| The Central Oregon Flyline
Online Newsletter of the Central Oregon Flyfishers |
| The Central Oregon Flyline
Online Newsletter of the Central Oregon Flyfishers |
September Program
Run, Steelie, Run
This is the year to go Steelhead fishing. There will be more opportunities to catch a steelie this year than in decades. Or last year. That's right!! We have one of the World's best steelhead streams 75 minutes from Bend. We have some of the best Steelhead guides in the world to assist you. One of them, Joel Lafollette, will present a steelhead program, including photos of ol' metalhead himself. Joel is Retail Manager of Kaufmann's Streamborn in Tigard, one of the prestigious complete fly shops on the West Coast. Joel has tied, guided, sold equipment, collected fishing stuff, has taught fishing, casting, tying and is a consummate angler.
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COF Meeting Date and LocationThe Central Oregon Flyfishers meet on the third Wednesday of the month at The Central Oregon Association of Realtors, 2112 N.E. 4th Street, Bend,Oregon. The Monthly gatherings start at 6:30 PM and the program begins at 7:00PM. Everyone is welcome to attend. Invite a neighbor or friend to join us at the next meeting. |
Upstream Events
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Random CastsThe "dog days of summer" are ending so fishing should improve in local waters. The high lakes are calling, the lower lakes should start cooling off a little and the fish should begin the pre-winter feeding making the fishing much better. Let's hope for the best there.I went over to the FFF Conclave in Livingston, Montana, for a few days and had some real mixed emotions while there. On the fishing side I think Central Oregon offers much more in diversity and opportunity when you look at all there is. Montana is suffering a long range drought that has changed the area a great deal. Add to that the storms that were moving through while I was there, and that makes home appear even better. The other side of the mixed emotions came while attending various meetings and seeing how great our Club really is. In many areas of action we do things that many others are just starting to think about, or haven't thought of yet. Oregon clubs, in general, and Central Oregon Flyfishers, specifically, are referred to by many when examples are given about things to do or how to do them. We just need to continue setting standards for others to follow to really improve the general public's impression of fly fishing and fly fishers. The folks in Camp Sherman recently sponsored a Bamboo Fly Rod day and that was a great event to attend. Besides the really nice Bamboo rods that were on display there were several others that were interesting as well. Lamiglas, for one, has done some R & D and made some great improvements on the old fiberglass rods. One in particular is so new that it's not even in their catalog yet. For the traveler, or backpacker, it just might be what you've been waiting for. This new Lamiglas rod is a 10 (yes, ten) piece 9' rod that flexes so well it almost feels like a one piece rod. The only "problem" for some might be that it is a slower, softer rod. You can check it out at their website: www.lamiglas.com. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you've been paying attention you should be aware of the needs for volunteers in many areas. On the conservation side Gene McMullen is working on both the Fall River monitoring project and the upcoming Metolius River redd counts. Give him a call if you can help out on either of those. Kurt Boettger is in charge of the Fall Streamside of the Kokanee Karnival this year and is looking for those that may wish to get involved long-term with that. Mark Reisinger is our fund raising Chairperson and could always use assistance there and, finally, we are coming up on that time of year when our elections committee starts seeking those that would care to serve on the Board of Directors. If you would like more information on what the Board does, and the requirements on those serving, contact V.P. Dan Driskill. Finally, in response to several that asked, yes, the "signature line" at the end of my email is an original. It says: "Fly fishing is not a sport, it's more a way of life." That's pretty much how I respond to people who ask what's so special about fly fishing and it's a great opener to sharing information about what we do, both as individuals and as a Club, when it comes to Conservation and Education.
See you at the September meeting.
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Young Man's Heart Felt Thanks To COFAs part of a youth mentor program at our church, I connected with a young man in high school to support him through some of the challenges and struggles he faces. Our common interest in fishing opened the doors. He has always wanted to learn to fly fish, but could never afford the equipment to get started. Knowing that there are many caring people in Central Oregon Fly Fishers, I asked for your help as club members. The response was incredible. Eric was fully outfitted with new and high quality used equipment in a matter of weeks. I want to thank the club and everyone who gave donations for making a difference in a young man's life and for helping to launch him toward a brighter future. Below are some excerpts from a thank you letter that he wrote.To the people who gave me my first fly fishing setup:I echo Eric's gratitude. Seeing the difference this had made for one young person, it might be something the club would consider expanding. Many of us have equipment that we rarely use anymore as we upgrade or switch to new equipment, or we would be willing to donate toward the purchase of needed equipment. You might know of other young people whose lives could be significantly enriched through fly fishing and friendship. If and when the call to donate comes again, know that it has a profound impact on those who receive. Thanks to all who donated and to the whole club.
On the River of Life:
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Unofficial RecordsBy Steve SheldonThese two photographs are of the "unofficial" world record fish that I have caught - "unofficial" because there was no Certified Scale around on which to weigh them. Among many other requirements, ICFA also requires the use of a Certified Scale.
The 89 # Dorado I caught near our place in Baja, Mexico in 1995. I caught it on a 15 # test spinning line and it took 2 hours to land. The 50 # Salmon, seen below, I caught on the Nestuca River, here in Oregon on October 16, 2000 on a 20# test tippet, using a 10 weight graphite "Ugly Stick" by Shakespeare and it took 2 hours and 10 minutes to land. Because of not being able to locate a Certified Scale, ICFA could not list my catch in the book of world records, but did acknowledge both catches with 2 beautiful embossed plaques.
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August Club OutingThe day started with a magnificent sunrise as members headed for Crane Prairie. Those attending were looking forward to overcoming the problems at Crane and doing better than most in being successful. (Most of the local guides are avoiding Crane because of the low level of success being seen by many on that lake.) Alas, this was not to be a great day of fishing.What started as a beautiful morning rapidly changed to really rotten conditions, and then things got even worse. What began as a gentle breeze became really strong winds, once everyone was on the water, causing more than one of the problems. In a matter of minutes it went from gentle surface ripples to white-capped rollers and winds strong enough to blow around a boat using a 20 pound anchor. One of the members was in a pontoon boat, towed to the Deschutes channel area by the Prez, and he was being blown into the snags by the winds. Despite efforts to overcome the winds, it was not to be. Another couple of members were dampened by the spray that was being blown over the low bow of their boat while a third boat suffered damages to a Biminy top while they were putting that down. The Prez headed for the one in the pontoon boat to tow him to safety and, shortly after starting the tow, developed problems of his own. This was the result of trusting what proved to be a somewhat inaccurate fuel gauge. The ones with the damaged top, fortunately, looked around, saw the problem and came to the rescue. This makes for an interesting site: a boat towing a boat that is towing a pontoon boat. Upon arrival at the dock it was decided it might be a good idea to wait a bit and see if things changed in the weather enough to make it a decent day of fishing. In the process lunch was prepared and served and two new members got to know the 5 "old timers" in the Club that were there. They were assured, and seemed to accept the fact, that this was not the usual style at the outings. All but Steve Sheldon and Dick Mayer left after lunch and, according to Steve, the fishing was great in the afternoon but the catching was real slow. Hopefully we'll have a better outing this month at Miller Lake on the 28th.
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September OutingThe outing for September should be a nice one. This month we will be traveling to Miller Lake near Chemult. (The turnoff is on the northern edge of Chemult on highway 97.) In the past this has proven to be an interesting lake to say the least.Miller Lake has a maximum depth of about 280 feet, but the fishing has proven to be the best in the shallows, and we're not talking about the little guys here either. Some expect the current Brown trout record (27+ lbs.) to be broken at this lake. A boat does make it a little easier to get around, but is not needed for some of the better fishing areas. Most of the lake has a shallow shelf that runs from a few feet to nearly 75 feet out from the bank and fishing that shelf break point produces some great catches. There is a trail around the lake that makes it fairly easy to hike to any point on the lake and a trail that leads to a smaller neighboring lake. One other point that makes Miller an interesting lake is that, according to the regulations, it is open for fishing 24 hours a day. Lots of other states allow 24 hour fishing and, according to guides in those areas, after dark is when the Brown's get real interesting. If you want to take part in this outing make it to the September meeting to sign up for the lunch served at the outing. Besides signing up you may learn a thing or two about how to handle bigger fish in the steelhead fishing presentation.
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Picnicby Bob GriffinIf you missed The COF Annual Picnic you really missed a great evening. As a fisherman who really likes food I would judge that this year by far saw the best and greatest variety of side dishes. We had a great evening (dining on the deck again) without the interruption of thunderstorms, with entertainment and conversations. The silent auction brought in some revenue and some bargains were taken home. Our juvenile anglers also exercised some nice rainbows in Shevlin Pond.Coordinating a picnic with the large number of volunteers that we always have has been a pleasure. Space is not available to thank everybody but it is especially nice to see the name McNall on a signup list, you get a Martha, Sean, Dylan and a Dave. John Burns, Tom Philiben and Phil Hager came so early that there wasn't much for the other setup volunteers to do. We always like input - bring your ideas to John Burns as he will coordinate the picnic for 2003. Due to a Park and Rec. program scheduling conflict the date for next years picnic is tentatively scheduled for a week after our regular meeting date. Please mark your 2003 calendar for " COF PICNIC AUGUST 27th 2003" at Aspen Hall. Thanks again for your volunteer help and bringing the great food that made our picnic so great.
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Stanley Lloyd Conservation AwardThe Central Oregon Flyfishers, and the Theodore Gordon FF, were recognized for their efforts in Conservation and Education at the 2002 Federation of Fly Fishers Awards luncheon on August 8th of this year. This Award is presented to Clubs that make a true effort in projects that result in "fishery related conservation enhancement and preservation."The Central Oregon Flyfishers were recognized for both their Conservation efforts, previously chaired by Bob & Tommie Speik, currently by Gene McMullen, and their education efforts through the Kokanee Karnival, previously chaired by Art McEldowney. When accepting the Award President Phil Hager stated that it was with a great deal of pride that he accepted the Award on behalf of the many members that contributed to the projects receiving recognition. Many of those present were surprised when Hager stated that their various programs involved several thousand volunteer hours and many more miles driven in accomplishing those tasks. Following the ceremony several of those present congratulated Hager and asked for more information on how to get their members that involved. His response was to find those that care enough to get involved, and find the projects they believe in. The rest will take care of itself. The Central Oregon Flyfishers have received past Awards such as the McKenzie Cup which recognizes Clubs that have made outstanding contributions on behalf of the FFF in Conservation, Restoration and Education. |
Kamloops 2002by Gordon ChandlerIn what has become an annual tradition, several members of Central Oregon Flyfishers journeyed to the Kamloops region of British Columbia recently to partake of the excellent fishing that that south central BC has to offer. This year we began our 8 day excursion on the weekend after the forth of July. There were 15 folks participating in this year's festivities. We had a greater number of women participating than in years past. Several guys brought their wives and this added a bit more "civility" to our camp I think.The weather was definitely warmer and dryer that we have had in previous years and a day or two after the beginning of the trip a spell of really hot weather hit. The fishing was a little off from what we have had previously and I'm not sure if I should blame that on the weather or the fish gods. We did hit some sedge hatches which is something I have been hoping for ever since going up to BC. The "Traveling Sedge" is a large caddis that can elicit ferocious rises from trout. Its kind of like fishing the salmon fly hatch on the lower Deschutes in that it can be very exciting catching big fish on big dry flies but it can also be frustrating trying to time the trip to hit the hatch. We didn't hit the sedge hatch as perfectly as we could have but at least I got a taste of what this world famous hatch is all about. Other flies that worked during our trip were chironomids and of course the infamous "K-Mart". The camping experience as always was worth the 13 hour drive in and of itself, the fishing can almost be seen as an added bonus. We are fortunate to have in our club a great group of people. We had many wonderful meals and some great times at "cocktail hour". Dave Semich and Joel Bailie arrived a day late driving a vehicle other than the one that they started the trip with and entertained us after dinner with the saga of a 48 hour drive north complete with 2 am stops at a Wal-Mart parking lot and a detour to a transmission shop in southern Washington for a change in fluid and a can of "Super Whamo" miracle transmission fixer upper. It was a story worthy of Pat McMannus or John Gierach. One thing about having so many women on the trip is that the quality of the appetizers improved dramatically, what had been pretzels and chips in years past became brie and stone ground gourmet crackers and many other wonderful things. Although the warmer than usual weather seemed to have effected the fishing it certainly made the camping more comfortable. Our collection of "Kamloops camping equipment" continues to grow. This year added a new 20 inch skillet and two 10 by 20 foot carports. Being able to cover an area 20 by 20 feet is a good thing in an area that is known for frequent rainstorms. This equipment is in our storage locker by the way, and is available for other COF projects and outings. The equipment has been paid for by the folks that have attended the Kamloops outings over the years. We are already beginning to plan for the 2003 trip. We are thinking of going June 19th through June 28th next year, but those dates are not set in stone yet. If you have any interest in going please contact Gordon Chandler - gordon@coinet.com
Joel Bailie with a Kamloops Rainbow |
Welcome All New Members
When you see a face at the meetings that you don't recognize it is probably a new member. Introduce yourself. Who knows, that other person may be just the friend or fishing partner you've been looking for. New Members please remember to pick up your copy of "Harry Teal's No Nonsense Guide to Fly Fishing Central and Southeastern Oregon" from Bill Lundy at the Welcome Table at he next Meeting on Wednesday September 18, 2002. |
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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