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Across the Stream - August 2005

A Publication of Heart of America Fly Fishers

 

HOAFF August Meeting

Monday, August 15, 2005 - 7pm

 

Bill Lindley & Gervis Beiriger

The guys will show photos and discuss their recent trip fly fishing in Canada.

 

President's Message

HOAFF offer oppportunity to enhance your enjoyment of Fly Fishing

by Mark Borserine

 

We have another opportunity coming up at the end of this month to serve both our club and community; the Olathe Aquafest on August 27th typically attracts 2,200 people. This is a wonderful occasion to present ourselves to our wider community. If you haven’t already volunteered, call Bill Brant at (816) 941-9691 if you find yourself at the last minute with time on your hands, just show up and we will certainly have something of value for you to do! 

 

In September, there is another opportunity with a class to be given on Saturday September 10th at the Red Bridge library in Kansas City, MO. If you can spare a couple of hours on this Saturday afternoon, call Dave Mattes at 913-268-6161. Again, another opportunity to serve both your club and community.

 

In October, on the first weekend, the 6th, 7th and 8th, is the Southern Council Conclave in Mountain Home, AR. This is something not to be missed!  You will come away overwhelmed and inspired – there is literally something for everyone!

 

On October 15th there will be a club outing in Branson, MO. The fishing for the first few miles below TableRock Dam is always good and Branson is always fun to visit. Jim Jorgensen will have information:  913-477-7701.

 

The Heart of America Fly Fishers offers each and every one of our members multiple opportunities to enhance your skill and enjoyment of Fly Fishing. Fly Fishing is a limitless sport in the sense that it is truly a life-long learning experience. There is always a new aspect to our sport and one of the best ways to create situations for new experiences is participation. Come to meetings, come to outings and come out and help out with our educational and conservation projects. You’ll benefit the club and yourself in equal amounts. I find that the more I give, the more I get from my experiences. Just teaching fly tying, the most basic fly tying, over the last couple of years has increased my skills tenfold!

 

Alaska's Inside Passage

A trip of a lifetime

by Jim Ohnemus

 

My wife and I just got back from a extended trip to Alaska. This trip involved fly fishing, sight seeing, and travel by way of a ferry boat with car in tow.

 

This all came about when back in the summer of 2002 I went to Alaska fly fishing with (3) other club members to salmon fish. My wife Pat was a little upset about me going to Alaska with out her!

 

Because of my retirement in Feb. this year, she now knew it was her turn to see Alaska, she talked about driving up! I said no way!

 

Then I found information ,the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry boat ride w/ car) that starts at Bellingham, Wa. The route covers the way to Inside Passage all the way to Haines, Ak, this would save me from driving about (4) days. Also found information about lodging in the Tongass National Forest cabin. I had (100)s of primitive cabins to choose from (heated by oil), just one step above tent camping. But the big drawing card was ocean front view with a salmon &trout stream running near by! Location, location, location.  That made the choice easy. I was able to choose  (2) cabins on the Prince of Wales Island ( the third largest island own by United States) is located west of Ketchikan by about (50) miles.

 

So we caught the Ferry boat at Bellingham, Wa. and jumped off at Ketchikan and inter island ferry to Prince of Wales Island. the next day we took a float plane to Shipley Bay cabin for a week. We loved the cabins setting and saw lots of wildlife from the cabin’s deck, bears, deer, whales, eagles, sea otters and martins. The sockeye salmon were delayed,  stream were low so I decided to try my luck with Sea Run Cutthroats , I caught none, but did manage to catch (3) different kind ocean fish on a minnow pattern. It was new and fun to catch them. they were; Sea bass, Kely Greeling and Slimy Sculpin. The latter two had webby fins, look like frog feet!

 

The next exciting event was a “fishing contest” between (9) bald eagles, (3)orcas(killer whales) and one humpback whale. My wife Pat and I viewed this from our cabin deck.

 

First the humpback came up and rolled down with his tail showing, next the orcas flanked him on the left side with lots of movement in the ocean, which caused a wake line, then the eagle came hitting the water several times. The only explanation I had was the Humpback was feeding and he stunned several fish that then came to the surface. which the orcas and eagles keyed in on. It looked like they were having better luck catching fish than me. At the end of the first week the flight out was very exciting. The higher mountains were fogged in. So to my surprise here comes our float plane just rounding the far end of bay with lights on heading our way. He was flying low, just 200 ft. about water to avoid the fog.

 

The next cabin we rented we went by a small boat for (15) miles in the rain. This cabin was on Karta River with another ocean view. Nice! All of the Tongass National Forest is a rain forest,  mostly spruce very old and tall trees, some of these trees are (12) ft in diameter. At first I thought the rain forest looks eerie, later I found it to be very enjoyable to hike. This cabin has a very nice trail that follows the river for (2) miles. Makes for  good access for fishing. We saw more wildlife ,including this time (5) seals that swims back and forth between the salt  to the fresh water.

 

The first day fishing the Karta River, I hiked a short distance from the cabin with my four weight and caught nice rainbows and Dolly Varden (also known as Bull Trout).

 

The next day, which was July 4th, I started to catch Sockeye Salmon. This is about (10) days late for them to show up. I used my six weight rod, I had my eight weight with me but my line was messed-up. So with six weight I used 16 ft. sinking tip and tied on a “sockeye orange” fly that I had jazzed up with red krystal flash and fine orange  fibers.

 

For (3) days I was catching Sockeye from 26"-28" long. Morning and evening were the best time .It is hard to describe how these fish set me over the top with excitement!

 

Just 1/4 of a mile out of the salt water, when they took the fly the Sockeye would charge out of the water like a bullet, next they would roll over the surface at lease (4) times!

 

If still hooked I would reel in a very hard fighting salmon! I could not sight fish these Sockeye, the water was waist deep, also a gin color. I cast across and let the sinking tip swing down stream where the salmon were jumping. On the third day besides the Sockeye’s I caught a Chum Salmon. The last fish of the day was a very big surprise, after I was hooked- up, it raced toward me to my right side. It was a very strong fish, it slowed to a stop, an then broke out of the river  in front me, landed about 8 feet to my left and made one roll braking a 10 pound tippet! As far as I could tell it was a large “fresh” Coho. The excitement was overwhelming, I took my tired body to the trail to the cabin.

 

My thoughts were reflecting the past three days of great fishing, where are the nay sayers that say Sockeye Salmon do not take flies!! I know I could grin them down!

 

I’m planning to be  back to this Karta River in the near future.

 

We packed-up and took the ferry back to Ketchikan, jumping on a ferry to Juneau. We stayed in Juneau for (3) days, toured Glacier Bay (Tracy’s Arm) where the ice continues to brake off all summer long! We continued on to Haines. We droved to Talkeetna. Ak., took A (2) hour fly over and around Mt. McKinley and landed on a glacier.

 

We traveled home by way Canada. On the road we saw (2) grizzly bears, and one black bear, open range buffalo, mountain sheep, moose and deer. It took eight days of driving from Tok, Ak. to home.

 

It was a trip of a life time!

 

 

2005 Officers  

PRESIDENT

Mark Borserine

majborser@aol.com

(913) 381-0722

pAST PRESIDENT/SECRETARY

David Andrews

davidgandrews@kc.rr.com

H (816) 741-8314

tREASURER

Paul Bennetts

pbennetts1@comcast.net

913-338-3837

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Tom James

tom@blackdogsports.com

O (816) 718-0393

PROGRAMS

Cliff Cain                   John Bell

cliffcain@hotmail.com                   j.bell@kcc.state.ks.us

H (913) 780-3865                   H (785) 843-1782

O (913) 433-5224                   O (785) 271-3139

OUTINGS

Jim Jorgensen                   Bill Lyon

jjorgens@ci.lenexa.ks.us                   blyon51@yahoo.com

H (913) 469-1950                   (816) 525-1243

O (913) 477-7701

MEMBERSHIP

Cliff Newton                   Fred Clark

ccnewton@sbcglobal.net                   fclarks@planetkc.com

H (816) 943-8306                   H (913) 831-0305

O (816) 426 3925 x260                      

CONSERVATION/BLUE RIVER PROJECT

Raymond Zook

rzook@kc.rr.com

H (816) 941-2862

LIBRARIAN

Doug McDonald

mcdoug5148@sbcglobal.net

(913) 669-5222

EDUCATION/RECOGNITION

Bill Lindley                   Jim Mattes

(913) 888-3177                   (913) 248-1030

SPRING PROGRAM COMMITTEE

Dick Martin                   Don Grundy

rlm@mllfpc.com                   dgrundy@sbcglobal.net

H (816) 781-9557                   H (816)-781-9019

O (816) 221-1430           

WEBMASTER

Vicky Newton

svnewton@sbcglobal.net

H (816) 943-8306

AUCTION/RAFFLE

Dan Zimmerman

dzmmrmn@aol.com

(913) 829-4768

HISTORIAN

Bill Brant

billandkathy@kc.rr.com

H (816) 941-9691                   O (913) 458-6826

SOUTHERN COUNCIL LIAISON

Hod McIntosh

singingreels@sbcglobal.net

Home: (913) 722-3684

BANQUET CHAIR

John Richards

jreyedoc1@aol.com

H (816) 781-0545                   O (816) 781-0500

 

 

 

Heart of America Fly Fishers Meetings

Meetings are held at 7pm on the 3rd Monday of each month

Community of Christ Church

79th & Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS

 

 

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

Come early to the member meeting to watch the featured fly tyer, Steve Jenkins. If you are interested in being a featured fly tyer, contact Dave Andrews.

 

 

HOAFF Apparel now available

Now you can get a T-shirt or a fishing hat with the new Heart of America Fly Fishers Logo. To purchase your HOAFF apparel, see Tom James at the next member meeting. Hats $15, T-shirts $12

 

 

HOAFF Annual Family Picnic

Shawnee Mission Park - Shelter #6

by Jim Jorgensen

 

Don’t forget – the September meeting is not at the usual place.  The annual family picnic will be held at Shawnee Mission Park – Shelter #6.  Bring the family so you significant others so they can meet everyone and see what goes on in the club and have a fantastic meal.   The club will provide the meat and drinks and each family should bring a side dish to share.  We hope to start eating by around 6:30 or as soon as people and food arrive.

 

We will do barbecue this year so bring something that goes with that – we are going to do our best to kick it up a notch from the burgers and dogs at past picnics so be ready for a surprise. 

 

Mission Park is on Renner Road, near 87th Street and I-435.  When you get to I-435 and 87th go west on 87th to Renner (1st street west of 435), turn north and the park entrance is about ½ mile at the top if the hill - upon entry to the park stay to the right and go around the north side of the lake.  Each shelter is numbered – so look for the HOAFF sign.

 

To fish at Shawnee Mission Park you need a Kansas fishing license and a park permit.  You do not need a permit to practice casting provided you are not fishing.

 

 

Fall Outing - Branson

October 15, 2005

by Jim Jorgensen

 

The fall outing for the club will be held this year at Branson, Missouri on the weekend of October 15th.  Branson has easy access for fishing and has lots of other activities for entertainment is you want to bring your spouse or others in the family. 

 

Everyone is encouraged to bring their spouse. My wife Angela will organize some activities for the ladies so if you are interested please send me an e-mail.  We will have a common place for everyone to eat Saturday night.

 

Main accommodations will be at Lilleys’ Landing, 1-800-LILLEYS, 367 River Lane, Branson, MO 65616, www.lilleyslanding.com and the Branson Lodge, 2456 State Highway 165, Branson, MO 65616, 1-800-334-3104, www.bransonlodge.com.  Everyone is responsible for making their own reservations.

 

 

Olathe Aquafest

Saturday, August 27th from 3:00 to 7:00 • Cedar Lake Park in Olathe

By Bill Brant

 

The Olathe Aquafest will be held Saturday, August 27th from 3:00 to 7:00 at Cedar Lake Park in Olathe. Last year’s Aquafest had an estimated crowd of 2200 people.

 

We would like to demonstrate assorted flyfishing skills and also teach flyfishing using the teaching factory that Hod developed for the Hooked on Flyfishing programs. We can teach flytying, knots, flycasting, and explain flyfishing equipment. We need additional club volunteers to help.

 

These events give our club the opportunity to get our name and face in front of a large number of people. We will teach a few of them about flyfishing. Let me know if you want to get involved.

 

 

CDC Feathers

By Mark Borserine

 

Some of you saw me demonstrate the MP (Marc Petitjean) Magic Tool as the July “Featured Fly Tyer”. Learning to use this tool was my first experience in using CDC or cul-de-canard feathers. Cul-de-Canard is French and literally means “Duck’s Ass”. The feathers come from the top of the Duck’s rear end.

 

Petitjean has quite a bit of fascinating information on his website (www.petitjean.com) about the use of CDC feathers beginning among Swiss fly tyers in the 1920s. I have a fascination for “things Swiss” because my last name is Swiss, my grandfather was a Swiss immigrant.

 

When I tied the first dry fly with CDC, using Petitjean’s method with the Magic Tool, I tried the fly by floating it in a glass of water for an hour. It didn’t sink a bit and when I took it from the water and squeezed it, unlike the usual dry fly which “wrings out”, virtually no water came out of it at all!  I’ve just begun exploring this material but am very excited about what I’m finding. The Petitjean website (www.petitjean.com) has a lot of unusual and really good-looking patterns that he has developed. Those of you who are fond of very realistic, delicate flies will be excited by what you see.

From Petitjean's Catalog:

 

The characteristics that make CDC such great material are:

1  It is a very light material.

2  It is a very soft material.

3  But, it is a very tough, strong material.

4  It is a semi-translucent material, so that flies with CDC have a more life-like quality than flies with other, more opaque materials.

5  CDC is highly aerodynamic – when being cast the CDC collapses but expands at the end of the cast and acts as a parachute as the fly descends to the water. It therefore makes casting easier and presentations more delicate.

6  CDC is highly hydrodynamic – under water every filament flickers with life in the gentlest flow or on the slowest retrieve.

7  When a fish takes a CDC fly into its mouth the soft CDC folds up like real fly tissues. So, the fish accepts it more readily and is much slower to reject a CDC fly than a fly made of harder materials.

 

 

CDC & Elk

by Hans Weilenmann

 

Step 1: Select a properly sized (Type 1) CDC feather. The longest barbs should be approximately two times the hook shank length.

 

Hold the butt of the CDC feather with the fingers/thumb of your left hand, and draw the feather between thumb and index finger of your right hand toward the tip, bunching the tips together.

 

Tie in the bunch, butt pointing backwards over the hook bend. Tie the feather down with two tight turns of thread, then slip a third turn under the tips to force them upward and follow with a fourth turn over the tips, just forward of the third turn, to lock the CDC barbs in place. Spiral-wrap the thread forward to eye, then wrap back one touching turn away from the hook eye.

 

Step 2: Clamp the feather butt with hackle pliers and wind the CDC feather toward the eye in touching turns. The rear half of the body resembles a dubbed body, but as you progress toward the eye more and more free barbs will stand out. Stroke these back with each turn. With a little practice, you will learn to arrive at the hook eye with only the bare part of the stem left.

 

Tie off the CDC feather with one or two tight turns of thread and unclip the hackle pliers. Do not trim yet. Tighten with another two turns of thread. The CDC butt will move with the thread, tightening further at the tie-off point. Trim the CDC butt.

 

Step 3: Take a small amount of straight, fine-tipped mule deer hair. I look for undamaged tips with distinct coloration (dark tips with a lighter colored band further down the hair) and a fairly steep taper to the hair, which allows me to produce the distinct, rounded head on my CDC&Elk.

 

Even the hair tips in a stacker. Position the bunch of hair on top of the hook parallel to the hook shank. Measure the tips so the wing will be long enough to just reach the back of the hook.

 

Trim the butts square (perpendicular to the strands) with the front of the hook eye prior to tying in the wing.

 

Tie down the wing with two tight wraps of thread over the hair stubs. Make a third wrap with the thread, through the stubs, at a 45 degree angle. A fourth wrap goes under the stubs. Complete the fly with a whip-finish under the stubs and a little varnish. Aim for a neatly rounded head.

 

 

Upcoming Events & Programs

August 15, 2005            Bill Lindley & Gervis Beiriger  - Canada

September 19, 2005             Club Picnic - Shawnee Mission Park

October 6 - 8, 2005             Southern Council Conclave - Mountain Home, AR

October 15, 2005             Fall Outing - Branson MO

November 21, 2005           Annual Raffle & Auction

December 3, 2005             Winter Outing - Bennett Springs MO

 

 

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

2626 Hwy 165

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 • sawdustclay@sbcglobal.net

 

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

 

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

 

Bennett Spring State Park Concession Shop

26248 Hwy 64 A

Lebanon, MO 65536

417-532-4307

1-800-334-6946

 

Gaston’s 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

 

Wilkinson Outdoor Adventures

Clint Wilkinson

272 Wild Cat Shoals Road

Gassville, AR 72635

870-404-2942

CGFlyfish@excite.com

 

Riley’s  Station

Miles & Michelle Riley

129 CR 640

Buffalo, AR 72653

whiteriver.net/rileys/

888-533-2151

870-425-4221

 

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/  

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

 

White Sands Motel & Restaurant

Highway 62B - Next to Cotter's Rainbow Arch Bridge

870-435-2244

whitesands@mtnhome.com

www.whiteriver.net/whitesands

 

Bass Pro Shops

www.basspro.com

 

Chapman Creek Fly & Tackle

2701 North Marshall

Chapman, KS 76431

785-922-6630

www.chapmancreek.com

 

Rim Shoals Lodge & Fly Shop

River Front Lodging

Guided FIshing Trips

Boat/Motor Rental

Full Service Fly Shop

Gary & Paula Flippin

(870) 435-6144

www.rimshoals.com

 

Legler Knives

www.leglerknives.com

 

Guide Lines Guide Service

To Schedule a trip on Kansas Lakes:

Call 785-267-0065 or

cell 785-640-5463

www.clydetheguide.com

 

Anglers and Achery Outfitters

136B Eden Way

Branson, MO 65616