www.kellycreekflycasters.com    P.O. Box 2131 Lewiston, Idaho 83501

President’s Message………………….    

Due to the closing of the Helm, our monthly club meeting is being held at the Quality Inn in Clarkston (just west of Costco).  We will be in the convention rooms area on the west side of the Quality Inn - hope to see you all there. 

            We’ve been discussing a steelhead fishout for later this fall.  If you’re interested please let one of the board members know so we can gauge interest in the event.

            Don Bento has stepped down as vice president for the club.  Zach Funkouser has agreed to be his replacement for the club, and will become President at our November meeting.  Speaking of the November meeting, three of our board members will be ending their terms, and we need some new volunteers to fill their positions.  Please join me in a big thank-you to Stan Masel, Dave Clark, and Bob Clark for their service to the Club  We will also need a new vice president, who will become our president the following year.  Like any club, new blood in the positions of leadership is a must to keep our club active.

 

Keep your line on the water!

Bill Lillibridge – President

Take a Kid Fishing

For several years now I have been involved with organizing small clinics and classes designed to teach fly fishing to eager students.  These opportunities did not come about because I’m any sort of an outstanding fly fishermen, but more so because I am willing.  I enjoy passing on what I’ve learned on the stream and hope that it makes a difference.  If a student comes away from one of these experiences excited to go fly fishing again, then I feel I’ve accomplished a good thing.  Setting realistic goals is an important part of teaching anyone to fly fish.

 

Over the past 6 years I have, with the assistance of many of our KCF club members, taught a kids fly fishing class for LCSC’s Kid’s College program.  We meet at the Burling Pond in north Lewiston and spend a week every June learning about flies and fish, conservation and fly casting.  You teach a great many things when you teach kids to fish, you pass the tricks of your trade, your feelings and philosophy and your attitude.  If you’re lucky you are creating the next generation of River Keeper.   I won’t lie, this is a lot of work and sometimes even a little dangerous, but it’s also very gratifying and a great way to make new friends.  Most importantly, perhaps, is doing what we can to help educate the anglers that we’ll be sharing our rivers with in only a few short years and if those who love to fly fish won’t take the responsibility to do this, then who will?

 

Though fun, teaching people to fly fish isn’t easy, particularly kids.  Every year you learn something new.  Better ways to express ideas, to get your point across or articulate an abstract concept.  If you’re lucky enough to be entrusted with the fly fishing instruction of a child, whether it be yours, your grandkids or just doing your neighbor a favor, remember this is important work, not something to be taken for granted.  The interest the student shows in pursuing fly fishing into the future may be in yours hands.  Here then are some brief pointers that may help you the next time you take on this important task:

 

• Do not try and force it.  It’s only natural to want to share the things we enjoy doing but kids have to be ready and have the desire to learn.  Wait for them to approach you.  That might not happen as early as you hope, but waiting until they are ready will pay dividends in the long run.
• Keep lessons to a short manageable time frame and make them fun.  Remember that kids can have short attention spans and may be easily frustrated.  It’s better to have several small enjoyable experiences than a few longer lessons that bore them.
• If you have the means and opportunity to enroll a child in organized lessons, that’s often a better option than trying to do it yourself.  Professional lessons are a great platform to build upon.  This can save you a lot of anguish and know this; it may take you a whole lot of positive experiences to overcome one very bad one.
• Provide them with decent equipment.  You wouldn’t go fly fishing with some box store junk rod and a cheap fly line so don’t expect them to.  Provide them with decent equipment that will help them succeed.  Give them every opportunity for success and that begins with decent gear.  If they recognize that you’ve given them equipment that is comparable to your own, their interest will be peeked that much more.  If they recognize that you’ve given them junk how much interest can you really expect?
• Casting lessons in the park or back yard are great, but they can’t compare to a day hiking up a small stream together with the family dog in tow.  This shouldn’t be about line control, perfect loops and Latin insect names.  This is about casting in small pools, hiking and talking, appreciating your surroundings and your time together.  Take a good lunch and maybe the BB gun also.  Remember this isn’t about you, don’t plan to fish, let them do the fishing.  Provide them some instruction and plenty of time to do their own thing.  Take pictures and goof off.  Do whatever it takes to make the trip memorable, regardless of how much or how little fly fishing is actually involved.  The more fun you have, the more often they’ll want to go.  Eventually the down time will transition into more and more time spent fishing.

 

These are just a small scattering of suggestions that might help the next time you find yourself taking a youngster fly fishing.  For more detail on this subject, I suggest a fantastic article written by Dave Engerbretson called Parents, Kids and Fly Rods.  It can be found in the July 1979 edition of Fly Fisherman Magazine.  It’s a great piece and his insights into teaching are guaranteed to be a resource for anyone who wants to develop a son, daughter or small friend into someone that loves to fly fish.

 

Zach Funkhouser

KCF Board Member

REGULAR MONTH CLUB MEETING

6:00pm Dinner / 7:00pm Meeting and Program

NEW MEETING LOCATION: Clarkston Quality Inn

This Month’s presenter will be Kent Goodman from Boise, Idaho.

“Silver Creek”

 

JOIN US FOR THE GRANDE RONDE FISH-OUT

Steelhead anglers, here’s your chance to get out and have some fun.  Join the Kelly Creek Flycasters for our first Grand Ronde Fish-out.  We’ll meet at the first or second sportsmen’s access up stream from Boggans and camp for the weekend in shadows of the beautiful Grand Ronde basalt canyons.  Fishing is always good that time of year and if you show up the camaraderie will be even better.  Look for Zach’s camper (it looks like a marshmallow on wheels and the blue Kelly Creek Flycasters tarp.  Please RSVP with Zach or any of you KCF boad members and see you there!

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KELLY CREEK FLYCASTERS TREASURER’S REPORT

Account Balances through July 28, 2005

 

Checking Account Balance:                      $  1,088.27

Savings Account Balance:                         $  6,353.03

Total Disbursements for July:                             $  161.74

 

 

Kelly Creek Flycaster’s Board of Directors

Member & Term	E-Mail Address	Phone Number
Bill Lillibridge, President.    2006	blillibridge@cableone.net	(208) 743-8970
Zach Funkhouser, Vice Pres   2006	Zach84@cableone.net	(208) 743-0435
Fred Smith, Treasurer           2006		(208) 743-2390
Bruce Young, Secretary       2005	grizzlyhackle@hotmail.com	(208) 746-7079
Fred Trevey, Board Mem.    2007	trigby@cableone.net	(208) 743-5465
Don Bento, Board Mem.      2007	bb2bv@clarkston.com	(509) 758-2796
Dave Clark, Board Mem.     2005	dcgc@clarkston.com	(509) 751-1266
Bob Clark, Board Mem.      2005		(208) 743-1034
Vacant

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KELLY CREEK FLYCASTERS - 2005 CALENDAR SPECIAL EVENTS

STEELHEAD FISH-Out (Salmon R. or Grand Ronde)                 10/15/05

 

Deby Lutes, Sage, Jeanie Centenari and Erica Pribyl, survivors of this years Women’s Fly Fishing Clinic on Kelly Creek, September 2005.