Volume 10 • Issue 10 • October 2005

A Time for New Beginnings

The mornings are crisper even though afternoons continue to hold on to summer. With the advance of October, even the stubborn heat will yield, and the vigor of autumn will take command. As the season changes, so do the activities and fortunes of our Hill Country Fly Fishers. This month’s meeting will largely consist of paying dues and signing up for the trout program for those who wish to fish at our stocking locations. By the time that our meeting occurs, the board of directors will have nailed down most, if not all, of the decisions that have to be made regarding how many places we will stock, how many fish will ultimately be ordered, any changes in dues or trout fees, guest passes, etc. There will probably be a healthy attendance since fishing for those big trout from Missouri is a significant calling card for membership in our club. Perhaps it is time for some reflection on this last item.

Ever since Bill Emshoff during his presidency initiated the trout stocking as a reality instead of just an idea, the program has been a popular success despite our ultimately having to find private locations to stock in order to avoid the general public’s unbridled assault. So attractive is the trout fishing that it inflates our club’s membership by perhaps a third, maybe more. The result brings forth both positive and negative results. Let’s examine both sides of the coin.

We want our club to grow, we appreciate the unanticipated monetary gains the trout bring to our treasury; we bask in coming together as friends to fish and to meet each other along the banks of our leases; and we delight in the sport of tangling with fish of both beauty and considerable size and strength. So where’s the negative side?

It’s somewhat subtle–maybe not even a problem–but it deserves some serious consideration that touches on the very future of our club. Put succinctly, we have a lot of anglers in our club who enjoy the trout fishing that is so handy, yet they rarely bother to attend monthly meetings or to volunteer participation in some fashion to help with our other activities. The hard fact is that a small number of our members form a core of our club that is now running thin. Not only do we need help with our fly-fishing instruction for youth, our Adopt-a-Stream program, our participation with UGRA’s conservation and restoration programs, our active membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers, and a number of other things, but we also feel pressure for volunteers in leadership roles.

On our front line, we new some relief among our officer positions . With each anniversary of recording membership, electing officers, and establishing committee chairpersons, certain demands arise. Just finding someone willing to take on the job of the club presidency is no small matter. Fortunately, for the coming year, we already have a strong leader lined up in Danny Wheat, current vice-president, who has always been a contributor to our club in every respect and has graciously agreed to accept a nomination for the upcoming year. But how about the other officers? Who would be good candidates for vice-president? Are your current treasurer and secretary/newsletter editor wearing thin? Are there others in our membership willing to step forward with new energy and enthusiasm? And then there are the committees. We have warm water, salt water, cold water, education, and membership committees, with, perhaps, even new committees on the horizon. By no means are current chairpersons stubbornly fighting to hold their positions. On the contrary, some of them would welcome relief. Several of our members not only hold top offices but also serve as committee chairpersons. Let it be known if you are willing to consider an active role of responsibility in our club, there is probably a position that needs to be filled . It’s nice to enjoy the trout fishing, but you also owe the club something more. Attending meetings would be the least expectation to help our club maintain a healthy existence. If some members live too far from Kerrville to attend meeting regularly, they might at least touch base once a quarter or so. A number of our Fredericksburg members attend regularly. The champion of all, however, has to be our faithful Coco Davenport, who is present for the majority of our meetings even though she lives in Lometa, Texas, northwest of Lampasas. Three cheers for Coco! Those who just can’t make it to any of our meetings might consider sending us an e-mail or article for the newsletter or make some posts on our web site, www.hcff.org.

Another area in which members may be of assistance would be in suggesting and helping line up interesting programs for our monthly meetings. Some members have acquaintances or connections that would lead to fly-fishing topics or demonstrations that we have never touched upon and that would make for excellent presentations. Let’s see if any suggestions emerge in this important aspect of helping out.

Yet one more part of our activities that can always use suggestions and participation is with club outings. For some reason, we seem to fall short in getting together to fish as a group. The Shonto outing a few months ago, turned out to be a bright spot, but we should be able to get together more often. Outings may occur among a small group of individuals or as a club undertaking. Any member who feels like helping arrange something fresh in this area should volunteer. You’re needed.

The month of October would be a good time to make some resolutions as we pay our dues and sign up for the rest of 2005 and the first part of 2006. See you on October 20^th!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minutes of the Hill Country Fly Fishers’ Board,
September 12, 2005

Present: Glenewinkel, Andrews, Harrison. Guest: Bob Miller

Action Items:

Dave Whitlock School: Tabled until a later date after discussion of costs and break-even revenue, presented by Bob Miller. The project is being considered as a way to raise funds for the Guadalupe Bass Stocking Project. It was decided by the board to pursue the present funding efforts and try to get the stocking project underway in 2006, if possible.

2006 Trout Stocking: Glenewinkel reported that Rick Wilson had ordered the trout for delivery in December of this year, same number as last year.

Nominating Committee: The board will serve as nominating committee for the next year’s officers. The nominations for each position will be firmed up at the November board meeting, announced at the December club meeting and voted on at the January club meeting.

501(C3) Tax Exempt Status Proposal: Glenewinkel asked the members to study information about tax-exempt foundations and be prepared to discuss a proposal regarding the club applying for 501(C3) status at the November board meeting.

Schreiner University Fly Fishing Club: The board voiced support for our club sponsoring and establishing a fly fishing club as a student activity at Schreiner University. The proposal is to be presented and acted upon at the September club meeting.

December Meeting: The board voiced support for inviting the wives to the December meeting and planning entertainment appropriate for the season.

-- Danny Wheat, Acting Recording Secretary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September Meeting Looks Toward Fall

Dennis Glenewinkel had to miss this month’s meeting, but our highly capable vice-president, Danny Wheat, provided smooth sailing through our usual format of introducing ourselves around the tables and following up with the first order of business with the club treasurer’s report. Our crackerjack treasurer, Dick Koon, passed out the latest financial statement, which showed a slight drop in our robust balance, but with annual dues coming in during October, the outlook is fine for our trout stocking and other activities that we have in the works.

Committee chairmen then made brief reports bringing the club up to date on their various activities and plans:

Danny Wheat passed along information that the cold water committee under Rick Wilson, who does a mammoth job each year in the trout stocking program, had ordered the same number of trout as we had last year, subject to change if we take on a third stocking area.

The membership committee chairman, Mike Andrews, called for suggestions as to preferences regarding a meeting place and program for this year’s Christmas Party. He also asked members who have changed their e-mail addresses or preferred to have their newsletter mailed to get in touch with him. A list that will serve this purpose will be provided at the October meeting, or he may be contacted at mandrews@ktc.com or by mail at P.O. Box 2106, Kerrville, TX 78029. A goal of trying to enlist new members from a fresh source, Schreiner University, happened to coincide with an approach already recently made by Danny Wheat and Doc Harrison. Andrews said that he would let these two take the lead and the membership committee would be glad to assist in any way.

The salt water committee under Roy Hickman was responsible for the September program, of which a major portion consisted of a video about fly-fishing on the Texas Coast. Nothing of immediate concern was mentioned as part of the committee’s report.

Doc Harrison next reported on his education committee’s endeavors. He revealed that a new program at the B. T. Wilson School was in the works for our club to do a Nature Adventure Day presentation on fly-fishing scheduled for October 19th–21st. He also mentioned the filming by Abe Moore of Media Productions for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. a television program on public television that will air sometime during the 2006-2007 season that will feature the Guadalupe bass, the history of this species, the sport of fishing for it (Doc and Mike Andrews were filmed in this portion), and efforts being made to preserve the species. Doc closed by mentioning that an invitation has been extended to Schreiner University students to attend some of our meetings.

Following committee reports, Vice-President Wheat, reminded members that our club’s board of directors serves as a nominating committee for next year’s officers, that their nominations would be announced at the December meeting and voted upon in January 2006. He encouraged members to take part in suggesting and/or serving in positions of leadership as we approach the new year not far away. Danny also said that our club board members were considering the pro’s and con’s of 501C tax exemption, not as a club but as a foundation that we might organize. Such a plan might be useful in our Guadalupe bass stocking project. Further, our vice-president reminded members that our October 20^th meeting is the date for paying dues and signing up for participation in the trout lease program.

Lee Livingston spoke briefly about the Fredericksburg Fly Fishers’ Octoberfisch scheduled for October 21st–23rd at Keller’s Riverside Store, ten miles south of Mason. Look over the full schedule and get a registration form and all the details at http://www.fredericksburgflyfishers.org/.

Thus, concluded the business session of our meeting. Then came the program.

 ~~~~~~~

The Program

Danny Wheat shared some of the adventures he had on his latest trip to some of the famous fly-fishing waters of the West. He camped and fished at the headwaters of four legendary rivers. Portions of his journal on each of the rivers will be covered in this and following issues of The Back Cast.

The second portion of our program was a video featuring Ray Box of Gruene Oufitters in giving tips on fly-fishing the Texas Coast. Following is a list of tips that Ray suggested in this excellent, comprehensive video.

•  Learn the double haul.
• Make only one cast when a fish is sighted.
• Go barefooted when fishing from a deck position on a boat to control both your balance and your line.
• Use your foot to hold down the stripped line.
• Pile stripped line on top of itself.
• Have a 15' to 20' line out in the water ready to back cast.
• Learn to customize and tie your leaders.
• Expect the unexpected.
• Learn to fish in water 10" to 2' deep.
• Consider using a guide for your first outing.[The video gave names and addresses of good guides to use.]
• Look at the guide’s eyes and focus on where he is looking.
• Tailing fish are looking down for food, not looking for an angler.
• Types of popular fly patterns include crabs, shrimp, pan fish, bass flies, attractors, and spoons.
• Follow the birds.
• Fish early in the morning.
• A nine foot, eight weight rod is the best all-round rod.
• A sophisticated reel is not necessary.
• Canoes and kayaks are very effective in covering territory.
• When wading, stop walking when you see fish.
• A 20'–30' line and leader in the water is about right.
• A roll cast leading into a back cast is very effective.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The spotted seatrout is an exceptionally fine food fish, which is one of the main reasons for its popularity. However, no fish loses its flavor quicker if not iced immediately after capture. Its sweet and delicate flesh becomes blah after a few hours of lying around at ambient temperatures."

From A.J. McClane, “Spotted Seatrout,” The Complete McClane, New York: E.P. Dutton, 1988.

 

 

Fishing Journal 2005

by Danny Wheat

[A portion of Danny’s Journal will be included in several of the coming issues of The Back Cast. We begin with an overview of this fascinating fly-fishing journey.]

This year Carolyn and I spent our vacation in Colorado in our new fifth wheel trailer. We left the middle of July and returned to Kerrville the end of August, missing many 90 degree days in the Hill Country and enjoying the cool Colorado Rocky Mountain air. We stayed in National Parks and National Forest campgrounds as much as possible, only coming into the nearest town on the weekends to fill up on fresh water, buy groceries and wash our clothes. We decided that we were looking for camping comfort at this stage in our lives (married fifty years this summer). The 30 foot long fifth wheel trailer is very comfortable and allowed us to go up into the mountains and stay beside lakes and streams, and to be warm and dry in inclement weather. I purchased a small gasoline powered generator to recharge our 12 volt batteries. The propane heater in the trailer kept us warm during the afternoons. Usually temperatures were in the thirties at night. This year we were careful to choose areas above 9000 feet in order to be cool during the afternoons. Usually temperatures were in the thirties at night and low sixties during the afternoon. Some areas we camped in were over 10,000 feet in elevation. Our daily routine was to arise at around 7:00 AM, start the coffee, then start the generator and watch the morning news on satellite TV, while enjoying the morning coffee. After breakfast, we would take the two dogs for a walk, then come back to begin the daily activities. Often, I would go fly-fishing in the nearby river and Carolyn would work on her jewelry. Some days we went on short hikes on the mountain trails. We did quite a bit of exploring along the backwood roads of each area in our four wheel drive pickup. Afternoons included a nap, before more fishing in nearby streams. Each evening we would cook our meals over a campfire or on the charcoal cooker, sometimes enjoying trout that were fresh from the streams. It was delightful. We stayed out four to five days at a time.

This year I fished at the headwaters of four great rivers in Colorado; the Colorado near Kremling, the Rio Grande above Creede, the Taylor above Taylor Reservoir, and the Frying Pan above Meredith. In addition, I fished with Clint Lawrence, a member of the Fredericksburg club, in the Arkansas near Salida. Last year I fished the headwaters of the Arkansas near Leadville and the South Platt near Hartsel. In previous years I seemed to gravitate to the streams listed in the book published by Trout Unlimited, The Hundred Best Trout Streams in America. These streams are nominated by various chapters around the nation and always seem to be tail waters of dams that are very crowded and heavily fished. I caught plenty of beautiful trout fishing in these rivers, particularly when I would go with a guide in a flat boat. At the suggestion of club member, Bill Elgin, I began to look for streams off the beaten path and began to work my way upstream to the headwaters. The fish are smaller, but they are just as much fun to catch, particularly on a three or four weight rod.

This year I caught more brown trout than ever before. The golden colored belly, dark green back and red and black spots on the sides make for a beautiful fish. I caught most of them on my five weight rod using a #16 Bead Head Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph or a #16 Prince Nymph. I also had luck using a dark blue #18 BH Copperjohn. The fish were all beautiful. I caught a fine 14 inch brown in the Arkansas near Salida, using a #12 Madam X as the fly. [To be continued next month on the Taylor River]