This month, Bob Hacker has prepared a program showing his fishing trips to Alaska.  Bob is a new member of the Chapter.  Bob enjoys travel, fly fishing, photography, ski patrol and a few newspaper consulting assignment since his retirement from RIT's printing school.  

Please feel free to bring a friend (always welcome).  50-50 raffle with new prizes.

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Fly Tying Class, Last Call
There are spaces available for our Annual Fly Tying Classes.  Please contact Gerry Luzum if you or a friend have an interest.  Classes are held at the Wood Library, North Main Street, Canandaigua.  First class is January 16th.  Call Gerry at 585.396.1406.

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Casting Tips
Practice in a large grassy area with plenty of room. Avoid parking lots and cement areas... you don't want to ruin your line before you even get on the water. You don't need a fly or anything else on your line to practice, but you may wish to tie a piece of red or other easy to see colored yarn to the tip of your line so you can always see the tip of your line in action.

With your left hand pull 20 feet or so of line out of your reel and lay it on the ground to the right of of you. (If you are a lefty, do everything the opposite way).

Grasp the fly rod with your hand and place your thumb on top of the rod grip. Keep your thumb on top of the rod as show in the left diagram. This helps you to exert more force in a short cast, and cast correctly.

When you are first learning to cast keep the rod butt under and perpendicular with your forearm and wrist.

Thread your line through the rod. With your left hand pull 10-20 feet or so of line out of your reel and lay it on the ground to the right of of you. (If you are a lefty, do everything the with the opposite hand/side as stated).

Hold the line firmly in your left hand and remember to keep it tight throughout the entire casting sequence, you can do fancier things with the line in your left hand after you have a good feel for a standard cast.

Using a brisk motion, sweep the rod back 45 degrees of your center (2 o'clock position). STOP. The act of stopping your motion abruptly at the 2 o'clock position is key and will force your line to shoot behind you.

Turn your head and watch the line as it straightens out behind you. When the line is horizontal (don't let it touch the ground), push your rod forward 45 degrees to a 10 o'clock angle and STOP.

If done correctly, the line will straighten out in front of you and land on the ground.

• Always wear protective eye or sunglasses
• Are you hearing your line snap, or getting weak casts?
  Be sure that you STOP your rod motion at the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock positions.
• Pay attention to how the rod feels throughout the cast, you will be able to feel the force in the motion of the rod and line, and be able to understand what a good cast "feels" like.
• Have patience... learning to cast isn't easy at first, but it does eventually "click".
• Remember that Timing is the key factor in fly casting, not strength.

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For Sale: Dark blue long sleeve ExOfficio fly fishing shirt. Large. Velcro flap front pockets. $20.  Slightly used but in excellent condition.   Contact Jean Chaintreuil. 585-248-5020 or jpc@travela.com. 

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Prez Sez . . .
Many thanks to Gerry Luzum for his fine efforts to promote the Fly Tying School.  Saturday, December 15th the Chapter set up a fly tying demonstration at the Pearle Vision store in Eastview Mall.  THANKS Mike Deuel at Pearle Vision!  Great responses, but unfortunately no sales!  Thanks Gerry and to all the guys who participated.  By the way, support the Pearle Vision store as a thank you from the Chapter.  Mike says you can always stop in for a free adjustment to your glasses, even if you got them elsewhere.

I had an email from Jeff Pierce (Mustad Hooks) who said he really enjoyed our meeting in November.  So much, that he wants to come back again!  He would like to show some pictures and tell us about fly fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana shore.  Interested in this program?  Drop me an email (jpc@travela.com) or tell me at a meeting.

I have asked before, but if you have things for sale, please send your ad to me my email (jpc@travela.com) and it will be published in this newsletter, Tight Lines, free and without charge.  Another suggestion from our survey for meeting ideas was to eliminate the Buy, Sell, Trade night.  This would be a good replacement.  So feel free to take advantage of our offer.

For now ... I'm going fishin'  ...   fun before tax returns!
                                                                                                                 ~~ C

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Craig Dennison shows off a Salmon River steelhead from the Upper Fly Zone

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Notes From November 2007 Meeting
Jean Chaintreuil (Chapter President) brought the meeting to order and welcomed everyone.  Visitors were invited to introduce themselves, several stood up to say hello. 

Any visitors wanting to join the Chapter, get our free newsletter, and participate in our events should see Norm Brust or contact him at nbrust@rochester.rr.com.  Further information on the Chapter can be found at www.canandaigualaketu.org  (NEW WEB ADDRESS!).

Jerry Luzum indicated that the next Fly-Tying School would start on 16 January and go for eight consecutive Wednesdays.  Chapter members are needed to help to mentor during each training session, Jerry sent around a sheet for members to sign-up to help.  If any additional members want to help or if anyone knows someone who would like to attend the Fly-Tying School they should contact Jerry at roni39@earthlink.net .

Jean thanked Norm Brust for working to reduce the size of the hard-copy mailing list for the Chapter newsletter.  As a result of Norm’s efforts an additional 40 people will now get the newsletter via e-mail versus hardcopy.

Jean announced that he was getting some Chapter “business cards” made up so that they could be handed out to potential new members at various Chapter activities.

Jean asked if there were any fishing “hot spots”.  Several members indicated that there were a lot of fish (Salomon, Steelhead, and Browns) in tributaries off of Lake Ontario.  Several recommendations were made:  use smaller flies than usual; if not catching fish where you are move shortly to a new location; if the water is low where you are go lower on the river; and time fishing trips to coincide with river rises due to rain storms.

Jean indicated that the Chapter was being invited to attend a special fly-fishing day on the section of the Oatka controlled by the Genesee Country Village and Museum, in Mumford.  This event will occur on either 24 April or 1 May, and will include a picnic and various prizes…cost will be about $12.  Jean will provide more details at future meetings.

Craig Dennison reported that he would be setting up another Chapter trip to the Delaware River in 2008.  Everyone who attended last year had a great time, so this trip should be also be a lot of fun.  Craig will provide more information at future meetings.

The regular raffle, which is held each meeting, was conducted.  Several members won various prizes: cash, flies, and donated fly-fishing goodies.

Jean gave an overview of the next meeting which will be held on 21 January 2008.  At the meeting Jean will be giving a presentation titled, “Fly Fishing the World”.  No meeting will be held in December. 

Jean adjourned the business meeting and introduced the guest speaker for the evening, Dr. Fish (Jeff Pierce) from Mustad Hooks.
                                                                                           ~~ Al Kraus

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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

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Two West Branch of the Delaware Trips Planned
For 2008 Craig Dennison has reserved the White House at the West Branch Angler's Resort for two trips to the Delaware River System.  Trip dates are May 29-31 (Thursday through Saturday lodging @ $180 per angler) and June 13-15 (Friday and Saturday lodging @ $120 per angler). 

The entire White House has been reserved.  It is newly renovated and  there is room for 12-14 anglers.  Breakfast  is included and the house has a furnished kitchen.  The river flows directly in front of the White House and Resort, guests have over 2 miles of private water access.  Anglers carpool from Rochester and fish as much as desired, returning to Rochester based upon desired return time.

May and June are prime dry fly months for wild trout.  2007 was an exceptional angling year on the West Branch and conditions look promising for 2008.  Wadable fishing conditions prevail and hatches may include brown drakes, caddis, isonychia, sulphers, hendricksons, light cahill, baetis and more.  The WBD is famous for large wild browns, superb sight fishing and challenging match-the-hatch fishing. It is not uncommon for our party to land several 20" fish per trip.  In addition to the fishing, angling camaraderie, good food and drink, humor and sharing of angling techniques typically occur. 

Mark your calendars and email Craig Dennison (craigdennison1@yahoo.com)  to RSVP.  More info forthcoming in 2008 but feel free to contact Craig for more information as needed.

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Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month,
and are held at the Wegmans Market Café, Eastern Boulevard,
Canandaigua, beginning at 730pm.

Please mark your calendar now. Meetings are open to the public.
Hope to see you there.