Website: www.wffc.com MMXVI No. 1 June, 2016 Building a Bamboo Fly Rod, a book by Everett Garrison and Hoagy Carmichael, is generally giv- en credit for a resurgence of handcrafting bamboo fly rods. This book, published in 1977, is in its eighth edition and among the aficionados of bam- boo fly rods is simply referred to as “The Book”, or for some “The Bible”. Garrison and Car- michael’s collaboration ended with Garrison’s Corbett Lake Rodmakers gathering 2016. death before the book was actually written; how- This event took place over May12th, 13 th and ever, Carmichael stayed with the project, writing 14 th at Kamloops, British Columbia. Corbett and later publishing the Book. But for this collab- Lake Rodmakers has been meeting for 30 oration and Carmichael’s perseverance the art of years and is regarded as the “grand daddy” of handcrafted bamboo rods would most likely have the bamboo rod makers gatherings now held died many years ago. Why? Because those who around the world. This year a special recog- were making bamboo fly rods were, for the most nition was given to the late John Bokstrom part, doing so on a commercial basis and were who exemplified the best in bamboo rod pretty secretive on not only their methods of mak- making and life. John Bokstrom was award- ing rods but of the all -important tapers used for ed the Lechter Lambuth Award by the WFFC the various rods. Yes, one can always take meas- in 1991.Hoagy Carmichael attended the gath- urements of a particular rod but first you had to ering as an invited guest. get your hands on one. The Book revealed all of A Master's Guide to Garrison’s processes and methods he used in hand making bamboo rods with tolerances of .001 of an inch Yes, one -thousands of an inch. Inside this Issue Page 1-3...Presidents Notes Page 3……June Speaker & Chopaka Lake Outing Page 4-5...August Fly Fishing Fair Page 6-7...Chopaka Lake Photos Page 8….. Chopaka Outing & Corbett Lake Reports 1 Continued from page 1 the internet and UTUBE. For a lot of us, The Book provided the Creel Notes Perhaps more importantly initial spark. Garrison provided Carmichael ... is the official publication of the An interesting several days Washington Fly Fishing Club. Sub- the tapers of his rods with per- scription is free with membership. mission for them to among and interacting with some truly talented, creative and enter- President taining people. They are out Gary Bergquist At the end of the first day’s there making not only some fine 1st Vice President (Membership) formal presentations the at- bamboo fly rods but the tools, Chapin Henry tendees adjourned outside to machines and jigs used to make look over and cast bamboo rods 2nd Vice President (Programs) these things we use to fish. If Bob Burdick brought by participants. As I you get a chance to fish with a joined the group milling around bamboo rod and I do not mean 3rd Vice President (Christmas Party) Kerry Oldenburg outside I noticed Carmichael lawn -cast, fish. Do it. You may Treasurer fussing around with a couple of find you like it Jim Goedhart vintage appearing rod tubes. I Next on my agenda was an watched as he strung up one of hour’s drive south to Corbett Secretary the rods and when completed he Tom Neu Lake. (Yes, Corbett Lake Rod- announced in a loud voice to no makers met at Kamloops, not at Ghillie 1 one in particular;” Would any- Pat Becker Corbett Lake.) At Corbett Lake one like to cast a rod made by I met and fished with 5 other an- Ghillie 2 Mr. Garrison?” Not wanting to Abe Lillard offend Carmichael I trotted right glers including Bob Burdick and Walt Swanson. In building next Creel Notes Editor over to him with my out Deanne Ederer Emmons stretched hands. It was pretty to ours was another group of an- special for me to hold a Garrison glers which included Denny Trustees Westover. Accommodations Mark Pratt ‘14 Ron Dion ‘14 made rod. To be invited by Car- Walt Swanson ’15 Robert Tovar ‘15 michael to cast it? Hard to wipe were simple. No television or Pete Crumbaker ‘16 Ron Little ‘16 Club officers and chairmen can be contacted that smile off my face, still now. internet access. I did not take a by logging in the WFFC website then selecting More than a little nervous I took survey but I would estimate the email (upper right corner ). Button selec- the rod and cast the line. Truth number of fishing years repre- be told I was a bit timid in work- sented by the members of our ing the rod and did not fully ap- little group to be somewhere preciate how well it cast a around 300 years. Probably dou- line……No frufru in a Garrison ble that if those in Denny’s rod. One of simple perfection. Club Aims and Purposes group were included. While Built for an angler matters other than fishing were The purpose of this club shall be: At the closing dinner Carmi- chael give an informal and casu- discussed, much of the conversa- 1. To improve and increase the al talk, very personal and some- tions centered on fishing stories sport of Fly Fishing in the State of Washington. what poignant, about his rela- (some of which may have been true), tackle and techniques. 2. To promote and work for the tionship with Garrison, Garrison betterment of trout streams and as a craftsman and a person. One cannot help but absorb lakes. Carmichael also spoke of the not some of the experience of these 3. To encourage and advocate the anglers and while fishing is the conservation and increase of insignificant hurdles in bringing trout, steelhead, and salmon in the book to publication and its reason we get together, camara- state waters. reception. There were more than derie is shared and built. Sorta 4. To promote a campaign of educa- like being in the WFFC but on a tion against pollution in streams, a few in the room whose lives lakes or Sound waters of the were changed by The Book. smaller scale. State of Washington. Yes, other rod makers have fol- 5. To encourage and assist others —particularly young persons of lowed with their own books, arti- high school age—to become fly cles, classes on rod making, lec- fishers and true conservation- ists. tures and the like. Now we have Continued on page 3 2 Continued from page 2 June Speaker Getting away from the “News” and our political romper room all brought to us by breathless television newscasters for a few days was a nice break. Early Our speaker for the June 21st meeting is Chester Allen next week I will again be headed out of town in a few who will talk on How to catch more cutthroat in the Puget days on another fishing trip north. Burdens like this Sound area. Chester will be following in the footsteps of other great come to us all; however, I suck it up and go fishing. I cutthroat fishermen that we`ve been privileged to hear from am doing my part. How about you? Besides, I have a over the years including Les Johnson, Preston Singletary, and newly built 4 wt bamboo rod which needs some on -the - Dave Schorsch all from the WFFC. A fly angler since child- water evaluation. hood, Chester grew up in South Sound area, and in 1996 took a job with the Olympian newspaper eventually becoming it`s Perry Barth has sent a copy of a news article appear- outdoor columnist. He worked for a variety of Northwest ing in the April 19, 2016, issue of Monroe Monitor & newspapers and magazines for some 20 years, and currently Valley News pertaining to the Snohomish County is editor of Sports Car Market magazine. His book Flyfishing PUD’s proposal to blast subterranean water diversion for Sea -Run Cutthroat was published in 2012. Chester still makes the short run to Puget Sound several times a month tunnels in the Sunset Falls area of the Skykomish Riv- and loves to explore our world -class cutthroat fishery. He er. These are to be used in sending water to a pro- will discuss in d! etail how to find a good beach and how to posed power house to be sited on or adjacent to the use a tide table to improve your odds of hooking fish. river. An additional insult to the Skykomish….this time by another public agency. Project documents are Chopaka Lake & Corbett Lake found at www .snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/sfpep/ Outings sfdocs.ashx?p=1959 . A never ending battle. The Spring in the Merrit, BC valley was early Further in this issue of Creel Notes is a copy of a this year which may have resulted in mediocre fish- letter I recently sent to the reviewing agencies on a ing for my group of 12 fanatics that annually in- request for permits to bring more salmon net pens into vade Corbett Lake before Memorial Day. Gary the Puget Sound. We are requesting more time for Bergquist and Walt Swanson and I represented the parties to comment on this ill -conceived proposal. WFFC, and member Denny Westover brought his The “regulators” are unable to “manage” our dwin- usual carload of friends from Montana. The usual dling stocks of Pacific salmon and steelhead. Intro- florid Callibaetis hatch was tepid, the chironomid ducing more Atlantic Salmon into our waters is just hatch was mediocre, and it seemed too early for the plain wrong.