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PRESIDENTS PEN:
Happy New Year..... |
Greetings!
 For many of us, this celebration means making new "resolutions" to attain goals for the new year. As fly fishers, I think I'm like many of you with wishes to catch bigger fish or more fish or a different species of fish in 2012. One fun thing about a club is that we can talk to our fellow fly fishers at each meeting to find out where and when to fish next and decide what we want to do for our next fishing experience. Many club members have done a variety of fishing and have lots of experience to share.
I started my interest in fly fishing in 2004 while watching a fly caster on our local Campbell Creek catch fish after fish on a fly while others using spoons and bait watched in envy. I walked away that day saying "that's what I want to learn" and have been hooked ever since. I took one of Pudge's excellent introductory classes that taught me fly fishing basics, equipment and an invitation to join the Alaska Fly Fishers Club. Attending Club meetings, I met fellow fishers, attended fishing trips in the Tangle Lakes and at the Kenai River Clean Up, built an 8-weight rod with Steve Shelton's class and started friendships that allow me to fish at a whim rather than sit at home and wish.
Bob Fairchild approached me years ago to become a board member of the Club since I attended most meetings, some functions and seemed to have a genuine interest in the Club. I served as Secretary for a year, then Treasurer for two years, then accepted the nomination of President this year. Some of my goals are to adopt a budget that has been started over the past year, to support Club "objectives" by getting the Club involved in community projects and concerns, to introduce myself to fly shop owners and build a mutual support base with them and Club members.
The Alaska Fly Fishers is a great group of diverse fishers; we have different opinions on bead fishing, metal fishing, spey and center pin fishing, but we all have a love of fly casting, fly fishing and all our wonderful experiences that our sport brings. We as the AFF also try to become involved in local water quality and fishing issues, scholarship assistance, school science fair awards, annual stream clean-up event, photography and fly tying competitions and introducing new fishing enthusiasts to our hobby and location. Please join me for another fun year with the Alaska Fly Fishers.
See you Monday night at the Millennium - and don't forget to bring flies for Fly of the Month!
Jennifer
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Next MEETING: Virtual Fishing Oddities |
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Past President Lance Hankins on January 9, 7pm at Millennium Hotel
 Lance Hankins has a checkered career as both a geek and fisherman. After 8 years in the Navy where he got training as an electronics technician, he moved to Idaho (no more flat land for this boy...) where he took a job in Pocatello as an Engineer at a TV station. He moved to Alaska in 1983, He had fished all his life but had always wanted to learn to fly fish and figured if it was going to happen, this was the place. He joined the Alaska Fly Fishers in late 1984 and it's been downhill ever since. (Who knew how expensive a hobby like this is???) Have to say that Rich Johnson was instrumental in the progression of this disease... Fly fishing classes, fly tying classes, and worst of all - Rich and Lance hit it off and became fishing buddies.
Lance worked at KIMO-TV for many years and while there did "The KIMO Fishing Report" for about 3 years. He became a Board member in 1987 (and a Life Member as soon as it was offered) and maintained the AFF Membership database until late 1993 when he left the state to move back to Idaho. In the Boise area he worked for most of the TV stations in the area over a period of 12 years as well as a stint as the Program Head of the Broadcast Engineering program at Boise State University. After learning to fly fish all over again in Idaho (it's a tad more difficult at places like Silver Creek than most places here) he decided he'd had enough of the desert and in 2005 moved back to Alaska to stay. Lance works for Channel 2 as their Head Geek - just can't seem to get away from that business - and has been active in the Club ever since. He served a term as President, one as a Board member, supplies and manages the database and computer gear we use at the Spring Auction, and sets up the AV gear we use at the monthly meetings.
Monday's meeting topic is "Virtual Fishing Oddities" - a selection of unusual and unexpected things about fishing on the internet. There'll be some regular stuff there too, but we'll focus on places and things you might not have found or seen before. Magazines, blogs, YouTube videos, we'll cover them all. And at the end you'll be given a location where you can check these all out on your own. |
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Prizes! Deadline January 9. Winners announced at February 6 Meeting  Don't forget your photo contest entries. Art Peck, our ghillie, will accept your photos at Monday's meeting. Contest rules can be found at this link.
Entry forms can be found here.
Be sure to thank contest sponsors Mike Brown at Mossy's Fly Shop and Cameraland NY ( www.cameralandny.com) for their generous support.
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Project Healing Waters Alaska | |
By Laura Orr
Project Healing Waters is looking forward to another fabulous year in 2012. We have many exciting trips planned for the up coming season, but also, we are need of more DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS!
Our weekly tying classes and casting teaches are great ways for NEW VOLUNTEERS to meet and build relationships with soldiers and their families.
We are currently meeting at the VA Clinic at 1201 N. Muldoon Rd., just out side of the JBER Muldoon gate, from 4-6 pm every Thursday.
Make one of your New Years Resolutions VOLUNTEERING in our community !!! Come share your passion for fly fishing and fly tying with "Those Who Serve".
Remember to "like" us on FACEBOOK at Project Healing Waters Alaska for updates and PHW news, and you can contact me, Laura Orr, at PHWAlaska@gmail.com for VOLUNTEER opportunities and more.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.......Fish On !!
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from Mike Zavosky
Alaska Fly Fishers 2012 Annual Auction Volunteer Team
Well, folks, again it's that time of the year when we start getting ready for the AFF Annual Auction. I know mid-April sounds like a long way off, but it takes a lot of work and a stretch of time to get everything ready for a great auction.
To date, we have a small group to serve as the core team, but we'll need much more help, especially during the final run-up.
First, we'll need assistance from anyone who has items to contribute or consign - or who can solicit donations from businesses, organizations, or individuals who might be willing to help us out. Not only can contributors claim a tax deduction, but they will be listed on a "Contributors" page of our website (revised annually). Businesses will have space for address, phone, website and maybe a small logo.
Second, we'll need about 30 people in direct support of the auction itself. I'm hoping most/all of the folks who volunteered last year will be available again, and we'll welcome anyone else who wants to lend a hand.
Third, we'll need a dozen or so people every evening of the week of the auction. We have to categorize, sort, and tag all the donations; enter everything into the database; coordinate its move to the Millenium Hotel, etc.
And, as usual, we'll need as many people as we can get to distribute flyers and otherwise help to advertise the event.
If you can assist with any of the above tasks, please contact one of the volunteers listed below, by e-mail or at a meeting.
Many thanks.
Mike Zavosky - zabo496@gmail.com
Mike Harsh - tmike99577@yahoo.com
Martha Peck - cfrmartha@gmail.com
Susan Winton - tootswinton@yahoo.com
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2012 Fly Tying Contest from Frank Stevens |
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Entry Deadline February 18  It is time for third annual Alaska Fly Fishers Fly Tying Contest. Frank Stevens is coordinator of the contest. See him at the January 9 or February 6 meetings, or catch him at the January 21 clinic.
Submit your flies along with a 3" x 5" card for each fly. Write your contact information on one side of the card and the name of your fly and recipe on the other side. Take extra care in how you package your fly to protect it from looking "already fished". Contest details, fly categories and rules can be found at this link.
A new category was added this year for those members with mad skills unbound by contest rules. Flies in this category are not part of the contest but profide an opportunity to show the club your special talents and super cool tying tricks. |
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Fly of the Month January 2012 by Art Peck |
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Orange Conehead Flesh Fly
This fly is not so much an established pattern as it is a starting point incorporating a lot of materials and techniques with a twist. And there just may be a pun in there somewhere. Changing the ingredients will produce any number of varieties of leech or flesh patterns as needed for different situations.
The cone is actually polished silver painted with fluorescent orange Hard Head from Loon outdoors. It is translucent enough to allow the shine from within to add depth and make it very pretty. The fluorescence allows the fish to see it deeper and at greater distances underwater. The tips of the flesh-colored bunny just behind the cone are dyed fluorescent, also.
The UV Polar Chenille is more visible to fish underwater than other colors because UV travels through water farther before being absorbed. Anything that helps fish see the fly must help them find it to bite.
But the counter-wrapped bunny strip and Polar Chenille really make the big difference by eliminating the "Articulated fly hinge" with all its baggage. Limp articulations allow the hook to fall back on itself and foul the leader while casting or fishing. Also, if the fish hits the front of the fly the hook can snag in the gill cover or eye before it gets dragged into the mouth, injuring the fish severely.
The counter-wrapping creates a huge presence with very little weight and the option of adding as much weight as one could want. Single-handers will have more trouble with this than spey fishers, but either should find this trim version quite castable.
Click here for recipe and instructions.
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Snake River Steelhead: Live to Spawn Another Day
 Imagine starting a car trip with a full tank of gas, but this is the only fuel you have for the entire trip. You must travel uphill carrying a load of children nearly one quarter the weight of your entire vehicle. Your mission is to deposit these children in their rightful place 500 miles away. Here's the catch - as if it was not difficult enough already - at the completion of your mission, your very existence will depend on your ability to return to your starting position. Although it sounds strange, this scenario is not far off from the challenges faced by Idaho's Snake River steelhead.
Read the rest of Fish Talk at this link. Bill Hauser is the author of Letters From Alaska, The Inside to the Outside and the NEW book Fishes of the Last Frontier, Life Histories, Biology, Ecology and Management of Alaska Fishes.
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A place to share stories, photos, buy and sell gear 
This month three of our members have ads with gear for sale. It's an opportunity to buy new and used fishing rods, reels and fleece!
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~ President's Pen
~ Photo Contest Reminder
~ Project Healing Waters
~ Annual Auction News
~ Fly Tying Contest
~ Fly of the Month
~ Fly Tying Clinic Reminder
~ 2012 Membership Renewal
~ Fly Patterns Book News
~ Casting For Recovery
~ Members' Corner |
| 2012 Alaska Fly Fishers Membership |
Have you renewed your membership yet? Click here for the 2012 membership application. Mail it in, or bring the completed form to our next meeting or fly tying clinic. Be sure to get your membership card - it will save you money on fly tying materials. Details are on the back of the card. |
| Book News: Patterns of the Alaska Fly Fishers Volume II Update |
Progress continues on the new book as the real work starts. Two work groups have now taken the submission forms together with the fly for each and photographed them to allow data entry and dividing the work load. There are well over 200 patterns in need of entry in a Word document.
We still need photos to fill in throughout the book and provide a face of the AFF to readers. We are looking for fishing, tying, wildlife, and any other shot related to us.
There will be a section in the Appendix on suggestions for flies for different parts of the state, throughout the year, and for all the different fish we pursue. Any suggestions on flies actually used by us would really be appreciated. Please do not feel self-conscious about listing your favorite patterns and suggestions. We are getting some help from members of the Midnight Sun Fly Casters for the interior and some from SE...
Now we could use suggestions for the places you fish.
If you would like to help please contact any committee member or
Art Peck at 345-1123. |
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Casting For Recovery Participants Needed | |
Do you know a breast cancer survivor who would benefit from a weekend of healing, relaxation, fun and -
of course - fly fishing?
Again this year, CFR-Alaska will host two retreats - one in the Anchorage area and one in Fairbanks.
Deadlines to submit an application are April 2 for Southcentral and April 6 for Fairbanks.
Big thanks goes to the Alaska Fly Fishers for their support along with a special thank-you to Mike Brown at Mossy's Fly Shop, who hosted the Up All Night Tie-In to benefit
CFR-Alaska.
Look for an announcement soon for Mossy's 2012 Up All Night Tie-In Benefit.
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| Fly Tying Clinics at KTUU Building | |
Tying flies for the next season is a winter tradition for fly fishers. Every third Saturday from October to April (and sometimes May), the club hosts fly tying clinics in the KTUU classroom. The clinics run from 10am to 4pm. Expert tyers are on hand with lessons and demonstrations. Bring your own tools and materials or use ours. The building is at 701 East Tudor Road - second floor east end. Look for the signs.
THE NEXT CLINIC IS JANUARY 21st. |
| Fly Lines Archive | |
Looking for a back issues of Fly Lines? Electronic copies are available at the link below.
Did you know the Loussac Library has many of the older Fly Lines? |
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