Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Volume36 No10 Bellevue, WA October 2010
2010 Officers & Board
President
Joe Kristof 206-910-7954 [email protected]
1st VP, Membership
Tim Allen 425-256-0325 [email protected]
2nd VP, Programs
John Kristof 206-525-2120 [email protected]
3rd VP, Education
Mick Larkin 206-2926520 [email protected]
Secretary
Fred Saenz 425-454-9335 [email protected]
Treasurer
Lee McKenna 425-296-6340 [email protected]
Trustees
2010-11 Dick Lange 425-481-3063 [email protected]
2010-11 Ray Kanemori 425-822-3181 [email protected]
2009-10 Dave Nielson 425-827-7238 [email protected]
2009-10 Ed Kane 425-746-8542 [email protected]
Committee Leaders
ConservationAlan Olson 425-869-9476 [email protected]
Auction TBD [email protected]
Historian Lory Watkins 206-243-1182 [email protected]
Library Bob Kulwin 425-417-3606 [email protected]
Outings Ray Kanemori 425-822-3181 [email protected]
Picnic Larry Hartman [email protected]
Raffle TBD [email protected]
Webmaster Michael Dugan 425-260-5441 [email protected]
Windknots Tim Langton 360-863-0998 [email protected]
Ghillie Andy Wade 360-319-9937 [email protected]
Club Meetings
Club Meetings
Place: VFW – Redmond
4330 148th Avenue Northeast, Redmond - (425) 883-2995
http://www.vfwpost-2995.org/canteen.html
Time : 6:00 PM Cocktails & Tales
7:00 PM Dinner
7:30 pm – Business Meeting _________________________________________________
Board Meetings
Place: VFW – Redmond
Time: 6:30 pm _________________________________________________
Chubski Fly Tying Roundtable
Place: VFW – Redmond
Time: 6:30 pm
Visit our website
OFFC’s website is a great resource for up-to-date information. With links to
contact officers; Library info; Flytiers page; Topo Maps; Entomology; Post a
Picture; Bulletin Board; Calendar dates; Outing times and Locations; etc…
Please send picture files to: [email protected] for publication.
OFFC website, make it your resource
http://www.offc.org
Octoberber 26th
Meeting and Program
Did you know that dams, canneries, netting, and pollution have been
impacting fish for a thousand years. This month’s speaker, David
Montgomery, will share his informational journey as he wrote ―King of
Fish – The Thousand –Year Run of Salmon‖ . This presentation is not to
be missed if you want to understand the real issues of bringing back our
fantastic runs of fish. This will be a fun and informative evening.
See You There!
Date: September 28, 2010 - Tuesday
Times: 6:00 pm – Cocktails, Fishing Tales, Fly Tying Demonstration
6:45 pm – Dinner – $10
Roast Beef, Bake Potato, Rool & Butter, Broccoli & Corn,
Caesar Salad, Brownie
7:15 pm – Business Meeting
7:30 pm - Raffle
7:40 pm - Break
7:50 pm – Speaker / Presentation
9:15 pm – Adjournment
Location: VFW – Veterans of Foreign War Lodge
4330 148th Avenue Northeast - Redmond, WA - (425) 883-2995
Directions:
FROM I-405 North Bound
Merge onto WA-520 East via Exit 14 toward Redmond.
Take the 148th Ave. N.E. – North exit
Turn right onto 148th Ave N.E
Continue 1 mile on 148th to 4330 148th N.E. on the right
FROM I-405 South Bound
Merge onto WA-520 East via Exit 14 toward Redmond.
Take the 148th Ave. N.E. – North exit
Turn right onto 148th Ave N.E.
Continue 1 mile on 148th to 4330 148th N.E. on the right.
President’s Message
We had a great meeting in
September with 55 members finding
a great new fishery – the Stehekin
River. This river is definitely a
location we should plan on having a
club outing to in the future. And the
thing that really made the meeting
special is that I won the drawing for
membership – Okuma reel and the
Grand prize – a 5 piece fly rod. I
am really thinking of taking a trip to Las Vegas after that
lucky streak! …..continued
TThhee WWiinnddkknnoottss
At the recent board meeting, the board reviewed the member
survey data. I appreciate everyone’s input and we have
formulated future directions that I will share with you in this
edition of the Windknots. The data definitely tells us that we
are heading in the right direction but we do need to enhance
a couple of areas.
Dick Lange is heading the nomination committee for our
upcoming elections. The only way for the club to continue
to provide outstanding programs, classes, and outings is for
members to step forward and participate in leadership
opportunities. If you haven’t held a club position, please
consider assisting the club. Contact Dick and let him know
you are interested.
Finally, the board is putting the final touches on the fabulous
Holiday Meeting which will be held on December 14th at the
VFW. I will be putting together a slide show again this year
and need everyone to send me their great fish or scenery
pictures. In addition, my wife is heading up the decorations
committee. She needs you or your wife’s assistance to
create a festive environment for the event. Please email
Renee at [email protected] if you can help out.
Remember ~ You can only catch a fish if your fly is in the
water!
Joe Kristof
OFFC President
November Outing – Sea Run Cutthroat
Final Outing of the Season – Sea Run Cutthroat Trout
Fishing on Saturday, November 13th
For our final 2010 outing, we are going to the South Sound
beaches and fish for sea run cutthroat trout on Saturday,
November 13th. John Waggoner and I fished Kopachuck
State Park, a few years ago at an OFFC November outing
and caught a few cutthroat trout (a couple of them being
about 16 inches long) with intermediate lines and sand lance
imitations. Speaking to Leland Miyawaki at the Orvis Store,
he mentioned that Kopachuck could be good for cutthroat
but we should additionally try Penrose Point State Park and
Joemma Beach State Park. So we will start fishing
Kopachuck but will drive to these other beaches if we aren’t
successful finding fish. The high tide is at 11:14am and the
second low tide is at 6:18pm on the 13th in Gig Harbor. The
fishing is best on the moving tide. We are meeting at the
Wilburton Park and Ride lot (720 114th Ave SE) off the SE
8th St. exit of I-405 in Bellevue at 7:00am and carpooling to
our destination. Bring your 5 to 7 weight with either an
intermediate line or floating line and the appropriate flies
that imitation bait fish like sand lance as well as Leland’s
popper. Also, bring a lunch and something to drink. Be
ready for some excitement. Who knows you may hook a
salmon.
If you have any questions, contact me at outing @offc.org
or call me at (425) 822-3181.
Ray Kanemori –Outing Chair and Trustee
Rattlesnake Lake Outing – Should’ve Been There!
The outing on September 25 occurred on a beautiful fall day
with clear skies. The outing was attended by six OFFC
members and a few special guests that were on the water by
2 pm. Hook-ups occurred quickly within 50 feet of the boat
ramp, but most people elected to fish in the shadow of
Rattlesnake Ridge on the far side of the lake where I
couldn’t see them. Leave it to say that the fishing was
terrific and everyone claimed to out-fish everyone else
around them!
Following an unbelievable chironomid hatch around 5 pm
that had fish jumping like popcorn throughout the lake,
everyone retired to the beach for a wonderful barbeque
dinner and fish stories. As usual, the camaraderie was
exceptional, insightful, and entertaining.
Around the barbeque, a special guest of Mac Sr., Max Smart,
enthralled all of us about the relationship between KAOS
and the selection of flies. Despite his small stature, he was a
braggart of immense proportions, claiming he had brought a
beautiful 22 inch westslope cutthroat trout to hand among
the 20-odd fish he had landed. Confronted by this obvious
lie, he backtracked asking ―would you believe an 18 inch
brown trout on a hopper pattern?‖ Giving Mac the evil eye
about bringing along such a lowlife that would never make it
past the membership committee unless he paid for a lifetime
membership, we confronted him again with the knowledge
that no brown trout had ever been planted in Rattlesnake
Lake. As a final capitulation he asked: ―would you believe a
7 and a half inch rainbow trout with two adipose fins and a
tattoo between his pectoral fins that said Made in Soap Lake
captured on a Size 12 Oregon Moist pattern?‖ Following a
great group guffaw, we all agreed that the truth was finally
told.
The outing included great weather, fishing, friends, and fish
stories. One of the memorable aspects of the day for me was
snagging a fine clutch of shaggy manes with a stinkbug
pattern that made it into the frying pan the following
day….no catch-and-release for these little lovelies. All-in-
all it was another outstanding OFFC outing.
Thanks to all that attended.
Alan Olson
Member Survey – Future OFFC Directions
The OFFC Board, at the October board meeting, reviewed
the survey data and discussed future modifications to
enhance the club. The Board felt that the sample size ( 27
respondents – 38%) was large enough to provide enough
information from which to formulate future directions.
Personally, I wish everyone had completed a survey so that
all viewpoints and voices would be heard. Please review the
Survey Tally to see how members responded. The following
items are directions that the board will be taking based on
the survey data/information.
#1 – Members are happy with the meeting location. We
have already begun negotiations with the VFW to renew our
contract for next year. Members feel the food is OK but not
great. We will be working with the VFW in an effort to
improve the quality of the food.
#2 – The data tells us that the programs, outings, and the
people/camaraderie are what makes the club tick. To that
end, the financial resources will be concentrated in those
areas. The programs budget will be enhanced to provide the
best speakers possible. Currently, we budget $2000 in this
area. If necessary, additional money will be added. In
addition, the outings budget will be evaluated to see how the
club can assist the outings to become even more enticing and
fun. Next year, outing will be split into two types. Local
outings, which are 1 day, to locations such as the Yakima,
Pass Lake, Rattlesnake Lake, Snoqualmie River etc. Hosted
outings, which are multi-day trips and led by a embers who
knows the location, such as the Smith River, Alaska, Elk
River, Methow, Grande Ronde, John Day, Stehekin,
Ohwyhee, Corbett Lake, Bowron Lake Chain etc. Members
have already stepped forward to lead many of these trips –
more info to come!
#3 Club members feel that they are getting their monies
worth. Dues will remain the same for 2011. A couple of
things will change related to the club’s finances. We
currently have a budget balance of approximately $14,000.
The Board wants to reduce the balance to maintain a reserve
of $6000 which is the budget for 1 year. With a current
membership of 78, we will be running a $2000 budget deficit
for 2010. This will lower our reserve balance to
approximately $12,000. Hopefully, we can continue to
increase our membership to 100 members. This would
create a financially self sustaining club, which would not
require an auction. (100 members @ $65.00 = $6500.00)
But the reality is that it will take 1-2 more years to increase
the membership. This will result in our reserves being
brought very close to the desired reserve balance.
#4 The board did not make any decisions related to the
summer gatherings. The 2011 board will make the decision
whether to have formal meetings or summer gatherings.
#5 Conservation is important to our members. As president,
I requested that all of our efforts for the 2010 year be
concentrated on creating a vibrant club and membership.
Conservation suffered due to this focus. The Board
recommends that we pick a project yearly to complete as
well as financially support other organizations that are
working on conservation efforts. Member input will be
sought during 2011.
Overlake Fly Fishing Club Member Survey – 27 Survey Respondents
Please respond to the following questions to assist the club leadership to improve the opportunities and services available to club members.
Thanks for your input. OFFC Board
1. I feel the VFW meeting location is a good club meeting facility / location. (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
18 6 3 0 0
2. The cost of the meeting meal is reasonable (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
20 7 0 0 0
3. The quality of the VFW food is good (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
1 13 13 0 0
4. How many club outings or hosted trips have you participated in this year? (Circle One)
None 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3 7 6 6 2 1 0 2
5. My favorite activity or part of the fly fishing club is:
Overnight outings
Meeting programs – 111111
Knowledge & camaraderie
Tying flies/Chubski 11
Outings 111111
The fishing 11
The members, Joe’s rod building class, and Aaron’s casting class
The people 111
Fishing! With fellow members
Information and classes
Enjoy it all
6. I feel that the fly fishing club provides good value for my $65 dues (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
15 9 1 1 1
7. I think we should have formal summer club meetings instead of summer gatherings. (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
3 6 11 7 1
7. If I could make one recommendation to improve the club, it would be to:
- Increase member ownership in getting things going/done.
- Eat and present programs in one room.
- Get more people to participate in outings
- Develop a way to match up people for local ad hoc trips.
- Promote the webmaster to an officer position
- Discussion forums on the website, 2 X monthly outings, mentorship, species water type committees
- Joe for president X 2
- Strong outings
- Make outings for a full weekend like they use to be.
- Maybe we should organize a class at BCC, I would take that on.
- Have members participate with fewer cancellations of events
- Work out deals with vendors
- Lower dues to allow more retired members. Too expensive at $65!
- More info on casting and fly fishing basics
- Change dues – reduce
- Show slides of the outings, your slides convinced me to go to the Smith River.
- The attendance this year at the new location has been much better than previous years at either the Bellevue Red Lion or
the Issaquah Holiday Inn. Is this because of location, the cost of meals, the speakers, the quality of the raffle, the Email
reminders, or the enthusiasm of the club officers? My guess is a little bit of all of these. I would vote to continue
meeting at the VFW with perhaps the Christmas meeting being an exception. Since I am not aware through meetings or
news letter what the club is doing regarding conservation issues, it is difficult to answer question #9.
- Getting more member participation
9. I think the Club’s level of activism in fishery conservation issues (e.g., donations, comment letter writing, implementing enhancement projects)
should be increased. (Circle One)
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
6 10 11 1 0
Please feel free to make any additional comments to assist in improving the Overlake Fly Fishing Club.
- If the website is utilized, need more assistance, positive communication and participation in promoting the site.
- I think a lot of improvements have been made. Lets just keep it going.
- Hard to say. Great website and Windknots. Good programs. Not a great facility, but great price.
Elwha Dam Removal Update
$27 Million Awarded To Remove Elwha Dams; Salmon
Numbers Expected To Go From 3,000 to 300,000
Barnard Construction Company of Bozeman, Montana has
been selected as the contractor to remove the Elwha and
Glines Canyon dams on the Olympic Peninsula's Elwha
River in Washington.
The National Park Service's Denver Service Center
announced award of the $26,939,800 contract Thursday.
Dam removal will begin approximately 13 months from
now, in September 2011.
"This is a historic moment," said Olympic National Park
Superintendent Karen Gustin. "With award of this contact,
we begin the countdown to the largest dam removal and one
of the largest restoration projects in U.S. history."
The contract includes removal of the 108-foot high Elwha
Dam, completed in 1913, and the 210-foot high Glines
Canyon Dam, completed in 1927, in the nation's largest dam
removal to date.
Removing the two dams will allow fish to access spawning
habitat in more than 70 miles of river and tributary stream,
most of which is protected inside Olympic National Park.
The 45-mile long Elwha River is the historic home of all five
species of Pacific salmon, - chinook, chum, pinks, coho and
sockeye - as well as steelhead and bull trout, and has been
legendary as one of the Northwest's most productive salmon
streams. Because neither dam provided passage for
migratory fish, salmon and other fish have been restricted to
the lower five miles of river since dam construction.
"This story is about the fish," said Frances Charles, chair of
the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. "The tribe looks forward to
the return of the chinook, and the abundance of fish from the
stories our ancestors have been telling us about since the
dams went up. We used to have salmon and other species out
there, and we want them back and revived for our children,
and our children's children."
"The award of this contract represents tangible progress
toward the completion of what I believe will be one of the
most exciting and biologically-significant initiatives ever
launched by the federal government," said U.S. Rep. Norm
Dicks, who represents Washington's 6th District which
includes the Olympic Peninsula. "The removal of the two
dams and the restoration of this unique and largely-protected
habitat will demonstrate how these historically-abundant fish
runs can recover when we 'turn back the clock.'"
American Rivers, which has long been an advocate of
restoring a free-flowing Elwha River, cheered the news.
"This is a critical milestone in the effort to restore a healthy,
free-flowing Elwha River," said Brett Swift, Northwest
regional director for American Rivers. "We are closer than
ever before. When the dams come down on the Elwha, we
will witness a river coming back to life. The entire nation
will be watching."
"2011 will be the year of river restoration. In addition to the
Elwha, major dam removals are taking place on rivers like
Washington's White Salmon, Maine's Penobscot, and
Maryland's Patapsco," Swift said. "The benefits to
communities, culture, businesses, and fish and wildlife will
be extraordinary. American Rivers is proud to have played a
role in these efforts."
According to the conservation group, it helped secure more
than $50 million in federal funding through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the Elwha River, to
ensure dam removal can begin in 2011, as opposed to 2012.
Once under way, the removal process will take up to three
years. Dam removal will release large amounts of sediment
now impounded in reservoirs behind both dams, so
stoppages will be built into the work schedule to limit the
amount of sediment released at any given time, particularly
when adult fish are in the river.
"Now that we know who the contractor is, we can begin
discussions about how much public access can be provided
during dam removal," said Gustin. "Our primary objective is
safe removal of the two dams, but as much as possible, we
would like to provide opportunities for people to safely visit
the area and see this project for themselves."
A number of preparatory projects have already been
completed, or are under way now. Facilities to protect the
Port Angeles drinking and industrial water supplies were
completed early this year. Improvements to flood protection
levees are being made and a fish hatchery on the Lower
Elwha Klallam Tribe's reservation is now under construction
to replace the tribe's existing hatchery. The new hatchery
will help maintain existing stocks of Elwha River fish during
dam removal and produce populations of coho, pink, and
chum salmon and steelhead vital to restoration.
"As we have been appropriating funds for this project over
many years, I have been encouraged that it received the
consistent support of four administrations from both parties,"
said Dicks, who has served for his entire career on the House
Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment which funds
the National Park Service. He said another $20 million was
included in the appropriations bill that the Interior
subcommittee approved in late-July for the next fiscal year.
"There have been many Klallam people, including previous
tribal councils, who have worked hard toward reaching the
milestone of removing the Elwha dams," said Charles. "The
tribe's actions toward dam removal are only following in the
footsteps of our ancestors and former tribal leaders requests'
and have included many trips to Washington D.C. The tribe
takes pride in the protection of our environment in honor of
our ancestors, Elders, and future generations."
The Elwha River Restoration project is possible through the
support and participation of many partners, including the
Bureau of Reclamation which was the lead agency in
designing dam removal and sediment management strategies
and currently operates and maintains the dams.
This landmark project includes:
Removing Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, which will free
the Elwha River after 100 years. Salmon populations are
expected swell from 3,000 to more than 300,000 as all five
species of Pacific salmon return to more than 70 miles of
river and stream.
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will have access to sacred
sites now inundated and cultural traditions can be reborn.
The NPS and the tribe are primary partners on this project.
More information about Elwha River Restoration is available
at the Olympic National Park website
http://www.nps.gov/olym
The Book Review
This is a must read for any fisherman. David Montgomery’s
review of the disastrous journey of salmon over historical
times shares scary parallels with our current ills. David will
be our October speaker – check the book out from the library
and read it before the meeting. You will be amazed!
King of Fish – The Thousand –Year Run of Salmon
by David Montgomery
Book Review
Wild salmon may be headed for the Land of the Dodo,
argues Montgomery (Geomorphology/Univ. of Washington),
unless obvious measures are taken to protect and restore
their environment. As humans go about changing the face of
the earth, some species are bound to suffer. Salmon, the
King of Fish, Montgomery says in this explicit and urgent, if
at times starchy and quite repetitive study, are a case in
point. They have been hounded to extinction through over-
fishing and, more devastatingly, through habitat change, or,
often enough, habitat destruction. So many actions have
interfered with salmon reproduction—from damming and
gross pollution to the less obvious problems associated with
siltation, logjams, rising water temperatures, and sea lions—
that this indicator of clean rivers has disappeared from most
of Europe and New England and is rapidly diminishing in
the Pacific Northwest (where much of Montgomery's
research is centered). The author reviews the historical
waters of the fish, its biology and behavior, tenders a short
course in fluvial morphology, and details how each of the
rivers has been altered to the woe of the salmon. Yet,
"actions to stem known causes remain either mired in
institutional, corporate, or societal denial, dissipated by spin-
doctoring, or thwarted by political agendas and bureaucratic
inertia." Even when "treaties implied that government had a
responsibility to preserve salmon runs through habitat
protection and land use restrictions," such protection and
restriction have not occurred. Time and again, Montgomery
steams, the simple and logical proposals to give the salmon a
fighting chance have been too radical for policymakers. A
sorry, scary future for salmon and their ecosystem if this
author's warnings go unheeded.
The Knot Corner
Author/Angler Thomas McGuane.
Tom McGuane will be appearing at Elliot Bay Books on
Tuesday, November 9th,
at 7PM. He is Rod and Reel Magazine’s 2010 Angler of the
Year. His most notable
fly fishing books are Ninety-Two in the Shade and The Longest
Silence. The Introduction of The Longest Silence should be
required reading for anyone that has ever cast a fly rod.
He has also written Forwards for many angling books and stories
in a number of fly fishing anthologies. He is noted for many
works of fiction and the screen play for the movie Missouri
Breaks. His best book however, is neither about fly fishing or
angling, it is titled Some Horses, the world of the cutting horse.
Lory Watkins
OFFC Calendar
October
4 Board Meeting
11 Chubski Fly Tying Roundtable
26 Dinner Meeting
November
1 Board Meeting
8 Chubski Fly Tying Roundtable
23 Dinner Meeting
December
6 Board Meeting
13 Chubski Fly Tying Roundtable
14 Holiday Dinner Meeting
Keep fishin’! Take a friend!
The Windknots
Overlake Fly Fishing Club
P.O. Box 52894
Bellevue, Washington 98015-2894
