Tim Wade, the owner of North Fork Anglers in Cody, Wyoming will be the guest speaker at our September 26, 2002 meeting. North Fork Anglers is one of the premier fly fishing headquarters in the Northwestern Wyoming Yellowstone park area. Tim has been featured on ESPN, and TNN outdoor programs and most recently in the June issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. Tim is originally from Southwestern Missouri, but has spent many years in Wyoming' guiding, instructing and writing articles. He is also opening an outfitter service on Arkansas? White River.

Tim's program will focus on fishing in the Yellowstone area, and he will also tie several of his featured flies.

The September program will start at 7:30 PM at the Museum of the Dog.

Jack Gartside Highlights Fall Meeting

There will not be a meeting in October. Instead, Jack Gartside, fly tier extraordinaire, author, raconteur, and fly fishing legend will be our guest at an all day Saturday meeting on November 2 , 2002. Jack hails from the Boston, MA area, but has figured out a way to make a living by fly fishing all over the world. He is known for several of his innovative fly patterns including the Gartside Gurgler, the Gartside Sparrow, and the Filter Fly.

Mark this one on your calendar. It should be very entertaining. The exact location of this special Saturday meeting will be announced at the September meeting and in the next newsletter. The Dog museum and other facilities in Queeny park are not available on November 2nd.

The fishing holds up if we get a chance to travel at this time of year. Salmon and steelhead beckon in the states bordering the Great Lakes, which aren't all that far away. Fall is the time to be out west. It's also a time when more kids are back in the school and competition from other fishermen is less.

And we need reminders about lots of other things going on: Tim Wade will be our guest at our September meeting, the Southern Council Conclave is set for October 4,5,6 in Mountain Home, there's an outing on the Current River in mid-October, and our annual catch-release weekend is set for November 8-9-10. For those of you who forgot, the Ozark outing at Springrise on September 14 was very enjoyable. Lots of trout were exercised and re-leased but they also won a few battles--Dave Haas broke a bamboo fly rod with a husky rainbow on.

So mark your calendars and remind yourself to be there. That's just in case you remember that the leaves need raking, the storm windows need painting, or a significant other is planning for an interminable trip to the shopping mall that requires your presence. It's good to be reminded of life's real priorities.

Brian Flinchpaugh

Lefty Kreh, Dave Whitlock, Jennifer Olsson, Terry and Roxanne Wilson, and Duane Hadda are some or the recognized experts that will be giving presentations and demonstrations. Fly tiers will demonstrate their skills and patterns from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. each day. Equipment reps and dealers will have booths. Ozark Fly Fishers will be conducting casting games. A live auction will be conducted each evening by auctioneer and comedian Johnny
Chambus. He is worth the trip even if you aren't interested in bidding. Registration forms are available through the Ozark FF internet link to Southern Council or see Bob Temper.

The Southern Council Federation of Flyfishers represents flyfishing clubs located in Arkansas, Kansas, western Louisiana, Missouri, southeastern Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. It also represents individuals, not affiliated with local clubs, in most of those locations. It is affiliated with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), based in Bozeman, Montana. The FFF is a federation of individuals and clubs throughout the United States and also throughout the world. Our motto is "conserving, restoring, educating through fly-fishing". We support all species of fish in all waters. The organization provides an opportunity to meet fellow flyfishers (some of the best people in the world), to teach others about our sport, to learn from others about our sport, and most import-antly to channel our efforts into conservation. Our strongest conservation focus is on clean water and fisheries habitat. The FFF acts as a conduit for those who want to accomplish good deeds. If you have an education or conservation project, the FFF may help you accomplish it. Even if you don't have a personal goal along these lines, when you join the FFF and when you pay your dues, you help someone else achieve their goal. Someone else's goal may be to improve your home waters. Many rivers, streams, and lakes are in better shape because the FFF exists. Please help by joining.

For Ozark members that have never been a FFF member we have a special first time offer. For a special discounted rate you not only get the FFF membership but a 1 in 12 chance to win a new rod, reel or tying outfit. See Bob Temper for details on the few remaining special memberships.

Last year Joe and Rich had only one class of four students but apparently it was a success that led to the 13 students this year. Each student got attention from the Ozark presenters and they were very appreciative. Some bluegill were caught from the nearby lake and everyone seemed to have a good time. Thanks to Joe, Rich, Diana and Doug.

Mike adds:

The Current Outing
& Cleanup day

Several club member will be attending the October 19th all day outing this year. Montauk State Park and the Current river are wonderful places to be in the fall. Don't forget that we will be having a stream cleanup day on October 20th of this year too! I will bring along a boat to put the trash bags into and we will meander down the river to Baptist Camp. I will need a volunteer to provide transportation to and from Baptist as I will leave my Jeep at the parking area and drive it back to pickup the other vehicle or vehicles. As you can tell, I would like to have an idea of how many people would like to help me on this cleanup day. Please call my home phone number and leave a message should you want to attend or merely email me:

Webbinsurance@earthlink.net. The leaves will be turning and the water will be running. Oh what a beautiful thought! See ya there.

Michael Webb, CD

• Matt Tucker
  
• Jerrod Joggerst
  
• John Faraher
  
• Richard Bradley
  
• Joe Ondrus
  
• Eva Brinner
  
• Virgil W. McKinney
  
• Robert Lane
  
• Russell Keller
  
• Tom Bailey
  

I flew to Bozeman, Montana and rented an economy car with unlimited miles, stocked up on groceries and headed for the park. I stayed at a great little place called Roosevelt Lodge Cabins in the North East corner of the Park. Since I was staying for a week they gave me a great cabin that backed to Little Lost Creek. It was a "Rough Rider" cabin, which amounts to a clean and secure place to stow your gear, with nothing but a bed, desk, nightstand, electric light, and a wood burning stove for heat. Potable water was located at a tap just outside and the shower-house/restroom, restaurant/bar, and Hamilton store were just a short walk away. I met one of the park historians doing a survey, and he said that the cabin I stayed in was built in 1934 and was originally located over by Fishing Bridge at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake.

Day 1
Arrived in Bozeman around 11am. Stopped by Wally World and the local Safeway for provisions and set out for the park. I had one more stop to make at Park's Fly Shop in Gardiner to meet Walter, a fellow Missourian, who had helped plan my trip. Got to the park around 3pm. Cooked a steak dinner and then drove out to the Lamar Valley around 6pm. I should have brought a fishing rod, the Lamar was clear and caddis flies were coming off by the millions! Saw my first bear of the trip, lots of buffalo, a wolf track, and a beautiful sunset over the Lamar Canyon.

Day 2
Drove 40 miles south to the Upper Yellowstone. Stopped to admire the Upper and Lower Falls, the huge herd of buffalo in Hayden Valley, then headed to Fishing Bridge to watch 2 foot long cutthroat rising to caddis flies. Finally, got on the water around 10am. I fished pretty hard all day and fished at most of the access points between the Lake and Mud Volcano. Only saw one fish all day and put it down with my second cast. It was crowded and nobody else seemed to be having any luck either. Anyway it was sure an amazing river 3-15ft deep and 75-100 yards across in most places and multiple bugs hatching at any one time.

Day 3
After getting skunked on the Upper Yellowstone I decided to try some back-country fishing. Drove over to Hellroaring Trailhead, signed the trail register then hiked three miles to Hellroaring Creek. Hellroaring Trailhead is a pretty difficult trail if you are not in shape. It descends around 700ft of vertical in the first mile to a steel suspension bridge over the Yellowstone after that it's a pretty easy hike to Hellroaring Creek. Unfortunately, Hellroaring Creek was muddy from recent rains so I crossed back over the suspension bridge turned left and climbed down another 100ft to the Yancey Hole on the Yellowstone. The water was cloudy, but the salmon flies were pretty thick. I figured it was worth a shot and fished it for an hour our so with no avail. Elk Creek also flows into the Yellowstone a Yancey Hole. I was only 3-5ft wide, closer to a waterfall than a creek and covered with blown down lodge pole pines, perfect brook trout water. I tied on a #10 Royal Coachman Trude and proceeded to educate a bunch of brook trout in the next hour. Creeled two nice 10" brookies for lunch then slogged on up the hill. It made Cardiac Hill look like an escalator ride.

My confidence restored, I had a fine lunch of wild brook trout and a nap then headed over to Slough Creek. The lower meadow was muddy, but it was clear above the campground. I put in at the campground and fished upstream toward the canyon. I caught some small cutthroat trout on a crackleback but the real highlight of the trip was the wildlife. I figure I was ¾ of a mile above the campground fishing below a nice riffle. A mule deer doe walked down to the water not 20' away from me. We both seemed sur-prised to see each other but got over it. She went back to grazing I went back to fishing. About 10 minutes later I saw her ears shoot up. I couldn't see it but something was going on. I heard a big spash, turned and saw a small cinnamon bear crossed the stream barely 50' upstream from me. It crossed then wandered on up the ridge on the other side. At that point, I decided I had had enough adventures for one day.

Day 4
The little hike to Hellroaring Creek left my feet looking like hamburger so I decided to stick close to the car. I wanted to fish the Lamar but it was still muddy, but Soda Butte Creek was clear enough to fish. In the morning I fished the meadow water just south of Pebble Creek. Some PMD's were hatching and the fish seemed to prefer a PMD colored crackleback to a sparkle dun (Craig Matthews, eat your heart out!). I fished the lower section between Soda Butte and the Lamar that afternoon and had some incredible fishing. It seemed that the trick to catching meadow fish was to look for slower side channels, and undercuts keep a small beetle or hopper imitation tight against the bank. After catching five huge cutthroat trout from the same undercut I decided it was time for dinner. Got back to the cabin just in time to take some great pictures of a bear that wandered down from the hill behind my cabin.

Day 5
My feet felt better so I decided to take the trail to the upper meadows of Slough Creek. There is a fair amount of vertical on the trail, but not bad compared to Hellroaring Trail-head. It's a little over a mile to the first meadow, around three to the bottom of second meadow. My desire to fish overcame my desire to hike at the bot-tom of second meadow. I played around at the bot-tom of second meadow then fished down into the canyon section between first and second meadow. I didn't have much fishing success, but had a great time enjoying my surroundings. I enjoyed watching the marmots playing in the rocks, the wildflowers, and the butterflies. I wish I could say the experience of fishing first meadow was the equal of my morning adventure. I caught plenty of fish and some big fish, but there were just enough people around to ruin the experience. It looked like rain, so I headed back around four o'clock.

Day 6
Brimming with confidence, I headed back to the Upper Yellowstone. After hiking and looking for fish at virtually every access point between the lake and Mud Volcano, I spotted a sum total of two fish. The Upper Yellowstone is a dead fishery folks! Thoroughly tired and disappointed, I packed up and headed back to Roosevelt. I just reached Hayden Meadow when I realized I had left my rod on top of the car when I left Mud Volcano! There was a wildlife slowdown ahead, buffalo standing in the road, tour buses, mini-vans, people trying to pet buffalo, etc. Frantic, I threaded my way through the logjam of vehicles, beasts, and humanity, sped to the next turnaround, sped back and did it again! Fortunately, someone found the rod, the bad news was it was run over by a car! The funny thing was that the person who found the remnants of my rod felt worse than I did. You got to love those unconditional rod guarantees, now if we could only get them on reels (I plan to mount what is left of the reel with some pictures from the trip).

After my days experience I needed a little pick me up. So I headed over to Soda Butte Creek after dinner. The water was cloudier than the previous trip so I tied on a big black Chernobyl ant. The fish co-operated and again my confidence was restored.

Day 7
In the past five days of fishing I hadn't bothered to stop and fish the lower meadow of Slough Creek. It holds big fish and some really challenging fish, though surprisingly I don't think it is as crowded as the first upper meadow. I parked at the first lot, and then hiked down to VIP hole. A guide and two sports beat me too it. I talked to the guide and he said fish weren't even coming up for the live hoppers he was throwing on the water. The water was deep, wide, clear, and very glassy so I decided my best bet would be to hike upstream and try to spot risers rather than beating the water to froth. I managed to spot and catch a few with a small CDC hopper pattern. I moved up to the third lot after lunch, hiked down a hundred yards then fished back up to the camp-ground. The stream has a bunch of riffle water in this section, so I tied on the black Chernobyl again and worked my way upstream, again with good results, a fine end to a good week of fishing.

This was my first trip to the park, and I had a great time even though I limited my choices to the Upper Yellowstone, and streams in the northeast corner of the park. Mainly Slough Creek, the Lamar, Soda Butte Creek, and the Black Canyon of the Yellow-stone. It rained a lot. Out of the places I visited, Soda Butte Creek was the most consistent. I have yet to fish the Gibbon, the Firehole, and the legendary Madison. Then there is Grebe Lake, and the Yellowstone flowing out of Gardiner, MT. With so much unfinished business, I found it hard to get back on the plane.

A container has been placed in the fly shops around town for you to deposit your donations or you can give them to us at the meetings.Thanks for your help. Bob Temper, Steve Antonic

STEP 2: Lay a piece of lead wire or other material of equal weight density along the top of, and parallel to, the hook shank and extending to within one wire width of the thread position. This will enable the final wrap of lead to miss the first line of wire, thereby creating a smoother body base. Wrap the tying thread forward and then back to the barb of the hook.

Next wrap the lead wire away from you around the hook shank. Three wraps should be made within the back half of the shank. This will aid in the fly drifting downward tail- first at a forty five degree angle to the surface for maximum leg movement.

One transitional wrap should position the wire at the end of the lead line and the final wrap should occur off the edge of the lead line.

Snip the wire at an angle and press the wire neatly around the hook shank.

STEP 3: Strip 1/8 inch of chenille end leaving exposed thread to allow for a less bulky attachment to the hook. Attach the chenille end just behind the beginning of the lead wrap at the hook bend. Wrap forward completely to the hook eye being careful to totally cover the lead. Next, place your thumbnail on top of the hook shank immediately behind the eye and apply pressure to compress the lead and chenille backward toward the hook bend just far enough to allow for wing attachment and the head.

STEP4: Cut two pieces of rubber hackle to approximately 1 7/8 inches. Hold the rubber hackle so that one is clearly on top of the other one between your thumb and forefinger while pinching them to the hook shank. Using the pinching technique, wrap the thread at the end of the chenille, making two or three wraps to secure. Make two or three wraps just in front of the rubber hackle.

Release your pinching grip on the rubber hackle and once again use your thumbnail on top of the hook shank to compress the rubber hackle back against the chenille. If the rubber legs have been tightly trapped between the chenille and the head we are about to build, they should stand out about ninety degrees from the shank. If they are not try tugging gently on individual legs or wrap thread behind, or in front of, or between the offending leg.

STEP 5: Build the head in a generally tapered manner and double whip finish. Do not use head cement.

NOTES: I have used this fly with no lead. I generally whip it four times also.

FISHING TIPS: Cast and strip it under the water and cast again with it wet, when no lead is used.

I suggest using heavier than three pound test fluorocarbon. Do not hold the fly line tightly against the fly rod they will break it immediately. Small Bass also will hit it. Retrieve the line very slowly, while wiggling the tip of your rod. They usually in my very limited experience with this fly hit it within two to six inches of the top of the water. The smallest Bluegill I?ve caught on it has been seven inches.

COLORS: White, yellow, chartreuse, olive, brown, black, and hot pink. The legs are the same color as the body.

28 September 2002: Ozark Fly Fishers will be represented at the National Hunting and Fishing Day at August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes 1, 2, and 15. The event will take place from 9:00am to 4:00pm. To volunteer as a casting instructor or fly tying demonstrator, please contact Larry Carli via email at ljcarli@aol.com or via phone at 618-659-1579.

04-05 October 2002: Southern Council Conclave in Mountain Home Arkansas. Registration is now open.

08 October 2002: Ozark Fly Fishers Board Meeting 7 PM at the home of Bob Temper. Board meetings are open to all Ozark members, however, please notify Bob Temper at 314-894-0319 if you plan to attend. Directions): From I-270 go south on Highway 21 (Tesson Ferry Road) about 2 miles. Turn left on to Wells Road. Turn left onto Greenton Way. Pass through 2 boulevard stops and over the hill. House is on the left at 5617 Greenton Way.

19-20 October 2002: We are having a fishing outing on the Special Management Area of the Current River on Saturday the 19th and we are having a trash pick-up day Sunday morning the 20th on our club's Stream Team section of the Current River. For additional information please see the August Newsletter.

02 November 2002: All day meeting with nationally known speaker Jack Gartside. Please visit his web site at http://jackgartside.com.

08-10 November 2002: Annual Fall Outing at Bennett Springs. To secure your room, please return the reservation form as soon as possible.