March Meeting: David Gregory………………
March Raffle……………………
President’s Line……………………
Fly Tying……………………
March Class: Poppers
Fly of the Month: Adult Damsel
Conservation Concerns……………
The Good News and Not So Good News
Membership Notes…………………
Club Activities – March
Annual Dinner Reflections
February was a good beginning for 2024
Gearing Up…………………
Fishout Schedule – March
Cartoon ……………………
Posted on March 1st, 2024
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89352294939
David Gregory is the owner of Yosemite Outfitters, a fly fishing and Hiking guide service out of Yosemite.
David has a B.S. in Parks and Recreation Management and is a graduate of Clearwater Guide School. He is enthusiastically devoted to sharing his love of fly fishing and guides for Yosemite Outfitters. The past 19 years he has formed a deep connection to Yosemite and the cool crystal waters off the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers
From roaming the Patagonian Andes to the sheer magic of Yosemite, David Gregory will take us on an aquatic adventure through places that have captured his heart. Addressing the need for conservation and stewardship to preserve the future of our sport and planet.
Posted on March 1st, 2024
March is here and it is time to get serious about going after some of the big guys at Pyramid Lake. Take a look at these great raffle prizes that will give you a leg up at the Lake of the Giants, or if you prefer a nice little rod/reel package for Sierra streams.
Don’t miss out, buy your lucky raffle tickets.
Raffle tickets cost a dollar each, $20 bucks gets you 25. Click on the following link to purchase your lucky raffle tickets:
https://www.santacruzflyfishing.org/product-category/raffle-prizes/
The online ticket sales office will close at noon on Wednesday the day of the Fly Club meeting. The drawing will take place at the monthly meeting (3/6) held at the Aptos Grange. Club membership is not required to participate, need not be present to win.
Participation in the monthly raffle helps the Club’s conservation and scholarship programs, your support is greatly appreciated.
Posted on March 1st, 2024
The Santa Cruz club is a member of the Fly Fishing International (FFI) which provides us with well priced insurance to run the club. I thought that was all it did, but after attending a lunch meeting at the Pleasanton Fly show, I am convinced that they have a program that will be a cornerstone of our club as well as many clubs around the world. This year our club will continue to roll out the Fly Casting Skills Development program and I can imagine a time when we will have 20+ people at our casting clinics. The “aha” for me is that the program is based around Skill Assessment, not a pass/fail test and not a classroom. And the Skills Development program is for everyone, below I have pulled information about the mission and skills involved at each level.
The mission of the Fly Casting Skills Development program is to give all fly anglers a guide to learning and improving casting skills that address increasingly advanced fishing situations. It starts at the Foundation level, for true beginners to the sport who might be picking up a fly rod for the first time. It progresses through 4 levels of Foundation, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. These provide a broad, relevant range of fishing casts covering skill categories of loop control, accuracy, roll cast, presentation, change in direction and distance. Better casting skills open more fishing opportunities with less frustration. All fly anglers can benefit and should be proud of their accomplishment. There is even an opportunity for recognition of casting accomplishments with an award document and a pin at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
BRONZE FLY CASTING SKILL LEVEL
The Bronze Level is focused on developing or reinforcing solid beginning fly casting skills. A fly fisher with this level of proficiency can successfully fish many common fishing situations. The Bronze Level challenges are as follows:
B1. Pick-Up and Lay-Down cast (PULD): 40 ft.
B2. Vertical to Horizontal Casting: 40 ft.
B3. Roll Cast, Dominant Side: 40 ft.
B4. Roll Cast, Non-Dominant Side: 40 ft.
B5. Shooting Line: Starting at 40 ft. shooting to 45+ ft. with no false casts allowed.
B6. Accuracy: Hit 0, 30, and then 40-foot targets
B7. Distance: Starting at 40 ft. shooting to 50+ ft.
SILVER FLY CASTING SKILL LEVEL
The Silver Level is focused on developing intermediate level fly casting skills. A fly fisher with these casting skills can successfully fish common situations and often achieve more challenging presentations.
The Silver Level challenges are as follows:
S1. Vertical to Horizontal False Casts, Non-Dominant Side: 40 ft.
S2. Reach Mend to Right: At 40 ft., the caster will perform a reach mend to the right.
S3. Reach Mend to the Left: At 40 ft., the caster will perform a reach mend to the left.
S4. Slack Line Presentation: At 40 ft., the caster will make a slack line presentation
S5. Belgian style or Oval Cast: At 40 ft., the caster will perform a Belgian cast (open loop)
S6. Accuracy, Non-Dominant Side: Hit 0, 30, and then 40-foot targets
S7. Distance and Shooting Line: Starting t 45 ft., shooting to 60+ ft.
GOLD FLY CASTING SKILL LEVEL
The Gold Level is focused on developing advanced fly casting skills. A fly fisher with these skills can successfully fish in a wide variety of fishing situations.
The Gold Level challenges are as follows:
G1. Loop Control, Non-Dominant Side: At 45 ft., the caster will perform 4 or more false casts off the non-dominant shoulder (left shoulder for a right-handed person) ending with fly hitting a 4 ft. target. Hauling is allowed.
G2. Curve Casts: At 40 ft., the caster will perform a curve cast to the side of their choice with the line/leader curving around an obstacle at approximately 25 ft. The fly should land at least 45 degrees from the line layout between the caster and the obstacle.
G3. Roll Cast Pick-Up: Starting at 40 ft., the caster will perform a roll cast pick-up with extension of line to 55ft.
G4. Change of Direction Casts: At 40 ft., the caster will perform two different change of direction casts of their choosing with fly line and leader landing relatively straight.
G5. Accuracy: Hit 20, 30, 40, and then 50-foot targets
G6. Casting While Seated or Kneeling: While sitting in a chair or kneeling with one knee on the ground, start at 30 ft. and shoot to 40 ft.
G7. Backcast Presentation to a Minimum of 55 ft.:
G8. Distance and Shooting Line: Starting at 45 ft., shooting to 70+ ft.
For more detailed information, here is a link to a PDF about the program.
Hope to see you on March 23rd at the Casting Clinic where I will be working on skills S2 and S3!
Scott Kitayama
Posted on February 29th, 2024
Mar 16 10:00 AM @
It’s time to get ready for the bass and bluegill season with some of these top water creations. This is a two day class that is a very artsy crafty and beginners should feel comfortable in attending. All the materials will be provided including the thread. Vises and tools will be available for beginners. There is limited space, so only sign up if you are committed to attend and do so no later than March 11. You can sign up at the club meeting or by calling me at 831-234-6515
Future tying classes. Dates and subject may change, please go to Fly Name to see more information.
| Date | Fly | Excerpt | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Apr 10 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm | AP nymph | Looking ahead we will be tying a nymph that has been around for a long long time. It’s a great fly for beginners. |
Posted on March 1st, 2024
This particular fly works well for trout, bass and bluegill. I believe that having the original instructions to follow will be easier for you than trying to describe the construction the normal way. The measurements will not be to scale, so be sure to use a ruler The diagrams should be very helpful. Hope this works for you. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call. 831-234-6515. Elaine
Posted on March 1st, 2024
The Good News from Marin County
In Marin County creeks, Central California federally endangered coho salmon return numbers were non-existent last year. This year, however is a different story. On Olema Creek near Point Reyes, 70 redds were found. On one day last December, 150 adult coho were counted, which makes this year the best in over 15 years. Fishery biologists say one of the significant reasons is the work done to improve the habitat in the streams. The monitoring team also sighted coho this year in Pine Gulch Creek and Cheda Creek which until 2020 had no fish counted in over a decade. Redwood Creek in Muir Woods has also seen an increase in redd counts, after habitat enhancement and a release of 4,000 hatchery-reared fish. In the 1940s the California coho salmon population was estimated to to be from 200,000-500,000 fish. Today, about 1% remain (2,000-5,000). For more information, see the source of this article: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/endangered-coho-salmon-bay-area-comeback-18682993.php
The Not So Good News From Yellowstone Park
In a really interesting and sobering article that came by way of Hatch Magazine titled “Have we taken our love for native trout too far?”, the author looks at the history of fishery management in Yellowstone Park as far back as 1888—before it became a National Park. At that time, native westslope cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling thrived from both the Gibbon and Firehole, down through the Madison and beyond. Apparently that wasn’t enough fish for the man in charge from the U.S. Army. He was quoted as saying “I hope to see all of these waters so stocked that the pleasure-seeker in the Park can enjoy fine fishing within a few rods of any hotel or camp.” By 1935, the grayling had completely disappeared from the park, due to the introduction on non-native brown trout and brook trout. Rainbow trout were also planted. These fish all out-compete the grayling and westslope cutthroat. The brookie has apparently been the most harmful. The article expands with other examples throughout the west of human intervention with harmful effects on native fish populations. There are some ongoing efforts to restore native fish and control the non-natives in small areas. But for the most part, that is all that can be realistically accomplished. The other problem is the changing climate resulting in more hot weather and droughts (resulting in stream temperatures too warm to support healthy trout), and flooding. The warmer water trend is causing largemouth and smallmouth bass to move further up into reaches that were once void of these fish. At this point, It appears that our expectations will be that in many of these streams we should try to manage the reliable flow of cool water to support any wild trout. To sum up, I find this quote from the author of this article spot on: “Truth be told, we couldn’t have fouled up Western trout fisheries more effectively had we actually sought to do it. Our ignorance and our arrogance 140 years ago, coupled with our disdain for the natural function of rivers led us to this point.”
Posted on March 1st, 2024
| Date | Activity Link | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Fly Casting Meetup | All are welcome from beginners to experienced casters. This is a good time to continue working on and enjoying your progress with effectively casting your fly-line -whether it’s 25, 35, 40, or 50 feet – 90% of your fishing casting. We will continue to work on this foundation for everyone who wants to successfully and enjoyably pickup their fly rod and cast exactly where you want – time after time. Bring your rod and reel if appropriate, and I will also have the nice club rods we have so you can toss one of those around too. | Jade Street Park baseball field |
Posted on March 1st, 2024
I have had the pleasure of serving this fine establishment in many ways over the last thirty years. Conservation, President, Programs, Casting, and now Master of Ceremonies at our annual dinner / fundraiser. I suppose the next best opportunity is hosting the Oscars.
As mentioned during our annual dinner, this was our 45th year, only ever interrupted by Covid in 2021 and 2022, the first annual dinner a small gathering of the original members in the Portuguese Hall for a spaghetti dinner. There are photos of some of these annual dinners in albums somewhere in the club members’ possession.
The annual dinner/fundraiser is the primary funding source for the club’s desire to provide for conservation, and other costs not directly associated with the membership dues. Since those early days back in 1977, the clubs funding goals have expanded into several areas of conservation focused on opportunities for fly-fishing, and our pursuit of bringing the youth of the world into fly-fishing and conservation with our high-school scholarship program which began in 2018 in memoriam of members who have passed away.
Santa Cruz Fly Fishing is one of some 50 clubs in California and Nevada. While other clubs suffered in 2020, or aged out of existence, you helped us continue growing and even better, sharing with other clubs, what we are doing to continue growing and thriving amidst so many challenges.
This first of our big dinner/fundraisers returning from Covid proved to be one of the most successful in many years.
Thank you to the 45 club member volunteers who helped organize the event. Much of this beginning September the previous year – yes, we do spend a lot of time planning.
Thanks to the great staff at the Pajaro Rod & Gun Club for a great venue and your warm welcome.
Special thank you to Sam Bishop and his band of Sous Chef’s for catching the salmon in Alaska, bringing it back and putting everything together. You’d be hard pressed to have had fresher salmon. To the folks at California Grill and Watsonville Staff of Life for the excellent side dishes and salad.
Enormous thank you to Elaine Cook, David South and everyone who helped with the set up and in the kitchen. If you don’t know this, Elaine has been orchestrating SCFF annual dinners for well over 35 years.
I only ask forgiveness for anyone I may have left out who also put their heart and soul into this event. Thank you.
Thanks to the those who donated many of the raffle prizes and silent auction items. I’m told the Silent Auction results of $3,075 were the highest we’ve ever seen.
In short, below is how you helped make this event a success.
$6,800 – we factored in a cap at 160 tickets but sold 170. ~150 attended.
$5,450 – Raffle tickets, an average $36.00 per person
$3,075 – Silent Auction returns
$ 266 – Donations
$15,591.00 – Total Revenue
$240 in new memberships paid at the dinner – it was exciting to see how many this was their first annual dinner/fundraiser.
($6,452) – Expenses – salmon, sides, serviettes, place settings, raffle prizes, hall rental
$8,873 – net to the club.
Our primary goal was to raise the Conservation Budget to $4,000 and scholarships to $3,200 and build a buffer to go into 2024 and planning for the 2025 fundraiser/dinner to see if we can go a bit bigger next year. Mission accomplished.
It took a village. YOU are that village. If you’re reading this, you are part of the success story. One we could not have without YOU. Yes, you.
Where other clubs have struggled to stay alive through Covid; some of which dissolved all together, your leadership team has been very enthusiastic about this club, its mission and future. Because of you the future of fly-fishing, the environment around fly-fishing and the terrific community / family we have come to be, is being shared with other “clubs” here in California, Nevada and clear across the country.
Scott has had a theme of “fellowship” as being our goal for 2023-24. And to that extent we are enthusiastic about our future and sharing it with others.
Thank you. And you thought this was just a club for fly-fishing.
Posted on March 1st, 2024
As of mid February we have over 218 members and continue to grow new members. Our annual fundraiser exceeded our expectations/budget with total revenue over $15,000 with the help of over 50 volunteers. We continue to receive over $2,800 in additional contributions/donations that average $14/member which continues our conservation projects and scholarships. Thank you
Posted on March 1st, 2024
The newsletter provides brief fishout info. For full detail, go to the website menu and select EVENTS -> Fishout Schedule
Posted on March 1st, 2024
hmmm
Posted on March 1st, 2024
