Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �1 10

2016 OFFICERS President-Ted Poston 509-438-0531 tmpkap29@charter.net First VP-Membership: Rich Holten Second VP-Programs: Craig Anderson Treasurer: Jeff Drowley Secretary: Mike Wade Directors at large: Dale Schielke John Strand Dennis Collins Newsletter Editor: Ron Reed Past President: Jim Loomis

MEETINGS Second Tuesday of every month except March, July, and August at Country Gentlemen 9221 W Clearwater Kennewick, WA 6:00pm -Wet Fly-no host 6:30pm -Dinner-$15 7:15pm -Program - free

MEMBERSHIP DUES $25/yr Indiv&Family $35/yr Business To change address or phone number contact Rich Holten: 509 521-4291 rpba@charter.net

CBFC CLUB WEBSITE

DID YOU KNOW

Grace period for membership dues ends in March. Do the dues, Dude.

UPCOMING FISHING EVENTS Mar 3 Order materials for Rod Building Class, see page 5 Mar 5 Annual Banquet Mar 17 Drop-in Fly-Tying Session Mar 24 Rod Building Class

CLUB PURPOSE: To promote fly fishing, to conserve regional fishing resources, and to encourage friendship and cooperation among all anglers. NEXT MEETING: Annual banquet at Meadow Springs Country Club. PROGRAM: Our guest speaker is Skip Morris. Skip is a fly fisher, fly tier, fly developer and inventor, prolific writer, and is considered an expert on bass fishing with a fly. He is the author or co-author of numerous books, including Survival Guide for Beginning Anglers, The Salmonfly, Tactics for Trout, Seasons for Trout, Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple, Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple II: Advanced Techniques, and many others. He has co-authored several books with Dave Hughes and Rick Hafele, two of our prior Banquet speakers. Skip and his wife Carol were recently at the Lynnwood, WA Fly Fishing Show where he conducted several demonstrations on tying and fly fishing. Some of Skip's books will be available for sale and signing. The evening program is titled "Creeks," and is a presentation interesting to both the avid fly fisher and spouses that don't fly fish. If you don't have your ticket(s) yet, call Craig Anderson at 378-7849, and we might be able to squeeze you in. There will be over two dozen boxes of flies to bid on, and many silent auction items as well. There will be a free fly-tying clinic conducted by our guest speaker at 1:00p at MSCC. Whether you are coming to the Banquet or not, you are welcome to join us. Reminder, there is a dress code at Meadow Springs that does not allow jeans, hoodies or tee shirts, but a pair of khakis and a collared shirt is fine. Jeans are permissible at the afternoon clinic, but not encouraged. Please join us and the Morris's at the Banquet for a fun evening.

March 2016

President’s Back Cast by Ted Poston

Usually I would be discussing the Club’s trip to Rocky Ford, but our Newsletter editor gave me a deadline of yesterday. I wouldn’t be able to make the March Newsletter if I waited until Sunday. When I first became an officer about 8-9 years ago, Rich Holten was president, and he wanted to see more fishing trips. I volunteered to take Rocky Ford and with that offer came to be what is now a tradition – a chili and hot dog lunch to combat the weather; the lunch has been held every year since. John Strand has joined me in sponsoring this trip. The Spousal Unit help cook the chili and cleanup the aftermath. The chili is a concoction that is never the same from year to year. This year’s version will be milder than previous versions, and has caribou to mix things up. There is hot sauce for those that what to jack up the burn. There will be a report on this trip in April’s newsletter, and it will talk about fishing – for now the point I want to make is that this club is about participation and people. Our membership is up, so we have more people. To get the most out of your club, you need to participate. John and I enjoy sponsoring the chili feed. It provides an opportunity for members to meet other members at the expense of cutting into our time on the water. We enjoy doing this and it is a worthwhile tradeoff.

Sponsored fishing trips are one of several options besides our regular monthly meetings that provide opportunities to meet other club members. You can organize or offer to help someone organize a fishing trip. You can help with a club activity. You can volunteer for established events including the club picnic, the salmon booth during Art in the Park, Kid’s Fishing Day in May, or local conservation projects as those opportunities materialize. If you have an idea for an activity, simply bring it to the attention of a Board member for consideration. We are always looking for new activities, but they take involvement of the membership. Having said that, I will have a bowl of chili assuming that there is any left, and start preparing for the Banquet. Hope to see you there – and if not, then at the next monthly meeting in April.

The New Rocky Ford by Dale Schielke

Click this link to read an informative article in the Spokesman-Review about recent changes at, and plans for Rocky Ford. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/feb/20/rocky-ford-creek-increases-in-volume-pleasing-angl/

My First Steelhead by Ron Reed

Beginner’s luck!! My first time fishing for steelhead. Caught this one on the Skagit River near Newhalem in 1981 while camping (and fishing!) with my family and parents.

9-ft Pontoon Boat Up for Grabs

Sportsman's Warehouse has donated a 9-ft pontoon boat for CBFC Banquet fundraising. The boat, which normally sells for $800-$900, will be sold via silent auction at the Banquet. Minimum bid is $300. We can help you get it home. If you are not going to the Banquet, find a proxy to bid for you. Better yet, call Craig Anderson (378-7849) for tickets to the Banquet.

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �2 10

Get To Know Your CBFC Officers

Dennis Collins-Director at large 1. Tell us about your first fish. I caught my first fish in Hood River, OR. I was 5 or 6, and it was probably a planted trout. I imagine it was caught on either canned corn or Pautzkes "Balls o Fire"

2. Who taught you to fish? My dad was an avid hunter. He wasn't much of a fisherman though; so, most of my fishing was with school friends. We used to ride our bikes out to Mill Creek Pond, and the creek itself, outside Walla Walla. I had a 3-dollar bamboo rod. We used both flies

and gear. Flies were much more fun than throwing Mepps spinners. I don't know where we got flies, but I remember using Carey Specials. Great fly… caught a lot of fish with it. 3. What are some local venues you like to fish? Locally, I like the Yakima River for smallmouth bass. Floating in my pontoon boat is a day well spent. In the Fall and Winter, it's Ringold for steelhead. Also bass on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. If you're not fishing for bass around the Tri-Cities, you're missing some great fishing opportunities. Also, the local lakes and ponds are fun to fish. 4. What are some of your favorite destination venues you like to fish? Lots of wonderful places to fish on trips. The Grand Ronde, John Day, Deschutes, Montana, and of course, the Henrys Fork in Idaho. I also like the Owyhee, Clearwater, Lochsa rivers; really, there's just so many. Alaska, Canada, the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, Florida, on and on. There are still lots of places I'd like to fish in the future. 5. What are some of your GO-TO flies for still water? ….for creeks? ….for rivers? Lakes: Damsels, Leeches, Wooly Buggers. Streams: Soft Hackles, Klinkhammers, Purple Haze, Pheasant Tails. Big water: Bombers, Spey flies, Dolly Lamas (a new fly that I'm sure will eventually prove productive, I hope). 6. What kind of fish do you target most often? Smallmouth bass, Steelhead, and Trout. 7. What are some of your favorite fishing books and magazines? I read a lot, and I treat fishing how-to books as textbooks. I read and study fly-tying books, books that describe specific

fishing techniques, and stories. I like stories by Nick Lyons, Hemingway, Travers, and of course, John Gierach. I think that Northwest Fly Fishing is an excellent magazine. 8. What is it about the sport of fishing that keeps you involved? That's easy… it's the people. I've fished with so many great people, knowledgable people, people interested in learning, trying new things, tying new flies, new ideas. It's just been great fun. Plus, the places that we fish are beautiful… the scenery, the weather, the rivers, and the lakes. Then, at the end of the day, a campfire, a glass, and conversation. What could be better?

 Ted Poston-President 1. Where were you when you caught you first fish? How old were you and what kind of fish was it? Do you remember the fly/lure/bait? I grew up in Yakima. While I cannot remember where, when, or what, it most likely was a rainbow trout at Bicycle Creek next to the airport in Yakima. My first fish on a fly that I had tied was a Coastal cutthroat that I targeted on the Nestucca River on the Oregon coast. I had tied a Klinkhammer, my first, and it took 35 minutes to finally nail the fish.2. Who taught you to fish? My friends and Mother. 3. What are some local venues you like to fish? Yakima River, Big Four on the Tucannon. 4. What are some of your favorite destination venues you like to fish? Anthony Lakes, OR. 5. What are some of your GO-TO flies for still water? ….for creeks? ….for rivers? Anything Ken Gano ties – he has great Parachute Adams and a wooly bugger that will knock the socks off a walking catfish. 6. What kind of fish do you target most often? Trout, bass, and Irish Death. 7. What are some of your favorite fishing books and magazines? Northwest Flyfishing. 8. What is it about the sport of fishing that keeps you involved? The people and the outdoors.

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �3 10

Genetics Of Hatchery Steelhead Change In Just One Generation Excerpts from Study Published Feb 2016:

It takes just one generation for the DNA of steelhead domesticated in hatcheries to be altered, and to be significantly different than steelhead whose parents are wild, according to a recent study by Oregon State University. In fact, the study found that in just one generation there were 723 genes that differed between the offspring of wild steelhead and the offspring of first-generation hatchery steelhead. Further, the study found through gene enrichment analysis that adapting to the hatchery environment involves responses by the steelhead in wound healing, immunity and metabolism, suggesting the adaptation is due to crowding in hatcheries. “We found hundreds of genes were expressed differently between the offspring of first-generation hatchery fish and the offspring of wild fish, and that the difference was heritable from their parents,” said lead researcher Michael Blouin, professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at OSU. Although over 700 genes are just a small fraction of the total number of genes in the genome, Blouin said it is a surprisingly high number to show a difference after just one generation of selection. The results show that hatchery fish can be genetically different from wild fish after only a generation of selection in a hatchery, he said, and “more importantly, it allows us to generate hypotheses about what types of traits are under selection in hatcheries.” To read more and access the full text of the study, go to: http://www.cbbulletin.com/436113.aspx

Drop-In Fly-Tying Sessions

by Hyrum Taylor I will be hosting monthly, fly-tying sessions. The free sessions are intended to be an opportunity for fly tiers to socialize with other tiers, swap some fish tales, get some flies tied, and learn new fly patterns and tying techniques from each other. There won’t be any formal instruction.

Participants will need to bring their own equipment and materials. The sessions will be held on the Third Thursday of the month starting on March 17 at 6-8p at Sportsman Warehouse, Canal Drive in Kennewick, WA. Contact Hyrum Taylor 720-260-3303 for additional information.

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �4 10

KNOW ANY PROSPECTIVE CBFC MEMBERS?

Please forward a copy of this newsletter to them, and bring them to the next meeting.

tight lines and BIG fish.Ron Reed, Newsletter Editor

DISCLAIMER The opinions or endorsements of products or services expressed or

implied in this Newsletter are solely the responsibility of the author when

listed, or the Editor if no author is listed.

The opinions and endorsements do not necessarily reflect the consensus

of CBFC members.

Rod Building Class by John Pfeiffer

For those fishers interested in building a fishing rod, there is a meeting Thursday, 3Mar, at 6p. The purpose of this meeting is to order the components necessary to build the rod of your choice. There will be Club members at the meeting to provide assistance and advice on what components to purchase. Call John Pfeiffer, (509) 627-5429, for the meeting location, or if you have questions or need more information. Where possible, the orders will be grouped together in order to qualify for a group discount. Materials need to be ordered next week to be received in time for the first class meeting for assembling the rods on 24Mar.

To get a head start on deciding what kind of rod you want to build, check out these web sites: www.anglersworkshop.com www.mudhole.com/nws www.utmostenterprises.com/utmost_001.htm batsonenterprises.com rodbuildingtutorials.com

Washington State Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and

Enforcement Program: 2015 Report to the

Legislature Excerpts

The Aquatic Invasive Species team inspected more than 27,373 watercraft for aquatic invasive species during the biennium. Of that number, 83 were found to be carrying aquatic invasive species – including 19 with zebra and quagga mussels. All those watercraft were decontaminated. [Editor’s note: Just a reminder to be vigilant to clean and dry boats, waders, and other fishing gear that gets wet, before we use them in different water.]

Don’t Weasel Out! Come to the Banquet

Saturday 5March

Buy tickets at Sportsman’s Warehouse or call Craig Anderson at 509 378-7849 or 509 628-9802

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �5 10

Going Fishing Guide Service Bruce HewittWashington and USCG licensed and insuredBurbank, WA 99323 509-430-6448

Fishing eastern WA rivers and reservoirs for salmon, steelhead, trout, walleye and sturgeon.

PHOTO BY RON REED

Pleasing Piscatorial Photos by Ron Reed

Here are two principles that will make your fishing photos more interesting and pleasing: 1- Rule of thirds, and 2- Closer is better.

This article assumes you will be using a digital camera. Before we apply the principles, however, we need to begin with the end in mind. That is, how do you plan to display your digital photo after you take it. For me, I view or display my photos on a Wide Screen TV or Desk Top computer, both of which have screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio with landscape orientation. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the image. Now, I take virtually all my photos in landscape orientation with my camera set to record the image with 16:9 aspect ratio. The displayed image completely fills the TV or Computer screen.

1- RULE OF THIRDS This rule is used to locate the center of interest. Divide any rectangle like a tic-tac-toe game. The lines will intersect at four points. Place the photo’s center of interest at one of the four intersection points. Most new digital cameras, and many older ones, have a setting which shows Rule of Third’s grid lines on the viewfinder. Use this setting if available. Using the grid lines on the viewfinder also helps you keep the horizon level. I hate it when the ocean drains off one side of my picture.

If your camera doesn’t have grid lines, just eyeball these imaginary tic-tac-toe grid lines and intersection points on the view-finder when you compose and take the photo.

2- CLOSER IS BETTER Sometimes we want a photo of the whole mountain range or prairie. But many, if not most, of our fishing photos will have fishers in them, and sometimes, fishers with a BIG FISH. In general we want to see faces; we don’t really care about seeing feet, knees, or elbows. That means get closer, closer to the subject or center of interest. Fill more of the picture frame with people, faces, and fish. If you can’t physically get close enough, use your camera’s optical zoom feature.

APPLYING RULES 1&2 TO EXAMPLE PHOTO The original photo, "Think They’ll Bite Before Dark?" is like one many of us take, and many of us would be satisfied with it as is. But, I think there is room for improvement. I cropped the photo to zoom in, and to eliminate unnecessary sky and visual clutter, like the time stamp. And, most importantly, I located the center of interest, the fishers, around the lower right intersection point of the imaginary tic-tac-toe grid. [ I also

decreased the exposure and enhanced the tonal contrast, which adds visual and emotional contrast between the warm glow of the evening sun on the fishers, and the ominous rain clouds in the background. But, that is another principle.] I used a photo editing application on my computer to edit the original digital picture file. But, you can apply the principles of the RULE OF THIRDS and CLOSER IS BETTER when you take the photo to noticeably improve them without the need for later editing.

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �6 10

Think they’ll bite before dark?

Steelhead Fly by Jim Shearer

Thread: 6/0, black Hook: Steelhead hook, 2-6 Body: Silver tinsel tag Blue-green Krystal Flash Hackle: Black pheasant rump, 3 turns Red pheasant rump 2 turns Wing: Purple marabou

Originated, named, and tied by Jim Shearer after 3 AM trip to Ringold.

Chironomid tied by Rick Johnson

Thread: 8/0 red Hook: Scud hook, 6-14 Ribbing: Brassie silver wire Abdomen: Red thread Thorax: Peacock herl Wingcase: White polypropylene Gills: End of wingcase Bead: Silver bead

My First Trout by Mike McWethy

I was eleven, in sixth grade, living in Shoshone, Wyoming. My fishing experiences at that time were with my grandfathers. My maternal grandfather, Bill, was a sheriff in Crook County, who loved to take all his grandchildren fishing for bullheads in ranch reservoirs.

A can of worms out of the garden, a bundle of cane poles strapped to the roof of the sheriff's car, and off we went. Endless stories as we went, about every ranch passed and every car passed. Granddad knew everyone in the county, and even who voted for him. Buckets of bullheads to be gutted and skinned.

My paternal grandfather, Mac, took us fishing on Ocean Lake for crappie. A rented boat, casting rods, a piece of red cloth for bait and gunny sacks of huge crappie to be nailed to a board and de-scaled with a large knife. The dirt floor of the garage would be sparkling with thousands of crappie scales.

Then, that summer, my mom took the family to Sheridan to visit her older brother Merle. He took my dad, me, and my cousin J.D. fishing in Little Goose Creek in the Big Horn Mountains. Rainbow trout in a cold, clear stream. Tumbling, rushing water, willows and overhanging trees everywhere, and the cold, beautiful, slippery trout. I was enchanted, excited, enthralled. I loved it. I loved the trout and everything about them. I never outgrew this love of trout. An addiction, a lifelong passion providing endless hours of exciting moments engaging the wily and willing trout. I have never forgotten the legacy of my Uncle Merle's gift of trout.

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �7 10

3 AM Madness

RICK’S BEAD-HEAD

Board Meeting Minutes 23Feb2016

by Mike Wade Call to order: 7:00 PM

Board Members Present: Ted Poston, Dennis Collins, Ron Reed, Jim Loomis, John Strand, Dale Schielke, Jeff Drowley, Mike Wade, Rich Holten

Visitors: Dennis Dauble

Secretary’s Report – Mike Wade presented the minutes from the January Board meeting. One spelling correction was made and the minutes were approved. Treasurer’s Report – Jeff Drowley presented the Treasurer’s Report and a detailed analysis of the club’s income and expenses for 2015 and for January, 2016. As previously reported, club expenses exceeded income in 2015, but the principal contributor was banquet speaker expense. The Board had approved this cost in advance of the banquet last year, so this was not an issue. An additional contributor was an unrecognized increase in the cost of the monthly dinner which has not been passed on to the attendees. Ted Poston and Jim Loomis will meet with Country Gentleman management to discuss reducing the dinner cost and will report back to the Board.

VP Membership Report – Rich Holten reported that the club has 128 memberships, 93 of which have paid 2016 dues. Reminders will be published in the newsletter and will be sent to those who have not yet paid. The cutoff date is March 31.

Programs Report – Craig Anderson was absent but provided an email report. Banquet arrangements have been completed and 60 tickets have been sold as of February 20. Skip Morris will be the speaker at the banquet. For the club’s April meeting, Craig has lined up John Kreft of River Keeper Flies.

Newsletter Editor’s Report – Ron Reed reported that he has received a few articles from members but would appreciate more. He will issue the March newsletter in advance of the banquet.

Other Business – Conservation Committee – Dennis Dauble reported that six members have volunteered to be on the Conservation Committee. They are Ted Poston, Duane Horton, Jim Loomis, Ron Reed, John Strand, and Marty Ottem. Dennis has started contacting other organizations to see what conservation projects they are involved with and to gage their interest in having CBFC participate. The committee will meet in March to review and discuss project options and will make recommendations to the Board. Rocky Ford Outing – Ted Poston reported that 25 people have signed up for the Rocky Ford Outing to be held February 27. He sent a reminder along with a recent article from the Spokesman Review concerning the water flow changes at Rocky Ford. Fly Tying at Sportsmans Warehouse – Ted reported that there will be open fly tying at Sportsmans Warehouse on the 3rd Thursday of each month, from 6-8 PM. Club members are welcome to attend. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Mike Wade, Secretary

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �8 10

Red Flies by Hyrum Taylor

My Dad is not a fisherman, but he took me fishing anyway until I got my Driver License. One of the most memorable trips with Dad was on Lenice Lake. In those early days I had only one fly box, but it was jam packed with killer flies. Patterns from Bob Barnard, Marv Clements and Patrick’s Fly Shop Recipe Book. My Dad had no faith in my flies because they were not red. So as a gift or a joke, or maybe both, Dad received a collection of Red Flies.

After dragging the canoe to the lake, we strung our rods, and went for our fly boxes. After going through my bag, I discovered to my horror, that my fly box was missing. I left it on my fly-tying bench, which is a story in itself. How could a brilliant, 14 yr-old kid who tied flies for hours in a Harry Potter room under the stairs be so brain dead as to not pack his only fly box? Oh, the horror, the shame, the infamous eating of crow… I was forced to use Dad’s red flies. If memory serves, we slowly trolled Red Carey Specials along the ledge at the inlet. Trolling was how we fished together since neither of us could cast. We caught fish; how many fish and how big is a lost memory. It was simply awesome.

After a short while we noticed little wiggly, greenish-brownish bugs attacking the paddles and invading the canoe from below. I now know the miracle of the Damsel, but at that point in my addiction, I had no clue what was happening. However, we did notice that the fish were going nuts. There were some Royal Coachman Nymphs the box of red flies that were about the same size as the bugs. So, we changed flies, slowed our trolling speed to match that of the swimming thingies, and caught many, many fish. If you look in my fly boxes, more than one box now, you will find some red flies and traditional flies with red worked into them somewhere. I am sure if I looked long enough I could find some of those red flies tied forty-odd years ago. Two reproductions I recently tied for my steelhead fly boxes are shown below. The recipes are as best I can remember.

Red Carey Special: Hooks — Mustad 9672 #8, 2x long 1x heavy hook. Thread — Red Nymo. You get bonus points if you know what that is, and double bonus points if you still have some. Tail — Golden Pheasant red breast stripped and tied in strands Rib — Gold Mylar probably small since I only had 1 spool back then Body — Raw wool that my Dad had carded and dyed red with Kool-Aid, or Jello, or some other bubbling caldron concoction Hackle — Golden Pheasant, red-breast feathers

Royal Coachman Nymph: Hook — Pretty sure it was a Mustad 9671 #12, 1xl 1xs Thread — Pretty sure it was Red Nymo. Tail — Golden Pheasant Tippets in strands Rib — Probably very small copper wire reclaimed from the innards of some old electric razor Body – Peacock with middle, red-floss joint Hackle – Big ugly brown trimmed top/bottom

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �9 10

RED CARY SPECIAL

ROYAL COACHMAN NYMPH

Columbia Basin Fly Casters March 2016 Newsletter Page � of �10 10

WEB HOT-LINKS to FISHING STUFF

FLY TYING Fly Tying Forum -Free access to over 6,000 patterns

OTHER FISHING CLUBS Fly Fishing Clubs in Washington

Fly Fishing Clubs in Washington that belong to the International Federation of Fly Fishers

REGULATIONS Idaho Fishing Seasons & Rules

Oregon Fishing Regulations

Washington Fishing Regulations & Seasons

Washington Emergency Rule Updates

FISHING INFORMATION Idaho Fish & Game Fishing Information

Oregon Fishing Resources and Information

Washington Fishing & Shellfishing Information

Columbia Basin Bulletin's Significant developments related to salmon and steelhead recovery and other important Columbia/Snake River Basin fish and wildlife issues. River and stream data USGS current and historical data for Washington State.

CONSERVATION Coastal Conservation Association’s purpose is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. CCA’s objective is to conserve, promote, and enhance present and future availability of coastal resources.

Wild Fish Conservancy Native Fish Society

Wild Salmon Center

Trout Unlimited

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Columbia Basin Fly Casters Post Office Box 791 Richland, WA 99352 2015

Date: _____________________

Name_______________________________ Renewal, no change in address/phone/

email

Street Address:_______________________ City:________________________________

State: _______ZipCode:________________

Primary Phone: _______________

Work Phone: ________________

Email:_______________________________

Name(s) of Family Member(s) or Business

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

ANNUAL DUES:(Please Check One) Please make checks payable to CBFC

Family Membership ($25) Business Membership ($35) Includes

business-card size, fishing-related advert in newsletters. Send artwork as xxx.jpg digital file to editor

Who can we thank for referring you to our Club? ____________________________________

To be completed by Treasurer: ___Cash __ Check #__________ Membership Database updated:_________