penticton flyfishers journal december2013
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Penticton Flyfishers Journal December2013TRANSCRIPT
Penticton Flyfishers Page 2 of 23
Volume 10, Number 4
December, 2013
Penticton Flyfishers Box 354, 113-437 Martin St.,
Penticton, B.C., V2A 5L1
Editors
Ken Woodward
Nick Pace
Website
www.pentictonflyfishers.ca
The Penticton Flyfishers
are members of:
BC Federation of Fly Fishers
(BCFFF)
BC Wildlife Federation
(BCWF)
Federation of Fly Fishers
(International FFF)
Okanagan Similkameen
Conservation Alliance
(OSCA)
President
Larry Martin
250-497-7881
Treasurer
Ken Baker
250-493-2926
Secretary
Bob Holley
250-770-8180
Membership Director
Tom Knight
250-492-3049
In this issue:
President’s Report ........ 3
Photo Gallery ................ 4
Kokanee Egg Take ....... 8
Kokanee Questions ....... 13
Fishing with Jon, Pt III . 14
New Products ................ 19
Club Video List ............ 20
Lighter Side .................. 21
Links ............................. 22
Classifieds ..................... 23
Events Calendar ............ 23
Penticton Flyfishers
Journal
Cover photo by Ken Woodward
Penticton Flyfishers Page 3 of 23
President’s Report
am very pleased with the level of club member participation in our activities so far this year. The fish ladders
at Penticton Creek were removed in record time due to many helping hands. The hatchery will require daily
visits for several months so please see Phil to sign up. If you are not available on a regular basis and would like
to take a look at the progress (especially for our out of town members) get hold of any executive member and
we will arrange a time to view the hatchery.
The casting clinic with Dennis and Verlie Grant is part of our continued theme to improve club member
technical fishing skills. We intend to have at least two indoor casting practices in the new year. Drop in to fly
tying, too, as the conversation often includes how to fish the demonstrated patterns as well as discussion of
current club activities.
As most know George will be getting a heart tune up and we expect he will soon be able to do more grunt work
and a little less supervision of our projects.
I've never known a flyfisher that didn't have a story to tell so lets help Ken out by submitting an article. Articles
can be submitted at any time for future editions. For those without electronic access a paper copy will do.
You can trust me to type and submit it for you - no problem - just be prepared for some editorial comment.
Larry Martin
Kaleden, B.C. <'))><
I
Artwork by Dave Whitlock. Used with permission.
Penticton flyfishers at work and play.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 4 of 23
Photo Gallery
Good News Bear (Phil Rogers photos)
Send us your pictures of fishing trips,
fish, nature or something cool you saw
while out in the backcountry.
Mike Roberts, Ron Flack, Tom Knight and George
Graw with the PFF Good News Bear. The reason
Ron’s eyes are closed is that he is daydreaming
about his upcoming road trip to Arizona with his
new motorhome. He then might head over to
Belize to help his son in the fly shop or help with
the guiding business. Must be nice!
Emmerson, Pat Rogers and Mike Roberts with our
bear.
He looks great!
Penticton Flyfishers Page 5 of 23
Photo Gallery
Fall on the Methow (Ken & Wendy Woodward photos)
Penticton Flyfishers Page 6 of 23
Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (cont'd)
Penticton Flyfishers Page 7 of 23
Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (cont'd)
Penticton Flyfishers Page 8 of 23
Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection by Larry Martin & Phil Rogers
Getting the holding pen ready.
As sometimes happens this was a fishing trip,
not a catching trip...
The holding pen was in place and the net set, but
after three sets we only managed to capture one
carp.
Deploying the net.
The next attempts were more successful.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 9 of 23
Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
Penticton Flyfishers Page 10 of 23
Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
Success!
Some eggs...
Penticton Flyfishers Page 11 of 23
Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)
...some milt... ...and a bit of gentle mixing in water, and the eggs
are fertilized and ready for incubation.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 12 of 23
Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd) Approximately 95,000 eggs were collected.
Those taking part were:
Paul Askey - MFLNRO (i/c)
Brian Jantz - MFLNRO
Jerry Mitchell - MFLNRO
Klaus Wolff - Summerland Hatchery
FWFS
Ken Baker - PFF
Doug Collins - PFF
Ron Flack - PFF
George Graw - PFF
Bob Holley - PFF
Dean Marchand - PFF
Larry Martin - PFF
Phil Rogers - PFF
Bill Therriault - PFF
Dave Tiffany - PFF
Tom Dellamater and Kevin Smith helped out at the hatchery when there was a problem with the
system not draining properly on collection day two. The Public Works Dept of the City of
Penticton were a big help in rectifying the situation, which threatened the entire operation. Tom
also designed and built the holding pen, which was used during the capture of the kokanee. We
have eggs in three of the four upsetting jars at our hatchery. We now have to keep a close eye
on the eggs for the next two to three months while we wait for the eggs to reach the eyed stage
of their development.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped get this operation off to a great start.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 13 of 23
Kokanee Questions by Larry Martin
ictured below are Okanagan kokanee from the glory days... or are they? Only one of these
pictures is of a mid-80's Okanagan Lake kokanee. The four-kokanee picture is from
Kalamalka Lake this year and the single fish is from Skaha Lake last season.
Do we need another Creel study to determine the lack of available quality fish from Okanagan
Lake? Quality rainbow and kokanee numbers are down, according to those who have fished the
lake for decades. The Okanagan Lake Action Plan started with high hopes for some solutions.
We got closure of the kokanee fishery and harvest of Mysis shrimp. These were likely a
necessary beginning for a potential recovery. The kokanee fishery is now open, yet there is no
significant difference in the number or quality of fish available than there was during the
closure. What's going wrong? It seems the problem went away with the fishers. No one fishing
means that no one is bringing these issues to the attention of the Ministry, Government and the
fishing community at large. The 10-year plus recovery plan did not work, so what's next? MY
guess, NOTHING IS NEXT unless we keep the pressure on.
P
Jim Sutherland photo
Penticton Flyfishers Page 14 of 23
Fishing with Jon - Part III by Jon Pew
like to go fishing. That doesn’t mean that I’m particularly successful if catching fish is the measure and,
given the time and money that I spend on my hobby, it may be reasonable to expect more productivity, but I
do get out and about. Following my passion for our sport and continually taking on new adventures has resulted
in the accumulation of a wonderful array of memories and mementoes. It has also allowed me to strike new
friendships and provided the opportunity to travel to destinations that I would otherwise not have visited. It’s
been a wonderful journey and I don’t plan on it ending anytime soon.
My fishing memories are priceless and unique and it seemed a shame not to share them with others, so when
our Editor, Ken Woodward, approached me about doing an article for the newsletter, I was only too happy to
oblige. Herein, I’ve collected my photos and tried to organize them by venue whether that be a special lake,
river, or country. If you enjoy reading about my fishing adventures even half as much as I’ve enjoyed
experiencing them, the effort has been worthwhile. (Editor's note: This is the final instalment. Thanks, Jon!)
The Methow
It’s a two-hour drive south from Penticton to the junction of the Methow and the Columbia Rivers. The Methow
has a good run of hatchery steelhead and Phil Lund lives on the bank of the river so we fish the river often. The
Methow is just a big Kettle and has a good trout fishery in the summer. It’s a worthwhile trip for those who
haven’t been there.
I
The Methow joins the Columbia River at Pateros, just downriver from Brewster, Washington.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 15 of 23
It’s a pretty river with lots of good steelhead
habitat.
This is a good example of the arid habitat
encountered at the junction of the Methow and
the Columbia River Valley.
A picture of the river from above. The country is
wooded and picturesque further upriver.
A typical Methow steelhead. (KW photo)
The regulations state that adipose fin-clipped
hatchery fish must be killed, so this one was kept.
Wild (aka native) fish may not be removed from
the water, even for a quick photo. (KW photo)
Angus Cameron tight to a Methow steelhead. (KW photo)
Penticton Flyfishers Page 16 of 23
The Thompson
The Thompson River is close to home. It’s a mean river that can kill you if you’re not careful and the rocks,
which seem to get bigger every year, are as slippery as greased bowling balls. At the same time, the river’s
beauty is unique and the wild steelheads are world-class fighters. The run is threatened, which is a world-class
shame, and the decision to have a recreational fishery is made annually and never certain. If it opens, it’s
usually in early- to mid-October but we like to fish the river in December, once the bulk of the anglers have put
their gear away for the winter. (Ed. note: There is currently a regulation proposal to change the fall regulations
on the Thompson from "closed until open" to "open until closed".)
Phil guides on the Methow and brings his boat up
from Washington State. It’s safe and stable on the
Thompson.
The old man and the river. Landing a fish.
An example of the water that Phil's boat
negotiates effortlessly.
More fast water. A life preserver is mandatory. An example of Thompson River scenery and the
arid beauty of the place.
Almost bragging rights. Phil Lund with a nice
Thompson steelhead.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 17 of 23
Costa Rica
Fishing for Tarpon in Costa Rica was another of Phil’s great ideas. Originally, there were four of us who were
slated to make the trip but it ended up that only Bob and I went. We hadn’t a clue what we were getting
ourselves into and even less idea how to fish for tarpon if it turned out that we found fish. Tarpon are a fighting
machine that can grow to more than 200 pounds, although the biggest we caught were probably in the 125
pound range. We thought that if we caught a couple it would be just fine. Maybe it was luck and we just “hit it
right” but in the end, it was the trip of a lifetime. We caught more fish than we wanted or needed. We hooked
triples if the guide fished as well as ourselves and by the time we left it was the fishermen, not the fish that were
played out.
We landed in San Jose, the capital, and made our
way by car and boat to Tortuegara on the west
coast. Bob and Jon waiting for the hit. The fish roll on
the surface - it’s something to do with their swim
bladders - which makes them easy to search out.
Once we found fish we would situate ourselves
upwind and wind drift trailing large gaudy flies
on 12 weight rods.
Big Eddy Brown, our knowledgeable and patient
guide, was indispensible. When a fish hit you
dropped the rod towards the water rather than
raise the rod tip. Old habits die hard and we often
forgot. Eddy would say “Bow to the king mon!!
Bow to the king!”
This is the objective. Eddy would gaff the fish by
the lower jaw and remove the hook in preparation
for a live release and minimal mortality. This is
about a 75 lb. fish.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 18 of 23
A bigger fish brought to boat.
Got it! It was difficult to get a photo before the fish
was back in the water.
Notice the fish jumping in the distance.
Immediately after the hit, a tarpon will aerialize
and often we saw the horizon below them when
they were airborne. They would then run 200-300
yards and jump again before diving. It was hard
work getting them off the bottom without breaking
a 12 wt. fly rod.
And yet another fish close to being a statistic.
We caught other species as well. I think that this is
a Dorado. Bob needs a waist belt for this fish!
What a wimp.
Penticton Flyfishers Page 19 of 23
New Products by Nick Pace
Scott Radian Fly Rod
ow, roll casts to a tricky seam, and short,
delicate casts with fine 6X leaders are just as
easy as long distance streamer deliveries to
the opposite bank. And after the cast, when you
need extended fishability, Radian rods give you
incredible mending abilities and tippet protection
without sacrificing the authoritative hook setting
and fish fighting power you expect from a fast
action rod.
But, it’s more than advanced technology that
makes the Radian so amazing. Check out the components and workmanship. There isn’t a finer production rod
in existence. Features like titanium framed SiC stripping guides, custom reel seats with burled box elder spacers,
the very top grade Portuguese cork, and the new patented Universal snake guides from American maker Snake
Brand round out the most fully loaded rods to ever grace a rod rack.
ReAct Technology - Brings together X-Core with a new complex materials and taper system to
dramatically increase recovery speed
X-Core Technology – Enhanced feel, incredible stability, and unequalled performance. X-Core
combines the industry’s most advanced composite technologies with cutting-edge design
FiberFuse-Enhanced resin uses new chemistry to create stronger bonds between each fiber
Multi-Modulus Design - fine-tuned flex and recovery
ARC - Advanced Reinforced Carbon reduces torque and increases strength.
Handcrafted in the USA - Built from beginning to end in Montrose, Colorado.
(from http://www.scottflyrod.com/)
Pieroway Fly Rods
MD600 – the ‘rocket launcher’, guaranteed to get you more
distance with less effort, even with big tips and large flies.
Don’t get fooled by the lightweight of the 600, this powerhouse
enables casters of all abilities to fish the whole river with style
and ease.
(from http://www.pierowayrods.com/)
Spirit River Tying Materials This company has taking UV technology to another level, folks. There are many materials that we think of that
are UV coated, for example Krystal Flash, dubbing and Angel Hair, but Spirit River has added materials like
calf tail, bucktail, peacock herl, CDC feathers, guinea fowl, marabou, rabbit and much more to their menu of
UV products. At the presentation from Todd Oishi given to our club a few years back we learned how important
using this technology was to a day on the river or lake. The UV2 materials will give that extra edge when
lighting conditions are low or you need to get the attention of finicky trout or steelhead. Have a look at their
website - spiritriver.com - and see what items they carry. These items will be showing up in Trout Waters in
December to early January.
N
Penticton Flyfishers Page 20 of 23
Club Video Collection
he following is a list of the great videos we have in the club collection. Remember that club members are
welcome to sign out videos at monthly club meetings - a great way to get fired up for fishing!
Video Title Author
1 Fishing the Dry Fly Gary Borger
2 The Essence of Fly Casting Gary Borger
3 Anatomy of A Trout Stream
4 Advanced Fly Casting Doug Swisher
5, 6,12 The Essence of Fly Casting Mel Kreiger
7, 8, 9 Fly Fishing Still Waters Alf Davey
10 Fly Fishing for Trout Gary Borger
11 Fly Casting Clinic
13 Nymphing and Fly Fishing for Trout Gary Borger
14 Western Fly Tying Jack Dennis
15 Proposed Dam on Similkameen, Princeton Light and Power
16 Tying Trout Flies Gary Borger
17, 18 Where the Trout Are Gary Borger
19 Salmon Spectacular Charlie White
20 Secrets of Angling Success for Large Mouth Bass
21 Penticton Creek PFF
22 Strategies for Still Waters Brian Chan
23 How to Fly Fish Lakes Kevin Longard
24 Fundamentals of Rod Building
25 Flies for B.C. Kevin Longard
26 Catch and Release Brian Chan
27 Earl Anderson Tying Flies
28 Skeena Steelhead B.C.S.S.
29 Fly Fishing Still Waters Vol. 2 Brian Chan
30 Fishing Crustaceans & Snails Gary Borger
31 Fishing and Tying Caddis Flies Gary LaFontaine
32 Fly Tying With John Massey John Massey
33 What's Up With Tube Flies
34 Understanding Fly Tying Materials
35 Trout in Still Waters Gary Borger
36 The Fabulous Bighorn Gary Borger
37 Tying Flies With Jack Dennis & Friends Jack Dennis
38 Just Fly Tying Fron Ice Off to Ice On Mo Bradley
39 Tying at 96 Seattle Sportsman Show Henry Hoffman
40 Tying Western Dry Flies Jack Dennis, Mike Lawson
41 Successful Fly Fishing Strategies Gary LaFontaine
42 Matching the Hatch Part 1
43 Matching the Hatch Part 2
44 Catching More Steelhead Jim Teeny
45 Successful Fly Fishing Tech Part 1 Tom White
46 Successful Fly Fishing Tech Part 2 Tom White
47 Flies for B.C. Kevin Longard
T
Penticton Flyfishers Page 21 of 23
Club Video Collection (continued)
Video Title Author
48 Fly Fishing for Pacific Steelhead Lanni Waller
49 How to Fly Fish – Beginners Kevin Longard
50 Fly Tying Demonstration C. Cousins, H. Hoffman, S. Saprunoff
51 Fishing Montana's Salmon Fly Hatch Dale Burk
52 International Spey Casting Jim Vincent, Simon Gawesworth, Leif Stavmo
53 Fly Fishing Strategies for Still Waters Brian Chan
54 Using GPS With Maps
55 Where the Trout Are Gary Borger
56 Strategies for Still Waters Vol. 1 Brian Chan
57 Flies for BC Kevin Longard
The Lighter SideTMI
Bill: Hey Phil, are you going fishing?
Phil: Yeah!
Bill: Ya got worms?
Phil: Yeah, but I'm still going!
Fishing Rules
Rule #1: The least experienced fisherman always catches the biggest fish.
Rule #2: The worse your line is tangled, the better is the fishing around you.
Rule #3: Fishing will do a lot for a man, but it won't make him truthful.
Skunked
Jim had an awful day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his
way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four trout. He told the fish salesman, "Pick four large
ones out and throw them at me, will you?" "Why do you want me to throw them at you?" "Because I want to
tell my wife that I caught them." "Okay, but I suggest that you take the salmon." "But why?" "Because your
wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take salmon. She prefers that for
supper tonight."
Priest Playing Hooky
The priest was a fisherman, but he hadn't fished in months. One perfect Sunday morning he just couldn't resist.
He called up his bishop and claimed he had laryngitis. The priest then headed out to his favourite fishing spot.
The hook hadn't been in the water five minutes before he got a strike, and he landed the biggest fish he had ever
caught - although he had seen bigger ones. A half hour later he caught the biggest fish he had ever seen.
Another forty-five minutes later he landed a fish that broke a world record. All this time Saint Peter and God
had been watching the priest from heaven. Saint Peter turned to God and said, "How can you reward this priest
like that? He lied. He let down his congregation." God smiled at Saint Peter and replied, "I am not rewarding
him; I am punishing him." Saint Peter was confused, so God continued, "Well, after he finishes, who can he tell
about it?"
Penticton Flyfishers Page 22 of 23
Links!
n this section we post links that we find interesting: articles that we find on the internet or in fly magazines,
direct links to fly fishing and environmental concerns, and so on. If you have any interesting links, please
send them to us by email at [email protected].
Casting a Voice (video) - According to longtime angler Rob Brown the Skeena River
drainage is "the last bastion of wild steelhead." This film examines the value of the
Skeena River and its fish, and the steadily growing risks it faces from development and
energy transportation proposals. The energy industry is vital to Canada's economic
strength, and the Northern Gateway Pipeline project would use parts of the Skeena as a
corridor to reach new global markets. There is also immense value in the diverse
ecosystems and wilderness that make up the Skeena watershed. Produced, filmed &
edited by Dimitri Gammer.
Top sinking line tips to use when fishing a stillwater (video) - Join RIO's Advisory Team
members Brian Chan and Phil Rowley as they share some of the top tips they use when
fishing sinking lines while stillwater fly fishing.
Wings for an Angler (video) - digitized version of a 16 mm film about legendary angler
Lee Wulff and his floatplane. Apparently it's from the only copy of the film in existence.
Please tell us what you want to see in this newsletter!
Suggestions and member submissions are always welcome – and needed!
I
Penticton Flyfishers Page 23 of 23
Classified Ads
Brand new fishing jacket for sale: Redington
Sonic Pro, Men's Medium. I bought this jacket
for my wife but it is too big for her. It has been
tried on once only in the house - it still has the
tags on it!
I have the same jacket
and I like it a lot. More
info here.
Retail price is $300.
Grab it for $150.
Interested? Contact
Ken Woodward at
250-491-0644
Please email us with your items to sell.
Provide a phone number, email address and
let us know when it’s sold. There is no cost to
post items in the classifieds.
Hint: Items with photos sell much faster.
Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Christmas!
Calendar of Events
April 9-12, 2014: 58th BCWF Annual
General Meeting and Convention,
Kelowna, B.C., co-hosted by Region 8
Do you know about an upcoming event?
Please let us know as soon as possible. Send
the details to [email protected]
Peter Cameron Morrison
March 16, 1960 - November 5, 2013
Rest in Peace