A Message from Your President
Heath Tiefenauer
Hello Fly Fishers International,
Welcome to the November edition of Streamline. Last month was still warm and saying it would cool off was an easy prediction. It certainly has. The cooler weather is here and with it plenty of rain. I hope you had the chance to get out and wet a line during some of the better conditions mid-October offered. My opportunities weren’t plentiful, but I’m thankful for them.
Unfortunately, our October outing had to be cancelled because of the rain and water conditions. We’ll cross our fingers and try again one last time in soggy 2019. Come out and join us on the LIR Sunday November 10th. We don’t normally get together on Sunday, but we hope you can join us.
With November comes the end of year rush. Shorter days, busier schedules and the Holiday season around the corner. We hope you’ll take time to join us for the events we have lined up thru the end of the year. On November 14th we’ll hold our monthly meeting at Hardesty Library, 6:30PM. Fred Kirk will be sharing his summer adventures with us, "Rocky Mountain Road Trip: A 3000 Mile Fly Fishing Adventure". We’ll also be electing officers and board members at this meeting. We still need a volunteer for our Secretary position, if you are interested please contact any current board member.
December 12th we’re getting together for our annual Holiday party, at McNellie’s again this year. See our website for tickets and details, www.tu420.com. Our last event in December is expected to be a river clean up on the LIR with our neighbors the 89’er Chapter from OKC. Watch our Facebook page and website for more details.
Tight Lines,
Heath Tiefenauer
President of Oklahoma Trout Unlimited & Tulsa Fly Fishers
Eggs Arrived On October 31
Trout Eggs Going Into Hatch Basket
By the time you are reading this over 3,000 trout eggs will have been placed into 14 Trout In the Classroom Tanks across the Tulsa area and children from 3rd Grade to Seniors in high schools will have been exposed to the lesson ... "If you take care of the water the trout will be fine."
TIC and SIC short for Trout and Salmon in the Classroom has become a rapidly growing tool for TU Chapters, from coast to coast to spread our conservation message. This program is now happening in more than 4,000 schools. One school system in NYC hosts more than 150 tanks and exposes over 30,000 inner-city children to TU's conservation message and to the outdoors.
If you care to follow along with daily and weekly posts as the year progresses please join the closed Facebook group … TULSA AREA TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM.
If you’d like to contribute financially to this program please send your check to:
Oklahoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 54108 Tulsa, OK 74155.
(Each tank costs @ $1,200 and annual upkeep around $250 each.) If you’d like to learn more about TIC … go to:
WWW.TROUTINTHECLASSROOM.ORG
You can also follow along on Facebook by joining the closed FB group TULSA AREA TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM.
Scott Hood
Youth Education Coordinator for OKTU420
Elections in November
The November 14th TU420/TFF General Meeting is election night for Officers and Board Members. Board members Pat Daly, John Sellars, Scott Hood, Ed Wampler, Maurice Wilkins and Jim Mathewson have another year remaining on their 2 year terms. The following members have been nominated by the Board of Directors:
President: Heath Tiefenauer
Vice President: Kelly Brown
Secretary: OPEN POSITION
Treasurer: Phil Curtis
Board Members: Frank Kohn, Russell Vaughn, Jake Miller
If you would like to nominate a TU420 member (or yourself), please contact Heath Tiefenauer, any current Board Member or officer, or nominate them from the floor at the meeting and be part of the team directing the chapter. We encourage your participation.
The Board of Directors
2019 Conservation Issues
Conservation and Oklahoma Legislation Focus
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Pass legislation to require minimum stream flows, particularly the Lower Illinois river.
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Work to reduce water pollution with focus on the dramatic increases in chicken waste from factory farming operations.
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Monitor and comment on certain Eastern Oklahoma large scale water transfer and water sale schemes that would threaten our fisheries.
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Continue support for the ODWC’s fishing access, trout stocking and new Lower Mountain Fork gold medal waters programs. Work with legislators to avoid any taking of the departments funding source from fishing license revenue and diverting it to the legislators “general fund”.
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Monitor and comment on special interests efforts to sell and privatize Oklahoma’s public recreation lands and waters.
Pat Daly
Conservation Chair
Trout Pond for Tulsa.
The Winter 2019-2020 Trout Pond
Once again, and thanks to our partnership with the Tulsa County Parks Department and The Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Trout Unlimited Chapter #420, we will be hosting the trout pond. It would be a dereliction of duty for me to not, once again, also recognize Mr. Ronnie Embry whose dream this was many years ago and how he helped our Chapter get it done before his passing several years ago.
The first of 3 trout stockings will occur just before Christmas and the pond will be posted NO FISHING. Late on Christmas Eve those signs will come down and the pond will be open for Kids Only Christmas Day until New Year's Day when it will be open to all. It should be noted that adults CAN fish with their children as long as the children are also fishing. When and if the kids should lose interest in fishing, it's time to pack up and go home or out for a cup of hot cocoa.
Schedule and Rules
Kids Only - Christmas Day until the morning of January 1st when ALL can fish. .
Other Kids Only Days – MLK day, January 20th, 2020 and President’s Day February 17th, 2020. Adults may fish with children on Kids Only Days however the children must also be fishing.
POSTED RULES AND REGULATIONS for the
TULSA TROUT POND
1. All anglers over 16 must have a valid Oklahoma Fishing License.
2. One rod and one reel per angler.
3. Cast nets or dip nets to catch trout are strictly prohibited.
4. Four trout limit per angler, per day. No culling.
5. Stringers and or baskets must be labeled with the individual angler’s name and license number.
6. Violators of these regulations will be ticketed and prosecuted.
If you see a violation, please contact the Tulsa County Sheriff’s office at 918-596-5601 or contact the Tulsa area Game Warden at 918-857-5557.
Scott Hood Adult and Youth Ed Coordinator for
OKTU420
Volunteers Wanted
Get Involved In TU420/FFI
TU420 has several volunteer positions that they would like your support in filling. Most of the positions have volunteers currently in the position who are willing to provide mentoring during a transition period. Volunteers would need to be an active member of Trout Unlimited and Fly Fishers International.
Secretary: Responsible for agenda and minutes for Board and General Meetings and assists TU420 officers and Board members.
Social Media Chair/Newsletter Editor: Edits and publishes monthly newsletter and administers Instagram, forum and facebook activity.
Membership Chair: Maintains membership statistics and promotes membership in both TU and FFI.
Outings Chair: Creates and organizes monthly outing events.
General Volunteers: From time to time we have a need for volunteers to help with fly tying, knot tying and casting instruction. If you would like to help on those occasions, please let one of the Board members know that you could be available and are willing to participate.
If you are interested in becoming involved and being part of TU and FFI, or know someone who would be interested, please consider volunteering for any of these positions. Currently these are temporary positions until formal elections in November. For more information and details on the positions and responsibilities, please contact one of the Board members.
Fly Tying Contest
Six Fly Progressive Fly Tying Contest
The November fly of the Month is a Pheasant Tail nymph. This is a fly I use when I don’t otherwise know what to fish, but generally want to start my day imitating bugs instead of cotton candy. Pheasant tail fibers lend themselves well to flies sizes 14 to 18, or even smaller. They can also be tied fat or skinny, with lead or bead heads, and a variety of thorax and leg materials. For all of that, a simple “Sawyer” pattern tied only with PT fibers and wire are also effective, especially as BWO imitations.
The Terrestrial contest is still out, largely due to my own distractions. For those tiers who participated, look for your boxes and judging instructions in the mail soon.
Contact Kelly Brown for details on Facebook, or at kellyfishes@msn.com
-Kelly
Author Kelly Brown will be directing this season’s fly tying contests. Some of your contest fly submittals will be used as fund raising items, raffle items, special contest prizes and other awards for Trout Unlimited and FFI projects like Trout in the Classroom, winter trout stocking of local ponds and youth education programs.
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November Meeting Features Fred Kirk
Guest speaker and master fly fisher Fred Kirk presents his summer 3,000 mile fly fishing road trip with other Tulsa area TU/TFF members. Join Fred as he fishes the Gunnison, Spring Creek, Taylor, Frying Pan, Green, New Fork, Greys, Salt, Teton, Madison, Clark Fork of Yellowstone, Crandall Creek and other western waters. Don't miss this chance to see and learn how to fish these legendary rivers. Also, vote on your Board members at this meeting. Be sure and attend this one and bring a friend. There will be raffle prizes and a drawing for the grand prize too. Tight lines and see you there.
Fred grew up in Jenks, Oklahoma and joined the US Army for a 13 month tour in South Korea in 1970. He graduated from NSU in 1976 with a degree in Accounting and Economics. He started fly fishing in 1998 at the age of 46 and attended Dave and Emily Whitlock Fly Fishing School followed by Orvis Fly Fishing School. Fred joined Tulsa Fly Fishers in 1999 and found his favorite fishing river to be the Upper Illinois. He took his first fishing trip to the mountain west at Gunnison Colorado with TFF led by Dale Duvall in 2000. When Fred retired from IBM in 2008, he took his first extended trip to the mountain region. As Fred wrote: “And that’s how I got myself into this mess….”.
Feel free to come early and meet Fred or ask him questions after the meeting. There will also be Board Members and Officers there to field any questions you may have or help you sign up for a Trout Unlimited or FFI membership.
Trout Unlimited Chapter 420 and Tulsa Fly Fishers meet at Hardesty Public Library, 8316 E 93rd St Tulsa on the east side of Memorial Dr. and one block north of the Creek Turnpike. Doors open at 6 pm (open discussion and questions) and admission is free. Raffle and door prizes are presented at the end of the meeting.
Raffle Prize For November
The raffle prize for the November General Meeting will be a Cabela's tackle bag (Bass Pro). Everything you need to carry your fishing gear, lunch and supplies during your day on the water.
Give yourself a better chance of winning this prize by buying extra tickets at the door. Your tickets will be included in the annual prize raffle after the General Meeting drawing.
Don't forget that the November meeting will be the annual raffle. We have collected the raffle tickets for 2019 and will be drawing for an Orvis Recon 9', 5 weight fly rod. "Recon Teams High-performance feel with lightness in hand". A new Recon is valued at over $400. A nice addition to your rod collection or your first rod.
Outings
Date: November 10 - LIR Outing
Loc: Watts parking lot
Time: 9:00 am
Info: Lunch will be provided at 12:00
Come join us on Sunday Nov. 10th for a day of fishing on our local tailwater the Lower Illinois River. We’ll be spread out fishing on the river all morning and get together for lunch in the Watts area from 12:30PM to 1:00PM. If the weather’s cold we’ll have a chili lunch, if it’s warmer a burger burn. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for good weather and great fishing. See you there!
Date: December 12 - Holiday Party
Loc: McNellie's Restaurant, 409 E 1st St
Time: Doors open at 6:30
Tickets: Purchase tickets online by bankcard only. Seating limited to 65. See website to order tickets at: Reservations. Optional $10.00 minimum "Give-a-gift-get-a-gift" event after the dinner. Come see your old fishing friends and meet new ones.
Date: January TBD - Roaring River Fishing Event with Project Healing Waters
Loc: Roaring River State Park
Time: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
Info: To be provided in future issues of Streamline
Youth And Adult Education
Upcoming Classes
Backwoods at The Farm - Fly Tying Lessons
- Date: November 5th and 19th
- Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
- Location: The Farm at 51st & Sheridan Rd
- Cost: Free
2019-2020 General Meeting Presentation Schedule
Presentations are set for the 2019-2020 season. The following are the dates and subjects. Please provide Pat Daly any recommendations you may have for next year.
November 14. Fred Kirk – “Rocky Mountain Road Trip; a 3,000 mile Fly Fishing Adventure”. Election night.
December 12. Holiday Party at McNellie’s Downtown. Reserve tickets at TU420.com.
January 9. Conejos River Anglers – “Fly Fishing New Mexico’s Conejos & Los Pinos Rivers”
February 13. Fly Tying Night
March 12. Davy Wotton - “The Best of Fly Fishing & Tying” and fly tying pre meeting session
April 9. Randy Richter – “Fly Tying for Stripers & How to Catch Oklahoma Stripers on the Fly”
May 14. Scott Hood - “My Time with TU and the LIR”
FFI Resources
I have been asked where to find general information on fly fishing. Frequently, the question has come from someone who wants to understand what fly fishing is about or what are some of the basic “things’ one needs to know to become more involved in the sport. Most of the time I can recommend Scott Hoods Saturday class at Jenks Community Education Program but that class may only be offered a couple of times a year. Some people can’t wait that long. As an alternative I give a reference to FFI’s presentation on “Comprehensive Fishing Skills” at the FFI website under the tab ‘Learning Center’. This is a downloadable 118 page document that covers information ranging from the history of fly fishing to casting and equipment to strategy and tactics. It is designed to be the visual focus of a lecture but is an excellent option for someone who wants to understand most of the basics and terminology. A review of this document will provide an excellent opportunity for a new angler or beginner to formulate more questions and, at the very least, provide an incentive to ask a TU or FFI member about their fishing knowledge at our general meeting. Take advantage of the talent and experience available to you at these meetings.
Jim Mathewson
Kelly's Korner
The Money Shot
I talked a college roommate into joining me and my girlfriend on a fishing trip on a warm March weekend. After a two-hour drive to one of my “secret” New Mexico places, Paul was surprised to learn that fishing involved climbing down a canyon and a mile hike to the first fishable water. I was surprised to learn that you can’t call it fishing if you don’t have a cooler and a lawn chair. The chair in question this was one of those old aluminum types, big, noisy and square, a long time before fancy chairs that fold into slim bags. After some spirited negotiation, Paul carried the precious cooler, I carried the chair and rods, Karin carried our lunches and gear leaving us all one hand free for the spirited climb down the canyon. When we made it to the big pool, I was glad to leave Paul and his cooler behind and had a great day introducing my sweetheart to a beautiful place full of clean water and sparkly small trout.
We returned an hour before dark to an unhappy half-sunburnt roommate, an empty whiskey bottle, and an enormous brown trout, well over the 20” range. The story was that Paul spent most of the morning trying to get the perfect cast into a 2” gap under an overhanging rock. When he finally made the cast, he let the spinner drag under the rock and was as surprised as the big fish when he hooked up. The water above and below the hole was too small for such a large fish, so all Paul had to do was hang on until the big fish gave out. Paul figured he would never catch a bigger trout as it didn’t fit in the cooler even bent double. Some celebration was in order and the whiskey disappeared. The half sunburn came with an afternoon whisky nap in the New Mexico sunshine.
Both the fish and Paul had seen better moments while there was still ice and whiskey in the cooler. I did learn a few things that day. A good cast really counts, don’t kill a big beautiful fish just to show off to your buddy, climbing out of a rough New Mexico canyon with a hangover is not to be recommended, and if you sleep in the high-altitude sun, you had better set a timer.
Casting is not Catching
Making the money cast every time is not required to catch fish, but if you are after the largest fish in the river, then a quiet approach and making that money cast on the very first stroke is often your only opportunity. Like as not, the best fish live in the very best spots in a river. When you find them, those spots are generally difficult to impossible to cast to. Old wary fish are spooked by anything out of the ordinary, from the crunch of gravel underneath your boots to the repeated thrumming of the water with a heavy fly line and bead head nymph. Usually they won’t be far from some rock or log perfect with good cover for general sulking until noisy bipedals go home. If you find such a fish and a place, you are lucky to get one shot, so make it good.
While trout may not be particularly smart, they are well adapted to understanding “normal” for their environment. Even in our tailwaters with hatchery fish, the fish bite better if you don’t move your feet too much and generally move to the deeper parts of the runs when folks start throwing bobbers and tungsten beads at them.
Having confidence to make the shot you want with confidence and precision takes a fair amount of practice. Good instruction is also helpful, but more than that, it also takes the right equipment for the job. If you find fish actively feeding in 2 feet or less of water, your success with these fish depends on not spooking them. A money shot in skinny water is a stealthy approach, a light landing and a good drift. Next time you see fish in shallow water, loose the traditional bobber rig, go slow with your approach, and consider using smaller flies and longer leaders. A 2 or 3 weight setup excels for this type of work, but casts poorly for larger flies and long casts.
The other quarry this summer were stripers on the LIR. Think about large flies, straight casts and long retrieves. Striper opportunities while on foot always seem to be a long way away. The best days I had this summer was from a boat, but with good casters and keeping well away from the bank. Even though the bite was often right at the boat, most of the fish caught came from casts that starting right at the structure. I have something similar when fishing shad streamers for Smallmouth and Kentucky’s on the James River, and big fish guides on the White River say the same thing about casting streamers for trout.
While rods and casters are all different, consider starting with a 150 grain shooting head on a fast action 6 weight or a 250 grain shooting head with an 8 weight. With a little bit of lawn practice, you will likely be surprised at how nice if feels to load up a rod with a shooting head and “let her rip”. A word of caution… don’t take this setup when you need to make short delicate casts or mend your line, it won’t work any better than trying to get your light trout setup to launch a big nasty or a double deceiver.
If you have a chance, pair up with a few friends for practice in the back yard or at a park. This is a great way to learn what works for you without spending hundreds of dollars to be disappointed. If you have something specific in mind, don’t be afraid to ask our local fly shops, as they will be glad to help and talk fishing too. One last thing, these days we have cell phones and selfies… when you catch that trophy of a lifetime, consider releasing her unharmed.
Best Fishing,
-Kelly
Author Kelly Brown will be documenting his general thoughts on fly fishing in the coming months. If you see him at the next General Meeting, be sure to thank him for putting this project together.
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