Tag: ed202011

Posted on by

November Speaker and Raffle provided by The Fly Shop

by Jim Black

Date: November 4, 2020 Zoom Presentation
Time: 7pm
Place: Zoom- click here to join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83842895848

Chris King was introduced to fly fishing at a young age. During his high school years in New Jersey he traveled the eastern seaboard in search of trout with his father. He spent 8 years in Colorado where he turned his passion into a career. From there he made his way West where in 1998 he found a home at The Fly Shop. Chris is currently Master Certified, Two Hand Certified and an emeritus member of the organization’s Casting Board of Governs. Chris resides in Redding with his wife and two children and has been guiding and teaching casting in Northern California for over 20 years.

Posted on October 28th, 2020

Posted on by

Deluxe guide trip – November raffle prize

by Jeff Goyert

THIS IS ONE YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS!

check this out!  The Fly Shop in Redding California,  known for decades as the “go-to” shop for their guided fly fishing trips,  has donated to our club an all inclusive full day guided  trip for TWO! Package includes all gear to include rods, leaders, tippets,  and flies along with a hearty streamside lunch.

The lucky winners have their choice of any of the Fly Shop’s destinations to include the Lower Sacramento,  the upper Sacramento,  the Fall River, the Pit River, Hat Creek, the  McCloud River, and Baum Lake. California fly fishing at it’s finest. Excluded are the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. Your guide fr the day will be Russ Kegler, check out his Bio on the The Fly Shop website. www.theflyshop.com

The  trip prize is intended to be used during 2021. Only one trip will be awarded. Gratuities not included.

Click on the following link to purchase tickets,  one dollar each, 25 for $20.

Buy Raffle Ticket

Buy a bunch of tickets, the more you buy, the better your chances!

The drawing will be held at the November zoom meeting on 11/04/20.

Need not be present to win.

Buy Raffle Ticket

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Date:  Nov. 11 , 2020. (Wednesday)

Time:  6:30 pm

Place:  Zoom meeting

Posted on by

Glow Bugaboo – November Fly Tying

by Elaine Cook - fly tying instructor

Here’s a nice fly for small streams and lakes to catch brooks, rainbows and steelhead (smolts and up to half pounders ). The pattern can be varied in several ways. A couple will be featured in the class. This is a simple fly to tie and good for beginners. We thank Tim Loomis for suggesting the fly for a class.  He speaks from experience about its definite effectiveness. You will need red 6/0 or 8/0 thread. Let me know if you need to borrow some.  For beginners: call well ahead so we can set you up with vise and tools and receive some basic instruction via face time.

Everyone will need to call ahead to allow enough time for materials and directions to be assembled and for you to pick up at my home. ( about 2 days ) (831)688-1561

Wed, November 11,   Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

Pull Out Your Roster!

by Tom Hogye

Well – this is late.   Stuff has hit us again.   It’s not a knock out punch by far, but I’m really getting bothered by the constant belting we are taking.  And it hasn’t even started raining yet!

Covid has been troublesome enough. While respecting all concerns, I’m getting tired of Covid, Fires and PSPS! PG&Es means of mitigating more lawsuits from potential fire activity.  We need some rain.

Due to the aforementioned, I’m typing on battery power hoping to send when I can get to a wifi signal tomorrow morning.   But I’m not really complaining.

In the midst of all of this, we’ve really been fortunate.

If you own a fly-rod and some flies, a decent reel, and have been fishing this year – consider yourself fortunate.  If you went fly-fishing at all this year – same.

At this writing, the only power I have is what’s left in this laptop battery.   Otherwise, I am managing my life by what everything else is throwing at us, hitting back with all this 5’6” dog can muster.   It’s only a couple of days, but stacked on top of the last 7 months – ugh.  I’ve been spending weekends preparing for rain – hoping to get some in spurts so the mountains don’t wash away.

Do me a favor – pull out the club “roster” you’ve been given.   There are about 150 of you.   Tantamount to a miracle given this year of 2020.   Take that roster and call someone you don’t know.   You have an interest in Fly-Fishing in common, you’re stuck at home -make a new friend.

Get to know each other.  Do something different, even if it means just talking and getting to know the person on the other end of the line.  Like the old days – the good – old days.

As your “President”, at this President’s Line – All I want you to do is pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know – on the roster – and start from there.

Since 1977, the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen (and BTW, that means, every being that has two feet and walks on this planet) describes a mission to “Promote, Educate and Enjoy the Sport of Fly Fishing”.   This is “high-level” thinking but you are part of this greater good.  This mission isn’t just for the board members – it’s for you too!

We have some fun stuff coming up and if you haven’t been on one of Elaine’s Zoom Fly-Tying classes, try it.   We also have the results of your survey with some really excellent input on things we can do to improve the membership experience.

I also want to thank all of you for submitting very generous donations to the club for use in our Conservation budget, the High School Scholarship program and the general club fund.

The on-line raffle at the club meeting has been very successful and will continue to improve.  Jeff is going to start to set up again the opportunity for you to choose which “buckets” you want your tickets to go to.

Be proud of SCFF; we’ve been helping our other FFI clubs in Northern California sharing our successes as we quickly morphed from a nymph to a beautiful salmon fly during this year of opportunity.   Thank you for being part of it.    More to come.  Jump on Zoom – do something different!   ?

Posted on October 28th, 2020

Posted on by

O’Neill ForeBay fishery concerns.

by Steve

Aside from my article in ‘Fishy Tales’, I wanted to share some observations on the fishery and interesting findings from Andy Gorbus from Fish and Wildlife.

Our own master fisherman and guide and fly tier friend, Lee Haskins, commented Saturday on how the ForeBay has improved due to the non poisoning of weed beds the last few years. I agreed and remember sending letters to both California Water Board and the Dept of Fish and Wildlife asking questions about the herbicide ‘Endothall’ (End-it-all)! in 2017.  Andy Gorbus has kept in touch over the last 3 years, mostly to send toxicology reports on HAB (harmful bacteria blooms). We all noticed the odor of the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) hugging the shoreline on the eastern shore which is the side that the wind blows towards the most. We all saw the dead fish wash up in some areas and the soupy green algae was everywhere.

One member who did not wear waders and fished a half day a week prior to the fishout developed the same swimmers itch symptoms as we developed doing the same thing at the north shore of Lake Almanor in June.  Little red pimples that look more like bug bites than a rash. It could be partially because of all the bird activity (poop). (coots at the ForeBay and geese at Almanor).

Because of the non poisoning of the weed beds for several years, the shad are back in numbers and fish are boiling again and fishers are getting fish in the 20″ range or better.

It is so often you may think one person complaining and writing letters and making a few phone calls cannot do anything but that is not true at all. I think our society wants to do the right thing and to help make things right, it is so political also and you have to appeal to the greater good like not poisoning the water that is heading for public consumption (LA). Although they say the herbicide Endothall is not harmful to fish and animals, would you drink the water knowing that?

Click image to see letter

On another front, the 2 Alaskan senators are now supporting saving Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine project, the president has even said he also supports protecting the bay. The Alaskan fund of Trout Unlimited sends me letters of thanks to the SCFF members for their support in saving the most precious of resources left on planet Earth. Good for us and for all.  We all ‘Rock’.  Thank you.

‘Slim’

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

lactococcus garvieae

The first-time introduction of a bacteria into California caused a culling of many fish at hatcheries.   Member, Tom Deetz, let us know about this and below is an article from CalTrout about it.   If others find new information about this, please share on Google Groups or submit to the newsletter.  –  Scott Kitayama

CDFW Euthanizes 3.2 Million Trout to Halt Bacteria Outbreak 
July 22, 2020 (article from CalTrout)

On July 20, 2020, three California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hatcheries in Southern California and the eastern Sierra euthanized 3.2 million hatchery trout to stop the outbreak of a bacterial infection. Fish at the hatcheries have been infected with Lactococcus garvieae, which is similar to streptococcus, wildlife officials said.

The disease was previously unknown in California, and CDFW staff have been trying multiple treatments and strategies to try to resolve the outbreak over the last three months. Efforts have been unsuccessful. Consequently and as a last resort, CDFW pathologists have recommended that the fish be euthanized and the facilities disinfected before repopulating the hatcheries with L. garvieae-free fish.

The trout, which are used to stock waterways for recreational fishing, are at Mojave River Hatchery, Black Rock Hatchery and Fish Springs Hatchery.

Where have scheduled fish plants been canceled, due to this outbreak?

The counties affected include:

– Los Angeles
– San Bernardino
– Riverside
– San Diego
– Orange
– Ventura
– Santa Barbara Inyo
– Mono

Can CDFW make up for the canceled plants with fish from non-infected hatcheries?

Currently, three of CDFW’s largest trout production hatcheries in the state are shut down, and two others are coming back online after significant infrastructure problems and not yet at full production. In addition, a catchable size fish takes around two years to get to size. There is no way for the remaining trout hatcheries to make up that level of fish production. CDFW is evaluating the possibility of re-allocating fish destined to be stocked in northern California waters to a small group of high use, easily accessible Eastern Sierra and Southern California waters, but there are still significant logistical details to be worked out including safety of staff and travel under current COVID-19 restrictions.

Can humans get sick from this bacteria? Should people take extra precaution if eating fish they catch?

There is limited evidence L. garvieae bacteria has been passed to humans, but fish-to-human transmission is extremely rare. As always, anglers should follow USDA recommendations on cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

More information can be found on the CDFW FAQ list. “FAQ for Lactococcus garvieae outbreak in Southern California fish hatcheries“

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

2021 Renewal Update

by Membership chairman Bob Peterson

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

The balance of renewals have been mailed out to members to be paid by check or online.  To date, over $1,000 have 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 October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

O’Neill ForeBay FishOut 2020

by Stosh

image:  Cecelia Stipes with 25″ Striper

It was a record according to our senior members attending, 21 of us during the four day event. I want to thank those attending, we all thought it was highly successful although the fishing was not great in our side of the lake, those who found the bait, found the fish.

Scheduling the yearly event I have moved it to mid or late October and try to coincide with the new moon phase and to find cooler water and a change in the weather for good fall time fishing.  This was not the case this time. Ninety plus degree days and little wind or clouds knocked us off the lake when the fishing shut down after 9 AM. Those who fished till the mid afternoon did a lot of kicking the tube around in the hot sun. We only had one person, former fish master Jim Hall and his little aluminum car top boat found the fish and had the highest fish count which he whispered “got 15 this afternoon bite”. He rarely brags how well he does.

Everyone attending was happy to escape their homes and get together with friends and fish and the most important part was to all join the evening campfire to tell stories and laugh out loud a lot. Every day was a little different, as some fishers came for the day and did not sleep over or stayed at the nearby Motel 6.  We had no more than seven of us sleeping on any night. Special thanks to those who were there all four days. Kevin and Terry Murdock, Elaine and John Cook, Kathy Powers, Scott Kitayama and yours truly.

Sunrise at Medeiros Campground.

For me personally, the heat was oppressive, and fishing sucked, averaging one fish a day and almost zero bumps which is so rare this time of year. I did play fish-master casting instructor with a new member who won a fly rod at the last meeting, Carly and Sean got an hour and a half casting her new rod from a rock below our camp. They were not ready for float tubing yet and just starting out fishing.  It is always great to see the younger generation pick up where the older folk are leaving off.

Super special thanks to ‘Kevin and Terry’s Bar and Grill’ for bringing everything under the hot sun to eat and drink and to Steven and Milana Rawson who make pizza dough from scratch and a pizza via Dutch oven before our eyes right in the camp. I am always blown away by the variety of skills our membership have. The best way to get to know a person is to go camping together. I’m a lucky person indeed.  Stosh 10/2020

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

Fishing the Williamson

by David South

By the time all the smoke cleared from the Klamath, OR region, it was the first week in October…..very low water levels and 90 plus degrees…made for very poor fishing at Rocky Point Campground  (a month before friends were catching 20 -30 trout/day).   I gave up and went out on the Williamson with guide Craig Schuhmann, and caught this bad boy on a #10 maroon and black leech, using intermediate sink line. He estimated at 26-27″ and 6-7 lbs.

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

Surf Fishout, October 11, 2020

by by Fishmaster Mark Traugott

Masked and socially distanced fishermen prepare to brave the surf.

We had a good turnout for the final surf fishout of the year at Palm Beach in Watsonville. Nine members hit the beach around sunrise: Sam Bishop, Elaine Cook, Gary Cramton, Bob Garborino, Scott Kitayama, Matt Maurin, the father-and-son duo of Steve and Joshua Wilkens, and myself. The fish were not overly cooperative, but it was possible to land the occasional surf perch. The proof is that Matt, one of our newest members, hooked and landed his first ever surf fish on a fly. Congratulations, Matt! Scott got the “exotic catch award” for landing a guitarfish (which I had to google, never having seen one in person.) Striped bass were, unfortunately, a no-show yet again. If you weren’t able to attend on October 11, you may want to get out to one of our State Beaches in the next few weeks, before the surf builds, the winter storms begin, and the fly-fishing focus shifts to steelhead. You can’t beat the brisk morning weather, the bright sunshine, the healthy exercise you get resisting the crashing waves, and the chance of fooling a fish.

Personal Best for Mark Traugott

Posted on October 24th, 2020

Posted on by

Vernille Caddis

by Fly tying instructor : Elaine Cook

Vernille Caddis

This is one of my “go to flies”. A caddis hatch does not need to be occurring for trout to gobble this one up. The larger sizes work well for the Rocky Mountains, smaller for the Sierra. Fish with a floating line, drag free, in moving water.

Hook: TMC or TFS 2487 (or similar  scud hook ) , sizes 12-16

Thread: olive or olive dun, 8/0

Body: olive (vernille, ultra chenille, or velvet chenille), size small or standard (depending on brand). Super Glue or Zap-A-Gap.

Underwing: dun spooled Antron, light or dark

Hackle: dun, light or dark to match underwing, barbs equal to slightly less than hook gap

Wing: light or light tipped deer hair

1. Position hook in vise so that straight lower portion is parallel to table. Crimp barb.

2. Attach thread behind eye. Wrap to rear, with touching wraps to above hook point.

3. Round end of body material using a candle. Carefully melt the end buy placing it near the base of the flame. Apply glue to thread wraps. Position  on top of shank, tip above rear of hook. Tie in place with spiral wraps up to 2 eye lengths behind eye. Cut excess.

4. Cut end of underwing material to even fibers. Lay on top of body with tips slightly beyond end of body. Tie down infront of body while splaying fibers. Cut excess. Tie butt ends down up to eye.

5. Prep hackle by removing fuzzy end then cutting 4-5 barbs short on each side of butt end of stem (crew cut). Position crew cut under shank, tip of feather to rear. Tie in place back to body then forward to eye.

6. Cut match stick size bundal of hair, clean and stack tips. Position tips at rear of Antron. Tie in place with first wrap around HAIR ONLY, then firmly around hair and shank a couple times to splay fibers. Stroke butt hairs into bundal over eye forming start of head. Wrap a thread collar back to body. Advance thread back to head. Make one loose thread wrap around bundle of hair above eye, then one around collar. Trim head at an angle (see photo).

7. Make several wraps of hackle up to head. Tie off cut excess. Finish with half hitches under head , behind eye. Small amount glue to tie off threads.

 

 

Posted on October 28th, 2020

Posted on by

How to disconnect 2 sections of a fly rod that are stuck together

by Elaine Cook

I recently had a rod that just wouldn’t come apart no matter what I did. Went on U-tube and found this 4 handed cross over technique. It was so simple and effective. Takes 2 people. Place hands on rod pieces as shown, then just pull apart. Also saw a method using tape by Kelly Gallop. Haven’t tried that method however. Don’t think I’ll jam a rod together to test it.

Posted on October 28th, 2020

Posted on by

Volunteer for Salinas River Cleanup, Sunday November 22nd.

by Scott Kitayama, SCFF Member

Join the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers for the annual clean up of the Salinas River fishing access. The event will be on Sunday November 22nd starting at 9:00 am.  Jay Jefferson is the Salinas Valley Fly Fishers representative for this event.  Wear clothing for the weather of that day and if you can, bring gloves and a three prong hoe, as it’s the best tool.

Directions:

  • Go South on Highway 1 towards Monterey
  • Follow CA-1 S to Molera Rd. Take exit 414 from CA-1 S and take Nashua Rd over the highway
  • Take the first right on Monte Road 1.6 miles to your destination.   This is a dirt parking lot on the left side of the road before the twin bridges.

Posted on October 24th, 2020