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PRESIDENT'S HOOK
from Bill Huber
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Elections, Elections, Elections! November is election month and AFF will elect our new 2015 Executive Board at our Annual Membership meeting. This year we are fortunate to have 4 current members eager to step forward to serve. Mark Huber is moving from Vice President to serve as Past President leaving the Vice President position open and we have one open vacancy amongst our At Large Members. We all need to say thank you to Jennifer Cook and Keven Kleweno for their outstanding service, support, and leadership while serving on the AFF Board as they depart to spend more time in other areas of interest! The AFF is a far better club today because of their involvement and we say thank you for all you have done.
We are also building our new 2015 calendar of events and activities. As many know the Alaska Sportsman Show is just around the corner in early April, which is one of our busiest months. Following the Sportsman Show, we look forward to our Auction, Spring Seminar, Fly Fishing Film Tour, and so much more. We are always looking for volunteers and members interested in getting involved in these and other activities. If you are interested in volunteering to support an event or activity please contact a Board Member. We are pleased to announce Ben Rowell is our new AFF Auction Chairman this year and look forward to him and his team bringing us another outstanding fundraiser.
Fishing in Alaska in October and November is the best time to catch rainbows and Dolly Varden. I know the weather has been a bit colder than normal slowing the fish movement down resulting in few catches, but I have been seeing several great photos of our members catching some beautiful fish. Thanks for sharing them on Facebook and let's continue showing our members and friends what a great place Alaska is to enjoy our fly fishing passion.
I look forward to seeing everyone at our Annual Members Board meeting and electing a new 2015 AFF Board on Monday, November 3rd, 7:00 pm at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel, Redington Ballroom.
Until then, keep your lines clean and the fish on!
Bill Huber
President
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November 3rd
7 pm Millennium Alaskan Hotel
The November general meeting presentation will be an update from Trout Unlimited (TU) Alaska and their new TU Southcentral chapter, based in Anchorage. Nelli Williams, with TU Alaska, and Brock Freyer, TU South central, will provide an update on their activities and initiatives. TU Alaska and the local TU Southcentral chapter joined with AFF on the Kenai River Cleanup, the Fly Fishing Festival and Spey Clave, and the Fly Fishing Film Tour. AFF has several common interests with TU. Nelli and Brock are enthusiastic supports of sport fishing conservation and education in Alaska. Come out and hear what TU Alaska has going on and learn about their new TU Southcentral Chapter.
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Steelhead = Rainbow
 
In one chapter of my book, I posed this query: what is the difference between a rainbow trout and a steelhead? Although this may sound like a trick question, there is an easy one word answer: none. There is no difference between rainbow trout and steelhead. There is no difference. They are genetically the same species,
Oncorhynchus mykiss. A steelhead is merely a rainbow trout that has migrated to the ocean. They are simply two life forms of the same species.
To read 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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FACEBOOK PHOTO CONTEST
from Ben Rowell
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Congratulations to Jan Schnorr for winning the September Facebook photo contest with "Football shaped bow (27 inches long by 19 inches girth)."
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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As the temperatures drop outside the AFF tying clinics are heating up. Our October tying clinic saw a steady stream of members coming through the door with about 30 tiers throughout the day. I would like to extend a thank you to all who helped with the clean up.
The Club recently purchased a fly tester swim tank and it was a big hit to see how the fly you create "swims" underwater. We will have it at future clinics, so bring your flies down and check it out. Thanks to Mike Brown at Mossy's Fly Shop for giving the Club a good deal on the tank.
Upcoming winter tying events:
November 15 - Tying clinic - Pudge Kleinkauf will be demonstrating some of her favorite Northern Pike flies. At 12:30 we are going to have a blindfolded woolly bugger competition, materials will be provided.
December 20 - Tying clinic - Yes Les, I will bring the cream puffs. At 12:30 we will have an "iron fly" competition, details to follow. The AFF Fly Tying Competition categories and rules will be announced.
January 17 - Tying Clinic - Rich Johnson will be demonstrating different mouse patterns forthose big Alaskan bows and pike.
February 21 - Tying clinic - 3:00 pm is the deadline for submissions to the 2015 tying competition. Art Peck will be holding a tying demo on classic Spey patterns.
March 2 - Fly Tying Competition Results at our general meeting.
March 21- Fly tying clinic - Dubbing brushes demo with Rich Johnson
April 2-5 - Members tying at the AFF booth at the Sportsman's Show
April 18 - Tying clinic
May 16 - Tying clinic - Rich Johnson will be demonstrating smolt patterns for those spring rainbows and greyling.
If you are new to tying or seasoned behind the vise, stop on by our next clinic on Saturday, November 15th. We meet at the
 William Jack Henandez Fish Hatchery at the corner Reeve Blvd and Post Road from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The clinic is free and open to the public. Materials and vices are on hand if you don't have them. Pudge Kleinkauf will be demonstrating some of her favorite Northern Pike flies. At 12:30 we are going to have a blindfolded woolly bugger competition,
materials will be provided.
Thanks,
Chad
Chad Gage
748-5920
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PROJECT HEALING WATERS NEWS
from Jan Schnorr
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October 4th and 5th found PHWs once again at the Kenai River Drifter's Lodge. Despite a blizzard greeting the group at the boat launch, the weather soon cleared and everyone caught fish; silvers, rainbow, and Dolly Varden. This trip was made possible through generous donations from Drifter's Lodge, Sackett's BBQ, and Northern Industrial Training. Thank you!
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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Reading about baseball is a lot more interesting than reading about chess, but you have to wonder: Don't any of these guys ever go fishing?
-Dave Shiflett
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(you don't have to have a Facebook account to see our page)
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