Kelly Creek Flycasters

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE    

Saker Medevarapu - Kelly Creek Flycasters President

 

Greetings Club Members!

 

What an exciting Christmas this has been, and a white one to boot!  Although I find fishing in a snow fall to be oddly serene, I could not get too excited to fish when the thermometer was way below freezing!  I finally broke out the cane a few days ago and have settled on my next cane project although I probably should tie flies instead.  My lake and hatch boxes are getting pretty sparse!

 

I have to say I was awake to greet the New Year Wednesday night!  We were at a friend’s home for the evening playing this Wii (video game) called Guitar Hero; I have to say that it is strangely addicting!  Even Lucinda, who is not prone to such things was having fun!

 

It is hard to believe that our Fly Fishing Expo is just around the corner!  I know that Will has already got our posters and radio ads designed and waiting for distribution!  We will need help from the club members in posting the posters around town and in the outlying community to please pitch in.  We will also need some volunteers to help man registration tables, casting helpers for the instruction class, and of course DONATIONS!  Look to Will at the next meeting to discuss how you all can help out during the day’s events.

 

Also mark February 20^th on your calendars.  This evening a slide show with Dave and Emily sharing their experiences fly fishing around the world.  Remember folks that this is an exclusive event just for club members, but if you have a friend or contact wishing to attend they must join as a member to do so!  This is a special thank you to our club members for their continued support of our organization, and there is no fee for attending provided your membership is current.

 

Look forward to seeing you the meeting!

 

Saker

 

Kelly Creek Flycasters JANUARY Program

 

Thursday, January 8^th at 7:00 PM

China Inn, Lewiston ID

 

Program:  Sea Kayaking for Tuna  by  Jan Sadlo

 

Jan Sadlo has been fly fishing for over forty three years, and teaching the sport for about thirty five years.  Coming from Los Angeles, salt water fly fishing along with surf fishing with a fly rod quickly became part of his weekly repertoire of fishing.  He is a founding member of the Sierra Pacific Flyfishers, the Pacific 1 Salt Water Fly Rodders, and Conejo Valley Fly Fishers. When not fishing, his actual work was in motion pictures, making religious, educational, racing, and other films. As of today, he and his wife Andee are running an adult family home.

 

This next trip to Mexico will be his twenty ninth trip fishing locations such as Loredo, La Paz, Espiritos Santos, Cancun, Isla Holbox, and more.  Jan’s presentation will focus on fishing Espiritos Santos with a kayak. The group fishing generally catches around thirty different kinds of fish.  This ranges from Dorado, Pompano, Rooster fish, bonito, and mangrove snapper to name a few.

 

A Flyfisherman's New Year Resolution and Other Lies

 

During the late 1950s my foster brother joined the Navy and went off to Japan.  He promptly sent home two bamboo fly rods in wooden cases. My father decided that it was time to teach me the fine art of fly-fishing.  My father’s fly box had row after row of various flies.  He would usually tie on two flies: a brown hackle with a peacock hurl body and a grizzly hackle with a peacock hurl body.  He would then select light or dark flies according to which fly worked better.

 

After what seemed like endless days before going to “the creek,” we practiced in the yard.  Our first outings on the creek lasted about 30 minutes before we both agreed I should probably go to the pickup and take a break.  Not long after arriving at the pickup I noticed dozens of ground squirrels and became quite busy trying to sneak-up and catch one.  After many unsuccessful attempts I returned to the pickup.  Suddenly it occurred to me, if I placed some fishing line around the hole when it poked its head out, wham! and I would have him.  With everything in place I waited for the little bugger to appear.  There he was, WHAM!  He circled twice, then down the hole he went.  With fly pole in hand I decided it was time to pull him out.  CRACK!!!  SNAP!!!  

 

I do not recall my dad’s response; I do recall a quiet ride home.

As time passed, (about as long as it took for dad to send the pole away to get a new tip), dad took me out to the yard for more lessons.  While I am sure he told the story to many of his friends it was not brought up again.  I did resolve to never do anything as dumb again (well there was that can of gunpowder from dad’s reloading room…!).

Looking back over 2008 and forward to 2009 I have resolved that I really, “will only be down at the river for an hour or so.”  And honest, I will hardly spend any money at Mark’s this year.  Oh, yes, of course I will tie all of my flies myself, really, trust me.

I hope that you will have a safe and productive 2009 season.

 

Dale Mickelsen
Secretary, Kelly Creek Flycasters

 

KELLY CREEK FLYCASTERS TREASURER’S REPORT

 

Account Balances through NOVEMBER 2008

 

 

 

Kelly Creek Flycasters

 2009     EVENT  SCHEDULE

 

JANUARY  8, 2009	2nd Thursday, Regular Meeting, China Inn, Lewiston ID       6pm dinner, 7pm meeting & program.
January 20, 2009	3rd TUES, Board Meeting, 5:30pm at Roosters Restaurant, Clarkston WA ?
February 12, 2009	2nd Thursday, Regular Meeting, China Inn, Lewiston ID
February 17, 2009	3rd TUES, Board Meeting, 5:30pm
February 21, 2009	North Idaho Fly Fishing Expo
March 12, 2009	2nd Thursday, Regular Meeting, China Inn, Lewiston ID
March 17, 2009	3rd TUES, Board Meeting, 5:30pm
Sat, April 4, 2009	Amber Lake Fish-Out
Sat, June 20, 2009	KCF Annual Picnic at Chief Timothy
July 18-19, 2009	Lochsa Fish-Out
Aug 15-16, 2009	Kelly Creek Fish-Out
Sep 12-13, 2009	Lochsa Fish-Out

 

Kelly Creek Flycasters Board of Directors

 

TYING CORNER – Chernobyl Ant

 

Article by Bob Bates, FFF Clubwire

Here is an ant (or beetle) pattern that every fly angler can use. It can be tied on large hooks like the size 4 in these step pictures or on small hooks like the size 20 beetle in the fly box below. It can be painted black, red or two tone red/black. Best of all it uses packing foam that most of us throw away. Tom Berry from Fairfield Bay, Arkansas showed us this pattern at the 2008 FFF Fly Fishing Show and Conclave, Whitefish, Montana.

 

There are many times when an ant pattern is the best thing to use. It seems that when ants are on the water fish will hit an imitation without hesitation. Some writers say it is because of the taste, but I wouldn’t know because I have never eaten an ant, even chocolate covered.

 

Use floating pattern techniques when fishing it. A drag free float is the starting point in moving or still water. On lakes and ponds let it sit quietly or drift with the wind. Sometimes a slight twitch will trigger a strike. On streams follow the fly with your rod. Or using a reach cast might be the thing: Simply lean your rod and body upstream just before the line lands on the water. Other techniques include S-cast, sloppy cast, throw the line a little high so it will fall with Ss or pull the line back upstream just before it lands. You might think that I am kidding with the sloppy cast, but years ago some cutthroat in a northern Idaho stream taught me that it was the best cast to use.

 

Chernobyl Ant :

Materials & Equipment:

Hook: Any light hook you want

Thread: Black, 70 Denier, finer for small hooks

Body: Packing foam

Legs: Silicone legs, thread on small flies

Color: Black or red waterproof marking pen

 

Step 1: Wrap a thread base on full length of hook shank. Leave thread at bend.

Step 2:  Cut a piece of foam about a gap width wide. Taper one end a little. Paint both sides with marker. Put head cement on hook.

Step 3: Tie securely to hook.

Step 4:  Move thread forward to where you want make front of rear segment. Pull foam forward and tie it down. Hold up foam and move thread forward to near eye. Tie foam securely and cut off excess.

Step 5:  Wind thread over cut foam to smash it down and make a little head on the fly. Whip finish and cut thread. Paint all of the foam with marker.

Step 6: Reattach thread in middle of fly. Fold a piece of leg material over the tying thread and move leg to side of hook. Fold another piece of leg material over the thread, and move the leg to the other side of the hook. Put another thread wind or two to secure the legs pull the front legs back and whip finish in front of legs.

Step 7: Trim the legs to length.

Step 8: (Two steps that he didn’t do at the Conclave were: 1. Coat the body with Softex, and let it dry; then 2. Coat it with Sally’s Hard as Nails, and let it dry.  The Softex makes it more durable, and the Hard as Nails makes it shiny. Softex has toluene in it, and he didn’t want to take it on the plane.) The fly box shown below has several finished flies including small beetles on the right side. The smaller one is size 20, and it is just as easy to tie a larger ones.