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PRESIDENT'S HOOK
from Bill Huber
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What an absolutely incredible fishing season this year. I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the wonderful lakes, rivers, streams, and coastal waters here in Alaska. I must say, I was very blessed to visit the Naknek River, Ninilchik, Kodiak, Kenai River, Russian River, Quartz Creek and yes, I even made it north to Montana Creek. Everywhere we fished was amazing. The scenery was awesome, as was the time away from the office, home, and city. There is nothing better than the Alaska Outdoors!
The Alaska Fly Fishers Club has had a great summer as well. I find it almost unbelievable that within a month we held our annual picnic, an incredible Spey Clave and Fly Fishing Fair, and a very successful Kenai River Cleanup event with our Trout Unlimited, StreamWatch, and Kenai Watershed friends. I must say I am overwhelmingly impressed and extremely thankful for all our outstanding members who volunteered to help plan and support these wonderful events. They make the Alaska Fly Fishers an outstanding organization people want to belong to....very well done!
As we move into fall, Mark Huber, Jan Schnorr, Jolynne Howard, and Mike Harsh will make up our executive board election committee and are working hard at finding volunteers ready to get involved in serving on our executive board and help lead us into the future. If you or someone you know is interested in serving please have them contact one of our members. We will have board elections at our upcoming November General Membership meeting.
Finally, we look forward to seeing you at our October general meeting where Pudge Kleinkauf will present her 2014 fishing adventures. I am confident you will enjoy her presentation, learn about a few new places, and see some absolutely incredible fish pictures. Pudge is an outstanding guide, phenomenal instructor, and a great story teller.
Until we meet again, keep those line clean, tight, and fish on!
Bill Huber
President
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REEL KIDS!
our youth are awesome!
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Ryan won the grand prize of the equipment package at the Spring Clinic. It would appear Ryan is making very good use of his winnings! We love to see our youth in action! If you have something to share, please email it to aff.flylines.ed@gmail.com. We'll share it with our members, here in Reel Kids. |
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We are pleased to have AFF member Pudge Kleinkauf making our presentation in October. Pudge offers an informative program on her recent trip above the arctic circle to Kotzebue to see the caribou migration and fish a few of the area's rivers. Pudge is a noted author, guide and fly fishing instructor. She owns Women's Flyfishing and hosts several trips in Alaska and to international destinations. Pudge is always an engaging presenter who includes wonderful photos. Join us Monday and learn about the Kotzebue area, a true off the beaten path destination.
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KENAI RIVER
CLEAN-UP RECAP
from Keven Kleweno
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22nd Annual Kenai River
Clean-up! Recap!
"Wow" comes to my mind when I remember this year's cleanup. We have to start on Friday to cover the whole event.
It was raining when we started the day at the storage facility. But the use of the 15 foot box truck for the weekend donated by Publix Storage made getting all the necessary equipment loaded up a breeze. Not only was the truck great for hauling everything down and back, we were able to store all the food in a bear proof container. It was great! "Thank you", Publix Storage for the donation of the use of the truck for the weekend and Chad Gage for asking.
Then off to Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart, for the second year in a row, donated funds to supply food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Cleanup. After talking to an Assistant Manager about a location to store full shopping carts, we started the shopping. It was a blast. I appreciate the time and enthusiasm from Bill Huber, Jan Schnorr, and Jolynne Howard to help with shopping. If you have an opportunity to take part in this event next year, shopping is one of the most enjoyable parts.
Let's start with a very big "Thank You" to Wal-Mart for the great donation, providing the food for this year's event and "Thank you" for the assistance Wal-Mart's great staff provided us during checkout and loading all the items into the truck. All the help was wonderful. Again, "Thank You" Wal-Mart!
With ConocoPhillips providing a large tent and grill combined with the tents provided by Stream Watch, it made the weekend enjoyable for everyone volunteering.
By Saturday morning, the clouds were parting and 117 individuals signed in to assist in picking up trash. By late afternoon, the sky was clear and a few hundred pounds of trash had been picked up. Music started around 5:00 pm and we fired up the grill. Bill Huber and I donned our chefs' hats and soon had burgers, hotdogs, and brats coming off the grill and by 7:30 we had served up the last of them. We were a little cooked but came through ok.
The raffle was a great success. Thank you to everyone who donated to the Cleanup raffle this year. The list of donors can be found along the edge of this issue of the Fly Lines. If you use their service, please take the time to thank them for their donation to the Cleanup.
In my article about coming to the clean up I talked about the cleanup, meeting new friends, and fishing. I have covered the cleanup. Everyone had a great time and the cleanup was a success. I made new friends and landed plenty of reds, pinks, and silvers. Put the Kenai River Cleanup on your calendar for September 2015! See you there next year.
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Extinct Arapaima
My first job working with fish was 50 years ago this summer. I have worked with fish ever since and am retired from formal fish work, but I am still learning more about fish almost daily. Just recently, I learned more about a Fish Talk topic from about a year ago. Following is the article I wrote and below that is some new information.
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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FACEBOOK PHOTO CONTEST
from Ben Rowell
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This 30" Bow is Smiling as Big as i am - Last Fall on the Nak
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Congratulations to Terry Umatum for winning AFF's July Facebook Photo Contest with "This 30" bow is smiling as big as I am last fall on the Nak." Terry was not a member of AFF and chose an AFF membership as his prize. Welcome to the club, Terry!
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Fly Fishing for Fish Charming
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And congratulations to the August winner, Lily Jordan for her photo, "Fly Fishing for Fish Charming."
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition. Keep the photos coming!
The photo facebook photo contest is currently running. Enter you fishing themed photos to www.facebook.com/alaskaflyfishers. Don't forget to Tag, Like, and Share your photo.The photo with the most Likes wins!
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FLY TYING CLINIC NEWS
from Chad Gage
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We had steady flow of tiers through in the morning at our September clinic, with the sunny afternoon being a little slower. I would like to give a thanks to Pudge Kleinkauf and Dave Rooker for their help.
The winter "fly tying calendar of events" is being finalized. As a teaser, we are planning the blindfolded woolly bugger tying competition and the "iron fly" competition (you get a pile of materials with an allotted amount of time to come up with the best fly).
Also, I would like to line up themed tying tables for each month. Let me know if there is a pattern that you would like to learn more about or if you have a favorite pattern you would like to share with the club.
Thanks,
Chad
Chad Gage
748-5920
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PROJECT HEALING WATERS NEWS
from Jan Schnorr
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Notice to Active Duty Military Members
and Medically Retired Veterans
In addition to active military individuals who are participating in a Warrior Transition Unit, veterans who are undergoing medical or other treatments or have participated in a Warrior Transition Unit or the Medical Evaluation Board are welcome to participate in weekly tying clinics and to go on fishing trips. For additional information, please visit our Facebook Page at Project Healing Waters Alaska or send an email to PHWAlaska@gmail.com. Thank you for your service.
PHW Tying Clinic
On September 11, PHW sponsored a BBQ in conjunction with the tying clinic. Mmm... good.
Some PHW participants and volunteers helped pick up trash along the river and roadways at the Alaska Fly Fishers Kenai River Clean-up on Saturday September 6th. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the great food, wonderful music, and fantastic raffle prizes! Sunday, group members traveled to a nearby lake for some float tube fishing for rainbows. Thanks again to the Alaska Fly Fishers for sponsoring the event and to Bob Rima, Drifter's Lodge, for providing lodging.
  
The Kenai River on September 20th - 21st was awesome!! Despite the very high water levels, the fish were plentiful. PHW participants enjoyed the day catching rainbows, dollies, whitefish, sockeye and pink salmon. Several 25 inch rainbows were landed and two rainbows estimated to be 30+" eluded the net. This trip will live in memories for years to come. Special thanks to the sponsors of the trip including Alaska Fishing and Lodging and Alaska Fishing Services as well as to our guides Tyland VanLier, Damond Blankenship, and Kevin Thurman and the Aspen Hotel in Soldotna.
PHW would not be possible without the support of the
Alaska Fly Fishers!
Thank you for your continued support.
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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 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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Work: a dangerous disorder affecting high public functionaries who want to go fishing
-Ambrose Bierce
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(you don't have to have a Facebook account to see our page)
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