WFC 02/10

pril has been a very eventfulmonth starting out with ourannual spring banquet on April

3. Bob Fischer, chairman of the banquetcommittee, organized the event withoutstanding success and on behalf of theclub I would like to thank him and themany others who dedicated their timeand talents to making the banquet asoutstanding as it was. Wyoming FlyCasters raised just over $8,200 whichwas a 25 percent increase over last year.

Orvis Rendevous, a conference forthe approximately 300 fishing guidesthroughout the Rockies, was held inCasper this year. The Wyoming FlyCasters was invited to participate byDavid Sweet, state council chair ofTrout Unlimited, and we greatly appre-ciate the opportunity that we were pro-vided.

As a courtesy and because of ouraffiliation with TU, Orvis donatedequipment to the WFC that was thenraffled off with the proceeds to be usedas the club deemed fit. A total of $2,955was raised and the board immediatelyapproved gifting $1,000 of that back tothe state’s Trout Unlimited. Thanks toScott Novotny, Matt Stanton, AlexRose and Steve and Diana Holcomb andtheir daughters for manning the rafflebooths over for the two-day event.

Speaking of Diana Holcomb, it ismy pleasure to announce that she wasapproved as our newest president-electat the April board meeting. Diana hasalready assisted the club in severalcapacities, including providing newsreleases to the Casper Journal and theStar-Tribune.

Also approved as a board member isDr. Brent "Smokey" Weinhandl.Smokey enjoys graphic design and hasalready put that interest to use in mak-ing posters for various WFC events, themost recent being the spring banquet.These two join three others who wererecently elected to the board -- GregGroves, Will Waterbury and HerbWaterman. It will be my pleasure work-ing with them and the existing board

members over thecourse of the year.

As mentionedpreviously, conserva-tion is something theWyoming Fly Castersholds dear. In January, Alex Rose wroteletters on behalf of the club to our con-gressional delegates in Washington,seeking their support of the North PlatteRiver Special Recreation ManagementArea. This project, supported by theConservation Fund, the BLM, andWyoming Game and Fish, would pro-vide permanent, walk-in river access toover one mile of the North Platte,downstream from Government Bridge.

At the board meeting in April,board members approved that theWyoming Fly Casters, as a goal, wouldraise $40,000 in support of this signifi-cant access and conservation project bythe spring of 2011. The North PlatteRiver Special Recreation ManagementArea will have lasting rewards for fisher-men for generations to come and is justanother example of how WFC fulfills itsmission.

Although the month has been busy,it is never too busy to fish. Considerjoining us for the club sponsored Outingon May 15 at Cardwell. Herb Watermanis streamkeeper and Lloyd Ferguson willassist him. According to Al Condor,Wyoming Game and Fish regional fish-eries supervisor, Cardwell is a greatstretch to fish so you may want to signup with Herb for that outing soon! Inthe meantime . . .

Happy angling!

Melody

Page 2 Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter

The Backcast is the monthlynewsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters,an affiliate club of the WyomingCouncil of Trout Unlimited, theNature Conservancy and theFederation of Fly Fishers. Editorial con-tent does not necessarily reflect theviews of the officers, board or membersof the Wyoming Fly Casters.

Annual dues are $20 for an indi-vidual, $30 for a family, or $250 for alifetime individual membership or$450 for a lifetime family membership.

Visit the club website atwww.wyflycasters.org.

The deadline for submission ofinformation for each issue is the nextto last day of the month. Make contri-butions to the next issue by e-mailingmaterial to the Backcast editor [email protected], or call (307)436-8774.

OFFICERSMelody Weinhandl, President

Diana Holcomb, President-electAndrew Sauter, Vice President

Casey Leary, SecretaryMatt Stanton, Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTerms expire in 2011

Bob FischerScott Novotny

Alex RoseBill Wichers

Terms expire in 2012Neil Ruebush

VacantVacant

Smokey WeinhandlTerms expire in 2013

Greg GrovesJoe Meyer

Will WaterburyHerb Waterman

The Backcast is available either inelectronic format or through USPSsnail mail. To receive each newsletterthrough a monthly e-mail, you must beable to open .pdf (Adobe Acrobat, asoftware program available free ofcharge) documents. Usually, each issueis roughly 1 MB in size, some are larger.Your e-mail provider may have limitson the size of attachments. In order tobe added to the e-mail list, send arequest to [email protected]. Inaddition to receiving each issue of thenewsletter earlier than your hard copypeers, e-mail subscribers are able toprint each copy in vibrant color -- anadded plus if the issue is rich in colorphotographs. By subscribing electroni-cally, you also save the club roughly$17.40 a year in printing and postageexpenses.

Cover shot: Gene Theriault with a brown trout caught on a pheasant tail nymph.

Drag-free DrifDrag-free Driftsts

by Melody Weinhandl, President, WFC

[email protected]

A

Our members are very spe-cial to us and we want toremember them in times ofadversity. If you know of amember or their spouse who isill or is recently deceased,please contact Donna Diesburgat (307) 234-4278 or e-mailher at [email protected].

Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter Page 3

New initiative to target aquatic invadersThe Wyoming Game and Fish

Department has announced a new initia-tive to hit aquatic invasive species whereit counts. In an effort to protectWyoming's valuable water resources, thestate Legislature allocated $1.5 million tothe department to implement new pro-grams aimed at preventing the introduc-tion of quagga and zebra mussels toWyoming waters.

Quagga and zebra mussels can ruinfisheries; clog boat motor cooling sys-tems; foul watercraft hulls and equip-ment; and clog water delivery systemsused for power plants, irrigation anddomestic water use. Quagga and zebramussels are not known to occur inWyoming but are present in three neigh-boring states. They can be transported onboats and trailers.

WGFD Director Steve Ferrell says,"The strong message from Wyoming'sLegislature is that they don't want thesedestructive aquatic invasive species inour waters. We are very fortunate to havethe support and backing from our electedofficials so we can proactively takeaggressive measures to keep Wyomingclean of quagga and zebra mussels."

Based on direction from theLegislature, the Wyoming Game and FishCommission has implemented emergencyregulations to address the aquatic invasivespecies threat. The legislation gives thecommission authority to inspect boats andto prevent the launching of boats suspect-ed of harboring invasive species.

The legislation also directs the com-mission to establish a new aquatic inva-sive species watercraft decal program tohelp fund prevention efforts. Under thisprogram, all watercraft using Wyomingwaters will be required to display anannual Aquatic Invasive Species decal(inflatable watercraft 10 feet in length orless are exempt). Costs for the decalunder the emergency regulations are $10for motorized watercraft registered inWyoming, $30 for motorized watercraftregistered in other states, $5 for non-motorized watercraft owned by Wyomingresidents and $15 for non-motorizedwatercraft owned by nonresidents. Decalswent on sale on the WGFD Web site onApril 15 and at automated license agentsslated for May 17.

The Wyoming Game and FishCommission will consider permanentrule-making for this program in June, fol-lowing a series of public meetings.

Quagga and zebra mussels originallycame from the Black and Caspian seas inEurasia, and were most likely transportedto North America in the bilges of largetransport ships. They can be easily spreadby recreational boaters when they attachto boat hulls and equipment.

"Quagga and zebra mussels colonizein large, dense clusters, and damage waterdelivery systems. Once established, theyare virtually impossible to eradicate, andthe cost to maintain water systems ismany times greater than preventionefforts," says Ferrell. "By impeding water

delivery systems, we could all end up pay-ing higher costs for the use of water.These mussels have been known todestroy fisheries by removing planktonfrom the water. If we allow them to infectWyoming waters, they could remove theprimary food source for many of our fish.These mussels caused the lake trout pop-ulation to decline by 95 percent over thepast 10 years in Lake Ontario. If theywere capable of crashing the food chainin a major body of water like LakeOntario, imagine what they could do inWyoming's waters. We will do everythingwe can to protect and preserveWyoming's waters."

In addition to hiring temporary per-sonnel to inspect boats at priority watersacross Wyoming, the WGFD is using thelegislatively appropriated money to buydecontamination equipment to treat boatsthat are found to be harboring mussels orhave a strong possibility of harboring mus-sels. The department will also conductsurveillance to search for the presence ofthese organisms in Wyoming's waters. Inaddition, the department is launching anexpanded outreach campaign to furthereducate boaters about the threat of aquat-ic invasive species and the new decalrequirement.

"We are working hard to get this pro-gram underway before the boating seasonstarts this spring, and we appreciate thesupport of the Legislature and the publicin helping us protect Wyoming's waters,"said Ferrell.

Aquatic invasive species decals available from vendors May 17Based on direction from Wyoming’s Legislature, boat decals

for the newly passed Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Emergencyregulation will be available at all automated license agents begin-ning May 17.

Beginning May 17, all watercraft using Wyoming waters willbe required to display the Aquatic Invasive Species decal.(Inflatable watercraft 10-feet in length or less are exempt.)Costs are $10 for motorized watercraft registered in Wyoming,$30 for motorized watercraft registered in other states, $5 fornon- motorized watercraft owned by Wyoming residents and $15for non-motorized watercraft owned by nonresidents.

All fees collected will be used to help fund the AIS program,which aims to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Aquatic invasive species like quagga mussels and zebra mus-sels are small organisms that could have huge impacts forWyoming's waters, boaters and anglers. They can ruin fisheries,clog cooling systems in motorboats, foul hulls and ruin equip-

ment. These organisms have not been found in Wyoming yet,but are present in several bordering states like Utah andColorado.

In an effort to protect Wyoming's valuable water resources,the state Legislature allocated $1.5 million to the department toimplement new programs aimed at preventing the introductionof quagga and zebra mussels to Wyoming waters.

In addition to hiring temporary personnel to inspect boats atpriority waters across Wyoming, the WGFD is using the legisla-tively appropriated money to buy decontamination equipment totreat boats that are found to be harboring mussels or have astrong possibility of harboring mussels. The department will alsoconduct surveillance to search for the presence of these organ-isms in Wyoming's waters. In addition, the department is launch-ing an expanded outreach campaign to further educate boatersabout the threat of aquatic invasive species and the new decalrequirement.


And the fishing wasunderstandably slow.

That afternoon,we talked to a Utahfisherman in the RVpark, who said he was wade fishing andhad a terrific day. He suggested small,dark flies.

So on Sunday, we followed hisadvice. We set up camp just above abridge, and waded in the knee-deepwater. On the first cast, a nice rainbowhammered the flashback pheasant tailnymph. After a few fish, I lost my rig toa snag. I tied on a small rock worm anda thread midge. Both patterns caughtfish. Finally, I tied on a beadhead hare’sear and it resulted in aggressive strikes.

We were fishing a small stretch ofthe Bighorn above the state park, justbelow some shallow riffles which trick-led into a deep trough. Fishing thetrough is where were found the fish.

The rainbows were not large (byPlatte River standards) but they werehealthy and strong.

No, I didn’t even try a sowbug.This is a terrific river to fish, at

least in the spring immediately after theflushing flows and before the releasesbegin from Boysen Reservoir. It’s just acouple of hours from home, and the hotpools are a welcome relief at the end ofa long fishing day.

But it has an additional bonus. Thewives found they could spend the dayshopping and visiting museums whilethe guys are out on the river. So,breaching the idea of a fishing trip inThermop again will be easy.

The following week I fished theNorth Platte. For the first time in per-haps five or six years I floated thestretch from Grey Reef to Lusby withtwo new friends. I usually fish my “homewater,” the four mile float from BigMuddy to Rabbit Hill, just ten minutesfrom my Glenrock home.

Acting on advice from Jim Sparks,we all caught fish on rock worms andpine squirrel leeeches. The fish were notas numerous, at least from our experi-ence, but they were large and scrappy.Maybe I’ll be able to sample the upperstretch again in early May.

Tight lines,

ongratulations are extended toDon Carrier, who received thecoveted MacTavish award dur-

ing the annual fund-raising banquet onApril 3.

He is a World War II veteran, acharter member of the club, andalthough most current active membersare not familiar with him, he was report-edly instrumental in helping to developthe club in its early years. And, ofcourse, he is a fine fly fisherman.

•And now some notes from my fish-

ing journal:Baetis spinners blanketed the moon-

lit surface of the hot pool at theFountain of Youth RV Park on a Fridaynight in early April, when a few WFCmembers and their families and guestslodged in Thermopolis for a weekend offishing the Bighorn River.

“Great! Fish will be rising tomor-row!” The fisherman were almost sali-vating at the prospect, while their wiveswere happy just to sit on the steps andsip their wine, disgusted by the thou-sands of “icky dead bugs” floating belowthe accumulating fog.

But Friday was chilly and slightlydamp, hence the hatch of the small (size24s) mayflies.

Saturday and Sunday were differentstories. These days were warm, with aslight breeze wafting down the WindRiver canyon. No rising fish wereobserved the entire weekend. Oh well.

After launching the drift boat atWedding of the Waters on Saturdaymorning, we watched a guide and hisclient float toward downstream. Beforethey hit the highway bridge, the clienthad hooked up five times.

Hooray! We grinned.But the fishing fortunes were not

with us.Based on information gleaned two

months earlier, I used a rig of sowbugs.Stubbornly, I refused to change tactics.

TTailing Loopsailing Loops

C

by Randy Stalker,Backcast editor

[email protected]

I try to publish something that willinterest everyone in every issue. Therefore,for those of you who only read to findtypos, I have included some of those foryour benefit.

FLFLYYof the month

WD-40Hook: TMC 2487 #16-24 Thread: Tobacco colored Danville 6/0Tail: Wood duck flank feather fibersAbdomen: Tying thread Wingcase: Leftover butts of the tailThorax: Muskrat dubbing, grey The WD-40 is another simple patternmeant to imitate midge pupae andbaetis nymphs. It is believed to haveoriginated somewhere in southernColorado and was popularized on theSan Juan River in New Mexico. Thispattern is a quick, easy tie that usesjust two materials besides thread.This is a great fly to fish with no leadon the leader, just under the surfaceas well as with more traditionalnymphing techniques. Color varia-tions include chocolate brown, greyand black.Start the thread and build a threadbase back about halfway down thebend of the hook. Peel a bunch offibers from a dyed mallard flankfeather. Bunch the mallard fibers upin a bundle.Tie in at the back of thethread base witha couple turns ofthread. Wrap forward over the buttends of the mallard fibers to theeighty percent point on the shank (acouple eye lengths back from thehook eye) forming a slightly taperedthread abdomen. Pull the remaining butt ends of themallard flank back over the top of theabdomen and bind them in place.Dub a rather large, round thorax. Pullthe mallard flank forward over the topof the dubbed thorax, making sure tospread it across the top of the thorax.Bind the wingcase down at the backof the index point. Clip the remainingbutt ends flush and make a few turnsof thread to cover the stubs. Build asmooth thread head and whip finish. Scoop


The Cardwell access is the site of the Saturday, May 15 fishing outing of the WFC.

Blue clay-baked trout

SSTTRREEAAMMSSIIDDEE CCHHEEFFby Daren Bulow

I have been doing theStreamside Chef for awhile, but dueto changes in my job and my lifethis will be the last recipe. That,and I am running out of recipes thatI actually use. I saved clay-bakedtrout for last. It was handed down tome by my father. My father grew upin Denmark and learned how to flyfish in 1920s from his uncle and thisrecipe is passed down from him.Alumium foil was around at thistime but not widely used, so claywas the preferred material. Thefish were caught and put in thecreel. When it was time for lunch,one person made a fire and theother dug clay from the steam bank.The trout were encased in clay andtossed into the coals to bake.Growing up I had the chance to dothis with my father several times; hewanted to pass down the traditionto me. It would have been mucheasier to just use alumium foil butthat wasn’t the point: it was theexperence and the tradition.

Ingredients2 fresh caught troutEnough clay to cover the two

trout

DirectionsBuild a fire, and let it burn

down to the red coals. Dig the blueclay out of the stream bank or sur-rounding soil. Take the fresh caughtand cleaned fish and cover themwith the clay, encasing them. Letthem bake for 15 minutes on eachside. Pull them out of the coals.Allow them to cool for another 10minutes. Crack off clay, and enjoy!

New chef needed!Do you have a special recipe for

fish that you would like to share? Ifso, email it to the Backcast editor([email protected]) for inclusionin a future issue of the newsletter.

May program to feature ‘trophy fish’“Fly fishing for trophy trout,” pre-

sented by former Colorado fisherman andcurrent Cowboy Drifters guide ToddAnderson, is the slated program to befeatured for May’s general membershipmeeting of the WFC on May 12. Thepresentation is expected to be aPowerPoint program with narration.

If anyone doubts Anderson’s skills,take a gander at the wall of fame in thefishing department of Sportsman’sWarehouse, where he works when notguiding on the North Platte River.

Anderson once held the distinctionof having caught the Colorado staterecord for a species of cutthroat. But henow calls the Cowboy State home.

•Joe Meyer is to be hosting another

session of “Fishin’ with Joe” on May 8.Call him for details or to sign up for thetrip to an undisclosed and “secret” spot.

On May 15, Herb Waterman, LloydFerguson and crew are hosting the annu-al spring outing at the Cardwell access.

Although the club is picking up thetab for the meal served during the after-noon cookout, members and guestsattending are encouraged to bring theirown drinks.

The gathering is to be headquarteredon the road pullout east of the restroomsdownstream of the bridge.

To get there, take the Alcova high-way west. Go past the entrance toSloan’s, past the Alcova Lake turnoff,and finally turn left on the road to

Pathfinder. Follow the road south. Just asyou approach the Pathfinder dam, take aleft turn and venture east.

The Cardwell access, made possibleas a conservation and access project bythe Wyoming Fly Casters, is that stretchof river between Pathfinder and Alcovareservoirs.

Those attending the outing shouldbe armed with five or six weight rods.Terminal patterns should include theubiquitous rock worm, baetis emergers,scuds, hare’s ears, flashback beadheadpheasant tail nymphs, and midge larvaeand pupa.

Be sure to get your name on the sign-up sheet during the May general mem-bership meeting.

•Other outings have been tentatively

been scheduled for this summer and fall,including:

The annual Ten Sleep outing is slat-ed for the weekend of Aug. 6-8. Therewill be a nominal $5 per person fee tocover the two dinners and two breakfastsserved by streamkeeper Matt Stantonand crew. Details and sign-up sheets willbe available at future meetings ornewsletters.

The annual Rod Robinder outing atMiracle Mile is scheduled for Saturday,Oct. 16. The streamkeeper is CaseyLeary. Again, details will be available atlater dates.

Ideas for outings throughout the yearare always welcome.


BBRRAAGG BBOOAARRDD

With the ice now off of Wyoming’s lower elevation waters,fishing activity is on the increase. With that increase, theWyoming Game and Fish Department reminds anglers to beaware of the new fishing regulations in effect.

Fishing regulations are set for a two year period -- the newregulations will be in effect for the years 2010-2011. While mostof the regulations are the same as the past two years, there aresome changes in each drainage area. Changes vary from wordclarification to different limit numbers and size limits for variousspecies on several waters. Changes are highlighted in bluethroughout the regulations booklet.

The regulations booklet is separated into the state’s fivedrainage areas. Waters where regulations differ from the generalstatewide regulations are listed in each drainage area under theheading “Exceptions to General Provisions.”

If reference to a specific water is not listed under thedrainage area, general statewide regulations listed on pages 3-11apply. Anglers are advised that in addition to specific waterexceptions, there are regulations that apply to a broad area with-

in each drainage. Anglersare asked to read the

Anglers reminded of fish reg changes“Exceptions” section for each drainage area for waters with dif-ferent regulations from the general statewide provisions.

Anglers are reminded that on many waters, and for manyspecies, length limits apply. For trout, the general creel limit allowsonly one trout greater than 20 inches. Other species such as tigermusky and northern pike also have length limits, and there arebass and walleye waters that require the release of these fish if theyfall between certain size ranges. When length limits apply, thewhole body shall remain intact (gills and entrails can be removedwhile in transit or in the field. If length limits do not apply, a pieceof skin large enough for field identification (at least one inchsquare) shall remain on fillets while in transit or in the field.

Wyoming also has restrictions on waters where live baitfishcan be used. These waters are designated within the regulationsfor the specific drainage area. Each of Wyoming’s five drainageareas has a listing of regulations that govern the use of live bait-fish. While use of baitfish varies depending on the water, anglersare reminded that live baitfish cannot be in an angler’s posses-sion in areas or waters where the use of live baitfish is not per-mitted. In addition, live baitfish are not to be transported out ofthe designated use area.


FFIISSHHIINN’’ WWIITTHH JJOOEE

Anyone wanting to get on the list to “Fish with Joe” should call235-1316. New members are especially welcome.


FFIISSHHIINN’’ WWIITTHH JJOOEE IIIIPhotos and story by Tom McGeorge

Joe Meyer hosted an invitational trip to a not-so-secret fishing hole (at Cardwell, above the bridge) onMonday, May 19.

It was a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree spring day justbefore a snow storm. Joe invited anyone who wantedto come and fly fish for trout. The fish were rolling,flopping, sipping and generally teasing all of us,except Joe. Yes, we did hook and pull in a few, butnobody outdid Joe. He has n uncanny ability to thinklike a fish and haul them in. Without a landing netJoe coaxes trout to the bank, swats them ashore andlike a bear, wrestles them on all fours until he getsthem in a hammer-lock and holds the beast up for aphoto.

Will Waterbury forged the stream and fished theeast side, and extracted some fine rainbows. JimJohnson did well on our side. Bob Buecker, BobStewart, Kathy Knapp and I thrashed about and gotsunburned.

Go, Joe! Thanks for another great fishing trip. Ihope someday to catch fish like you do.

CONSERVATION

CORNERby Matt Stanton, chairman

At the April Board meeting HerbWaterman introduced us to a quarterlynewsletter available from the WyomingWater Development Office. Thenewsletter, aptly titled "Water News,"details legislative, water planning andconstruction projects slated for theupcoming year. There is also a calendarof water-related meetings scheduled forthe upcoming quarter. Anyone with apenchant for water related issues shouldcheck it out on the web at:http://wwdc.state.wy.us/newsletter.

Editor:On April 14-15, several Fly Casters

participated in fundraising efforts at theOrvis Rendezvous, an annual conferencethat was held, this year, in Casper. A fewhundred fly fishing guides from through-out the United States participated in theconference.

The Orvis company donated equip-ment to be raffled off by the local fly fish-ing club. At the event, we were able toraise $2,955, with no expense to the club.

I've written letters to Orvismangers, and expressed our thanks forallowing us to participate in this event.However, I want to thank the Orvis com-pany, one last time, for donating equip-ment for the raffle. Orvis has a reputationfor creating quality fly fishing products,but this is just one example of how thecompany supports conservation.

I also want to thank Dave Sweet,state council chair of Wyoming TroutUnlimited, for allowing our club to par-ticipate in the raffle. He even sold raffletickets for the WFC at this event.

Thanks to Trout Unlimited, wewere able to raise a considerable amountof money for conservation, and with verylittle effort. This is just one example ofthe benefit of our affiliation with TroutUnlimited.

To show our appreciation to TU, onApril 21, the board members of the clubvoted to give $1,000 back to WyomingTrout Unlimited.

Alex Rose

Thanks, Orvis andTrout Unlimited


Stolen from the Pikes Peak Fly Fishers NewsletterI was recently asked what favorite pattern I would use to go after spawning fish.

Good question, and several years ago I definitely wouldn’t have included egg patternsbecause I was of the puritanical mind-set that they were nothing more than using “overglorified bait.” I was wrong! I have since come to appreciate the value and importanceof egg patterns over the last several years and now include them on any foray afterspawning fish…you would be foolish to omit them as well.

With the spring season upon us,many changes in the environment havebegun to take place, especially in ourlocal rivers and streams. Subtle cues suchas water temperature, level and claritytrigger a massive migration of fish to startrunning up the streams where they wereborn to repeat the spawning process. It isthis spawning process and the returningfish that are of importance to the educat-ed fly angler, seeing as some of the bestfishing can come during this time of year.Not just any type of fishing works duringthis spring run of fish…and we’re talkingrainbows, cutthroat and cutt-bows.

The lake-run trout and the river res-idents have a particular interest in eatingfresh eggs from their brethren. Presentingegg flies to fish that have ventured up intothe rivers can provide a very exciting dayof fishing. It might seem so simple but thetruth is natural eggs that come fromspawning fish make up a more than sub-stantial percentage of the seasonal foodbase in streams for foraging trout species.Pre-spawn fish are able to set themselvesin a downstream position from otherspawning fish and forage aggressively oneggs that happen to wash out or beknocked out of the spawning beds. Theseeggs contain many of the basic nutrientsfor sustaining life, such as high amountsof protein and carbohydrates that willhelp to fatten fish quickly.

Egg fishing for trout may sound rela-tively simple but be warned; you shouldexpect to lose large number of flies due tosnagging up on the river bottom or foul-hooking fish. Often the best presentationrequires getting your fly right in the thickof things meaning bouncing off the bot-tom all the way down the river for longstretches. It can be very frustrating to thebeginning fly angler trying to decipherbetween the current and rocks pulling onyour fly and the soft strike of a weary fish.

If you always keep in mind the gold-

softly barely tipping you off to their pres-ence on your line.

The eggs from spawning fish in theriver may come in many different sizesand colors. Eggs from spawning rainbowtrout are approximately 3/16 inch in sizeand can be characterized with a translu-cent yellowish-orange color. Brown trouthave eggs that are roughly a 1/4 inch insize and are bright orange like the rest.Imitating these different types of eggs canbe very lucrative for fly fisherman like allother fisherman taking into account thatthe season and weather conditions arecorrect for the species you are targeting.

It is also a good idea to carry egg pat-terns in an off-white or cream color.When the natural eggs are laid, some donot get fertilized during the spawningprocedure and become a murky, whitishcolor. These dead eggs sometimes cansave the day when fish become extreme-ly finicky. Finally, carrying patterns thatrange from single eggs to egg clusters canalso be a good idea. When fishing murkywater using an egg cluster patterns hasbeen known to work a little better thansingle eggs. In turn when you are fishingclearer waters with finicky fish single ordouble egg patterns will produce the bestresults.

Fishing egg flies might not be exact-ly what you envisioned when you firstthought about getting into fly fishing, butfor a short time every year they are someof the most productive flies you can fish.Any seasoned fly angler will attest tothese flies productiveness, so why not getout and add another time tested tech-nique to your arsenal? Tie up a couple ofthese in both 6mm and 4mm in apricot,tangerine and ruby colors. Don’t forget toadd the milk veil.

• NOTE: One more thing…and thisalways rubs me when I see it. Stay off ofthe redds! Every year I see moron’s walkright through the redds, or fish to spawn-ing pairs on redds. When you walkthrough a redd you are killing scores ofunborn trout. When you fish to a spawn-ing pair you are unnecessarily stressingthem possibly causing the hen to jet hereggs prematurely resulting in unfertilizedeggs. You are definitely not doing thetrout or anyone any favors if you dothese things. If you witness anyonedoing this, don’t stand by idly and donothing…say something, they may notbe aware and you could be in a positionto educate them. Then, they in turncould educate someone else…and isn’tthat what our club is about? Good luck .. . and tight lines!

Tying egg patterns

en rule that the indicator should bedownstream of the fly and be fairly tightto the weight and fly then you can startto apply it to different situations. One ofthe most important aspects to fishingwith egg flies is your indicator system.Egg flies, like nymphs, are dead-drifteddownstream, so being able to quicklydetect strikes from fish will increase yourodds of landing good numbers of fish.Ideally, having an indicator made frombright-colored, high-floating foam iswhat you are looking for but putties andyarn can also be adequate with shallowerwater conditions. Detecting strikes fromfish is a combination of watching theindicator and the behavior of the fish atthe same time (given you can see the fishworking the bottom). In most instances,takes from large fish will be obvious, withthe fish moving off of the bottom towhere the fly is drifting and suckingdown the indicator aggressively. In othercases the indicator won't move as youpass the fishes position but you visualizethe fishes mouth actively eating objectsfloating downstream or you will simplysee a tick or slowing down of the indica-tor giving you just enough info to set thehook before the fish spits your egg fly.Paying close attention to each drift andhow your fly line is drifting will pay off inthe long run. The biggest fish seem toalways be the ones that suck in egg flies

on occasion, some clients have done wellfishing a super renegade just that way.

The only thing one should rememberis that the larger fish are always found inthe deepest water upstream, right wherethe bottom of the stream suddenly con-tacts the upward slope of the gravel bar.Most strikes are sudden and hard. Thereis no question about what is happening.A really big fish simply sucks in the fly,stopping all movement of the line alto-gether. In fact, the line starts feelinggooey. The inexperienced fly fishermanthinks the fly is snagged, even after jerk-ing the line several times with the rod.

The best way to fish the shallow topof a gravel bar is by wading and castingsmall mayfly imitations. If you are fishingstreams of the great basin during the sum-mer, I suggest you reread the chapter onwind (chapter 10).

No fly fisherman has the advantagewhen fishing the deep, downstream sideof a gravel bar. The oarsman generallycontrols and moves the boat at rightangles to the edge of the gravel bar, withthe front drifting over deeper water andthe back almost scraping the gravel. Thefly fisherman in the front should fish adry fly, concentrating on making shortcasts, landing the fly in the fast water acouple of yards off the gravel bar. The flyfisherman in the rear should make longer


The following article is anexcerpt from the electronic book,Hunt - Don’t Pray - for Fish,Techniques and Strategies for FlyFishing from a Drift Boat, written byHarley W. Reno, Ph.D., a friend ofthe Wyoming Fly Casters and occa-sional program presentor. The entirecontent is copyrighted by the author,and is used here with his permis-sion. The CD is available for pur-chase through the Federation of FlyFishers, and 80 percent of the $25cost of each CD is being donated bythe author back to the federation forits conservation and educationfunds.

In the coming months, otherchapters of Dr. Reno’s book are tobe featured in the Backcast.

Drift boat fishing 101Chapter 13: Strategies (Part 4)

ravel BarGravel bars are

one of the few placeswhere food is pro-

duced in lotic environments.Waters flowing over a gravel barmost often are shallow and warmerthan those of the main stream and,at certain times during the day-night cycle, richer in concentra-tions of oxygen. Microplants areabundant on and between stones.Larval forms of most insects grazeon those plants at night and seek shelterunder stones during the day.

Fish congregate on the upstream sideof a gravel bar, provided that surface issteep-sloped. Fish always congregatealong the deeper, downstream side of thegravel bar because the gravel bar acts likea dam, obstructing the downstreammovement of water and forcing the waterto scour a deep hole on the downstreamside of the gravel bar. The surface of thewater flowing across and downstream of agravel bar is rippled, looking and actinglike a riffle. And a little further down-stream there is a deep run, which mightcontain debris of trees and brush or larg-er rocks, or some combination of both.Generally, fish immediately downstreamof the gravel bar are distributed laterallythroughout the horizontal shearingplane. Still further downstream, fish areassociated with whatever obstacles lessenthe effects of the current.

The fly fisherman in the front end ofthe boat has the advantage when fishingthe upstream portion of a gravel bar. Theeasiest way to fish the upstream face of agravel bar is to hold the boat stationaryupstream of the gravel bar and cast a dryfly like an elk hair caddisfly 45 degreesdownstream, letting the current skip thefly across the surface along the face of thegravel bar. Another productive tech-nique, especially on cloudy days duringthe summer or fall, is casting a sinking fly45 degrees downstream and letting thecurrent swing the fly into and across theface of the gravel bar. A stonefly nymph,any bead-head nymph in size 16 or 18, ora large streamer like a zonker or Matukasculpin is a good choice. Believe it or not,

casts, concentrating on fishing the deep-er water downstream of the edge of thegravel bar with a bead-head nymph,streamer, or some other heavily weightedfly. He or she should land the fly on thegravel bar, letting the fly drift over thegravel and dive into the deeper waterthrough and beneath the horizontalshearing plane.

The best strategy for the nymph fish-erman is to fish the fly with a floatingline, placing a strike indicator about 18to 36 inches above the fly. The fly shouldbe landed as close to the edge of the grav-el bar as possible and allowed to drift out-ward in the current into the hole. Thelength of drift should equal the length ofthe drift boat. The streamer fishermanshould use a sink-tip line, landing the flyon the edge of the gravel bar. The weightof the fly and sink-tip portion of the flyline rapidly dives the fly downwardthrough the horizontal shearing plane tothe depths of the pool.

The mistake some fly fishermenmake when fishing the downstream edgeof a gravel bar is not starting to cast soonenough in the right direction. Each flyfisherman should start casting at a slightangle downstream before the boat clearsthe edge of the gravel bar. The fly fisher-man cannot wait until the boat clears theedge, because then each cast is upstreamor behind the boat. That, of course, is

G

The gravel bar depicted in this figure canbe fished from upstream or downstream.In addition, holding the boat atop the grav-el bar affords each fisherman opportuni-ties to cast into the deep channel along thefar bank. Moving the boat towards the nearbank lets the anglers cast into the shallowshoal downstream of the gravel bar.


wasted effort and results in missed oppor-tunities.

Here is a biological secret. Sculpinsin streams of the great basin and moun-tainous west and, I suspect, darters inhab-iting rivers of the mountainous east, areprimary food organisms of trout, especial-ly trophy brown trout. Those small, bot-tom-dwelling fishes live in riffles and fastwater, where the fast water runs or cas-cades into deeper water. Sculpins andprobably darters have a habit of quicklydiving into deeper water anytime a sud-den shadow passes across the surface ofthe fast water (e.g., shadow of a man, ani-mal, or bird). Somehow or somewhere inthe process of becoming a trophy, thelarge brown trout learns that unusualbehavior and capitalizes on the peculiar-ity. The trophy routinely eases itself up tothe gravel lip of the fast water and therewaits for the sculpin escaping the dangerof a mysterious shadow.

Understand, the trophy is not in thehorizontal shearing plane. Rather, it islying on the bottom, a few inchesupstream of the horizontal shearingplane. The smart fly fisherman casts aweighted muddler minnow, Doctor'sRemedy, or Streamliner parallel to theedge of the gravel, landing the fly on thegravel, and lets the weight of the fly andforce of the current move the fly off thegravel and down the face of the gravelbar. The technique is especially effectivein the fall and early winter, when streamflows are at a minimum and brown troutare spawning and almost exclusivelyfeeding on sculpins.

Downstream of the gravel bar, thefishing is like fishing a steep bank or run.Techniques described for thosehabitats apply fully here.

RiffleA riffle is

any stretch ofwater that isshallow and fastflowing, with achoppy surface. Insmall streams, a riffleoften is punctuated withlarge rocks. In large streams, a rifflegenerally is fast, shallow, and short, withthe bottom composed of gravel.

Fish in riffles expend large amountsof energy just to maintain position. As aresult, unless the riffle contains suitablemicrohabitats where fast-flowing water issufficiently disrupted, or more food isavailable for consumption than energyused in maintaining position, a fish can-

not or will not stay in a riffle for anylength of time. The astute fly fishermanconcentrates on fishing around surfaceand bottom irregularities in the riffle, justas illustrated for fishing around partiallyor totally submerged rocks, uproot-ed trees, or any other convenientobstruction, such as a pile of rocks,logjam, or brush pile. Most oftenthat means fishing a dry fly, such asan elk hair caddisfly, stimulator, orparachute grasshopper in sizes 10 or12, or, if environmental circum-stances are right, small mayfly imita-tions (see chapter 10 for specificdetails). If the riffle is long and thereare lots of obstructions, a green orgreen and brown woolly bugger orconehead MWB is effective, espe-cially for larger fishes.

RunA run is like a riffle, only

deeper, narrower, and with asmooth, uniform surface. Howdeep is "deeper?" And how narrowis "narrower?" Answers to thosequestions are purely subjective. Thebottom of a run may be mud, sand,gravel, rocks, or any mixture thereof.The bottom may be partially ortotally covered with vegetation orstrewn with debris.

The best strategy for fishing a run isto focus your casting attentions on theupstream and downstream ends of therun, because those are the two places thatnaturally concentrate and hold fish. Lookfor piles of brush, "islets" of submergedvegetation, or any other obstruction thatmight slow or alter the direction of water

elsewhere in the run. Position thedrift boat on the side of

the run with the leastcurrent and cast

straight across,letting the waterswing the lineand fly in an arch

down and backacross the run.For dry flies, let

the current move and skipthe fly. But always be ready to mend

the line upstream to reduce drag. For sub-surface flies, let the current work the fly,but do not worry about mending. For big,heavy flies, cast across the run, strip andp-a-u-s-e, strip and p-a-u-s-e. Each stripcauses the fly to struggle or dart upward.Each pause lets the fly hesitate and settledownwards and backwards in a gentle,life-like arch.

www.wyflycasters.org


BBEE IINNFFOORRMMEEDD

Receive each issue of theBackcast in a timely man-ner, without relying onthe Post Awful to deliverit. Sign up for electronicdelivery! Not only do youreceive each issue near theend of each month, but itwill feature color photo-graphs and graphics. Andyou can save the club pre-cious money and resourcesbecause printing andpostage costs and thechore of stapling, stamp-ing and stickering themonochrome hard copyare eliminated. Just dropthe editor a line, request-ing electronic delivery [email protected].


Cast acrossthe run; strip,

pause, strip andpause...



31

MONDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

2 3 4 5 86 7

9 10 11 12 1513 14

16 17 18 19 2220 21

23 24 25 26 27 28

Regular meeting, 7 p.m.

WFC BoardMeeting, 7 p.m.

MAYTUESDAY

29

30

SUNDAY

Fireholeopening day

Deadline forBackcast info

WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFTApril 21, 2010

Memorial Day

The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. Bob Fischerwas excused, all other members present. Darlene Benham ofSam’s Club, a guest, was also present. Ed Rate was present to pro-vide a treasurer’s report.

Darlene Benham came to the meeting and explained to theboard about a partner membership which Sam’s Club is trying torecruit more members. She reported this would be at no cost tothe Wyoming Fly Casters and the membership list would not beused by Sam’s Club. In return for this partner membership theWFC would receive a free membership to Sam’s. The boardapproved to accept the Sam’s Club partner membership. Ed Ratepresented a treasurer’s report. Ed reported the club nettedapproximately $8200 from the banquet. He recommended theWFC pay a dishonesty bond of $187; renew our annual PlatteRiver Parkway dues of $500 for a sign on the Platte RiverParkway and affiliate dues for Wyoming Wildlife Federation of$50. The board approved to pay all three requests. The boardapproved the treasurer’s report. Ed Rate was given a gift fromofficers and board members as a token of their appreciation forstepping in as treasurer.

Matt Stanton reported some signs placed at Miracle Mile byWFC years ago have fallen down and Matt will repair the signs.He reported the club made $3000 from the Orvis Rendezvous. Amotion was made to give $1000 back to Wyoming State TroutUnlimited and a letter to them thanking TU and Orvis and theboard approved. It was reported that many at the OrvisRendezvous were impressed with WFC projects. TheGovernment Bridge project was discussed. Alex Rose reportedthe WFC sent letters to local Wyoming representatives in sup-port of this project. He reported he was contacted by Luke Lynchwho received a call from Sen. Mike Enzi’s office requesting an

immediate report on what support the WFC could provide forthis project. Alex Rose contacted five board members to gettheir input as to how much financial support the WFC couldprovide for this project. He averaged the amounts from the fiveboard members, which came to $40,000. He reported this figureto Luke Lynch, with a time frame of one year. No official letterwas sent to any party. A motion was made to have a goal for theWyoming Fly Casters by the spring of 2011 to raise $40,000 forthe North Platte River Special Management Recreation Areaand was approved by the board. Alex Rose sent letters of thanksto Senators Enzi and Barrasso for their support of this project.

Diana Holcomb volunteered for the position of presidentelect and board approved the nomination. Smokey Weinhandlvolunteered to fill the vacant board position and the boardapproved the nomination. Abe Knapp asked for money from theboard for MacTavish tartan and pins. Casey Leary will contactAbe for an estimate of the cost of these items.

For many years Donna Diesburg would send cards to illmembers or family of the deceased at her own expense. TheBoard approved that the WFC for the purchase of cards andstamps for these matters. Scott Novotny received some new hatsthat cost the WFC about $4 a piece. The board approved theclub spend up to $300 for new hats for WFC. A discussion washeld regarding what items need to be given to new members.Andrew Sauter will come back with a new membership commit-tee recommendation. Scott Novotny asked members to sendphotos to Randy Stalker for use in the newsletter and Christmasparty slideshow. Various board members volunteered to takephotos at club activities to send to Randy. It was mentionedFacebook might be a good location to download photos and he

Mother’sDay

Full moon

Cardwellouting

(continued on next page)


WFC TREASURER'S REPORT PERIOD (ending March 31, 2010)INCOMEDate Vendor/Item AmountFeb 11 Deposit - Raffle - 2/10 -116.00, dues-130.00

Merchandise - 22.50 $268.50Feb 11 Deposit dues - 200.00, Banquet Meals - 200.00 $400.00Feb 11 Transferred from MM Acct $3,000.00Feb 18 Deposit - Dues $70.00

TOTAL $3,738.50EXPENSES Feb 10 #4009 - Izaak Walton League - Rent Feb/Mar 2010 $150.00Feb 10 #4010 - FedEx Office Jan Backcast - $93.71

Feb Backcast - 104.74 $198.45Feb 11 #4011- Tony Martin - Postage Backcast $166.00Feb 11 #4012 - Gene Robinson - Overpayment - dues $30.00Feb 11 #4013 - Ugly Bug - 2/10 Raffle 83.77,

Library - 25.16, Xmas Cert. 225.00 $333.93Feb 11 #4014 - Nature Conservancy - Affiliate Dues $100.00Feb 11 #4015 - Federation of Fly Fishers - Affiliate Dues $100.00Feb 11 #4016 - Platte River Fly Shop - Xmas Cert. $125.00Feb 11 #4017 - Postmaster - P.O. Box Rent $70.00Feb 11 #4018 - Don Jelinek - Xmas Party Refreshments $77.85Feb 11 #4019 - BW Insurance - Liability Ins $904.00Mar 1 #4020 VOIDMar 4 #4021 - City of Casper - Cabin Fever Clinic $165.00Mar 10 #4022 - Fed Ex Office - March Backcast $80.83Mar 10 #4023 - The Reef Fly Shop - Banquet $300.00Mar 17 #4024 - Casey Leary - Exp Cabin Fever Clinic $41.95Mar 17 #4025 - Melody Weinhandl - Banquet Posters $141.56Mar 17 #4026 - Melody Weinhandl - Cabin Fever Clinic $93.07Mar 31 #4027 - Marvin Nolte - Banquet Awards $420.00Mar 31 #4028 - Merback Awards - Banquet Awards $ 27.20

TOTAL $3,524.84

New to the club?Need advice?Call these guys

Most people join our club to learnwhere to fish and to improve their fishingtechnique. If we are to keep membersactive, experienced members of the clubneed to be available to give lessons ontechnique or fishing location information.To that end, Joe Meyer and Daren Bulowwould like you to know that they areavailable to help and they are encouragingother members to add their names to thislist so that new members can call someonefor help, offer ideas on fishing spots, ormaybe even take them fishing. Call Joe at235-1316 or Daren at 247-2578.

also welcomed any video.Discussion was held on the Bill Ryan drift boat and more information was solicited

on this matter and Joe Meyer will report back to the board. Andrew Sauter reported thatthe names of Gaylord Welch, Betty Carrier, Bill Ryan and John Traut will need to beadded to the memorial rock. Andrew Sauter will contact Rick’s Rocks to investigatehow the names can be added. Herb Waterman reported a Rick Hafele entomology clin-ic would cost the club $800 a day plus expenses for a program in the morning and an onthe stream class in the afternoon with a maximum of 14 people. Herb will investigatethe possibility of club members presenting such a program. Charlie Shedd volunteeredto present another learn to cast clinic. Information was presented to the board on theWilliam A. MacTavish award for comment and the board had no comment. A motionwas approved by the board thanking Bob Fischer and Marty Robinson and the rest ofthe banquet committee for their hard work on the very successful banquet.

Herb Waterman will be the streamkeeper of the Cardwell outing on May 15. Amotion was proposed for the WFC to exempt the Cardwell outing for collecting fees forfood expenses from members, provided calls are made prior to the outing to members whoare on the sign-up list. The motion was passed with some members opposed. Joe Meyervolunteered to be streamkeeper of “Fishing with Joe” outings again this year. Casey Learywill be streamkeeper of the Rod Robinder outing at the Miracle Mile on Oct. 16.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m.

Board Minutes (continued from previous page)

Wyoming Fly CastersP.O. Box 2881Casper, WY 82602


The mission of the Wyoming Fly Casters is to promote and enhance the sport of flyfishing and the conservation of fish and their habitat.

Documents

WFC 02/10