Across
the Stream – June 2008
A
Publication of Heart of America Fly Fishers
HOAFF May Meeting
Monday, May 19 - 7:00pm
Sam
Potter
TightLine
Fly Fishing Guide Service
President’s Message
HOAFF membership
by Darren Watson
In the short time as president, I am impressed with the number of
people involved in our club. The monthly meetings are well attended, with about
30 to 40 attendees. Our monthly officers’ meeting has 10 to 14 attendees. It’s
great we have so many individuals contribute to our club. The future of HOAFF
depends upon our members’ active participation. If you’d like to become more
active, just let one of our officers know. We always appreciate participation
in the growth of our club.
So far, we’ve held 5 events this year. I’m sure the Eleven Point
trip was the most memorable for three of our members: Jim Bebb,
Mark Borserine, and Dan Sulit.
They returned from their float trip with 5 rods and 2 reels broken or lost ...
not to mention a few scrapes and bruises. It seems we may have 3 golden strike
indicator awards this year!
Our next outing is our annual One-Fly Tournament, which will be
held at the same location as last year. One of our club members, Steve Nelson,
is allowing our club to fish at his neighborhood lake for the day. I have fished
there many times, and the Bass fishing can be great. Hopefully we won’t have a
big rain the week before.
Don’t forget to welcome our new members and guests!
WindRush
Farms Outing
April 18 – 20, 2008
by
Ron Carruthers
I think it is safe to say that the HOAFF outing at WindRush Farms met or exceeded everyone’s expectations. I
can assure you it was deep in the Ozark hills and the Solitude Cabin rented by
four in the group turned out to be the true definition of solitude.
The room in the restored 1840’s cabin was clean, large and close
to the stream. Although the setting was beautiful the stream was what really
made the trip. The natural spring fed tributary of the Meramec
River had received a lot of man made improvements. Bend pools were followed by
riffles and more bend pools. The spot up ahead always looked as good as or
better than the one you were fishing.
Of course the fishing was the important part. It had rained most
of the day before we arrived so the stream was a little high and cloudy, not muddy
but not clear. Our host had recommended Mohair leeches, wooly buggers and glo-balls fished deep. It was a little early in the season
for the hatches. It turned out to be an excellent recommendation. Everyone seemed to be into fish immediately.
The number of fish caught was not going to be a problem. The quality of the
fish is what surprised me the most. The rainbows had a beautiful green spotted
back, and that distinctive red stripe. They were big but more importantly
shaped like footballs. When hooked they headed up stream, headed down stream or
headed straight up out of the water. It was about all a four weight wanted but
when you finally had them to the net they turned, pulled drag and started the
fight all over again. I am not a DNA expert but those fish had to have had some
steelhead in their genetics.
The best “one that got away” story was Jim Bebb’s.
He had left Mark Borserine in the honey hole and
moved just upstream to a smooth stretch of water. There was a log in the stream
and Jim instinctively cast above it to get a good float back to that holding
area. As expected the indicator gave the telltale dip and the hook was set. The
fish was deep so Jim didn’t get to see it but it powerfully ran upstream for
some distance, decided it was out of room and instantly changed direction and
headed back down stream. Jim frantically pulling in line watched the fish fly
over the small dam into the pool where Mark was standing. Mark verified the
fish went by him about chest high. The tippet finally gave up but the speed of
the line continued to uncoil on Jim’s reel. It had all happened so fast and the
only remaining evidence was the backlash of fly line on his reel.
It turned out to be quite a trip. If any of you doubt this story
see Kevin Carril, Mark Borserine,
Jim Bebb, John Cerda or Jim
Mitchell. They were there and I am sure each one of them has their own story to
tell.
2008
Officers
President
Darren Watson
816-805-8761 dwatson@lawingfinancial.com
Past President
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Secretary
Jim Jorgenson
913-469-1950 jjorgensen@ci.lenexa.ks.us
Treasurer
Paul Bennetts
913-338-3837 pbennetts1@comcast.net
Newsletter
Tom James
816-718-0393 tom@blackdogsports.com
Newsletter Assistant
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Programs
John Bell
785-843-1782 j.bell@kcc.state.ks.us
Cliff Cain
913-558-5069 cliffcain@hotmail.com
Education
Norm Crisp
913-645-1994 streamsideff@yahoo.com
Outings
Ron Carruthers
816-741-7251 rcarruthers2@kc.rr.com
Jim Bebb
913-721-3397 jbebb@communitynationalbank.net
Membership
Frederick Clark
913-831-0305 fclarks@planetkc.com
Dan Sulit
913-268-3848 kenaisu@aol.com
Conservation Team
Kevin Carril
913-362-9379 rrac3@sbcglobal.net
John Bell
785-843-1782 j.bell@kcc.state.ks.us
Library
Doug McDonald
913-764-6678 mcdoug5148@sbcglobal.net
Web Master
Bill Brant
816-941-9691 billandkathy@kc.rr.com
Raffle/Auction
Mark Borserine
913-381-0722 majborser@aol.com
Spring Programs
Dick Martin
816-781-9557 rlm@mllfpc.com
Don Grundy
816-781-9019 dgrundy@sbcglobal.net
Event Coordinator
Bill Brant
816-941-9691 billandkathy@kc.rr.com
Southern Council Liaison
Hod McIntosh
913-722-3684 singingreels@kc.rr.com
Supernumerary
David Andrews
816-741-8314 davidgandrews@kc.rr.com
One
Fly Tournament
Lake of the Forest, Bonner Springs, KS
June
7, 2008 • 9am - 3pm
By Ron Carruthers
They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. For
those of you that remember last years One Fly outing that is a good enough
reason to attend this years One Fly Tournament at Lake of the Forest in Bonner
Springs, Kansas.
Knock the cob webs off your float tube or kick boat and make sure
your flippers fit over that new pair of wading boots. As the tournament name implies
we will have two prizes, one for the largest fish (length in inches) and one
for the most fish caught using just one fly. Fly fisherman’s honor.
A shore lunch will be provided by the club. Please RSVP by email
if you plan to attend to rcarruthers2@kc.rr.com before June 5th.
Directions: Exit 435 going west on Kansas 32 (Bonner Springs
exit). Go exactly 2.2 miles. Watch closely for the Lake of the Forest entrance
on the right side of the road. The entrance is easy to miss so don’t go by too
fast. We will plan to have the HOAFF sign out front.
For any HOAFF member that is well connected we would appreciate a
warm, dry day, with just a little overcast to keep the bright sunlight off the
water. Your efforts in this area are sincerely appreciated.
HOAFF Logo Lapel Pins
We
now have enameled Lapel/Hat/Vest Pins with the HOAFF logo. Every new member who
joins in 2008 will receive a pin. The pins will be available for sale for $5.00
each.
HOAFF Apparel is here
Hats $15 • T-Shirts $12
Now
you can get a T-shirt or a fishing hat with the new Heart of America Fly
Fishers Logo.
Revenge of the Trout Zombies
By Bruce Cochran
My new book is out. “Revenge Of The Trout Zombies” published by
Willow Creek Press. It’s a humorous look at trout fishing. The dedication page
says “This book is dedicated to the Heart Of America Trout Fishers” who inadvertently provided at
least half the material for it.”
It’s paperback, retails for $9.95, and is available at book stores. If they don’t have it on the shelf,
which they may not, it’s in their computers and they can order it. It’s also
available on Amazon.com and of course personalized copies are available from
me.
Windy Day at
Rim Shoals
by John Berry
I got a phone call on a quiet Sunday evening. It was Dean from Idaho.
He was planning a vacation in Branson and wanted to get a little fishing in
while he was in the area. This was right after our first flood and he was
concerned that there would be no where to fish. I assured him that we are near
Bull Shoals Dam and are not normally subject to flooding here in Cotter. We set
the date and agreed to meet at McDonalds in Gassville.The
guys showed up and after a bit of talking I learned that Dean and Bill lived
either on or near the Henry’s Fork and fished it regularly. They were
experienced anglers and were looking forward to fishing the White River.
We loaded up and headed for Rim Shoals. The water was a bit off
color from recent rains but the skies were clear and the sun was shining. I
rigged the guy’s rods up. They had never seen a Y2K before and were not sure
what to think about it. I put on a big indicator and a bit of lead. I then set
the indicator to run pretty deep. Bill forgot his sun glasses. He went up to
the fly shop and Paula Flipin loaned him a pair that
some other angler had left there a while back.
There were a couple of generators running so we launched my boat
and motored up stream to the Jenkin’s Creek area. We
began drifting and started picking up trout immediately. On the first, run we
picked up three trout. At the end of the drift, we motored back up stream and
did it again. Over the course of the morning we boated over thirty trout. They
were all fat and sassy and ranged in size from thirteen to sixteen inches. They
were predominately rainbows with a few browns thrown in for good measure.
Around noon, we took a break for lunch. I motored over to the ramp
at Rim Shoals and set up the food on a picnic table nearby. As we ate, we took
a moment to relax and drink in the gorgeous day. When we finished, I packed up
my guide box, folded up the table cloth and carefully disposed of our trash at
the nearby garbage receptacle.
We filed back into the boat and headed down stream to fish the
water below the first island. As we left the ramp, I noticed that the wind had
picked a lot of strength during our lunch break. Before lunch, it had not been
a factor on our fishing. Now it was absolutely howling straight up stream. I
was very glad that I was not rowing a drift boat in that maelstrom. I later
found out that the wind was blowing about twenty seven miles an hour with gusts
up to thirty two miles an hour and there were lake wind advisories posted.
My boat is wide and has high sides. That makes it very stable even
in high water and it is comfortable to fish from in heavy water conditions. It
can be a bit of a pig in the wind though. I set up for a drift and cut the
motor. The wind was blowing so hard up stream that the current though heavy was
not allowing us to drift down stream. We were essentially not moving.
We were held right over a drop off in the channel that was great
trout holding water. There was a lot of bed rock structure. I had my guys cast
up stream and drift right through it. It should be noted that both of these
guys were accomplished fly casters and could easily make the cast even in the
unbelievably heavy winds. They started picking up fish immediately. The wind
would occasionally move us laterally from one side to the other. I had to start
the engine and move the boat from time to time to avoid hitting the bank or to
put us back in optimal position.
The boat became a floating casting platform that allowed us to
literally pound a great section of water. We caught dozens of fish and they
fought like demons. The average fish was a bit larger than in the morning. The
action was non stop. We took one break to get out of the wind. We motored up
the side of the island and waded into knee deep water to fish a couple of nice
runs near the bank. We picked up several fish this way. About five they were
ready to pull the plug. Their shoulders were sore from the constant casting and
fighting good fish. Besides, they had to drive back to Branson. They thought it
was one of the best fishing experiences that they had ever had. We said our
goodbyes and I headed back to Cotter to get ready to do it again the next day.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and
has fished the local streams for over twenty five years. He can be reached at
(870) 435-2169 or http://www.berrybrothersguides.com .
Riley’s
Station
Flood Damage Appeal
by Clint
Wilkinson
Miles and Michelle Riley, owners of Riley’s Station at Buffalo
City were hit hard by the recent flooding on the White River.
Two of their cabins were flooded so all the appliances, drywall
etc. were mostly destroyed. These happen to be the two cabins that they make
the most money off of and they’ll be unrentable for
quite some time and we’re approaching the busy season here. Also the basement
of their house was flooded and one of the walls caved in. Miles can do the
repairs but materials combined with loss of income adds up quick.
The account is set up under the name of Chris Grothe
@ Riley’s Station Resort Benefit Account. Any donations would be much
appreciated and can be done by electronic wire or regular mail (include account
info on check). Here is the info you’ll need.
Routing # - 082901538
Account # - 102129428
First Security Bank
P.O. Box 1906
Mtn. Home,
AR 72654
Anything will help and is much appreciated.
Upcoming
Events & Programs
May 19 Sam Potter
June 7 One Fly Tounament - Lake of the
Forest, Bonner Springs, KS
Sept 15 Annual Picnic Shawnee Mission Park
Oct Montauk/Current River Fall Outing -
Nov 17 Annual Auction
Dec 5-7 Annual Banquet Bennett Spring
Visit
our Advertisers:
Black
Dog Sports
The
Fishing Hole
Ray & Jonell Fincke
(913)
642-5554
3731
W. 95th • Overland Park, KS 66206
Rainbow
Fly Shop
4706-D
Shrank Drive
Independence,
MO 64055
816-373-2283
9-5
Tuesday - Saturday
K&K
Flyfishers’
Everything for Todays Flyfisherman
• Total Equipment Selection
• Great ”How To” Schools
• Pro Staff for Your Questions
• Fishing Trips: Alaska • Canada • Montana • Bahamas
87th & Grant, Overland Park, KS 66212
www.kkflyfishers.com • 913-341-8118
Yager’s Flies
2311 Wakarusa Drive, Suite B
Lawrence, KS 66047
(866) 359-7467
www.yagersflies.com
Wilkinson
Outdoor Adventures
Clint
Wilkinson
272
Wild Cat Shoals Road
Gassville, AR 72635
870-404-2942
Saltery Lake Lodge
1516
Larch Street
Kodiak,
AK 99615
1-800-770-5037
Fax (907)
486-3188
Fishing
River Custom Rods
Bill
Kreitz
13715
Nation Rd.
Kearney,
MO 64060
E-mail:
b.kreitz@att.net
816-628-5071
Cell:
816-392-6720
River
Run Outfitters
2626 Hwy
165
Branson,
MO 65616
417-332-0460
877-699-3474
(toll free)
·
Mountain River Fly Shop
·
1177
West Main
·
Cotter,
AR 72626
·
870-435-6166
Bennett
Spring State Park Concession Shop
26248 Hwy
64 A
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-4307
1-800-334-6946
Gaston’s
Tackle
Bennett
Springs State Park
11798
Highway 64 - Lot 63
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-9449
Sand
Springs Resort
1996 Hwy
64
Lebanon,
MO 65536
417-532-5857
417-588-3110
fax
White
Sands Motel & Restaurant
Highway
62B - Next to Cotter's Rainbow Arch Bridge
870-435-2244
Rim Shoals Lodge & Fly Shop
River Front Lodging
Guided FIshing Trips
Boat/Motor Rental
Full Service Fly Shop
Gary & Paula Flippin
(870) 435-6144
Parkview
Lodge
1-888-727-5883
5477
Hwy 165
Branson,
MO
Reading’s Fly Shop
·
Fly
Rods • Reels
·
Nets
• Waders
·
Tying
Materials
·
Over
1200 Book Titles
·
11937
Highway 64A
·
Lebanon,
MO 65536
·
417-588-4334
Tightline Guide Service
Americanfishes.com
More
color illustrations of freshwater fish than anyplace on earth
White River Trout Lodge
752
County Rd 703
Cotter,
AR 72626
877-84TROUT
Flats Lander Guide Service
Spring
and Fall in Kansas,
Summer
in the Florida Keys
Capt.
Paul “Sodie” Sodamann
785-456-5654
Hunting Sports Plus
Private land access for Hunting •
Fishing • Camping
Wapsi
Smoke N’ Fire
8030 W. 151st Street
Overland Park, KS 66223
913-685-1111