November 2011 President’s Line Elections are upon us! Bruce Garren has Volume 16 Issue 11 graciously agreed to be our election commit- Wichita, Kansas Last weekend, Steve Webb and I rode tee person. If you are interested in a position www.flatlandflyfishers.org north. We didn’t have an itinerary or a spe- with the board, or you are aware of someone cific destination in mind. That is to say, we who would be willing to serve as a board didn’t really even know where we were go- member (it would probably be a good idea if ing; we just figured we’d recognize it when INSIDE THIS ISSUE this wasn’t a surprise to the person nomi- we got there. Our meandering route took us nated), please contact Bruce and he will ac- over the dam at Kanopolis Reservoir. The knowledge your interest at the elections. So You Want north-bound lane of Hwy 141 going across The Winter Program is just around the the dam provides a decent view of the Seep corner – please mark February 18th on your To Be A Guide? Stream running parallel to the dam. The calendar and plan on coming to GPNC to see Page 2 & 3 view, such as it was, certainly wasn’t what a Dave Hughes – you will be glad you did! ———————————————— fisherman might hope for. There was more A couple of newsletters back, I think Fly Fishing Safety water in the stream than expected; but a there may have been a little rueful discourse Page 4 goodly portion of that water was a sickly over a fall trip to Colorado looking doubtful. ___________________ green color from bank to bank – an algae Low and behold, a Colorado trip materialized Feathers in Fly Tying bloom out of control. Because of this water and it was (as always) very enjoyable. The quality issue, the Seep Stream will not be highlight for me was fishing RMNP; it was Page 5 stocked with trout until sometime in Novem- the peak of the rut for elk and they were eve- ___________________ ber; if the cooler weather helps clear up the rywhere! In fact, they were even stopping Choosing the Best Fly algae problem. If it persists, stocking may be traffic in downtown Estes Park. The small Page 6 delayed until even later in the year. streams in the park are the epitome of the There are a number of waters that are nor- type of waters that I love to fish. If given the ___________________ th mally stocked for the October 15 opening choice, I would Silent Auction day that will experience delayed stockings happily spend November Meeting until conditions improve. The list includes the rest of my Slough Creek in Sedgwick County Park, days plucking Facebook or Twitter Centennial Pond at KDWP Headquarters in Page 7 fish from the Pratt, the Seep Stream as mentioned above ___________________________ pockets, runs and at least a half a dozen other locations and riffles of Fly Fishing 101 Class scattered around the state. Make sure you these diminu- Club Information check the latest updates on the KDWP web- tive waters. Page 8 site before heading out to your favorite trout And it wasn’t only the elk in the mood for fishing spot; you may find the trout haven’t love, the brook trout were resplendent in arrived yet. their spawning colors and from what we wit- As you read this, the fall banquet will be nessed, eager for a little company as well – it Visit our website nothing but a pleasant memory (hopefully). I was a great time to be out amongst it all. We www. flatlandflyfishers.org/ want to take this opportunity to thank all who fished with Stephen Nance during our time in were involved in the planning, preparation the Rockies, and I must say, we should all be and execution of this proud of Stephen and how far he has pro- event – your efforts are greatly appreciated. I gressed. Stephen’s roots are in our club and would also like to apologize once again for he has become a very competent guide and Next Meeting the mix-up with the scheduling; I hope it did- fisherman, one who knows his home waters November 3, 2011 n’t prevent too many of you from participat- well. It was a pleasure spending time on the ing in the fun. water with him. Tight Lines, Gary 7:00 P.M. The date for the Flatland Fly Fishers Winter Program has been moved to Saturday, February 18, 2012 2 Flatland Fly Fishers So You Want To Be A Guide Steve Webb I don’t remember exactly where I first heard about a Things moved quickly that spring as the pull of be- young local guy, Stephen Nance, who had set his sights coming a guide overpowered Stephen’s normal kind of on becoming a fishing guide, a fly fishing guide no less. life and he chucked everything and headed to the far It was probably at the local fly shop because during that west on the promise of an apprentice guide job in Yo- time period I remember a sort of casual meeting while semite National Park. What I knew of Stephen’s pro- hanging out at the shop. If I have it right he had gone to gression as a fly fishing guide was now mainly through a school, made a connection somewhere along the way, friendship that had developed between himself and and had landed a marketing job at the homegrown out- Rory, a sort of long distance bond that developed door icon, the one whose name starts with a C and through a common love of fly fishing. Nothing im- whose assembly lines have cranked out a few green lan- proves any developing skill like constant repetition and I terns over the years. But even then at that “barely there” think that was what the California job provided but the meeting I could tell that maybe he was starting to figure lure of fishing closer to home plus the confidence built out that the corporate world wasn’t all it was cracked up through long hours on the water prompted a move to to be. I also got the feeling that this guide stuff was Estes Park, Colorado at the entrance to Rocky Mountain fairly serious because he was going to the Federation of National Park. Over the last couple of years Stephen has Fly Fishers Southern Council Conclave in Mountain started to make the transition to professional guide and it Home, Arkansas that fall and planned to take the certi- shows when he has come back home for the occasional fied fly casting instructor test. I made my first and so far visit during the winter and we have fished together. For only trip down to that October conclave also, and I re- the past year there has been one constant in our fly fish- member seeing him wandering the grounds with his par- ing conversations; when are you guys coming out? This ents in tow and wearing a nervous but confident smile year has been the one for those conversations to move that he would be able to make the grade. from talk to reality. Young Mr. Nance and I met again a couple of months For most of the summer talk of a fall trip to Colorado later at the annual club Single Fly contest on New had floated around our little group, Kendal, Rory, Gary, Year’s Day and I have to admit that although I knew he and me. We had made the early spring trip to Salida to had passed the certified casting instructor exam, I wasn’t chase the Mother’s Day hatch together and were joined certain the rest of fly fishing guide skills were up to by Stephen, who drove down from Boulder. This five snuff. Some club members had brought tying materials some seemed to mesh fairly well so naturally all kinds of and equipment that day and planned knock out a couple plans were laid to meet up in autumn and let the “guide” of flies and then head to the Slough and give them a test. show us the hot spots in and out of Rocky Mountain Na- Stephen was eager to join in and grabbed the cardboard tional Park. As the last two weeks of September ap- box that his new waders had come in but now contained proached though, this trip looked set to jump the tracks his meager tying kit, a disassembled vise, a few tying and be derailed by the chaos of modern life that can tools, and a small stash of feathers, hooks, and yarn. As seemingly stop any number of people from getting to- he struggled with the assembly order of the loose vise gether and not doing practically anything. parts, I was somewhat reluctant to ask if he needed help. Finally though he just looked up at me with a little boy “I give up” expression and I quickly showed him how it went together, thinking to myself, we all have to start somewhere. Fast forward a few years, actually just a few weeks ago, Stephen is going to show us a few guide flies. Imagine my suppressed chuckle as he drags out that same worn cardboard box, with a bigger hair ball of fly tying junk inside. At least he didn’t need my help to put the vise together. Flatland Fly Fishers 3 With just a few days notice Gary was able to carve climbed Trail Ridge Road the sun was just setting on the out three days off so I reserved the usual cabin on the open tundra above tree line and the soft alpenglow light usual river for a couple of nights and we headed west at reflecting off Longs Peak to the southeast was truly spec- six p.m.