November 2014 Volume 19 Issue 11 2015 Winter Program Speaker Wichita, Kansas www.flatlandflyfishers.org February 28, 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

White River Then and Now President Message Mike George 2015 Club Elections Page 2 ______Youth Fly Clinic Page 3 also got my dad back into fishing by taking ______him trout fishing on a three day weekend in October 1979. This was the start of two Wooly Bugger changes in my life. First, we started a fish- Page 4 & 5 When I was 4 years old my dad took me ing tradition that lasted 25 years. We got ______fishing in the oxbow lakes that were my brother involved and we did everything Club Picnic formed by the Missouri River west of we could to make that fishing trip take Page 6 Whiting, Iowa. We fished with a bamboo place. In the family it was commonly re- ______cane pole, a cork float, and a hook and with ferred to as the “Jack Daniels’s fishing Club Information worms we dug in the garden. Growing up trip.” A book could be written about the Page 7 in rural Iowa as kids we all spent a lot of trips but that is another topic. The second time fishing in the local creek for Carp and thing that took place was . Dad Catfish and Bullheads. We graduated to and I eventually went back to the same ox- Visit our website fishing in the Missouri river for bigger bow lakes we fished years earlier. Only www. flatlandflyfishers.org/ Carp and Catfish and anything else we now I was fulfilling a dream I had as a kid, could catch. We also fished at Blue Lake, I was fishing with a fly rod to catch bass. I which was one of the oxbow lakes off of was using an old reel I purchased at an es- “One Fly” Tournament tate sale. I still have the reel but the rod did the Missouri river. It was a long bike ride not make it. The time is getting close for south of us about 15 miles. There we the New Year’s Day “One Fly” caught Bass and Northern Pike. Tournament. This started me on another aspect of fly I had a few years with very little fishing. fishing, tying my own deer hair bugs. I The December newsletter I loaded weapons on various aircraft in the eventually developed techniques for will have all the information you Air Force, went back to school and sought “spinning deer hair.” I discovered later that need. If you can’t wait for the employment as a civilian, got married and I was actually stacking hair. newsletter look on our website, started a family. All of which I am very (listed above) or ask a proud, but I did very little fishing during Hope to see you at the February winter club officer. this time. Eventually I got back to fishing program. for trout at Lake Taneycomo in Missouri. I Hope to see you there. Next Meeting November 6, 7:00 P.M. Flatland Fly Fishers 2 White River Trout President’s Moment

These are trout I have caught in 2013 - 2014 on the White Fall is fi- River in AR, fishing with Ben Levin using hoppers. nally here, and Roger Gilger with it another Kansas trout season. If I’m not mistaken, November 1st should be the first trout stocking at the Slough. Hope- fully, we will have more rain before then to condition the stream. Speaking of the Slough, at our next month’s meeting on November 6, a few of our club members will be talking about fishing at the Slough. If you know anyone who is new to fly fishing or who may be interested in learning about fly fishing, this will be a great meeting to bring them along. The Slough is a great place to learn to fly fish. Also, if you’d just like to and tie flies, the classroom is always open. At next month’s meeting, we will also be holding elections for next year’s board. If you haven’t been on the board yet and you are reading this, it’s your turn. Come out and vote, and think about taking an open position. I’ve found it to be an enjoya- ble experience and I think you will too. I look forward to seeing you all at Slough Creek. Catch ya later. Sean Corns Flatland Fly Fishers Club President, 2014 2015 Club Elections

The four elected positions are:

Club President Club Vice President Rick Brown Club Secretary Dan Stark Club Treasurer Bill Ethridge

The appointed positions are:

Conservation Neal Hall Web Master Songbin Chon Activities Sebra Cazel Programs Dave Johnson Editor Dwan Welty Steve Webb Membership Dwan Welty Marketing Member at large Ryan Allred Flatland Fly Fishers 3 Youth Fly Fishing Clinic

The kids caught on quickly, and soon headed off to the pond to test their skills. Adam was already at the pond scout- ing out the area. He found that the carp were very active, and We had a good day at the Youth Clinic. It was great to see tied on one of his own patterns that I shall not name. You’ll fresh faces get a taste of fly fishing. I think at least one of our have to ask him for the pattern---take my word for it, the fly attendants is hooked. We started out tying a simple fly pattern. was killer. Two of the participants, Brett and Sarah, quickly Adam made good at the vice, and volunteers assisted the par- hooked into a couple of carp. As it died down, Adam suggest- ticipants with their flies. ed that we fish another area, and return later. All of the sud- den, another group with the Nature Center came out to the area we were fishing. The group that came down had bags of fish pellets, and began feeding the carp, sending the fish into a frenzy. So, we decided to stay and we hooked up a few more times. We may have crossed the line here, but it was enjoya- ble, and the kids had a great time. We finished the day with a few pizza pies. Thanks Jerry! Thanks to the volunteers and the participants!

Then, the volunteers and participants headed outside where Rick demonstrated proper techniques. His patient and tender instruction was well received. Rick, thanks for coming out and volunteering on your birthday.

Flatland Fly Fishers 4 The Rick Brown EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW OR NOT KNOW ABOUT THE WOOLLY BUGGER John Gierach discussed the Woolly Bugger first in his chap- ter on streamers in his book “The Good Flies”. In the book Let us go back in time to when I first started tying flies. I “The Professionals’ Favorite Flies” Bill Hunter said, “The had no idea of what I was doing back then and some would say Woolly Bugger is so effective, it should be banned from some that I still don’t know what I am doing when it comes to tying watersheds. I suspect its effectiveness is due to its resemblance flies. At a club meeting a number of years ago, we had a tying to so many edible creatures in the water—nymphs, leeches, night. I was just sitting there with a vice, tools and some mate- salamanders, or even small sculpins. Its tail undulating behind rials with no plan or idea of what I was going to tie. One of the a fiber, bubble-filled body is just too much for most fish to members sitting next to me asked what I was going to tie that resist. It just looks like a meal!” In other articles the Woolly night and I said I don’t know anything about tying a fly, so he Bugger was said to imitate baitfish, drowning terrestrial in- said let’s tie a Woolly Bugger. The fact that I did not know sects, clamworms, crayfish, shrimp and crabs. In my world the what I was doing and that the guy teaching me how to tie my Woolly Bugger imitates a Woolly Bugger; the fish think it is first Woolly Bugger had a number of beers before the meeting an evasive species and are trying to kill it to get it out of there we somehow got the job done. My first Woolly Bugger was watershed. something to see, never in the history of had a Bugger been tied in the manner that that one was tied. I wish I still had Al Rockwood, the Michigan steelhead guru and steelhead that Bugger, as it has been in a tree for some time now. And to fly tier, says, “In my opinion, the Woolly Bugger is the most make things even sadder I don’t remember which tree or on effective wet fly for trout in Michigan. It works for steelhead what river I lost it. But that is when my love affair started with and salmon in bigger sizes. I have found it deadly for brookies the Woolly Bugger. I had my first ten fish day on Slough in Labrador, steelhead in Michigan, and browns in New Zea- Creek with an olive Woolly Bugger as well as my first twenty land. Dead-drifted or stripped, down deep or on the surface, and fifty fish days. I fished Woolly Buggers for about five the Woolly Bugger is a sure attractor pattern”. years before I found out that Buggers come in other colors be- sides olive. The Field and Stream web site had a list of the top twenty five fly fishing flies of all time, and the Woolly Bugger was The Woolly Bugger pattern was believed to have been cre- number two, (the Clouser Minnow was number one). ated by Russell Blessing, a Harrisburg Pennsylvania as early as 1967 to resemble a hellgrammite, or dobsonfly The Woolly Bugger is constructed with a Marabou tail, nymph. It’s clearly an evolution of the fly, which Chenille body and a Hackle palmered from the tail to the head itself is a variation of the British palmer fly, which dates back of the fly. Hooks size can be from size 2 to size 14. This fly to Walton and the Woolly Worm can be found in Walton’s can be weighted with a lead wire underbody or with a bead at 1653 book ”The Complete Angler”. Dressing a fly by winding the head of the fly. In my opinion most of the Buggers I see the hackle the length of the body is mentioned in fly fishing tied or see in online videos are badly tied. Of course everyone books of the fifteenth century. It is called the palmer style of thinks their way of tying a Bugger is the right way including dressing. About the time Napoleon was fighting the British in me, and that would be wrong. Most tiers that you see tying France and Spain, palmer files were being praised in books as their version of the Bugger in on line videos, like on YouTube, the first fly to be used until a hatch was observed. are not good tiers to start with. Most all of the guys have trou- ble tying their shoes let alone tying any kind of fly well. No “As the story goes back in 1967 on a hot August afternoon matter what fly you are tying, one should take the time and fly fishing journalist Barry Beck was having a hard time get- learn how first to tie simple fly recipes, which would include ting the fish to bite on the Little Lehigh River in Pennsylvania. the Woolly Bugger. It is a great fly for the beginner. Once you Other fly fishermen nearby were also having the same prob- have mastered tying the Woolly Bugger you can move on to lem, that is except one, Russ Blessing. In a 30 minute period other patterns. My point here is that just because it’s just a Russ netted four nice trout. Barry went over and asked what Bugger doesn’t mean it should be tied poorly. I think that peo- fly he was using. Barry was shocked to find it was a streamer. ple tie the tails too long and do not wrap the body material This type of fly normally was not very productive on the well and do not properly palmer the hackle (which is also too Lehigh River and especially in August. Russ, a true gentleman long) but that’s just me and my opinion. Do not let me tell you fly who was always willing to share his knowledge how to tie your Buggers, you tie them any way you want. The of fly-fishing and fly-tying gave Barry one of his Woolly Bug- fish will tell you if you have done well or not. gers to try. Barry’s luck changed and he started to catch trout. Barry was so impressed that he published an article on Russell (continued on page 5) Blessing’s wondrous Woolly Bugger and the rest is history as they say.” Flatland Fly Fishers 5

(continued from page 4)

Here is my standard Wooly Bugger recipe that I use and by Mark Crawford, a guide on the Spring River at Mammoth no means is it the right way, it is just my way. My Buggers are Spring Arkansas, uses a Bugger variant he ties and calls a work in progress and should remain that way for the rest of Grandma’s Brownie. Which is a Bugger tied on, I think, a size my life. 6 hook with a long marabou tail and longer hackle with rubber legs in a darker brown color. Mark fishes Grandma’s Brownie Hook: Mustad Size 10 Streamer (2XH 3XL) by swinging it as he floats down the river and he will boat fifty Thread: UTC 140 Olive to a hundred fish a day, not bad for a Bugger. Mark’s other go Bead: Size 1/8” Gold (Brass or Tungsten) to fly is a size 6 Bugger in black. Now Mark does fish other Tail: Marabou Dark Olive (Blood Quill) flies as well but more often than not he is fishing a Bugger. Body: Chenille Dark Olive (Micro) Hackle: Size 14 Dark Olive (Whiting Dry Fly Hundred Pack) To say that a Bugger is my go to fly would be an under- statement, I fish it a lot. When I go to Roaring River or Rock- First I debarb the hook and add the bead (the bead you use bridge I always fish a Bugger first, then after the first ten fish I depends on the sink rate you want), I then secure the thread to cut it off and fish other flies. If after some time nothing else is the hook and wrap to the bend and then wrap back to the eye in working, for me, then it’s back to the bugger and landing fish. open turns. The reason I cover the hook with thread is to help when I add the other materials to keep them from rolling to Notes and References: bad. Next I measure the length of my tail (I like the tail shorter Let’s give credit where credit is due, while I put this article than the length of the hook shank) (my opinion is a shorter tail together and I did type it all out, I did not write all of the con- helps with short strikes). I tie in my hackle next from just be- tent or take all of the photographs. Let me acknowledge the hind the bead to the tail, using turns that are not to open, then I writers whose work I use in this article. tie in my micro chenille from just behind the bead to the tail and again use the same style of thread wrapping. With my 1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia thread at the eye I palmer the chenille forward to the eye in 2. Craig Moore, Owner of the English Fly Shop touching turns and tie it off, now I palmer the hackle forward 3. Lefty Kreh, The Professionals’ Favorite Flies Vol. II to the eye using the chenille as a guide to keep the turns even 4. John Gierach, The Good Flies and tie off the hackle and trim off the excess. Last I do a six 5. Kent Klewein, Gink & Gasoline turn whip finish and you are done. 6. Gary Soucie, MidCurrent web site Tying variations of the Wooly Bugger is a great sport. In order for the finished fly to qualify as a Bugger variant it has to have the basic parts of a Bugger that is a tail, body and hackle. Where you go from there is up to you. Instead of a bead head add bead chain eyes or dumb bell eyes. For a tail you could use kip tail or rabbit fur and for a body you could use any number of things. Body materials that I use are peacock herl, marabou and dubbing. Another good body material is palmer chenille; this stuff serves as both body and hackle. You can also tie what I call a soft hackle Bugger, which is tied like any other Bugger except do not use a palmered hackle, instead put a big soft hackle just back of the eye of the hook, so that the fibers of the soft hackle are long enough to extend back to the start of the tail.

The Woolly Buggers that I tie are all a solid color, dark olive, light olive, black, brown and white, and I do not use any kind of flash material. If it makes you feel better about your Bug- gers add all the flashy things you want, flash can be put in the tails and bodies. Don’t forget about rubber legs, they can be a killer if done right. drawing by Mike Keefe taken from fly fishing funnies found on web Flatland Fly Fishers 6 2014 Club Picnic

Greg Stuever Best in Accuracy Neal Hall Best in Distance

Jerry Donnelly Match the Fly

Rick Brown Volunteer Raffle Winner Flatland Fly Fishers

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Questions and Answer If you have questions regarding any aspect of Fly Fishing please submit them to: [email protected] or [email protected] Ark River Anglers Fly Tying Class

Flatland Fly Fishers Club is in the process of updating our records. If you are a 2014 International Federation of Fly Fishers member please e-mail Dwan Welty at [email protected]

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Flatland Fly Fishers Club 2015 Upcoming Activities January 1 Single Fly February 28th Winter Program Date pending 2015 Film Tour