2013 CVTU Fishing Trips Members and Guests Attended

www.pacvtu.org
Volume 18 Issue 3
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Cumberland Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited
March 2013
Recipient of the 2011 Trout Unlimited “Gold Trout” National Conservation Award
CONTENTS
Page
CVTU Fishing Trips…......1
March Meeting
Program…………………...1
Quick Bites &
Short Strikes……………...2
Tight Lines Distribution...2
Calendar of Events…...…2
Youth Camp …………......2
Membership Info….….….2
Donegal Fishing Show….2
Casting Rendezvous …...2
Women’s Fly
Fishing Festival………….2
President’s Message……3
Officers & Directors……..3
Limestoner
Banquet……………...…....4
Casting About……...….....5
Fly of the Month…............5
58
Members and
Guests Attended
the February
Members Meeting
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2013 CVTU Fishing Trips
by Gene Giza
We fly fish for enjoyment and fun, and that includes destination
trips to waters outside our home areas. The following CVTU Chapter
fishing trips should add some good-natured fun as well as challenges
to your fishing interests.
The first trip is to the South Holston River near Bristol, TN. As with
past Pine Creek trips, the wives are welcome and would no doubt find
this trip enjoyable. The trip from Boiling Springs, PA to the Bristol, TN
area, according to our OnStar unit, covers 418 miles with a driving
time of 6 hours, 17 minutes.
Some of the attributes of the South Holston are: 1) The relatively
easy to reach outstanding fly fishing opportunities from the adjacent
hardtop road. 2) The South Holston has 5000 to 6000 trout per mile
over its 14 mile length according to most recent survey. 3) It is a managed wild trout fishery. 4) A protected length range prohibits the killing
or removal of any trout between 16 and 22 inches in length. 5) Lots of
bugs! For example: midges, black flies, early stoneflies, yellow stoneflies, golden stoneflies, caddis flies, scuds, sowbugs, blue winged
olives, craneflies and sulphur mayflies. The biggest attraction is the
six months or so of remarkable sulphur hatches.
Dr. Bob Thompson and I, along with Rowland, will be announcing
the time and date for a meaningful power point program and Q&A
session to be held at the YBO for those planning to go on the trip.
The trip will consist of three nights (May 6, 7 and 8) and leaving for
home on May 9 about mid morning.
The second trip is to Penns Creek. CVTU member Bill Cook has a
log cabin on Penns Creek two miles downstream from the bridge in
Coburn near the rail tunnel and railroad bridge. The cabin is first class
(Continued on page 4)
Membership Meeting March 20, 7 PM
at the Monroe Township Building
Our March membership meeting will feature Mr. Henry Ramsay,
author of "Matching Major Eastern Hatches". Henry will offer details on some of the most popular hatches, including just what actually
constitutes a hatch, and perhaps give some insight on how to be
there at the right time to actually experience them. Henry has also
developed fly patterns to match the bugs, so fly fishers have some
idea as to what flies to have in the box when a hatch situation is encountered. This presentation is just in time for everyone to prepare for
the upcoming season, so we hear no excuses in April about not having the right fly when the water was boiling!
A Monthly Publication of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, P.O. Box 520 Carlisle, PA 17013
Tight Lines
Quick Bites and Short Strikes
Clark Hall, Editor
Calendar of Events
2013
March 13, 7:00 PM
Directors Meeting
Holly Inn, Mt. Holly Springs
March 14, 8:00 AM
Chapter Breakfast
Kimberly’s Café, Carlisle
March 16
Limestoner Banquet
Letort View CC
Carlisle, PA
March 20, 7:00 PM
Membership Meeting
Monroe Township Building
March 30
Regional Opening Day
Trout Season
March 31
application deadline for
early acceptance period
2013 Rivers Conservation
& Fly Fishing Youth Camp
April 13
Statewide Opening Day
Trout Season
May 2
Project Healing Waters
Penns Creek
May 6-9
South Holston Fishing Trip
May 21-23
Penns Creek Fishing Trip
May 28-31
Pine Creek Fishing Trip
June 1
East Licking Creek Trip
June 8
Ladies Fly Fishing Class
June 11-12
Reel Recovery
Allenberry, Boiling Springs
June 16-21
2013 Rivers Conservation
& Fly Fishing Youth Camp
Allenberry, Boiling Springs
June 25-26
Street to Streams
Allenberry, Boiling Springs
August 2
CVTU Family Picnic
Allenberry, Boiling Springs
Submission of articles and suggestions for the newsletter are encouraged and may be sent to [email protected] or you can call me at
697-4549. The deadline for the April issue is March 22.
The primary distribution of Tight Lines is via email. It is, therefore, very
important that we have your current email address. To continue to receive Tight Lines, as well as reminders of Members Meetings and special
events,
send
your
current
email
address
to
[email protected]. Put my email address in your address book
and/or add it to your “safe senders list” to avoid the spam filters. For those
who do not have email, copies of Tight Lines may be picked up at Yellow
Breeches Outfitters around the 1st of each month, except for the months
of August and December. Tight Lines will be mailed by request only.
CVTU will be hosting the 19th annual Rivers Conservation and Fly
Fishing Youth Camp on June 16-21, 2013, at the Allenberry Resort in
Boiling Springs. The camp is for boys and girls aged 14 to 17. The early
application period is open through March 31, 2013. For a camp brochure,
more information, or an application, see www.riverscamp.com. Brochures
are also available at Yellow Breeches Outfitters.
We are in need of gillies during the 10 fishing sessions for the Rivers
Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp. Evening fishing begins at
6PM and ends at 9PM. Morning sessions begin at 5AM and end at 7AM.
Volunteer gillies wear their own vest and carry their own favorite flies to
insure they have everything to make the session a successful one for the
student. We do ask that gillies NOT carry a rod. Working with these young
people is a rewarding and memorable time. We hope you will join us as
often as your schedule permits. Sign-up sheets will be available at membership meetings, or contact Clark Hall at 697-4549 or email
[email protected].
The Donegal Fish and Conservation Association is holding their annual
fishing show and flea market at the new Donegal High School gym near Mt.
Joy on Saturday, March 2, from 4 PM to 8:30 PM. Admission is free. Stop
by after the Lancaster Fly Fishing Show.
The Antietam Fly Anglers Casting Rendezvous will be held March 30
from 8 AM – 5 PM at Riverbottom Park in Williamsport, MD. Go to their
website at www.antietamflyanglers.org for more information.
The International Women’s Fly Fishing Festival will be held at Allenberry
May 16-19. Connect with other women who fly fish or wish to learn more
about the sport. Women from all skill levels are welcome. Activities include
cocktail parties, luncheons, banquet and auctions, classes, seminars and
workshops. Questions? Contact Faye Haering at 717-285-2572 or go to the
IWFF website www.intwomenflyfishers.org.
CVTU Membership is 586
CVTU receives a $15 rebate from the special $17.50 first-year
membership dues when the chapter code 052 is marked on the application. Applications are available at Yellow Breeches Outfitters. New
Members may also join online at www.tu.org/intro. Be sure to select
chapter 052, Cumberland Valley. You may renew your membership by
mail or on the web at www.tu.org. You may also renew, or change your
membership information by calling TU Customer Service at 1-800-8342419. For more information, contact John Leonard, Membership Chairman. Following are CVTU’s new members since the last issue of Tight
Lines: Jesse Hilton, Lemoyne; Zachariah Linn, Grantham; Jack Murray,
Siddonsburg; Merri Beth Nord, Carlisle; Lawrence Percival, Mechanicsburg; Jason Shatto; Shermans Dale.
Page 2
Tight Lines
President’s Message
From the President, Justin Pittman
Cumberland Valley Chapter
Officers and Directors (term)
President
Justin Pittman, (13)
[email protected]
243-7642
Vice President
John Leonard, (14)
[email protected]
697-6188
Secretary
open
Treasurer
Paul Rouse, (13)
[email protected]
486-8246
Editor
Clark Hall, (14)
[email protected]
697-4549
Webmaster
Bill Strockbine, (15)
[email protected]
766-0154
Directors
Eric Edstrom, (13)
[email protected]
960-9266
Rowland Harrison, (13)
[email protected]
697-1071
Robert Thompson, (13)
[email protected]
243-1967
Don Albright, (14)
[email protected]
776-5047
Tom Baltz, (14)
[email protected]
486-7438
Chet Hagenbarth, (15)
[email protected]
218-0283
Ken Palmer, (15)
[email protected]
249-8819
Matt Perry, (15)
[email protected]
508-783-5285
Dave Weaver, (15)
[email protected]
338-1952
Warm weather is right around the corner, water temps are starting
to rise, and trout are starting to become more active. Winter fishing
in the Cumberland Valley has been pretty good this year. Our Limestone streams have continued to fish very well, and the Yellow
Breeches has also been fishing pretty well on the warmer days. Between the Yellow Breeches Anglers Association and the PA Fish and
Boat Commission, the Yellow Breaches Creek has been continuously stocked, and it has helped to provide good fishing and relief
from cabin fever. Another big help for me and my fellow fisherman
will be setting the clocks ahead an hour in the month of March. That
means the start of longer days and more time on the water to enjoy
fishing or with family. Don’t forget about some of the great warm water fishing that the Cumberland Valley has to offer. As the water temperatures start to get into the 50’s and 60’s, the bass will start to become more active, and these can be a fun alternative to chasing
trout. Early season bass fishing can sometimes yield the best and
biggest bass of the year.
We, as a Chapter, also have a very exciting and busy month with
our Limestoner Banquet on March 16, 2013. This being our biggest
fundraiser of the year, it is important that we have a healthy turnout.
Our banquet is even more important this year due to the Harrisburg
Sports and Outdoors Show being cancelled, which is the second
largest fundraiser of the year for CVTU. The banquet is a great night
out and also a way to support our Chapter by raising money to continue our goal of cold water conservation throughout the Cumberland
Valley. If you have any questions in regards to the banquet, or have
lost your tickets, please don’t hesitate to contact John Leonard for
more details. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
Lastly, I would like to provide a few updates on some of our local
streams. As many already know, we have been actively involved in
the work that is planned for the Big Spring Creek this upcoming summer. The survey work has been completed, and CVTU, along with
the PA Fish and Boat Commission, is just waiting for the report to be
completed so it can be reviewed and submitted to DEP for their approval. CVTU’s hope is that we are breaking ground by August to
ensure that the project is completed by October 1, 2013. If you have
any questions related to the Big Spring or would like more details on
the proposed plan, please feel free to give me a call. Members from
CVTU, Nature Conservancy, PA-DEP, Cumberland County, TU National, and local community members met at Mountain Creek in February to assess the potential of a stream restoration project on the
stream. The wheels have been set in motion. With some time and
determination, the hope is that there could be a project completed on
the stream in the future.
As always, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please don’t
hesitate to call or e-mail me at [email protected] or call 717360-8823. I would also like to thank everyone who continues to help
make CVTU such a great organization.
Tight Lines!
Justin
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Tight Lines
(Continued from page 1)
and has two small bedrooms downstairs, bathroom with a shower, a large kitchen/living room
area, and a large loft upstairs. This is the second
year for the Penns Creek trip utilizing Bill’s cabin.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Penns
Creek, this is an opportunity for you to fish a
quality trout stream and learn some of the local
history from Bill Cook. The cost of the trip will be
a $50 per person donation to CVTU. Meals can
be on your own as several eateries are in the
Coburn/ Milheim area, or according to Bill, “If
they want to bring groceries, we have electric
range, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator in the
kitchen, and a small freezer in the basement.
There is also a propane grill.” Bill’s wife, Thalia,
has once again graciously volunteered to cook
for the group. The trip will consist of two nights
(May 21 and 22), leaving for home on May 23
about mid morning.
The third trip is to Pine Creek and is our sixth
CVTU return trip to the Slate Run area of the
Pine Creek Valley. An added bonus during the
past years, many of the wives joined us, and we
all have enjoyed numerous black bear sightings.
We also experienced hatches of March Browns
and Gray Foxes, Olives, Green and Brown
Drakes, and the failsafe Caddis bugs.
Arrival will be May 28, noon at the Hotel
Manor for lunch and last minute guidelines/updates. The trip will consist of three nights
(May 28, 29 and 30) leaving for home on May 31
about mid morning. Contact the Hotel Manor
www.hotel-manor.com (570-753-8414) or Black
Forest Inn www.blackforestbar.com (570-7696070) for lodging. Any questions regarding the
above trips, call Gene Giza at 713-8282, or email
[email protected].
The annual day trip to East Licking Creek will
be on Saturday, June 1, regardless of weather.
East Licking Creek is a freestone stream that has
both stocked and wild trout. It is located in Juniata and Mifflin counties near Port Royal, about 60
miles from Carlisle. The upper section of the
stream is fairly small, about the size of Mountain
Creek, and has lots of native brook trout, some
wild browns, and is stocked with brooks, browns,
and rainbows. There is a Delayed Harvest - Artificial Lures Only section beginning just upstream
from the Karl Guss Picnic Area and extending an
additional four miles upstream. There is a bridge
at Spectacle Gap, near the midpoint of the special regulation section, that provides an additional
access point. The entire special regulation section of the stream is forested but not too brushy
for casting. A light, medium length rod like a 7', 3
weight is ideal, but longer and heavier rods are
still usable.
Dry fly action is usually pretty good, with a
Representatives from the Nature Conservancy, PA-DEP,
Cumberland County, CVTU, TU National, and a retired
professor from Dickinson College recently walked sections of Mountain Creek to discuss possible projects to
improve the floodplain above the breached dam and to
restore eroded stream banks.
#10 or #12 Adams or Royal Coachman being as
good a fly as any. We have seen some pretty
good fly hatches, but matching the hatch is not
usually necessary.
We will leave from the Middlesex Diner on RT
11 at 7:00 AM. Most of us have breakfast at the
diner and carpool from there. We are allowed to
leave vehicles in the back of the parking lot. If you
plan on having breakfast at the diner, please arrive by 6:15 AM. Our base of operations will be
the Karl Guss Picnic Area. Lunch consisting of
kielbasa, sauerkraut, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, chips, sodas and water will be provided at the picnic area at 12:30 PM. The cost will
be $6 per person, and the exact amount would be
appreciated.
Those who plan to attend and have lunch
should notify Ken Okorn by phone (697-2451) or
email before May 26, so there will be time to get
the shopping and preparation done. Advance
payment would be appreciated, but is not required. Anyone who signs up for the trip but doesn't show up will still be expected to pay their share
towards lunch, since Ken will have purchased the
food.
Limestoner Conservation Banquet
by John Leonard
Reservations for the Limestoner Conservation
Banquet must be made by mail or by phone no
later than Monday, March 11th. If you cannot locate your reservation form, you can find one to
download at our web site www.pacvtu.org. You
may pay by credit card at the event, but you still
have to register, so we can put your names on
the list for security at the Carlisle War College.
If you have any questions, or if you have a
donation for the event, please call John Leonard
512-4620 or Matt Perry (508) 783-5285. Register
today. See you at the Limestoner.
Page 4
Tight Lines
Casting About
by Jim Rainey
Essentials of Fly Casting: Many fly casting
instructors will expose their students to certain
casting principles. Some refer to these as
“essential” components of every effective fly cast.
In order to understand these essentials in context,
we begin by defining fly casting.
Fly casting is the process of “loading” energy in
the rod by bending it against the weight and inertia
of the fly line, and then transferring that stored energy back to the line and leader by stopping the
rod, causing the line and leader to roll to the target.
With that as our base of understanding, let’s see
how the proper application of the essentials will
contribute to efficient fly casts.
• Eliminate slack line throughout the cast: Slack is
the enemy of efficient rod loading and unloading.
Maintain constant tension on the rod tip from the
moment you begin the casting stroke until the
moment you stop your stroke.
• Accelerate smoothly to an abrupt stop on both
the forward and backward strokes: Acceleration
means applying power in your cast with increasing energy and speed. But you must do so
smoothly, and then bring your stroke to a crisp
stop. Result: most efficient rod loading and
unloading.
• Pause at the end of each forward and backward
stroke: Duration depends upon amount of line
beyond the rod tip. Allow the line and leader to
unroll fully, thus eliminating slack during the next
stroke.
• Casting stroke or arc increases as the amount of
line past the tip increases: Short cast, short
stroke; long cast, long stroke. Also, longer
strokes equal easier casts. A function of leverage; let the rod and line work for you. Longer
strokes give you more time and distance to add
greater load to the rod. (Another way to obtain
increased stored energy is through the “haul.”)
• Line will continue in the direction the tip was
traveling when the rod straightened: downward,
upward, right, left, straight, or curved. First determine where, and following what trajectory, you
want the line to go, and have your rod tip follow
that path both horizontally and vertically.
• Straight line path of the rod tip: Tip must travel a
180-degree path (neither convex nor concave) in
the horizontal plane to form the most aerodynamically efficient loops. Convex path causes
wide loops. Concave path causes tailing loops.
Failure to follow a straight line path in the vertical
plan will cause swinging loops.
Join us on March 20, 5:30 PM, prior to the
Membership Meeting where we will show the DVD:
“A Casting Approach to Catching Fish, Not Just to
Cast,” by Joe Humphreys.
Fly of the Month
submitted by Clark Hall
CDC Caddis
Pattern
Hook :
Thread:
Rib:
Wing:
Daiichi 1100, #20
Uni-thread 8/0 or UTC 70, tan
thread
tan CDC
Year after year I catch more trout on this fly
than any other. From mid-spring through late fall,
small tan caddis emerge almost daily from midmorning until evening. Emergence is usually sporadic, and you may see few to none emerge, but
they are present in streamside vegetation. Trout
are conditioned to seeing and feeding on these
caddis whenever water temperatures are favorable and they are hungry. It is a great searching
pattern when it appears that nothing is happening.
Tying Instructions
1. De-barb the hook and clamp in vise.
2. Starting one eye width behind the eye, wrap
thread in touching turns to the end of the straight
portion of the shank.
3. Twist bobbin clockwise as you look down on it.
This will keep the thread from flattening out and
allow you to form a prominent rib.
3. Wrap the thread in an open spiral back to about
two eye-widths behind the eye.
4. Select three tan CDC feathers that are similar in
size, shape, and shade. Stack them spoon-like
and stroke the fibers toward the tips until the
bunch resembles an artists brush.
5. With the tips facing to the rear, pinch the bunch
and tie in with 8 to 10 tight thread wraps.
6. Lift the tips with your left hand and make three
horizontal wraps between the CDC fibers and the
hook shank to help keep all the fibers above the
shank.
7. Make several more turns to form the head.
8. Lift the CDC butts and whip finish underneath
just behind the eye.
9. Trim thread and CDC butts.
Page 5
A Monthly Publication
Cumberland Valley TU
P.O. Box 520
Carlisle, Pa. 17013
www.pacvtu.org
Tight Lines
March 2013