1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FIFTY SEVEN YEARS AND COUNTING

Fly Dope Volume 57 Issue 2 www.fresnoflyfishers.org February 2018

Gen. Meeting Program 1

Presidents Message 2

Pres. Banquet Letter 3 Back Of Beyond 4

Banquet Donation Request 5

Spring Banquet Tickets 6 Feb. 1. Gen. Meeting 7

Feb. 27, Gen. Meeting 8

2018 Outings Schedule 9 Lowers King Outing Report 10

2018 Youth Academy 12

Back Of Beyond 14 Supporters 17

Feb. Calendar 22

March Calendar 23 Quarterly Calendar 24

Our Mission 25

Membership Application 26 Board of Directors 27

PAYPAL ALWAYS

FRESNO FLY FISHERS FOR CONSERVATION PRESENTS

TWO GREAT EVENINGS

THURSDAY FEB 1: JON BAIOCCHI

“TECHNICAL DRY FLY FISHING”

TUESDAY FEB 27: JEFF CURRIER

“FLY FISHING IN THE PRESENCE OF A MAN EATER”

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 FOR SOCIALIZING

PROGRAM BEGINS AT

7:00PM.

THE UC MERCED-FRESNO BUILDING AT 550 E. SHAW AVE .

FRESNO, CA.

.SAVE THE DATE

SATURDAY

APRIL 7, 2018

ANNUAL BANQUET

THIS IS A VERY IM-PORTANT EVENING TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CLUB, BE SURE

AND CHECK THE LET-

TER ON PG. 3 OF THIS ISSUE OF THE

FLY DOPE

2

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Some of the clubs’ best tiers were out in force last meeting showing their skills.

Thanks to all those that brought all their supplies and equipment to the meeting. If you didn’t pick up some tips, you

weren’t paying attention.

There was a good turnout at the Lower Kings outing last weekend. No self-respecting fly fisher ever passed up a free

lunch. Thank you Leo Labbe, Dennis McCullough and Scott West who served hot food to over a dozen members.

See Leo’s recap of the trip below. I see we have some high-tech photography these days.

PLEASE RENEW YOUR CLUB MEMBERSHIP. THE DEADLINE IS THE END OF JANUARY. USE YOR

CREDIT CARD AT THE FEBRUARY 1st MEETING.

Also, don’t forget to renew you fishing license! It’s easy to forget and a costly mistake. Just like your club member-

ship, you shouldn’t go fishing without it.

This is the start of the clubs busiest time of year. From now thru May there are multiple outings, our annual banquet,

Youth Academy and, as always, great speakers. Each take hours of planning and preparation by dozens of people.

The youth academy, for instance, takes about 25 members for 12 kids to attend. You will be hearing a lot about all

these activities at the meetings and in emails. If you can help, please let a board member know.

Hope to see you all Thursday, February 1st for Jon Baiocchi’s “Technical Dry Fly Fishing” presentation.

See you on the river!

Scott Piggott

FFFC President

3

FLY FISHERS FOR CONSERVATION, Inc. 100 E. Sierra, PMB 3310 Fresno, CA 93710 January 10, 2018 Fly Fishers For Conservation, Inc., (Fresno, CA) is hosting its annual banquet, auction & raffle on April 7, 2018. The event will once again be held at Pardini's Catering in west Fresno. This event is our main fundraiser for the conservation, education, and scholarship projects we undertake. It is through the generosity of club members such as yourselves that our club is able to pursue endeavors and continue to foster and promote the sport of fly fishing. We recently celebrated our 56th year as the oldest fly fishing-only club in the western United States; promoting conserva-tion, youth education, and the sport of fly-fishing. The development of today’s youth is of utmost importance to our organization. Therefore, we continue with one of our most valuable and successful outdoor education programs, our annual Roger Miller Fly Fishing Youth Academy for teenage youth of all socio-economic strata throughout the Fresno community. Another ongoing project is “Trout in the Classroom.” This project places fish incubators in local schools teaching the growth and development of fish found throughout our local waters. We also provide an annual endowment scholarship in aquatic biology at California State University, Fresno (CSUF) to foster continuing education and environmental projects. In addition to promoting Youth Education, we have sponsored major conservation pro-jects such as the restoration of Big Meadows Creek; a High Sierra tributary of the Kings River, for which we were awarded the 2007 “Conservation Award” by the Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers. We provide financial as-sistance and manpower resources to the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, Cal Trout and the Nature Conservancy. We kindly ask for your generous support by attending this years banquet. Once again, we will be offering several tens of thou-sands of dollars worth of services, and merchandise, to be auctioned, or raffled, away. Included in the raffles will be a Win-ston 10' 5 wt fly rod! There will be upwards of twelve fly rods either auctioned, or raffled, off. The list goes on and on. If you've attended previous banquets, you know you're in a for a great time with family and friends. The funds we raise will allow us to continue our passion for conservation, youth education and promoting the sport of fly-fishing. All donations are tax de-ductible and will be acknowledged in our widely circulated monthly newsletter (The Fly Dope) and at our banquet. You can reserve your place at this years banquet by going to our website at fresnoflyfishers.org and using the PayPal feature that is in place. We will also be emailing a hard copy invitation to each of you in the coming month. Thank you for your support!

Scott Piggott Scott Piggott, President

2007 NOR CAL FFF CONSERVATION AWARD

1989 FFF McKENZIE CUP WINNER

Fly Fishers for Conservation, Inc. is a non-profit 501-c (3) corporation.

4

2018 BANQUET INFORMATION AND REQUEST FOR BANQUET DONATIONS

A few weeks ago, the banquet committee held its first meeting and we are already hard at work planning the 2018 ban-quet! The 2018 banquet is going to be held on April 7th, 2018. Mark your calendars! Once again, it'll be held at Pardini's Banquet Hall in Fresno. The dinner ticket prices will remain $45.00 each! We've already locked in our pre-banquet raffle! This year, the raffle will be an opportunity to win a Winston 10', 5 wt. rod. It's a beautiful rod with the traditional forest green rod blank. The cost of the raffle tickets is $20.00 each. They'll be avail-able from now, till the banquet, or when we sell the max number of tickets---which is only 100!!! You can purchase them at one of the general meetings, by mailing the reservation form to the club P.O. box, or you can purchase them through our club website.......fresnoflyfishers.org. Using the web site is super easy! I'd also like to take this opportunity to ask for donations for the banquet. If you have anything that you would like to do-nate, whether they be fly fishing equipment, artwork, guided trips, vacation rentals or general services that you can pro-vide, please contact me. No items is to big, nor small!! The club is a 501c3 organization, making your donation tax de-ductible. The banquet is the primary source of revenue for the club. This revenue supports our conservation and youth efforts throughout the year such as the Roger Miller Youth Fly Fishing Academy, Trout In the Classroom, donations to the Kings River Wardens Fund and special relationships with the San Joaquin River, and Kings River conservancies. Please help support the club, and these issues, by making a donation to the club for the banquet!! Thank you!!

Scott West

2018 Banquet Chair .¸¸.•´¯`•.¸ ><(((((º> .¸¸.•´¯`•.¸ ><(((((º> .¸¸.•´¯`•.¸ ><(((((º> fresnoflyfishers.org

5

2017 FFFC ANNUAL BANQUET

SUCH A GREAT EVENING

6

FLY FISHERS FOR

CONSERVATION 2018 Annual Spring Banquet

will be held at Pardini’s Catering - 2257 W. Shaw, Fresno Mark your calendar NOW! Reserve SATURDAY April 7th

Doors will open @ 5:30pm

2018 promises to be our best banquet ever. Here are the highlights: Over $20,000 in fly fishing gear and other beautiful items to be available to attendees! We will have Silent Auctions, Live Auctions and a Huge Fly Fishing General Raffle! Complete Fly Rod outfits......fiberglass, graphite. Fly Reels, Lines, Waders, WINE, & Clothing. All Types of Fly Fishing Gear. BEAUTI-FUL ARTWORK. Fly Tying Kits, and FLIES GALORE, including boxes of special flies tied by FFFC’s best Fly Tyers!

Back by Popular Demand: we will have a PRE BANQUET RAFFLE:

Only 100 pre banquet raffle tickets will be sold at $20 PER TICKET This year we are raffling away a brand new Winston 10', 5 wt rod. If you've ever seen a Winston rod out in the sunlight, you al-ready know about their famous, beautiful, forest green finish. This rod casts like a dream. It's a must have addition to your fly rod collection. (Winner need not be present at banquet to win)

*Early Bird Special! Reserve & pay for your banquet dinner tickets before March 17th and you will be included in an early bird Spe-

cial Raffle - a Lifetime membership to the Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation!

2018 Banquet Dinner Reservation form

Buy your dinner and raffle tickets on line via PAYPAL OR print off the form below & mail with your check Please do it today Space is limited to 120 people

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Phone: Address: Qty. of dinner tickets: ______x $45.00 = $________ Qty. of General Raffle tickets: ($1.00/ea) ______x $1.00 = $________ Package deal: Pay for 50 raffle tickets and get 60 ______x $50.00 = $________ or: Pay for 100 tickets and get 125 ______x $100.00 = $________ or: Pay for 150 tickets and get 185 ______x $150.00= $________ or: Pay for 200 tickets and get 250 ______x $200.00= $________ Qty. of Pre Banquet Raffle tickets: ($20.00/ea) ______x$20.00 = $________

Total Enclosed = $___________

Pay Online at FFFC website (Fresnoflyfishers.org) Complete the form on our website and you may pay via credit card or PAYPAL.

Or:

Pay by Check…Print off and complete this form. Mail form and check to: FFFC, 100 E Sierra Ave.,PMB 3310, Fresno CA 93710

All TICKETS WILL BE HELD AT THE DOOR!

7

FEBRUARY 1, 2018 GENERAL MEETING

JON BAIOCCHI

For February’s meeting we welcome master guide Jon Baiocchi of Baiocchi’s Troutfitters. Jon has been

fly fishing and tying flies since 1972, and is a California licensed fly fishing guide, published author, educator, innovative tier, and an award winning public speaker giving fly fishing presentations to clubs and expos across the state of California, and Nevada. Jon serves on the Truckee Trout Unlimited Board of Directors, and also volunteers his time with the South Yuba River Citizens League. Born in San Jose, Ca in 1965, his Dad moved the entire family to Paradise, Ca in 1967 to be closer to prime fly fishing venues, and to raise his fami-ly in the spectacular forests of Northern California. Jon’s Dad, Bob Baiocchi, was inducted into the Federa-tion of Fly Fishers Hall of Fame in 1999 for his peerless conservation work, and was a major influence in helping Jon hone his fly fishing skills at a very young age. After finishing high school, Jon opted out of college to pursue a career as a professional snowboarder, competing at a national level, starring in feature movies, and working with manufacturers in their research and development programs. After his career ended in 1993, Jon focused entirely on fly fishing and conservation, and learning even more of the intricate details of his home waters.

Jon now owns and operates Baiocchi’s Troutfitters guide service In Northern California, where he has been guiding for the last 20 years. He has a reputation as a very hard working guide that’s been trained by some of fly fishing’s best known anglers and guides, both past and present. His enthusiasm for the sport is conta-gious, and combined with his simple approach to teaching gives students the skills needed to be successful on all types of water. Moved by all things flora and fauna his passion for such is never ending. Sharing the knowledge with others is of the greatest importance to him now, and too see others progress, and reach the next level in fly fishing fulfills his life. It’s the legacy his father left him, and a cherished tradition that Jon will continue in his honor. His locations for guiding include Lake Davis, the Wild & Scenic Middle Fork Feather River, Frenchman’s Reservoir, the North Fork Yuba River, The Big & Little Truckee Rivers, The Lower Yuba River, and many secluded creeks in Eastern Plumas County. Jon’s philosophy on fly fishing is to keep it sim-ple, be confident in your presentation, and have fun. Jon has an all new PowerPoint program that was especially created for numerous fly clubs looking for a more technical program on fishing the dry fly. “Mastering the Dry Fly” entails a brief history of the dry fly and those anglers who were involved from the beginning, simple to complex presentations, understanding rise forms, approaching water structure, tips & tricks, and Jon’s favorite patterns for eager to educated trout. Beautiful images and new detailed animated slides provide the audience with clear and concise infor-mation for future endeavors on the water while dry fly fishing. This will be a program you do not want to miss!

8

FEBRUARY 27 , 2018 GENERAL MEETING

JEFF CURRIER

Jeff Currier Short Bio Jeff Currier resides in Victor, Idaho with his wife Yvonne where he bases his globe-trotting career in fly

fishing.

He is an active member of the R.L. Winston Rod Co Professional Advisory Team as well as Simms, Scientific Anglers, Costa

Sunglasses, Yeti, Bauer Reels and Kate’s Real Foods. Jeff is also a “Fishing Ambassador” for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures

hosting exotic trips and exploring new destinations.

Jeff is a fly fishing lecturer and well known fish artist. He has taught the skills of fly fishing, guided fly fishers throughout Wyo-

ming and Yellowstone National Park and escorted fly fishers on six continents. Jeff has fished in over sixty countries and caught

over 385 species of fish on the fly!

Jeff’s articles, photographs and artwork have graced the pages of magazines, catalogs, brochures and books. He is the acclaimed

author of Currier’s Quick and Easy Guide to Saltwater Fly Fishing and Currier’s Quick and Easy Guide to Warmwater Fly Fishing

guide books. Jeff is also a well sought after expert for television, radio and numerous fly fishing films. Jeff has won numerous fly

casting competitions and the Jackson Hole One Fly. He led Team USA to its first ever top-ten finish in the World Flyfishing

Championships in Jaca, Spain. During the competition Jeff managed to fool fish on every venue and placed third in the individual

standings, becoming the first American ever to take home a medal in the thirty year history of the Championships.

In June of 2017 Jeff did it again in the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships in Covilha, Portugal.

Jeff lectures throughout the United States and Canada on nearly every aspect of fly fishing. He demonstrates fly casting, teaches

seminars on the basics to the advanced skills of fly fishing and presents many fly fishing destination programs ranging from his

home waters to the most remote corners of the globe. Some of his shows take you to destinations you’ve never heard of and will

leave you in awe that such creatures can be enticed to eat a fly! Jeff brings a sense of humor, enthusiasm, approachability and

more than forty years of fly fishing wherever he goes.

You can follow Jeff’s fly fishing adventures, exploits, tips, advice, photography and story-telling on his expanding blog and in-

formative web site.

http://www.jeffcurrier.com

9

2018 OUTINGS SCHEDULE

We’d like to draw your attention to the “2018 Outings” schedule.

These are the scheduled dates and location. However, the weather, water conditions and other considerations may force a change.

As in the past, you will be notified of any changes via EMAIL.

Details are on our WEB page at the following:

http://www.fresnoflyfishers.org/Outings/

However, there are a few outings that require your immediate attention, as they have limited availability and have deadlines for par-

ticipation. They are in order of urgency:

Deadline: January 4th - Pismo Beach “Surf Fly Fishing” to be held on Feb. 10. Must pay $75.00 by January club

meeting. This is now closed, but we may be able squeeze a few more participants in. So contact me immediate-ly if you are interested.

Deadline: February 1st - Pyramid Lake “Bring your Ladder” to be held on the weekend March 16 &17. Must pay

$70.00 by February club meeting.

Deadline: April 1st - Lake Almanor “Hex Hatch” to be held on Friday, June 29. Must pay $100 by April 1

st.

Deadline: July 1st - Crowley "East Side Trip" to be held on the weekend of September 14–15. Must pay $50 by July

1st.

Like in the past, we try to find some unique outings that will entice you to a new area, type of fishing or fish that may not be familiar

to you. We also have some traditional yearly outings that members seem to really enjoy, (measured by participation) like Lower

Kings and Hume Lake. We all grow through our experiences and hopefully our club can help you make it possible for you to grow

by improving individual skills in our pastime and make some good friends along the way.

In order to better serve our members, we ask for feedback and suggestions on the quality, timing and places that we select. So if you

have suggestions, recommendations or ideas that would appeal to you, please feel free to forward them to us for consideration.

Thanks,

Leo

lclabbe@comcast.net

Cell 559 281-2713

10

The day was overcast, the promise for catching fish was dismal, but the spirits of the group

were high! After all, we had good food to eat and stories to tell and relationships to fos-

ter. We met on the river just above Choinumni Park; all in all, a great start for outings in

2018. Not quite the same as Avocado Lake, but we had to improvise as Avocado remains closed

to the public with no date for reopening in sight! Feedback was positive and it looks like

the Lower Kings remains the traditional year opener!

The river flows were excellent, as you can see, the day was overcast, but the fish did not co-

operate! Most of the active anglers believe that there were no fish; none of us thought we

lacked the required fishing skills!

Now let’s go back to the group known skills; the food was great! We had sausages and dogs from

the “Meat Market” and everyone brought yummy treats for all to enjoy.

“LOWER KINGS OUTING”

11

As previously discussed, we are also great at sharing tales and fly fishing infor-

mation. Here are a few pictures of the group in intensive conversation on important

topics.

We also had an unexpected guest. A drone flew over and took a few aerial shots of the

get together.

Actually it was controlled by our very own Rob Gong. Pretty amazing technology; he

was able to control it with amazing accuracy and hold it in a still position to take

incredible pictures. Now if we could use it to track fish!

Our next outing is set form Pismo Beach on February 10. We will try our hand at surf

fishing with professional guide Guy Jean.

Until then, “Tight Lines”

Leo

lclabbe@comcast.net

“LOWER KINGS OUTING”, CONT’D FROM PG. 10

12

FLY FISHERS FOR CONSERVATION, FRESNO 2018 ROGER MILLER YOUTH FLY FISHING ACADEMY

SATURDAY, MAY 19TH

Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation (FFFC) is again offering a fly fishing academy for interested youth. FFFC is the oldest

fly fishing club in the western United States. The Academy is designed for young people ages 11 to 15. Instruction will

include casting, fly tying, conservation, and a host of other skills offered by regional experts. The course includes educa-

tion in fly fishing as well as fishing in regional waters. *Date for fishing may change due to water conditions.

All instructional material and equipment is provided. To hold a spot in the Academy there is an advanced reservation fee of

$50. Twenty-five dollars of that fee will be refunded the day of the event. Some scholarships are available. Also, some adult

or parental participation is required. Enrollment is limited to 12 serious young people who would like hands-on introduction

to this engaging sport.

Applications will be accepted until the course is full. For further information contact one of the following committee mem-

bers:

Bill Bruce bbruce@cvip.net

Scott Piggott scott.piggott1956@gmail.com

Learn more about Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation at http://www.fresnoflyfishers.org

13

Youth Fly Fishing Academy APPLICATION

Name: ______________________________________________ Age* ________

Address: _________________________________________________________

City/Sate/Zip: _____________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________ Email: ____________________________

School:__________________________________ Grade:_________________

Sponsor/adult/or parent ____________________________

Any previous Fly fishing experience: Yes:_____ No:_______

* The Academy is designed for youth 11-15.

Please- on a separate sheet of paper, briefly explain why you want to attend Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation Fly Fishing Acade-

my (50 words or less). Applications will be accepted until the course is full.

Complete the essay, attach it to this form and mail on or before April 28, 2018 to:

Fresno Fly Fishers Youth Academy

Attn: Jeff Trafican

6654 N. Hayston Ave.

Fresno, CA. 93710

Accepted Academy applicants will be notified by the first week in May.

YOUTH FLY FISHING

ACADEMY MAY 2018

14

BACK OF BEYOND STEPHEN NEAL

In Wildness is the Preservation of the World - “Henry David Thoreau"

Somewhere on the Road South of the Moon and North of Hell *

The lobby was crowded, the disarray of people caught in the confusion of getting somewhere else, filled the waiting

area. Trade at the bathrooms was steady, as was the ticket window;

the two lines were 3 or 4 deep. The faded beige painted wall on my

left held a Clock, a Continental Trailways route map, and a metal

rack filled with travel pamphlets. The red, route lines dissecting the

map of the U.S. is what drew my curiosity. As I read the names of

towns and places along those route lines, Tucson, Albuquerque, Ne-

vada, Yellowstone, Montana, Oregon, they whispered back to me. I

heard the resonances of people, time, trouble, and growth. A yearn-

ing hunger, I was not aware of, answered. Unbeknownst to me, the

bus ride I was about to take, was a key footstep onto the road.

Responding to the brassy bus departure announcement, we stepped

out of the terminal. Warm, cigarette smoke infused air pushed us

through the door, into winters early evening. Above, buzzing roof mounted metal halide street lamps, strove to light

the alley through a pervasive tule fog. A mix of arriving, parked, and departing busses, cross cut the lamp light; cast-

ing confused shadows. Reflected light, from the busses white tops and non-shadowed polished metal sides, created a

halo effect around the lumbering behemoth I was about to step aboard. At my feet, oil sheened wet pavement revealed

a rainbow of colors brought to life by mirrored light and shadows.

Just days past my 15th birthday, my mind tried hard to make sense of this surreal decoupage of light, shadow, and

rainbow patterns. Finding my bus, I queued up with other passengers waiting for the driver to load our suit cases into

the cavernous storage space, between the wheels. Bidding good-bye to my Mom and three sisters, I chose a seat a few

rows behind the driver. In youthful awkwardness, my heart fretted with worry about who might sit next to me. Getting

on the bus was like putting on an oversized set of clothes, this was a new larger world, and my mind and body were

trying to fit. As the bus door closed, I sighed with relief when my fellow travelers picked other seats. Through the

steamed-up window, I waved to Mom and my sisters as the bus backed out.

Fresno, California mid-1960’s, a San Joaquin Valley town developing beyond its agricultural and World War II econ-

omy. Its sons and daughters released from the war effort, had grabbed the reins of life. With a wish to put the horror

and depredation of war behind them and an industrious mindset, they set about producing the baby boom generation,

new homes, and business. Downtown Fresno did not reflect that post WWII growth and change, it’s mix of 1920’s

and 1930’s architecture showed its age. The comparative peace of the 50’s was giving way to the tumultuous 60’s.

Kennedy’s assassination in November of 1963, left the nation gut punched. Live combat broadcasts from Vietnam

filled the nation’s airwaves as we sped towards more troop deployments and another war economy. On that February

night, I like my fellow travelers had little inkling of the momentous events that the rest of the 60’s would hold. For

me, this was just a trip to Sacramento for a church retreat. Here in the fall of my years, I know we were all just collec-

tively holding our breath for what was to come.

As the bus navigated, the narrow deserted downtown streets towards Highway 99, I felt a poignant loneliness emanat-

ing from those nighttime streets. No starlight lit our way, the fog hid those guiding lights. Sporadic porch

15

Back of Beyond, cont’d from pg. 14

lights punched holes in the dark, fog weakened street light revealed, bent garbage cans, stray tumbleweeds, and

vintage cars in various stages of working order. In reflexive action to the loneliness outside; I turned my attention

inward, I began to take fugitive glances at my fellow travelers. Most had their heads buried in newspapers or

magazines. Titles of Fresno Bee, San Francisco Chronical, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and Good House-

keeping, could be seen over the busses seat backs and down its aisle. We were a cross section of San Joaquin Val-

ley Americana, businessmen in dark blue and gray suits with pinched crowned hats, workmen in work stained

blue jeans and gray and tan work shirts, leather work gloves stuck in their back pockets, grandmothers with faded

floral print dresses and grey hair buns, young mothers and teenage girls with bouffant hairdos, soldiers so new to

the service that they had no stripes on their uniforms, suntanned migrant workers, following crops, and a mother

with a covey of children huddled around her. The bus seats around the passengers were stuffed with heavy winter

coats, no longer needed now that the warmth of the bus had seeped into each of us. A damp fog wetted wool

smell, seeped from the discarded coats. In the subdued nature of this night time journey, low conversation, a

cough and the snap of chewed gum could be heard.

My inquisitiveness for the moment sated, I settled into the rhythm of rubber tired travel on asphalt roads. I leaned

against the wall and let my view drift out the window. The bus took us North on the Golden State Highway. In

1960’s it was still U.S. Route 99, it ran North and South from Mexico through California, Oregon, and Washing-

ton on into Canada. In 1972, I-5 would become the major North - South Highway, 99 would be broken up into

remnants of its past glory. Its truncated parts can still be found in California, Oregon, and Washington, now listed

as State Route 99. In our hurry to get somewhere else, we often leave our best behind.

Raised in Fresno/Clovis, U.S. Route 99 and California S.R. 41 were at the hub of our world. S.R. 41 took us to the

Pacific Ocean, and to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. U.S. Route 99 was our gateway to the rest of the world.

Through its varied incarnations, Valley people simply called it 99. The portion of U.S. Route 99 we traveled

would make stops in Madera, Merced, Turlock, Modesto, Stockton, and Sacramento. I knew of these towns North

of Fresno, but at 15 years of age they were way outside of my everyday world. This bus ride was changing that

reality. Each downtown was revealed to me as we stopped to pick up and drop off my fellow travelers.

My bus travels lasted a short 3 years, acquiring a car in 1968 was the demise of my bus travel. Unknown to me,

on that bus ride in 1965 I was witnessing how transportation infrastructure changed those valley towns. State

planners moved 99 out of its downtown corridors, at the same time, cities grew outward and strip malls grew in

popularity. Travelers bypassed city centers, local shoppers flocked to strip malls, downtown workers left after 5.

Stores and shops could not service customers who were not there. The people who made a town come alive, were

elsewhere. The hubs of commerce picked up and moved with them. Small American downtowns, that had once

been thriving centers of commerce, were shadows of themselves. A melancholy of what used to be, settled in.

Each town the bus visited was going through this transition, pre-99 movement towns were lit, pedestrians strolled

down clean sidewalks, doors on businesses opened and closed, throwing more-light and sound into the world. Pa-

trons stood outside colorful theater entrances, under Movie Theater Marquees advertising, The Sound of Music,

The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Our Man Flint. Motel row brightened the foggy night, cars were parked in front

of each room. In the downtowns that had been bypassed, darkness was more evident than light, emptiness and de-

sertion were poor substitutions for the vibrancy of living.

One image from that night’s ride, has lived in my memory to this day. Its subliminal message lit up a synapsis in

my 15-year-old mind. Hot Caroline, is lit there in bright red neon letters. Downtown Turlock boasted a Hotel

Caroline, the hotel’s el was burnt out. It remained unrepaired for many years. These many years later I still run

into fellow (male and female) 99 travelers, whom reminisce about Hot Caroline, she lit up many

16

Back of Beyond, cont’d from pg. 15

imaginations on U.S. Route 99 road trips. At the time I briefly wondered why the burnt out el wasn’t re-

paired, was it cost or maybe good business? Hot Caroline is certainly memorable, wouldn’t you agree?

During the many years that I made this journey, first by bus then by car, I progressively saw darkness en-

croach on the light in many of those downtowns, as 99 moved west. Some towns adapted, some fought back

and still lost. But if you take the time to listen and walk that way again, you can hear the laughter that

poured out onto the sidewalks, the tears of lost dreams, the screech of old bed springs, murmurs around the

water coolers, burgers sizzling on hot griddles, clicks of patented leather shoes on tile floors, and the music

of life played at 45 rpm.

Those town and states names that spoke to me off that old bus map, still echo in my mind. I still seek the

stories of people’s lives and the towns they built, I fish its rivers, lakes, oceans, and streams, I drink in the

beauty of its lands and I lose myself in the music of living. That foggy February night bus trip fed my youth-

ful taste for travel, I have spent the rest of my life feeding that wanderlust, and to this day, if you ask me

where I am. I answer with enthusiasm and reverence, somewhere on the road south of the moon and

north of hell *, in my humble opinion it is a mighty fine place to be.

Life is a journey, on our gravestones they, mark the beginning and the end our life’s journey, for those of us

who truly live, we know it is the time spent between those two points that truly defines our life. Walk the

path with reverence and it will rewarded you with its richness and joy. Don’t always be in a hurry to get

somewhere, the richness you seek in your life is in the journey not the destination.

The step across your threshold will take you to worlds you have never seen before, but beware, you will

never return the same. Here’s hoping to see you out there in the back of beyond.

Stephen

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after”

Henry David Thoreau

*Ivan Doig – Last Bus to Wisdom --- This is a great book, it will take you on a journey that is worth the ride.

Stephen

17

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE GUIDES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE

GOALS AND MISSION OF OUR CLUB

18

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE GUIDES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE GOALS

AND MISSION OF OUR CLUB

19

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE GUIDES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE GOALS

AND MISSION OF OUR CLUB

FLY TYING CLAS-

SES

20

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE GUIDES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE

GOALS AND MISSION OF OUR CLUB

21

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE GUIDES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE

GOALS AND MISSION OF OUR CLUB

22

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1. GENERAL MEET-ING:JON BAIOCCHI 2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. PISMO BEACH OUTING: SURF FLY FISHING WITH GUY JEANS

11. 12. BOARD MEETING DENNY’S AT THE CORNER OF HERNDON & CLO-VIS. 7 PM

13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

25. 26. 27. GENERAL MEETING: JEFF CURRIER, DOORS OPEN 6:30, MEET-ING STARTS 7 PM

28.

february

23

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1. NO GENERAL MEETING

2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12.

BOARD

MEETING.

DENNY’S

CORNER OF

HERNDON &

CLOVIS 7

PM

13. 14. 15. 16.

PYRAMID

LAKE

OUTING

17.

PYRAMID

LAKE

OUTING

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.

MARCH

24

2018 QUARTERLY CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

FEB. 1: GENERAL MEETING: JON BAI-

OCCHI SPEAKING ON TECHNICAL DRY FLY

FISHING. DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 MEETING

BEGINS AT 7 PM.

FEB 10: PISMO OUTING

FEB 12: BOARD MEETING, DENNY’S AT

THE CORNER OF HERNDON AND CLO-

VIS.7 PM

FEB 27: SPECIAL MEETING: JEFF CUR-

RIER. DOORS OPEN AT 6:30, PROGRAM

AT 7 PM

MARCH

MARCH 1: NO GENERAL MEETING THIS

MONTH.

MARCH 12: BOARD MEETING, DENNY’S

AT THE CORNER OF CLOVIS & HERNDON.

7 PM

MARCH 16-17: PYRAMID LAKE “BRING YOUR

LADDER”

WE ARE STAYING AT CROSBY LODGE TRAIL-

ERS 8&9 - TRAILERS SLEEPS 6 AND 7

DATE: MARCH 16 &17 MUST MAKE RESERVA-

TIONS (PAY $70.00) BY FEBRUARY 1ST

CLUB

MEETING

COST: $70.00 FOR 2 NIGHTS

* Dates subject to change - check with a Board

member for more information

APRIL

APRIL 5: NO GENERAL MEETING.

APRIL 7: ANNUAL SPRING BANQUET.

SEE PAGE’S 3,4 & 6 OF THIS ISSUE OF

THE FLY DOPE.

APRIL 9: BOARD MEETING, DENNY’S

AT THE CORNER OF CLOVIS AND

HERNDON. 7 PM

IT’S BANQUET TIME

AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE

(PG.6 )

BE SURE AND BUY YOURS AND

GET IN ON THE EARLY BIRD

RAFFLE!

SATURDAY

APRIL 7, 2018

PARDINI’S BAN-

QUET CENTER

25

Our Mission

Fly Fishers for Conservation (FFFC) was organized in 1961 by a group of devoted fly fishers deeply concerned with the preservation of trout and all game fish, their environment, and the quality of fish-ing. Our club has maintained two goals since that time:

To foster and promote the sport of angling with artificial flies. To protect, conserve and increase our angling resources.

Fly Fishers for Conservation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization. This means

you can use your contribution as a tax deduction. The club gets revenue from member-

ship dues and the annual fundraiser dinner. We try to contribute to conservation issues

in the area and to our youth with our Trout in the Classroom program, and by holding a

Youth Fly-Fishing Academy annually. The club is always in need of funds. Please con-

sider donating. You may send a check to Fly Fishers for Conservation at 100 E. Sierra,

PMB 3310, Fresno, CA 93710. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and they will

help the club fulfill its obligations.

DONATE TO FFFC

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CLUB, VISIT OUR NEWLY REDESIGNED

WEBSITE:

HTTP://WWW.FRESNOFLYFISHERS.ORG/

THANKS TO WEBMASTER GARY PULLINGS

BE SURE TO LOG IN TO OUR FORUM FOR LOCAL INFO

26

NN

FLY FISHERS FOR CONSERVATION

2018 FFFC MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

NAME(s): Please list names as you want them to appear on Membership Badge

1. __________________________________ Primary Member

2. _________________________________ Spouse

3. __________________________________ Relationship ________________ 4.

4. _________________________________ Relationship ________________

Retired: Yes ____ No ______ If NO please List Occupation _____________________

NEW MEMBER Yes ____ No ______

ADDRESS:______________________________________________________________

CITY:_____________________STATE:________ ZIP:________________________

PHONE:_________________________E-MAIL:_________________________________

Please note that all contact information above must be completed

Family/Single Membership……………….……$36.00 __________

(Can include partner & children under 18 years old)

Senior Membership (65 yrs +)……………….…..$24.00 __________

(Can include partner)

Junior Membership (under 18 yrs)……………...$13.00 __________

Life Membership (Can include partner)………..$500.00 __________

Additional Conservation Donation…Optional ……….. __________

Total Due………………………………………………. __________

You can complete membership VIA PAYPAL BY Clicking link

Or if you prefer; by printing form and mailing it along with CHECK PAYABLE TO:

FFFC (Fly Fishers for Conservation)

100 E. Sierra PMB 3310,

Fresno CA 93710

27

2018 Board of Directors

Phone Email

President Scott Piggott 790-8492 scottpiggott23@hotmail.com

1st VP Brian Loven 897-4700 bloven@vanbeurden.com

2nd VP Scott West 246-4389 mandydad01@gmail.com

Treasurer Ken Bush 641-5193 kenpat@sti.net

Secretary Dana Kahler 360-6000 danatkahler@gmail.com

Communications Scott West 246-4389 mandydad01@gmail.com

Conservation Hank Urbach 787-2156 hank.urbach@kingsriverfisheries.org

Paul Honkavaara 906-5001 phonkavaara@comcast.net

Membership Dennis McCullough 294-7235 dennis.mccullough@sbcglobal.net

Editor Judy Cameron 903-5123 cam5j@aol.com

Trout in the Classroom Bill Bruce 392-3963 bbruce@cvip.net

Education

Directors at large Kevin Wren 412-7552 kevinw@calwestrain.com

Jeff Trafican 260-7974 jatraf@yahoo.com

Phil Davis 307-4601 softhackel@yahoo.com

John Cameron 903-5138 flyflinger78@yahoo.com

Outings Leo Labbe 325-7235 lclabbe@comcast.net

Web Page Gary Pullings 917-7128 garypullings93720@comcast.net

Rod Building Jim Jacobson 999-8912 jmrjj@comcast.net

Fly Tying Jerry Hopewell 638-5282 fluestang@comcast.net

Fly Casting Garth Hirata 492-2885 garth4president@gmail.com

Social Jim Horn 271-5448 jmh77@cvip.net

Fair Mits Kozuki 646-3020 mitskoz@gmail.com