Fishin’ Tales

1 Newsletter of the Dallas Fly Fishers

Whew! Cody and I have been active fly fisherslately. I really appreciate Jack Gillisconducting the September meeting for theclub, and though I’m regretful we missed theSeptember Fly Tying meeting and adding newfly patterns to our boxes, I’m making up formissing a year of fishing. When the Beckers’informal DFF outing to Mountain Home,Arkansas to fish the waters of the White andNorfork Rivers and Crooked Creek presenteditself, it was just too difficult to let theopportunity pass. I’m looking forward to the2022 White River Caddis Hatch Outing andhope you will add this trip to your “mustattend” list.

Did you see the October 2021 Texas Parks andWildlife Magazine? Even though huntingseasons have begun, the cover features flyfishing!! The original ShareLunker programbegan in the fall and ended in the spring. Fallfishing in Texas is an action-packedexperience, and this is where many of theclub’s efforts culminate. Rex gave us greatinformation on adding different castingtechniques to our skill set. We’veadded quality flies for local waters toour fly boxes with Dan’s monthly tyingevents and Jack’s Fly Tying Meeting.The club has hosted many outings totarget fish and improve our catching.Fall is the time to put all those skillstogether, because in the fall, Texas fisheat voraciously in order to preparethemselves to survive the winter. I lovethe autumn gorge-fest, but it fishesdifferently than the spring spawningglut. Unlike the spring where fishconglomerate, in autumn the fishspread out looking to fend and foragefor themselves. This means B-I-G

flies—flies that move big water, pop loudly,undulate abundantly and broadly—anything toattract the fishes’ attention. In the morningsand evenings, I love fishing topwater poppersand deer hair patterns, including skating amouse pattern, with a slow retrieve, while themid-day warm-up finds me switching to a sinktip line or a 135 or 150 grain sinking line (myips sink rate choice depends upon the waterbody) and fishing flies that have color (youknow the saying about chartreuse), rubber legs,rabbit/fox/squirrel fur, marabou/saddlehacklefeathers, and palmered grizzly hackle. Thesematerials move prodigiously in the water andattract the fish’s interest. Since probably theonly conscious thought a fish has is to eat ornot eat, I want my fly to be THE tasty morselthat makes the fish commit to biting my fly.

Most of my biggest fish are caught during thefall feeding frenzy. With that said, I stillhaven’t managed to tick a Top 5 Bucket Listbox, to catch an original ShareLunker, what Ibelieve is now known as the Legend Class,which means a Largemouth Bass weighing at

minimum 13 pounds. I’ve often envisionedwhat hooking and landing a 13 lb. Largemouthfrom my kayak would feel like, and each fall,the opportunities to move that vision to areality exist. Fall is a great time to be awarmwater fly fisher! Getting in on this actionare the DFF’s newest members. Please helpme welcome to the club: Oliver Rippy, RosieKurtz, Lance Huckeba, Randall Hoover, DavidWatkins, Zachary Hamilton, and AndrewGolden. We are glad you are here and lookforward to sharing the waters with you.Welcome!

Here’s to bent tips and happy days!

–– Jul ia Julia President, Dallas FlyFishers

Newsletter of the Dallas Flyfishers u October 2021Volume XLIV u Number 10 u www.dallasflyfishers.org

Fishin’ Talesby Julia Bell

IN THE OCTOBER ISSUEPage:

1 Fishin’ Tales

2 DFF Board 2021

2 DFF Speaker Details

2 DFF Holiday Party

2 2022 Election of Officers Candidates

3 2021/22 Calendar

3 Roadkill Roundtable Zoom Fly tying Demonstrations

3 Fly Fishing Skills Classes via Zoom

4 Soft Hackle Classics for Warm Water?

5 Rex’s Ramblings

5 Why an FFI Fly Tying Skills Award Program

6 White River Three-Peat, September 12-17, 2021

7 The Conservation Corner

9 The Activity Report

11 Membership/Renewal Application

The Dallas Flyfishers regular meetings are on the first Mondayof the month. We have moved to a new location. The DFFmeetings will be held at the "Embassy Suites by Hilton DallasPark Central", 13131 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas75243. This hotel is located across Hwy 75 from TexasInstruments near the NW corner of 75 and 635. This hotel islocated within spitting distance of our prior meeting location.

October Meeting, Robert Younghanz,Entomology on the River.

Robert's core passion can besummed up in one word,BUGS. As an aquatic ento molo -gist, aka, "The Bug Guy," a dayon the water is first andforemost about learning, andupping your game, with anemphasis on trout foods andtheir imitations. Robert has fished in over 60 countries, buttrout streams are where his heart lives. He is the host of the topselling DVD, Entomology For The Fly Fisher, the co-owner/director of the Colorado Fly Fishing Guide Academy, andteaches classes on Aquatic Insects both here in Colorado andacross the country.

October 4, 2021, Barry Webster will be doing a fly tyingdemonstration from 5:00-6:00 and meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

November Meeting Speaker is Chris Johnson.

Chris is the owner and founder ofLiving Waters Fly Fishing, a fly shopand guide service based out ofRound Rock, Texas. He has guidedthe Texas Hill Country for over adecade and has fly fished the heartof the state for 20 years. Chris hasbeen a licensed guide in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, andAlaska. Chris is an FFI Certified Casting Instructor, UmpquaSignature Fly Designer, Tenkara USA Guide, and TPWD AnglerEducator. He is also a pro team member for Whiting Farms,Scott Fly Rods, and Scientific Anglers.

In addition, to fly fishing, Chris is passionate about film andphotography. He co-produced the short film “Unspoken,” toraise awareness for Rio Grande Cutthroat trout conservation. Asa result, Living Waters is working with Trout Unlimited as a GoldLevel endorsed TU Business to restore Rio Grande Cutthroatthroughout their native range.

DFF Holiday Party

Sunday 5 December 2021 • 5:30 – 8:30Locale announcement coming soon

— Jack Gill is — Jack Gill is Program Chairman, Dallas FlyFishers

Newsletter of the Dallas Fly Fishers 2

DFF Board 2021PresidentJulia [email protected]

Vice-PresidentJack [email protected]

Past PresidentJack JancoC-214-542-1738 [email protected]

TreasurerSteve [email protected]

SecretaryJim [email protected]

Trustee 2021Steven [email protected]

Trustee 2022Dave Shatzer972-571-7622 [email protected]

Trustee 2023LaJan [email protected]

Auction ChairmanFinny [email protected] Shatzer972-571-7622 [email protected]

Casting Instructor

Rex [email protected]

ConservationJere [email protected]

Education CoordinatorRichard [email protected]

Event PhotograperBob Bender

[email protected]

Fly Tying CoordinatorDan [email protected]

IT SpecialistJeff [email protected]

MembershipMike [email protected] Shatzer972-571-7622 [email protected]

Newsletter EditorJere [email protected]

Outings CoordinatorJim [email protected]

ProgramsJack [email protected]

DFF Speaker Details

2022 Election of Officers CandidatesOpportunities to Help the ClubThe club is looking for assistance with the Newsletter,Programs, and Casting. If you would be interested in chairingor co-chairing any of these areas, please contact Jeff Ziehm(214-202-2826) or any club board member.

November is when we have our annual club elections. Here isthe slate of candidates for the club officer positions for 2022.

President – Julia BellVice President – Jack GillisPast President – Jack JancoSecretary – Jim WoodmanTreasurer – Steve Jackson

2022 Trustee – Dave Shatzer2023 Trustee – LaJan Barnes2024 Trustee – Jim Latshaw

If you wish to be added, let any officer or committee chair knowabout your interest.

The DFF Board also includes appointed committee chairs. Theclub has 10 major committee chairs.

Auction – Dave Shatzer & Finny KahnCasting – Open

Conservation – Jere AndersonEducation – Richard JohnsonFly Tying - Dan Montayne

IT – Jeff ZiehmMembership – Mike Becker and Dave Shatzer.

Newsletter – Jere Anderson—(Jere is looking for a Newsletter Co-Chair)—

Outings – Jim WoodmanPrograms – Jack Gillis

—(We are looking for a new Programs Chair)—

We will finalize this list in October, and then have the electionas part of the November Meeting. We install our new Leadersfor 2022 at the Christmas Party in December.

The next Fly Fishing Skills classes havebegun. Once again, we will conduct classesvia Zoom. Here’s the line-up.

• Fly Fishing Skills I -- begins at 5:30p.m.and adjourns by 6:45

• Fly Fishing Skills II -- begins at 7:00p.m.and adjourns around 8:30

• Both classes last 10 weeks, concluding onNov. 18

Fly Fishing Skills classes are offered throughthe Fort Worth Fly Fishers education programand are available to paid members of FortWorth Fly Fishers and Dallas Fly Fishers. Ifyou attended the classes last semester, you

are approved for attendance this semester.New members to either club are welcome, butplease contact David Hooper at Fort WorthFly Fishers or Jack Gillis at Dallas FlyFishers.

Both classes have been enhanced since lastsemester. Students for each class will receive


2021 CALENDAR:October 4th - October DFF Meeting. Robert Younghanz, whose subject will beEntomology on the River.

October 4th–5th - Outdoor Recreation at DBU, two days of fly fishing and Outdoor Activity.

October 7th - A Thursday, is an outing to the Lathram Church Camp. We werehere last spring, and it was great. Lots of fishable water and lots of fish.

October 15–17 - Oktoberfisch, at Edgewater Springs Resort and Event Center,Fredericksburg Texas.

October 19th - Warm Water Fly Fishing, Cabela’s conference Room, reserve yourspace with Dan Montayne.

October 20th - Steven Ville High School. We will meet at the TFFC.

October 23th - Teaching a Basic Fly Fishing Class at LLELA in the Pavilion. Stayafter and be certified an Angler Education Instructor.

November 1st - November DFF Meeting is Chris Johnson whose subject will befishing for Rio Grande Cichlids.

November 5th–7th - Traditional date for the Toledo Bend Rendezvous. We arecanceled this year again.

November 5th–7th - The FFI Virtual Expo. This is a new event, and hopefully will be too good to miss. Hurry to Fly Fishers [email protected] and signup. The best classes may be already gone.

November 16th - Warm Water Fly Fishing, Cabela’s conference Room, reserveyour space with Dan Montayne.

December 5th - Our beloved Holiday Party. See the announcement on page 2.

2022January 4th–5th - DBU Outdoor Experiences Class.January 10th - The meeting to celebrate our 50th year as a Fly Fishing Club.January 22nd - Carrollton BFF Class.January 29th - Red River Fly Fishers host the Red River Rendezvous, Eisenhower State Park.February 12th - Dr. Ed Rizzolo Annual Fly Tying Festival, Houston.February 18th–20th - TU Troutfest, Lazy L&L Campground.February 26th–27th - 5th Annual Fly Fishing and Brew Festival, Mesquite TX.March 7th - DFF Fund raiser Auction.March 11th–12th - Gulf Coast Sweetwater Classic.March 24th - Sow Bug Roundup, Baxter County Fairgrounds, Mountain Home AR.April 9th - Gannon Ranch spring wildflowers and fishing.April 11th–16th - A spring repeat of the fall Trout Trip. White River, Chapter 4,Return to the Caddis Hatch. We have just completed another great trip to the WhiteRiver in Cotter, Arkansas. Huge fish count with several large rainbows and browns Wehave decided to feed our trout addiction during the caddis hatch in early spring. Homebase for the RV crowd will be Denton Ferry RV Park - dentonferryrv.com. Homebase for guides is Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher - theozarkflyfisher.com. Book early. Formore information contact Mike Becker, 214-288-3885, [email protected] 7th - Bud Priddy any Fly Event, led by Alamo Fly Fishers.May 22nd - Carrollton Basic Fly Fishing Class.June 10th–11th - For the Lake Athens Fly Fishing Festival.July 18th–23rd - Joint DFF / FWFF Colorado Outing probable date.September 29th–October 1st - Southern Conclave, Mountain Home, AR.

Fly Fishing Skills Classes via Zoomby Dutch Baughman

Roadkill Roundtable Zoom Fly Tying Demonstrationsby Jack Gillis

The Roadkill Roundtable will continue its fly tying demonstrations this

Fall. The calls will be hosted by Jack Gillis, our programs chairman.The tying demonstrations will include several experienced and well-

known fly tyers, including Dutch Baughman, Fred DuPre’, DaveBoyer, Eric Austin, Al & Gretchen Beatty. If you are anexperienced tyer, or just beginning your fly tying journey, you will not

want to miss these excellent demonstrations. All calls will be held in

ZOOM and will be at 7:00 PM Central Time on the following

Tuesdays’:

Here are the Roadkill Roundtable Fly Tying Group Fall 2021demonstrations. The schedule is:

September 28 Eric Austin Blue Bottle (Bergman style) October 20 Fred DuPre’ Jack Gartside Sparrow October 26 Dave Boyer Hackle Stacker November 9 Al Beatty Rotating Stimulator November 23 Matt Bennett TBD December 14 Gretchen Beatty Royal Trude

Contact Jack at [email protected] to register without cost.

(Continued on page 4)


an updated version of the entire slidepresentation prior to the first class. Slidedecks now have a complete Table of Contentsso you can find specific topics by using theslide number as a reference. The entirecurriculum from last semester has beencritiqued and updated. We are also planningto have in-person casting sessions during thesemester. If possible, we might also have in-person lab sessions for fly fishing knots.

The curriculum will include a complete arrayof the comprehensive topics presented lastsemester, but with some additionalenhancements.

Fly Fishing Skills I:• More fly fishing video• Expanded sections on fly fishing history, flyfishing equipment, rigging, reading thewater and water column, stream anatomy,entomology and fly fishing trips

• NEW topics on “Search Image” and feedingbehavior

• Slide decks for Fly Fishing History,Reading Water and the Water Column, FlyFishing History, Entomology, Fly FishingSafety, and Fly Fishing Etiquette

Fly Fishing Skills II:• More fly fishing video• Identify This Fish• Identify This Fly• Identify This Knot• Expanded sections on casting, fly fishingtrips, fish species, knots, stream anatomy,safety and etiquette

• More emphasis on the catching (set thehook, play the fish, handle the fish, revivethe fish, release the fish)

• Revised sections on fly selection, fishbehavior and fish habitat

• NEW topic on “Search Image”

• Slide decks for Line Management, ReadingWater and the Water Column, Fly FishingHistory, Entomology, Fly Fishing Safety,and Fly Fishing Etiquette

If you attended the Fly Fishing Skills classeslast semester and want to attend the classesagain this semester, just send an email [email protected] so he canbuild the class email list for the weekly Zoomaccess link. In your email to Dutch, be sure toindicate which class you want to attend. If youdid not attend the classes last semester,please contact David Hooper if you are amember of the Fort Worth Fly Fishers orcontact Jack Gillis if you are a member of theDallas Fly Fishers. Please contact Dutch ifyou have any questions.

Dutch Baughman, FWFF & DFF [email protected]

Fly Fishing Skills Classes via Zoom (Continued from page 3)

Like many others, my fly tying resembles a traintrip. At some point it returns to where it started.My first attempts were wet flies and progressedto dry flies and beyond. After reading countlesspattern books and articles, it dawned on me thatwith slight modifications, those highlyproductive, cold water masterpieces workwonderfully well for warm water species. Asidefrom being fun to experiment with and create,those old, borrowed, British patterns are reliablefish producers in any water. My train is movingto my next stop. Read on please.

Take the flies taughtat our last DFFCabela’s 3rd TuesdayTying event. Onepattern presented wasThe Partridge andOrange (soft hackle).Enlarged to a size#10 hook, the patternboasts a classicsilhouette, easy castability, prolific hackle movement, and softlandings for calm water. This pattern is also asilent producer in the fast water of tail races.Just hold on!

Another fly tied that evening was The Red Ass,a long time trout pattern that is said to imitate aclump of midges emerging toward the surface.Again, this pattern is size increased for hard

mouthed, warm waterspecies and matchesthe same attributes ofthe P & O pattern.The visible differenceis the Hot Spot at theback of the body thatacts as a trigger forinducing strikes.Lastly, it is a highlyproductive dropperfrom any first fly choice. Fish it alone, with, orwithout a strike indicator.

The 3rd pattern tiedat Cabela’s was aSkittle Variant. No,not the candy! Thisfly has a clearadvantage over thefirst two. It takesless than 10minutes to completeand only uses twomaterials, notincluding the thread. Color seems to be optional,so experiment away. When completed, theSkittle imitates all the comparisons attributed tothe famous Woolly Bugger, and we all know thesuccesses it has racked up. This fly can beadditionally enhanced with a collar or visibletop wing. This is where your creative tying

comes into play. There are no mistakes with thispattern. Perfect every time!

Looking out of the train window, I started tovisualize what the soft hackle fly brings to warmwater presentations. Facts: Soft hackle enhancesmovement to any pattern. It lands like a feathereven with imperfect casts. It opens and closes toexpose the body shape and visible color. Best ofall, its materials are easy on the wallet. Simplyput, a hen neck, waterfowl cape, or upland gamebird feathers are considerably less expensivethan top grade, dry fly cape selections. Thesesoft capes are usually more uniform as toindividual feathers and mottling features andwill produce a lot of flies in usable sizes andstyles.

One last thought as I return to my startingstation; hackle size? As long as I can remember,fly tiers have been fixated on proper hacklelength. My experience is simple. Use what youhave. The warm water fish in my area prefer amore bulbous and full hackled fly. On the otherhand, if you have to measure; try 1 ½ to 2 timesthe hook gap. Again, consider Spey flies and“overly long” hackled patterns that have beenknown to produce prolific catches.

These comments are all mine and are aculmination of over 60 years of loving andproducing this art form. Thanks for riding along.ALL ABOARD!!!!

Soft Hackle Classics for Warm Water?by Dan Montayne, DFF Fly Tying Coordinator


Use your cell phone to improve your casting.

One of the best tools for learning to fly castbetter is to use video. Watching yourself castis a great way to identify casting faults thatyou may not realize you are making.

These days it is incredibly easy to both take andreview the video of someone casting. Most“smart phone” style cell phone have excellentvideo cameras. So, you may have your ownpersonal casting instructor sitting in your pocket.

Cell phones have the advantage overtraditional video cameras because they have abuilt in screen. You can video a cast and then

watch it right there in the field. Thisimmediate feedback is a great learning tool.

Connecting a cell phone to tripod is easy andrelatively cheap to do. The local Best Buyrecently had a half dozen or so, options ofbrackets for cell phones on their shelves. Theone I got was less than $20 and can bemounted to a tripod to hold a phone in eitherlandscape of portrait orientation. I’m sure thatyou can find cheaper options online.

You can video from the side to view yourloops, stroke, rotation, stops, etc. You canalso place the camera in front of you to checkyour tracking.

The photos showthe type of bracketthat I am talkingabout and the otheris an examplescreen shot takenfrom a recentcasting video.

Rex’s Ramblings by Rex Walker, FFI CI

The FFI Fly Tying Skills Awards Programprovides FFI members with the opportunity todevelop or reinforce their fly tying skills and testtheir progress against a consistent, standard atthree levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The goal of the Awards Program is to encourageFFI members to develop and improve their flytying skills at their own pace through astructured learning plan with progressive goals.The Program is meant to be informative,enjoyable and encourage camaraderie and co-operation among those taking part. In addition,it can also assist Clubs and instructors in theplanning and delivering of fly tying courses.

We are beginning with the first fly in the BronzeAward level, the Grey Goose Midge Emerger.

Hook: #10 Scud hookThread: 8/0 Black Uni-Thread or equivalentRib: Fine silver wireBody: Goose wing fibers, Natural or GreyWing Case: Goose wing fibers, Natural or GreyThorax: Peacock herlHead: Whip-finish and head cement

TIERS TAKE NOTE: For those tiers who donot have goose wing fibers, substitute turkeytail fibers per the below recipe and use theGrey Goose video for your tying instructions.

Hook: #10 Scud hookThread: 8/0 Black Uni-Thread or equivalentRib: Fine silver wireBody: Turkey Tail, Natural or GreyWing Case: Turkey Tail, Natural or GreyThorax: Peacock herlHead: Whip-finish and head cement

Step-By-Step Tying Instructions

1. Insert the hook intothe vise which is asize 10 scud hook.

2. Attach the threadjust behind the eyeof the hook andform a neatunderbody of tyingthread extending to half way around thebend of the hook (the thread was movedto the half shank position to keep threadfrom sliding).

3. Tie in the rib at theend of theunderbody.

4. Tie in 4 fibers ofGoose (or Turkey)by the tips, on topof the rib. Take thethread to the thoraxtie in position. Note: more fibers may beneeded for larger hooks.

5. Wrap the Goose (orTurkey) fibersforward to form aneven body,stopping half wayalong the hook shank and remove waste.

6. Reverse wrap therib forward in eventurns to providesegmentation andstrength. Break or“worry off” the excess wire (thistechnique is also referred to as ahelicopter twisting maneuver).

7. Tie in 6 strands ofGoose (or Turkey)fibers.

8. Tie in two strandsof peacock herl.Wrap the threadforward to aposition rightbehind the eye of the hook.

Why an FFI Fly Tying Skills Award Program



9. Wrap the peacockherls forward intouching turns andtie off just short ofthe eye. Trim offthe excess.

10. Carefully bring theGoose (or Turkey)fibers up and overthe top of thepeacock herl toform a Wingcase and tie down the fibers.

11. Be sure the fibersstay together on topof the hook andthen trim the Goose(or Turkey) fibers.

12. Form a neat head, whip-finish and applyhead cement.

Tying Tips

• When choosing the Goose (or Turkey)feathers, look for the longest possible herls.Cut off a short amount of the tips and tie intightly at the end of the thread underbody.Avoid letting any thread show. Use enoughfibers to reach the head. If you find that 4strands comes up short, redo with 5 or 6strands.

• Take care with the ribbing: ensure that theturns are evenly spaced and parallel toeach other, on both sides of the fly.

• The peacock herls may be twisted togetherafter tying in for extra strength if desired ora thread loop can be used to reinforce theherls by twisting them into chenille likerope.

• When trimming the excess off the wingcase, ensure sharp scissors are used. Aneater head can be obtained by cutting thefibers individually and at slightly differentlengths to avoid a sharp, bulky edge.

Notes: This pattern represents a large midgebut is often taken by fish feeding on UN pupaeand small fry.

Why an FFI Fly Tying Skills Award Program (Continued from page 5)

Six DFF members (Pat and Mike Becker,Julia and Cody Bell, Jeff Ziehm and DaveShatzer) made the trip to Arkansas to fish theBull Shoals area, When I was preparing forthe trip, I was tempering my expectationsbecause of the success we all enjoyed lastyear. When Pat and I met with Steve Dallybefore our first day of fishing, he made a pointof reminding us that our last trip with him wasa banner success and not to expect a repeat.Boy, was everybody wrong.

Generally, water conditions were low; and,you could not rely on the generation schedule.We saw gravel bars in the water that we neverhad seen before. It was difficult to plan untilthe morning because you could not rely on thegeneration schedule. Also, low waterconditions made the browns more difficult toattract.

On day 1, we put in at Wildcat Shoals andcrossed the river to begin fishing. We floatedand refloated segments almost to the Cotterdock. Pat was rigged with a girdle bug and a#18 Dally's tailwater jig. I was rigged withtwo Dally's tailwater jigs #14 and #18. Weimmediately started catching fish; and,continued to catch them all morning. Stevecommented that we did not float 100 yds.

without a fish. Except for two nice brownsthat Pat landed, everything was rainbows.After lunch, we headed up to the dam area. Itwas starting to get really hot; and, activity wasslowing. I did get a good hook set on a largefish that we thought was a brown. It turnedout to be a 23" rainbow with an enormousgirth. All in all a great day with 50 or so fishcaught.

On day 2, we returned to Wildcat Shoals andhad a repeat of day 1, without the hugerainbow. The fish were consistently in the 12-18" range and very acrobatic. I had one thatactually jumped over the bow of the boat. Atlunch, we ran into Jeff and Dave (beingguided by Chad Johnson). They had put in atthe Cotter dock and were working their wayup river. They were also doing quite well;and, Jeff landed an outstanding brown. Juliaand Cody were on the river with Gabe Levin;and, when asked about their day we got a twothumbs up. After lunch, I did manage tobreak my brown drought. All in all, another50 fish day with 4 browns caught.

On day 3, we decided to change it up a bit andhead to Rim Shoals. We worked various driftsalmost to the Cotter dock. Again, no shortageof rainbows and browns were very scarce.

Another day of 50 or so fish. Dave and Jeffwent chasing smallmouth in Crooked Creekand Julia and Cody were fishing from theirkayaks. We finished the day by orderingpizza and getting together at Jeff and Dave'scabin for a party.

Because the action was so good, I decided tobook another guided day. Steve was guidingJeff and Dave; and, Pat and I were guided byMike Sexton. Julia and Cody were beingguided by Larry McNair; and, Julia managedto get one on a dry fly despite the absence ofbugs on the water. We put in at Cranor's andconsistently worked the area betweenCranor's and Wildcat Shoals. We were riggedwith two tungsten headed nymphs on jighooks; and the fish loved them. Although wemanaged to find where the browns werehiding, they were greatly outnumbered by therainbows. The fish were hitting both theupper and lower nymphs all day and, we sawseveral fish chasing fish we had hooked. Itwas not uncommon for both of us to have fishon at the same time. We landed several nicebrowns in the 18" range; and I also manageda 20" and almost 21" brown (this one neededto stretch to the tail a little). Pat had a fish onwhen my largest brown struck; and, then it gotreally interesting. We were headed into the

White River Three-Peat, September 12 - 17, 2021 by Mike Becker



rapids; and Mike was unable to net for usbecause he needed to control the boat.Consequently, we both had fish quicklyswimming upstream while we were riding therapids in the opposite direction. Both fishwere landed; and, we have a great story to tell.When we packed it in, we had another 50 fishday. The week ended with a nice groupdinner at a restaurant near the Norfork dam.

This was an incredible trip for the six of us;and we are already booked for next yearbetween April 11-16. You may be asking whywe would change seasons if the fishing was sogood. Very simple - caddis, caddis, caddisand hungry browns. This is a great riversystem to fish. If you are looking for large fishas well as large numbers of fish, this is theplace.

Many thanks to Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher andguides Steve Dally, Chad Johnson, MikeSexton, Gabe Levin and Larry McNair. Also,thanks to Denton Ferry RV which where westayed.

If you want information, please contact Mike Becker.

—Mike Becker —Mike Becker

White River Three-Peat, September 12 - 17, 2021 (Continued from page 6)

While we did not really have much of asummer compared to either the very hot or thevery wet portions of the Lower 48, it is good tofeel that Fall is upon us. This is one of myfavorite fly fishing times of year. Not onlybecause the oppressive heat of summer isfading, but it is also the second Top WaterSeason.

Most of us love the spring top water seasonwith the pre-spawn males making nests and asthe water warms the heavy with eggs Femalescome in and fill the nests. Some prettyamazing moments happen as you areexpecting the hit from a 3-pound to 5-poundmale and instead get slammed by a ten poundplus Female Black Bass. If you recover fromthe rod bending takeand get to play thefish for a while, itcan make yourspring time.

Many of you do notrealize that the fallseason can be just as exciting.As the water cools, the big fishcome shallow following the baitfish. The bait fish, the LunkerBass main food, are shallow and feeding to getready for winter. This is a progressiveactivity. As the water cools, the bait fish

migrate from the deep cooler water of the mainlake structure to the shallows of the main-lakeflats and feeder streams.

As fly Rod specialists, we are best equippedto fish the shallow water with streamers andsuch delivered in horizontal presentations.Since the bass are migrating, you need to havea more searching approach, rather thanhammering the points where the feeding Basshave been in the mornings since April.Shallow running and noisy flies like DahlbergDivers, as well as classic minnow imitationslike Clouser Minnows will do it for you. If youcome on some minnows jumping and stirringup a fuss, you are in luck. It is probablycaused by Bucket-Mouth pinning a school ofminnows to the ceiling and then attackingthem.

As the water continues to cool, the minnowsgo more shallow and more up the feedercreeks and streams. The Bass will follow. Soshould you. Our Texas Bass are unique,strong and numerous. Don’t forget to fish forthem in this best time of the year.

So fish those points and watch thetemperature on those flats. As you see thenumbers dropping more towards the 70’s, it istime to do some searching. Work those flatswith a high spot in it. Watch for signs of

feeding in shady areas. By the time that youare seeing a lot of 60 morning temperatures,you also should be catching big Bass in bignumbers.

So your season is on and you are into goodfish. What more can you ask? Well, I mighthave a great deal for you. How many of youknow about the TPWD Angler Recog ni tionProgram?

An elaborate setof options isavail able. In theTPWD FishingAwards page atFish Records andAwards (texas.gov) a smartly writtendownloadable brochure can be found anddownloaded into your web browser page. Ithas everything you need. The awards rangefrom recognition of a Junior Angler’s FirstFish to Texas Statewide Records. The awardsare by water body, with the best of the bestbeing the State-wide Record by species. Wewill concentrate on Fly Rod Records, but Ihave no objection if your spouse or youthangler in the family fishes with other tackle.

So, working up from the most basic, there isan application for a First Fish Award, for yourjunior angler’s first catch to get an award. This

The Conservation Corner by Jere Anderson


https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/


does not require a picture of the fish, but itwould be nice to have on your application.You just fill out the Award Application Pagefrom the TPWD Brochure that I mentionedabove. Mail it in, and in a few weeks, youryoung angler will have a great lookingcertificate to frame for his wall.

The next level up in complexity are a series ofawards that just need a picture of the fish ona measuring device and a completedapplication. They are;

Records by Length

State Catch and Release Records for thecatch and live release of the longest fish of aqualifying species from Texas public waters.

Catch and Release Water Body Recordsfor the catch and live release of the longestfish of a qualifying species from a publicwater body.

• Rod & Reel - longest fish of a speciescaught by any method of rod & reel fishing.

• Fly Fishing - longest fish of a speciescaught by fly fishing methods usingartificial flies.

Elite Angler Award - a lifetimeachievement award for catching five differenttrophy class fish in the freshwater or saltwaterdivisions

Big Fish Award - for catching a trophy classfish of a qualifying species.

The Big Fish Award is for a fish of a particularspecies that exceeds a certain length. This isthe list of fish species and the requiredlengths for Big Fish.

So far, so good, right? Just catch the fish, takea picture that is clear and shows both the

length and the species clearly. Fill out theapplication and mail it in.

I suggest that tis level of records by length aresimple to document, and plentiful. Withrecord level all the way up to The Elite AnglerAward, you have quite a range ofaccomplishments. It is unnecessary to getinvolved in the length and weight recordsunless you want to. The Bell Family who haveover a dozen IGFA records can tell you howchallenging that can be, so if you want to gothere, be my guest.

Next up in complexity are the records shownabove, with the added complexity of;

Records by Weight

State Records for Public Waters

• Rod & Reel - largest fish of a species fromTexas public waters by any method of rod &reel fishing.

• Fly Fishing - largest fish of a species fromTexas public waters by fly fishing methodsusing artificial flies.

State Records for Private Waters

• Rod & Reel - largest fish of a species fromTexas private waters by any method of rod& reel fishing.

• Fly Fishing - largest fish of a species fromTexas private waters by fly fishing methodsusing artificial flies.

Water Body Records (public waters only)

• Rod & Reel - largest fish of a species froma particular Texas public water body by anymethod of rod & reel fishing.

• Fly Fishing - largest fish of a species from aparticular Texas public water body by flyfishing methods using artificial lures.

• All-Tackle - largest fish of a species from aparticular Texas public water body caughtby any legal method, excluding nets.

These last sets of records require access to acertified scale. This make them more difficultto document, but the nice thing about thisprogram is that so many records can beapplied for with just a clear picture of the fishon a measuring device and a completedapplication form. Below is a direct copy of the

brochure on how to be part of this greatprogram.

How To Participate

1. Be prepared. Review the program rules,check the current records, and secure anofficial application form. Page 3 of ourdownloadable brochue (PDF 587.4 KB)is an application form that anglers can fillout electronically, print, sign and send.The blank form can also be printed andfilled in by hand.

2. Locate certified scales before the trip,especially for larger species of fish. A listof official weigh stations is available onthis website if you are going for a recordthat is by weight.

3. Catch your trophy!

4. Measure the fish.

5. Take several photos. Photos arerequired for Catch and Release Record,State Record by Weight, Water BodyRecord and Big Fish Award applications.Photos of other outstanding catches arewelcome. Digital photos submitted by e-mail are preferred, but applicants mayalso send prints by mail. We cannotaccept photos on physical media such asthumb drives, CDs or DVDs. Videorecordings will not be accepted in lieu ofphotographs.

6. Submitted photos become the property ofTexas Parks and Wildlife Department.High-quality photos may be chosen fordisplay on the Angler Recognition websiteand at TPWD locations and events.

7. If weight is required for your awardcategory, weigh the fish on certifiable orlegal-for-trade scales within three days ofthe catch date. If the scale is not currentlycertified by the Texas Department ofAgriculture, the International Game FishAssociation (IGFA) or a commercial scalescalibration company, the applicant willhave 30 days from the weigh date to havethe scale certified.

8. Complete the Angler Recognition Awardapplication and submit within 60 days ofthe catch date. Applications for StateCatch and Release Records and StateRecords by weight require the signature of

The Conservation Corner (Continued from page 7)


https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/release.phtml

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/release.phtml

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/other_awards.phtml#elite

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/other_awards.phtml#bigfish

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/weightrec.phtml



https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_t3200_0349b.pdf

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/scales.phtml

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/weightrec.phtml#measure

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/weightrec.phtml#photo

[email protected]

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/weightrec.phtml#weigh


a notary public. The 60-day limit will bewaived for catches recognized as worldrecords by the IGFA.

9. Allow 6 to 8 weeks to receive yourcertificate.

General Rules for All AwardCategories

1. The fish must be legally caught in Texaswaters.

• Exception: For Gulf of Mexico waterbody records, eligible catches may betaken from both state and federalwaters. Please note game fishes instate waters may be taken only by poleand line. In federal water, legal meansfor these species include spear guns.

• Anglers submitting spear gun recordsfrom federal water must include GPScoordinates (latitude/longitude) of thelocation where the catch was made.

2. An Angler Recognition AwardApplication form (PWD BR T3200-349B)completed by the angler must be receivedby TPWD within 60 days of the date of

catch. The 60-day limit will be waived forcatches recognized as world records by theInternational Game Fish Association.

3. The fish must be caught while obeying alllaws or regulations governing the fishspecies and the waters in which it wascaught. Check license requirements andfishing regula tions before going fishing.

4. Only one person may catch the fish(except for netting or gaffing the fish tobring it into the boat or onto shore).

5. The fish must not have contained anything(including electronics or other taggingdevices) to assist in locating the fish.

6. Deliberate falsification of any applicationwill result in disqualification. All existingrecords will be removed and futureapplications from the angler will not beconsidered.

7. TPWD reserves the right to review,investigate, reject, disqualify, or acceptany application submitted or any awardgranted. In case of disputes, the decisionof the Angler Recognition AwardsProgram Committee will be final.

For more information, contact:

Inland Fisheries • (512) 389-4444 •[email protected]

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department • 4200Smith School Road • Austin, Texas 78744.

So here you are with an easy program to get aTexas Fly Fishing Record that will take a lotless effort than most of the records. You cando records that only require the length and aclear enough picture to be certain of thespecies. Since these are for the most partCatch and Release Record by water body,there are literally hundreds of available slotsin the state record book. Go get me a few ofthem.

Things are looking good for we fly fishers.There are literally hundreds of records that atthis writing are blank slots. We north TexasFly Flingers need to be ready to exercise ourbig fish, document them and enjoy therecords.

Tight lines and great fishing to you all.

— Jere— Jere

The Conservation Corner (Continued from page 8)

Dr. Lou was teaching flyfishing skills on his develop -ment’s ponds. His generos ity

and hard work have introduced many to oursport. Here are some of the most recent ones.

Past President, Peter Rea with an enthusiasticcasting student.

The instructors taking a break. We usually tiea few flies while we are here. It goes over wellwith the public.

Then we got an opportunity to fly tie withKimberly and the DIVA-WOW group. Jere wasnot there, due to self-isolation with the secondround of that nasty COVID thing. DanMontayne covered for me very well, asexpected.

The Activity Report by Jere Anderson


https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/general-rules-regulations/general-fishing-regulations

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/

[email protected]



The fly tying follow-up meeting at Dan’s onAugust 28th also was fun. No pictures though.

The week from September 11th to 18th somefamily outings to the Cotter AR area had adozen or more all over from the Tailwaters ofLake Tanycomo to the Mountain Home ARarea. This trip has a trip report in ourNewsletter, and great pictures. It was suchgreat fun that the 2022 version is alreadytentatively set for April 11th to 16th, 2022. Ireceived an e-mail that they had so much fun,they want to go again, but this time in thespring trout spawn.

That same week kicked off a huge array ofclasses and fun events. The Tuesday fly tyingis led by The Roadkill Roundtable on secondand fourth Tuesdays and by Den Montayne onthe third Tuesday. Every Thursday up to earlyNovember is a Fly Fishing Learning Classtaught by Dutch and his materials from the FFILearning Center. These classes are great.

Dan’s Fly Fishing Seminar on the thirdTuesday went very well again. Here are thepictures from September 21st.

This is Jim Woodman teaching three studentsthat have been to every fly-tying session so far.

True beginners, using DFF gear and learningfast while having fun.

This is the experienced side of the room, allgood and all valuable to the club.

I include this one just because I am the pictureof concentration. We two are in the instructorranks for these, and if not enough beginnersshow up we get to just relax and tie flies.

Here is Jim Crump on the left and Dave Smithworking with a fly tier that I instructed on aprior Tuesday. I got to teach him the firstsession, and I would judge that he is quiteskilled in basic techniques, and just needs thepractice and instruction on details. In any casehe is having fun.

We had a slightly slower day than usual, somore of you need to come to these. A noticegets E-mailed so you won’t miss that the nextone is October 19th.

We also had an outdoor class at LLELA. It wasa bit smaller than we like, but good students gota lot of personal attention from our highlymotivated staff of Instructors. Here is the classpicture.

October promises to be busy and fun.

The first weekend leads us to the two-day classwith DBU. Both days will be on campus, andwhile we are looking forward to some outdoortime, it is not yet safe enough in Jere’s opinionto go to an off-campus outdoor adventure. SoMonday and Tuesday we will meet in theHalliday Classroom. Talk to Jere about beingone of the instructors on Tuesday for theCasting and Fishing.

On Monday is the club October Meeting andthere will be fly tying at 5 PM followed by themeeting at 7 PM.

Then on Thursday, October 7th, will be a repeatof the Lathram Youth Camp Fishing trip thatwas so much fun this last spring.

October 15th – 17th, the Oktoberfische Eventat the Edgewater Springs Resort and EventCenter, in Fredericksburg is way too good tomiss. Consider going up early and fishing someGuadalupe Bass.

October 19th, a Tuesday, will be the next DanMontayne Warm Water Fishing Technology atthe Cabelas in Allen.

On Wednesday the 20th is the Stevenville HighSchool Youth fly fishing at the TFFC. We willneed quite a few helpers for this one. SeeRichard Johnson about helping here.

Then Saturday, the 23rd of October is anotherLLELA fly fishing class, and a chance to be acertified Angler Education Instructor if youwish. See Richard about this one as well.

The Activity Report (Continued from page 9)


After all that, I am ready to hope that we aregetting the outdoor world going again.Wouldn’t that be great?

Do not miss out on the FFI Virtual ExpoNovember 5th-7th. Sign up now to get anythingyou like in the best classes. There are well over100 classes and sessions with a hugepercentage of them free with your registration.Look in the Calendar for the Internet Link.

This is what the FFI wants to do instead of a bigface to face convention in Montana. I agree, sogo to the link and see what there is availablestill.

From the looks of our calendar, we still have afew events coming up. The club can continueto help with the list of these on-going projects.I will miss the many canceled items on ourmenu of outdoor events, some of which we had

been doing for a decade. However small groupfishing outings are still going on.

It is a tough life, but someone gets to live it.Best wishes for big fish and lots of them….

Best wishes for big fish

and lots of them….

— Jere— Jere

The Activity Report (Continued from page 10)

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWALNew Member o or Renewing My Membership o (Check one) Date ___________________________________

Name:____________________________________ Spouse’s name:_____________________________________________

E-mail address: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Home phone:_______________________ Work:___________________________Cell: _____________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________ State:______ Zip Code: __________________________

Are you a current member of the Federation of Fly Fishers? Yes o No o (check one)

New Members: Renewing Members:

Annual membership dues: $36 per year Annual membership dues: $36 per year

After July 1st, pay $18 for half year

After Oct 1st, just pay for the following year

To Join DFF, complete the form below and mail along with your check to:Dallas Fly Fishers

8349 Club Meadows Dr.Dallas, Tx 75243

You can also join or renew online at http://www.dallasflyfishers.org/membership.html

Happy Fall Y’all!Happy Fall Y’all!

Fishin’ Tales

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Transcript of Fishin’ Tales