Fly Lines and Fish Tales

June 1999

The two best times to go fishing are when it's raining and when it's not.
Fisherman's Saying

Next Meeting: Wednesday June 16th

Meeting Starts at 6:30

TFF Meets at The Green Oaks Mobile Home Park Club House, 2929 MacArthur Drive, just a tad south of Interstate 205.

Raffle to close meeting. We'll be out by 9 pm!

June Raffle:

Always great stuff for us donated by local fly shops, or purchased courtesy of Ben Byng 1999 Rafflemeister.

5wt Rio Windcutter fly line
Bucks Bag chest pack-for the hot days on the river
Rio 3 pack leaders
tippet-3x 5x 6x etc.
Fur (from Rodney Puchta)
Mini dubbing dispensers
Fly boxes
and super glue(for Chuck Sterni)

Welcome James Sheldon and Brian Miller!

The original idea of silent auctioning the flies submitted to the contest has been a great fund raiser. The slide projector we intended to buy with fly auction funds has already been procured, but not at any cost to the club. John Krashchinsky GAVE US HIS.

Thank YOU John!

The Winner of the Fly of the month contest gets a prize. Cliff Sullivan won May's stonefly competition and took home a signed copy of Ken Hanley's California Fly Tying and Fishing Guide. Congrats Cliff! You judge from now on, eh? All in favor say aye!

The fly of the month for June is Any Hopper Pattern. Put yours in the fly box for the judging!

Speaking of fly boxes, the new Tracy Fly Fishers logo is being put onto medium sized fly boxes. Boxes will be available to club members for $7.00 each. Ben Byng is taking names. Reserve twenty and give them to me. Ok, I know you won't, but buy four for you and five more for friends... and then we'll have to order more.

We will set a few boxes aside. We'll use them as gifts to the Northern California Council of Federation of Fly Fishers, for our club members to use if they donate flies to the annual Conclave silent auction. Consider tying up a dozen or two. Just part of our support of NCCFFF.

The BBQ was sunny and warm, not hot at all. Not set up as a fund raiser this year, we just wanted to have fun. We had a windy and wonderful time. Fifty of us swung kids on swings, tested our timing against the Altamont's breeze in casting games (later cancelled), ate our way thru a table filled with great food, wished the wind would settle down (and let the table cloths go home in one piece). We enjoyed the sun and shady oaks of Tracy Wildlife Club. Ben Byng put out a great table full of items for Rich Lobrovich to win. (I think he won five items!) Dick Fletcher took home a great fly vest provided by one of our wonderful fly shop supporters, The Reel Fly Shop in Lodi. Rick Clemens took home a new float tube, and the Trey Combs book on Blue Water fly fishing (thanks again George at Reel Fly Shop!) went home with Scott Allen's guest Wes. Steve Potter was a wonderful host. Thanks Steve!

See you next year!

Casting Clinics and Competition

Chuck Robbins and Cliff Sullivan have been at Dr. Power's Park at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings to give you what you need to improve your skills. Free. Show up.

Interclub Casting Competition, which was scrubbed at the BBQ thanks to our famous and pesteringly frustrating early summer wind, will replace the June 23rd session. Dr Power's Park. 6:30 pm.

Sessions continue on June 30th, but the session moves to Tracy Wildlife where Roll Casts will be the evening topic on the water.

If interest continues, July sessions will be presented.

The two Treasures of Tracy Fly (Chuck and Cliff) have improvement of your casting in mind. Corey says: "Take them up on some free guidance! The fish will fear you. They sure won't thank you."

June 16: Meeting: JAMIE MADDOX " TROUT FISHING AT SAW MILL LAKE "

June 19: Saw Mill Lake outing.

June 21: Board Meeting. All Members are always welcome.

June 23: Casting Competition. 6:30 pm. Dr Power's Park. Tracy

June 30: Roll casting practice at Tracy Wildlife, 6:30 pm. Location to be confirmed.

July 21: Regular Meeting. Program to be confirmed.

July 26: Board Meeting. Members welcome.

July 23-25: Club Outing: Herring Creek. Trout. (Contacts Tom Moffitt and David Liapis)

August 7: Entomology class. (Contacts Rich Lobrovich and Rick Clemens)

Aug 13-15: Club Outing: Middle Fork Of The Feather River (Contact Mike Carlson)

Aug 18: Meeting: STEPHEN HAGGARD, HIDDEN TREASURES OF LAKE TAHOE REGION

Aug 23: Board Meeting

August 27-29: (Date change) Club Outing: Clark Fork, Sierra trout fishing. (Contact Rick Clemens)

Sept 15:Meeting: TOM MALECH, San Jose Fly Shop, SPEY ROD TECHNIQUES

October 1-3: Club Outing: Pit River. Trout. (Contact Dan Freeman)

Oct 20: Regular Meeting

Nov 17: Regular Meeting

Dec 15: Regular Meeting: Members slide show.

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Davis Lake Outing Report, May 21-23: Rich Lanza led the trip to Davis. Weather held for excellent camping.There's a good story circulating about pulling a rig from mud only to be caught in it. Big trout were indeed found and some big ones were even brought to the net. Ask David Liapis about the one that got away. A week later, pike were in the news as being back in Davis. Ugh.

Shad, a yearly affair

American Shad between one and seven pounds are in the Sac and it's major tributaries right now. Have you gotten one? One of these days you and I'll go hunting for them in the San Joaquin. They are supposed to be one hot fish and zing lines. Heart attack style. Maybe I shouldn't be saying anything, because I've never gotten one hooked. Tried it for the first time two weeks ago. Fished in the middle of Sacramento, at Watt Ave bridge. Hey, no one said you have to go to the country to catch fish! Did you know that the shad attract stripers, and those wolfpackish linesides chomp shad with abandon, especially at dusk, which brings me to my next subjects.

Stories of Big Stripers taken on plugs at night abound. Have you tried fly fishing for stripers at night with a fly? The key is you don't have to fish in the dark. Really. Fish in lighted areas like the bridge over Middle River just north of Tracy. There are other local possibilities. Are the stripers there? Am I going to tell you? Use big black flies. Russell Chatham in his book The Angler's Coast tells of night fishing at San Quentin Prison. Maybe you and I ought to try up the San Joaquin at Deuel Vocational. It's a nasty thought.

"Holy Cow! It was how big?" is the usual reply when one tells night fishing stories. Night fishing with flies? Try it for stripers, brown trout and other voracious night feeders. How's your luck been at night for browns? Best one I got for years and years was taken in the dark, shortly after sundown. Yes, it's legal. Mokelumne river at Electra. 17 inches of teeth and fins. June. Hmmm, what month is it now?

Gone fishin yet? Call up your club friends and see if they'll go for a night trip. "What about Sleep?" you ask. Aw, sleep is for sissies. Besides, you can always sleep at work, right?

Grinnin', and wishin I was on the water, Corey

If fishing interferes with your business, give up your business.
-Sparse Grey Hackle

VP Chat
Can you say, " Pike " What's up with this?

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Davis Lake and now they found more pike. Well, that didn't stop us from catching some great fish in the lake and in some small streams near by. We had some great weather, and I think all of the club members that did go enjoyed the trip. My hats off to Dick Lanza And Roland Coleman for a great outing. Thanks Guys.

2nd Annual Tracy Fly Fishers Barbecue At the Tracy Wildlife
"Wow " at least it wasn't Hot this year. How about that wind? Well, we had another great turn out this year with the barbecue. We had games for the kids, some great food, and we almost had a casting contest, but the wind had something to say about that. Special Thanks goes out to Steve Potter for again supplying the place and the the Barbecue Equipment!. Ben Byng for the great Raffle and Pool for the kids. Cliff Sullivan and Chuck Robbins for the rods and the attempt on the casting contest. and a special thanks to all the club members and their families for coming out and supporting the club!

Chuck S

Ethics is all in your head...

Sometimes when we are fishing and having fun, we forget we need to consider others. This was given to me by Roland Coleman on a card printed by The Steamboaters of Oregon.

Stream Fishing Etiquette

A true fisherman goes fishing not only to catch fish but also to enjoy nature's gifts of clear sweet water, the forest and all the creatures that live in them.

He thinks of the other fellow who wants to catch fish as much as he does by:

Letting the fisherman already at the hole finish it without interference.

Sharing the water. After a reasonable time on the pool, he either invites the waiting person to join him, allows him to pass through and fish beyond, or vacates the hole entirely in favor of the other fisherman.

Allowing room to fish so that there is no interference with a fellow fisherman's cast and drift and the fish are not disturbed.

Giving room to another fisherman who hooks a fish near him.

Limiting his take in order to conserve the fishery. Remember it is more honorable to release a fish than to eat it.

In reading this, some other things come to mind. We should also support conservation efforts, avoid polluting, and properly recycle and dispose of trash. (If we take it in, take it out.) Also we should share fishing knowledge with others. Promote ethical sport fishing and sportsmanship. Remember to treat others as we would have others treat us. And lastly, remember all living things have the right to be treated with respect.

Tight Lines- Cliff Sullivan

Two things need doing

We have two needs that need action: one is for someone to bring refreshments to monthly meetings, and another is for someone to help with the webpages. We have lots of potential for posting pictures and creating pages of club outings. Neither is a big deal but would help lots. Let me know by email or phone please. Thanks. Corey

TFF Swap Meet: .....Has been getting good action. Fur and feathers recently sold at bargain prices. I know. I saw it happen. It's true. Bring an old rod or a box of flies, maybe a shoebox of bobbers...and give it a try.Club receives only 10% of sales price.

A Trip to the Tahoe and Truckee area: 12 have contracted to fish in SawMill Lake for the day on June 19th. Some will camp, some go up early and come home late. Any way we cut it, the times will be good.

Casting Ponds in Tracy? email to Corey from Dave Hardesty, charter member of TFF

I believe you were the one interested in casting ponds in Tracy. The Parks and Community Services Commission can consider it. While the Commission will not, by law, be able to address your request, you can at least make it and it can become an agenda item. This is the first step in a series of long steps to bring something like this into a reality. It has taken me five years to promote the construction of a Skate Park, that you have probably read about, and I'm not done with that yet.

I do know of a housing developer for a project called East Lake. They intend to have a motif similar to the Quail Lakes project in Stockton. It occurs that they could build a small pier with a clear overhead which could facilitate our needs. Unfortunately, being on the commission, I am not in a position to introduce this idea. This is where I need you or someone in the club to bring it up.

- Dave Hardesty

Thanks Dave. Roland Coleman, Cliff Sullivan and Chuck Robbins are setting their heads to making this possibility a reality on behalf of the club. More later as information develops.

- Corey

Check out their webpage when you get a chance. http://www.dnai.com/~ccate/CSPAPagerev0.html

Here is a new book that is not about fly fishing but is about restoring salmon to a California river. I thought some FF@ listers might be interested. This review is from the April 19 issue of Publishers Weekly. (Bob Gartner)

Totem Salmon: Life Lessons From Another Species. Freeman House. Beacon Publishers. $24. 224 pages.

Although this is his first book, House displays a talent for lyrical writing combined with an ability to present information clearly. In the early 1980s,
House became involved with several residents who were concerned with preserving the King Salmon, a fish native to the Mattole River, which runs through the westernmost watershed in California. He explains how the salmon have just one chance at reproduction. The female salmon swims upstream and builds her nest for depositing eggs, which are then fertilized after the male releases his sperm. This natural process has been thwarted over decades by an unregulated logging industry, whose companies built roads that contributed to the landslides that destroyed the equilibrium of the watershed, pouring rock, soil and debris into the river.

House, a former commercial fisherman, and other activists began by building weirs that trapped the salmon. After House realized that their dedicated group
could not, singlehandedly, save the salmon or the river, he built a coalition of residents committed to restoring the damaged river and its banks. House details how the longtime community residents and more recent arrivals learned to compromise around a common goal. His inspired and well-written account of environmental activism is a terrific introduction to an ethic he calls "bioregionalism." Available May.

Fishing Reports on the Web: TFF fishing reports always wants your stories and photos. Tell the editor, Corey Cate, where you went, what flies you used, and what a great time you had. Give him your best shots. Send input to Corey. He'll post them to the web.

Tracy Fly Fishers PO Box 1919 Tracy CA 95378-1919