wfc 09/09

www.wyflycasters.org

mittee meetings shallbe held on the porchof Tony Martin'shouse.

The clean-up wasa success, and we can all now enjoy amore scenic float down the NorthPlatte. It's also good to know that lesschemicals and toxins will be leachinginto the river.

Don Jelinek, Lloyd Ferguson, and EdRate also deserve credit in organizing andpreparing a first-class meal for the guideforum that took place later that evening.Your efforts are much appreciated.

Charlie Shedd, Joe Meyer, andSpencer Amend gave fly casting lessonson Aug. 10-11. Meyer was able to con-vert some of the students into new clubmembers.

The next significant event for theclub is the Wyoming Hunting andFishing Heritage Expo taking place at theCasper Events Center on Sept. 10-12.Marty Robbinson has volunteered tocoordinate the booth, while Joe Meyer iscoordinating casting instruction.

For this year, Robinson wants tomake our booth educational and interac-tive, with fly tying, photos of insects,along with nymph specimens.

I will be unable to attend the Sept. 9picnic, because my wife and I will becamping and fishing in the Black Hills.But I hope everyone has a good time, andenjoys good food and comraderie.

Tight lines,Alex

"The true fisherman loves to catch fish,to match his wits against the wary trout, butas he wanders from pool to pool the songs ofbirds greet him restfully; every turn in thestream reveals a nook in which strange wildflowers nestle. The gentle excitement of thesport prevents the scene from becomingmonotonous. The element of chance, theuncertainty of the catch, adds the drop oftabasco sauce which gives zest to the day."

-- from The Idyl of the Split-Bamboo,first published in 1920

uring a recent camping and fish-ing trip in the Big HornMountains, I noticed license

plates from throughout the UnitedStates: Folks had traveled to theBighorns from Maryland to Florida. Icamped next to a fly angler fromPennsylvania, who drives to the BigHorns every summer to cast dry flies tocutthroat trout.

Wyoming is a national destinationfor camping and fishing, and I feel fortu-nate to live in a place with such a spec-tacular backyard.

August was a busy month for the FlyCasters. August was especially busy forone particular Fly Caster -- conservationcommittee chair and board member MattStanton, who deserves much credit fororganizing the Platte River clean up onAug. 12.

The other conservation committeemembers worked hard in organizing theclean up as well. In the future, if theweather is nice, all conservation com-

Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter

The Backcast is the monthlynewsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters,an affiliate club of the WyomingCouncil of Trout Unlimited, theNature Conservancy and theFederation of Fly Fishers. Editorial con-tent does not necessarily reflect theviews of the officers, board or membersof the Wyoming Fly Casters.

Annual dues are $20 for an indi-vidual, $30 for a family, or $250 for alifetime individual membership or$450 for a lifetime family membership.

Visit the club website atwww.wyflycasters.org.

The deadline for submission ofinformation for each issue is the lastWednesday of the month. Make con-tributions to the next issue by e-mail-ing material to the Backcast editor [email protected], or call (307)436-8774.

OFFICERSAlex Rose, President

Melody Weinhandl, President-electVacant, Vice President

Spencer Amend, SecretaryEd Rate, Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTerms expire in 2010

Jamie GibsonJoe Meyer

Gene TheriaultBrent “Smokey” Weinhandl

Terms expire in 2011Bob Fischer

Scott NovotnyBill Wichers

VacantTerms expire in 2012

Casey LearyNeil Ruebush

Andrew SauterMatt Stanton

The Backcast is available either inelectronic format or through USPSsnail mail. To receive each newsletterthrough a monthly e-mail, you must beable to open .pdf (Adobe Acrobat, asoftware format available free ofcharge) documents. Generally, eachissue is roughly 1 MB in size, some arelarger. Your e-mail provider may havelimits on the size of attachments. Inorder to be added to the e-mail list,send a request message [email protected]. In addition toreceiving each issue of the newsletterearlier than your hard copy peers, e-mail subscribers are able to print eachcopy in vibrant color -- an added plus ifthe issue is rich in color photographs.By subscribing electronically, you alsosave the club roughly $17.40 a year inprinting and postage expenses.

Cover shot: Tom McGeorge with a rainbow from a pond on 33 Mile Road.

Drag-free DrifDrag-free Driftsts

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LLeetttteerr ttoo tthhee eeddiittoorr

Editor:I enjoy the Backcast very much, very

professional newsletter. I joined FlyCasters this year. My wife wanted to giveme a Christmas present of a day with aguide for $500 or so. I said, “You knowfish don’t like me, they laugh when theyhear my name. Let me join a group.” SoI joined. I went to the casting free day,had a great time. Came to the August

meeting, had a great time, lots of enthu-siasm. And last week Joe Meyer calledme up and said the club was going to takesome new members out to show themhow to fish. I went, I learned, I had agreat time and caught fish. I got to havegreat tasting trout cooked by Joe with histop secret recipe (salt, pepper, butter). Iappreciate the Fly Casters. Keep up thegood work, and I will participate.

Steve Kurtz

Editor’s note: A photo of Steve (andother new members who attended the outingfor new members) can be found on page 6.

New WFC memberlikes the welcome

To include your fishing report,send information to the Backcasteditor, c/o [email protected].


BBRRAAGG BBOOAARRDDFrom the membership

Annual club picnic is slatedThe September general meeting is to

feature the annual cookout. Don Jelinekis in charge of the hamburger and Italiansausage barbecue.

The Sept. 9 picnic is to begin at 6:00p.m.

Although no program is to beoffered, the usual raffle is to be conduct-ed.

Those attending are asked to bring acovered dish, an appetizer, a salad, a rel-ish tray or a dessert to share. As usual,BYOB.

If you are planning to attend and didnot have an opportunity to sign up at theAugust general meeting, call MelodyWeinhandl at 333-29291 or Don Jelinekat 267-7477 and provide an idea howmany family members are slated toattend. Chef Ptomaine needs an estimateon numbers in order to shop for groceryitems.

On Sept. 26, the third annualGlenrock float is slated, but could possi-bly be cancelled for lack of interest. Asignup sheet was circulated during theAugust general meeting, but only oneboat (and one pontoon) was committedwhen seven anglers desire a place on awatercraft.

Anyone intending on attendingshould contact Randy Stalker, thestreamkeeper, at 436-8774, or sign up atthe September general meeting.

The float begins at the Big Muddyaccess, approximately 7 miles west of

Glenrock on the old highway (milepost171), turn on county road 22, the ColeCreek Road. The boat ramp is on thenorth side of the bridge.

The float is approximately fourmiles, and takes about three hours tofloat, including breaks for wading tocover the water effectively. Most of theriver is bordered by public lands, butrespect the red signs which indicate priv-iate ownership.

Hopefully, the floating moss willhave cleared in the river by lateSeptember; otherwise it could be a miser-able float.

Effective patterns to use on thisstretch of the river include vanilla bug-gers, size 8 beadhead halfbacks, San Juanworms, soft hackle hare’s ears, and pheas-ant tail nymphs. At times, fish will feedon the surface on tiny dries.

•Mark your calendars for these upcom-

ing events:On Oct. 17, Casey Leary will resur-

rect the Rod Robinder outing on MiracleMile. This outing has not been held forseveral years. But in the past it has been apopular and well-attended outing. Andthe following weekend, Oct. 24, AlexRose is to host the second annual nightfishing outing at Grey Reef.

The program for the October meetingis to feature Joe Meyer’s presentation onhow he mounts flies for fly plates, for auc-tion during the April banquets.

Joe Meyer hooked and landed thissecret size fish at a secret fishinghole on a secret pattern. It was sosecret that he insisted I leave my lenscap on when snapping this photo.

Molly Levine with just one of the fishshe caught during the annual TenSleep outing in early August.

This mystery fisherman caught a 3ounce whopper on his favoritestream on a size 10 foam hopper.“My arm is still aching,” he said ofthe fight with the pygmy brook trout.

The annual WFC barbecue is slated for the regular meeting on Sept. 9 in the picnic areaof the Izaac Walton League clubhouse. It begins at 6:00 p.m.


FLFLYYof the month

DAVE’S HOPPERHook: 4-12 Thread: brown Tail: Red deer belly hairHackle: Brown rooster neckBody: Yellow poly yarnWing: Mottled turkey quillLegs: Knotted ringneck pheasant tailHead and collar: Natural deer bodyHair, spun and trimmed to shape

A host of new, innovativegrasshopper patterns have emergedin the last few years, particularlythose tied with buoyant foam materi-als, but the old standby that still pro-duces is Dave Whitlock’s hopper. It isa tie which requires about 30 steps,and the most difficult may be thespun deer hair head which is trimmedto a square shape.

Hopper patterns are wildly popu-lar from early summer through theautumn months, and the fish key onthem. Few can resist a juicy morselfloating high.

An advantage to hopper patternsis no finesse is required then they arecast. A splashy presentation dupli-cates the real insect’s landing on thewater. Fish can be observed dartingcross a pool straight to the hopperwhen alerted by the awkward splat.

You can tie these patterns in avariety of sizes, but eights or tensappear to be the most popular. If youare going to float the Snake outsideof Jackson or fish the Lamar or SodaButte in Yellowstone, tie some jum-bos, as large as size 2s.

New patterns like the club sand-wich, Chernobyl, Fat Albert, etc. havetaken some of the limelight fromDave’s venerable hopper, but the oldtimer deserves a place in your terres-trial fly box.

“No, Lloyd! This is a no live bait stretch of the stream. Besides, that is not a nightcrawler.”That’s Lloyd Ferguson having a hard time casting his rod, while Ed Rate gives a smile ofencouragement while hiking up the Boxelder Canyon trail in early August.

Is that a splake or a brook trout? Local wardens have noted that many

anglers are having trouble distinguishingthe difference between brook trout andsplake. Since these two game fish haveseparate daily creel and possession limits,it is important for anglers to know thedifference.

Splake are a hybrid between a malebrook trout and a female lake trout. Thebest way to differentiate a splake from abrook trout is by the tail. Splake have aforked tail while brook trout have asquare tail. Splake have been stocked ina number of waters in Wyoming particu-larly in some of the lakes in theMedicine Bow, Bighorn and Shoshonenational forests. Splake are often valu-able as a fisheries management toolhelping to control over populations of

brook trout and sometimes nongamespecies such as suckers. They have char-acteristics of both lake and brook trout,growing to a larger size than brook troutand exhibiting the piscivorous (fish-eat-ing) characteristics of lake trout.

The state record splake weighed12.74 pounds and was caught in 2004out of Libby Lake in the Snowy Rangearea of the Medicine Bow NationalForest.

Anglers may catch and possess sixsplake with no more than one over 20inches. For brook trout, anglers maycatch and possess up to 16 with no morethan six over eight inches.

Remember, next time you are fishingin waters that have splake, be sure tolook at the tail.


Facilitated and reported by Spencer Amend, WFC Secretary

ollowing a very successful river cleanup day, guides andother cleanup participants were treated to a scrumptiousbarbeque prepared and served by Don Jelinek, Ed Rate,

Lloyd Ferguson and Randy Stalker on Aug. 15, using a grill pro-vided and manned by Pat LaFountain. After stuffing ourselves,we got down to the business of considering the North Plattefishery.

Matt Stanton, conservation committee chairman, welcomedparticipants and indicated that their knowledge and input wouldbe important as the conservation committee and the boarddevelop an agenda for protecting and enhancing our local, world-class fishery. I then explained the context of this meeting – thatthis is one of the first steps in gathering information upon whichto base our conservation agenda. Three senior guides, RyanAnderson, Eric Aune, and Josh Grube, provided most of the fol-lowing input:

Issues, Concerns and Problems Related to the NorthPlatte Fishery

• Not having enough readily available information for fish-ermen, both local anglers and out of town anglers. Information islacking on regulations and on such things as protecting spawningsites.

• Not having enough information available on site, asopposed to having to go to a fly shop or other source off-site.

• Lack of signage indicating what is going on with specificsfor that stretch of water – lack of focused and intensive informa-tion. Lack of signs at the waters edge where anglers spend time.

• Lack of clear, concise messages such as “Wild born troutare worth protecting.”

• Adjacent landowners regularly dumping yard waste intothe river.

• Setting bad examples for others. Example: the handling ofRussian olives at Cardwell recently.

• Pelicans [and other predatory birds].• Spillage from the Casper landfill seeping into the river.• Out of state guides not putting any dollars into the local

economy.• Invasive species.• Trout numbers declining. Automatically stocking more

trout into [especially] the upper 8 miles of the river may not bethe answer. First find out why numbers are low.

• Creel survey. Perhaps in the future, run the questionnaireby people who work on the river all the time. Some of this year’squestions appeared dated.

• Consideration of making certain portions of the river bar-bless only areas.

• Inconsistency and otherwise poor timing of flushes.

Advice, Suggestions and Things to ConsiderAn information hut at the dam or even at every major access

area. Information to include focused explanations at the river-side for that area, more explicit and detailed information on pub-lic versus private lands, and signage to include mileage to thenext public section. And identification of important locales such

as the Pump Hole.• At Cardwell: consider making it catch and release only,

flies only, and barbless hooks only. Put a dumpster at Cardwell.Improve signage at Cardwell regarding public versus privateholdings.

• Close concentrated redds to fishing. In G&F contacts,have something said about not fishing or otherwise disturbingredds.

• Send letters to adjacent landowners asking them not todump yard waste or other trash into the river. Investigate thelegality of such routine dumping and if necessary seek to make itillegal.

• Enforce any and all existing codes and other rules regard-ing dumping.

• Implement regular water testing in and around the Casperlandfill.

• Increase education efforts regarding invasive species.Encourage fishermen to phase out their use of felt soles.

• Do not do further stocking of the upper stretches untilanswers are available on the cause of declining numbers.Consider the benefits of making this section, especially, a “wildtrout” area.

• Work towards making the entire North Platte down toGlenrock a blue ribbon fishery.

• Encourage BuRec to do flushes in a consistent manner andwith consistent timing, giving increased consideration of spawn-ing regimes of trout. If possible, do it as soon as the ice is gone.

In conclusion, we encouraged these guides to stay tuned tothe ongoing process and to invite their colleagues to join in.

If WFC members reading this wish to add either issues orsuggestions, please contact Matt Stanton [email protected]. Your input is important as we work onbuilding the club’s conservation agenda for the coming years.

WFC sponsors guide’s forum

Ideas to improve North Platte fishery outlined

F

CONSERVATION CORNER

The North Platte cleanup on Aug. 15 was an immensesuccess. Over 25 volunteers turned out representing not onlythe WFC, but local guide services, the BLM, and theWyoming Wildlife Federation as well. The skies were omi-nous for most of the day, but the rain held off long enoughfor a majority of the trash to be deposited in the RobertsonRoad dumpsters generously paid for by the City of Casper's“Keep Casper Beautiful” campaign. Unfortunately, a coupleof the folks in boats were forced to row faster as the down-pour caught up to them, I suppose a little drama makes for abetter river story. At the end of the day we had filled twolarge dumpsters to near-capacity with over thirty bags oftrash and a variety bulky treasures. As of that stormySaturday evening, over 1000 lbs. of trash no longer residedin the water and on the shores of the North Platte River.Great job everyone!

by Matt Stanton, Chairman


Beer Batter Fishand Shrimp

I used to limb line for catfishin Nebraska, and we would catchhundreds of pounds of catfish in aweekend. We would usually have 8to 10 people and divide up the cat-fish between us. That is a lot of cat-fish to eat. So I tried many differentways to fix them. I settled on thisrecipe. It also works equally well onbig trout. I like to use it on fishover 25 inches, since you are cut-ting cubes. I always add one cup ofshrimp since one large trout maynot be enough for a meal.

Ingredients1 egg1 cup of beer1 1/8 tsp. baking powder2 tsp. salt¾ tsp. garlic salt1 large trout, cubed into 1/2

inch chunks1 cup of shrimp

PreparationMix all ingredients. Take fish

fillet and chunk into ½ inch pieces.Wash with water and pat dry withpaper towel. Heat 2 inches of cook-ing oil in pan. Dip pieces in batter,fry till golden brown in hot oilturning in hot oil as necessary.Adjust batter ingredients as neededso it doesn’t get too thick or toothin.

Enjoy!

SSTTRREEAAMMSSIIDDEE CCHHEEFFby Daren Bulow

On Saturday, Aug. 22, Joe Meyer took five new members (Steve Kurtz, JimHerrin, Claude Wham, John Osse and Cameron Brown) to some ponds on 33Mile Road.

Members Bob Stewart, Matt Stanton, Tom McGeorge and Jory Delingerassisted in casting and providing knot tying instructions. Everyone caught fish,for some their first on a fly rod. Fish were fried for those who liked to eat them.

Everybody wanted to be included in the next outing.If anybody else would like to go with Joe, call him at 235-1316.

Secret spots are revealedto a few rookie fly tossers

Do you know of a WFC memberwho is recovering from an illness or sur-gery or a death in the family? If you do,please contact Joe DeGraw at 258-0177.He will make the arrangements to send aget well card, a book or a sympathy cardto that person to let them know thatwe're thinking of them.

Know of anyonewho’s a little underthe weather?


MMMMYYYY FFFFLLYYLLYY BBBBOOXXOOXX

Lloyd Ferguson likes things economical, so he carries most of his arsenal ina single box. One side features a selection of high-floating hairwing dry flies,while the opposite side contains nymphs, worms, eggs and midges. (But not a rat-tlesnake imitation in the lot.)

PRFS goes green!Recycle worn waders into new fishing products

Don’t let your old waders go to thelandfill; they can now be recycled.

Please drop off your old unwantedbreathable waders at the Platte River FlyShop.

Mark Boname reports the old wadersare being refashioned into wallets andchest packs.

Digital reminders are available for WFC activities

Do you have trouble rememberingwhen there are WFC functions?

Have you ever forgotten a functionand then remembered about it when itwas over?

Scott Novotny is undertaking areminder program for club activities, etc.He requests that members send him an e-mail so that he can have your e-mailaddress and then he will send out a time-ly reminder by e-mail of any activities.He promised that your e-mail addresswould only be used for the purpose ofsending the reminder.

Send your e-mail to Scott Novotnyat [email protected].

New to the club?Need advice?

Most people join our club to learnwhere to fish and to improve their fishingtechnique. If we are to keep membersactive, experienced members of the clubneed to be available to give lessons ontechnique or fishing location information.To that end, Joe Meyer and Daren Bulowwould like you to know that they areavailable to help and they are encouragingother members to add their names to thislist so that new members can call someonefor help, offer ideas on fishing spots, ormaybe even take them fishing. Call Joe at235-1316 or Daren at 247-2578.

Matt Stanton casts his one-weight line and renegade into a promising pool on the middlefork of Ten Sleep Creek in early August during the annual club outing in the Big Horns.


The following article is anexcerpt from the electronic book,Hunt - Don’t Pray - for Fish,Techniques and Strategies for FlyFishing from a Drift Boat, written byHarley W. Reno, Ph.D., a friend ofthe Wyoming Fly Casters and occa-sional program presentor. The entirecontent is copyrighted by the author,and is used here with his permis-sion. The CD is available for pur-chase through the Federation of FlyFishers, and 80 percent of the $25cost of each CD is being donated bythe author back to the federation forits conservation and educationfunds.

In the coming months, otherchapters of Dr. Reno’s book are tobe featured in the Backcast.

Drift boat fishing 101Chapter 10: Wind, the Fly Fisherman’s Best Friend (Part 2

groups of grasshoppers. One groupincludes a large, nomadic grasshopper,which is black or dark brown. When itflies, the bright red, membranous hindwings are clearly visible. The other groupincludes smaller forms, many of whichare brown or yellow-brown, with brightred hind legs, and yellow-colored bodiesand membranous hind wings. From lateJuly through September, both types ofgrasshoppers begin flying and "singing" inflight, when temperatures of ground sur-faces approach 80 degrees F. That usuallyis sometime after 10:00 in the morning,when upstream winds have started. Oncestarted, those winds moving around out-side bends of a canyon are faster thanthose passing around inside bends, andthey warm ground surfaces more quickly.Grasshoppers on the outside bend obvi-ously warm more quickly, begin flyingsooner, and start "vocalizing" earlier thanresidents on inside bends of the canyon.

Grasshoppers, too, are consideredfeeble flyers, and, as such, they regularlyare whisked off the outside bends and outover the water while conducting theiraerial territorial displays and courtshipdances. The larger grasshopper has littletrouble flying to land on either side of thestream. The smaller grasshopper, howev-er, often fails to return to land, being

iffle-dwelling mayflies-Thelife cycle of riffle-dwellingmayflies is similar to that ofthe salmonfly, although the

total life expectancy of riffle-dwellingmayflies is measured in weeks andmonths, depending upon species, insteadof years. Segments of the populationemerge every day from May throughOctober or November, with most emer-gences occurring from mid-July throughmid-September. Nymphs are tiny, seldombeing much longer than half a centime-ter. They are grazers, feeding on vegeta-tion atop, between, and under rocks inshallow riffles.

Every fly fisherman has read aboutthe spectacular emergence of big mayfliesin the evening on many eastern streamsand lakes, as well as lakes of the GreatPlains, Ozarks, and eastern Mexico.Numerous newspaper accounts tell howmillions of dead mayflies make bridgesand roads near streams and lakes so slip-pery as to halt traffic. But, in general, thehatching of riffle-dwelling mayflies isanything but spectacular.

One peculiarity about riffle-dwellingmayflies is that the nymphal form is neg-ative phototropic. That is, it responds tosudden decreases in light intensity. Whenthe nymph is ready to emerge, it climbsout from under the rock and there awaitsthe passage of a shadow across the water.Most often the shadow is caused by acumulus cloud floating above the ridge-line passing in front of the sun. As soon asthe shadow is cast on the riffle, nymphsready to emerge let go of rocks and swimthe short distance to the surface, where,in a matter of seconds, they break fromexoskeletons, grow wings, and flutter intothe air as duns (or subimagos).

Upstream winds transport the dunsto nearby vegetation, where they land,again shed their exoskeletons (exocuti-cles, by scientists)-and become matureadults. Adults mate in the evening.Males die and females rest during thenight. Fertile females take flight some-time in mid-morning and are conveyedfurther upstream on morning breezes,where, depending on species, eggs arescattered over, laid on, or deposited

under the surface of the water. Shortlythereafter, the females die. The process ofoviposition is known to fly fishermen asthe "spinner fall."

The eggs and/or egg sacs strewn ordeposited by the spinner sink or break.The eggs bounce downstream, coming torest among stones in riffles. There theyhatch, thus starting the life cycle anew.Ironically, several generations of manyriffle-dwelling mayflies are produced dur-ing a single season.

Trout and other fishes feed continu-ously on riffle-dwelling mayflies. Everyday, riffles in the South Fork of the SnakeRiver, for example, churn with troutslurping drifting duns. Ironically, some flyfishermen do not recognize the causaleffect of upstream winds and cloud-induced shadows on the daily emergenceof riffle-dwelling mayflies, and resultingcompetitive behavioral effects of feedingtrout on drifting mayflies.

I do not know how much energy canbe derived from eating a Pale MorningDun. It cannot be much, because eating atiny mayfly is tantamount to eating asnowflake! Trout feeding on mayfliesprobably use those organisms for mainte-nance energy only. Certainly they are notdepending on those insects for growth orreproductive energy. Growth and repro-ductive energies are supplied mostly bylife-cycle stages of the salmonfly. If troutuse riffle-dwelling mayflies for mainte-nance energy only, obviously trout cannotafford energetically to stay in a riffle con-tinuously. That would be too expensive.

When a shadow is cast over a riffleand emergence of riffle-dwelling mayfliescommences, trout, holding in deeper,quieter waters at the foot of the rifflewhere less energy is expended in main-taining position, start feeding on the sur-face, first at the base of the riffle, thenprogressively further and furtherupstream in the riffle. The movementupstream is probably a forced response tolessen competition with other trout andother fishes (e.g., whitefish) respondingin the same way. Soon the riffle is alivewith trout feeding on the floating duns.

Grasshoppers-In valleys of theGreat Basin, there are two common

R


forced to alight in the water instead. Assoon as the grasshopper lands in thewater, it immediately turns upstream andstarts swimming towards the shore. Trout,which were brought into the bank duringmigration of stonefly nymphs a monthearlier, are in position to intercept thegrasshopper as it nears the safety of theshoreline and overhanging vegetation.

StrategiesThe fly fisherman in a drift boat has

the advantage when fishing the emer-gence of the salmonfly in late spring orearly summer and the abundance ofgrasshoppers in late summer. The wadefisherman has the advantage when fish-ing the daily emergence of riffle-dwellingmayflies. The fly fisherman from a driftboat obviously has access to the greatestnumbers of riffles. Strategies for fishinghatches of the salmonfly and riffle-dwelling mayflies as well as misfortunesof grasshoppers during the late summerand early fall are simple, requiring littlecasting skill. One only has to be obser-vant, attentive, and prepared to respondquickly. Here are a few strategies, some ofwhich are correlated with environmentalconditions and/or behavioral features ofthe organism.

Salmonfly-There are two ways tofish emergence of the salmonfly. The firstis to fish imitations of migrating nymphsbefore and during emergence of theadult. The other way is to fish floatingimitations of the adult as emergence dailyprogresses upstream. Fly fishermen usual-ly opt for the latter, because fishing a dryfly is exciting, and trout of all sizes feedon adult salmonflies. Many fly fishermenlive only to fish the few days of thehatch, because fish take anything that isbig, ugly, orange, and floating. Some flyfishermen are fortunate enough to spendweeks fishing "the hatch," traveling fromstream to stream as the hatch moves geo-graphically from more southern latitudesto more northern ones.

A few fly fishermen enjoy fishing the7- to 10-day period before emergence ofthe salmonfly. Those fly fishermen usenymphs. I recommend fishing the daysbefore the hatch because the really bigfish prefer feeding on nymphs, and thereare fewer fishermen with whom to com-pete. Besides, to trout, nymphs are morenumerous, and they are easier to catchthan adults. While feeding on nymphs,the fish is also less likely to be exposed topredators lurking above the surface.

Nymph. At any fly-fishing or fly-tying exposition, tiers of stonefly nymphs

fashion patterns that either have straightbodies or curved bodies. Tiers of straight-bodied patterns argue that a straight-bod-ied fly more closely imitates a crawlingnymph. Tiers of curved-body patternscounter with the argument that a curved-body fly more closely resembles a driftingnymph. That argument seems senseless.Proponents of each style are correct. Thenymph of the salmonfly exhibits bothshapes. When and where each is exhibit-ed are functions of water depth and speedof current. When a nymph is crawlingover the bottom-whether in deep or shal-low water, fast or slower current-its bodyshape is straight. If the nymph is dis-lodged but remains close to the bottom,the nymph retains a straight body posturewith legs extended at right angles. Thatis the posture of stabilization. The soonerthe dislodged nymph is stabilized and cangrasp the bottom, the less likely itbecomes food for a predator.

If, however, the nymph is dislodgedwhile climbing a vertical surface (e.g., asteep bank, face of a rock, or abutment ofa bridge) regardless of the speed of thecurrent, the nymph assumes a C-shapedbody posture. That posture has lessexposed surface area. As a result, thenymph experiences less drag and anincreased rate of sink. The quicker thenymph gets to the bottom, the more like-ly it survives. As soon as it nears the bot-tom, the nymph straightens out, assum-ing the posture of stabilization.

If you have trouble envisioning howshape influences the rate of sink and abil-ity to stabilize motion, think about a sky-diver. When a skydiver jumps from anairplane, the first thing he or she does ishold the legs together and press armsclose to the body, assuming a shape withthe least amount of surface area. Oncethe skydiver passes under the tail assem-bly, he or she flattens out by spreadingthe arms and legs horizontally. Thatslows the rate of descent and lets theindividual maneuver during free-fall.

If the skydiver wants to increase therate of descent-say to catch up withanother skydiver-he or she simply tucksin the arms and legs. The body has lessexposed surface, which lessens drag,hence increases the rate of fall. Duringthe descent, if the skydiver wishes tomaneuver horizontally, the arms and legsare extended to slow the rate of fall,effecting drift in the desired direction.Somewhere in that mix of insanity, theskydiver pulls the rip chord, and theparachute opens, letting the skydiverland safely on the ground.

The best strategy for the nymph fish-erman is to have two rods rigged: onewith a heavily weighted, straight-bodiednymph of a salmonfly and the other witha lighter, curved-bodied nymph. Theheavily weighted nymph is fished alongthe bottoms of deep channels and shal-low shoals, where the current can tumblethe nymph on or a few inches above thebottom. The curved body pattern isfished where the banks are steep, rocksare abundant, and bridge abutmentsoccur. That pattern should be driftedover and along sides of objects.

My strategy is simpler still. I exclu-sively fish Doctor's Remedy orStreamliner tied in black or dark brown.Those flies by design "swim" horizontallywith some tumbling when fished alongthe bottom, and they parachute down-ward when fished along vertical struc-tures. Thus, one fly does for me in twohabitats what two flies do for others inthe same two habitats.

Adult. During the salmonfly hatch,any large, brown floating fly (at least twoinches long) tied with an orange venterwill catch surface feeding fish. Asalmonfly that falls or lands in the watersinks to half its body depth. The legs areheld horizontally across the surface of thewater, and wings either extended horizon-tally across the surface or folded flat alongthe dorsum of the body. The legs arealways moving, as though the adult is run-ning across the surface. When the wingsare extended, they vibrate up and down,while being constrained by surface tensionof the water.

The low profile of an adult salmonflyon the water is important. The dry flyimitation should exhibit an equally lowprofile and have the wings folded flatover the body when floating on the sur-face. Thus far I have seen no imitationtied in which the wings are extendedhorizontally with the capability of limit-ed up-and-down vibration. Such flieswould be clumsy, terribly wind resistant,and tough to cast. Keep the pattern sim-ple. Avoid buying and using any patternwith hair wings set in a vertical profile.This style of salmonfly will catch fishduring the height of the hatch, when fishmistakenly swallow anything that has thesame general size, shape, and color of anadult salmonfly. However, that mistakein behavior is both a short-term habitua-tion and an unpredictable event in troutbiology. More importantly - at least tothe tier - that style probably catches morefly fishermen than trout. Some, no doubt,will adamantly disagree.


Table 1. Current Bighorn National Forest Camping Provisions and Proposed Action.Mode of Provision No Action Proposed ActionCamping Current

Dispersed CampingLength of first stay (June 1 – Sept 10) 14 days 16 days or any portion thereofLength of second stay (June 1 – Sept 10) 14 days 16 days or any portion thereofRelocation distance of second sitefrom first site – year round Five Air Miles One Air MileEarliest reoccupation of previouslyoccupied site 14 days 30 daysOff season dispersed campsitelength of stay (Sept 11 – May 31) No Limit 30 days first location; then must move

one air mile for another 30 day stayDeveloped Camping

Length of first stay (June 1 -Sept 10) 14 days at most 16 days or any part thereofcampgrounds. One (hunter) has a 7 day limit and three (Boulder Park, Cabin Creek, & Lost Cabin) have a 30day limit

Earliest reoccupation of previouslyused campground – year round 14 days 30 days

Length of stay June 1 throughSeptr 10 at a second campground 14 days 16 days or any part thereof

Requirements to occupy site Site must be occupied Occupancy of site during the firstduring the first 24 24 hour periodhour period.

Length of stay (Sept 11 through May 31) 14 days at most 30 days. No first 24 hour periodcampgrounds. One occupancy required(Hunter) has a 7 daylimit and three have30 day limits(Boulder Park, CabinCreek, & Lost Cabin)

Attention fellow fly fishers and campers of the Big Horn National Forest.A recent trip to the Big Horn National Forest revealed that there are plans tochange the amount of time one can stay in any developed campsite such as DeerPark or Prune Creek or in any dispersed campsite such as near Deer Park or BullCreek. Fellow campers should take note that if the proposal is adopted you willbe effected by it and may find that it will be very difficult for you to stay whereyou want. Comments can be sent via email at [email protected] asnoted in the press release or mailed to Dave McKee, 2013 Eastside SecondStreet, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. Please make sure to label your email withthe subject: Length of Stay as noted in the press release. Comments must bereceived before November 1, 2009.

If you have questions you may call me at 234-2594 or feel free to call theUSFS in Sheridan at (307) 674-2600.

--Dick DePaemelere

Length of stay changesmulled for Big Horn Forest


Treasurer's Report - April, May, June, July, 2009INCOMEDATE VENDOR - ITEM AMOUNT6-Apr deposit - dues 20.006-Apr deposit - dues 835.006-Apr Deposit - Banquet Raffle - 935.00, Auction - 3,440.00 4,375.006-Apr deposit - Banquet Meals 1,980.006-Apr deposit - Big Game License - 4,497.15, Donation - D. O'Quinn 500.00 4,997.156 Apr deposit - dues 20.00, Big Horn Outing 1,125.00 1,145.0014 Apr deposit - dues 380.0021 May deposit - Big Horn Outing 335.00, Banquet Auction 600.00

Banquet Meals 390.00, Banquet (Replace Bad Cks/Fee) 57.00 1,382.00TOTAL INCOME $15,114.15

EXPENSESDATE CK # VENDOR - ITEM AMOUNT4-Apr #3965 Ugly Bug - Banquet 20.954 Apr #3966 Ramada Plaza - Banquet Meals 2,344.886-Apr #3967 US Postmaster - Office Exp 16.806-Apr #3968 Tony Martin - Backcast Postage 184.006-Apr #3969 Izaak Walton League - Rent April 75.006-Apr #3970 Ugly Bug - Raffle Exp 3/11/09 110.7112-Apr #3971 Ron Dutton - Overpayment - Big Horn Outing 70.0012-Apr #3972 L. Ferguson - Big Horn Outing - Food 90.00, Permit 5.00 95.0012-Apr #3973 E. Rate - Big Horn Outing - Food 147.0312 Apr #3974 Cottonwood Camp - Big Horn Outing - Lodging/Boat Rental 1,103.7012-Apr #3975 Don Jelinek - Big Horn Outing - Food 322.4530 Apr - Banquet Return Cks 50.00, Bank Fee 7.00 (see deposit May 21) 57.0030-Apr - Bank Service Charges 13.651-May #3976 Ugly Bug - Raffle Exp -5/12/09 106.62

#3977 VOID1 May #3978 D. DePaemelere - Postage & Envelopes - Banquet Thank Yous 4.2412 May #3979 The Finishing Touch - Banquet Fly Plate 126.00

#3980 VOID20 May #3981 Scott Novotny - Food - Cardwell Outing 115.0920 May #3982 Joe DeGraw - - TU State Council Meeting 63.0020 May #3983 Don Jelinek - Gen Mtg Refreshments 9.0031 May - Bank Service Charges 3.002-Jun #3984 Marvin Nolte - Award Pins 262.5010 Jun #3985 Fed Ex Office - Backcast Printing (ck Appears to be lost) 238.4010 Jun #3986 Izaak Walton - Rent May/June 150.003 Jun #3987 Don Jelinek - Folding /tables (2) 103.6817 Jun #3988 Lodging TU Trip 149.80

? #3989 Game & Fish - Heritage Expo (Not certain when ck written) 1,000.0030 Jun - Bank Service Charge 3.008 Jul #3990 Don Jelinek - Walker Jenkins Outing 138.0031 Jul - Bank service charge 3.00

TOTAL EXPENSES $7,036.50


WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFTAugust 20, 2009

The meeting was called to order by President Alex Roseat 7:00 pm.

All board members were present except for Melody andSmokey Weinhandl [excused absence], Gene Theriault[unexcused absence], Bill Wichers [excused absence], andMatt Stanton [excused absence]. Dick DePaemelere andTony Martin attended parts of the meeting. To review thechanges to the board in the last little while: Joe DeGrawresigned as president, replaced by Alex Rose. Kim Levineresigned as treasurer, replaced by Ed Rate. John Fantoresigned, replaced by Smokey Weinhandl; Jim Sparksresigned, with no replacement as yet; and Russ Newtonresigned, replaced by Neal Ruebush.

Secretary’s note: At the board’s request, I include a list ofabsent members in each month’s report. A list of board memberscan be found in each month’s Backcast. Unless otherwise noted,all board decisions – being done according to proper procedure –are by unanimous vote. Any positive suggestions for improve-ment in subsequent meeting reports will be carefully considered.

Dick DePaemelere informed the board about proposedchanges in camping rules for the Big Horn National Forest.Previously, 14-day stays could be alternated with 14-dayvacancies for a particular site; the new rule would allow 16-day stays, but would have to be alternated with 30-dayvacancies. Dick will provide the entire news release andForest Service proposal to Randy for inclusion in theBackcast.

There has been some difficulty determining whichmembers have paid their dues, and who are current members,as well as who receives the Backcast by email and who getsmailed hard copies. Dick DePaemelere has been keeping theMaster List for some time. He will provide assistance to oth-ers who are trying to keep track.

Alex Rose and Tony Martin discussed the costs of print-ing and mailing the Backcast. For a 16-page newsletter, thecost per member to print and mail is $28 per year. For a 12-page newsletter, the cost is $21.72. After considerable dis-cussion and with the board wanting to settle this issue [atleast for the time being], the vote [with one dissenting vote]was to keep the dues structure as it is, and to notify thoseclubs and other entities receiving free/complimentary copiesthat for them to continue receiving the Backcast will requirethat they do so by email.

The minutes from the July 15 Board meeting wereapproved.

For several weeks, the club’s financial records have beena bit confusing. Kim Levine has resigned as treasurer. AlexRose informed the board that Ed Rate has agreed to serve outthe remainder of the current treasurer’s term. Ed wasappointed in accord with the bylaws, with this action enthu-siastically endorsed by the board. Thanks, Ed!

Ed has worked to gain control of the financial situation,and appears to have done so. The Board reviewed and dis-cussed the treasurer’s report provided by Ed.

The board thanks Matt Stanton and the ConservationCommittee for their excellent work organizing the recentriver cleanup and guides forum. Bob Fisher apologized for the

confusion that apparently led to none of the guides from theUgly Bug/Crazy Rainbow participating. I reminded theboard that there will be other opportunities for input overthe coming months as we move from the results of the guidesforum to the development of a full-blown conservationagenda. We still need lots of help, and will provide severaladditional opportunities for guides and others to give ustheir ideas.

The board thanks Ed Rate, who personally frontedmuch of the money to pay for the barbeque in conjunctionwith the river cleanup and guides forum, even thoughmoney had been previously approved by the board andpromised by the Two Fly Foundation. The board instructedEd to pay himself back.

The board appointed Neal Ruebush as a new boardmember.

Joe Meyer informed the board of his plans for a “nohost” outing this Saturday, primarily to help new memberslearn where and how to fish some of his “secret spots.” Healso mentioned casting clinics and fly typing instruction astopics to help new members stay connected to the club.Thanks, Joe! For many of us, this is one of the things thatWyoming Fly Casters does best.

On Nov. 21, Trout Unlimited will be holding theirannual meeting in Casper. TU has invited WFC to host abarbeque for attendees. After a closely split vote to declinethis invitation, the board decided to seek more informationand make a final decision at the next meeting.

Marty Robinson will be coordinating the club’s boothfor the EXPO on Sept. 10-12. Thanks, Marty! Joe Meyer hastaken the lead on lining up folks to help with the FlyCasting instruction for the EXPO. Last year, TU providedassistance, but they are not doing so this year. I’ll help on thetenth, but I’m guiding the recipient of WFC’s exchange tripwith the Upper Snake River club on the eleventh and oth-erwise occupied on the twelfth. Art Van Rensselaer, who hasbeen a frequent provider of casting instruction at the EXPOin the past will once again help out. Joe will work withMarty to provide candy or gum “prizes” to those who visitthe booth and the fly casting area.

Following through on our agreement with the Two FlyFoundation to support the Platte River Revival on Sept. 19,Andrew Sauter and I agreed to participate and to provideour boats. We could still use one other boat if a memberwants to volunteer.

Alex asked that board members be prepared to work onthe succession section of the bylaws soon. He also remind-ed us that we need to seek a new vice president.

The board approved up to $300 for the annual picnic,to be held at the next general meeting, Sept. 9.

The board was impressed with the new hat designshown by Scott Novotny and approved $250 for his use ingaining a supply for new members, and for sale to others.Thanks, Scott, for being so creative!

The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm.Respectfully Submitted:

Spencer Amend, Secretary, 8-21-09


Autumnequinox

MONDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5

86 7 9 10 11 12

1513 14 16 17 18 19

2220 21 23 24 25 26

27 28

Regular meeting, 7 p.m.

WFC BoardMeeting, 7 p.m.

SEPTEMBERTUESDAY

29 30

Full moon

River cleanup

SUNDAY

Glenrockfloat outing

Patriot Day;G&F Expo

Labor Day

Protect our environment

Inspect - Clean - Dry

Take the Clean Angling Pledge

www.cleanangling.org

FOR SALEFleece fingerless fishing gloves.

Coleman two-burner stove, like new.

Call Don Jelinek267-7477

•Patagonia SST jacket, XL,

Brand new. $175 (list $315).

Call Scott Novotny266-3072

G&F ExpoG&F Expo

Deadline forBackcast info

If ya done it, it ain’t braggin.’

-- Yogi Berra

Bring your camera along onyour next fishing trip, and use it todocument your catch and releasefish. Then send the digital image tothe WFC newsletter editor for con-sideration of inclusion in the nextissue. Contributions are always wel-come. Who knows ... maybe yourphoto will be the next month’scover.

FREETO GOOD HOME

One pair felt wading sandals, size 11, hardly used.

10 saltwater plugs, includes two cuda killers.

One box of saltwater flies, includes several poppers.

One full beaver pelt.Call Herb Waterman

235-5638

wfc 09/09

Documents

fly tying

fly casting lessonson

thefederation of fly

fly angler frompennsylvania

wary trout

good time

busy month

andenjoys good food