Across the Stream – Aug/Sept 2009
A Publication of Heart of America Fly Fishers
Monday, August 17 • 7pm
Paul Bennetts and Jim Ohnemus on Wyoming Trip
Monday, September 21 • 6:30pm
HOAFF Annual Picnic, Shawnee Mission Park, Shelter #4
Auction Time
August 11, 2009
by Darren Watson
Our annual HOAFF auction is just around the corner, and we are currently accepting donations. We will be following up in the next few weeks with those who have donated in the past. The auction is our primary source of operating funds for the year, so it’s important that we have a successful auction.
I would like to congratulate Mark Borserine for completing his training to become a Certified Casting Instructor. It’s not an easy feat to obtain the certification. So we should continue to give him a hard time when we see him untangling his fly line during fishing outings!
I would also like to thank Steve Hegstrom for providing valuable information at the monthly club meetings. I’ve received some very positive feedback on his first aid related topics.
Lastly, I would like recognize Tom James for his help preparing the newsletter each month. He has been helping out for many years, and we appreciate his time. Unfortunately, Tom will be unable to continue his services, so we’re currently in search of a replacement. Because we have not had any members volunteer thus far, we will have to pay a service to prepare the newsletter, which will consequently increase the overall cost of the newsletter. So be sure to let us know if you know of anyone who could help us out in this department.
Wild Trout in Missouri?
by Sam Potter
Missouri currently has approximately one hundred miles of streams with wild rainbow trout populations. Some of these streams are very small, like Mill Creek and Blue Spring Creek and some are large rivers like the Eleven Point and The North Fork of the White.
Very few trout fishermen across this great nation of ours know that rainbow trout have been spawning naturally in the state of Missouri for over 125 years. In 1880, the Missouri Fish Commission obtained rainbow trout eggs from the U.S Fish Commission at the McCloud River Station in California. Early attempts to raise trout for Missouri were poor. The location of the hatchery was near St. Joseph in the northwest corner of the state and the trout streams were located in the southern part of the state.
During the late 1800s, the United States Fish Commission had a railroad car for keeping fish and trout fingerlings were stocked in the southern part of the state along the Frisco railroad route from St. Louis to Joplin. Some of today’s Missouri wild trout trace back to ancestry from those early stockings.
All the trout, that were originally stocked, were not thought to be McCloud River Redband. The McCloud River was also home to coastal steelhead and it is thought that the original stockings included them as well. The purist decedents of the original stockings, in Missouri, are in Crane Creek. Mill Creek and Little Piney Creek also have good roots to the original stockings, but there is a small genetic differentiation to Crane Creek Trout. There was a single shipment of Donaldson strain trout brought into the Shepherd of the Hills hatchery in 1950 and this could be one of the causes for the difference in the genetics of Crane Creek Trout and Mill Creek and Little Piney. Currently there are no hatchery stockings on Mill Creek and the trout that are stocked in the White Ribbon section of Little Piney are fall spawning which do not cross with the “wild trout” that are spring spawning.
Note: Samplings on Little Piney has revealed a haplotype, which could be from the original stocking.
“Wild rainbow trout” in the North Fork of the White River have been reproducing naturally for many decades. They were originally stocked from a Missouri hatchery and no Rainbow trout stockings have been made on the North Fork for several years. This has allowed the population to have very little variance genetically. The North Fork has the largest “wild trout” population in the state.
The upper 5.5 miles of the Eleven Point River was designated a “wild trout” stream in 1992. Prior to that time approximately 10,000 trout were stocked annually. This allowed a larger than normal diversity of genetics in the trout population. Although there is some natural reproduction, annual shock census revealed that the natural reproduction is much lower than projected expectations and supplemental stockings are now used to maintain the population.
All of the wild trout streams in Missouri are created by natural springs with an average temperature of 56-59 degrees the year around. These springs range in size from over 200 million gallons to 5 million gallons each day. The moderate year around temperature provides a great environment for aquatic insects, minnows and crayfish. Missouri wild trout can grow rapidly with this abundant food source and 365 day growing seasons. It is common for a wild trout in Missouri to reach ten inches by their second year and large enough to spawn by their third year.
The regulations for fishing these wild trout waters are restrictions on method and possession. Only flies or artificial lures are allowed. Natural baits, synthetic soft plastics, or scented baits are strictly prohibited. The possession limit is one fish 18 inches or larger. Needless to say, 99% of the fishermen, on these waters, release their catch regardless of the size.
Missouri is probably more famous for the tremendous tail water fishery of Lake Taneycomo and the huge trout caught there or the four put and take trout parks than it is for its wild trout streams. But Missouri has some excellent wild trout creeks that will test the best fly casters skills and large rivers that require longer and stronger rods to get to the honey spots. For a fly fisherman, the variety and challenges of Missouri’s wild trout streams makes this a great place to live, or visit for a fly-fishing adventure.
Both fish have the white tipped fins and the orange spot on the top of the dorsal. Both fish also have the orange cuts on the lower jaw. The main difference is the spots. The Little Piney trout has larger minimal spots and most of them are above the lateral line with very few below the lateral line, a characteristic of the McCloud Redband Strain.
In September 2007, members of TU chapters along with members of FFF clubs around the state gathered at Dr. Bohigian’s farm to help construct Skyhook structures to improve over head cover for Mill Creek’s wild trout. 40+ volunteers from across the state constructed 13 Skyhooks on that sunny Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately about a third of the skyhooks were lost in the spring of 2008 to three successive and unusually high floods. The latest reports from fisheries biologist indicate that the skyhooks that survived the floods are doing what they were constructed to do and have been a big success. More skyhooks were put into place this spring to replace those lost in 2008.
Sam Potter
Mid-Mo TU Chapter
TightLine Guide Service
Rolla Missouri
www.TightLine.biz
Annual HOAFF Family Picnic
by Ron Carruthers
What: HOAFF Family Picnic
Where: Shawnee Mission Park – Shelter # 4 (same place as last year)
When: September 21, 2009 starting around 6:30 p.m.
By the time you see this message it will be well into August. Most of the kids will be back in school or at least getting close to their first day. Once again summertime is coming to a close. I don’t know about you but they seem to be going by a lot faster than they used to.
I trust everyone had a chance to visit their favorite fishing spot once or twice this season and hopefully a few of you have even experienced that trip of a lifetime. The annual picnic will be a great place to catch up on everyone’s summer activities. So be sure to mark Monday September 21 on your calendars. The whole family is invited.
Jim Jorgensen and Mark Borserine have graciously volunteered to once again labor over a hot smoker to provide us some of the best BBQ ribs and brisket you will ever find in the Kansas City area. In addition the club will provide bread/buns, utensils and beverages.
Please bring a covered dish, salad or desert to help round out the meal.
There is plenty of room around Shelter # 4 to cast a line so if this is the summer you mastered the double haul don’t forget to bring a rod. In case you forget the club will be sure to have a few of our club rods on hand for your demonstrations.
Directions: Exit from I 435 onto 87th Street. Go west on 87th Street to Renner (the first street west of I 435).
Turn right (north) on Renner and go ½ mile to the entrance to Shawnee Mission Park on your left.
Enter the park and stay to the right. Go around the north side of the lake and look for Shelter #4 on your left. We plan to have the HOAFF banner out front. I look forward to seeing everyone!
Montauk – Current River Fall Outing
By Peet Crissey
The last HOAFF sponsored outing of the year will be to Montauk State Park and the Current River. We will start to arrive on Friday afternoon, October 9th. For those club members that have Columbus Day holiday fishing will continue through Monday, October 12th. Cabins and rooms at the Lodge may still be available but don’t wait too long to make your reservations.
To make your arrangements, please phone Lee at 573-548-2434. If you go to the Montauk State Park website (http://www.mostateparks.com/montauk.htm) you will find links to other options for lodging.
Everyone should plan to meet for dinner at the Lodge the evenings of the 9th and 10th at 6:30 pm. We will join again at the Lodge for the breakfast buffet the morning of the 10th and 11th at 7:30 am. Lunch each day is on your own.
The fall is a great time to visit Montauk. The scenery is spectacular and the fishing isn’t bad either. If you have any questions please call Peet Crissey at 913.706.7299.
P.S. Be sure to mark your calendars for the annual banquet at Bennett Springs on December 05, 2009!
Golden Bones in Kansas
by Mark Borserine
On July 14th, Jim Bebb and I used the day’s fishing with Paul “Sodie” Sodamann that I had bought at last year’s auction. We fished on Milford Lake for the day with Sodie. It was hot and since it was a weekend, the lake was crowded and the water was rough. Despite the adverse conditions, Jim landed four good carp, one about 10 lbs. I caught a nice White Bass when we first got out; we got into a huge school of them chasing shad on the surface! I didn’t do so well on the Carp because I just grabbed a pair of sunglasses when I left and paid no attention to whether they were polarized or not and I couldn’t see the Carp without the polarized glasses; a mistake I won’t repeat! My casts were everywhere the fish were not since this is sight fishing. Sodie said that four carp in a single day is a record for his clients, so Jim deserves a lot of congratulations, especially under heat, wind and rough water! The carp are not predictable biters, even when your casts are right on; you will cast to many more fish than you will hook.
This Kansas Carp Fly Fishing with Sodie is a great experience; it’s convenient and inexpensive. It’s also challenging and will definitely increase your casting and fish fighting skills. Jim found out the amount of difference in the lifting ability of a 6wt. vs. an 8wt. rod the “hard way”.
You should treat yourself to this great experience. Sodie can be reached to book day trips at: sodie@flatslander.com; www.flatslander.com
(see Jim’s picture with his trophy carp on the website home page)
Flies
by Jon Cerda
Traditional panel cartoons in hunting and fishing magazines and newspapers have entertained outdoorsmen for years. Now, courtesy of Bob Walker, Host of Sportsmen’s Outdoor Strategies (S.O.S.) television show, and humorist Bruce Cochran, sportsmen can enjoy 30- to 45-second animated cartoons when they watch S.O.S. episodes on Versus and The Sportsman’s Channel networks.
Called Weekend Warriors, these animated shorts deliver unique and fresh humor -- all geared to the great outdoors -- to this popular and long-running show. “I’m always trying to put a little different spin on S.O.S. to make it stand out from other outdoor TV shows,” says host Bob Walker. “I think Weekend Warriors segments do just that.”
Cochran and his team have also entered a movie clip featuring the characters of Weekend Warriors in a national animation online contest, where the public is encouraged to vote. They need YOUR help to win. Starting September 1st, visit www.weekendwarriorscartoons.com to learn how to vote!
Voting deadline is September 30th.
The project was a natural for Cochran. He has been creating cartoons and illustrations since the early 1960s, and it is safe to say that most outdoorsmen have seen Cochran’s wholesome and relevant humor. The animated shorts star three characters that Cochran created and designed specifically for the Weekend Warriors series. Stanley, a middle-aged outdoorsman, Oliver, his younger “still learning” sidekick, and Squirt, their intelligent canine companion who is doomed to cope with the silly antics of his owners. “Oliver and Squirt were already created in my cartoon books. Stanley, the S.O.S. man, looks something like Bob Walker,” Cochran says with a wink.
“Animated shows have done so well on mainstream television, I thought it was time to introduce some animation to the world of outdoor television,” adds Walker. “What’s been really fun, though, is seeing these characters ‘come to life’ and develop personalities as we work on scripts and storyboards. It’s almost like Stanley, Oliver and Squirt are real!”
See the results for yourself on S.O.S. Television, airing several times per week for the 2009 season (July – December) on Versus and The Sportsman’s Channel. For more information on S.O.S. Television, Learn more at www.weekendwarriorscartoons.com.
2009 Officers
President
Darren Watson
816-805-8761 dwatson@lawingfinancial.com
Vice-President
Jim Bebb
913-721-3397 jbebb@communitynationalbank.net
Past President
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Secretary
Jim Jorgensen
913-469-1950 jjorgensen@ci.lenexa.ks.us
Treasurer
Ron Carruthers
816-741-7251 rcarruthers2@kc.rr.com
Newsletter
Tom James
816-718-0393 tom@blackdogsports.com
Newsletter Assistant
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Programs
John Bell
785-843-1782 j.bell@kcc.state.ks.us
Cliff Cain
913-558-5069 cliffcain@hotmail.com
Harold Green
Outings
Ron Carruthers
816-741-7251 rcarruthers2@kc.rr.com
Peet Crissey
Bruce Kessler
Membership
Dan Sulit
913-268-3848 kenaisu@aol.com
Frederick Clark
913-831-0305 fclarks@planetkc.com
Mark Rauth
Conservation Chair
Kevin Carril
913-362-9379 rrac3@sbcglobal.net
Missouri - Mark O'Hara
Arkansas - John Bell
Metro KC - Harold Green
Web Master
Bill Brant
816-941-9691 billandkathy@kc.rr.com
Raffle/Auction
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Michael Knight
Spring Programs
Dick Martin
816-781-9557 rlm@mllfpc.com
Don Grundy
816-781-9019 dgrundy@sbcglobal.net
Event Coordinator
Bill Brant
816-941-9691 billandkathy@kc.rr.com
Supernumerary
David Andrews
816-741-8314 davidgandrews@kc.rr.com
HOAFF Logo Lapel Pins
We now have enameled Lapel/Hat/Vest Pins with the HOAFF logo. Every new member who joins in 2008 will receive a pin. The pins will be available for sale for $5.00 each.
HOAFF Apparel is here
Hats $15 • T-Shirts $12
Now you can get a T-shirt or a fishing hat with the new Heart of America Fly Fishers Logo.
Upcoming Events & Programs
July 20 Dennis Whiteside Ozarks Smallmouth Guide
August 17 Paul Bennetts on Wyoming Trip
September 21 HOAFF Annual Picnic
October 2-4 Southern Council Conclave - Mountain Home, AR
October 19 JB, Cliff & Mark B – Michigan Steelhead
October 23-25 Montauk/Current River Outing
November 16 HOAFF Auction
December 4-6 Bennett Springs Outing and Annual Club Dinner
Visit our Advertisers:
Black Dog Sports
Angler's and Archery Outfitters, Inc.
136B Eden Way
Branson, MO 65616
417-335-4655
Back Country Outfitters
2863 South Campbell
Springfield, MO 65807
417-889-6548
Bass Pro Shop - Olathe KS
12051 Bass Pro Drive
Olathe, KS 66061
913-254-5200
Bennett Springs State Park Concession Shop
26248 Hwy 64A
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4307
Bob Jacklin's Fly Shop
105 Yellowstone Ave
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
(406)646-7336
Brass Door Motel
Highway 62 West
Gassville, AR 72635
870-435-2988
www.whiteriver.net/brassdoor/
Cabela's KCK
10300 Cabela Drive
Kansas City, KS 66111
913-328-0322 x8208
Chartered Waters
1326 Acacia Club Rd.
Hollister, MO 65672
417-334-1005
Dale Fulton's Blue Ribbon Flies
1343 Highway 5 South
Mountain Home, AR 72653
870-425-0447
Diane Christopher-Fulks Wildlife Watercolors
45-N Street
Lake Lotawana, MO 64086
816-578-4615
Dicks Sporting Goods - Leawood KS
11801 Nall Avenue
Leawood, KS 66211
913-661-0200
Feather-Craft Fly Fishing
8307 Manchester Road
St. Louis, MO 63144
Fishing Pole Guiding, Inc.
27 Haddon Road SouthWest
Calgary, Alberta CANADA T2V2X8
403-259-6245
Flats Lander Guide Service
Paul "Sodie" Sodamann
6390 Rockenham Road
St. George, KS 66535
785-456-5654
Gaston's On the White River
11777 River Road
Lakeview, AR 72642
870-431-5202
Gaston's Tackle
11798 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-9449
Joe Tomelleri - Artist
8436 Meadow Lane
Leawood, KS 66206
913-383-9771
K&K Flyfishers
8643 Grant
Overland Park, KS 66212
913-341-8118
Lilley's Landing
367 River Lane
Branson, MO 65616
417-334-6380
Loon Outdoors
2728 S. Cole Rd. #110
Boise, ID 93709
208-362-4437
Mickey's Surplus
2601 Strong Ave
Kansas City, KS 66106
913-831-1493
Parkview Lodge
5477 State Highway 165
Branson, MO 65616
417-334-4041
Rainbow Fly Shop
4621 S. Shrank Drive
Independence, MO 64055
816-373-2283
Reading Fly Shop
11937 Highway 64A
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-588-4334
Rim Shoals Resort
153 Rims Shoals Camp
Mountain Home, AR 72653
870-435-6144
Rio Products
5050 S. Yellowstone Hwy
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
208-524-7760
River of Life Farm
RT 1 Box 4535
Dora, MO 65637
417-261-7777
River Run Outfitters
2626 State Hwy 165
Branson, MO 65616
417-332-0460
Saltery Lake Lodge
1516 Larch St. #1
Kodiak, AK 99615
907-486-7083
Sand Springs Resort
1996 Hwy 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-5857
Spring View Motel
11726 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-588-2116
The Fishing Hole
3731 W. 95th St.
Overland Park, KS 66206
913-642-5554
Tightline Guide Service
13361 Christopher Dr.
Rolla, MO 65401
573-364-7633
Two Rivers Fly Shop
13718 AR Highway 5 South
Norfork, AR 72658
870-499-3060
Vogel's Homestead Resort
11451 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4097
Wapsi Fly, Inc.
27 CR 458
Mountain Home, AR 72653
870-425-9500
White River Trout Lodge
752 County Rd 703
Cotter, AR 72626
870-430-5229
White Sands Motel
P.O. Box 340
Cotter, AR 72626
870-435-2244
Wilkinson Outdoor Adventures
Clint Wilkinson
336 Stephanie
Gassville, AR 72635
870-404-2942
Yager's Fly Shop
2311 Wakarusa Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66047
785-842-1239