Christmas Dinner Meeting Leads to New Accomplishments

It was a gamble. The holiday season is busy, a time when many are away from home and fly-fishing may not be high on the list of priorities. Nevertheless, the ambitious plan called for our club to have a meeting that included wives, friends, and guests. The setting would be held at the Lazy Hills Guest Ranch a few miles northwest of Ingram. A fine meal, door prizes, special awards, and a speaker with a challenging topic were all on tap. Following the November meeting, about ten checks had been collected, mostly for couples, to pay the way to the Christmas Dinner. Several other checks or reservations drifted in over the next couple of weeks. At least the prospects were that enough would be attending to assure that the gathering wouldn’t be a flop. Then, lo and behold, the last possible day to give a count to Lazy Hills on the number of meals to prepare, about five more persons called in just in time to get on the list. A sigh of relief signaled that we would have enough attendance to assure some jolly camaraderie . We ended up with thirty-three present. Of course, the difference was largely due to having the wives and guests enhance our meeting. That could be something to crow about. Maybe we could coax them from time to time to visit our monthly meetings, just for the heck of it, to add a dash of zest to the surroundings.

Aside from the good turnout, what followed proved to be and absolute delight. The meal measured up to expectations, the dining facilities were beautifully decorated for Christmas, the congeniality was obvious. Then, as the last taste of the chocolate cake dessert melted away, President Dennis Glenewinkel greeted those present and, in a fashion that we are growing to appreciate, he had us stand, introduce ourselves and offer a few comments if we chose. Getting acquainted with the new faces around the tables was both genial and appropriate.

Dennis then presided over an abbreviated business portion during which Rick Wilson brought to our attention some recent regulations for fishing at our trout locations. Doc Harrison spoke of the importance for members to attend meetings of Region J of the Texas Water Commission to voice concern for the preservation of our rivers.

Then came time to award door prizes, a dozen or so, which consisted of modest but useful items that any fly-fisher would appreciate. After that, the club recognized and presented three of our members with handsomely framed prints of several types of fish we fly-fishers often encounter–a bluegill, a yellowbelly sunfish, a rainbow trout, and a cutbow trout. These prints were of paintings done by Dr. Norman Browne, a Kerrville resident who is a retired educator, experienced fly-fisher, and noted artist of detailed paintings of various fish species–especially those associated with fly-fishing. Walter Saunders received recognition for his faithfulness in helping with the youth instruction at Camp La Junta, his good natured, knowledgeable, approach to fly-fishing, and, most significantly, for his notoriety in catching big carp. After Walter, Danny Wheat received one of the trout prints for his devotion to conservation efforts, reporting to The Back Cast on his various fishing adventures in the Rockies and far West, feeding trout at our leases, arranging several outings and programs, and helping with the La Junta project. Finally, Martin Pursch was awarded the last print for his faithful attendance at our meetings, his performance as a goodwill ambassador with both our club and the Heart of the Hills club of Fredericksburg, and his availability for obtaining fishing gear, guest passes and advice at his fly shop, The Country Fly Fisher, in addition to his help at Camp La Junta Congratulations, guys. Our board of directors made these choices.

For some time, we have missed having a website for our club. Our friend, the late Dick Steele, maintained one on the Pico Outdoor Company. site, but when he passed away, so did the site.

Of the fourteen clubs in the FFF Southern Council, just two do not have websites. We are one of those. For our program, Michael Brown, who is a member of the Central Texas Fly Fishers and also creator and webmaster of their CTFF website, presented our program. He led us toward determining what sort of items we would want to be featured on a website that he could help us set up. He pointed out the modest expense involved–less than the postage that we pay each month to send out our newsletter, which could be included on the website yet be mailed by postage to any members not having computers. Michael volunteered to help us set up the site and to serve as its webmaster if we should so choose. A motion was made from the floor and seconded to set up the site. The motion passed with no apparent opposition. Thus, our club is currently involved in the process and will use the available address of hcff.org. It will take a brief time to set up, but members should soon be able to receive the newsletter, all sorts of basic information about our club, and to communicate with each other through the site.

Thus, December brought us two Christmas presents: the first annual Christmas Dinner Meeting and the establishment of our new website. As Tiny Time said in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, “God bless us all.”

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More reports from Danny Wheat’s fishing trip
out west last summer. . .

South Platte River, Middle Fork
July 28, 2004
Caught: 1 Brown Trout 17 Inches, 2 Rainbows to 12 Inches; Lost 1 Nice Rainbow

I fished with my son-in-law, Reid McArthur, and grandson, Tom, with guide, Clint Packo, out of Breckenridge Outfitters on a half day trip on the South Platt River. The area we fished was located on the Eastern Slope near the town of Hartzell, Colorado. The elevation was about ten thousand feet and the weather was ideal, a cool 60 degrees. The river in this area winds through a prairie of grass and is about twenty feet wide. Bushes along the bank hinder casting. The river snakes through the open valley between high snow-capped mountains, and deep holes under the bank are at almost every; turn. The water was flowing gently over the gravel bars into the deeper areas.

Clint rigged us each with a separate rig to see what would work best. He rigged me with a San Juan worm as an attractor with a size 18 BH Pheasant Tail dropper. He rigged Tom with a size 14 hopper with a size 18 BH Copper John. He rigged Reid with a hopper and a Green Copper John dropper. He then stationed us in various areas of the river and put me in a very deep pool in a bend. There was enough current to create an area of backwater where the current turned upstream. This created some very nice transition water with the currents going in separate directions. After considerable trial and error, I caught a nice 17 inch brown trout and then caught two nice 12 inch rainbows. All of my fish were caught on the small hopper fished on the bottom. Reid and Tom were fishing further upstream and were getting strikes, but no hookups.

I moved up near Tom so that I could pass him my rod if I hooked another nice fish. Sure enough, I hooked a nice rainbow and called to Tom to come and fight him. About that time the fish threw the hook. I reeled the fly in and realized the small hook was slightly straightened from the limb that I had snagged sometime before. This was another lesson learned the hard way.

We caught and released several very small trout. Reid hooked a nice trout that threw the hook after a short fight. All in all, we had a lot of fun.

Green River, Little Hole
August 1^st-2^nd, 2004
Caught: 4 Brown Trout, 16-to-19 Inches

I fished the Little Hole on the Green River, which is seven miles below the Flaming Gorge Dam near Dutch John, Utah. This the fourth time I have fished at Little Hole, and it has become one of my favorite fishing spots. The location is a take-out for rafters and for those fishing out of drift boats with guides. There is a ramp for retrieving boats as well as a restroom and day camping facilities. Two years ago in June of 2002, there was a fire in the area that burned hundreds of acres of cedars and grasses in the area of Little Hole and devastated the surroundings. There are literally thousands of burned trees still standing along the roads and on the mountain slopes. For some strange reason, the trees around the immediate vicinity of the ramps and the restroom and picnic facilities escaped destruction from the fire. I was very glad to see the area around the parking lot still beautiful and as I remembered it before the fire.

The Green River at the Little Hole is close to fifty yards wide and flows over boulders separated by green grasses that wave in the current as the river flows downstream in a southerly direction. Crossing the river is difficult because of the rocky bottom and swift current. As the river was flowing from right to left, I began easing across making backhand casts upstream. I used my 9' 9", five-weight rod, rigged with a # 10 hopper and a # 18 Copper John dropper. I got three strikes on the hopper before noon, but no hookups. I noticed a fisherman downstream battling what seemed to be a good sized fish. He finally landed it and moved back into the river to try again. Soon he decided to quit for the day. I eased over to him to inquire about the fish he caught. He said it was a brown over 24 inches long, but he did not have his camera with him to take its picture. I asked what he caught him on, and he showed me a gold bead head streamer that was recommended by a local. He offered me one. I accepted and traded him a # 6 Golden Stone Fly Nymph. After lunch I began fishing with the new fly, a #6 BH Goldilocks. On about the third cast. I caught a nice 18 inch brown. On the next cast it got hung on the bottom and I lost the streamer. I quit for the day.

On the way to Little Hole the next day, I stopped at the fly shop and bought two of the Goldilocks streamers. I decided that I would work my way across the river making backhand casts and then move downstream into the area of the rapids above the boat ramp and make forehand casts as I moved back into the river. Sure enough, I hooked and caught three more nice size brown trout ranging from 17 to 19 inches long. They really put up a good fight in the swift river. It was one of the most enjoyable days fishing that I can remember. I did not hook the 24 inch fish I was seeking, but there is always another day to fish the Little Hole on the Green River.

–Danny Wheat

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Fly-Tying Festival in Houston

The 13 th annual Fly-Tying Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2005, at the Holiday Inn at 2712 Southwest Freeway at Kirby Dr. In Houston, Texas. This year’s special presenter is Jack Garthside of New York with forty years of experience and creativity, having tied numerous fly patterns that have logged record fish. Stop by anytime between 9 AM and 5PM to sit beside and learn from forty of the best fly tiers in the country.

There is a beginner’s corner for novices and a dozen booths for vendors to show their latest products. Admission is $10 for adults or $14 for an entire family. For additional information, please call 713-875-4289 or see www.texasflyfishers.org.

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A Matter of Rules and Manners

I haven’t been fishing for our trout yet. Family illness and a trip to Missouri called me away recently. By now the fish have settled in and many of our club members will have tried out both Crabapple Creek and the Double B leases. Upon reading the e-mails that had piled up on my computer while I was away were several calling for cooperation in following the procedures we are to carry out at our two fishing leases. Most of our members have computers and receive messages of importance from some of our officers or committee chairmen, but several probably rely on The Back Cast for the latest news regarding HCFF matters. In either case, there are some very important messages that are coming across that deserve serious attention and application.

All lease holders were given rules, regulations, and release forms when they hopped on the bandwagon to fish for those fine Missouri trout that we stocked. A period of getting used to doing all of the things we should at the leases is understandable to a degree, but it is absolutely essential that if we are to maintain good relations and permission to place our fish on these two exceptionally desirable locations where we currently fish, we must seriously and strictly follow the terms to which we agreed. Does anyone challenge that point? It is simply in keeping with the high standards expected of dedicated fly fishers.

As for Crabapple Creek, many of us feel familiar fishing there, yet there have been changes, and we also have been reminded of some embarrassing mistakes made over the last few years. As members should know, we are now allowed to fish on Mondays through Thursdays during hunting season, but by the time this newsletter is delivered, the hunting will have ended. We could hope that no one abused that understanding. Parking at the designated locations has also been a problem in the past. Several vehicles have pushed that rule and gone further down the road, only to wind up stuck in the sand and having to be pulled out–how embarrassing! The most common mistake is failing to sign in and out. Common sense underscores the importance of following this simple instruction. It keeps track of who is on the property and where they are located. If anyone fails to sign out, Stanley Rabke, good man that he is, tries to see if anyone has had trouble and needs help. That’s also why signing out before dark is critical. Finally, if a member brings a guest, the guest must follow the rules by signing a guest release paper and also turning in the guest pass when signing out.

Many of the above rules also apply at the Double B. Here, our anglers have to be especially aware of factors that may be somewhat fluid. Since a number of activities besides fly-fishing may be going on from time to time, asking at the pro shop desk about any particular circumstances or restrictions would be a good idea. It’s our first year at this location, and we need to be extremely conscious of what’s going on when we’re on the property. The golf course also calls for special attention. Interfering with any golfing activities would be a definite no-no. Again, there are common basic rules in effect at both Crabapple and the Double B that just make good sense and that we should follow instinctively.

One final comment. Rick Wilson, our Cold Water Committee chairman, has gone to great lengths to locate our fishing leases and to make all of the arrangements to fish at each; he has handled the ordering of the fish; he has scouted out and marked all parking areas and posted appropriate signs; he has done most of the paperwork; he is the man who first hears of any complaints and has to try to get word out. Surely, he has accomplished other tasks on a staggering scale about which only he would know. All of our club members owe this man a debt of thanks and cooperation in our fishing etiquette. We can best show our appreciation while at the same time be serving our own interests by living up to the standards that we would expect of any dedicated angler of the long rod. After all we have a long tradition to uphold.

–Mike Andrews

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An Enduring Haven

We have just made the transition into a new year, and to be frank, there are a lot of things going on in this old world that haven’t exactly given cause for celebration. As if coping with problems brought on by human failings inherited from the old year with uncertainties of the future were not enough, Mother Earth decided to throw a convulsion of her own that was beyond human control. There have been better beginnings.

Despite all, it is within the human spirit to cope and to endure..When the going is tough, having a way to refresh one’s mind and body are, indeed, a gift. Such is our treasured sport of fly-fishing. Within the innocence of our pastime, we can enjoy endless combinations of tranquility, excitement, accomplishment, adventure, creativity, and freedom–a total experience that serves as a healing balm for our exasperation.

As a body of anglers, we may enjoy each other’s company while at the same time working together to promote our fine sport, for fly-fishing is complementary to the health of our whole community. We may continue our endeavors to pass along our sport not only to the young but also to persons of any age as a lasting gift; we may continue being involved in projects protecting, repairing, and using wisely the environment encompassing the waters we fish; we may serve as role models in promoting ethical and honorable sporting practices. The list goes on, with each factor representing a footprint of wholesome evolvement.

Looking back at the past year, we can be proud that our Hill Country Fly Fishers moved forward with noteworthy successes:

President Dennis Glenewinkel led us wisely and fairly–always open to new ideas, yet offering logical conclusions. He operated gracefully as he presided not only at our monthly club meetings but also over the board of directors at their bi-monthly gatherings.

Doc Harrison was an undeterred ramrod on all fronts as he oversaw monthly programming and pioneered the way in almost every activity or project involving both old and new ideas. As our vice-president, he outdid any other person in covering a variety of activities and pushing forth positive ideas resulting in action and accomplishment.

Dick Koon handled our financial records with the precision of a laser. At each meeting, he handed out a financial statement and was prepared to answer any questions concerning our treasury. In addition to keeping track of dollars, he inherited the most efficient way of keep tabs on who did or did not belong to our club, where they lived, etc. He knew better than anyone else who had enlisted and who had dropped off our roster.

Mike Andrews continued turning out The Back Cast, our monthly newsletter, which contained a summation of each previous month’s business and program, along with other items of club interest, including articles written by various club members.

Our club committees operated over the course of their first full year. They were an asset, but their duties fell heavily upon the committee chairmen. Greater involvement by committee members would be an area for improvement, though some of the committees were able to utilize members to good advantage. It may be fair to say that the committee structure became established. Now, what is needed is additional involvement for more members in committee responsibilities and projects. Committee chairmen for last year were Rick Wilson–Cold Water; Walter Saunders–Warm Water; Danny Wheat–Salt Water; Guy Harrison–Education and Conservation; Mike Andrews–Membership.

What does 2005 bring? As the title implies, our sport and our club may be a haven for positive thoughts and activities. In this new year, we can enjoy the pleasures of fishing for those big trout. We can look forward to scheduling quality programs. We will continue promoting the health of our rivers. We shall continue teaching others the skills and the rewards of our sport. We will make use of better communication through our new website. At the year’s end we will celebrate time well-spent with our friends, our club, and our fly rod. We can make it happen!

–M.A.

 

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Flyfish Texas

Saturday, March 5, 2005
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

Interactive seminars, classes and demonstrations led by Texas fly fishing professionals will highlight the show. Day long activities will include:

• A fly tier’s round table Basic fly-fishing classes
• Fly action/fish pursuit demonstrations Intermediate fly-fishing classes
• Casting lessons
• Product demonstrations
• Fishing for rainbow trout

Seminars and classes begin at 9:00 am, March 5th at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center . Activities last until 4:00 pm. Admission rates: adults $5.50, seniors 65 and older $4.50, children 4–12 $3.50. See www.flyfishtexas.org for further information.

The Back Cast
Newsletter of the Hill Country Fly Fishers
Editor: Mike Andrews
P.O. Box 2106
Kerrville, Texas 78029