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Newsletter August 2000
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| OZARK FLY FISHERS Drew Spanogle, Editor spanogle@cs.com |
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Scott Branyan Talks About Arkansas Tailwater Trout
by Brian Flinchpaugh |
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| Scott Branyan says that traditions are made and traditions are broken and sometimes traditions can be mixed. That's what Branyan is doing when it comes to combining the Ozark tradition of a float trip on the world famous White River in northwest Arkansas. Since 1996, Branyan has been offering float trips down the White River in his McKenzie drift boat--a craft that's more a common site in Yellowstone country than Yellville. The advantages from a fly fishers perspective are apparent--a great casting platform and maneuverability. Scott also happens to be a knowledgeable guide who knows not only the White below Bull Shoals and Norfork dams but also a stretch of tailwater that many of us don't get to fish that often--the Beaver tail-water. He's going to share some of that knowledge at our meeting on Thursday, August 24 at the Creve Coeur American Legion Hall. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. with casting practice available before the meeting. The hall is located just behind Bristol's Bar and Grill, which is on the north side of Olive Boulevard about a half-mile east of the Olive-Interstate 270 interchange. And, by the way, Scott's also a bit of a famous TV fisherman. Last year, he guided Tim Linehan, the host of Trout Unlimited series on trout fishing around the nation that appears on ESPN and ESPN2, as he sampled some of the fishing that the White River can offer. Be there. And keep in mind that we're having another Arkansas expert at our meeting in September. Duane Hada, artist, guide, conservationist, and coach, among his many titles, will be our guest at our September meeting. Our timing for both of these gentlemen couldn't be better -- the annual Federation of Fly Fishing conclave in Mountain Home is set for the first weekend in October. |
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Southern Council Conclave
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| The pre-registration forms for this year's Federation of Fly Fishers Southern Council Conclave, scheduled for the 6th through the 8th of October in Mountain Home Arkansas, are now available on the Southern Council web site, http://www.southerncouncilfff.org/ The workshops (descriptions are available on their web site) are available on a first come first severed basis so if you are interested in attending any of them, please pre-register as soon as possible. |
| Dick Jente's, Obituary |
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In Memory,
Dick Jente |
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| When I combine a vision of hard work, a willingness to serve and a dedication to see a job done right, I think of Dick Jente. Ozark Fly Fishers was blessed having him as a member who took over the thankless job of organizing the annual banquet. By the best of my memory, he single-handedly organized the highly successful Fall Catch and Release Outing. Dick always put club members first when making his detailed arrangements. He considered it a personal challenge to negotiate the best possible deal with those who supplied our services, be they motel accommodations or a banquet meal. I knew that any job Dick undertook would be done right, on time, and under budget. We never fished together, Dick and I. He often asked my advice on where to go, and became a Wisconsin traveler after hearing of some of my experiences there. We'd get together at IHOP or something and talk about where to go, what to bring and so on, over lunch or coffee. And, my friends, that's what it's all about. Sharing, talking, and doing your job. Not what fly to use. I have a deep respect for Dick and his service to Ozark. I know when I attend an Ozark Banquet, I will think of and miss Dick sitting in the foyer. He was always there. He will be sorely missed by all. |
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Donations Needed For Southern Council Casting Event
by Jerry Clark |
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| Coming in October is the Southern Council Conclave in Mountain Home Arkansas. To encourage participation in the CASTING GAMES we give prizes, usually small, like flies, leaders, split shot, and one year, a rod. I'm looking for donations of these or other items. Look around for stuff you'll never use, even tying materials or tye a few flies. You can get these items to me by leaving them at Feathercraft or Hargroves or one of the next meeting in August or September. Film cans for flies should be available through me or the shops. You can call me at 314-868-1445 |
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| Ed note: OFF has sponsored the popular casting games at the SCC for years, with Jerry and Shawn Taylor providing the direction and organization. |
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Ozark Calendar
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| Reservation Request |
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Ninth Annual Catch And Release Party
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| The lazy hazy days of summer will soon be over and although it is still summer, it's time to make plans for our 9th Annual Opening Weekend for Catch and Release trout fishing at Bennett Springs. This year the no creel fishing begins at 8 AM Friday, November 10, and continues on Saturday and Sunday until 4 PM each day. Your Entertainment Committee has reserved a block of rooms for the weekend at Sand Springs Resort. We'll have a private get-together Saturday evening in the Party Room for club members followed by dinner at Sand Springs Restaurant. The spring creek will be open for no creel fishing but limited to flies and artificial lures. Instead of the daily tag of summer you need only to get a No Creel Season Permit good from November 10, 2000, to February 4, 2001 which is good at all four trout parks every weekend in-between. You can get one anywhere Missouri licenses are sold, so you won't have to stand in line in the Hatchery Office. You need to have a current Missouri fishing license to get a no creel tag. Again we are offering package plans for accommodations plus tickets to the private Club Social and our traditional Ozark all you can eat buffet. Types of accommodations and rates will be found in the Reservation Request elsewhere in the newsletter. As always, the Social Hour is BYO with the club supplying ice, glasses, soft drinks and light snacks. Your coolers are welcome. Remember, this is a Club weekend, not just "the guys go fishing" at this one. Last year (which was a sellout) we had 20 couples. Plan to bring your special lady even if she doesn't fish. There is fun to be had in snooping in the antique shops and outlet mall in Lebanon--- and there are some very nice lunch spots in town. While this party if for all club members, we could have a problem this year with latecomers. Last year we ran out of rooms at the resort and almost overloaded our seating capacity at our Saturday Night Dinner when we squeezed over 80 OFFers into the room To avoid disappointment, mark your calendar for November 10-12 and send in a check now. We do understand how plans can change. If you have a problem, a full refund will be made if you cancel by October 30. After that date, refunds will be made only if we can resell your room. Dinner reservations will be accepted until November 3 when we have to guarantee a count to the restaurant. Rooms will be reserved only as prepaid reservations are received. Please let us know early if you'd like two or more rooms for a group. Reservations will be confirmed early in November, advising you of your room number. All sleeping rooms have a percolator, coffee cups and a small refrigerator. You bring the coffee. The housekeeping rooms have full size refrigerators, stove, utensils and plates plus a dining table with chairs for four. The restaurant will be open for all meals beginning Friday, November 10. |
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What I Did Last Summer
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| Oregon, founding home of the FFF, has more fly fishing opportunities than one human can fish in a lifetime. And the variety of quality fishing is beyond belief of this midwesterner. Yea, they called me a flatlander and I couldn't contest their assessment. The steep canyon walls of the Deschutes towered over us, hundreds of feet of sheer basalt. Huge rainbows sucked caddis from the surface of the big river. There were a few huge salmonflies crashing around, left over from the June explosion. I entered the river, the cold water shriveling my gonads. Then there were the days on the Metolius, which has to be the most beautiful spring creek in the world. Coursing through old growth forest, the gin clear water cascades from the base of Black Butte and has some of the smartest rainbows in the world. And huge Bull Trout. I had sighted a heard of Bulls from a little bluff. I tied on a big Clouser, tested my leader and entered the water, the cold water shriveling my gonads. The tailwater formed by a dam on the Crooked River is always off color, but it has 9,000 fish per mile. Well, half of them are probably Mountain Whitefish, but that is still a lot of fish. They were sipping midges that day. I approached the eddy and could see the noses of several pigs, following the foam as it rotated in an elliptical counter-clockwise movement. My shriveled gonads were no longer in pain as I waded upstream to get within casting range. The Fall River fish are notoriously tough. The eight mile spring creek winds its way to the upper Deschutes through volcanic outcroppings and is a marvel of beauty. The thirty foot falls often has fish following some primal urge to get upstream, leaping in the froth. Or maybe they just like to leap. Anyway, in the surrounding pine forest, you can imagine you are in the middle of nowhere, ignoring you are only ten miles from Sun River, an artificial town with multiple golf courses, time share condos, and the most restrictive zoning since Ladue turned down Section Eight housing. Walking the bank, you can flick a small caddis against the grasses drooping in the water across from you. Three days on the lower river in rafts, out of range of the most powerful cell phone, amidst a caddis blizzard which covered acres of water at a time. Out of beer since breakfast, we had to drink water. This trip was not for the timid. Homser Lake has a significant population of Atlantic Salmon and brook trout to four pounds. I slipped into the pontoon boat, my loins recoiling from the chill..... Next year, I gotta bring some waders. Drew |
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From the editor...
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| Short newsletter this month. I just flew in from Oregon, and boy are my arms tired! John Walker will be adding a monthly column aimed at the new members as John shares some of the tricks of the trade he has learned over the years. I understand 6 of our 8 board members attended the FFF Conclave in Livinston Montana this month. I would solicit an article from one of them about the event. There has to be a good story there somewhere. |
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| Drew, Several people have come up to me in the past wanting to know if the newsletter could offer more how to information for the beginner and inter-mediate angler. After mulling this around and decided I would take a stab at it and try to write a regular column entitled TANGLED LINES. John. |
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| This is the first of what I hope to be many "How To" articles covering such topics as where to fish, equipment, reading a stream, fishing strategies, flytying, etc. The name of the column reflects the frustrations I sometimes experienced as a "Barney". I hope this column will address some of the questions you have, or are afraid to ask, and put you on the path toward a lifetime of enjoyment in flyfishing. Questions are welcome at jlwalker@rpbm.com or walker14@swbell.net. Columns such as this often begin with the selection of rods and reels. We'll get to that in later columns. Right now I'm assuming you have the basic equipment and you're more interested in learning where to fish. There are several factors that go into the selection of where to fish including: (1) your degree of skill level; (2) the species of fish; (3) the time of year; (4) weather conditions; and (5) general fishing pressure. If you are just beginning, I would recommend starting in one of the state parks. The closest parks are Bennett Spring, Montauk, and Maramec Spring. These parks offer plenty of fish that will readily take a fly. Bennett Spring is known for its hatches, and this is a place to learn how to match the hatch. There is a mixture of anglers from beginning to advanced. You'll often find club members standing next to you, so don't hesitate to ask for advice. The parks are also forgiving in casting room and this is a good place to practice your casting technique. The only drawback is that at times the parks are crowded. If you can get away during the week, then you will find great fishing. For those of you who are ready for something more challenging, then I suggest fishing the rivers just outside the parks. These areas are generally less crowded and not stocked as often as the parks. However, the fish tend to naturalize to their surroundings and offer the opportunity to catch brighter and bigger fish. At Bennett Spring there are browns and rainbows in the Little Niangua. The Current River just outside Montauk offers some excellent fishing. Club members typically fish three accesses on the Current: Tan Vat, Baptist Camp, and Parker Hollow. These areas are stocked with browns, although there are rainbows that have escaped from the park. You might also try Cedar Grove which is at the end of the regulated water below Parker Hollow. While at Maramec Spring you might try fishing the Meramec River just outside the park. There you will find trout, goggle-eye and small-mouth bass. Further downstream you might try the Cardiac and Suicide accesses. For the more advanced angler, well you probably already know where to fish. You others might try the Roubidoux River, Big Piney , Little Piney, Spring Creek, Mill Creek, Big River, Mineral Fork, the North Fork of the White River and LakeTanneycomo. I would recommend that everyone get a copy of Chuck Tryon's book, Flyfishing For Trout in Missouri. This is an invaluable souce for places to fish in Missouri that includes maps to most of the places mentioned above. You can find it at the local flyshops. Many of you joined the club with expectations of fishing for trout. Trout are found in most of the spots mentioned above. However, I suggest that you check out some other species of fish. This ties in with the other factors mentioned at the beginning of this piece. Ounce for ounce smallmouth bass are the best fighting fish. The best time to fish for them is during the summer months when the trout are hunkering down because of the high temperatures. You don't want to put too much pressure and stress on trout this time of year. Good places to fish for smallmouth are the Upper and Lower Meramec. Try Times Beach. Also fish the Big Piney, Big River and Mineral Fork. Many of these same rivers contain goggle-eye, which is a gamefish. Summer months are also a great time to fish for panfish. Nothing beats fishing for bluegills with poppers. A great fighting fish that seductively sips your fly with a "kiss". There is no better way to introduce a youngster to fly fishing than fishing for panfish. There's plenty of action and lots of ponds nearby. Don't overlook fishing for "sunnies", "punkin' seeds" and "gills" while fishing for smallmouth in the rivers. As the fall and winter months come upon us, the rivers cool down and this is the time to fish for trout. The smallmouth and panfish go into hibernation. Trout become more active. In fact, studies have shown that trout feed more actively and put on more growth in the winter months. Because of cooler water temperatures, there is less stress on the trout. You'll find many of the advanced fishermen moving into the state parks because they offer catch and release fishing and less crowded conditions. Don't miss the club's outing at Bennett Spring at the beginning of the catch and release season in mid-November. This is a great way to meet people and develop sources of information. I hope this article will get you started. One of the points I wanted to get across is to vary your fishing habits according to the existing conditions. Be smart and protect the resource. During hot summer months consider giving the trout a break and fish for species that are more suited to warmer conditions. Rotate the rivers you fish on and take the pressure off the fish. There are'nt going to be many fish if a couple hundred guys fish the same rivers day in and day out. You might even consider cutting back if the weather conditions indicate an increased likelihood for mortality from fishing pressure. There is only so much you can say in an article such as this. I'm probably going to get some grief about telling you where to fish. I haven't revealed any secret spots (you'll have to work for those). I believe in sharing information so that others can enjoy the sport as much as I do. The best way to learn where to fish is not reading about it in a newsletter, but by coming to meetings and asking questions. See you on the stream, John |
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