| The Central Oregon Flyline
Online Newsletter of the Central Oregon Flyfishers |
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Annual Picnic Random Casts Trapper Creek Tips and Tricks Grindstone Wha Sup? Outings Kokanee Karnival Conservation Kamloops Internet Stuff Support Our Local Flyshops Officers and Board Members COF Committees |
Annual Picnic
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Random CastsThere are some things happening this month that you might want to check out. First, and foremost, it's PICNIC time. Bob Griffin, and his group of helpers, will be doing the cooking on the main part of the meal and there are so many great side dishes, brought in by those attending, that you have to be there. Another reason to attend is a chance to meet others in the Club while enjoying that great food. Along with the great food and the music there are a couple of special announcements to be made that I think you'll want to hear. If you would like to help out on the picnic, call Bob Griffin and let him know.Planning ahead is a very important part of the every day life, and that is especially true when it involves lots of other people. Now is the time to plan ahead for the "Fall Streamside" portion of the Kokanee Karnival. This year it is the last four weekdays in September (24-27) and it will all be held at Brown's Creek. For those that have done this in the past you know how informative this is. For those that haven't been there I recommend that you at least stop by one day and see what it has to offer. Kurt Boettger is the one to contact for more info on this event. More miscellaneous stuff. September of 2003 will feature a 3 day fly fishing conclave on the Oregon Coast at Seaside. This is being done by the Oregon Council Federation of Fly Fishers and sounds like it will be well worth attending. There will be numerous displays by fly fishing related vendors, fly tying demonstrations, casting areas and classes and too much more to list here. Stay tuned for more info on this as it develops. High lakes fishing report: Not much activity yet, unless you want to go in and fish the last 20 minutes before dark, spend the night, and fish the hour or so before the sun hits the water in the morning. On most of the lakes, during the sunshine hours, the fish are "in hiding" and not very active. That should change shortly though as the sun gets lower in the southern sky and the lakes start to cool down. Be at the Picnic and I'll answer all of the questions I can in regards to the trails, how hard it is to get there and how the fishing is. I did talk to Ted at ODFW about Doris, Blow, Charlton and Gold after they did some observing and testing and was told they found very little at Doris and Blow. Charlton was OK and Gold was rolling with good sized ones. For Gold you just have to figure out how to get the little Blue & Black Damsel fly you use to hover about three inches above the water. That was the 2nd lake where we saw fish taking the Damsels in flight. It's great to watch, but frustrating to fish.
See you at the Picnic.
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Trapper Creek Restoration Benefits Bull Troutby Alan OmeOn July 10th, 2002 the finishing touches were completed on the first phase of the Trapper Creek bull trout restoration project. Trapper Creek is located approximately 70 miles south of Bend and 20 miles west of Crescent, and is the main creek flowing into Odell Lake. Odell Lake provides a home for a unique population of bull trout a species listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Trapper Creek provides this population with its only spawning and rearing habitat; however, this habitat as it existed was limited in structure e.g., pools and spawning areas and was susceptible to the washing away of critical habitat during high water conditions.To address these conditions and to comply with the ESA, a four-year study of Trapper Creek was implemented. The study and final project design carefully balanced the short-term ecological, environmental, economical impacts with the long-term benefits from providing a sustainable future for the Odell Lake bull trout population. The final design's dual purpose was to: (1) enhance stream channel stability during high flow water events; and (2) to increase bull trout spawning and rearing habitat without adversely affecting the existing kokanee salmon population. Project Coordinator, Brad Houslet, a Crescent Ranger District Fisheries Biologist, and Lewis Wasniewski's, a Forest Hydrologist, and also the Project Designer, orchestrated a collaborative effort between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the National Forest Foundation to complete and fund the multifaceted project. The 745 ft reconfiguration design of Trapper Creek was accomplished mainly by heavy-duty equipment. The construction included: increasing channel sinuosity; incorporating 60 cubic yards of spawning gravel to increase the amount of available spawning habitat to accommodate nearly 20 redds; using nearly 300 boulders to increase the number of pools; decreasing both the streambed elevation and the gradient; and increasing the flood plain area in order to dissipate high water flow velocity. Under the supervision of Houslet and Wasniewski's, the construction took three weeks to complete and came in under budget and ahead of schedule. For the next five years appropriate monitoring will take place to determine bull trout and kokanee use, as well as changes in the lake populations of these species. |
Tips and TricksThis time of year, when the waters get a bit on the warm side, there is a practice that works fairly well in the lakes. Look for the "drop off" edges into the deeper water and fish on the edge of that "drop off". You'll find that many of the fish gather in the deeper water but will travel up into the shallows to feed. The most effective times in these waters are before the sun hits it fully, or after the sun gets lower on the western side. In the flatter bottom lakes look for those "bald" spots in the algae growth and fish the edges of those spots. Usually these are underground water outlets and provide a cooler area for the fish to stay in during the day. Fishing along the edges of the "bald" spots proves to be most effective.Lots of people forget to read the reg's before they go fishing and that can prove to be a very expensive practice. Just the other day on Hosmer 2 people were headed out on float tubes that were not aware of the "floatation device" regulation requiring that you have one with you. This can be a sizable fine. Later one of them mentioned using bead shots on the line to get the flies down to the fish. In "fly fishing only" waters that is totally illegal. For technical purposes each cast could be charged as a violation and the fines can be $125, or more, per violation. Take the time to read the reg's fully before making an expensive mistake.
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The Grindstone Experienceby Mark ReisingerI was lucky enough to win the Grindstone Lakes raffle this year, so on June 27 Ken Stringer and I ventured out to the ranch and had one of the best fishing experiences we've ever had.Grindstone has always been known as a great fishery but recent improvements have made it a much more comfortable place to be as well. First of all Roger and Audrey Carbone have been hired to manage everything and they've made several significant changes all of which enhanced the experience. Roger's two assistants/guides were extremely helpful leading us out to the lakes and providing any assistance we required while there, including lunch. They also prepared the rest of the meals as well, which were terrific and enough to feed an army. I'm a big dessert fan and I had to pass on the sweets one night. Another improvement is to the old 1940s style bunkhouse. The remodeling project and new furniture made it down right pleasant as opposed to the old flophouse it used to be. Construction was still ongoing in order to add space but it didn't impact us at all. We were lucky to have a terrific group of fisherman along with us. I believe there were a total of 10. They were mostly local but one was from Anchorage and another from California. A gentleman from Black Butte Ranch caught the biggest fish which probably went close to 10 pounds. However Ken and I represented COF in fine fashion by catching so many fish we lost count. We started using small nymph patterns, then damsels, but we caught the most on black crystal woolly buggers. All fish were between 15"and 24" and good fighters. I highly recommend the "Grindstone Experience" since I've been there twice and have had a great time on each occasion. If you're paying your way it's not cheap, but if you're looking for that perfect fishing trip and you're willing to pay for it, do it. Also, if the Grindstone folks are generous enough to donate the trips again next year be sure to purchase you raffle tickets. If you win you'll be glad you did. A huge thank you is in order to the Grindstone people for their donation in support of Kokanee Karnival and to Doyle Goolsby for helping us with it each year. My estimate is that we've raised about $4,000 over the last few years for KK so it's a winning situation for everyone.
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Wha Sup?It's that time of year again when a fly fishers fancy turns to the opportunity to have a long term, positive, and rewarding, effect on our local fish, fisheries and fishing. We're talking about the Fall Streamside portion of the Kokanee Karnival Comprehensive Program. The last week of September (24, 25, 26 & 27) will be that time again. This year the total project has been cut back to 8 schools and it will all be held at Brown Creek on the "back" side of Wikiup Reservoir.For those that have never taken part in this program you really should take a look at it. You will be pleasantly surprised with how much you can learn in just a couple of hours at the streamside and even more pleased with the results you see in the kids attending. If you're not ready to take part as one of the volunteer instructors you can still stop by and listen in at the various stations, stop by Fall River Hatchery and see what happens there, and come out of it much more educated on the entire fisheries system. Anyone interested in volunteering to help out on the Program is invited to call Kurt Boettger at 383-3480. Those just wanting to stop by and learn more about what is taught at these events can call Phil Hager at 317-1075. Kurt and Phil will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
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OutingsThere is no new information on the Outings, so the editor assumes that there was none in July and that the Outing in August will be at Crane Prairie on August 23rd as previously planned. Everyone wishing to attend should make themselves aware of the fire conditions and plan accordingly.
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ConservationThere is nothing new to report for the Conservation Column. If you wish to contribute to any upcoming event of which you may be aware, please contact Gene McMullen at 312-8939 or contact him by e-mail at moongm37@aol.com. |
KamloopsPlans are already in progress for the 2003 trip. Gordon has promised a report on the 2002 trip for next month's newsletter. In the meantime here are a few more photos from Gordon Chandler.
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Internet StuffSome interesting links
COF Links:
WEBSITE is:
BULLETIN BOARD is:
E-MAIL is:
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Support Our Local FlyshopsBEND:
CAMP SHERMAN:
REDMOND:
SISTERS:
SUNRIVER:
MADRAS:
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2002 COF Officers & Board MembersOfficers
Board Members
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COF Committees
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