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Steve Spiller, DVFF President

The DVFF summer BBQ is held in place of our normal monthly club meeting. There are still openings for this event. The BBQ is being held outside at the Pleasant Hill Park picnic area. It is a catered event and includes a silent auction, raffle & wine toss. Free casting lessons take place on the lawn adjacent to the picnic area at 4 p.m. to allow interested club members to work on tuning up their skills sets prior to the BBQ. You can register for the BBQ here.

The DVFF Safety Committee met on Aug. 2, 2022 to review and update our COVID Rules and discuss some safety issues which occurred on recent club outings. The COVID Rules have been simplified and apply equally to club outings, club meetings and other club events. You can read the updated COVID rules on our website. Safety is a top priority for our club. When registering for club outings, take note of an Outing’s degree of difficulty (challenging access, demanding wading, wind conditions on Still Waters, etc.) and assess your capabilities and medical conditions to make sure the outing is a fit. Fishing with a buddy is always a good idea.

Per DVFF club bylaws, every August a three-member nominating committee made up of Board members is formed. Board members serve a two-year term, with four elected on even years and four on odd years. The club President is also a Board member, bringing the total number of Board members to nine. Becoming a Board member is an excellent way to get more active in the club, meet new club members, create new friendships, and give back to the club. You can expect to hear more from the nominating committee soon. In the meantime, if anyone has a desire to learn more or self-nominate, you can contact me. DVFF Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month from 7-9 p.m. and are open to club members. If interested in attending a Board meeting, contact John Guerra and he will provide you the Zoom link for the meeting.

The August Roundtable will discuss Leaders, sharing thoughts and opinions on favorite leader setups for Dry Fly, Nymph, Wet, Euro and other rigs. Check out the article in this edition of Windknots for more detail and a link to register for the session.

If you are relatively new to fly tying take special note. A lot of fly tying materials have been donated to DVFF in the last few years. Only a small portion of the materials are usable in our Fly Tying Basics and other classes. The materials have been sorted into several categories and many packages have never been opened. These materials include: threads, dubbing, chenille and yarns, marabou, hackle feathers, animal and synthetic hair, flash materials, dry fly hooks, wet and streamer hooks, tying foams, goose biots, etc, etc. Voluntary donations to the DVFF will be accepted at the meetings.

Some paper bags will be provided at the meetings but we recommend you bring your own to transport your materials home.

Some used tying tools may also be available but some of these will be sold to benefit the club.

John Kreiter, Auction & BBQ Chair

Just a reminder to all members that our August Meeting will be our Annual Summer BBQ. The BBQ is being held at Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill. If you have purchased tickets, please join us for a fun evening that includes:

Dinner will include BBQ and all the fixins, Beer and Wine, and Soft Drinks. We will have our traditional Wine Toss. A fun opportunity to win some wonderful vino. We have great items in our Raffle and some Silent Auction Items for you to bid on. This is a great opportunity reconnect with friends and have some great BBQ.

We will be back at the Gardens in September with a speaker or join us for the meeting on Zoom.

(New Outings are highlighted in yellow. Linked outing names connect to more detailed information in our online calendar. Indicated expenses are those beyond expected personal expenses, such as food, lodging and transportation. Outings that still have openings at the time this list is compiled are highlighted in green.)

Sept. 12-17 – Bitterroot River, Montana (Trout), John Guerra, (925) 895-4199.

Sept. 22-23 – Stillwater Academy-Crowley Reservoir Seminar (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Sept. 23-25 – Fly Fishing Proficiency Outing: Eastern Sierra & Dry Fly School (Trout), Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Oct. 7-9 – Fly Fishing Fundamentals Outing (Trout), Alan Christian,

Oct. 10-11 - Guided Lower Sacramento Float Trip (Trout) Barry Zacharias,

(925) 577 -5611.

Oct. 14 - O'Neill Forebay (Stripers), Steve Spiller, (925) 451-3789.

Oct. 15 - O'Neill Forebay (Stripers), Steve Spiller, (925) 451-3789.

Oct. 20-23 – Nymphing School: McCloud River (Trout), John Murphy,

Oct. 24-27 – Lower McCloud River #3 (Trout), Al Peterson, (510) 612-1689.

Oct 27-30 – Lower McCloud River Outing #2 (Trout), Al Peterson,

(510) 612-1689.

Oct. 28-31 – Dry Fly School Fall River Outing (Trout), Alan Christian,

Nov. 5 - Intro to Two Handed Rods Workshop, Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

Nov. 6 - Streamer Workshop, Barry Zacharias, (925) 577-5611.

May 27-31, 2023 - Smith River Float and Camping Trip (Trout), Jeff Wolk, (925) 899-5754.

May 27-31, 2023 | Jeffery Wolk

The Smith River is a freestone River in Central Montana to the west of Helena. The trip is earmarked for May 27th to May 31st of 2023. If less than 8 members, the cost will be $4950 per person and $4350 if there are 8 members. We need to reserve spots sooner than later so a deposit of $600 will be require at sign-up.

The river corridor is largely untouched by major developments and offers magnificent views of scenery and wildlife, towering limestone cliffs and excellent fishing for brown and rainbow trout. For many, this is the fishing trip you have been waiting for.

The trip features 4 nights glamping on the riverbank and 5 days of fishing (largely drift boat). Meals, drinks, snacks are prepared by a chef. Tents and cots are included (BYO sleeping bag) are included. You will need to bring yourself and maybe a favorite fly rod or two.

There should be ample opportunities for dry fly fishing and frequent nymphing. The end of May would likely focus on Caddis Fly and Salmon Fly hatches.

If you wish to learn about the outfitter, Mike Geary and Healing Waters Lodge- Lewis and Clark Expeditions, you may like to view his website detailing the specifics of the trip: Smith River - Healing Waters Lodge.

Sign up for this adventure, I sure you will be glad you did!

April 30-May 1, 2022 | Kirston Koths

Scotts Flat Lake, a small reservoir ten miles from Nevada City, is an attractive destination for many reasons – shoreline camping, no lakeside houses, and it is often completely full during the best times to fish for its trophy smallmouth, largemouth, and browns. Members of Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers usually fish it each May, and this year five DVFF members were invited to join, in the first the first joint outing between the two clubs.

The lake water temperature varied from 58-62F, a bit cool for pre-spawn fishing -- probably the residue of a cold front that passed through before we arrived. Ed Engle and another Grizzly Peak member who lives in Nevada City hired a local guide from Reel Anglers in Grass Valley to fish from a boat the day before our outing. They used a relatively new, long-leader method called "Float 'N Fly" and landed a dozen nice bass on large leeches. Although the catch rate on this year's outing was lower than average, Kirston landed several hard fighting bronzebacks that typify why he fishes this lake each year. Scotts Flat Lake overlies an old gold hydraulic mining area, providing an abundance of bass spawning gravels but limiting extensive weed-bed growth. The limited insect habitat may explain why the fish seem to target leeches and small bait.

A well stocked potluck on our last night was supplemented by some helpful discussions during the fishing reports around the campfire. This was followed by a brief account of the lake's gold-mining history by Kirston and some music and poetry from memory by Tim and Kirston. By all accounts, this first dual club outing was a success, one I hope will not be the last. These two venerable clubs have much to offer each other.

July 22, 2022 | Temma Roby

As someone who just hit their one-year mark with fly fishing, I don’t think I have ever been so excited or passionate about a hobby! This week, I fished the Pit river which was on my list for when I had more experience but an opportunity presented itself so of course I said yes...

We fished “Upper Butt Slide” and “Lower Butt Slide” on the Pit which were a challenging to get to the river. It was steep and full of rocks with loose dirt. Throw in some poison oak to avoid and it was tough hiking (I’m now covered in poison oak). Bring Tecnu with you if you go!

Once on the river, it was beautiful. Wading the river was challenging, as someone once said, “it’s like bowling balls covered with mayonnaise.” I landed three beautiful trout on pheasant tails surrounded by brush and overhead trees in a couple of hours. It was fishing very well with how hot it had been for days (mid to upper 90’s).

Next stop that evening was the Fall River Hex hatch. My fishing buddy caught a lunker and there were still plenty of fish rising.

The next day I fished the Fall and Tule rivers and Horr pond. My goal was to land a big fish so we hammered one section of the Tule with no luck although there were plenty of large fish seen suspended in the water. We tried everything including a top water frog for fun. I landed three smaller fish stripping a balanced leech.

When we arrived at Horr pond, the clear water was amazing and I finally caught my lunker of the day!

Closing off the two days was a final evening on the Fall river with the Hex hatch. I had a couple of grabs but nothing landed. I think that was probably the last night of the hatch. If anyone is nervous about the Pit like I was, you can do it! You just need to be with someone who knows the river well!

Aug. 8-10, 2022 | Lance Connelly

Twelve DVFF Dry Fly School participants headed to the largest Spring Creek system in California to apply their dry fly skills. As with previous Fly Fishing Proficiency Outings, the trip was preceded by a Fish Talk led by Alan Christian to go over the history of the Fall River, bugs, flies, and (human) food. We stayed at Circle 7 Ranch, which offers great views, in addition to great fishing.

Although this outing focused on dry flies, Alan told us to be prepared for Plans B and C. As it turned out, it was prescient advice. On the best days, these “Ph.D Fish” will spot the slightest drag or tippet through the crystal-clear water and taunt you by taking the natural floating right next to your fly. There was a lot of “salad” floating in the river. So, even using 6x or 7x tippet and after perfecting the Fall River Twitch downstream presentation, your drift can get fouled by floating grass and other debris.

Despite a mid-morning calibaetis spinner fall and a fair number of rising fish, few were landed on dries. Plenty of false takes, so we had something interesting enough to get the fish’s attention, but odd enough to prevent it from eating. I guess that means some Dry Fly School homework. Dries that fooled a few fish were sparkle duns, comparaduns, light cahills, and the old standby, the parachute Adams.

So, it was on to Plans B & C. Fishing Sub-surface using a sinking/hover line proved to be the best strategy. Multiple fish were landed using a variety of techniques and flies. One productive setup was a single tiny fly (size 20 or smaller) on a sinking line with a long leader. Another option was 2 small flies under an indicator, again with a long leader. Short strips mimicking small movements of small bugs, seemed to be the best retrieval method. Successful flies were pheasant tail (no bead), Monroe Leech, Norman’s Wiggle Tail, and of course LBS.

One of the best parts of DVFF outings are the dinners, drinks, and fish stories. Given the challenges of this fishery it is was great to compare notes and share successful strategies, while eating great food and a drink. Thanks to our Chefs, Debbie Cott, Sue Wilburn, Mike Flynn, and Sev Marsted for some great meals.

 Some poetic words from Alan, “From the smallest ‘hope for the Future’, to the ‘average’ to the ‘memorable’, Fall River offered something for every skill.”

Thanks to Kristi Anderson, Phil Billecci, Don Campbell, Alan Christian, Debbie Cott, Scot Dowler, Mike Flynn, Sev Marsted, Todd Pond, Tom Seidman, Pete Veasey, and Sue Wilburn for a great weekend.

If you are interested in joining the Dry Fly school, please contact Alan Christian.

June 13-15, 2022 | Al Peterson & Brian Miller

The PHWFF Martinez program held its second Lower Sac outing joined by veterans Wade Camarillo, Albert Iamele, Forrest Towe, and volunteer Al Peterson. We were guided by Steve Acosta of Acosta Fly Fishing and his partner Brian Flint. We fished the Lower Sacramento River from the Posse Grounds boat ramp near Sundial Bridge, down to the Bonnyview boat ramp near The Fly Shop in Redding.

The mornings had been very windy and fishing slow, so the guides suggested a meet-up at 10 AM each day and late afternoon take-out. During our two days together, we hooked 21 fish and landed 7 with several lost right at the boat. Forrest caught 4 with the largest at 20”. Wade caught two with the largest at 16”. The fish were strong with some nice jumps and the fishing was much better in the late afternoon.

Our guides worked hard, focused primarily on the 8 main riffles between Posse and Bonnyville. The first day we actually ran that stretch twice. On both days they rowed back up the most active riffles multiple times. We were nymphing with indicators both days. This was new to two of the vets so considerable time was spent on technique. We were typically rigged with three nymphs with Peaches ‘n Cream the most effective.

Albert was our cook! He created ‘Chicken Wings Iamele’ for one dinner and grilled steak to order on the second night. Our Redding VRBO was spacious and by not staying in a motel we were able to have kitchen facilities and had a big common area to relax.

We all had a good time! The fishing was fun and everyone learned or improved technique. The scenery and wildlife were great. The guides were very helpful and patient. We all got to know each other better and share some great stories.

May-October 2022 | Willy George, DVFF Lead Casting Instructor

During the warmer months, free casting instruction is available before our monthly DVFF club meetings. Starting with the May meeting and continuing each month through the October meeting, these lessons will be provided at the Heather Farm Pond next to our Club meeting site from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Our casting instructor staff is led by FFI Certified Master Casting Instructor Willy George who is joined by other certified club members including Gary Turri, Bill Gallogly, and Cheryl O’Neill. If you are new to the sport or forget your rod that day, there will always be plenty of loaner rods and reels available. The instructors will be at the pond no later than 6 p.m. on meeting nights which will give you more than an hour of quality casting practice before the monthly meeting starts. Please plan to join us!

On the second Saturday of each month, the Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park hosts free fly casting lessons, which are open to the public. These free lessons run from 9:30 a.m. to noon and are followed by a free lunch. Free loaner rods are available. GGACC Head Casting Instructor Willy George invites you to join in. No membership is required. More information is available on the GGACC website.

Aug. 23, 2022/7:30 p.m. | Todd Pond & Mark Likos, Organizers

The next Roundtable is August 23rd, 2022 at 7:30pm. During the next Roundtable we will discussing Leaders. We’ll be sharing thoughts and opinions on favorite leader-setups for dry, nymph, wet or Euro rigs, and special considerations for streamside conditions. This will include the Pros & Cons of multi-fly setups, 'tag-type' droppers vs 'In-line' droppers, and weighted vs unweighted flies, and how best to rig for specific conditions. It should make for a great evening conversation. Please consider joining us and sharing your experiences.

Keep in mind, the discussions are limited to the first 20 registrants, so sign up early. One last thing, the roundtable meeting officially goes for one hour, although often registrants stick around to converse more, sometimes as late as 9:30 p.m. Please sign up early via this link. If you have any questions, please contact Todd or Mark (email links above). Hope to see you there!

Signup for FLY FISHING FUNDAMENTALS if you:

Fly Fishing Fundamentals will help you learn about:

The next seminar is Sept. 29, Oct. 1 & 3. Signup now online. Limited to 16. For more information email or call Alan Christian, (925) 451-9314.

Western Hatches and Insect Vials ($25)

Fish Talks & Outings (all are invited to attend Zoom based Fish Talks; outings will include mentors offering guidance but not coaching):

Join the upcoming Fish Talks to learn about fishing various important California waters. Signup for the outing or send an email to Alan Christian.

Signup by sending Alan Christian an email and $25.

Click this link to go to the 2022 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Click this link to go to the 2021 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Click this link to go to the 2020 video page, then scroll to find the month.

Dave Roche, Conservation Chair | August 2022

bioGraphic.com - Each year the California Academy of Sciences’ renowned Big Picture Photography Competition celebrates some of the world’s best photographers and the year’s most striking images. The competition’s winning images and finalists highlight Earth’s biodiversity and illustrate the many threats that our planet faces. Each photo, in its own way, inspires viewers to protect and conserve the remarkable diversity of life on Earth.

Learn more at these weblinks: bioGraphic, Big Picture Natural World Photography, Big Picture 2022 Competition Winners.

bioGraphic.com - Can the introduction of a modified invader save the West’s native trout? An interesting experiment is happening in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico as biologists work to protect the rapidly dwindling population of native Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout against an exploding population of invasive Eastern Brook Trout. Learn more here.

bioGraphic.com - In San Francisco’s salty South Bay, an ambitious wetlands restoration project is seeking to balance a return to the ecological past with the realities of a changing future.

In 2003, the multinational corporation Cargill sold more than 15,000 acres of its South Bay salt ponds - most but not all of its holdings - to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California State Coastal Conservancy, and the California Department of Fish and Game. This sale launched the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. In the decades since, a consortium of more than a dozen nonprofits and state and federal agencies have collaborated to return much of the area to tidal marsh by mid-century. In doing so, they hope to recreate habitat for beleaguered native species, restore the coastline’s natural flood resilience, and improve the overall quality of the South Bay’s coastal ecosystems.

Learn more from the amazing storyboard with incredible aerial photos.

sfchronicle.com - In Yosemite, park officials were planning this year to remove potentially tens of thousands of trees they say pose a fire hazard. The hope was to lessen the possibility that a small burn would explode into a giant inferno at such high-profile spots as Yosemite Valley and the Merced and Tuolumne sequoia groves. The nonprofit Earth Island Institute, however, sued, and crews stopped working, at least temporarily.

“The logging that Yosemite National Park is doing will not curb fires, it will make them spread faster and more intensely,” said Chad Hanson, a research ecologist with the John Muir Project, part of the Earth Island Institute. “We need to change course.”

“The science doesn’t support what these people are showing and putting out there,” said Malcolm North, a longtime expert in the field who works as a research scientist for the U.S. Forest Service. “Most of the science community would agree there’s not enough forest management being done.” Learn more here.

montereyherald.com - While the southern sea otter captures the attention of younger visitors, the symbol of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is another Monterey Bay icon: a whorl of kelp.

Giant kelp is the common name for Macrocystis pyrifera, a species of alga that grows into lush underwater forests along the coast of the northeastern Pacific Ocean, from Baja California north to southeastern Alaska. Reaching from the ocean floor to the surface, the huge, leafy stalks of giant kelp provide food and habitats for thousands of species.

In 1988 a visitor on the aquarium’s observation deck would have seen a lush kelp forest canopy stretching thick from the breakwater to Point Pinos in Pacific Grove and beyond.

These days it’s a patchwork at best. Kelp populations have been collapsing up and down the coast of California since 2014, some by as much as 90 percent. It’s a classic example of the interconnectivity of species and the delicate balance within an ecosystem. Learn more here.

CaliforniaWaterBlog.com - ‘Tens of thousands of these fish once ascended streams in Spring.They are of major cultural importance to the Pomo people who harvested them as a valued food source.’ When you read statements like this, most likely it is salmon that come to mind. Yet this statement characterizes the Clear Lake Hitch or Chi, a non-salmonid fish, that ascends the tributaries to Clear Lake (Lake County) to spawn each spring. Spawners are typically 10-14 inches long. They once moved up the streams in large numbers as soon as spring rains created sufficient stream flows to attract the fish.

In 1989, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife listed Clear Lake hitch as a Fish Species of Special Concern. In 2014, the California Fish and Game Commission listed it as Threatened. This year, the USFWS has agreed to consider listing it as Threatened. Learn more here.

washingtonpost.com - Companies are seeking to open old mines and explore in new sensitive regions, amid resistance from Californians who want the Gold Rush to remain part of history. As the price of gold skyrockets. Shuttered hard-rock mines and, further south, remote fault lines rich with gold dust have become coveted targets for companies willing to take on community opposition and California’s environmental regulations.

The Idaho-Maryland Mine near Nevada City, California covers about 175 acres, some of them partly surrounded by high pines and fir. Adjacent to a pond, a large cement shaft emerges from one corner of the main mine site, where rock was once hauled from hundreds of feet underground to be cracked open for gold.

It produced 2.4 million ounces of gold before being shut down in 1942 by the U.S. government, which following Pearl Harbor sought to shift mining resources toward metals such as copper that were essential to the war effort. The mine reopened after the war, but never achieved the same productivity before it closed again in 1956.

If it were to reopen now, the mine would be felt as well as seen. While covering far less ground on the surface, the mine could expand to 2,585 acres underground, the limit of the company’s mineral rights, although the prime gold deposits are concentrated in smaller areas. The underground blasting would be conducted in those seams, but would still likely be felt in some nearby homes and buildings above ground.

Rise Gold Corp. is seeking an 80-year permit from the board to operate the mine around-the-clock seven days a week, a testament to just how much gold it believes remains in the ground.

“If you could put this mine back in production as it was when it closed, it would be one of the top gold mines in the world,” said Ben Mossman, the company’s chief executive, who displays a series of core samples in his office here bearing thick seams of gold. “This is a major mine.”

The company’s goal would be to extract about 1,000 tons of gold-bearing rock a day. Mossman said he expects that annual revenue would exceed $190 million, or about 4 percent of Nevada county’s economy. Learn more here.

If you would like to offer feedback on these reports or want to see additional waters or reports listed here send a note or link to Windknots.

August 2022 | Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C., President, Northern California/Nevada Council, Fly Fishers International, (530) 559-5759

The NCCFFI has been busy this past month continuing to work on organizing Yuba Fest, our October 15 & 16 event & fundraiser. A lot has changed, as we now have more activities, more groups participating, and an on-the-river raft float with a Naturalist. Also, a full day of training on how to fly fish on Sunday. Here’s a bit of a rundown on the two days:

As we begin meeting again in person, the DVFF's book and video libraries will be available to all members. Books can be checked out for one month for free! DVDs are available for a small rental fee, and due at the following club meeting. You can browse our collection of books and DVDs on the DVFF website by clicking on "Education" in the menu at the top and selecting either "DVFF Reading Library" or "DVFF Video Library."

Also, there are a number of our DVDs which are currently overdue, according to my records. If your name is on the overdue list, please check to see if you still have the DVDs indicated. It's especially important for DVDs which were the result of a club presentation, since they are usually not replaceable. Other club members may want to view the overdue items, so please make every effort to find them and return them as soon as you can. Many thanks.

Windknots Publishing Guidelines

The deadline for submission of content is generally 6 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. The publishing of articles and information in Windknots is at the discretion of the newsletter editor and team, based on their judgement as to producing and delivering Windknots in a timely manner. Content that is not time sensitive may be reserved for publishing in a subsequent issue. All images must be submitted in JPG or PNG format and labeled as to indicate the content, e.g. location, people's names, etc. Text must be submitted in an MS Word format. Note: All images and copy may be edited for clarity and style. If you wish to submit content, send it to DVFFWindknots@gmail.com.