Mountain Home, AR, nestled between the two premier Trout
fisheries of North America, the White and Norfork Tailwaters, is simply
dessert!
FFF SOC Conclave 2004 offered multiple
opportunities for education, to meet all sorts of fly tiers, each displaying
unique patterns and methods. Vendors were displaying their newest wares,
offering bargains on many, and displaying their generosity by donating to the
Auction. At the auction you will have the opportunity to bid on lots of great
equipment and outdoors art, all of the money going to worthwhile project of the
Southern Council. Much of the money comes back to our clubs in the forms of
donations and grants. The auctioneer, Johnnie Chambliss is a show in himself.
You will laugh your way through the entire auction whether you buy anything or
not!
A real presence at the Conclave was the
new CEO of the Federation of Fly Fishers, R.P. Van Van Gytenbeek. Van
was a constant presence during the entire event. He showed up at many events
and classes, talking both with individuals and the entire group about the FFF,
its reorganization and goals.
The new format of holding on water
classes on Thursday, before the official opening on Friday was very successful.
This program will be enhanced next year with Thursday classes: Duane Hada - reading trout water, Davy Wotton - fishing soft hackles, Art
Mezzier - Entomology, George Harmalee -
tying with Deer Hair, John Wilson - an all-day on Nymphing and Roger Maler - Sink Tip
technique.
If youve
never attended a Conclave, you really should!
This is a low-cost, high-payback opportunity to enhance your skills and
rub elbows with the best-of-the-best in Fly Fishing. Our SOC Conclave is
considered the best in the nation!
Annual Auction and
Raffle
by
Dan Zimmerman
Dont
forget to mark your calendar for the Annual Auction and Raffle set for the
November 15th meeting. In order to
better the prospect of long-term health and success of the auction, I attempted
this year to take more of a team approach.
I enlisted the help of many members and broke the tasks down so
that each job is feasible for just about anyone. The results so far have been promising.
I anticipate this year we will have more and better fly rods,
reels, lodging, artwork, flies, guided trips and outdoor equipment as a result
of many individuals that have volunteered to help. Through the expansion of our
auction we are gaining more opportunity to fulfill the club goals of
conservation, education, and restoration though the sport of flyfishing
We will need additional help from our members, mostly in the area
of setup and refreshments. If your are
interested you can give me a call or you can sign up at the October meeting.
Many members have already pledged donations. Let me know if you have something in mind,
or you can just bring your donation.
This year we will also be emphasizing the importance of
patronizing our donors. Though many
give solely to support our cause, most donors are small operations that cannot
afford to give unless they feel they are receiving tangible benefit. We lose
donors every year for this reason. You can help out by doing business with our
donors. Let them know verbally you are a member of HOAFF and wear apparel with
the HOAFF logo.
Fishing with Dad
By Paul Bennetts
I dont really remember the
first time I ever fished with my father. It may have been on a blue Michigan
lake or perhaps it was next to a large spillway somewhere in Louisiana. It
involved worms on hooks and a plastic Zebco reel. It also involved getting up
at 5 a.m. and a thermos full of hot coffee. Fishing with dad is how I learned
to drink coffee. Of that I am certain. Something else I am certain of, it was
the beginning of a father and son friendship that has weathered some forty
years of lifes
ups and downs and endures today, as strong as ever. We, along with our baited
hooks, have harvested our share of crappie, catfish, bluegill, bass and even a
few saltwater species along the way. Dad is 73 now and instead of him making
our lunches and driving us to a favorite fishing spot, it is my job to make
lunch and do the driving. I dont mind. He deserves a break.
Three years ago we set
aside our spin cast tackle and set out together to learn the art of angling for
trout with fly rods and lures
made of feathers and fur. We have never looked back. We live for the
trips we take together twice a year in search of the experiences that will make
us better fly-fishers. We are still novices to be sure, but we are beginning to
speak the language of fly-fishing and our waders are getting worn enough to
make us look like we have been out in the river a few times. We know we are
rookies still, but in our hearts, we are fly-fishers of great passion.
When we fish, we usually
hire a guide to help us make the most of our experience. It is common sense
really, when you only get a few days a year to do any serious fishing, to do it
with someone who knows how to catch the fish. I have learned much every time I
have fished with a guide. To be sure all guides have something to teach and I
have much to learn.
When the opportunity arose
to go to the club outing at Montauk State Park this fall, I called my old
fishing buddy and invited him along. Our fishing club is fortunate to have a
couple of guides as members, Georgiana Baer and Norm Crisp who are partners in Streamside
Adventures. Conveniently, one of the rivers they know
extremely well is the Current River. I called Georgiana to arrange for guided
fishing on Saturday and Sunday, and she set everything up for us to meet Norm
at Montauk on the weekend of the outing.
Saturday was a beautiful
morning, full of sunshine and light breezes. Norm took us several miles down
river to the Parker Hollow access point, where he hoped we could get several
hours of fishing in before the anticipated arrival of the weekend canoe traffic.
Norm set us up at the first hole and after watching me cast for a minute,
tactfully wanted to know if I would like some instruction. I replied that this
was a great idea and reassured him that I was ready to learn whatever he had to
teach.
It became readily apparent
that Norm is a true predator of brown trout and he approaches fishing on the
Current River with the all zeal of a heat-seeking missile zeroing in on his
target. His technique this day was large dry flies (Madam X grasshopper patterns
of his own design) fished upstream in short drifts of 5 or 6 feet. He
emphasized thoroughly fishing each area with casts to each sector within reach,
increasing distance each time. Sadly, my casting was so rusty that I thoroughly
fished the trees better than the river that morning and I know I spooked
several nice fish. I learned an
important lesson. There are no brown trout in the trees. I am, if nothing else,
a willing student.
Later in the morning, I
landed several sturdy bluegills and sunfish (all right, they werent trout but at least
I was headed in the right direction). Norm patiently persisted with dad and I,
far above and beyond the call of duty as outlined in the Fly-fishers Book of
Guide Etiquette. He worked on the tempo of our casting and counted cadence
Cast
cast
cast
cast, to get us acquainted
with the short drifts he wanted us to achieve. After a few hours of fishing in
relative solitude, the weekend canoe enthusiasts arrived and we left to have a
most satisfying lunch of smoked salmon sandwiches, which Norm prepared for us.
After lunch we reentered
the river upstream and continued fishing along the picturesque bluffs that line
this part of the Current. Our casting improved some and as the afternoon began
to cool off, we started catching fish. Norm directed my dad to a nice location
where he hooked up with several nice browns. I was fishing thirty feet away and
still instilling terror into the hearts of the bluegill population. At Norms suggestion, I moved
upstream a bit and my fortunes too started to improve. A few nice browns, then
a rainbow, and finally a 16-inch brown fell victim to my dry fly. We continued
to fish until just after 6 p.m. at which point dad and I both conceded that we
were tired and hungry and headed back to the Montauk Lodge with Norm to share
supper and stories. We slept soundly that night and both dad and I swear we
could hear Norm in our dreams counting his cadence
cast
cast
cast.
The weather Sunday was even
better than the day before, sunny and just a shade cooler than the previous
day. This morning Norm took us to the Baptist access and we hiked through the
woods about a mile downstream and began fishing our way upstream back toward
the access. The casting gods must have been smiling this day for my technique
was much better than on Saturday. The fish were active and we caught nine trout
(mostly browns) in the first 100 yards of fishing, the best one measuring about
15 inches. I used some grasshopper patterns that I had brought and did well
getting the trout to rise to those flies as well as with Norms favorite patterns.
All in all it was as perfect as a morning of fishing can be. We stopped for
lunch and then continued fishing until 4 p.m., catching some good quality fish
most of the afternoon. Then we reluctantly climbed out of this gorgeous river
and headed back to our vehicle. As we hiked back, we reflected that on this
most beautiful of days, we had not seen even one other person on the river. Our
isolation from the rest of humanity had been as complete as if we had hiked for
days to find a bit of solitude. Norm let us know that many days on the Current
were just like this.
We will visit the Current again. I am grateful to Norm Crisp and
Streamside Adventures for helping us be successful in our fishing. I am
grateful to my father who taught me to bait my own hook when I was little and
who continues to serve as a companion on these trips even after I made him
change the equipment he fishes with a few years back. I hope we will continue
making these memories for a long time to come.
Annual Banquet/Bennett Spring Trip
December 3 - 5, 2004
Its time to start
planning for the Annual Banquet and Winter Bennett Spring Trip. The Winter
Catch and Release season is always a great time to fish the waters of Bennett
Spring and the Annual Banquet is an event not to be missed.
Reserve a place at Bennett
Spring for lunch Saturday and at the Annual Banquet Saturday night. Sign up at
the next member meeting with John Richards or Jim Ohnemus.
A $15 advance reservation
fee is required to hold a spot for these meals. The $15 will cover your meal
cost (excluding drinks) at the banquet. The club will furnish lunch at the
shelter across the river from the spring at noon on Saturday.
There are some fine places
to stay while in the Bennett Spring region. Its a good idea to make lodging reservations.
Sand Spring Resort
417-532-5857
Vogels Homestead Resort
417-532-4097
Larrys
417-532-8678
Andys Catch
417-532-0755
Bennett Spring State Park
1-800-334-6946
Call for Nominations
Each year at the Annual
Banquet at Bennett Spring, we award deserving members with a number of awards.
We need your help by nominating member for the following award categories.
Golden Strike
Indicator Award
For the member who always
seem to find themself in compromising situations.
Outstanding Service
Award
For the member who has gone
above and beyond to assist the club and its members.
Best Newsletter
Article
For the member who has
pinned the best prose.
Longest Fishing Trip
Award
For the member who went on
a fishing trip and we havent seen them since.
Tall-Tale-Teller
Award
For the member who spins a
yarn as well as they spin deer hair.
Multi-Fly Award
When just on fly just wont do.
New
Committee Leadership Needed
by
Dave Andrews
Education is one of our
clubs
key missions. We provide many programs at community libraries and the national
fly fishing week activities. This year, we have already managed seven requests
for community education programs.
We have a wonderful team
focused on our annual Spring Seminar, but we do not have anyone focusing on our
community outreach activities.
Each year, our club
conducts an awards banquet in conjunction with our December outing. The FFF and
the Southern Council also requests nominations for awards open to people who
have made significant contributions to our sport. Sometimes miss nominating a
truly deserving individual.
Today, officers and
directors with other responsibilities chip in to provide recognition to our
members and to coordinate requests for educational programs. We have outgrown
our ad-hoc approach to both Recognition and Education.
We can do better. Members
participating on committees find the experience rewarding and fun.
Duties for Education is
mostly coordinating the staffing and scheduling of community requests for
fly-fishing programs. Recognition would entail identifying and nominating
candidates for different awards.
We will be recruiting at
upcoming meetings. Who knows, you might learn more about fly-fishing and have
some fun.
New Meeting Location
The State of Kansas has
voted to allow early voting which eliminates our meeting location. Since voting
activities would disrupt our meeting schedule 3 to 4 times a year, it is a good
idea to actively search for a new permanent meeting location that would better
meet out needs.
One potential location
could be the MDC Discovery Center located near the Plaza. This facility is used
for Spring Seminars.
If you have suggestions for
a new meeting location, please contact an officer at the next member meeting.
Open Positions on the
Board
Do you have suggestions on how our club
should run? Do you want to make our club better and stronger? If you answered
yes to these questions, than there may be a position as an officer available
for you.
Secretary
The Secretary
is charged with overseeing the smooth operations of the club.
Education
Education
would coordinate fly fishing programs and national fly fishing week activities.
Recognition
Recognition
Committee would identify worthy candidates for awards.
Outings
Outings
Committee plans and manages the Fall and Spring Outings and Annual Picnic.
Upcoming Events &
Programs
October 18, 2004 Joseph R. Tomelleri
November 15,
2004 Annual Auction & Raffle
December 3 -
5, 2004 Annual Banquet/Winter Outing -
Bennett Spring
Visit our Advertisers:
Black
Dog Sports
www.blackdogsports.com
The
Fishing Hole
Ray & Jonell Fincke
(913) 642-5554
3731 W. 95th Overland Park, KS 66206
Rainbow
Fly Shop
4706-D
Shrank Drive
Independence,
MO 64055
816-373-2283
9-5 Tuesday - Saturday
K&K
Flyfishers
Everything for Todays Flyfisherman
Total Equipment Selection
Great How To Schools
Pro Staff for Your Questions
Fishing Trips: Alaska Canada Montana Bahamas
87th & Grant, Overland Park, KS 66212
www.kkflyfishers.com
913-341-8118
Fishing
River Custom Rods
Bill Kreitz
13715 Nation Rd.
Kearney, MO 64060
E-mail: b.kreitz@att.net
816-628-5071
Cell: 816-392-6720
River
Run Outfitters
212
South Commercial
Branson,
MO 65616
417-332-0460
877-699-3474
(toll free)
www.riverrunoutfitters.com
Branson
Lodge
2456 State Highway 165
Branson, MO 65616
1-800-334-3104
www.bransonlodge.com
Sawdust Clay Art
Handmade wood sculptures of your
favorite fish.
PO
Box 575 Liberty, MO 64068
(816)
792-4603 lylesw@mdc.state.mo.us
Loon
Outdoors
www.loonoutdoors.com
Pomeroy
Auction
James J.P.
Rozine
Auctioneer
Kansas City, Kansas
(913) 334-2153
Blue
Ribbon Flies
West Yellowstone, Montana
www.blueribbonflies.com
Lilleys'
Landing
1-800-LILLEYS
367 River Lane
Branson, MO 65616
www.lilleyslanding.com
Dr.
Slick Co.
www.drslick.com
Weaver's
Tackle Store
www.missouritrout.com/weavers
11388 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4618
Vogels
Homestead Resort
11451 Hwy 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4097
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
Spring
View Fly Shop
Ed & Kay
417-588-2116
11726 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
Andys
Catch
Phone:
417 - 532-0755
Fax:
417-532-1101
16161
Highway 64
Lebanon,
MO 65536
www.AndysCatch.com
Readings
Fly Shop
11937
Highway 64A
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-588-4334
Bennett
Spring State Park Concession Shop
26248
Hwy 64 A
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-4307
1-800-334-6946
Gastons
Tackle
Bennett
Springs State Park
11798
Highway 64 - Lot 63
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-9449
Sand
Springs Resort
1996
Hwy 64
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-5857
417-588-3110
fax
www.sandspringsresort.com
Larrys
Sporting Goods
25976
State Highway 64A
Lebanon,
MO 65536
877-456-7243 or
417-532-8678
e-mail:
larrys@bennettspring.com
www.bennettspring.com
Wilkinson
Outdoor Adventures
Clint Wilkinson
272 Wild Cat Shoals Road
Gassville, AR 72635
870-404-2942
CGFlyfish@excite.com
Rileys Station
Miles & Michelle Riley
129 CR 640
Buffalo, AR 72653
whiteriver.net/rileys/
888-533-2151
870-425-4221
Dale
Fultons Blue Ribbon Flies
1343 Hwy. 5 South
Mountain Home, Arkansas 72653
(870) 425-0447
Fax (870) 425-6954
http://www.mtnhome.net/fultons/
http://www.mtnhome.net/brf/
E-mail: bluflyar@mtnhome.com
Two
Rivers Fly Shop
13718
Hwy 5 South Norfork, AR 72658
870
499-3060 Fax 870 499-5951
www.tworiversflyshop.com
Wapsi
Ask
for Wapsi at Better Fly Shops Everywhere!
Mountain Home, AR 72653
Brass
Door Motel
Hwy
62W
Gassville, AR 72635
Motel
Phone
(870)
435-2988
Restaurant
Phone
(870)
435-2288
(877)
272-7736
The
Red Fern Restaurant
203
N. College St.
(1/2
Block off Hwy 62B)
Mountain Home, AR
870-508-6693
White
Sands Motel & Restaurant
Highway 62B - Next to Cotter's Rainbow
Arch Bridge
870-435-2244
whitesands@mtnhome.com
www.whiteriver.net/whitesands