Newsletter - Land O' Sky TU

Monthly Meeting
The Land O’Sky Chapter of Trout Unlimited met on Monday May 2 at O'Charleys, just up Kennilworth Knoll from Coral Bay. This is the new location for monthly meetings for the foreseeable future. Rich Witt presented "Fly Fishing in Wisconsin." He had an excellent knowledge of the streams and lakes. He had very informative slides with beautiful scenery and most important- big fish.

Stocking News
A very special thank you for all those who helped with the spring North Mills stockings and the stocking of the Laurel River delayed harvest waters.

North Shore Road Update
For current information see: http://www.northshoreroad.info/

New Online Magazine

The address is: http://www.hatchesmagazine.com/

It is a downloadable magazine in .pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to download it. The premier issue articles are:
Chasing Browns at the Bottom of the Earth
by Graham Owen

Deadly Streamers: Hales’ Minnow
by Nick Pujic

Entomology Focus: The Hendrickson Hatch
by Roger Rohrbeck

Opening Day Trout Tactics
by Steve Clark

Mullis’ Bird Boat
by Will Mullis

Rod Building Primer - Part 1
by Chris Carlin

Editorial & Editor’s Feature Pattern
By Nick Pujic

Saltwater Fly Fishing Q & A
by Rich Soriano

FTF Member Gallery
by FTF members

Beginner’s Bench - Tools & Woolly Buggers
by Robert Farrand

Fly Fishing & Tying Product Reviews
Field Editors

Tailwaters
by David Fix

Due to the lack of rain in the past couple of weeks, all the creeks are extremely low and fishing them right now is tough, not to mention potentially harmful to the fish since the water temperatures are also rising. Another option is to go smallmouth bass fishing. The fishing usually gets better as the water levels drop. The French Broad right now is very low and fishing great. The fish will readily take poppers, Dragonfly and Damselfly imitations. This article should help you have a better understanding of just how important a role the Damselflies play.

They are closely related to dragonflies and have a similar life-cycle. However, damselflies are more numerous, and the nymphs are often eaten by fish.

Nymphs are usually found near the weedy margins of stillwaters. Through worm-like wiggling, they can swim slowly, but usually they cling to weed stems and ambush their prey. At this stage of their life they are sometimes taken by smallmouth, and a damselfly nymph imitation is effective in the months leading up to the hatch.

When mature, damselfly nymphs migrate in large numbers to above-water objects, travelling mostly in the top inch or two of water. This can provoke feeding frenzies by trout. Since the adults hatch out of the water, nymph patterns are more useful than dry flies. Migration season--July on many stillwaters--can be the most productive time to fish a damselfly nymph. After the hatch there are few damselfly nymphs of any size to interest smallmouth, so it is usually not effective to cast an imitation until the next spring.

Adult damselflies live a month or more after hatching. They can be seen flying over the water (eating midges and mosquitoes) on warm, sunny afternoons. They sometimes hover just above the water, and an unfortunate gust of wind can leave them stuck in the film. Females release their eggs in the water, too, so there are opportunities for smallmouth to engulf adult damselflies. In general, the nymphs are much more important than the adults, but every good angler carries a few adult patterns after the hatch because there are times when they are quite useful.

Scott Marsh advises the following dates for stocking on the North Mills: October 6th - Thursday, November 3rd - Thursday. Usual time, usual place.

This is a camp for boys and girls 13 to 16 years old focusing on fly fishing and coldwater conversation. It is sponsored by North Carolina Trout Unlimited. It will be Sunday - Friday, June 12 - 17, 2005 at the Lake Logan Center in Canton, NC. There is a limit of 18 campers. Applicants must have been born between June 17, 1989 and June 12, 1992. Applications must be received by April 15, 2005. The tuition for the camp is $325.00 for the entire week and is not due until the applicant is notified that he/she has been selected. Financial assistance is available if needed. For additional information, contact: Craig Larson, Administration Director, lraymond35@mchsi.com or Betsy Craig, Program Director, ercraig@citcom.net

Tournament runs from April 1 - May 31, 2005. (Time is running out to catch the big or little one). Proceeds will benefit NCTU Rivercourse Camp. For more information and directions to Curtis Wright Outfitters click here.

fish, this certificate, measuring device (tape measurer, rod, etc.), fly or lure used, rod used

4. Fish must be caught in the Western District as defined by NCWRC and in designated trout waters and the French Broad River .

The date for the banquet is Saturday, September 24. It will be a barbeque dinner. There will be bluegrass music, casting contest, and an auction. More details as they are available.

We are adding pictures to this page. We want the pictures to be of flies tied by LOS TU members. Please submit your ties. If it is a pattern we do not have listed yet submit a recipe also. Thanks Brad S.

Curtis Wright Outfitters has several items from the fundraiser closet to sell. Stop by and check it out.

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