November 2014 The Angler’s Creel

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Club

Promoting Knowledge of cold water , Volume 14 Issue 2 fish habitat, conservation and stream ecology

Roll casts from the President’s desk: Eric Baumann

Upcoming Events November Fish Fry Wednesday, November 19, 2014 DINNERS Tuck Scott will speak on: (For Reservations see page 3 & 4) Wednesday, November 19, 2014 “Fly South Carolina Low Tuck Scott: South Caro- lina’s Low Country Saltwater Marsh Country Saltwater Marsh” Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Jerry Darkes: Fly Fishing Across the Great Lakes Wednesday, January 21, 2015 On Saturday, November 1st, 2014, the Museum honored the Trout Club by making us a mem- Dan Leavens: Montana Fishing; Big ber of the Museum’s Arkite Society for donors who have made an annual gift to the museum Hole, Beaverhead, Madison, Jefferson, of $1,000 or more for over 25 consecutive years. This great honor is a reflection of the stew- and Ruby Rivers. ardship the Trout Club has enjoyed over the years through the ongoing support of our mem- Friday, March 6, 2015 bers, the enduring work of our Committees that touches everything we do, the unsung efforts Film Festival: Note change of of our Executive / Advisory Committee, our club officers, the Museum, and donors who gen- date. erously support our fund raising efforts. Saturday, April 25, 2015 Banquet and Benefit Thanks to members Bill Grake, Jim DeCoker, Cheri Baumann, Ara Hamamjian and new mem- bers Samantha Butler and Bob Barnes (both graduates of Ara’s Class) for volunteer- ing to share their knowledge and experiences about the artful sport of fishing at the Museum’s Think and Drink with the Extinct event last month. A good handful of applications found their Outings & Classes way into the hands of prospective Trout Club members during the evening.

Our very capable Film Fest Committee is diligently planning the 2015 Fly Fishing Film Festi- November 22, 2014 val event to be held Friday, March 6, 2015. Please note the date change and mark your calen- Jr. Trout Club Outing dars twice, once for the event and then again about 3 or 4 weeks prior with a personal reminder December 1, 2014 to buy your tickets. Rocky River Steelhead Outing Details on page 5

*Fly Tying Classes Continued on page 6 Plan on attending our classes that start January 7, 2015, bring a buddy. Details on page 4. Fly Tying and Norm’s Beloved Bighorn River

ALPHA TO OMEGA

—Norman Hyams

As for my first trout on a fly, my alpha fish, that event I clearly remember. I was fourteen years old and an accomplished—so I thought—front lawn fly caster. Our big morning arrived. I walked the road down-stream until I found a series of small pocket wa- ters. The fly I selected was a Parmachene Belle, a small Red and White married wing fly with a yellow gloss body wrapped with turns of tinsel and a red and white married wing tail—a fly of late Nineteenth Century fame. I took my first trout, a silver skinned speckled beauty about ten inches long. Victory was mine. Between alpha and omega there are 22 other letters in the Greek alphabet. Each letter could represent any number of great trips of mine to places in the world where trout and Atlantic Salmon are found. They dwell in beautiful habitats and I have been privileged to fish for them. In addition to our western States, I’ve fished Argentine and Chilean Patagonia, and the Northern Nouveau Quebec rivers that were so liberal with their Atlantic Salmon, as was the Panoi of Russia. As I am writing this, I am looking at my cherished Au Sable of Michigan. I have brought my grandson here (as I brought my sons) to keep this tradition in our family. Now, as to my omega fish. In 1988, the year of the big Yellowstone burn, I discovered what the Big Horn River in Montana had to offer. The Big Horn rises in Wyoming as the Wind River, in a region I have backpacked several times. When the river turns northward and enters the Big Horn Canyon its name changes and, controlled by the Yellowstone Dam, it forms a lake 75 miles long and 500 feet deep. The canyon walls contain abundant limestone that enriches the water, effectively creating an artificial spring creek where trout feed all day long on good hatches of May flies, caddis flies, midges , and one stone fly, the Yellow Sally. Needless to say, I have fished many of these hatches through all kinds of conditions. I consider the Big Horn some of the best trout fishing our world has to offer. On a day in August of 2011 I was once again on this river anticipating action from a black caddis hatch. I had watched this hatch for years. There were many patterns available to fish this fly, but I wanted my own. I had studied its olive/black body and the length of its black wings. Not a complicated matter, but I had become a pretty fussy , so I asked a friend to dye some beaver olive green plus some black. Then I blended these dubbings until I got the perfect color. For the wings I opted for feathers dyed black. The fly was easy to tie—dub the body, tie on the cul de canard, pull the winging material back over the body to the correct length, and, while still under the pulling pressure, cut the wing which causes it to puff over the body form- ing a fine pattern for this hatch. Thus armed, I picked a spot on the Big Horn where some of the water flows off to a side channel. The flow was gentle but there were many downed saplings criss-crossing the area. Almost hidden in one of these sapling-formed pockets was a nice fish. I tied on one of my black caddis flies, brushed it with a dessicant, and made my presentation. The fish I took was an eighteen inch Rainbow. When I returned to the drift boat and sat down, somehow or other I knew that trout would be my last fish, my omega. And so it was. Norm (Norm is a past president of the Museum of Natural History Trout Club)

As you float the Bighorn on the reservation near Custer’s last stand, you can imagine the war parties riding the ridge along the river. You are brought back to present with the tug of a typical 18” brown or rainbow. CMNH Trout Club Fall Outings

Junior Trout Club – Julia Swanson, Coordinator/Instructor

This year, eight interested young anglers (grades 5 through 8) will join the Cleveland Museum of Natural His- tory’s outdoor educators to form the Junior Trout Club. These eight youths will learn and practice fly fishing skills while building interest and knowledge of cold water fish habitat and stream ecology in Northeast Ohio. This year-long membership consists of eight programs to be held throughout the 2014-2015 year and includes experienced instruction, transportation, fly fishing outfits, gear and supplies; all the things needed to get a good start in the artful sport of fly fishing. I would like to thank the Trout Club for sponsoring this fun and educa- tional opportunity for our youth!

If you are or know of a youth who would like to become a member of the Junior Trout Club and learn the skills of fly fishing, please contact me at [email protected] or (216) 231-4600 ext. 3292. Our first meeting is Sat- urday, September 20th,

December Rocky River Steelhead Outing PROJECT NAME: Rocky River Steelhead Outing Sign up today! DATE: Monday 1, December, 2014, Rain Date (if needed) TBA LOCATION: Cleveland Metroparks - Rocky River Reservation DESCRIPTION OF OUTING: Steelhead fishing on Rocky River. We will meet at 7:00 A.M. at the bottom of Detroit Rd at the picnic shelter up stream of the Boat Dock. Come prepared to catch many Steelhead under the guidance of noted Steelhead guide, Ara Hamamjian. We will have a short clinic on rigging and techniques while enjoying hot coffee and bagels. The entrance to Rocky River Reservation is on the south side of the 1800 block of Detroit Rd. We will fish until 11:00 A.M. and then adjourn for lunch at the West End Tavern located at 18514 Detroit Ave. in Lake- wood. You are welcome to fish Rocky River in the afternoon on you own. The cost is $10.00. Lunch is on you at the West End Tavern. RESERVATIONS: Contact Karen Menn at 216.231.4600, ext. 3278 or make your check payable to CMNHTC and mail it to Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval, Cleveland, OH 44106 or re- serve on-line at www.cmnhtc.org. Trip CO-ORDINATOR: Bill Grake 440.315.5670 or [email protected]

This outing has been a great outing for 20 years to learn the rig setup, the flies that work, the good holes on the Rocky, and to get our members familiar with this fall . The outing will be good fun for novices as well as steelheaders long in the tooth; plus a warm luncheon at a fine local watering hole.

Upcoming Outings to look forward to in 2015.

* March will be a day outing on one of the east side rivers such as the Grand River. * May will be a 4 day trip to Cherokee, NC to fish for trophy Trout on the Cherokee Indian Reserva- tion. Probably a Saturday to Tuesday trip. The inset hatches are very prolific in May. * Day trips to Presque Isle in Erie, Pa the last of May to the first part of June for Smallmouth Bass. An easy trip and plenty of fish. Dates depend upon how soon Lake Erie warms up. * A Cast & Blast at WR Hunt Club and Sunnybrook Trout Club. Shoot in the early PM then dinner at Sunny- brook followed by evening Trout fishing. Presidents letters cont. Officers Advisory

Evalyn Gates, Ex Officio Past President’s letter cont, from page 1, President Eric Baumann Robert Koonce, CMNH Liaison [email protected] Thanks to the coordination efforts of Chuck Lanzieri, the th th Vice President 5 to 8 grade members of Junior Trout Club will be wet- Tom Motimer, Gary Am- open ting a line, gaining experience, and learning how to work mendola, Mark Sudduth, their new fly rods at Rockwell Spring Trout Club on Sat- Treasurer Peter Wykoff, Peter Krembs urday, November 22. Julia Swanson, Coordinator/ TonyJelenic Instructor, has requested the help of four to six skilled John Bergfeld, Amos Crow- trout fishers from our club membership to spend the day [email protected] ley, Grace Smith, Rick God- sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for trout fishing Secretary dard, Ray Rackley with these young anglers encouraging, cheering, and helping them catch and land their first trout. Please con- Don Kuzma tact Bill Grake or me if you are interested in helping to [email protected] make the day a success for these future club members. Past Presidents Committees Sibley Hoobler I need a volunteer to lead the planning for this year’s An- Joseph Gladysz nual Banquet, which will be held Saturday, April 25, Banquet Peter Wellman 2015. If you have an interest in this kind of role, contact Eric Baumann, Jim DeCocker, me and let’s talk. Everyone else, please consider making Doug Henry, Phil Murphy John Wheeler a donation to the banquet that fly fishers, spouses, or their Norm Hyams families might enjoy: fishing or get away trips, guided fly Membership / Film Festival fishing, or outings; tickets to sporting events, the theater, Amos Crowley, Don Kuzma, Robert Colson symphony orchestra or one of Cleveland’s fine museums; Doug Henry, Woods King, Evan Morse gift certificates for fine dining, day spa, or massage; art Grace Smith Dennis Gant work, fine wine, or jewelry Contributions Ted Schurdell Jon Grimm, Rick Cooper, Andy Jake Ragan Our next dinner meeting is Wednesday, November Kirkpatrick th Ham Biggar 19 ; I hope to see you there. Outings & Education Mark Sudduth Until next month, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Bill Grake [email protected] Austin Morrow Eric Rick Goddard Matt VanDeMotter Program Peter Krembs Marty Burke Jock Thompson Social Bamboo Notes: George Klein Jim Negrelli, Ann Negrelli  West coast spawning salmon are being raised Andy Kirkpatrick Conservation: Doug Henry around blocking dams with a new system called Phil Murphy a salmon vac. The natural resources folks hand Historian load the blocked salmon into a flexible tempo- Evan Morse rary pipe that goes from the bottom of the river Trout Community Liason The Angler’s Creel newslet- to the top of the dam and ‘wooshes” them with George Vosmik ter is published for mem- vacuum upstream. Great video and happy bers of The Trout Club of Newsletter salmon. The Cleveland Museum of George Klein Natural History.  The Northern Ohio Fly Fishing Expo will be [email protected] George Klein, Co-editor; held January 31, 2015. details at Jock Thompson Jock Thompson, Co-editor ncff.net/expo2015.html [email protected] Karen Menn, Coordinating Liaison November Fish Fry Program Featured Speaker: Tuck Scott “Fly Fishing South Carolina Low Country Saltwater Marsh” Wednesday, November 19, 2014 6:00 P.M. Cocktail Hour 7:00 P.M. Dinner 7:30 P.M. Program

Capt. Tuck will be presenting on the abundance of fly fishing opportunities on the fly rod for 25% of the entire United States East Coast Marshland water, which all resides in and around Beaufort, SC. He will cover the species this massive estuary holds, from year round fish like Redfish to seasonal fish like Cobia and also describe how the seasons change the habits of these species. Finally he will help provide some tips for preparing to travel to saltwater environments and what you can do to make sure you best take advantage of the shots at fish you get by practicing key techniques with your fly rod before you go.

Capt. Scott is the Head Guide for Bay Street Outfitters, an Orvis Endorsed for the last ten years, and a Hell's Bay Boat Works Guide since last year. He started fishing and shrimping the Beaufort area 30 years ago with his grandfather. He has heavily fished South Carolina's Low-country from Charleston to Savannah and has incorporated his fly fishing experience of twenty plus years to exclu- sively target saltwater species in Beaufort, SC. Tuck targets redfish, seatrout, ladyfish, cobia, tarpon, and sheepshead on the fly as well as on light tackle from a 2014 Hell’s Bay Professional. Capt. Scott prefers sight fishing as his primary method of targeting most spe- cies in South Carolina’s Low Country Saltwater Marsh due to the unmatched excitement it provides.

Reservations for Fish Fry and Tuck Scott

Call Karen Menn at (216) 231-4600 Ext. 3278. The cost of the Dinner and program is $25.00 payable to: CMNHTC. Send your check to: CMNHTC, Museum Of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval, Cleveland, Ohio 44106- 1767, Please get your reservation by: November14, 2014 Name: ______M.Card, or Visa: Expires______Card #______Vcode ___ Street: ______Signature: ______City, State, Zip: ______Phone, Email: ______Cleveland Museum of Natural History Trout Club Guest name: ______1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle Amount Enclosed or charged: $______Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1767 CMNH.ORG

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF FLY TYING

CLASSES BEGIN: WEDNESDAYS, JANUARY 7 TO FEBRUARY 11, 2015 7:00 TO 9:00 p.m. INSTRUCTOR: ARA HAMAMJIAN

The class is for entry-level fly tiers and those who may want to polish their basic techniques in handcrafting artistic and functional, tradi- tional fishing flies. All materials and supplies are included in the fee. An interest in fishing is not necessary. Limit 15 participants.

Members: $120 Non-Members $140

Register online at www.cmnh.org or call the Education Dept. at 216 231-4600 ext. 3214.

Fly tying testimonials: My recall some seventy-plus years later is that my friend was tying a Catskill Fly version of the Light Cahill. He placed the hook in the vise, tied on the thread, attached the Wood Duck flank feather, split and posted the wings, tied in the tail, dubbed on the body, tied on the hack- les and wrapped them. When the hackles were wound and those golden barbs caught the sunlight thereby forming a glorious halo around the wings—that’s when I was absolutely hooked. Soon I too became a fly tyer. And in the years to come our club would host a memora- ble Classic Atlantic Fly Tying Symposium featuring six or seven of the world’s most eminent fly tyers. Norm Hyam from Alpha to Omega Some years ago, Ken Kuentz, convinced me that taking the class would be great fun. We stopped in little Italy for dinner, had a glass or 2 and went to tie flys. While Ara may have felt our work was not the top of the class, we had a ball. Take the class with a friend and be- come a fly tier for life. Jock Thompson