December - Desert Fly Casters

DECEMBER 2010
O F F I C I A L
D E S E R T
F L Y
C A S T E R S
N E W S L E T T E R
WANTED
ALL
DFC
TROUT
BUMS
Desert Fly Casters Supports
BARBLESS HOOKS
CATCH & RELEASE
Additional Information call: Charlie Rosser: 480-985-5238
....or e-mail me at: [email protected]
LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS BEHIND WHEN WALKING THE PATHWAYS OF OUR ARIZONA ENVIRONMENT
Desert Fly Casters
A Quick Look at Our DFC Banquet....
Yup...The Big DFC Banquet.
Don't miss all these goodies
from Charlie an d the
DFC Trout Bum Board!
Don’t miss out on this years DFC Annual Banquet and Raffle to be held
Wednesday, December 8, 2010. Come early to purchase your raffle tickets and bid on the items you want. This year we are changing the raffle
ticket process to make it easier on the members. We will be using the numbers on the tickets, no need to put your name on the tickets. We will not
accept any bent tickets or tickets that have been altered.
We have over 70 fly fishing items, over 30 certificates and over 25 member items
donated in the raffle this year plus a very good multiprize table. Below is a just a
sample of raffle items:
Fly Rods (8 total)
9ft 8wt 4pc St. Croix Legend Ultra
6.5ft 2wt 4pc Forecast Custom Built Rod by Dave Weaver
8.5ft 5wt 4pc Bass Pro Rod & Reel Combo
Reels (7 total)
Ross 5/6
Lamson ¾
Okuma 5/6 & 8/9
Certificates – 2 for 1 fishing trips, Simms Waders, Restaurants, Golf and 40% off
Winston, Thomas & Thomas and St. Croix rods.
2 Pontoons & 1 Float Tube, Fishing Nets, Fly Boxes loaded with flies, Fly Tying
Equipment, Fly Lines, Shirts, Hats, Buck Knives and Sunglasses.
2 Framed Trout Paintings, Original Water Color and Art Work painted by members and a Cardinal Football Autographed by Ken Whisenhunt.
In addition to the raffle items we will also have prizes for purchasing tickets in the
amount of $25, $50 & $100. Prizes will be:
$25 (4 winners) - $25 Bass Pro Cert, Several nice restaurants
$50 (2 winners) - Broadway Palm Dinner Theater for 2 and Heirloom Restaurant
Cert for $100
$100 (1 winner) - 9ft 5wt 4pc Hydros Rod donated by Orvis.
We will also be selling a deck of cards for $10 a card. The lucky person that buys
the winning card will win an 8 foot Fish Cat Streamer Pontoon. If you can’t get
it home with your car I will deliver it to you already set up. So go ahead and buy
those cards.
This year we are adding a 50/50 raffle. Tickets will be 5 for $5. At the end of the
night the lucky ticket holder will pocket 50% of the money collect. Could pay for
all your raffle tickets you purchased.
With all the raffle items and good food it is bound to be another good DFC Banquet/
Raffle evening. Hope to see you there.
Desert Fly Casters
THIS
AD SPACE
AVAILABLE
Call: Charlie Rosser
at: 480-985-5238
May you feel the handle as the rod bows, the line
tightens and your net fills plentifully with new
memories. ...Best of fly fishing to all of the Desert Fly
Caster Trout Bums and their friends for 2011.
Best Wishes- DFC Board of Directors
Desert Fly Casters
A few photos from Vince Deadmond
and his latest Rocky Point trip....
Vince Deadmon
d and Joe Stalle
r at Fish Taco St
Vince's smile in
and dicates that Jo
e is paying.
< Joe Staller w
ith
nice Orange M
outh Corvina.
Don Mo
r
th Sier
gan wi
ra M a c
ke re l
Pompano ta
ken with po
pper
Desert Fly Casters
DS
N
E
&
ODDS
ST UF F & TH IN GS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
TH AT AL L DF C TR OU T BU MS
NE ED TO KN O W W IT HO UT
SE AR CH IN G FO R TH E RE M O
TE
Intermediate Fly Tying
NO DECEMBER CLASS
DFC
Fly Fishing 101
Learning the fundamentals of fly fishing can be overwhelming and intimidating to anyone just starting out in
the sport. From understanding the basics of the equipment, to picking out your fly rod, to tying on a fly and making your first cast, there is a lot of information to process. However, do not be discouraged, your friends from the
Desert
Fly Casters are here to help! Believe me when I say, “We’ve all been there.” That is why,
starting in January, we are offering Fly Fishing 101 classes
to beginning anglers. The goal of these instructional sessions will be to help shorten the learning curve and to get
you out on the water catching fish as fast as possible.
If you or someone you know is interested in attending
these classes, be sure to sign-up at the monthly club meetings.
1/26/2011 - Choosing a Fly Rod, Reel, Line and Leader
Members will learn the basic terminology, anatomy and
functions of the fly rod, reel, line and leader. They will also
learn how to choose the correct set-up for fishing different
applications.
2/23/2011 - Basic Fly Fishing Knots & Usage
Members will learn how to tie several common fly fishing
knots and their proper usage.
Instructor: Tom Horvath
Email: [email protected] Phone:
(602) 271-0595 Location:
Redden Construction
4131 East Wood Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85040
Thank you all who have helped and attended the Beginning and Intermediate classes through the year. We have
covered a tremendous amount of ground this year and
next year’s Education Team will be improving next year’s
classes. I have very much enjoyed the classes.
Included in this blurb is a picture and recipe of a fly tied
in the November class taught by Mr. John Rohmer. We
caught him just before Knee surgery and special thanks
John and hope all goes good in the surgery.
Recipe...
Ultra Foxy Minnow
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 #1
Thread: 6/0 White Uni
Eyes: STI I-Balz 5/32
Flash: AZ Diamond Hair
Over/under body: Ultra Hair
Bottom: Arctic Fox Tail
Top: Arctic Fox Tail
Special Thanks to Gentry Smith and David Hwang for all
their support and help through the year
Desert Fly Casters
PLANNING AHEAD
Howard was inspecting the picture hanging hardware. I was
just glad to see him up and about after his recent stint in the
hospital. Howard produced a digital camera with pictures of a
trophy Large Mouth Bass that he needed to hang, and some wide
eyed pictures of Howard landing the fish. The health issue had
sharpened his desire to get out and fish. Howard then told me
about an upcoming, ultimate, once in a lifetime, guided fishing
trip he had planned with his brother. Coming to a realization
that work shouldn't always come first, and that time with family and friends should be scheduled, is a good thing. Howard
is looking ahead and planning on fishing in 2011, fishing trips
don't happen if you don't plan them.
This time of year I like to relive my fishing trips, go through
the pictures, and review the good and the bad. This glance backwards usually propels my upcoming fishing calendar year. It's a
balance of wanting to fish the old familiar places with a desire
to try someplace new. When I fish new water I usually make it a
point to get a guide. Good guides can offer insights into fishing
their water that would take a long time to realize on your own.
Plus techniques that are local, and a slight variation on the fly of
the day. Guides have a grasp of the local history and can point
out things that are slightly hidden. At Lee's Ferry in northern
Arizona the guides can show you carvings on the canyon walls
from ancient peoples.
If you are new to fly fishing hiring a good guide is a good way
to learn to fish the right way. Usually no matter how big a doofus
you are, a guide can put you on fish, and this is important to
your early development as a fly fisher. Guides are generally an
interesting group, I had a guide that was helicopter test pilot, another was a jazz musician, and other guides that were formerly
teachers, computer wonks, engineers, and even a doctor or two.
One guide always had a new fiance every time we fished, but I
don't think he ever married. Fishing guides seem to be full of
life, and hard on personal relationships, but they usually have a
good fish story.
My personal fishing report card for 2010 would show that I
was present for many fishing opportunities, I was not tardy, and
I fished well with others, but sometimes withheld a fly that was
working really well. I also fished well without supervision. In a
quick count I caught over 20 different species of fish this year. I
fished my usual Arizona spots, I fished some new and old water
in Wisconsin, and I spent a lot of time in Puerto Penasco, Mexico with no problems. Joe Staller and I got into a Pompano bite
one morning and we each landed about 50 fish. Joe said, “That
was my best day ever at Rocky Point.” I hated to tell him, “That
didn't even crack my top ten list.” Yes, I have had some really
good days in Rocky Point.
Fish I would like to catch in 2011: a personal best Lahontan
Cutthroat Trout, a personal best Pike, another Muskie, a personal best Tarpon, and to actually land my first Permit. It's going to
take some planning. I am looking forward to fishing with family, old friends, and new friends. You never have enough fishing
buddies.
Vince Deadmond The Fly Fishing Hardware Guy can be reached
at Best Hardware 237 N Apache Trail Apache Junction, AZ or
[email protected] or 480 982 7461.
By Vince Deadmond
Desert Fly Casters
Some DFC Trout Bum book suggestions for your Christmas list • 2010
Classical Controversies by Lawrence Threadgold (reviewed by Bruce E. Harang)
Self Published via Lulu Books
http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=7&fSearch=Classical+Controversies
116 pages, softbound, illustrated, Color and B&W, suggested price $31.72
A very interesting little volume directed to the age old fireside discussion (sometimes heated) regarding wet fly versus dry and upstream presentation versus down. This is a well written overview
of the history of these differences of opinion by some of the most influential fly fishers of the past
two centuries. The illustrations, especially the reproductions of old materials, are well done and very
interesting in their own right. The list of references is important as it lists the published sources
documenting these arguments which allow those interested a clear avenue to follow upon. The author ends the book with a suggested basis of consensus to rationalize the various views. Interesting
food for thought is presented in the proposed Fly-fisherman's Code, though fireside chats are going
to be a lot less colorful if it is widely adopted. This is an excellent overview of some of the most controversial aspects in the history of fly fishing.
Montana's Best Fly Fishing by Ben Romans (reviewed by Bruce E. Harang)
Headwater Books/Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA
2010 283 pages, softbound, illustrated, Color, suggested price $29.95
A very well written, illustrated, and produced volume detailing fly fishing in some of Montana's most
popular waters. Eighteen of the most famous rivers are covered in this volume including; the Bighorn,
Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson, Beaverhead, Big Hole, Rock Creek, Blackfoot, Clark Fork,
Bitterroot, Missouri, Smith, Kootenai, Flathead, South Fork Flathead, Middle Fork Flathead, and North
Fork Flathead. Each river section includes a site map with state location map insert, a general description of the river and its fish, when and where to fish, hatches and productive flies and rigs, a graphical
hatch chart, directions to fishing access points, and recipes and photographs of suitable fly patterns. The
writing style is easy to read and comprehend. The graphics and photographs are very high quality. The
photographs of the rivers are well done in that they give the reader a "sense of place". If you are new to
trout fly fishing in Montana this is a must have volume that will become a good friend. If you are a veteran of the Montana Rivers, this volume will very likely provide you with some new options and ideas.
This is a beautiful volume providing the reader with good value.
Essential Knots & Rigs for Trout (reviewed by David Lambert)
I'm the easiest guy to buy for at Christmas. Give me a good knot book and I can stay busy, content even,
until Valentine's Day, maybe Easter. So when fishing illustrator Joe Mahler told me he'd just completed
work on an illustrated knot book, well, I was excited for him. . . .and for me.
Mahler's new book, Essential Knots & Rigs for Trout, is a top-shelf, lovingly and beautifully illustrated
primer for those of us who love to fish with a fly. And it's published by Stackpole Books, the trusted
name in fly fishing tomes. Despite the title designation "For Trout," many of the leader and terminal ties
are effective and efficient for small to medium saltwater species, too.
Essential Knots is intelligently partitioned into seven sections. It begins with knots for attaching backing to fly reel and runs logically through the full fly fishing system, with a couple of chapters at the end
dedicated to multi-hook rigs and strike indicators.
What sets this book apart from the lower order knot books is Mahler's choice to include knots like the
16-20 Knot (a.k.a. Pitzen), Seaguar, Orvis/Becker, and the Eugene Bend, none of which are your everyday knot-book fare. But these are all knots I've used and now champion. Of particular interest to me is
Mahler's chapter on leaders and the art and info depicting multi-fly rigs, which will can benefit fishers
of waters both sweet and saline.
Simple, clear written descriptions accompany the artwork, but Mahler's visuals are so expertly and vividly rendered that the written is almost unnecessary. And that's a good thing, since trying to follow written directions from a knot book is confusing, like trying to follow driving directions from a slow talker.
You've seen Joe Mahler's illustrations in most all the good fishing publications recently and you'll see
much of his work in Jon Cave's new casting book, due out late this year. Pick up Mahler's book and you'll
see why the magazines love his illustrations -- they're exceptional and accessible, just like his new book.
Available at fly shops, fishing stores, and online. Essential Knots and Rigs for Trout, © 2010 by Joe
Mahler, 92 pages, full color slicks, $14.95, Stackpole Books, ISBN 978-0-8117-0716-9
2010 DESERT FLY CASTERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OUTINGS- 2010
Steve Berry- President
Mike Yavello-Vice President
Mark Lucht- Treasurer
Charlie Rosser- Secretary
December 8, 2010
Outings- Darin Taverna
Programs- Cinda Howard
Library
Gentry Smith
Retail - Larry Kivela
Membership- Dave Weaver
Education
David Hwang
Conservation- Mark Donahoo
TU/FFF Liaison- Bob Harrison
ALSO...The DFC Board has been working
to get the new 2011 season going with some
thoughts on the following Outings:
January – Danish Casting Games, Cinda to set date, looking at:
January 15th or 29th – Mark provide pulled pork
And in May – Lee’s Ferry
Videos & Books- Gentry Smith
Raffles- Don Morgan
Newsletter Editor/Graphics Guru
Robert McKeon
Website Administrator
Bill Batchelor
Member at Large- Doc Nickel
Web Address Site
http://www.desertflycasters.com
DFC Banquet
See ya at the 8, 2010
December
MAIL TO: ☛
Desert Fly Casters
PO Box 42252
Mesa, AZ 85274-2252
Annual DFC Banquet
Contact: Charlie Rouser at:
[email protected]