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Nat Greene Flyfishers September 2006==================================================== NAT GREENE CALENDARMEETINGS & EVENTSSeptember 12, 2006 – Monthly Meeting: Seth Vernon, owner of Intracoastal Angler in Wrightsville Beach will speak on strategies, flies, and techniques for pursuing red drum with a fly rod in the shallow inshore waters of Southeastern NC. All are welcome. Leonard Recreation Center, 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, 7:00 p.m. map and directions October 10, 2006 - Monthly Meeting: Topic TBA. All are welcome. Leonard Recreation Center, 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, 7:00 p.m. map and directions November 14, 2006 - Monthly Meeting: Scott Smith, Fisheries Biologist for the Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries will speak on the state of the Smith River Brown Trout Monthly Meeting: Topic TBA. All are welcome. Leonard Recreation Center, 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, 7:00 p.m. map and directions December 12 , 2006 – Annual Holiday Social. Snacks, fish stories, & door prizes. All are welcome. Leonard Recreation Center, 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, 7:00 p.m. map and directions ==================================================== September 12 Monthly MeetingSeth Vernon is the owner of Intracoastal Angler in Wrightsville Beach. He will speak on strategies, flies, and techniques for pursuing red drum with a fly rod in the shallow inshore waters of Southeastern NC. Bring something to take notes, because Seth is very open with the details of favorable tides, winds, and hot spots. All are welcome. Leonard Recreation Center, 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, 7:00 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intermediate Flyfishing Course OfferedHope your summer has continued to go well and that you have been able to get out fishing . The fall is just around the corner, and with it comes the Fall Fly Fishing Schools and Classes starting up again. Currently we are offering an Intermediate Class which will start on Sept 7 and run for three sessions. In the class we will cover some Intermediate level casting techniques, distance, rigging your equipment, intermediate level knots and knot tying, tying your own leaders, intermediate/advanced fly presentation, line mending, and line handling and stripping techniques, entomology and more advanced fly selection, and more. The class is held on Thursdays 9/7, 9/14, and 9/21 from 6:30 -9:00 and we will use both the new GTCC ConEd Facility and the lake access at Country Park off Lawndale Ave. For more info or to register call 336.334.4822 x4331. When signing up, refer to this class as Course Code CSP4000-243. Also, more info may be obtained via the GTCC website at www.gtcc.edu. As always thanks for your business, good fishing, and hope to see you on the water. I'll be the guy with his dry fly stuck 30 feet above my head in the bushes.....just kidding but don't count against it. Tight Lines! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bristol Bay Alaska Mining ThreatDuring the 2006 Conclave, FFF members from across the country learned about the threats facing some of the world’s most famed salmon and trout waterways. The Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska hosted an information booth at the Conclave and the Renewable Resources Coalition gave several presentations to spread the word regarding the proposed Pebble Mine, to be located in Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. A Canadian company called Northern Dynasty is proposing to build North America’s largest open-pit gold and copper mine between Lake Iliamna and the Mulchatna River. The permitting process began in early July, as Northern Dynasty applied for water rights from Upper Talarik Creek and the North and South Forks of the Koktuli River. In its water right applications the mining company laid claim to more than 73 million gallons per day, nearly three times the amount of water used by the Anchorage, Alaska (population 270,000). These waterways are critical Bristol Bay salmon and trout producers that could be gravely threatened by these proposed actions. At the Conclave’s auction dinner, FFF President & CEO R.P. VanGytenbeek spoke to the audience in no uncertain terms of the threat and the opportunity for engagement. VanGytenbeek stated that the FFF must work to stop this mine, which is only the beginning of what the mining industry believes could turn the entire Bristol Bay region into a massive mining district. In response to the application for water rights, VanGytenbeek stated: “Upper Talarik Creek is a national treasure for us and for trout fishermen from all over the world. Each year fishermen from Europe, South America and Asia make the trip to Alaska just for an opportunity to fish Upper Talarik and the rest of the famous Bristol Bay watershed. Any person or company that takes an action which would diminish the fishery commits a crime against each of us and against the people and natural resources of Alaska. This is yet another piece of a totally un-needed and unacceptable project which must be defeated.” FFF members and clubs can learn more about this issue by visiting www.sportsmansalliance4ak.org and www.renewableresourcescoalition.org. A free 4-minute DVD on the subject is available for viewing at club meetings. Scott Hed Scott Brennan Outreach Director Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska Renewable Resources Coalition mailto:scott@alaskacoalition.org mailto:scott@renewableresourcescoalition.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ave Yourself $ome Money….Whenever I browse through the pages of fly fishing catalogs, I cannot help thinking how gullible fly fishers are. Let's face it: We can't wait for the Somerset Fly Fishing Show to open its doors so we can spend money on something that we really need like a hole in the head. Since most of us already have everything we need, manufacturers must constantly come up with new or updated products. Some of these may have merit but many others do absolutely nothing for us, except for relieving our wallets of hard earned cash. Just look at any catalog and see how many varieties of the same type of fly fishing lines a single manufacturer produces. When at one time, it may have manufactured only one floating line type, it soon expanded its line (pardon the pun) to the next generation, meaning a line that supposedly performed better and that carried a higher price tag. Now, repeat the process several more times with floating, sinking and sinking-tip lines and I'm sure you get my drift (again, pardon the pun). The fact of the matter is that (except for the price), I can't tell the difference between a second generation line and a fourth generation one. I cast equally bad with either, so, I might as well save myself some money. Of course, the line evolution does not end with allegedly improving the same type of line. Heck no! Let's create specialty lines, so we now have trout lines, nymph lines, tarpon lines, saltwater line, steelhead and salmon lines, striped bass lines, bonefish lines, freshwater bass lines, etc. Do you honestly believe a $53 freshwater bass floating 7 weight line catches more largemouths than a $40 all purpose 7 weight second generation floating line? Not a chance. The biggest rip off, insofar as I am concerned, concerns leaders and tippet material. Without a doubt, we have seen improvements in this area, especially with the advent of fluorocarbon material but have you checked the prices lately? I just went through several catalogs and can tell you that the price of a nine-foot fluorocarbon leader varies from $6.50 to $7.99. Thirty yard tippet spools go from $10 to $14. While this in my opinion borders on price gouging, what irks me even more is that now we also have "specialty" leaders and tippet material specifically designed for different species of fish. It's true, when trout fishing with dries it is important that we use a tapered leader that properly turns over the fly but let's not carry this concept to other type of fish in different situations. For several years now, I've been fishing for bonefish in the Bahamas and Atlantic salmon on Canada's Miramichi. I also spend some time fishing for stripers at the Jersey Shore and for smallmouth bass in a Maine pond. For the most part, these fishes have never seen a fisherman, let alone a leader. They are not leader-shy and when you strip a streamer or cast it three quarters downstream, especially in fast moving water, the tapering of the leader or a not-so-well presented cast means nothing to the fish. When I fish for Atlantic salmon, steelhead, bonefish, stripers or smallmouth bass, I use a straight piece of 10 lb or 12lb fluorocarbon line for a leader. I buy a 400 yard spool of fluorocarbon line for $15 which is the equivalent of 133 nine foot leaders, each costing 11 cents. At an average cost of $7.00 for each manufactured fluorocarbon leader, that's a saving of over $900. Happy Fishing and save yourself some money. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For The Gear BagAlthough the human body is good at replacing some damaged cells, the cells in the lens of the eye are never replaced. Damage from ultraviolet rays can build up over a lifetime and lead to cloudy areas on the lens of your eye called cataracts. It's hard to see through cataracts, and they often must be removed surgically. Macular degeneration, an eye condition resulting from damage to the retina, also may be accelerated by too much unfiltered sun blasting the retinas. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation consists of invisible rays from the sun. The three bands of UV light are: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC rays are of little concern as they are absorbed by the upper atmosphere and do not reach the earth's surface. UVB rays are the ones that burn the skin and can damage the eyes. Combined with cold wind and snow, UVB has the potential to cause snow blindness (photokeratitis), a temporary (lasting 12 to 48 hours) but painful problem in the cornea of the eye. Sunglass standards for lenses place limits solely on UVB and UVA rays, but both the standards and labeling are voluntary, not mandatory. According to these standards, sunglasses must block at least 70% of UVB and at least 60% of UVA. To best protect your eyes, look for sunglasses that provide at least 98% protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Some of the higher-priced products with polycarbonate, glass or plastic (CR-39) lenses can claim to block 100% of the UV rays. Most sunglasses, coated with UV blockers, block the ultraviolet B rays, but the cheaper ones may cheat a little on ultraviolet A. Examine the label. For years, boaters and fishermen have used polarized sunglasses to reduce glare from the water that they spend so much time on. The light particles called photons travel in a wave form. Light reflected from surfaces like a flat road or smooth water is generally horizontally polarized. Polarized sunglasses, which have a protective layer bonded on much like the tinted film put on car windshields, admit only vertical waves. Since most of the reflected waves are coming in horizontally, the horizontally polarized light is blocked by the vertically oriented polarizers in the lenses. The result is a reduction in annoying and sometimes dangerous glare. These sunglasses can be used for driving and in fact can reduce the glare that comes off a long, flat surface such as the hood of the car or the surface of a road. Polarized sunglasses can also be used indoors by light-sensitive people such as post-cataract surgery patients or by those exposed to bright light through windows. Polarized lenses may also react adversely with liquid crystal displays (LCDs) found on the dashboards of some cars or in other places such as the digital screens on automatic teller (bank) machines. The problem with LCDs is that when viewed through polarized lenses from a certain angle, they can be invisible. Polarized sunglasses can be found at fly shops, sporting goods stores, the Internet and shops that carry prescription eyeglasses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rod Building 108A: Thread Types, Sizes and ColorsThis is the first of two articles discussing thread choice on a custom fly rod. Different threads can be used to tie on your guides, hook keeper, ferrule protection, and tip protection, respectively. Your choice of thread for each makes your rod truly one of a kind. Thread color, thread size, and length of wrap are very important for aesthetics and functionality. In this article, we'll look at some of the choices you have when selecting thread for your custom rod. Before selecting a type, size, and color of thread, the rod builder should first consider what the overall "look" they are trying to achieve. When you look at all of the manufactured fly rod blank colors available, you will find the fly blanks tend to be very muted and non-flashy. Blanks are usually black, matte black, transparent black, dark brown, chestnut, dark green, olive green, light tan, dark tan, or dark blue. The purpose of muted coloring is to avoid giving off a flash that may spook the fish when casting the rod. You will notice that most commercial good to high quality rods are all built with this type of color scheme. Some commercial rods do, however, have a very subtle amount of enhancement color here and there to enhance the rod's appearance and perhaps entice the fisherman to purchase that particular rod. Thread colors are available in various shade, tones, and patterns to match the blanks. There are many types, sizes, and colors of threads being manufactured at this time. Detailed descriptions of several thread types, including regular nylon thread, NCP (no color preserver) nylon thread, metallic thread, electra metallic thread, trimar thread, and silk thread are provided below to give you an idea of the variety of choices available to customize your rod. Nylon Thread: The most commonly used thread listed above is the regular nylon thread, which comes in more than 30 colors. Nylon thread is available in sizes A, C, and D. Size A is the smallest diameter, while size D is the largest. Most fly rods are built with size A thread, which is very strong and provides a very pleasing visual appearance. The use of a color preserver on the nylon thread prior to applying epoxy will prevent the thread colors from becoming muted after the epoxy is applied. NCP Nylon Thread: A specific type of nylon thread used in rod building is called NCP nylon thread. Like most nylon threads, it is available in more than 30 colors and also comes in sizes A, C, and D. When using this thread, colors will tend to be brighter and less muted after epoxy is applied without the use of a color preserver. Metallic and Electra Metallic Threads: These threads tend to have very vivid colors. They are both made with a nylon thread core that is surrounded by a metal thread. Metallic thread is available in about 20 colors, while Electra Metallic is only available in 5 colors. They are both available in sizes A, C, and D. Electra Metallic thread provides a holographic effect and radiates a brilliant array of light. However, both of these threads can be used for a bright accent to any rod. Trimar Thread: This thread is a blend on NCP nylon and a single, thin metallic fiber that is twisted into one thread to give a variegated effect. This thread is used for accent and comes in only one size (C/D). No color preserver is needed to preserve the brilliance of color. Silk Thread: Silk is the world's strongest natural fiber and is stronger than steel in tensile strength. The Japanese have been producing the finest silk thread in the industry for many years. There are more than 45 colors produced for rod building. Silk thread comes in three sizes: 100, 50 and size A. Size 100 is the smallest diameter, while size A is the largest. When using silk thread, you must use silk color preserver to preserve the color, or you may have problems with the thread darkening after epoxy is applied. This is the most expensive thread, but the price is negligible in relation to the entire rod cost. Silk thread only costs about $3.00 per rod. As you can see from the small handful of threads described above there is a lot of variety in thread type, size, and color to make that custom rod take on your own personal stamp. If you would like to get a more specific idea of what type of thread you would like to use for your rod, try browsing www.anqlersworkshop.com on the internet. They have many types of thread available for sale at reasonable prices. ==================================================== Newsletter Editor Position AvailableIf anybody has an interest in learning to produce and distribute the Nat Greene monthly newsletter, please send an email to admin@natgreeneflyfishers.org and let us know of your interests. We'll show you how it all comes together and we'll be glad to coach you through the first few months. ==================================================== NAT GREENE FLYFISHERS CLUB
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