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PRESIDENT'S PEN:
So much to do - so little time.... |
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Greetings!
As July comes to a close and I begin to feel that our summer will continue for only another 3-4 weeks. At this point, there remain several fishing trips yet to take and several summer projects yet to complete. How will I fit it all into the rest of the summer? Well, if we are lucky, early fall will linger and provide a couple of extra weeks to get things done. Otherwise, there will be a list of things to do next year as summer approaches. But in the mean time, it is prime time to get out and experience the prime of the summer fishing season.
At our July meeting we heard about the new fish hatchery construction at Ship Creek. This is a 134,000 square foot facility employing the most modern technology available. This is a world class facility which will provide fish stock to south central Alaska for decades to come. The hatchery is currently operating but not open to the public yet. The official opening should be sometime this fall and I will pass along information to you on the date for the grand opening. Once open, you will certainly want to visit the facility and learn about all the good work they are doing to enhance our fish stocks.
You should note that we will suspend our regular monthly meeting at the Millennium Hotel for August and September to allow for our August Picnic and the Kenai River Clean Up in September. Our regular monthly programs will pick up again in October on the first Monday of each month at 7 PM at the Millennium Hotel.
On August 1 we will host the AFF picnic at Mirror Lake and on September 10 & 11, AFF will host our annual Kenai River Clean Up in Cooper Landing. See inside the newsletter for details of these events. Come join us for these wonderful events!
Earlier this summer I wrote about driving safely as we travel to enjoy summer fishing and activities. With the recent tragedies on the highways fresh in our minds, please stay safe by buckling up when driving, staying alert and avoiding driving fatigue, and driving defensively watching out for the other guy.
See you on the river.
Mark |
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AUGUST 1 MEETING IS A PICNIC!! |
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Begins at 5 pm at Mirror Lake
Our August 1st meeting will be at the Mirror Lake Picnic Grounds. Come early at 5 pm and enjoy a picnic and casting practice on the lake. Members are encouraged to bring the whole family. This is the third consecutive year of the picnic. We are asking members to bring a salad, chips, side dish or dessert to share. Board member Jan Schnorr put together a flyer with details and driving directions. Click here for AFF August Picnic information. This is a great chance to get to know members new and old. We hope to see fine casting demonstrations on the water and hear splendid fishing tales.  | | Map to Mirror Lake |
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FLY PATTERNS OF ALASKA,
VOLUME II by Art Peck |
It is not too late to get your secret fly in the new book! The book committee needs your input. You could be famous!
Art Peck can fill in the details. Click the following links for fly pattern submission forms in either Word or a PDF format. The Word form should allow you to fill it in on the computer and email it back. The PDF form can be printed and then filled in by hand, whichever is easiest for you. Or contact a willing committee member and deliver the information directly.
The best way to contact the committee is through affpatterns@gmail.com a new email address just for book communication. Regular mail to the club PO Box is slower, but reliable:
Alaska Fly Fishers
200 W 34th Ave, #1233
Anchorage, AK 99503
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Early and Late
Early runs and late runs. Why do some species of salmon have more than one run? This is actually not a difficult question to answer, but it is challenging to explain. Let's start at the beginning. What is a "run?" What we call a run is a spawning migration. More specifically, a run is made up of one or more salmon populations that are homing and returning to spawn in streams and other specific spawning areas. Many factors can affect salmon run timing.
To read the rest of Fish Talk about salmon runs click here.
Bill Hauser is the author of Letters from Alaska, The Inside to the Outside and the upcoming book Alaska Fishes. |
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Fly of the Month August 2011
by Rich Johnson |
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Gold Creek Special
Rich Johnson is our guest tyer this month. Riley Peck will have a fly for us in September's newsletter.
This month's fly is the Gold Creek Special from Pat Welsh in Valdez. Pat was lucky enough to land a 19.36 pound Silver with this pattern. Rich ties it in purple and pink for the August 2011 Fly of the Month.
Click here for Rich Johnson's instructions for the Gold Creek Special.
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2011 Kenai River Cleanup Call For Volunteers
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"2am, June 11, Where Were You?"
by Gerry Balboni (2011 photo contest)
The 2011 Kenai River Cleanup will be held on Saturday and Sunday September 10 and 11, 2011 at the Russian River Ferry parking lot in Cooper Landing Alaska. Last year we had approximately 150 folks come out to assist in cleaning up the banks of the river, the highway and pullout. On Saturday evening we had a BBQ followed by on bon fire and live entertainment.
This event requires considerable effort to put together and coordinate so it comes together without a hiccup. Volunteers are needed to help with setup and tear down, registration, food and drinks service, and securing the coveted door prizes. With the exception of the door prizes, most of your time commitment will be in the week leading up to the cleanup itself.
Please contact Mark Huber if you are interested in helping to pull together this awesome event for 2011. You can reach Mark by email at mhuber@gci.net
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In this Issue:
- President's Pen
- August 1 Picnic at Mirror Lake
- New Book: Flies Sought
- Fish Talk by Bill Hauser
- Fly Of The Month: Gold Creek Special
- Kenai River Cleanup
Banner photo "Reeling Stoner" by Gerry Balboni, 2011 Photo Contest | |
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2011 Alaska Fly Fishers Membership |
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$25 Individual Annual
$30 Family Annual
$250 Lifetime
Be sure to get your membership card - it will save you money on fly tying materials. Details are on the back of the card.
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| Get Fly Lines Sent to Your Inbox |
We have email addresses for about 80% of our active members. If this email was forwarded to you, kindly help us get your correct email address into the system. A note to jhoward@alaska.net should get you squared away. |
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