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PRESIDENT'S HOOK
from Bill Huber
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Fish on! It is amazing to see so many Alaska rivers full of big bright silvers and what fun they are to catch. I believe silver salmon are one of the best fighting fishes and the most fun to catch. They have come in late to the Kenai River this year, but this means we are going to have some great fishing for the Kenai River Clean-up the weekend of September 5-7 at the Cooper Landing/Kenai River ferry crossing. This year's cleanup is shaping up to be one of our best events ever. Stream Watch, Kenai Watershed, Trout Unlimited, and Project Healing Waters are all participating this year. We also have numerous Anchorage, Cooper Landing, and Soldotna businesses sponsoring the event. Brother Mark and I were overwhelmed by the kindess and generosity of the Cooper Landing businesses pouring out their appreciation for the AFF Annual Clean-up. So, come on down Friday or Saturday to join forces to take care of the river and to join in lots of fun, food, music, and prizes.
Congratulations to the Spey Clave and Fly Fishing Fair planning team for putting together an incredible event on August 16th at Mirror Lake. The day started a little cloudy, but soon broke and the sun shone for everyone to enjoy. I must say, I saw more than one hundred smiling, happy fly fishers learning about spey casting and talking to presenters and professionals in the field about how to change and improve their own casting techniques. Several people were able to cast demo rods from Winston Rods, Bass Pro, Mountain View Sports, and several instructor rods. To complete the fair, we were happy to have Project Healing Waters demonstrating fly tying. Finally, we have to say many thanks to Fish Alaska and Trout Unlimited, without whose generous support this event would have not been so successful. Brother Mark is already planning for next year's event to be even bigger and better.
There is a great deal going on in the Alaska Fly Fishers Club and we are extremely thankful to all the members and volunteers who make it happen. We look forward to seeing everyone at Cooper Landing ferry the weekend of September 5-7. Come down a to celebrate another great fishing year, pick up trash, tell some incredible stories, eat great food, and go fishing!
Until then, keep the lines clean and the fish on!
Bill Huber
President
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SEPTEMBER MEETING
KENAI RIVER CLEAN-UP submitted by Keven Kleweno
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22nd Annual Kenai River Clean-up!
If you have not marked your calendars for AFF's Kenai River Clean up, September 5-7, 2014, or are not planning on attending, you are really missing one of the best events AFF hosts each year. If you were like I was for years, I asked myself, "Where is the fun in picking up trash someone else either threw of their car or left on the side of river?"
My first clean up, I worked alone cleaning up the Sportsman Landing parking lot. I found a 4' by 2' piece of ¼" screen I still use today in the garden. The next year, I hooked up with a group and found close to $2 along the road along with other great items we still laugh about today. Over the last several years I have gotten to know other AFF members well enough we now try to fish together as much as possible. Make it to the December 2014 meeting to see third annual "Fishing with Friends" presentation to see where the clean up can take you.
Saturday starts with sign-in at 8:00 am and have coffee and breakfast. Clean-up starts any time after 9:00 am and runs to noon. If you work the Sterling Highway or any other road accessible areas, lunch is served from noon to 2:00 pm. If you are with a group floating the river, we invite you to pack a lunch to take with you.
After a Saturday morning of picking up trash, there will be a camp fire going and plenty of water to fish. Over the years, some great looking silvers, rainbows, and dollies have been caught and released along the river in front of the Russian River Ferry parking lot. We close the day with dinner, a raffle, and live music.
This is one of the best events AFF hosts all year. Come down to find out what you have been missing. I know I will be there having fun, meeting new friends, and fishing. Yes, in that order!
Location: Russian River Ferry Parking Lot at Sportsman's Landing on the Kenai River
Date: September 5-7, 2014
Events:
Friday:
6:00 pm - Early bird arrival; campfire and tell fishing lies - uh, stories
Saturday:
8:00 am - Coffee, breakfast, cleanup assignments
9:00 am - Start cleaning the highway or the river
Noon to 2:00 pm - or pack a lunch to take with you
6:00 pm - Dinner, music, & raffle
Sunday:
Go fishing!
There is no general meeting the first Monday
in September the Millennium Hotel.
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FLY FISHING FESTIVAL & SPEY CLAVE REPORT
submitted by Mark Huber
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Over 100 people turned out on Saturday, August 16, for the very first AFF Fly Fishing Festival & Spey Clave, held at Mirror Lake Park near Anchorage. The day started with casting and fishing presentations by instructors and guides from Alaska and Seattle. there were fly tying demonstrations by members of Alaska Fly Fishers and Project Healing Waters fly tying groups.
Josh from Mountain View Sports showed up in the morning with hot coffee and pastries for the crowd. A lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, and chips was enjoyed by those attending. In the afternoon the sun broke through the clouds to warm the day, and there were two more presentations followed by an opportunity to try out equipment provided by Winston Rods and cast with the presenters.
Later in the afternoon, the crowd was hotting and hollering as the distance casting competition took place. Casting loops were fly to distances of 80 to over 100 feet. Keith Graham took home top honors in the professional division with a cast of 106.6 feet, followed by Lee Keupper at 104.4 feet and Todd Somsel at 102.6 feet.
The Men's division was won by Shayne Pond with a cast of 88.1 feet, Chris Pouncey took second at 86.1 feet and AFF President Bill Huber was third with a cast of 85.3 feet.
Kate taylor won the women's division with excellent technique to make a cast reaching 95.6 feet.
It was a full day of celebrating fly fishing and learning tips and techniques. The crowd was soaking up all the information and knowledge being shared. Mirror lake Park proved to be an ideal location. Presentations were entertaining and packed good suggestions. Fly tiers shared many tips and tricks. The lunch was enjoyed by all and the sunshine warmed the fly fishing spirits for everyone.
Make a point or take an opportunity to give our sponsors your support and a big "Thank you!" Alaska Fly Fishers, Fish Alaska Magazine, Trout Unlimited, R.L. Winston Rod Company, Mountain View Sports, Bass Pro Shops, and Trout Unlimited Southcentral Alaska. The sponsors made the event possible and open to the public at no charge.
Building on the success in 2014, you can count on seeing the 2nd Annual Alaska Fly Fishing Festival and Spey Clave in 2015!
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TANGLE LAKES REPORT
submitted by Jan Schnorr
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Tangle River Evening
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Sharing the Campfire
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The Solstice Tangle Lakes trip proved to be fun and packed with great fishing opportunities. Twenty-two members traveled 300 miles to the edge of the wilderness where grayling abound. The Saturday potluck picnic included a wonderful assortment of homemade sausages, salads, fruit, casseroles, and of course delicious brownies followed by a cozy evening around the fire.
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Alaska Fly Fishers Fisheries Scholarship 2014
Established: The Scholarship Fund was established in 1992 with the objective of furthering education, understanding, and knowledge of Alaska's sport fisheries and fisheries management, and the the sport of fly fishing to advance the goals and objectives of the Alaska Fly Fishers. The Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are Alaska residents.
Purpose: To offer financial assistance for undergraduate/graduate studies for tuition and books to natural resources, fisheries or related majors to encourage research aimed at enhancing the freshwater fisheries in Alaska, particularly Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic char, and Arctic grayling.
Amount: The scholarship amount of $1,000 for the school year will be awarded in December 2014.
Qualifications:
- Applicant must demonstrate initiative, motivation, academic and leadership potential
- Applicant must be admitted with a declared major to a program (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student) in the field of natural resources, fisheries, or related programs
- Applicant must be a full-time student at an accredited college or university in Alaska during the term for which the scholarship is awarded
- Applicant must be in good academic standing with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 during high school or 3.0 during college years
- Applicant must demonstrate interest in the field of natural resources, fisheries, or related programs
Scholarship Application Forms: Click here for the the Scholarship Application form, or it can be downloaded at the Alaska Fly Fishers website, here.Application Deadline: The Scholarship Application forms must be submitted to the address below by
5 pm on October 1, 2014.
AFF Fisheries Scholarship Jan Schnorr 3034 Brittany Place Anchorage, AK 99504
for additional information contact Jan Schnorr at janiceinak@gmail.com or 337-1818 |
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Watershed
by Bill Hauser
Watershed. A stream is much more than a ditch or a trench with water flowing through it. Streams are a complex mix of various components that begin with strata of bedrock and ending with layers of gravels that have taken eons to develop. Through centuries, rivers change in many ways and some changes leave footprints in the landscape that become part of the watershed. Water enters and leaves the stream in various ways including rainfall, snowmelt, and groundwater. The stream and watershed morphology and the stream water conditions; e.g., water temperature and water quality, determine the distribution and relative abundance of fishes, fish habitat, and fish food. In short, a stream is a complex, dynamic amalgam of physical, biological, chemical, ecological, and hydrologic units.
The rest of the story...
Do you have a question for FISH TALK?
Bill recently published Fishes of the Last Frontier, Life Histories, Biology, Ecology, and Management of Alaska Fishes and previously, Letters from Alaska, the Inside to the Outside.
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The Tail End of this
AFF Fundraising Opportunity
Attention Fly Fishers!
Until August 31st, Fish Alaska magazine is donating 25% of all subscriptions sold to or by our members to the Alaska Fly Fishers to support our organization and our conservation efforts. Fish Alaska offers subscriptions from one year up to a lifetime -- which means 25% of anything from $30 to $350 goes directly to AFF.
Anyone who mention the AFF when they order or renew their subscription to Fish Alaska magazine and anyone who buys a lifetime subscription for $350 not only brings in $87.50 for AFF, but also receives an opportunity for a round trip RAVN Airlines ticket OR a North Fork Composites rod blank for free.
This is a great fundraising opportunity for us! We would love for our members to help get the word out and sell subscriptions to their family, friends and fishing buddies. It's easy to start: Either call Fish Alaska for order forms to pass around or just start spreading the word that anyone who orders a subscription and mentions the Alaska Fly Fishers when they do will be doing a great deal to help our cause. Don't forget to have them mention your name as well, because the AFF member who raises the most money over $350 through subscription sales wins his or her choice of either a RAVN Airlines round-trip ticket or North Fork Composites rod blank. Email joy@fishalaskamagazine.com or call 907-345-4337 to order or ask questions. This promotion ends on August 31, 2014 and it's not available online -- you must call or send in an official order form! This is a super easy way to help the AFF; don't put off subscribing or renewing your existing subscription any longer!
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MEMBERS' CORNER
our members do amazing things!
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Make a Difference
Get Connected
Volunteer!
If you are interested in helping on any committee, please let any AFF board member know. Currently we are in need of volunteers for the First Annual Fly Fishing Festival & Spey Clave, the Annual Fundraising Auction, the Spring Seminar, the Annual Picnic, the Kenai River Cleanup, and more!
Let us know about any cool things our members do!
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FLY TYING CLINIC NEWS
from Chad Gage
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glass bead emergers
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The August Fly Tying Clinic was cancelled. Please join us September 20th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the WJ Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery, at the corner of Post Road and Reeve Blvd. as we gear up for another season of fly tying.
For more information about tying clinics, to volunteer to help or demonstrate, please contact
Chad Gage
748-5920
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FLY TYING OUTREACH
from Chad Gage
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Remember, AFF has 10 vises and tool kits available to our members for use to instruct youth.
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PROJECT HEALING WATERS NEWS
from Jan Schnorr
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PHW participants with BLM and other support staff
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One of Manfred's many grayling
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The four-day Tangle Lakes trip was awesome! After practicing casting on Friday night, everyone polished their landing skills and headed down river in BLM jetboats on Saturday and Sunday. Their hand tied flies captured the attention of lots of grayling. A special thanks is extended to Tim Sundlov and all the volunteers affiliated with the Bureau of Land Management in Glennallen, Fairbanks, and Anchorage who donated their time and resources, as well as Alaska Fly Fishers members and Project Healing Waters volunteers.
PHW Tying Clinics
During July, PHW sponsored two tying clinics focused on tying Damselfly patterns. Mike Malone located all the special blue foam materials needed and taught everyone to tie awesome Damselflies. Numerous participants had opportunities to cast the flies along the lily pads to see just how explosive big rainbows can be.
Frank Stevens introduced Sculpin patterns to participants during another tying clinic and Chris Pouncey demonstrated variations he uses. Rainbows really guzzle these big flies.
During August, PHW sponsored two tying clinics focused on tying articulated flesh patterns used for big rainbows and two tying clinics focused on the intruder pattern, used for steelhead and salmon, as well as rainbow. Participants will be using these flies on upcoming fishing trips during September and October. Wednesday tying sessions still happen at the Fisher House on JBER where veterans live while receiving medical treatment in Anchorage.
The PHW trip to the Kenai River July 21st and 22nd proved to be exciting. Floating the Kenai River below Cooper Landing produced many salmon hook-ups and the walk-in fishing along the Russian River was outstanding. A special thanks to Chris Pouncey, who served as trip leader, and to Bob Rima and the Drifter's Lodge who provided housing and guiding services.
Project Healing Waters volunteers Mike Harsh, Dave Rooker, and Manfred Aponte staffed a fly tying demonstration and instruction table at the AFF Fly Fishing Festival & Spey Clave on August 16th. It was a wonderful event, enjoyed by all!
PHW would not be possible without the support of the
Alaska Fly Fishers!
Thank you for your continued support.
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You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then let it go. They don't want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.
-Mitch Hedberg
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(you don't have to have a Facebook account to see our page)
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