Welcome New Members

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Hugh, Elizabeth Fechtler
Mike Le Tourneau
Jim Ulm
Sue Baumgardner
Alan Johnson
Gene, Judy Johnson
Gary Bell
Ron Black
John Blaize
Paul Hoffman
Don Moran
Greg, Carol O'Neal
Dan, Carrie Pike

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• The Southern Oregon Fly Tiers invite you to attend their next meeting, Tuesday,May 13, 7 p.m. at the Madrone Hill Mobile Home Park community building near Gold Hill. Tiers need not be experienced, and those with all levels and skills are welcome. Participants are asked to donate a fly to the free raffle held at the end of the meeting. Each meeting a member is encouraged to demonstrate a new of different skill, from simple to difficult. For more information, call Dan Kellogg at 773-4724. Directions to the community building: Take Gold Hill Exit 40 off I-5 and head west towards Jacksonville for 1.3 miles until you reach the brick entrance to the Madrone Hill Mobile Home Park on the right. You will pass a golf course parking lot on your left shortly after leaving the freeway. After you turn right into the mobile home park, proceed to the community building, located about 100 yards ahead on the left. The address is 8401 Old Stage Rd. Please park your vehicle on the access-road side of the parking lot to avoid the septic cover on the far side.

John Smeraglio and Rick Hafele will again be offering a special workshop on the Deschutes River, June 7 & 8, 2008, plus a special 2-day lake class on May 3 & 4, and September 20 & 21. As this may be of interest to club members
What: Fly Fishing Western Rivers class on the Deschutes River
Where: Maupin, Oregon
Dates & Time: Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 5pm to 9pm Sunday, June 8, 2008 from 9am to 4pm
What: Fly Fishing Western Lakes
Where: Five Lakes Ranch, Grass Valley, Oregon
Dates & Time: Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 1pm to 9pm Sunday, May 4, 2008 from 9am to 4pm And Saturday, Sept 20, 2008 from 1pm to 9pm Sunday, Sept 21, 2008 from 9am to 4pm
Classes use a combination of slide shows and on the water instruction to discuss the key hatches and trout foods (how to recognize them, and how to determine which ones are important to imitate and why), how to select the right flies and how to present the patterns correctly. Rick and John are two of the most respected and experienced fly-fishing instructors in the West, and this is a great chance to pick their brains! Cost for Deschutes river class: $150/person (besides instruction class includes dinner Saturday night plus breakfast and lunch Sunday). Cost for Lakes class: $250 (besides instruction class includes fishing on private lakes, plus lodging Saturday night, dinner Saturday and breakfast and lunch Sunday) Registration: Contact Deschutes Canyon Fly Shop (toll free: 1-866-647-4721) or at john@flyfishingdeschutes.com Class size limited. Pre-registration required.

   Wow!Take a look at the Outings Schedule. I estimate that there are over 300 years of cumulative angling experience contained within the outings leaders. I hear that Otis Swisher is also taking new members to the local ponds. This is a trip that I recommend anyone take. If we add Otis’ tenure there are probably 370 years of fishing expertise that is made available to our members. There is no better way to meet people and become matriculated into our sport then to participate on one of these outings. If you miss an opportunity it may not be there next year or even in the next ten years. If you are worried that you do not have the skill and equipment I will remind you that the most seasoned angler started at some point and is still learning. Call the outings leader (fish master) and find out what you need and we will get you started off on the right foot. The greatest insult is to put on an outing and have no one show up. Please show up and take advantage of the fantastic opportunities that are available this year.
   Conservation.I imagine when we turn on the tap water and the water pours out brown or doesn’t come out at all everyone will stand up and be a conservationist. Unfortunately, you will be about 20 years late. Clear air, clean water and outdoor-recreation are what the term “Oregonian” has meant to me. While we all agree that a sidewalk is not a suitable riparian zone that is exactly what you get when even the best-intentioned property owner decides to fix up his and her little nest egg by the river. While we are not tree huggers or fish huggers at the club, most of us do agree that the fish, the water, the river’s edge, as well as the angler, need a voice. The club is forming a conservation committee to help represent the angler, the fish and the fragile riparian zone. If you believe as I do that the rivers and waterways of Oregon should be left a little bit better than the way we found them, please contact me. Duties may involve educating children to attending local and state hearings. There is a place for every one to help. While our topic is diverse, the age-old battle for control of the States natural resources is not. Please express interest if you would like to help out.
   Board members wanted.We are looking to fill three to four Board member positions in May. A great attitude, a willingness to help out and participation during the Board meetings is all that is required. New members please apply. If you have spare time and would like to become involved in your community, please e-mail me and express interest.

Our thoughts go out to Bob Quigley and Hank Rogers who are on the mend.

Chick Parsons – Check out the Outings Schedule

• A five-hour clinic, Elements of Flyfishing for Trout, will be offered by fly fishing expert and author Dave Hughes. Clinic date is Thursday, May 22, and will be held at the clubhouse at John MacDiarmid’s mobile home park near Gold Hill (the same location that is used by the Southern Oregon Fly Tiers – directions to the clubhouse are given, above, in the Southern Oregon Fly Tiers announcement. A fee of $50 will be charged per attendee. The signup is now underway. You can contact Steve Haskell for details and if you want to attend this clinic you should send your $50 check to Tom Bettencourt, Club Treasurer, RFF / PO Box 4637 / Medford, OR 97501. Be sure to note on your check that it is for the Dave Hughes clinic.

Fly fishing expert and author, Dave Hughes, will be presenting the RFF May 21st club program. The subject of Hughes’ program will be Nymph Fishing Simplified.

Volunteers needed for the April 26th Kids & Bugs: Chicos Latinos program at Bear Creek Park in Medford. The Rogue Flyfishers club has supported this event every year since its inception. Our contribution is to introduce the kids to the art of fly tying and fly casting. You will find this a worthwhile volunteer experience, one that does not require expert skills but is definitely rewarding. The kids are divided into groups of approximately 8, and each group cycles through eight stations that include fly tying, fly casting, wetland investigation, salmon tent, fish dissection, water quality, in-stream sampling of macroinvertebrates, and identification of macroinvertebrates. Volunteers should meet at Bear Creek Park in Medford at 7:30 to 8 a.m. A pizza Lunch is provided. The program ends at approximately 2:30 p.m. If you want to volunteer to instruct in fly tying or casting, please contact Bill Rittenhouse (858-5981 or writtenho@clearwire.net). There will also be a volunteer training session on Sunday, April 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bear Creek Park. You may wish to attend especially if you have never participated in Kids & Bugs. The parking lot off Highland Drive is close to where the fly tying and fly casting stations will be located.

•This fish was one of the 30 planted last fall as "trophy" fish. These fish have the adipose fin clipped! So if you catch one and do your survey please indicate size of fish and that adipose fin was clipped. All other fish have either intact adipose fins (the fingerlings) or worn fins as in the "legals" which were crowded into the hatchery ponds for a long time. By the way another angler caught a larger fish with adipose fin intact-one of the "old guard"! Both fish took a size 18/20 bead head midge pattern, no hackle.

• Jim Harleman needs your catch results from your fishing trips at the Holy Water. Survey forms should be submitted electronically via the club’s website, ROGUEFLYFISHERS.ORG. Survey results link directly to Jim Harleman who is tabulating the data as part of the Holy Water Taskforce-ODFW effort to improve the fish catch at the Holy Water. The survey is available by clicking on the Holywater link in the upper left of this home page.

• Rigging help for newcomer fly fishers is being offered at club meetings. Dennis Remick has offered to instruct any member who needs help in rigging their fly-fishing equipment. Questions regarding appropriate knots, attachments, leaders, fly lines, reels and fly line backing will be answered. This program was initiated at the February club meeting and several members took advantage of the instructions provided.

• All day fishing class offered by Steve Haskell and Peter Ware. There are two unfilled slots remaining for this class, which is a 7-hour class for beginner/refresher level participants. Instructors are Steve Haskell and Peter Ware. Class will be given on Saturday, April 19th from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Steve’s home, 622 Helman St in Ashland. Call Steve at 541-482-9413 for more information or to signup. Cost is $50 and class size is limited to eight participants.

•ODFW Announcements.
- The Rogue Flyfishers and ODFW will be installing signs at the Holy Water on May 3. Volunteers are needed. If you can help, contact David Haight (826-8774) or Steve Haskell (482-9413).
- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is beginning to develop its budget for the 2009-2011 biennium and is considering a proposal to raise license and tag fees. There will be a public meeting to discuss the budget proposal on Tuesday, April 15, 7:00 p.m. in the Padgham Pavilion at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.
- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reviewing proposals to change sport-angling regulations. There will be a public meeting to discuss the proposed regulation changes on Friday, May 16, 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Jackson County Auditorium off of Table Rock Road. More information about the regulation proposals and how to submit comments can be found on ODFWs website: www.dfw.state.or.u.s.

Webmaster Steve Ostrander has added a new feature to the club’s website in which you can signup electronically for outings or activities. The activities signup link is on the home page in the upper left corner, and the outings signup link is on the outings calendar page.