Riffles, Runs & Lies March 2005

President’s Message………………….

March already? Seems just recently I rushed to the hospital to join Diane for the birth of our second son, Sean. Now he’s rolling over and eyeing my fishing equipment. At least he isn’t after the car keys like his older brother, who will be two this month. Kids really take quite a bit out of you, but they certainly do add much to your life.

As I write this greeting, I see that it’s 63 degrees outside. According to the Idaho Fish & Game website, it looks like the heavy steelhead fishing is occurring on the South Fork of the Clearwater and on the Salmon near Riggins. With water temperatures in the mid-30’s and clear, fishing is still a bit slow.

Dave Clark and crew really put on a great Lie-N-Tie for us at the Clarkston Heights Grange Hall Feb. 12^th. Our members who couldn't make it missed a fun time. Gloria Clark put together a great Spaghetti feed for us with the help of Sue Bento, Judy Smith, and several other helpers. The Grange kids came by and sold desserts - they had been told to expect 250, so we each had plenty to choose from.

The Boy Scouts of America have a new Fly Fishing Merit Badge. I’m going to try and pick up a merit badge book and bring it to the next meeting for interested people to read. The Scout Council normally keeps a list of interested merit badge counselors, who work with scouts one-on-one or in small groups on merit badges. If you are interested in being a merit badge counselor please let me know so I can add you to the Council’s list.

Don't forget to get your 2005 dues paid. This is what gets your name in for the incentive drawing - only members who have their dues paid qualify for the drawing. We will draw the winner at the March 10^th meeting. Don't miss out on this.

Bill Lillibridge – President

Maybe some of our younger members would be interested in a little bit of the Kelly Creek Flycasters history. Our charter meeting was held on May 15, 1987 at Pioneer Pie Restaurant’s small meeting room. There were 14 members and 2 FFF representatives at that meeting. Ron Reynolds was elected as our first President, Mike Satterwhite was elected as our Treasurer and Michelle Cruikshank was elected Secretary. Our first entertainment committee included Keith Stonebraker, Leroy Hyatt and was chaired by Bob Wagoner. The entertainment committee immediately set about getting a "Fly Fair" set up on about the second weekend of each September. That weekend was selected because it was the high point of steelhead season and it would help get big names for the banquet and attract more rod manufactures, fly fishing suppliers and lots of fly tiers. For our first Fly Fair there were about 200 paid attendants. The next year it was even more. By our third year we had moved from Hell’s Gate State Park into the new Clarkston Convention Center. There were about 500 paid attendees that came to see two dozen commercial booths and watch Jim and Donna Teeny demo casting during the day. That was bout the time Jim and Carol Green started with casting lessons and about 125 came to our evening banquet, raffles and auction. Sage and Loomis would donate rods, as would Fenwick and Jim Green. The exhibitors would all donate hackle necks, the artists would have pictures, Cortland and Scientific Anglers donated several lines, as did Jim Teeny. Other booths would contribute reels, tee shirts, hats, vests and just about anything that had to do with fly fishing. Some of our headliners were Gary LaFontaine, Sylvester Nemes, Steve Probasco, Bill Macmillan, Trey Combs, Lani Waller, Joe Humphreys, Joan Wulff, Brian Okeefe, Bob Marriot, Martin Milner and others. About 4 year ago the KCF Board of Directors decided not to have a Fly Fair and just have an evening banquet and auction. They banquet has been a whole lot less work and we have been doing well financially with them. Since then we have had Jack Dennis, Jerry Kustich and our very own Terry Nab.

This year the Spring Banquet will be on April 16^th at the Helm. The Board of Directors is asking all members to take part again this year by making donations of baked goods, fishing gear, crafts, paintings, fishing trips or whatever else you can do. Dave Tharp has agreed to be our auctioneer again this year. Remember, this is our annual fund raiser. What we make here goes to support our scholarship fund, our speaker’s budget, conservation projects (when we have them) and the things we do as a club, like dutch oven dinners at the fish-out. Please let our President, Bill Lillibridge, or V.P. Don Bento, or any of the board members know if you can help us out on this. We will be talking about this at our meetings as well. Please come to our March meeting prepared to buy a ticket or two, they will be $25 each.

At our March 10^th meeting we will be giving away our membership incentive prize. It will be a $100 gift certificate. We will be drawing from your dues stub that the club keeps. I’ve got mine paid. Are you paid up? This gift certificate will go a long ways toward some new fishing gear.

Well I have finally run down. I thought you might like to know a little about the clubs history. It sure has been a fun ride!!

Good fishing and keep your line tight.

R.L "Bob" Clark – KCF Board Member

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please post this calendar where it will remind you of club activities. When and if changes occur you will be notified in the newsletter. Mark your personal calendar so you can attend our club functions. Having a good time is what this is all about. If you have an addition or change you would like made, please notify a director or your president, and we will certainly consider it.

Riffles, Runs & Lies is edited by Zach Funkhouser on behalf of the Kelly Creek Flycasters. All club members are welcome to submit articles for inclusion into the club newsletter by contacting Zach at Zach-Bach84@cableone.net or by phone at (208) 743-0435.

"Young anglers love new rivers the way they love the rest of their lives. Time doesn’t seem to be of the essence and somewhere in the system is what they are looking for."

Thomas McGuane

"Midstream"

An Outside Chance (1990)

"…perhaps the greatest satisfaction on the first day of the season is the knowledge in the evening that the whole of the rest of the season is to come."

Arthur Ransome

"The First Day at the River"

Rod and Line (1929)

Club member D.J. Centenari holding his 1^st steelhead taken on the fly, October 2004.