“President’s Message” Chapter 2.1 by: Richard Higgins

2016 Board Mem-

bers

Richard Higgins: 750-9132

President

Greg Smith: 696-4406

Vice-President

Roger Caton: 633-4659

Treasure

Dave Gambetta 970-5065

Secretary

Lou de Silva: 444-2744

Bill Pshide: 424-3063

Richard Wilson 758-5313

———————————————

Rick McCombs

(209) 267-8088

Newsletter Editor

Bill Pshide

424-3063

F ly Tying Chairman

Mike Gilroy:

(425)418-8164

Webmaster

Jay Jefferson

Mascott

FFLYLY TTIMESIMES

SALINAS VALLEY FLY FISHERS January 2017

President’s message 1

Fly of the Month 2

Monthly Program 3

Outing Schedule 3

News and Sponsor 4

Maps 5

Events 6

Inside this issue:

The December general meeting

ended with the annual gift exchange.

This year’s gift exchange was just as

intense as previous years. Hot items

that saw the full rapture of exchanges

were two nice looking fly reels. As

usual , we had a wide variety of gift

items and some members had the op-

portunity to open several gifts, only to

have them plucked away by others

members. In the end, everyone seemed

content with the evening. The only

question that remained was, “who

brought the fortune cookies?” As we

were wrapping up the festivities that

evening, we wished James and Helen

the best upon their retirement from the

Landing Zone. It has been a pleasure

to work with them over the years and

the club will truly miss them.

As we forge into January, do

not forget that 2017 brings with it an-

other opportunity to renew your fish-

ing license and any report cards you

might need. Don’t forget that your

2016 report cards are due back to

DFW by the end of this month. On

line reporting is quick and easy.

Check it out at www.wildlife.ca.gov/

reportcards.

The Annual Dinner is January

14th. at Laguna Seca Golf Course. We

have a lot of nice raffle prizes avail-

able like a complete 8wt Fly Shop rod

reel combo, two certificates for two-

night cabin rentals at Crosby’s at

Pyramid Lake, a 5wt., a 6wt. and a

8wt. fly rod, also, members only white

ticket and early bird raffles and mem-

bers only bucket items.

If you have not paid your dues

for 2017 or want to pre-pay for the

dinner, please get a hold of Greg. We

would also like to know if you’re

planning to come so we can give

Balesteri’s a head count for dinner.

Remember, that the club has to pay for

the dinners that are planned even if

folks don’t show up. Hope to see all of

you at there for a great evening.

As I write my 12th. edition for

the newsletter, I would like to thank

all of you for the opportunity to serve

as your club President for the 2016

season. I can remember edition #1 and

thinking, “how I was going to fill-up

that whole President’s message col-

umn” and now it seems to just flow

out. I also would like to thank the rest

of the board as it’s impossible to ac-

complish anything without their help

and guidance. Some of board’s ac-

complishments for the 2016 year,

were planning outings to: Ranhco

Seco, Pyramid Lake, O’Neill Forebay,

Sac. River Float trip, Lake Almanor,

Merced River, Trinty/Lower Sac.

River, Kings River and the board re-

treat at Fiddleneck Ranch, as well as

attend the Sportsman Expo and the

Pleasanton fly Show. We also man-

aged to help with the (cont. on page 3)

Page 2 Fly Times

Fly of the Month: the Clouser

Clouser Minnow

Hook: TMC 200R, #4-8

Thread: Danville White 6/0

Eye: Nickel Hourglass eyes, pearlescent with

black pupils.

Abdomen: White Bucktail

Wing: Chartreuse Bucktail with a bit of Char-

treuse Super Hair

Overwing: Light Blue Super Hair

This streamer pattern originated with Bob Clouser of Middleton, Pennsylvania in 1984. He originally designed the

fly to catch small-mouth bass but soon found that it just about catches anything else that swims.Colors can be Black,

White, Red, Yellow, etc. Mix the colors as preferred. His fly used dumbell-shaped eyes that causes the fly to retrieve

"upside down". This assists in keeping the fly from snagging debris on the bottom but also gives the fly a jigging

effect mimicing an escaping baitfish. Bob sells many combinations of his minnow pattern at his web site at : Bob

Clouser's Website.

The body color is always a light color like white or yellow and becomes darker as you move up laterally. Since this

fly uses weighted hourglass eyes, it will sink to the bottom rapidly, thus it is known as a Deepwater Minnow. Use a

slow to moderate retrieve to get the fly to dart and dive.

The Salinas Airport is our

home for Fly Tying. Come join us

for a real treat: Make it your New

Years resolution to take the next step

into the sport of fly fishing by learn-

ing how to tie your own flies. Bill

Pshide continues to be “Professor in

Charge”and does a great job of dem-

onstrating how to tie a wide variety

of flies. No materials or equipment

are needed. Everyone is welcome.

Editor’s Note: Despite Richard’s heart warming “farewell” message, He’s not gone yet. He apparently had so much fun as Presi-

dent that he’s agreed to do it again. Congrats and thanks-you Richard. Heck, maybe I’ll even hang around a little longer too.

Also Despite James and Helen’s retirement, the new restaurant owners have agreed to continue to host the SVFF month meet-

ings and board meeting. Good News, see you all at the new Choked Hanger restaurant……………………...ed.

Page 3

Salinas Valley Fly Fishers**2017 Outing, Events and Programs

Saturday

Jan 14th.

Annual

Dinner

Laguna Seca

Golf Ranch

No host bar

Dinner and raffles

Richard

Higgins

750-9132

Wednesday

Jan 18th.

Fly Tying Salinas Airport

Board Room

Clouser Minnow Bill

Pshide

424-3063

Jan 19-21st Sportsman’s

Expo

Sacramento Expo

Fair grounds

Wednesday

Jan 25h

Board Meeting Salinas Airport All Members

welcome

Richard

Higgins

750-9132

Wednesday

Feb 8th.

General

Meeting

Ssalinas Airport Richard

Higgins

750-9132

Feb 10-12 Club Outing San Luis Forebay Stripers Jay J. 809-0290

Feb 24-26th. Fly Fishing Show Pleasanton

Fair Grounds

Stuff to buy and

things to see

Richard

Higgins

750-9132

March 23-26th Club Outing Pyramid Lake Cutthroat

Trout

Greg Smith

Upcoming Events

(President’s message cont. from pg 1) Fort Hunter Liggett Kid’s Fishing Derby, cleanup of the Salinas River access.

We also tied a bunch of flies for Casting for Recovery, had rod building classes along with monthly fly tying,

the Muddy River Shindig and the Annual Dinner. One thing that I will take with me from serving as your

president this year, is the personal relationships and friendships that I have established with so many of you.

“That’s all I have to say about that.”

As always, keep you rod tips up and your lines tight. ………………………………………………...Richard

Adult: One day $15

Two-day pass $25

Three-day pass $35

Show Hours

Friday: 10am – 6pm

Saturday: 9am – 5:30pm

Sunday: 9am – 4:30pm

Fly Fishing Show

February

24th,25 & 26th.

BACK AGAIN: The Interna-

tional Fly Fishing Film Festival.

One night only, Friday, February

24 at 6:30pm. $15; $10 in ad-

vance.

The Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi), also known as the black spotted trout by

the Paiute Indians, once flourished throughout the basins of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. The trout reached epic

sizes as Capt John Fremont recounted that the Paiutes brought Lahonton trout to his camp in 1843 which he

wrote "Their flavor was excellent--superior, in fact, to that of any fish I have ever known. They were of ex-

traordinary size--about as large as the Columbia River salmon--generally from 2 to 4 feet in length." Based

upon a specimen caught in Lake Tahoe in 1878, the fish was named Salmo henshawi in reference to H.W.

Henshaw, the naturalist who caught the fish. Since then, the name has been refined to Oncorhynchus clarki

henshawi to reflect it as a Cutthroat subspecies. The world record for a caught Lahontan is 41 pounds in 1925

although one Lahontan Cutthroat was caught by a Pauite Indian in 1916 and weighed 62 lbs, both fish were

caught in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The California record is 31 pounds in 1911 at Lake Tahoe.

Lahonton cutthroats historically occurred throughout the Walker, Carson, Truckee, and Honey Lake drainages

including Lake Tahoe, Donner, and Fallenleaf Lake. Today, the Lahontan population is restricted to 14

streams in the Lahontan drainage with about 23 miles of occupied habitat, as well as 720 acres in Independ-

ence Lake. Presently the population consists of less than 10,000 adult fish. The Lahontan cutthroat trout is a

federally listed Threatened species due primarily to overgrazing along streams and loss of spawning streams

due to dam construction. The Lahontan Cutthroat has been extinct from Lake Tahoe since the 1940's. An ac-

tive hatchery program exists at Heenan Lake using Lahontan Cutthroats that were transplanted from the Car-

son River to Blue Lakes in 1864. The fish became slightly hybridized with rainbows and were brought to

Heenan Lake to raise hatchery-born cutthroats to stock in many of the lakes and streams throughout the Sier-

ras. None of these restockings have been successfull in achieving a self-sustaining population.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Lahontan Cutthroats can be recognized by their greenish bronze color of the dorsal region and the light yel-

lowish copper coloration of their sides. A pale reddish slash mark will be found under each side of the jaw.

Large round black spots are evenly distributed on the sides of the fish. These spots may also be found on the

ventral and head regions of the fish.

So, you plan to go to pyramid this year. Heres a

little more info about those fish you plan to catch.

Thursday - 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Friday - 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Saturday - 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Sunday - 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Huge Sports show..Fishing, Hunting, Outdoors, Camping, R.V.s, Boats and much more

The West Fork of the Carson can be a nice little place to stop and do a bit of fishing and maybe have

a picnic lunch. In the spring, they often plant large fish in the meadow area near the Hwy 89 Bridge. Later in

the summer, the lower canyon right off the side of the road offers an opportunity to catch feisty native rain-

bow. Next time you’re headed to the Tahoe area think about taking Hwy 88. On you’ll pass Caples and Silver

Lakes and when you get to the Carson, you’ll also be just a few miles from Indian Creek Reservoir .

Salinas Valley Fly Fishers

P.O Box 1793

Salinas, CA 93902

Editor: Rick McCombs

Email: rickmcfly@sbcglobal.net

"All You Need to Know"

Mailing Address Line 1 Mailing Address Line 2

Mailing Address Line 3

Mailing Address Line 4 Mailing Address Line 5

Annual Dinner

January 14th.

Laguna Seca Golf Ranch

International Sportsmen’s Expo.

Sacramento Cal-Expo

January 19th-22nd.

Fly Tying

Wedn. Jan 18th

Salinas Airport Board Room

The Clouser Minnow

Board of Directors

Wednesday Jan. 25th.

Salinas Airport @

the “Choke Hanger”