Across
the Stream - September 2005
A
Publication of Heart of America Fly Fishers
HOAFF September Meeting
Monday, September 19, 2005 - 7pm
Annual HOAFF Picnic
Shawnee
Mission Park Shelter #4 - Food served at 6:30pm
President's Message
by Mark Borserine
It was a source of some humor at our
Officer Meeting on Monday September 6th that the Olathe Aquafest, scheduled for August
27th, was canceled due to
too much water! Nature does seem to be
“Feast or Famine”!
This was a great opportunity for us to
get out into our Community and it will be available again next year. Bill
Brant, one of our Officers and Directors, volunteered to take the title of
“Event Coordinator” and coordinate the Club’s efforts to participate in
Community Events. Bill e-mailed me a list of events occurring in the Metro area
each year and it is enormous! We will
not, of course, attempt to participate in every one of these, but probably a
half dozen or so. These are wonderful opportunities to be a positive influence
in our community and “market” ourselves; so look for us to announce these
events and come out and help.
The Discovery Center has asked us to give
classes in Fly Fishing over this coming Fall or Winter. We are still developing
a syllabus and the schedule but this will present a wonderful opportunity to
serve our community and promote ourselves. Also, the best way to learn
something is to teach it!
Conclave is coming up rapidly (OCT 6,7,8)
,and, to repeat myself; I cannot say enough about how wonderful an event this
is! Tickets are still available for the
Mitzi Skiff drawing – a $25,000 Boat, Motor and Trailer package; I will have
these at the Picnic Sept. 19th or, you can call or e-mail me (see my listing
in Officers section of the newsletter)
since I have the tickets to sell: $10 a ticket or 12 for $100.
At the picnic, I will have some of my own
shirts I have had embroidered with the Club Logo and my name. These are not
T-Shirts but the long-sleeved, large-pocketed rip-stop nylon or cotton fishing
shirts by Simms, Orvis, LL Bean, etc. This is done by the same firm that did
our T-Shirts. The charge is $6.50 a shirt for the Logo only and an additional
$7 to add the name. There is a $25 minimum. Rather than sell shirts we decided
to have our members supply their own favorite shirts and I will accumulate
these and take them to River City T’s for members; that way we can meet the
minimum.
HOAFF
Annual Family Picnic
Shawnee
Mission Park - Shelter #4 - September 19
by Jim Ohnemus
Don’t forget – the September meeting is
not at the usual place. The annual family picnic will be held at Shawnee
Mission Park – Shelter #4 (note – we have changed from shelter 6 to shelter
4) Shelter 4 is on the north side of
the lake near the marina at the west end of the parking lot. 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 - in 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.
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
jhjflyfisher@everestkc.net 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, Monet Drake. 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. Hats $15, T-shirts $12
In Search of Rocky Mountain Gold
by Paul Bennetts
Westward expansion across the Rocky
Mountains in 19th century America was born out of our human need to explore and
seek new opportunities. No less important was the announcement that “There’s
gold in them hills!” which led courageous pioneers into the unknown in search
of riches.
It was the promise of gold hidden in the
Alpine lakes of the Rockies that lured two members of the Heart of America Fly
Fishers into the mountains of Wyoming this summer.
Late last winter, Jim Ohnemus approached
me at one of our meetings, and, with the same excitement that infected early
gold prospectors, asked me if I was interested in taking a horseback and
backpacking trip with him deep into the Wind River Range in search of four
small lakes that he had heard from good authority, was home to an abundance of
golden trout.
I agreed to see if my vacation schedule
could be arranged to make the trip, and when I found that it could, excitedly
set about making preparations for the big adventure. I had not backpacked in
over twenty years, and all of my packing equipment had long since found its way
into neighborhood and church rummage sales.
A bit of time searching the internet over the summer resulted in the
purchase of the necessary items, most of them at sale prices.
With Jim’s Explorer packed and ready, we
set out on August 10th bound for Wyoming. I should say at this point, that I think the
word “Wyoming” may be a Shoshone word for “the weather is changing.” You will see why as the story unfolds. We
made the drive to Laramie where we spent the night, and then across the state
to Lander the next day. A stop there at a sporting goods shop provided us with
the necessary state licenses to fish, but the shop owner had bad news. Due to
some contention from the local Native American tribal leaders, he did not have
the necessary licenses that would allow us to hike on tribal land where the
golden trout lakes were located.
Somewhat dejectedly, we made our way to a
local gas station that sold licenses, but they too did not have the
all-important documents we needed. A phone call to station owned by a local
tribe in a in a nearby town brightened our spirits when we found that they had
a few licenses left. We had lunch in Lander and raced up the highway to the
station to claim our permits.
That accomplished, we began the hour and
a half drive up a gravel road through Tribal properties to the Allen Diamond
Four Ranch where we would spend the night before heading into the mountains. Jim
and Mary Allen and their daughters are the gracious owners of the ranch and
provide outfitting and pack trips for hikers, fishermen and hunters throughout
the summer and fall months. They are warm friendly people, and made us feel
right at home. Jim was busy shoeing horses when we arrived but stopped to chat
and direct us to our cabin.
We unloaded our camping supplies so that
the wranglers could begin packing them for the next day’s ride into the
wilderness. (I believe the term wrangler comes from the Latin word “wrangliem”
which means to chew and spit profusely, but I could be wrong here). After a
hearty meal prepared by the wranglerettes, we turned in for the night, with
visions of gold circling in our dreams.
The next morning we enjoyed breakfast with
Jim and his crew of cowpersons and then watched as the horses were packed and
prepared for the trip. A short lecture on basic equestrian etiquette from a
wrangler named Dan-o (no relation to the guy on Hawaii Five-O) acquainted Jim
and I with where the accelerators, brakes and turn signals were on the horses
and we were ready to go. I would like to say that Jim and I looked like
professional cowboys as we climbed smoothly into the saddles of our mounts, but
I cannot. Suffice it to say that we both made it up on top of our horses and
leave it at that. These were large, powerful animals, capable of carrying heavy
burdens, such as, well, Jim and me.
And so, we set off for the mountains,
with wranglers fore and aft and three pack horses carrying all out stuff. It
took us just over seven hours (with just one short break) to cover the 17 miles
of rocky uneven trails to Grave Lake in the heart of the Popo Agie Wilderness
area (pronounced “po-pozha”). I am not certain, but I suspect that “Popo Agie”
may be an Arapaho phrase for “watch where you step, many horses walk
here.” Just about the time that I was
pretty sure I would be paraplegic for life as a result of prolonged time in the
saddle, we arrived at out destination and Jim selected a decent campsite in the
trees next to Grave Lake.
We unloaded our stuff, said good-bye to
the wranglers, who promised that someone would be back in eight days to
retrieve us, and pitched our tents. We were tired from the ride and from
several hours of being buffeted by 40-50 mile per hour winds while we were
above the tree line, so we had supper and hit our tents early for a good
night’s sleep.
The next day we experienced the first day
of what would be a week long struggle with the mountain weather. Fog and cold
had enveloped the lake along with periods of wind, at times enough to create
whitecaps on the water. Undaunted, we took our six weight fly rods and set out
to fish Grave Lake.
Our early efforts were met with limited
success. Jim had some hookups but none landed. We moved down the lake to the
drainage outlet where the lake formed a stream with some promising riffles.
Here I landed a 15 inch Cutthroat which I caught on a pheasant tail nymph
dropper attached to a bushy elk-hair dry fly tied Madam-X style. I also had
several hits and follows at the dry fly but no more fish landed that day. Heavy
fog blew in about 4:00 pm along with a thunderstorm so we called it a day and
returned to camp for supper and hit the tents to ride out the storm.
The next day, greeted with morning sunshine,
we loaded up our backpacks to head up the mountain on tribal land in search of
four small lakes with no names to see if the rumors of golden trout were true.
Our two Midwestern explorers were not yet acclimated to the 10,000 foot
elevations and we found the hike to be quite strenuous.
One stream crossing along the way
appeared to rather deep and so we took off our boots to wade across and shuttle
our packs and gear to the other side. Finally, we arrived at our destination
above the tree line and gazed at the shore of a small lake, wondering if we
were about to strike gold. Would all this soon be worth it?
We quickly set up camp, and though we
were tired from our hike, went to the lake for our first attempt to catch
goldens. We did not have to wait long. We caught several of the bright yellow
fish with vivid red lateral lines and bellies. We had success with large black
ants, caddis patterns and emerger patterns dropped from our dry flies.
Most of the goldens were in the 10 to 12
inch range and were feisty strong fish that hit the flies like small torpedoes,
often racing to the target with one or two other fish in hot pursuit. After the
action died down, we hiked up to a neighboring lake and had no success there at
all.
We returned to camp, had supper and I
returned to the first lake for some evening fishing. Five more fish fell to my
offerings of elk haired caddis with a brassie dropper. One of the fish looked
like some kind of hybrid and Jim and I later decided it might be a “golden-bow”
cross between a golden and a rainbow. Finally, darkness swallowed up the day
and it was time to sleep again.
The next day we were greeted with decent
weather. We again found success in the first lake as well as the third lake we
hiked to. A fourth lake in the chain yielded no fish for us. Our goldens were
of better size on this day, some up to 14 or 15 inches. We also caught a few
more of the golden-bows, all of which were small. All in all this was the most satisfying day of our trip and Jim
and I agreed that our success in catching golden trout had been well worth the
effort.
The following day we hiked back to our
base camp. We arrived in time to have a hot lunch and then watch as the sky
opened up and starting raining on us again. We spent the afternoon in the
shelter of our tents and as the rain begin to let up toward evening, we decided
to don our rain gear and hike up to the west end of Grave Lake to see if the
Lake Trout were biting (Jim calls them Mackinaws). They were, and we both
caught several nice fish in the range of 16 to 18 inches.
These responded well to Jim’s large ant
patterns and to a bushy black hopper pattern I had left over from last year’s
club trip to the Current River. We kept
one fish for our supper and two others to give to a lady and her son, who were
camped nearby. Jim did a masterful job frying the fish in some olive oil with
onion and garlic cloves and we enjoyed a meal that any four star restaurant
would have been proud to have on the menu. The rain stopped but we listened as
the winds whipped through our tents that night.
The remainder of our trip was less
remarkable as far as fishing goes, but certainly will be remembered as part of
the adventure. A day hike up to Baptiste Lake (named after Sacagawea’s son of
Lewis and Clark fame) resulted in my landing a couple of beefy cutthroats of 16
inches. Most of the day was windy and the fishing difficult, but during a brief
respite from the wind and waves, I was able to cast to several rising fish with
my bushy black hopper pattern and thrilled as they charged my fly and ate it
with all the fervor of a high country fish who knows that his feeding season
will be a short one. When the wind made casting too much of a challenge, we called
it a day and hiked back to base camp.
The next day was Thursday; only two days
left for high country fly fishing. We had determined that we would hike up to a
body of water named Lock Laven, nestled next to an enormous piece of granite.
Jim had been here on a previous trip and found the lake to be inhabited by
husky browns and rainbows. Our day started off with low clouds and continuous
drizzle, but, trying to be optimistic, we loaded our backpacks and set off
about noon.
The farther we hiked, the harder the rain
came down and we had some tense moments as we crossed a large open area only to
be greeted with substantial amounts of thunder and lightening. We pressed on
and reached the lake about 4:00 pm, pretty much soaked from the rain. As the
rain dissipated we set up camp and the winds returned, allowing us to dry out
somewhat. I have to admit, as I drifted off to sleep that night I momentarily
wondered what I was doing out there in the wilderness, far away from the
comfort and safety of my suburban home in Olathe.
Our final day of fishing was a
disappointing end to our trip. High winds most of the morning (again 40-50
miles per hour) raked across the lake and I found myself spending most of my
time doing some sort of pathetic tango with my fly line wrapped around every
bush and weed in sight. Jim had several good strikes but no catches and I
honestly never saw a fish all day in spite of trying about every fly in my box.
Oh well, as the song goes, some days are diamonds and some days are stones.
Naturally, on the day we left, the
weather was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and nearly windless, about as perfect as
a day can be. Was this nature’s way of mocking the two fishermen who had
traveled so far to be in the mountains and catch a few prized fish that are
only attainable after one has paid the penance of many hours in the saddle and
shouldering a 60 pound backpack?
Was this some fee imposed by the
wilderness for the unparalleled vistas and mountain fresh air we had enjoyed
during the week? Had I heard in the mountain winds the voices of the ghosts of
Shoshone warriors laughing at the hardships their wilderness had imposed on two
would-be mountaineers from Kansas City?
I guess I’ll never know for sure, but I’ll wonder about it for a long
time.
The long ride back on horseback gave me
plenty of time for reflection on the week and adventures now behind us. I guess
I’ve learned a few things to share in conclusion:
1) There
is a reason it is called the “Wind River” Range.
2) When
you are hiking with a heavy pack, it is always farther to the next lake then it
appears on the map.
3) Likewise,
it is always uphill, both ways! I’m not
sure why this is.
4) Any
time I go on a trail ride, I always get behind the horse with the gas.
5) Speaking
of horses, I don’t understand what the big thrill is about riding them. I’m
sorry, I just don’t get it.
6) Some
people will do anything to catch a fish. I now realize I’m probably one of
them.
Fall Outing - Branson
October 15, 2005
by Jim Jorgensen, jhjflyfisher@everestkc.net
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. On Saturday night we will eat at Shorty
Small’s restaurant.
Main accommodations will be at Parkview Lodge, 5477
Hwy 165, 1-888-727-5883; 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.
Aquafest
Cancelled
By Bill Brant
We borrowed the Southern Council FFF fly rods and
reels. We borrowed the Discovery Center flytying kits. Tom James compiled and
edited several of his videos and put them on a single VCR tape. Ray Zook put
together the club photographs. We printed lots of club membership applications.
We printed lots of brochures that highlight watershed conservation topics.
We were ready to go. However, due to rainy weather,
the Olathe Aquafest was cancelled.
A big thank you goes out to all of those who
volunteered to help: John Bell, Mark Borserine, Bill Brant, Cliff Cain, Fred
Clark, Mike George, Steve Hayes, Michael Hart, Tom James, Jim Jorgensen, Julie
Macaulay, Doug McDonald, Hod McIntosh, Jackie Palmer (Bridging the Gap), Ken
Schubert, and Ray Zook.
You still get the credit for offering to complete
whatever was required. To all who offered to help: You get the credit. Thank you.
The next festival is Friday, October 7th. It’s
the Missouri River Watershed Festival. It will be held at Kaw Point, which is
located where the Kansas River flows into the Missouri River. The date should
be one that means something to many of you. It’s the start of the Southern
Council Conclave in Mountain Home, Arkansas. We are not planning on having a
significant club presence, since many will be attending the Conclave. However,
it would benefit the club if we could get a couple of members to represent us
at the festival. If you are planning to be in town, and would be willing to sit
at a table and tell passers-by about our club, please contact me at
816.941.9691. The festival is scheduled from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. More
information can be found at the Little Blue River Watershed’s website: www.littleblueriverwc.org.
Upcoming Events & Programs
September 19, 2005 HOAFF Picnic - Shawnee Mission Park
October 6-8, 2005 Southern Council Conclave - Mtn Home,
AR
October 15, 2005 Fall Outing - Branson MO
October 17, 2005 Steven Dally - Fly Fishing Tasmania
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