Influencing the Welfare of Our Water

A tedious process it is, but an important one–that of arriving at decisions concerning water policies for the state of Texas projecting fifty years into the future. Such policies used to be reached by a small group of officials sitting around a table and eventually agreeing on the path our state should take to solve concerns that cropped up needing attention. Then, in 1957, Texas suffered one of the heaviest flood seasons on record, severe enough to later bring about a serious, well thought-out scheme to deal with the ever present problems facing a large state with even larger demands being placed on its control and usage of water. Thus, the Texas Water Development Board was launched.

Dick Lubke, Regional Director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Heart of the Hills Center in Mountain Home, Texas, performed yeoman service in explaining to our club how the state now determines water policies with fifty-year projections each fifth year to account for adjustments that take place during the interim. Senate Bill 1, passed in 1997, created the current water planning operation, which includes input of over a dozen representatives of various elements of both urban and rural interests for each of the sixteen regional planning groups. Our unit is Region J, which includes parts of the Texas Hill Country and southwest Texas and envelopes many of the rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds that we fly-fishers know so well. Each region develops its own water plan tailored to its particular demands and characteristics. Close scrutiny would suggest that the nuts and bolts operation is about as democratic and representative as might be conceived.

The input isn't limited to the members of each regional board; it includes public meetings at which the general public is welcomed to voice suggestions, complaints, matters of concern–you name it. Our speaker emphasized the importance of healthy attendance at such meetings since comments from the public are received with serious consideration and, in fact, play an important part in actually determining segments of a region’s water plans. Lubke praised the attendance of many of our Hill Country Fly Fishers at recent meetings of the UGRA and Region J held here in Kerrville. He is a strong advocate of public attendance and points to its significance in the decision making process. Too often, he related, only a sprinkling of individuals along with, perhaps, local news reporters are present in the audience. Lubke with his thirty-two years of service with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, encouraged us fly-fishers to continue meeting with our Region J sessions and our local UGRA and taking advantage of the opportunity to become involved in specific events and projects that will help preserve, instigate and explore wise water conservation, preservation, and utilization.

Several non-voting representatives are on the Texas Water Development Regional Planning groups, including Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. They, nevertheless, serve as an important voice for professional research and advice on almost every aspect of decisions that are to be made. The original statutory charge of Senate Bill 1 was to plan for “sufficient water at a reasonable cost to ensure public health, safety, and welfare.” Lubke stated that through the years, “Water planning in Texas has largely been driven by droughts.” He offered three suggestions as to what private citizens and groups such as our Hill Country Fly Fishers could do to wield influence that would be most effective in determining water policies within our region: (1) Stay informed through websites, public hearings, and other important sources; (2) Get involved by attending meetings, speaking out, even running for a position on our Regional Planning Group; (3) Be and advocate for natural resources and needs involving water. He mentioned an “It’s either the environment or us” attitude that is sometimes commonplace but ignores the fact that our welfare depends upon the environment! Lubke closed with a guideline that fly-fishers will appreciate — “If there is enough water to keep the fish happy, you'll be happy.”

Thanks, Dick Lubke, for giving us all some things to remember about our precious water.

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Business Brief But Important at January Meeting

Following introduction of members and guests, our Hill Country Fly Fishers jogged through committee reports and then elected unanimously the previously nominated officers for 2005.

Treasurer Dick Koon passed out a financial report on our current status, which is very good, with money left over to take care of any future plans and with everything paid up to date. Keep this in mind when you come to a motion voted upon toward the end of our meeting.

Secretary Mike Andrews confined his remarks to the success of the December Dinner Meeting and the establishment of our new website. Such added features for our club, it is hoped, will not only add to our shared experiences but also attract new members. The website is reached at www.hcff.org.

Dr. Guy Harrison will be in Baja California until late March; thus, there was no report from the education committee, but it’s a sure bet that the good doctor will have a full file of activities when he returns.

Walter Saunders reported on the warm water situation as currently being in a lull but that bass are beginning their nesting in south Texas, specifically in the Laredo area. Spring is close at hand.

Danny Wheat, salt water chairman, commented that fishing was slow at the coast but that on warm days large fish tended to roam into shallow water.

Rick Wilson, our cold water chairman, is a busy man these days with trout fishing going on at our two locations. Apparently, we are slow in picking up on some of the terms of our leases. A number of members are not seeing to it that their guests leave the guest pass along with the signed release paper at the registration location after finishing their day of fishing. Rick has worked hard to make all of the arrangements for us to stock and fish at our locations. He deserves our best effort to conform to the agreed upon rules and regulations. When a question was raised about the number of rainbows being caught, Rick reported that he was catching from fifteen to twenty each time he went out. Using a sinking line seems to be a key element to successful fishing for these finicky creatures. Also, Rick has been especially successful fishing from a kayak behind the low water dam at the Double B, where the largest number of fish were released into the deepest water.

Mary Rohrer of the Heart of the Hills club in Fredericksburg followed the committee reports to tell the club about a fly-fishing program that their club was supporting to see that fourteen women suffering from breast cancer be funded for an outing together. This program, Casting for Recovery, is a support and Educational Program for breast cancer survivors. In particular, it calls for a free weekend retreat for women who live in Texas of all ages and in all stages of breast cancer treatment and recovery to participate in a weekend incorporating fly-fishing to promote physical and emotional healing, to connect with other women, to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, and to learn a new sport. The event will occur April 15th–17th, 2005, at Joshua Creek Ranch, Boerne, Texas. Anyone interested in further information may contact Mary Rohrer at 997-6352 (Fredericksburg) or Susan Gaetz at (512) 940-0246.

Remember that healthy balance that we have in the treasury? Here’s what is really neat. Dick Koon moved that we give a check in the amount covering a woman’s participation in the weekend of Casting for Recovery, close to $900. The motion was quickly seconded and approved unanimously. For all concerned, a big “ Hurrah!”

“The dynamics of fly fishing provide a healing connection to the natural world, relieving everyday stressors and promoting a sense of calm.

“Fly fishing techniques provide a gentle exercise for joint and soft tissue mobility.

“ The retreats offer a forum for women with similar experiences to meet, learn a new skill and gain a respite from their everyday concerns.”

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Programs

It's late in the month. A program has been scheduled for our next meeting. The newsletter is half composed with a goal of sending it out at the end of the first week of next month. Word arrives at this point that our speaker will not be able to make it to the meeting due to unexpected and unavoidable circumstances. Someone must come up with something to occupy our time aside from the business portion so that the members feel that their time was not wasted by coming to the meeting. What to do?

That's exactly the situation faced this month with the February meeting. Let me lay some background to the actual events. Our human dynamo, Dr. Guy Harrison, before going to Baja California on an annual trip, had arranged for three months of programs during his absence: Dick Lubke of TP&W for January; Harry Lane, noted guide on both the San Juan and Guadalupe Rivers, for February; and James Pelland, also a noted guide in the Glacier Park region of Montana and also on the Guadalupe. The good doctor, as usual, had gone beyond the call of duty to set up these quality programs even though his responsibilities for coordinating programs had officially ended with his term as vice-president with the coming of a new slate of officers.

Now don't panic. The world will keep turning, and goodness knows there are much larger problems on everyone's minds than a fly-fishing program. Nevertheless, we would like to have a worthwhile program for our club members. Okay, Harry Lane, our fine angler and guide who spends part of the year in New Mexico and the other on our Guadalupe below Canyon Dam, sent an e-mail that due to high water releases on the Guadalupe and severe changes in his scheduling, he doubted that he would be able to keep his speaking date with us. He said that there was still the possibility that he could make it but he doubted and wouldn't know for sure until February 9th. The Back Cast is scheduled to go out on our website and through the mail before that date. So here's the plan. If Harry should be able to come, he will be our program, and I guarantee that it will be a dandy. This astute angler has furnished us with some of the most informative programs through the years that we have been privileged to hear. Several of our members have used Harry as a guide in New Mexico and proclaimed as being the best they've ever had. If Harry still can't make it, we will have a two-part program. One part will be watching a video filmed more than a year ago and recently released by the Federation of Fly Fishers as part of The New Fly Fisher–A Nature and Fly Fishing Show. The video that we will see will be Episode 215,”Texas Womens Fly Fishing Club.” It is not long, but several of our club members had a part in this production. Coco Davenport is filmed significantly in the production, along with Constance Whiston, who, though not a member of our club, is well known by many through her work with TP&W. She is now working with the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri. Martin Pursch is also credited in the video. There may be other persons from our area that you recognize.

The second part of the program will depend upon you members. It will be a “Show and Tell” feature, and it depends completely on those coming to the meeting as to its success or failure. Simply bring some item associated with fly-fishing and tell us something interesting about it. It could be anything from an old reel (or a new one), a picture, a stuffed fish, a special fly, a tool, an heirloom, a book, a magazine article, a chest pack, a wading stick, something that kept you from drowning, your favorite fishing cap or hat. You get the idea. We've done this before, years ago, and it's worked. We can make it happen again this time.

One final note. The chain of command on programs is that the vice-president assembles a calendar that assigns our committee chairmen the responsibility for one or two programs a year. The committee chairmen use their committee members or work independently to fill their assigned months. Doc Harrison has already provided for the first three months. Let's go from here. We can do it!

–Mike Andrews

Addendum

After writing the above article, your editor received the following e-mail, which is self-explanatory; thus, we will follow the video and “Show and Tell” program plan for this month's meeting.

Friday, February 4, 2005

Dear Fly Fishers,

I have just notified everyone booked for my Texas fishing season. I have had to cancel due to weather and continued high flow conditions, which I don't see attenuating any time soon. Therefore, I am opening up my San Juan season beginning immediately, rather than after March 8 th!

Low water on the Juan is expected to prevail through at least the end of April, if we retain the above average snowpack that presently exists. If our snow pack diminishes by the end of March we will not see any high flows begin till the last week of May, then be back to normal by mid to the third week of June! We will have to wait and see what Nature has in store for us on that matter!

I am accepting bookings for the San Juan season beginning immediately! The last two days I guided two men who had great fishing, hooking close to 50 fish each day. NO, I'm not exaggerating!! I feel late winter and early spring conditions and that of post high water, should continue to provide quality fishing.

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope we can spend time together on the San Juan river!

Regards,

Harry Lane
San Juan Troutfitters
(505) 324-8149

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“The best time to go fishing is when you can't, when winter's cold has seeped as deeply into your own blood as it has into the veins of the deep-hunkered fish themselves, chilling from both of you the quickness that won't reappear until the distant heated rushes of spring. In those shortened, darker days, a the surface of the water itself hardens and seals you from each other, the only thing left is to dream. And to plan.

Announcements

• Be sure to visit our new web site, www.htff.org. It's looking mighty good, thanks to Michael Brown, our webmaster. You'll enjoy using the message board to stay in touch with things between meetings, to discuss various topics of interest, to find some friend or two to go fishing with you etc., etc...

• The board of directors will meet Tuesday, February 15 th, at Dennis Glenewinkel's office, 707 Hill Country Drive, 7:00 P.M.

 

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Casting in the Wind

Ah, yes, the wind! Oh, how it blows this late winter, and March, known for its bluster, lies just beyond. I suspect that some fishing days have been on hold in anticipation of calmer days when casting in the wind would not be such a discouraging factor. I suppose I would feel that way, too, had I not first taken up fly-fishing when I was living in the Panhandle of Texas, where if there isn't any wind, something seems eerie, as if a tornado is brewing.

I can recall those days that I spent with and old Fenwick fiberglass rod given to me by Stan Cook, a fellow fauclty member at Pampa High School, casting with that limber rod at Lake Greenbelt in winds that in our Hill Country would seem alarming.. I had a faster, cheaper rod–a $ 29 K-Mart South Bend–but I had a sentimental attachment to the Fenwick.

Enough for the nostalgia. Little did I know that I would later actually be involved in teaching people how to cast. Since, over the years, I have picked up some really effective methods of dealing with the wind, now is the perfect time to share a few so that maybe the wind will not be so annoying but, instead, become an intriguing challenge that actually brings a thrill along with it. Let's examine the various situations and the tactics that work best for each one.

Consider a strong headwind, for example. The best way to handle your casting is to make a high back cast, as if you're intending to tip the top of a telephone pole. Then, when a nudge signals that your line has completed its journey backwards, come forward on the same plan in reverse. Punch the line forward with a smooth but powerful stroke into the teeth of the wind. You will be surprised at how the line is able to cut its way through the stiff breeze. The wind actually assists in adding force to your back cast; thus, when you come forward, the rod is curved to a greater extent with more loaded energy ready to release as you make the forward stroke. Ironically, it is harder to cast into a wind that is coming toward you, but at an angle. You may counter this situation to some degree by making more of a side-armed cast that is low to the water's surface where the wind is slower due to the drag of the water on its speed. A last resort suggestion that is quite effective is to simply pause and wait for a lull in the wind before making the cast.

What works when a significant wind is at your back? Actually, probably the best solution is to simply use a roll cast. Get the line as straight as you can out in front of you; begin bringing your arm back smoothly and when it is at about one o'clock high, punch the line forward. The wind will surprise you as to how well it assists your cast in carrying the line out. A side-arm cast is often effective, again, because it uses the water's slowing of the wind to assist in making a cast that meets with less resistance.

Quite commonly, the wind is blowing from your casting side. The side-arm cast works well again in many cases, but I find that simply angling the rod across your chest or over the top of your head so that the line is actually on the opposite side from the wind, and then making a cast using the same rhythm and stroke as you do on a normal cast works extremely well. Try this technique. It just takes a little practice. This cast is also a good tool to have in calm conditions since it allows you to avoid objects such as tree limbs that get in the way of your regular casting technique.

The next time it's windy and you want to go fishing, just head on out and try some of these ways to cope with the wind. Don't forget to pull your hat down firmly. I think that you'll be proud of how you mastered the wind and even caught some fish in the process.

— Mike Andrews

“There is nothing sacred about fly fishing, although so much has been said and written about it that it has acquired nearly the status of a religion., There is really nothing important that sets it apart from other methods except for the attitude of the practitioner. Indeed, fly fishing is more nearly defined as a philosophy than a method, and the philosophy should include tolerance of other methods, so long as they do not endanger the resource held in common by all anglers. ”

–from The Year of the Angler by Steve Raymond, 1983

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