www.wyflycasters.org
Backca!
"e Vol. 39 No. 9
The Monthly Newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters
Ten Sleep Extravaganza! The Future of Angling Theresa’s Fabulous Gumbo Recipe Brag Time & Fishing with Joe Event Calendar
September 2012
Le$er for September Greetings members,
Here it is September already, school is in session, nights are cooling down enough to make sleeping comfortable, and the water temperatures in the river are falling. Wouldn’t it be nice to get out to the water for a bit if fishing? Ahhh, if only schedules allowed for such things (Joe and Spencer excepted of course). Random thought, what if politicians spent more time with a fly rod in their hands and less time with a microphone? Makes one wonder. And speaking of schedules, we have some things coming up that are worthy of being put on your calendar. First up is the club BBQ. September 12th at 5 or 6 o’clock. The club provides burgers, dogs, buns, condiments, and sodas and water. The first burgers and dogs will be coming off the grill right around 6:00pm so we encourage folks to be arriving sometime before that. We would appreciate it if you would bring a side dish of some sort. If you chat with some of the members regularly please feel free to check with them and coordinate your side dishes, hopefully avoiding too many of one type. An incentive to arrive around 5:00ish is the fall gear swap. The April one seemed to go pretty well and the board thought it was worth doing another one this fall. You have had all summer to clean the garage and now is a great opportunity to relieve yourself of some of your fishing gear burden and allow someone else to take it on. We hope to see a lot of members at the BBQ. Come on out and have a burger and share some community time with your fellow club members. The next day, September 13th the EXPO begins. 2
Will Waterbury, President Lee Tschettert, Vice President Casey Leary, Secretary Matt Stanton, Treasurer
EXPO begins. Joe Meyer is the club’s point person for this event. Help is need to assist school aged kids learn the basic motions of fly casting. Though each child gets only a couple of minutes of time with a rod in their hand it is really meaningful to some of them. If it’s been a while since you have helped a child put a big grin on their face, come on up to the Events center on the 13th, 14th, or 15th. Call Joe (235-1316) for more info. Happening at the same time as the EXPO is the Platte River Clean-up. We always have a good presence at the clean up so if the younger crowd is not your thing why not join the clean-up crew and get another good BBQ meal out of the deal. Two BBQ’s in one week is a pretty good deal. Call Colin Tierney (541-740-7141) if you have a boat that you would be willing to navigate down the river and into nooks and crannies in the riverbanks to pick up litter. Colin is a member of the club and a member of the organizing committee for the clean up. I do not have the notes from the last board meeting typed up yet so they will be in next month’s newsletter. The most noteworthy item was the approval of funds for the purchase of vests for club members to wear at events like the EXPO. That’s it for this month. The best excuse for not attending any of the above functions is being out fishing so I expect to hear a lot of fishing reports at October’s meeting. Catch many peaceful and rejuvenating moments while you are out fishing, and perhaps a fish or two.
Will
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2013: Joe Meyer, Scott Novotny, Alex Rose Terms expire in 2014: John Dolan, Jim Johnson, Chris McAtee, Spenser Amend Terms expire in 2015: George Axlund, Brian Bayer, Jesse McGregor The Backcast is the monthly newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters, an affiliate club of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy and the Federation of Fly Fishers. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the views of the officers, board or members of the Wyoming Fly Casters. Annual dues are $20 for an individual, $30 for a family, or $250 for a lifetime individual membership or $450 for a lifetime family membership. Visit the club website at www.wyflycasters.org. To pay dues or contact the club, write to P.O. Box 2881, Casper, WY 82602. The deadline for submission of information for each issue is a week before the end of the month. Make contributions to the next issue by emailing material to the Backcast editor at marketingmavenaha@ gmail.com or call (708) 997-2071. The Backcast is available either in electronic format or through USPS snail mail. To receive each newsletter through a monthly e-mail, you must be able to open .pdf (Adobe Acrobat, a software program available free of charge) documents. Usually, each issue is roughly 1 MB in size, some are larger. Your e-mail provider may have limits on the size of attachments. In order to be added to the e-mail list, send a request to marketingmavenaha@ gmail.com. In addition to receiving each issue of the newsletter earlier than your hard copy peers, e-mail subscribers are able to print each copy in vibrant color -an added plus if the issue is rich in color photographs. By sub- scribing electronically, you also save the club roughly $17.40 a year in
printing and postage expenses.
Wyoming Fly Casters
September 2012 Special thanks to all those who were instrumental in putting the event together and all those who attended. I am truly sorry I missed it. We received a lot of input from Matt Stanton, Lee Tschetter, Randy Stalker and others. They were all on hand to participate in the event as well as report on it. Thanks to Randy for providing pages 6 and 7. Sharing their experiences with our members is what really makes our newsletter interesting. Keep it coming! I’d also like to personally thank Spencer and George for an absolutely fantastic day floating the North Platte. (see picture to the right). Thanks to them I thoroughly enjoyed a much needed break from the crazy world of work. Spencer and George both caught a fish. Alas, I caught several strange looking green fish - stringy long tentacles with mossy green bodies and get this ... no gills or fins! Ha!
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Will’s Letter
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Member Notes
CONTENTS
This month we’ll be reviewing what a great event the Ten Sleep outing was for our members and friends.
TABLE OF
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Ten Sleep August outing
9 - 10
Treasurer’s Report Catch-Up
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The Future of Angling
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Theresa’s Gumbo Recipe
13
Brag Time and Joe’s Fishing Tips
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Calendar
Nevertheless, the day was marvelous in our eyes. I highly recommend that our members get out there and enjoy what hopefully, will be a long Indian summer.
Peg September 2012
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Member Notes: On Wednesday September 12th we will have our annual Fall BBQ in lieu of a general meeting. The BBQ will start at 6pm rather than 7. The club will provide grilled meats and asks that everyone bring a covered dish or dessert to share. September 13, 14 and 15th, Game & Fish Expo! Kids coming to the Event Center will participate in a variety of “how-to” tasks. They’ll get the chance to learn about many game and fish sports. Each “how-to” they learn will earn them a new rod & reel supplied by North Platte Walley’s Unlimited. Please contact Joe Meyer if you’d like to participate as a greeter, instructor or photographer. Any written observances or pictures of the event can be sent to me so I can include it in the October newsletter. All are welcome. If you haven’t volunteered or participated in this event before, please do so now! The kids need you!
Bad news, good news. We’ve decided to drop the “know you knots” feature for now. But we’ll have a “Can You Identify this Location” photo. While fishing the Platte a few weeks ago, Spencer suggested that it might be fun to see if the WFC members can identify the location of where the picture was taken. Look in October’s issue for the first mystery location.
Special thanks to our local retailers, fly shops and lodges. You’re always there when we need you.! Cliff Outdoors www.cliffoutdoors.com
Platte River Fly Shop www.wyomingflyfishing.com Sportsman’s Warehouse www.sportsmanswarehouse.com
http://www.roadslesstraveled.us/Popup.html
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Vivi Crandall and Terry Redlin prints (contact me for names/prices) and
Matt Stanton 307-258-9915
North Platte Walleye’s Unlimited www.npwalleyes.com
For more details email Scott Novotny at gscottn@gmail.com
Large selection of framed, signed and numbered
Men’s Chaco Z/1 Sandal. Size 13. “Matrix color. New in box, $45. OBO
North Platte Lodge www.northplattelodge.com
Coleman Fleetwood Colonial Popup Camper 2005 Like New $5,000
Classifieds
Ugly Bug Fly Shops, www.crazyrainbow.net
All Patagonia SST jacket XXL $300.00 2011 model NIB; SST jacket women's older style XL $125.00 NIB SST jacket Small; older style used $50.00 Scott Novotny 307-315-3534 The Patagonia SST Jacket has evolved over the years. New fabrics, pocket designs, zippers, belt loops are all re-designed in the 20011 SST. One thing has stayed constant over the years, the SST Jacket is superbly designed to deal with harsh conditions and be a functional tool in the arsenal of the fly fishier. The SST stands out in it's design, water proof zippers for hand warmer pockets as well as the main zipper. The back belt loop will allow you to thread your wading belt through the jacket and create a lock down tight seal for those deep wading situations. The SST is simply a great fly fishing jacket.
Wyoming Fly Casters
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Sleep
that I don’t remember from previous years. In all, not a single fisher person went without. Saturday evening Theresa and Lee Tschetter treated all of us to homemade gumbo. Even though it melts metal spatulas (you had to be there), Theresa’s family recipe was met with rave reviews. Deb Theriault’s chocolate chip brownies
by Matt “Da Pasta King” Stanton
and Sarah Stalker’s pink ambrosia salad rounded out the evening perfectly. It has been said that WFC outings are sometimes more about the food than the fishing, and the same may be said of this weekend. But I ask; why not? Fly fishing is something of a solitary endeavor after all, and what better way to create camaraderie than hot food and a campfire.
The annual Ten Sleep outing held over the weekend of August 10th was a resounding success. This was my fourth year serving as stream keeper and I can honestly say I have an excellent time every year. This year was particularly exciting for me because I was able to share responsibilities with a co-stream keeper, Lee Tschetter.
There were also conversations about new fishing locales as well as alternate sites for future Ten Sleep outings. Alas, if the current Forest Service plan is implemented, Deer Park Campground will be closed and relocated. This is bittersweet news as it brings to an end an era of great gatherings, but it also provides us with an opportunity to expand our horizons and look for new waters to explore.
Aside from some rain on Friday night requiring impromptu tarp-shelter construction Saturday morning, the weather was quite nice with clear skies and sunshine Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Fishing was on par with what I’ve come to expect in the Big Horns this time of year; hungry fish and lots of ‘em. Brookies were the bulk of what was caught, along with the occasional rainbow and brown, as well as some interesting hybrid variations
September 2012
Not to say we can’t return to the familiar West Ten Sleep Lake area next year, but you never can tell what a new season might bring. A big thanks to all the participants of this year’s outing and I hope to see even more new faces on the water the next time we head to the mountains.
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Good friends, fine food and fly fishing in the Big Horns
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Wyoming Fly Casters
September 2012
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10
Our
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Sleep friends
Wyoming Fly Casters
September 2012
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Wyoming Fly Casters
The Future of Angling - How to Help
part 2
Patagonia Magazine, Joe Starinchak. US Fish & Wildlife Service
"Problems that look muddily abstract on a big scale take on color and texture when you talk about waters close to home." This quote has never been truer than it is today, particularly when it comes to the issue of aquatic invasive species and the impacts they are creating on our natural aquatic systems and the fisheries they support.
species' impacts are often underwater and are not realized until their damage is already done. Unfortunately, this relegates the invasive aquatic species issue to below the surface of people's minds. Fantastic waters like the Deschutes, the Yellowstone and the Madison Rivers and the Great Lakes are just of a few of the aquatic systems that are experiencing negative impacts from invasive species like New Zealand mudsnails, whirling disease and zebra mussels. However, thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the national Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and their Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!™ campaign, this issue is now being made visible to fly fishers, paddlers and others who recreate on US waters. This campaign has united the entire conservation community to speak with one voice about this complex issue and is designed to raise aquatic recreational users' awareness of this issue and to empower people to prevent the spread of these species by cleaning their recreational equipment every time they leave the water.
As one of the most challenging and complex environmental issues impacting our fisheries worldwide, aquatic invasive species are reducing game fish populations, fouling pristine waters and ruining recreational equipment, while making lakes and rivers unusable for all aquatic recreation users. Additionally, these harmful species are dramatically increasing the operating costs of everyday things we all take for granted – like drinking water plants – and are reducing property values and negatively affecting local economies of water-dependent communities. However, most importantly, they are reducing native species populations and are ultimately degrading ecosystems. There are multiple layers of complexity surrounding this issue. The primary way these harmful species move around the planet is in the ballast water of transoceanic ships. Regulating this transport then runs into the quagmire of the global economy and global regulations. Locally, invasive species are introduced to new waters on recreational equipment, this then involves local economies and the bureaucracies of federal, state and local agencies that have regulatory responsibilities to address this issue. Additionally, this is compounded by the aquatic nature of these species, which means that the September 2012
As Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!™ has correctly identified, people’s behaviors matter! Regardless of how they perceive their sport and its relative degree of impacts, the fact is that the aquatic invasive species issue makes the conservation component of recreational activities absolutely essential. So, whenever you plan your next float, drift, wade or excursion, make sure that the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! ™ prevention procedures are at the top of your mind.
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WFC’s Recipe Box Theresa’s Gumbo Ingredients For the base: 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Large onion, diced 1 Large green bell pepper, diced 4-5 stalks celery, chopped 2-4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste) 1 lb. polish, smoked, or Andouille sausage, or a combination (Andouille is Cajun sausage) 4 large chicken breasts, cubed Salt and pepper to taste (or Mrs. Dash lemon pepper) For the rue: 1 stick unsalted butter, ½ cup of olive oil, OR combination ½ c. flour (you can substitute rice flour) For the broth: 64 oz. low fat, low sodium chicken broth 2-4 cubes low sodium chicken bouillon (no water) 12 oz. low sodium V-8 juice Seasonings: These amounts are guesses! Please adjust according to taste: ½ tsp. Morton’s Natures Seasoning or Mrs. Dash lemon pepper ½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (plain or Garlic and Herb) 1 Tbsp. Zataran’s seasoning ½ tsp. Herbs d’ Provence OR (¼ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp. rubbed sage, and 1 Small bay leaf) You can use fresh herbs, but increase the amounts. ¼ tsp. celery seed 1/8 tsp. rosemary 2 Tbsp. Tabasco Salt and pepper to taste, if desired And the finishing touches: 2– 16 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, no salt added 1- 16 oz. pkg. frozen corn 1- 16 oz. pkg. frozen okra 1- pkg. frozen shrimp, cooked, tails off (adjust according to taste) Optional- (clams, crawfish, seafood mix) 6-8 servings Cooked rice 12
Wyoming Fly Casters
Brag Time!
Joe’s Fishi ng Tips The most importan t tips to share: (1) Don’t break your wrist on backcast. (2) Don’t bring back your rod farther than 2 o’clock. September 2012
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Labor Day
WFC Fall BBQ 6 PM
Fishing Expo - Event Center
Board Meeting 7pm
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Wyoming Fly Casters P.O. Box 2881 Casper, WY 82602
The Mission of the Wyoming Fly Caster’s is to promote and enhance the sport of fly fishing and the conservation of fish and their habitat. 14