Firstly I’d like to thank last month’s presenters including: Rick LeBlanc who spoke about new Material from Superfly; Michael Dell showing us How to Spin Deer Hair; Kent Christiansen and Shona Derlukewich from Goulder talking about the North Saskatchewan River and Dennis Southwick who showed us Rabbit Strip Flies. Thanks to each of you for your efforts.
The Trout Unlimited Annual Edmonton Dinner and Auction was held May 6th at the
Edmonton Crowne Plaza and was a rousing success, raising lots of cash for fish conservation. We supplied a number of volunteers to assist with activities during the evening. There are too many to name here, so I’ll just pass on a heartfelt thank-you to those who gave their time and energy for this worthwhile cause.
Our Introduction to Fly Fishing Course on May 29th and 30th went very well. Fifteen students learned about what fly fishing is, equipment required, knots, fly choices, and presentation techniques for fly fishing over the course of the first day. Due to the inclement weather we postponed the casting portion to the Sunday, when we were again thwarted by rain and snow. The final day of casting and fishing has been rescheduled to June 6th. I would like to thank Rick Lang as presenter who did a superb job of presenting the information in a well organized and accessible format. The initial feedback was very positive. Thanks go to Dennis Southwick as cook, Barry Wright as head honcho and Bill Gouge who joined yours truly as a helper.
This month our regular weekly program only has three sessions. June 2nd we have Bob Guidos showing us Swan Lake Flies. Week two on June 9th has Dave Robinson (me) demonstrating a few Flies for Bonefish. Week three, on June 16th we wind up our fall and winter program with a BBQ at Queen Mary Park.
After June 16th we begin our summer program, which is an alternate week format. We alternate “Fish Outs” at local locations with “Free Tye and Beginner Sessions” at Queen Mary Park. The “Fish Outs” give us an opportunity to get together on the water to share technique and fellowship. The “Free Tye and Beginner Sessions” give new members a chance to get into the groove prior to the fall sessions starting up. See details on page two.
Now for a personal fishing report. For the first week in May, there were three guys from Edmonton who joined three from Calgary and two from down east on a trip to Cuba organized by Fish Tales in Calgary. Those who’ve attended May meetings have probably heard some details, but I’d like to report that we all had a fabulous time. We not only caught Bonefish, but also Barracuda, Permit and Tarpon. All caught on the fly. The feeling of a 100 pond tarpon on the end of your line has to be experienced to truly understand. While the trip sounds like the elitist stuff you read about it the fishing magazines, I found it down to earth and quite affordable. Think about it over the summer and upcoming winter. My guess is we could fill an eight person trip next year with Club members, for an unforgettable experience.
And on that note, it’s time to start planning for those summer experiences right here at home. Runoff will soon be done on the eastern slopes and there will be cutties, ‘bow, grayling and brookies to be chased. Local ponds and lakes have finished turnover and they have yet to warm up enough to push the fish deep. So get out those day planners and start planning time on the water. Our meetings and our web forum are great places to share plans and ideas. One of the joys of this club is the ability and opportunity to spend on water time with like minded fly fishers. So share your plans. An experience with a fishing buddy awaits you.