Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Trout Club of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Angler’s CreelNovember, 2010
Volume 10 Issue 2
From The President’s Desk Upcoming Events
November, 2010 – The beginning of the program is here. Our annual clambake got the season off to a nice start with speaker John Ross. We are also featuring a new twist to this year’s dinners by partnering with a local fly shop or expert complementary to the speaker. For exam-ple, in October bamboo rod experts JD Wagner and Wil-liam Kaplin showcased their work and provided some terrific working examples. In November, we look for-ward to having Tom Rosenbauer from Orvis explain how to read the water. We are trying to make the programs a little more instructional based on member feedback so we can all become better anglers (and have some fun). I am just back from a terrific long weekend at Arch Springs Farm outside of State
College, PA near Spruce Creek and the Little Juniata River. TC Club member Austin Morrow’s family owns the farm a few of us were lucky enough to “win” the weekend at last year’s auction. The accommodations are excellent. We stayed in the beautifully restored Manor House. The entire weekend was like a post card for how beautiful the fall is in central Pennsylvania. But the weekend was not without some drama . . . the rain started during the drive
from Cleveland and did not stop for 10 hours. By the time we arrived, Spruce Creek had received a whopping 4.5 inches of rain. Of course we decided to fish under Babe’s bridge in a driving downpour. After 20 minutes, and several trees floating down the river, we conceded the Little J was blown out and our lives were more important even though we did see a few splashy rises. The flow shot up over 2000 cfs in just a few hours. There was talk of going back home to Cleveland. Most hope was lost. Luckily, the rain stopped on Thursday night and the conditions continued to im-
prove. We decided to give Spring Creek a shot with guide Mark Analoski. I am still amazed it was in such good shape. We did really well on Friday. Saturday was even better as we covered much of the water upstream of Fisherman’s Para-dise. The browns were taking big Walt’s worms, pheasant tails and small copper johns. Two nice rainbows and a few browns were even silly enough to smash my dry indicator fly (a #10 Adams). The gorge at the Little J was in perfect shape on Sunday morning. One half day in this paradise does not do it justice. There are big fish in the gorge. Thanks to Austin and the Morrows for making the donation to the auction. Any-
one traveling to State College should consider a calling Austin in advance for lodging, fishing and/or wing shooting. Arch Spring Farm is truly fantastic and I cannot wait for my next visit. Do not forget to fish the spring! Loaded with wild trout!
Andy KirkpatrickPresident
November 10, 2010: Tom Rosenbauer, Orvis Marketing VP Topic: Reading the Water
December 15, 2010: Capt. Tuck Scott – Topic: Red Fishing from Kiawah to Hilton Head, SC
January 19, 2011:Gregory Hoover Topic: The Bugs that Steelhead and Smallmouth Bass Eat
February 16, 2011:Rick Kustich Topic: Steelheading in the Great Lakes Region
March 16, 2011:TJ Laviolette Topic: Fishing Livingston, MT Area
April 9, 2011: Banquet Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Tight Lines!
Promoting Knowledge of cold water fisheries,fish habitat, conservation and stream ecology.
5
Ladies Day at SunnybrookBy Dorothy Badovick
Six ladies had a great outing at Sunnybrook trout club: Dorothy Badovick, Maddie Koltcz, Mecedes Rorick, Andrea Scott, Kathy Fernandez, and Marianne Hite. The weather was great, fish were biting and fun was had by all. We were joined by three newcomers from Canton who saw the announcement on the Internet. They had never fly-fished before but picked up casting quickly and soon were hooking, landing, and releasing fish. Dorothy, Maddie and Andrea being experts just had a great day. During lunch, Doug joined us and told us the history of Sunnybrook, which is an interesting story. Quote of the day “we should do this again soon.”
Steelhead Tributary Creel Surveys Year 1 Progress Report
By Kevin A. Kayle
We completed the first of two consecutive years of creel surveys for the steelhead fishery on Ohio’s Lake Erie tributaries and access points. Seventeen different streams and 89 locations were surveyed by two creel survey clerks during the period of late September 2008 to early May 2009. A total of 2,897 interviews of 3,838 anglers were completed during the survey period. Overall, steelhead catch rate during the time period was 0.387 fish per hour, with the harvested steelhead catch rate of 0.043 fish kept per hour and the released steelhead catch rate of 0.344 fish caught and released per hour. Average size of the 417 observed steelhead during the surveys was 625 mm. Steelhead anglers came from 59 of Ohio’s 88 counties and from 19 states and the province of Ontario. Gear preferences for steelhead angling method were predominantly spinning (61%), followed by fly fishing (34%), and center pinning (4%).
Bamboo Notes
Tips on SteelheadingBy Dan Pribanic
• Water temperature: 50-60o fish fast water, 40-50o fish edge of fast water, 30-40o fish from noon to 3:00pm.
• Fish orange egg patterns or light peach sucker spawn, that is the color of the natural. Nymphs with soft hackle or legs work best.
• High dirty water = bright flies with crystal flash. Dark day = dark fly, bright day = white or bright fly.
• 2x 15lb. leader is best with dropper on 10lb tippet.
• Set hook downstream, play the fish with low rod.
• Float master and Thingamabobber are best bobbers. Weight usually bb’s or 4’s.
Giant Lake Run BrownsCheck out the Oct.2010 issue of FLY FISHERMAN for a
good article by Matt Supinski on how and where to catch lake run browns. There are some good fishing spots now in the Erie PA. area. The article also describes some hot flies and the web address of where you can find the fly pattern recipes.
George Klein and Ted Long enjoy a recent day at Castalia Trout Club.
2
Member Experiences
Fishing the Big Horn River, Ft. Smith, Montana
By Jock Thompson
The Big Horn is a large tailwater river created by the Yellowtail Dam. It can be a lazy 100 yard wide float when the release is 2500 cfs or a fast roller coaster ride at spring release of 3500 cfs. There are 25 miles of trophy trout water that weaves its way through the Crow Indian reservation. (Travel note: It is a 100 mile round-trip to buy a bottle of gin.) The water is accessible to waders or by non-motored float boats.
How special is this river? I ex-plain with a story. Several years ago, my daughter and I met our guide in West Yellowstone for a day of fishing the storied Madi-son River. Our guide, a big bear of a man with a robust sense of humor, asked me where I had been fishing. I answered that I had just come from the Big Horn. He grimaced and said: “Dab nabitt, that is not what I want to hear at 8 o’clock in the morning.” Point made. My trips to the Big Horn have
been in mid-September, hoping to avoid the crowds. However, the hoppers hit the river about that time and thus a typical morning will see about 90 Mackenzie boats launch from the upper access. That seems like a lot but if you set out an hour either side of the 9:30 rush you can have the river almost to yourself. You have lots of choices in how to attack this river. Some will stay in the boat all day casting hoppers or streamers to the big browns lurking along the edges. They may float a full 13 miles to the second take out. Others, like myself stop at the riffles to wade and take out at three-mile access. The fast water holds both rainbows and browns that take nymphs or streamers and break off 3x tippet with ease. One day my smallest fish was 18 inches. Some time during the day, the fish usually will start rising. In Septem-ber, there is a trico hatch early and a huge black caddis hatch in late afternoon. It can be a kick, but don’t even think about using 5x on your dry fly if you want to land a fish - one shake and they are gone. This is a destination that showcases the
beauty and vastness of the West. In September the land is turning gold from har-vested wheat and the changing of the aspen leaves. You will drive through range-land and need to slow to avoid the cattle on the road and the wild pheasant that break from the roadside. The rookie fisherman will need the help of a good guide, as these fish do not jump in the boat. They turn on and off during the day and with a weather front. September weather varies from 90 degrees and sun to 38 degrees and rain. But, “Of all the rivers, in all the world, this river has become mine.”
November 4, 2010SUNNYBROOK TROUT CLUB Catch and Release. Barbless hooks only. Limit 15 participants - $75.
November 22, 2010ROCKY RIVER STEELHEAD FISHING7:30 am to Noon. Lunch on you at the West End Tavern, 18514 Detroit Ave. Then fishing after lunch as long as you choose - $15. Ladies welcome.
MARCH 8, 2011SUNNYBROOK TROUT CLUB Ladies only. Catch and release and barbless hooks only. Limit 15 partici-pants - $75.
APRIL 21, 2011GRAND RIVER STEELHEAD FISHINGMeet at the shelter behind the Lake Metro Parks Hqtrs. at 7:30 am. Head out in groups to best areas. Lunch will be at noon at Strong Cabin on Hog-back Ridge - $45.
APRIL 28-29, 2011ROCKWELL SPRINGS TROUT CLUB Overnight stay at the Oxbow Lodge and fishing from 9 am Thursday. Lunch and dinner on Thursday; break-fast and lunch on Friday. You will be billed by RSTC for your costs. Res-ervations are needed including name, address and telephone number.
JUNE 2, 2011DEEP SPRINGS TROUT CLUBTrout sandwich lunch and first 3 fish included. Catch and keep only. $65 for the day plus your additional fish charges.
JUNE 21, 2011ROCKWELL SPRINGS TROUT CLUBLadies only. You will be billed by RSTC for your fishing permit, fish, food, tackle and drinks
For Reservations Contact:Karen Menn216-231-4600, ext. [email protected]
Upcoming Outings
17-inch Big Horn Brown
Big Horn comrades
Name: _________________________________Street: _________________________________City: _________________________________Zip: _________________________________Email: _________________________________
o MC o VISA Amount Enclosed: $_________Account #: ______________________________Expiration Date: _________________________V-code: _____________(3-number security code on the back of your card)
Signature: ______________________________
Guests: ______________________________________________________________________(Please include first & last names. Attach an additional sheet of paper if you need more room.)
Make Checks payable to CMNH TC and mail to:The Cleveland Museum of Natural History,1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland, OH 44106-1767Attn: Karen Menn
Or call 216-231-4600, ext. 3278 to register by credit card(Note: Each reservation must be paid for in advance.)
Or register (and pay) online at: www.cmnhtc.org
Dinner & Program: $35 per person Cocktails 6pm Dinner 7pm Program 8pm
Please Reserve A Seat For Me At The November 10Th Trout Club Dinner Featuring Orvis V.P. Tom Rosenbauer.
Dinner Program - November 10, 2010
November Meeting Announcement
Featured Speaker: Orvis V. P. and Noted Author – Tom Rosenbauer
“Reading Trout Water”Fly-Fishing in America, Ap-proach and Presentation, Trout Foods and Their Imi-tations; Nymph-ing Techniques; Leaders, Knots, and Tippets, The Orvis Guide to Dry-Fly Techniques, and The Orvis Fly-Tying Guide, which won a 2001 National Outdoor Book Award . He has also been published in Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Catalog Age, Fly Fisherman, Gay’s Sporting Journal, Sporting Clas-sics, Fly Rod & Reel, Audubon, and others. He lives with his wife and son in southern Vermont on the banks of his favorite trout stream.
Tom Rosenbauer has been with the Orvis Compa-ny for 34 years, and while there, has been a fishing school instructor, copywriter, public relations direc-tor, merchandise manager, and was editor of The Orvis News for 10 years. He is currently Marketing Director for Orvis Rod and Tackle. As merchandise manager, web merchandiser, and catalog director, the titles under his direction have won numerous Gold Medals in the Annual Catalog Age Awards.Tom has been a fly fisher for over 40 years, and was
a commercial fly tier by age 14. He has fished ex-tensively across North America and has also fished on Christmas Island, the Bahamas, Belize, in Kam-chatka, and on the fabled English chalk streams. He is credited with bringing Bead-Head flies to North America, and is the inventor of the Big Eye hook, Magnetic Net Retriever, and tungsten beads for fly tying. He has ten fly fishing books in print, including The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide, Reading Trout Streams, Prospecting for Trout, Casting Illusions,
Slovenian Grand Slam by Mike Keith
Sometimes you just get lucky. I had a meeting in Paris, and to my surprise, my wife Cathy, who was also attending, said: “ Why don’t you do something else.” It had never occurred to me to enjoy the travel, as consumed as I am with world safety, lying low overseas, disappearing into the crowd. But I immediately thought of Slovenia. I can blame this on James Prosek and his book, Fly Fishing the 41st. (Harper’s Perennial)
Those of us in Northern Ohio who calibrated our GPS units know that we live at around the 42nd Parallel. The sweet spot for trout across the planet is just around us at the 41st. Prosek has made the fishing tour and documented, through his paintings, the many local variations of form, color,
genetics and behavior of the various trout cousins through Spain, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, I have been fortunate enough, in a fisherman’s life, to fish for trout and salmon in many of the
same places. But the opportunity to fill-in places and unique fish still draws me in. Curiously, in re-mote places like Mongolia, Russia, Labrador, British Columbia and Japan, I have met others circling the globe on the same quest.
My goal was to create a photo collection of the major species of trout in this largely untouched area of southern Europe, a mountainous alpine collection of protected rivers. The background for this trip was provided by stories from many friends in Slovenia with whom I had met in Dubrovnik, in Croatia and along the beaches of the Adriatic.
We flew through Frankfurt, Germany, connected to Adria Airlines and arrived at the major airport in Brnik. Our guide took us to Idrija in western Slovenia, a short drive from the capital, Llubjana. The weather was typical for many of my trips, heavy rainfall, blown out rivers, no one fishing.
An Internet search had yielded the best guide, Rok Lostriuk in Llubjana, and as my wife was trav-eling, Frontiers Elegant Journeys provided the venues, diversions, guided shopping, accommodations and connections. The fishing by comparison was not expensive. Rok started the fishing upstream as the tributaries of the Soca cleared. As he said, the rivers fish best when the level is rising and second best when falling. When low, they are more difficult. The bigger fish are too wary and the conditions and water temperature follow as if the seasons of the year- cool and dark then clear and too hot. In September, we were cooling off, but darkening up at the same time. I was discouraged.
On the Indrijca River, pool by pool we caught a collection of bright, beautiful, strangely striped and mottled brown trout (Salmo trutta), intro-duced rainbows (Onchorynchus mykiss) in the fast water, and finally a marble trout (Salmo marmoratus), all in the 8-14 inch range, but perfect speci-mens across the color and pattern spectrum. Marble trout are characterized by vermiform body patterns, not unlike Eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). See this website for descriptions of other species and locations: http://www.balkan-trout.com/index.htm. Since the marble trout is limited to the northern Italian and Balkan rivers, I was satisfied with the first day.
The second day, Rok spoke quietly and seriously about big fish. He mentioned the larger marble trout; carnivorous, predatory, the alpha resident hunter in the rivers. He also guides for Hucho hucho, the Danube River giant related to Hucho taimen, which I had caught on the Egg River in Mon-golia. The bigger marble trout were our target the second day. In the early morning, still with discolored water, we were up the river, in an unlikely spot by American experience, sort of behind a gas station parking lot, about a three-minute walk from the vending machines when we were pulling streamers. He suddenly stopped me and pulled in the fly. He had seen a larger fish. He cut off the streamer and pulled out a box full of flies that resembled a blond wig. Flowing and in disarray, these flies were his life’s work in searching for the right fly pattern for these huge fish. The material was an unknown blond “Himalayan” fur. The single hooks were tied onto the saltwater hook body as a trailer. There was some weight, I will not say how much, on the fly. It was a close relative to the Atlantic Salmon fly known as the “road kill” used at night in the Gaspe or the Taimen fly that resembles a swimming terrified muskrat. Big, bushy, blond. Fished in their face, on the bottom under rocks, it was effective. Rok was worried that since it was feeding that we had little time to catch it before it caught one of the other 14-18 inch trout and hauled it in down under a rock. The accompanying picture shows our results; 16 pounds of overgrown trout landed very carefully. Our timing was lucky, we were well prepared and made lots of pictures. This fish was so large and heavy that it sagged and squirmed. I could feel its heart beating in my hands as we struggled against one another in the air. A safe release was performed and then we shook hands, embraced because something wonderful and rare had happened.
At a riverside cafe, several Lascko beers were consumed and pictures taken with the game wardens and numerous congratulating fishermen, waiters and happy diners. For days on the river I was identified as the guy who had caught the giant fish. To keep this in perspective, the largest known Soca River marble trout is preserved in the lobby of the hotel Qvallo nearby and weighed about 60 pounds. The Hucho species can be caught to 100 pounds. Rok knows that my fish is the largest fish caught by an American – be-cause he caught all the other large fish. So there is some cachet to the experience.
The third day was spent in pursuit of the final species I lacked. Due to the high water, we needed a clear tributary on a river that held a unique golden grayling, the last fish in the collection. Rok knew of only one place, miles away in the Alps in the headwaters of the Soca River where this occurred and after driving and hiking, we prevailed. The golden grayling (Thymalis thymalis) is special, likes clear water and readily takes dry flies. It does indeed smell like the spice thyme.
I had completed the Slovenian Grand Slam. Although there are other species, unique to their remote rivers, to be sought in Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia and Sardinia, trout in the Pyrenees, the salmon of the Loire River of France, and further east toward Hungary and truly eastern Europe, they will have to wait for another time. Some parts of the former Soviet bloc and war-torn Asia will always be off limits. Its a big parallel after all.
I recommend the trip to anyone searching for new adventures, lovely people, quiet countryside, not yet too organized, somewhat like Switzerland 40 years ago. If you are going to circle the world at the 41st, start young and keep going. Tight Lines.
Member Experiences
AdvisoryAmos CrowleyBill Lynerd, Museum LiaisonEvan MorseBob NolanMark SudduthGreg VossPeter Wykoff
Club OfficersPresidentAndy [email protected]
Vice President Philip [email protected]
Treasurer Ted [email protected]
SecretaryJohn [email protected]
Banquet Philip [email protected]
Membership / MarketingAmos [email protected]
Conservation Marty [email protected]
Contributions Ham Biggarhbiggar@drakeconstructionco.
com Jon [email protected]
OutingsGeorge [email protected]
ProgramGreg [email protected] [email protected]
SocialJim [email protected] [email protected]
Education Bill [email protected]
NewsletterGeorge [email protected] [email protected]
Committees
Staff ContactKaren [email protected]
Administration
Sibley HooblerJoseph GladyszPeter WellmanJohn WheelerNorm HyamsRobert ColsonEvan MorseDennis GantTed SchurdellJake RaganHam BiggarMark SudduthAustin MorrowMatt VanDeMotterPeter KrembsJock ThompsonGeorge Klein
Past Presidents
The Angler’s Creel newsletter is published monthly, from October through May, under the auspices of The Trout Club of The Cleve-land Museum of Natural History. Deadline for submissions is the third Wednesday of each month.
1 Wade oval Drive,University Circle,Cleveland, OH 44106-1767Tel: 216-231-4600, ext. 3278
George Klein, Editor; Jock Thompson, Contributing Editor; Karen Menn, Coordinating Liaison
6
Fly Fishing Trips
By Bill Grake
Go For The Grand Slam In Belize!November 6 to 13, 2011.
The Trout Club, through the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Adult Field Trips Division, is spon-soring a fly fishing trip to Belize in November 2011.
Belize is noted for its outstanding Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit fishing. This trip will provide a legitimate chance for a Grand Slam for a Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit in the same day. The long lead time for the trip gives any inter-ested member ample
time to schedule the trip. We will be staying at El Pes-cador Lodge on Ambergris Caye in Belize. The trip dates are The cost for members is $2,500 (double oc-cupancy) which includes 7 nights lodging, 6 days of guided fishing, transfers from the airport at Belize City to El Pescador and return, 3 meals per day and hors d’oeuvres, local Belizean beverages (soda, beer and rum) complimentary use of all amenities (pools, wi-fi, kayaks, bikes, etc.) and a welcome drink. Not included in the cost of the trip is airfare to Belize City, fly fishing equipment and tips for the El Pescador staff. If anyone has any questions about the trip please contact me at [email protected]
Catch The Grannom Hatch on the Little J
Trout fishing on the Little Juniata in central Pennsyl-vania is scheduled for April 15 -17, 2011 during the peak of the Grannom Hatch on the Little J. The trip includes two days of guided fishing on the Little J with guides from Spruce Creek Fly Company. Accommoda-tions will be at Edgewater Acres (double occupancy) , meals, flies, leaders and a stream side lunch. Cocktails and appetizers Friday and Saturday evening (open bar for 2 hours).A lecture and demonstration
will be provided by a surprise celebrity guest. Cost is $775. The early bird registra-tion price is $725 if registered by Jan. 1, 2011.
Angler’s Creel
