Tag: December 2020

Date:  12/2/2020

Time:  7:00 pm

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Bass fishing Clear Lake, using the Float and Fly technique

by Program Coordinator: Jim Black

Ryan Williams is going to join us again.  This time he will be discussing Clear Lake and more about his Float and Fly technique.

After Ryan’s earlier presentation in August about Lake Oroville, Sam Bishop and his friend fished with Ryan after the presentation to the Club. Sam enjoyed fishing with Ryan and suggested we have him do another Zoom Presentation.

Ryan’s expertise covers major Rivers and Lakes, among which are the Lower Sac, Clear Lake, Lake Oroville, and most fish in which we will are interested: Smallmouth and Black Bass, Stripers, Trout, and Steelhead. He will be presenting Bass fishing Clear Lake, using his Float and Fly technique

I’ve included his web address above as before and suggest you visit his website. I did in August and found it informative, interesting and fun, all set to music!  https://flyfishcnv.com/

 

Posted on November 21st, 2020

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Pick your prize monthly raffle

by Jeff Goyert

Something new this month, we are doing a bucket raffle. No, we are not raffling off buckets, rather you put your tickets towards the prize you want to win. Here is how it works. We have three great prizes :

  • PYRAMID LAKE BIG BOY LANDING NET
  • ECHO 5 WT ROD/REEL
  • VICE/TOOL TYING KIt

Select the number of tickets you want per prize.  A 20% discount will be applied if you have purchased 25 or more tickets.  (i.e. 25 tickets for $20)  You do not need to attend the Zoom meeting to win.

Check out the new Web Store page on the link below where all the raffle tickets will now be sold. Pick your prize and buy exclusive raffle tickets for that prize.

BUY RAFFLE TICKETS

Posted on November 24th, 2020

Date:  Dec. 9th 2020

Time:  6:30 p.m.

Place:  Zoom Meeting

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Sheep Creek

by Elaine Cook - fly tying instructor

This month will feature an emerging aquatic insect for trout. Best used in stillwater with a floating line.  Once again, a simple fly to tie, which is working best via Zoom. Great fly for you beginners. We have tools and vise to loan to you. Sign up by calling, and allowing enough time to pick up materials and directions at my door. (831)688-1561.

Beginners need to allow a little more time for a face time session to learn how to use equipment. If you live far away, I can mail you what you need or if you wish to use your own materials, I can email you the directions. Feel free to just tune in to watch , if you wish. Its best to set up and review directions ahead of time. The thread will be olive 8/0.

Wed, December 9,   Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Posted on November 22nd, 2020

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Happy Holidays

by Tom Hogye

Happy Holidays Everyone.

Always feels weird saying things like ‘Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.’, when in order to get this in the newsletter, you’re writing the article a couple weeks before!   Over the years, I’ve often wondered how do they get Winter catalogs in the mail in August, and they have people modeling new clothing in snow. Never mind.

We have been busy. Covid did not slow us down. The raffle last month was awesome, and we had 38 people on the Zoom meeting with Chris King’s outstanding presentation on Steelhead and big rainbows. Your generous support if our Conservation and Scholarships has been amazing.   While we aren’t having our Annual Dinner/Fundraiser in January, we have been managing our expenses, membership, and donations such that we are in vey good shape to weather what Covid might yet throw at us.

Your Board has been very active engaging membership, fishing together, in California mostly, and exploring new ways to continue keeping you fly-fishing.

We are looking forward to something more “back to normal”, but the tools we’ve developed because of Covid, are giving us more tools to use when we do go back to normal. It is likely we will continue with Zoom enhancements at our functions by broadcasting our club meetings over the web, even when we are meeting together.

Our future is secure and we are growing. The youth, as we’ve mentioned before, are the future of our environment, our fisheries and this club. Due to the response in our Scholarship program, and other available youth programs for next year, David South, normally, our Annual dinner Organizer suggested a Youth Programs Chair – which is a terrific idea.   If you’re interested in being involved and chairing this committee, please reach out to me/us.

Our Programs Chair, Jim Black, is also looking for someone to shadow him and help take part in bringing on new and exciting speakers.   Since they don’t have to travel, these speakers, men and women, can come from virtually anywhere there is a Zoom connection.   If interested, we welcome you.

Our Website/Newsletter Chair, Scott Kitayama, has been doing a terrific job with both; as you’ll see in this month’s pub, an expanding selection of SCFF merchandise in collaboration with our Marketing Chair, Michael McGannon. Scott is looking for some assistance, from anyone interested in more internet-based outreach and support with things like Instagram, Tik Tok… If interested in this, please reach out to Scott.

Also, thanks to an idea from Steve Rudzinski, we’ve nominated and approved our first “Meteorologist At Large”, going to our local Santa Cruz surfing, fishing and weather expert, Lee Solomon. Welcome to the Club, Lee!   Can’t wait to see you donning waders and a fly-rod for an upcoming weather segment on KSBW!

We are wishing all of you a very happy Holidays. Stay tuned – a lot of fun stuff coming up.   Thank you for your incredible support and your own very special enthusiasm.   Thank you for coming to the meetings, fly-tying, supporting conservation, the club, scholarships and so much more.

We will continue to grow, and we will always – promote, educate and enjoy, the sport of fly-fishing.

Merry Christmas!   Tom

Posted on November 24th, 2020

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Pebble Mine Update.

by Conservation Slim

In August we thought it was ‘Smooth Sailing’ for saving Bristol Bay as the Army Corps of Engineers, in all their wisdom, could not permit the plan as stated by Pebble Mine Inc. The Army set the bar so high that the corporation would never be able to show it was safe from future flooding and releasing the toxic chemicals into the watershed. Pebble ‘brushed off’ the Army’s letter promising a response which now the Army is not sharing with the public so there is a mystery as to the details.

Much of the problem is due to the silence coming from both Senators Murkowski and Sullivan who Trout Unlimited
Alaska Fund representatives report have not fully put their support behind saving the fishery once and for all. Both claiming that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) needs to be using their authority under the Clean Water Act to veto the permits sought by Pebble Mine proponents Northern Dynasty Mining Inc.

TU says to write the Senators now and tell them to say ‘NO to the Pebble Mine’.

Lisa Murkowski 302 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 www.murkowski.senatte.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Dan Sullivan 202 224 3004 (same address as Murkowski) email: www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email

I want to send out a special thanks to our members who joined up with the Salinas Fly Fishers and TU to do a couple days of clean up along the Salinas River where the RR tracks and Hwy 1 cross the estuary and where club members put in small boats and float tubes to fish for Striped Bass. Photos show a huge dumpster on site filled with mattresses, tires, furniture and trash galore.   Special thanks to volunteers, Sam Bishop, Jeff Sloboden, Jeff Gose, Scott Kitayama and any others I missed.

I am preparing for the Covid Casting Clinic this Wed and meeting our new ‘Weather Guy at large’ Lee Solomon from KSBW newsroom. We will let Lee decide what to call his new position on the board. eg Weatherman at large or Meteorologist at large, however he decides we want to welcome him this week at the clinic and hope he can find a minute to log into our Wed general meeting Dec 2.

On Dec 5th the following Saturday at 2 PM I will have another casting clinic for those who cannot attend the Wednesday mid week events due to working for a living.  This will be the last casting event till Spring so please RSVP me if you plan to attend and or bring a guest caster friend or relative.

Happy holidays to everyone, please be healthy wealthy and wise and be kind to everyone. 2021 is going to be more topsy turvy than 2020 is my guess.  Let’s all get through this and keep our sanity.  Peace,   ‘Cal Slim’

Posted on November 24th, 2020

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Send in your pictures!

by Program Coordinator: Jim Black

It’s now time to prepare for our Annual Santa Cruz Slideshow (Zoom Meeting on January 6th, 2021) and look forward to sharing last years Fishing Experiences with our entire club.  As he did last year, Rich Rubin has graciously agreed to be the Master of Ceremonies for Our Slide Show.

Please submit your photos to Rich Rueben to richr@cruzio.com

Pictures should be emailed directly to Rich so he can save them to his iPad.  Please don’t use Dropbox or other cloud based applications.

 

Posted on November 24th, 2020

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Annual Salinas River launch-site cleanup

Geoff Malloway from Central Coast Fly Fishing writes on Facebook: “Another successful Salinas River cleanup!  We had an exceptional turnout thanks to the Salinas Valley Flyfishers, the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen, CDFW , AmeriCorps and Trout Unlimited. Also, special thanks to Jefferson Farms (Jay and Benji) and MPWMD.  A lot was accomplished but there’s always more to do.”

The Salinas Valley Fly Fishing club have been doing this cleanup for years right before the December opening of the Salinas river.  There were about 25 people total who helped on the morning of November 22nd.   SCFF was represented by Jeff Gose, Jeff Slaboden, Sam Bishop and Scott Kitayama. Great to meet people from the other organizations.

 

If you are fishing any of the coastal rivers this winter, Tim Frahm from Trout Unlimited asks that you fill out the “Central Coast Striped Bass Catch Reporting Survey” which shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds to fill out and will help better understand our local waters.  The survey can be found at https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/wge1mabO    

Posted on November 24th, 2020

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December 31st reminder dues deadline

by Bob

More than half of all current members have renewed 2021 membership online https://www.santacruzflyfishing.org/join/membership.

The balance of renewals (45) have been mailed out to members to be paid by check or online.  To date, over $2,200 has been received for Scholarships/ Conservation.  This years renewal response has exceeded expectations and members continue to support our Club in this transitional time.

Thank You

Posted on November 23rd, 2020

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Bird’s Nest

by Elaine Cook--Fly Tying Chairman

Hook: Mustad 3906 or TMC 3769 (substitution , TMC 5262). Sizes 12-16

Thread: black 6/0, but I prefer 8/0

Rib: small gold wire

Tail: lemon wood duck flank feathers

Abdomen: Australian possum dubbing ( substitution,  grey rabbit dubbing )

Legs: same as tail

Thorax: same as abdomen

1. Attach thread 1/3 back on shank.

2. Position wire under shank. Wrap in place to rear of shank. NOTE: wire under shank prevents it from repositioning tail when spiraling it forward.

3. Line up tips of feather out to side of stem. Cut about 8 from stem. Tie to top of shank, tips extending about 2/3’s shank length beyond shank. Cut excess mid shank.

4. Dub a slightly tapered body 2/3’s shank forward.

5. Spiral rib forward in about 5 wraps. Tie off. Twist wire to break. NOTE: wire dulls scissors.

6. Using one feather, line up tips just beyond rear of hook. Fold feather around hook shank. Tie in place with a couple wraps. Check to see if barbs extend backward all the way around shank. Make a couple more thread wraps. Cut excess.

7. Using dubbing loop, wrap a generous fuzzy thorax.

8. Holding fuzz back, wrap a sm. thread head. Tie off. Cut excess.

 

Posted on November 24th, 2020

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Fly Tying Tool – The Burner

by Sam Bishop

Have you ever put the dumbbell eyes a bit too close to the eye when tying a Clouser, then found that when you tied it all off, you just couldn’t keep some of the deer hair or synthetics out of the eye? Then when you tried to trim it out you risked damaging your expensive scissors?
Well, for something between $7 and $15 you can buy a thread burner, a device used by those who sew, and solve the problem once and for all. But if you buy one, be sure it has a replaceable battery.

Note the smoke in the picture.

Posted on November 24th, 2020