penticton flyfishers journal december2013

Penticton Flyfishers 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

Email

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

Treasurer

Ken Baker

250-493-2926

[email protected]

Secretary

Bob Holley

250-770-8180

Membership Director

Tom Knight

250-492-3049

[email protected]

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

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.pentictonflyfishers.ca/





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.

http://www.davewhitlock.com/


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.

[email protected]

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!



Photo Gallery

Fall on the Methow (Ken & Wendy Woodward photos)


Photo Gallery Fall on the Methow (cont'd)


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.


Kokanee Hatchery Egg Collection (cont'd)



Success!

Some eggs...



...some milt... ...and a bit of gentle mixing in water, and the eggs

are fertilized and ready for incubation.


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.


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


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.


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)


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.


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.


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.


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

http://www.scottflyrod.com/

http://www.pierowayrods.com/

https://spiritriver.com/


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


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?"


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


http://vimeo.com/78876102

http://youtu.be/ypMs2vpXCTE

http://youtu.be/MNVLMYbI5sc


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

http://www.redington.com/fly-fishing-apparel/mens/outerwear/sonic-pro-jacket/


penticton flyfishers journal december2013

Documents

penticton flyfishers

penticton creek

fly shop

new year

treasurer ken baker

pff good news bear

larry martin kaleden

mike roberts