Newsletter 2020-07

July , 2020 Volume 26, Issue 7 Wichita, Kansas www.flatlandflyfishers.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Blue Gill Fest - p. 1

Member Insights - p. 2

Time to Go Fishing - pp. 3-4

Education — Fall Classes p. 5

Bucket List Series, The Challenge pp. 6-9

Fish Identification and Photog- raphy - pp. 10-12

Tyer’s Corner - p. 13 Blue Gill Fest 2020

Officers, Anecdote & Face- book update - p. 14

Upcoming Events - p. 15 Great Morning Lends Itself to JULY mtg.—look for an update as the July mtg. date draws near a Beautiful Outing

Following a day of rain showers, the Blue Gill Fest served up a very nice morning of fishing. Club members used a variety of mo- torless water craft to catch good numbers of Blue Gill and Bass. A Channel Cat even showed up for the morning. Although the club had to bypass the traditional luncheon, a good number of club members still had action out on the water.

Hotline bling:

My Beginnings in Fly Fishing ( First off, let's start here: I am a long-haired, tattooed/pierced guy who one day decided it was a great idea to become a fly fisher. I work as a body piercer by trade, pierced nose, pierced ear, pierced BLEEP....you get it, that’s what I do. The expert style of stabbing holes in people who pay me for it (non-barbed of course). So fast forward, (Yvon Chouinard Meat Eater interview and all).... I’m standing in Cabela's looking for the oldest store attendant I could find (you know, getting that knowledge/wisdom, etc..) trying to secure my first fly rod outfit. I succeeded, so there I am, 9ft monstrosity, wooly bugger, and hemostats pinned to my shirt on the banks of a nearby river casting on YouTube advice. Stopping at 1 and letting go at 10, I flung my line over and over again. Surpris- ingly! I actually got it out there a few times. I spent days, upon day watching other anglers with spin casters near me rip fish from the water. I am relentless and stubborn in my pursuits, I refused to ask for advice. I damn near tossed that pole small end first into the stratosphere a few times, hell I could have made a whole show called “How to extract a hook from your own head,” So, there I was boys, at the local public pond in a fluorocarbon spin casting of fury. A fella pulls up with a fly rod and immediately pulls a beautiful bluegill out in front of me. That fish glistened like the holy grail in front of me. I collapsed my spin caster and assembled my fly rod and started imitating the other angler's technique, sure as shit, I caught one! I kept it cool, wanted to look cool, ya know. I fished for a little longer, and then even- tually retreat- ed for a beer break and some conversation. I ended up with a social dis- tance delivered fly and some advice, also an invitation to the local fly club. Now here I am, strung out on a fly vise with maribou, hackles, and thread.

Yours Truly, Jordan Post

Earlier this Spring I Guess You CAN Have a Really Good Day I have been fishing 4 or 5 times a week lately. Last Thursday (the day the cold rain came in), I fished Chisholm Point pond in Park City. The crappie bite was on. I used a white maribou jig and caught 20 some fish. I was not dressed for the weather, just a windbreaker and no gloves. After a while, I noticed that the crappie felt so nice and warm when I took them off the hook next to my wet wind-chilled hand . I hung in there and fished until the rain came. Saturday I fished Colwich City Lake and had the whole place to myself. Again the crappie bite was on. I caught over 30 fish in a couple of hours. My jig colors were black and chartruse, white, and then purple and chartreuse. All jigs were tied on #6 jig head hooks. I am usually the guy who catches 3 or 4 or nothing when my buddies are all killing it. Great 2 days of fishing. Now I was alone, so nobody witnessed my good luck, but that's OK. You can trust me to tell the truth most of the time. Mike Blubaugh

Time To Go Fishing is When the Truck is Loaded

Glen Personey

Spring was to be an exciting time for Bear River Tackle. We were testing new big fish patterns in Pyramid Lake Nevada, prairie lakes of Idaho, and the mountains of Arizona. But that was before Covid-19 exploded on the scene and forced all three trips to be canceled.

In addition, our local spring weather was cold and wet, which delayed the start of good fishing. Last week it rained four inches, Unbelievable!

On the plus side, it was finally starting to warm up and there were new flies to try! This is fishing, the conditions are never per- fect. The best time to go is when you load your truck, so off I went.

Arrived at the creek with first light and was shocked to see there were flood debris ten feet above the normal water line! When there is this much current, larger fish can be washed downstream and those that are left in the pools are in no mood to eat. Almost turned around, but the day was beautiful and there were flies to test.

The best of the new patterns will become the Big Bad Bass family, specifically de- signed for trophy-size bass. They are tied 4.5 inches long on a #2 streamer hook. I had eight different color and feather combinations to test.

In the first couple of pools, a few jumbo sunfish hit the flies, but no bass and I was starting to get worried that the flood had cleaned them out. It wasn’t until late in the morning that I landed a 3.0 pound bass, but there were no others.

Just for kicks , I decided to try a nearby pond that is notoriously hard to fish.

As expected, the water in the pond was off-color from the rain and it was now 11:00 AM in the morning which is not exactly prime time for flies. However, my best fish of the day did not come until 9:30 AM, so perhaps there was a chance. More importantly, cloud cover had moved in shading the water, the wind picked up adding a nice surface chop and a storm was arriving the next day; all very positive developments.

Amazingly, the bass hammered the test flies. First cast connected with a 2 pound bass. Second cast caught a 2.5 pound bass, followed by 3 pound and 3.5 pound fish, all on just one of the test patterns.

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At that point, I reeled in the fly and took pictures to ensure I could remember exactly how it was tied. Also, it was time to try some of the other patterns. Three of these also caught large fish, but you could not buy a hit with four of the other designs. This is why all Bear River flies are tested in actual fishing conditions; you never know what fly will prove to be exceptional.

I switched back to the first fly for one final pass along the shore- line before heading out and promptly broke it off on an under- water snag. Darn, that fly was the only one like it; good thing I took pictures.

By now it was 12 noon and the other side of the pond had not yet been fished, so a few throws were in order.

Third cast connected with a heavy strike. Thought it was a catfish because of the power of the run, but once it got closer to shore you could see it was a very large bass. Quickly got it on the bank, took a few photos and eased it back in the water.

The bass was 20 inches long (with a cloth tape measure) and easily weighed 5-6 pounds!

No way to top that. I thanked the Lord for a fabulous time and called it a day.

You never know how a trip is going to turn out when you start the adventure, but it is always a great time if you love the outdoors.

Time to go fishing!

The Art of Fly Fishing

Instructor: Rick Brown, Education Chairman, Flatland Fly Fishers

These courses are held at the Wichita State Hughes Metropolitan Complex Campus at 5015 E. 29th St. N.

The classes are 6 weeks long. For registration for these classes, call Linda Ambler at (316) 978-3731.

Fly Fishing 101: Fly Fishing Basics September 14th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Fly Fishing 101 is a course for the beginner, as well as the intermediate, interested in learning more about the art of fly fishing. This course will cover all aspects of the sport, from the history of fly fishing to the equipment needed to get started in the sport. Topics covered during this course will include: fish, entomology, water, conservation and etiquette. Participants have the opportunity to learn about both wet and dry flies. Students will receive information about how to buy their first fly rod and reel and how to maintain fly fishing equipment that they already own. Participants will also get hands-on training on how to tie fly fishing knots used while on the water as well as how to rig a fly rod for fishing different types of flies. All equipment will be provided.

The fee for the 101 course is $74. The class sizes are limited to 30 students. For registration for this class, call Linda Ambler at (316) 978-3731 or visit the WSU website. Fly Fishing 102: Fly Casting September 15th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Fly Fishing 102 is a course to learn more about the art of casting a fly rod. This course will cover the basic casts needed to get started in the sport. Topics covered during this course will include the skills and casting principles needed to become proficient with the overhead and roll casts. Students will receive hands-on instruction on these casts. The course will provide the equipment you will need. The fee for the 102 course is $74. The class sizes are limited to 15 students. For registration for this class, call Linda Ambler at (316) 978-3731 or visit the WSU website. Fly Fishing 103: Fly Tying September 16th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Fly Fishing 103 is a six week course for the people interested in learning the art of fly tying. This course will cover the basic tying technique needed to get started and become proficient in tying your own flies. Topics covered during this course will include both wet and dry flies for both warm and cold water fish. The course will provide fly tying vises and tools for those who need tying equipment. The course will provide all the materials you will need.

The fee for the 103 course is $89. The class sizes are limited to 20 students. For registration for this class, call Linda Ambler at (316) 978-3731 or visit the WSU website.

Kansas Fly Fishing Challenge Open to Flatland Flyfishers Members Only This is a Fly Fishing only event. Start Date: February 8th, 2020

Participants will be awarded a certificate for each level achieved. To enter the challenge, submit your name and email to the rules committee at [email protected]

Guidelines:

1. All participants entered must abide by all Kansas Wildlife and Parks fishing regulations.

2. All fish must be caught using a fly rod, fly reel, fly line and fly.

3. Participants can fish anywhere in Kansas and can use any type of watercraft.

4. Participants must submit a clear photo of the fish for each species of fish caught that shows the fish being treated with respect. Safe handling of all fish at all times. All fish must be released back into the water.

** 5. All photos submitted will be reviewed by the rules committee and the participant will be notified of acceptance or rejection.

**Fly Fishing Challenge—Change made April 1, 2020 — Ryan Allred

We made a couple of changes to the official rules on the challenge—nothing that affects how it works or fish people have already submitted. The main one is it said that after a fish was submitted, you would get an approval or denial response. Participation has been great, so dealing with a good number of emails.

I don't have the time to send an approval email to everyone submitting fish pictures. So updated that guideline to say that if a fish is denied, we will let you know; otherwise, assume the fish has been accepted.

The other one I changed was just asking if you can remember when you email the picture, use the subject line of FFF Challenge (Flatland Fly Fishers Challenge). Just helps going through club emails to see them and get them passed on to Rick quicker for tracking.

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6. All decisions of the judges and the review committee are final.

7. Soft plastics, bait and chumming are specifically excluded.

8. There is no time limit. Complete the challenge at your own pace.

9. Pictures can be submitted by emailing them to [email protected] with your name and the fish species or you can turn in a hard copy print at a club event. Three levels of achievement Bronze Level – Catch 6 fish species from the fish list Silver Level – Catch 12 fish species from the fish list Gold Level – Catch all 18 fish species from the fish list

Here is the proper way to display your Challenge catch — Provide a nice profile shot like this Black Crappie and Green Sunfish. Good Fishing!

Kansas Fly Fishing Challenge

The challenge is off to a good start. We have 32 club members who have entered the challenge. Members: Dan Slate, Pat McCleave, Mike Blubaugh, KC Alexander, Gale Brown, Cory Lies, Neal Hall, Jim Keller and Rick Brown have earned the Bronze Award by landing six fish from the list. There are members getting close to the Bronze Award and some have moved on with additional species. With warmer and more consistent tem- peratures, it’s time to cast those flies.

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Kansas Fly Fishing Challenge

Two New Species

We have an update to the Kansas Fly Fishing Challenge. The fish committee has added two fish to the species list. Club members have been out fishing and paying attention to what they are catching. Then doing some homework based on pictures taken we now have two species not originally on the list. The committee agreed and added the Warmouth and Orangespotted Sunfish to the list.

Warmouth

Orangespotted Sunfish

Fish Identification and Pictures

We want to remind everyone that the members of the fish committee for the challenge are not fish biologists. Club members are getting into some of the species where a couple fish can look very similar; for instance a walleye, sauger, and saugeye. One picture of the fish might not be enough to positively identify the fish. With these types of fish there are normally two or three things you have to look at to positively identify the species. Members need to do research on what those things are and the pictures submitted need to reflect that. You might need to submit a couple pictures to identify a single fish. Besides a good profile picture, a good picture of the dorsal fin can help with the identification of a walleye, sauger or saugeye.

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Rainbow Trout Saugeye (Hybrid) Largemouth Bass Gar Smallmouth Bass Drum Spotted Bass Black Bullhead Striped Bass Blue Catfish Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) Flathead Catfish White Bass Channel Catfish White Crappie Black Crappie Bluegill Green Sunfish Orangespotted Sunfish Long Eared Sunfish Redear Sunfish Warmouth Common Carp Grass Carp Walleye Sauger Pike Yellow Perch Fish Identification and Photography

By Rick Brown, Flatland Flyfishers Education Chairman

As a fly fisher, you have undoubtedly learned a number of skills; casting a fly rod and tying your own flies just to name two. But one skill we all need to improve on is our skill of properly identify- ing fish species. Fish identification is not a topic that gets a lot of press. The other skill we all need to learn how to do is take a photo of your fish using your phone. Taking a good photograph of your fish will help with the identification of the species. By doing some research (homework), you need to learn as much as you can about your target fish for positive identification. So let’s jump into the skill of fish identification and see how far down the rabbit hole we can go.

Living in Kansas and fishing for warm water species, there are a lot fish that are very similar to each other and it is difficult to identify exactly which species you have landed in the net. Did you catch a Largemouth Bass or was it a Spotted Bass? So for the purposes of this article, I’m going to pick on the Largemouth Bass.

Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Actinopterygii Order Perciformes Family Centrarchidae Genus Micropterus Species M. Salmoides (Continued on p. 11)

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Description The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish-gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. The upper jaw (maxilla) of a largemouth bass extends beyond the rear margin of the orbit. In comparison to age, a female bass is larger than a male. The largemouth is the largest of the black bass, reaching a maximum recorded overall length of 29.5 in (75 cm) and a maximum unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg). The fish lives 10 to 16 years on average.

Feeding

The juvenile largemouth bass consumes mostly small bait fish, scuds, small shrimp, and insects. Adults consume smaller fish (bluegill, banded killifish), shad, snails, crawfish (crayfish), frogs, snakes, salamanders, bats and even small water birds, mammals, and baby alligators. In larger lakes and reservoirs, adult bass occupy deeper water than younger fish, and shift to a diet consisting almost entirely of smaller fish like shad, yellow perch, ciscoes, shiners, and sunfish. It also consumes younger members of larger fish species, such as catfish, trout, walleye, white bass, striped bass, and even smaller black bass. Prey items can be as large as 50% of the bass's body length or larger.

Spawning

Largemouth bass usually reach sexual maturity and begin spawning when they are about a year old. Spawning takes place in the spring season when the water temperature first holds steady above 60˚F. In the northern region of the United States, this usually occurs anywhere from late April until early July. In the southern states, where the largest and healthiest specimens typically inhabit, this process can begin in March and is usually over by June. Males create nests by moving debris from the bottom of the body of water using their tails. These nests are usually about twice the length of the males, although this can vary. Bass prefer sand, muck, or gravel bottoms, but will also use rocky and weedy bottoms where there is cover for their nest, such as roots or twigs. After finishing the nest, the males swim near the nest looking for a female to mate with. After one is found, the two bass swim around the nest together, turning their bodies so that the eggs and sperm that are being released will come in contact on the way down to the nest. Bass will usually spawn twice per spring, with some spawning three or four times, although this is not as common. The male will then guard the nest until the eggs hatch, which can take about 2 to 4 days in the southern U.S and Northern Mexico and slightly longer in the northern part of its Native Range. Finally, depending on the water temperature, the male will stay with the nest until the infant bass are ready to swim out on their own, which can be about two more weeks after they hatch. After this, the male, female, and newborns will switch to more of a summer mode, in which they then focus more on feeding.

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Ok, I saw that, now go back to the top of the previous page and read the material again, just glancing at it does not help you learn. You are not a kid anymore; do your homework!

At a glance they look the same, but on closer inspection they are different. Don’t just take a quick look, give it a good study.

Fish are like humans; they are a product of their environment. Depending on the water clarity and food, L/M Bass will look different in coloration from lake to lake. So when you land that fish and you take your photo, be sure you get a picture similar to the one above. The mouth should be closed and the Dorsal fin is up. This can be hard to do by yourself, so have your fishing partner help. And don’t forget to look for a lack of a tooth patch on the tongue on the L/M Bass, My goal here is to improve my skill of fish identification by doing my homework. As an instructor I give homework, so go do your homework or no fishing for you.

I will ground you! Tyer’s Corner

With the dog days of summer upon us, it opens up the full onslaught of terrestrials, amphibians, and bugs, both subsurface and on the dry. The top water action involves poppers and a variety of larger flies. Here is a small sampling of productive top water creations.

Add to the dries a dropper for any of a thousand combinations and you have a great opportunity on any pond in Kansas.

Enjoy the summer...

2020 Club Board Members

Elected Members: Appointed Members: President: Neal Hall Activities: Greg Stuever Vice President: Gale Brown Conservation: Darrel Atteberry Treasurer: Bill Ethridge Education: Rick Brown Secretary: Dan Stark Newsletter Editor: Jim Keller Program Director: Sheldon Evans Marketing: Chris Harmon Membership: Rick Brown Web/Facebook: Ryan Allred Media Team

A Facebook group has been created for members of the You know us as Ryan, Steve and Jim, but we are also Flatland Fly Fishers. This is a closed group and the on- called “Flatland Fly Fishers” Media Team”. ly people who will be approved to join are active club Join us on Facebook and Twitter and visit the website members. The purpose of the group is to give club for current club news. members a way to share and talk to each other about fly fishing. You can post fishing pictures or a fly pat- tern you tied. See if someone wants to go fishing. There is even an option to sell fly fishing gear you no longer need. I hope this becomes a fun tool for club members. Just remember to keep posts about fly fishing. I will not be using this much for club stuff, so keep following our main page for that information. I will try to remember when there is a club member only event to post on this group.

Drop me a note about an anecdote that has happened to you: Good stories can come from the most unexpected occurrences!

I am so happy that when I first started fly fishing and tying my own flies that I learned to either smash the barbs or better yet, use barbless hooks. Tonight it truly paid off. I was unhooking a large Carp for KC and the line was stuck in the gill plate. Just as I grabbed the fly to remove it from the fish, it started rolling and flipping. Needless to say, it buried the John Montana Hybrid Fly clear up to the bend of the hook right next to my thumbnail. Luckily KC was able to pin the fish before it made it back in the water and since the hook was barbless, I was able to remove it quickly and easily. Still bled like a stuck hog, but sure beat having to cut it out. My thanks have to go to Rick Brown, as he taught me how to tie my first fly and I have smashed the barbs or used barbless hooks ever since. I will continue to do so from now on.

Pat McCleave

Improve your casting with the Scientific Angler podcast series. Great instruction- al program! Flatland Fly Fishers

5709 N. Sullivan Wichita, KS 67204

Flatland Fly Fishers meets monthly at the Great Plains Nature Center, located at 6232 E. 29th St. N, Wichita, KS Visit our website www. flatlandflyfishers.org/ Questions and Answers If you have questions regarding any aspect of fly fishing, please submit them to: [email protected]

Bear River Tackle Fishing Flies Anyone Can Zeiner’s Angler Supply Fly Shop Use! https:// www.bearrivertackle.com If we don’t have it, we will special order for you. [email protected] Cortland ~ St. Croix ~ Redington ~ Rio ~ White River Fly Reels ~ Fly Rods ~ Fly Line ~ Fly Fishing Accessories 316-619-7868

See us for your fly tying/fly fishing needs, wide selection of material and tools from Peak ~ Colorado Angler ~ Hareline ~ Wapsi and others. Ark River Anglers Fly Tying Class

737 S. Washington #6 ~ Wichita ~ 316-265-5551

2020 Flatland Fly Fishers Club Upcoming Activities:

Please call 316-682-8006 for additional information. -Fly Tying online—Look for Update online in the near future -July club meeting - Look for Update -Keep taking pictures of fish you catch (be sure they show proper handling and fly fishing proof)