HFFA 44th Annual Fly Fishing Show -- March 2018 -- Bettendorf, Iowa

Spring Creeks TU Rendezvous -- Lots of Fun While Fundraising

Rowyn and one of her first flies tied!

The Spring Creeks TU Rendezvous was held Saturday, March 25, 2017, in Monticello, IA. I was told that over 50 people attended, and attendance has been growing each year! 
This year's speaker was Dan Kirby, a Fisheries Biologist from the DNR. During the TU board meeting held at the start of the Rendezvous, as part of the Diversity Initiative, members agreed to donate up to $1000 toward the women's fly fishing groups currently getting started in Iowa. 
Live and silent auctions were held, along with options for members to try their luck at bucket raffles and rod raffles. Among some of the more desired items including Dave Whitlock prints -- one of a brook trout and the other of a smallmouth bass. 
Most attendees tied flies throughout much of the day or visited and learned from other tiers. I met a wonderful young man, Henry, who (with his fiance too) I hope to take out fishing with friend Kate and I. Henry and Heather are new to fly fishing. 
The 3 regional TU branches and HFFA (Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association) are also in the planning stages of forming a coldwater group that will provide strength in numbers to help maintain, protect, and improve our coldwater fisheries. Some discussion was held about this.

Jeff Moore consistently donates his skillfully tied flies to TU and HFFA events. I won these flies at the live auction. Xxxxxxxxxx, left, caddis, and Blue-Winged Olives. Size 20. (complete names coming)

Soft Hackle Wet Fly that I finally got right!
Thanks Damian Wilmot for sharing this on your website.

Spring Creeks TU board meeting is in full swing.

43rd Annual HFFA Fly Fishing Show, Iowa City, IA, Feb 17-19, 2017!!

Please attend the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association's 43rd Annual Fly Fishing Show! Lots of fun, learning, and networking with other friendly fly anglers. Proceeds benefit restoration and education projects. Great bucket raffles, silent auctions, live auction, guest fly tiers, and more! Excellent speakers with multiple programs and Iowa DNR's Mike Siepker will also present a program.

Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association Fly Fishing Show: Feb 19-21, 2016, near Des Moines, IA

I'm looking forward to attending our annual fly fishing show, and I hope to see lots of anglers there and enjoying themselves!!!!   It's a friendly group of people and the members who organized this year's show have really put a lot of hard work into it. 

Striking the Balance Between Fly Fishing and Casting

  Last fall a friend of mine laid it on the line about my day's less-than-stellar fly casting while we hunted for musky.  The up-side to that brutal but needed conversation was the man would not have said the things he'd said if he didn't feel I should have been & was capable of becoming a better caster.

   My goal since that day was to finally step up my game, throw out the bad habits, & start casting some serious line.  But the same problem continued to stonewall me.
  

   Hello. My name is Lisa.  Some know me as "Twitch", & I am 
addicted to fly fishing...

   Following the fall musky frenzy, it was time to go trouting.  Next, I learned I could actually fish for the musky cousins, Mr. & Ms. Pike, intermittently during the winter & early spring!  Oh my!  Then, as those early spring days this year grew longer and warmer, I simply could not get smallmouth bass out of my mind.  I even fished a local creek for smallies well before my rational mind knew they would have moved there from the Mississippi River.  Every cast equals hope, right?  Of course, now it's time to fish for musky again. 

   My problem is that I'm fishing and I'm fishing as much as a person who has to work full-time can fish.  My house is a mess, I substitute take-out for the grocery store & cooking, & I should be visiting family more often.  Yet, I choose to chase fin, again and again.  

   One might think fishing is the perfect opportunity to improve the casting game.  However, if the bulk of the waters one fishes are skinny waters,  it's easy to roll cast, get away with lobbing, & hone all sorts of bad habits that make for a poor caster of a 10 wt rod being loaded by 10 wt sinking line and a large, wet musky fly.

   Today, I and other Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association (HFFA) members had the opportunity to share our skills with others at the annual K&K Casting Clinic, sponsored by K&K Hardware, Bettendorf, IA.  Dan Johnston, a St Croix Rod rep from Cedar Rapids, IA, was the primary instructor & he also enticed another instructor, Jen Ripple, editor and founder of Dun Magazine, to the clinic.  Dan's casting skill and teaching ability are well-known & respected in the region.  Dan reported we had a record turnout for the event held at Bettendorf's Middle Park Lagoon.  At the start of the clinic I counted 43 attendees and believe we met or beat the 50 people attendance mark. 

   As is the case when teaching others anything, the instructor can learn a lot.  In my case, I learned I was a better & more confident instructor than last year.  I also learned that there are a few skills that I can get away with performing but am not yet skillful enough to teach.  At those times, I asked other HFFA members or Dan for assistance with the particular caster & then I, too, paid close attention to the instruction.

   At the end of the day, Dan kindly gave me a bit of one-on-one time.  I learned to initiate my haul just as the fly line left the water and I also polished-up my roll casting technique.  Dan then gave me a couple of casting exercises to practice.

   I neglected to share with you that this lagoon (pond) is located right next to a small creek inhabited by smalllies.  My intention was to fish the creek after the casting clinic had ended.  I'd loaded my car with rod, reel, and fanny pack of everything I needed to fish for smallies early this morning.

   But, I didn't fish.  I stayed at the lagoon and practice-casted.  I honed my newly-refined roll casting technique.  I also practiced one of Dan's casting exercises & realized how many levels that exercise could improve my casting abilities!

   Feeling the tiredness that likely comes from being dehydrated & exposure to a day of sun,  I gave another longing glance at the small creek and its finned inhabitants, but headed for home.  

   Almost 2 hours later, I pause to look out the living room window while finishing this blog post.  My ginger ale is nearly gone and I see that it's now cloudy outside.  In so many ways, I reflect that now is a perfect time to go fishing.  With a clear conscience, I go.  ~May 9, 2015  

 

HFFA 2015 FLY FISHING SHOW ~ Dubuque, IA, Feb 20-22

Please copy and paste the link below to learn about this year's Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association show that is a celebration of the heart of the Driftless!

file:///C:/Users/Davis/Downloads/HFFA%202015%20Show%20handout%204%20pdf%20(2).pdf

2014 Spring Branch Creek Fishing Survey Conducted by Iowa DNR and HFFA Volunteers

      Iowa DNR staff and Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association members teamed up on Saturday, April 26, 2014, to conduct a fish survey on Iowa’s Spring Branch Creek, located in Delaware County.  A hog of an Iowa brown trout, 21.5" in length, was netted, its length and weight recorded, & it was then released.  Many browns, rainbows, brook trout, and other fish species were collected along ~.33 miles of stream via electrofishing, the required data was recorded, & the fish were safely released.

  

   Brian Comiskey,  HFFA Conservation Director, helped coordinate the work day with Iowa DNR staff Dan Kirby, Natural Resources Biologist, Mark Winn, Natural Resources Technician, and HFFA members.  Mr. Comiskey believes that the benefits are twofold when the DNR and HFFA work together.  He reported that, “More and more the DNR has relied on the HFFA and organizations like the HFFA to supplement labor shortages due to shortfalls in the annual (i.e. state) budgets.  The second benefit of working with the Iowa DNR is that of good exposure for HFFA and its members.”  

   Tools used for the day’s fish survey included a backpack electrofisher, nets, buckets, measuring board, scale, and a PIT tag reader.   On July 3, 2013, one hundred brown trout in this particular stream were implanted with PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags in the abdominal cavity.  The small, long-lasting tags allow fish to be individually identified.  During this year’s April survey, 27 of the 107 brown trout captured contained the previously-implanted PIT tags.  Mr. Kirby reported, “This is a high rate of return for fish left at large in an open stream system for an extended period of time.”

   During this year’s survey, 7 species of fish were collected (brown trout = 107; creek chub = 26; white sucker = 13; brook trout = 4; sculpin sp. = 3; rainbow trout = 1; brook stickleback = 1).  Mr. Kirby indicated this was a fairly low number of species for an Iowa stream.  However, he added that this was not surprising for an Iowa coldwater stream because brown trout are excellent predators & the stream for this region contains a moderately high density of brown trout.

  

   While no rare species were collected, Mr. Kirby noted that sculpins in Iowa are found only in quality coldwater streams within the Paleozoic Plateau.  In general, the stream’s 324 brown trout/mile calculated by DNR staff from the 2014 survey, is comparable to other surveys recorded yearly since 2010.  It was learned that natural reproduction of brown and brook trout was sparse during the 2013-2014 winter but Mr. Kirby reported this was not alarming because, “…natural populations will have fluctuations in population and recruitment of young fish.”  Data from past surveys indicated up to 165 young-of-year brown trout/mile.  During this year’s survey, just 2 young-of-year brook trout and 0 young-of-year brown trout were collected.

  

   Approximately 16 HFFA members, representing the 4 branches of the club, and DNR staff Dan Kirby and Mark Winn, participated in the workday.  Following the survey, workers were invited to a cook-out, which was provided in traditional fashion by the Mullins family and their ‘chuck wagon’, with food donated by the HFFA.  An HFFA board member meeting followed but a few lucky members elected to 'survey' another section of the stream – this time with fly rods in hand.

    I asked Mr. Kirby if he would provide readers with current, general information about

Spring Branch Creek.  The information provided in his response is a perfect example of why it is important that the community, whether it be organizations, businesses or individuals, work with the DNR to help protect and maintain our natural resources.  By participating in work days, through education about the benefits of good land use practices, by donating money or volunteering time, or simply by picking up trash & not littering, we can all make a difference & continue to enjoy the natural resources we are so lucky to have.

   This is Mr. Kirby’s response in its entirety:   “The coldwater segment of Spring Branch (from the upper springs to the Maquoketa River) is about 3 miles long and about 1.4 miles of that length is in public ownership or in a permanent public angling access easement.  Spring Branch is recognized within Iowa Code as an Outstanding Iowa Water and it certainly deserves that status.  The springs that supply cold water to Spring Branch are among the highest quality spring sources in Iowa.  These quality waters have long been recognized—a trout hatchery has been located near Spring Branch since the 1880’s.  Temperatures within Spring Branch will typically fall between 40 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit on a year round basis, with temperatures outside that range occurring in stream segments far isolated from the primary spring sources during extremely cold or hot days.

 

   We discontinued stocking brown trout into Spring Branch during 2008 and the population seems to be maintaining good trout density and size structure in the absence of stocking.  We currently stock about 200 advanced fingerling (8-inch) rainbow trout and 200 advanced fingerling brook trout into Spring Branch.  The lower end of Spring Branch (Baileys Ford Park) receives a stocking of about 12,000 catchable (10 – 12 inch long) rainbow trout and 3,000 catchable brook trout during a year.

   As is the case for all Iowa streams and rivers, water quality is central to the quality of Spring Branch Creek and the fishery in Spring Branch.  Watershed quality and land-use will ultimately determine fishery quality in Spring Branch now and in the future.”

Drifting Through a Stream Survey with a Large Iowa Brown Trout

   The yearly annual fish survey of Iowa's Spring Branch Creek, located in Delaware County, was completed on April 26, 2014, during a workday held by members of both the Iowa DNR and the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association.  The following photographs and information track a single brown trout through the survey process.  (Please see this link:  http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2014/05/members-of-iowa-dnrand-hawkeye-fly.html for a 2nd post containing information about the workday, findings from the survey, and for more photographs.)

 

Mark Winn, Natural Resources Technician with the Iowa DNR, right, uses a backpack electroshocker to seek out and briefly stun fish inhabiting a .33 mile section of Spring Branch Creek prior to netting them.  The fish are passed to the net of Martin Acerbo, HFFA member, left, who then transfers the fish to a water-filled bucket carried by Larry Niday, HFFA president.

 A large, stunned brown trout is carefully netted by Mr. Winn.  The fish had been holding unseen beneath a limestone shelf camouflaging a bank hide.  This is a prime example of how electrofishing techniques can increase fish capture rates during a stream survey, allowing data collection that is more reflective of the fishery.

Mr. Acerbo carefully removes the large brown trout from the net and transfers it to a bucket of stream water.

Already reviving, the brown trout begins to work its way to the bottom of the bucket.

The large brown trout submerges surprisingly well into the bottom of the bucket with other collected fish.  Next, the shore crew will transfer the fish to a larger tub of water.  Data for each trout will be recorded.  Population totals each of brown, brook and rainbow trout, & non-game fish, such as suckers, creek chubs, sculpin, and brook stickleback will also be recorded.

   

Dan Kirby, Iowa DNR Natural Resources Biologist, right, measures the length of the large brown trout.  Kate Lodge, an HFFA member, prepares to use a PIT tag reader to scan the abdomen of the fish.  All brown trout collected during this survey were scanned for a PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag.  During the July 2013 stream survey, 100 brown trout were implanted in the abdomen with a PIT tag.  Each tag individually identifies a fish and allows for the opportunity of year-to-year data comparisons.

  

The individual weight of the large brown trout and of each brown, brook, and rainbow trout is recorded in kilograms.  The large brown trout was one of 27 browns found to contain a PIT tag.  One hundred seven brown trout were collected during this year's survey. 

Due to the use of PIT tags, it was established that the large brown trout grew 1.1 inches and weighed 1.8 pounds more than when it was surveyed 10 months ago.  For a fish of this size, this is considered to be a good rate of growth.  This Iowa Driftless brown, estimated at 5 years & likely older, measured 21.5 inches and weighed 4.2 pounds during this year's survey.

The brown trout is safely released back to the stream.

Why conduct fish surveys?

   “Much wildlife can be easily observed (e.g., songbirds, whitetail deer, waterfowl), but fish present challenges because they are out of sight under the water surface—this is the principal reason we use specialized fishing gear and surveys to gather information used for fishery management.

   We conduct surveys for a variety of objectives.  The primary reason that we do surveys is to track the abundance, size structure, and health of populations of game species such as brown trout and smallmouth bass.  Fish surveys are also commonly used to assess the environmental heath of streams and rivers.  In some cases, fishery surveys are used for specific research such as to assess the impact of a management action.” ~ Dan Kirby, Natural Resources Biologist, Iowa DNR

Please see this link:  http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2014/05/members-of-iowa-dnrand-hawkeye-fly.html for a 2nd post containing information about the workday, findings from the survey, and for more photographs.

Life, Fly Fishing, Hellgrammites and the Pursuit of Ice Cream

   The number and frequency of blog posts are subject to this author's distractibility and amount of time spent fishing, tying flies or doing other things fly fishing-related.  Work and food also play their roles but are requirements to living & not to be mistaken with the aforementioned noteworthy distractions that give greater meaning & perspective to life.

   I am currently working on posts about fish surveys and the recent team effort between Iowa DNR staff and members of the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association to survey fish species in a coldwater stream.  Since I have now used my new Bug Bond LCR torch, I will be adding a review of the torch to a current post about LCR (light cured resin) lights.  I will offer comparisons to the Loon light.  I have also received an Aquapac 28L Toccoa Daysack (waterproof) that I will review when I have had greater opportunity to use it.

   Hellgrammites are still on my mind.  Recently, it was suggested to me to tie up a few of these critters for use at a nearly-local quarry (where I go for hours to torture myself) containing finicky, tight-lipped smallmouth bass.  Having cruised the internet looking for pictures of hellgrammites and fly recipes, I proceeded to tie my own version.  It was decent but not good enough for my taste.  If I were a bass I wasn't sure I'd eat it.  After a couple more tips and a brief perusal of more tying recipes, I improved upon my original version and it looks larvalicious!  If I were a smallie and one of those hellgrammites was stripped-n-twitched in front of me, I'd soon be sporting a pierced lip.  So, I'm debating posting another fly tying recipe.

   First, I need to ensure my recipe is far enough removed from anyone else's recipe.  Only then can I call it my own.  Heck, the first gosh-awful concoction I tied -when I wasn't even good with winding a thread base on a hook- was the only 'fly' that I can claim to be a 100-proof original.  And if we are comparing flies and whiskey (and we are), then from the get-go, I'd already been influenced enough by others to claim only 50% as  being completely original.  So, we walk a fine line when we post fly recipes claiming them to be of our own creations.  Besides, I've only landed one, squirt-sized smallie with my improved hellgrammite pattern.  I was at that danged quarry where smallies frequently become the fish of 5,000 casts.  No proven track record of hellgrammite fly success has yet to be established.  I can just see anglers flocking to my hellgrammite recipe post to learn how to tie a hellgrammite that hooks onehelluvasmallsmallie after onehelluvalongtime! 

   Now here I sit and once again note that I've been distracted away from writing the fish survey post due to other thoughts about fly fishing.  Does anyone else smell the strong scent of irony?  So I sit and think, how did 1 quick paragraph turn into 5+ paragraphs?  What am I doing sitting here on a Friday NIGHT?  Is this giving me or anyone else greater meaning or perspective in life?

  Doubt it.

  But the reality is if I go out and listen to a friend's band with a bum knee, drink a couple of beers and try to dance (and I've already danced with a cast on my foot, so I would dance with a bum knee), I may not be in good enough shape to wade streams and climb their banks next weekend during our gal's annual fly fishing trip.  I would likely not be in top form at tomorrow's fly fishing clinic while teaching newbie anglers one of the most fun & frustrating parts of fly fishing.  I could even miss out on luring another innocent into the art and addiction that is fly fishing.  

   In the end, I guess the distraction wasn't so bad, and my perspective on life is intact.  The fish survey article can be completed after the casting clinic.  Now I think I'll go eat some ice cream.   
     

2014 Annual Fly Casting Clinic to be Held on May 10 in Bettendorf

   Once again, the day proceeding Mother's Day will find seasoned and fresh fly anglers honing and learning casting skills at the Middle Park Lagoon, 2098 Parkway Dr., Bettendorf, Iowa.  The annual K&K Casting Clinic, held May 10, 2014, is sponsored by K&K Hardware (1818 Grant St., Bettendorf, 563-359-4474) & will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Dan Johnston, a St. Croix Rod rep from Cedar Rapids, will be the primary instructor.  Local anglers will also be on hand to help with casting instruction.

   K&K classically provides a free lunch for participants and John, another clinic volunteer, usually makes breakfast on the grill.  A donation for the latter is usually asked & well worth it.  A sign up sheet is at K&Ks sporting goods counter.  St. Croix rods will be provided by Dan and HFFA (Hawkeye Fly Fishing) staff will likely provide spare rods to those who don't have their own.  Hope to see you there!

Tie One On at Java Java, March 22, 2014 - Cancelled

   A group of us will be tying flies again this Saturday, March 22, 2014, at Java Java Cafe, located at 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  

   Tying will start at 9:00 am and last until noon.  Musicians are also being invited but their plans are currently unknown.  All are welcome!!!! 


(3/17/14: Note that there have been some conflicts with this March 22 date.  I will post by Wednesday night if we are tying or if we are going to reschedule.)
(3/19/14: Due to a large number of tiers having other commitments, this tying date has been cancelled. This is the first cancellation we have ever had & I hope it continues to be a rare thing... unless we decide to go fishing!)

Tie One On at Davenport's Java Java ~Saturday, March 8th.

   I have fishing plans on Sunday.  But what to do on Saturday?  A group of us will be tying flies again this Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Java Java cafe, located at 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  

   Tying will start at 9:00 am and last until noon.  Musicians are also being invited but their plans are currently unknown.  All are welcome!!!! 

The Only Flies Welcome at Java Java - Tie One On: Jan 18, 2014

   Unless the forecast for this Saturday, January 18, 2014, changes to NOT blustery and NO snow greater than 1/2 inch (more specifically around Decorah, IA) one will find this gal tying flies -in lieu of fishing in the Driftless- from 9-noon, at Java Java Cafe, 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  The coffee shop closes at noon.
   It should be understood by most fly anglers that it is perfectly acceptable to cancel tying due to fishing..
   I will check the forecast by tomorrow evening.  If the weather changes for the better I will update this post with a 'gone fishing' notice by 730PM. (1/17: See you at Java Java tomorrow!) However, I am rather confident that tying will ensue and I am so certain that I have contacted my favorite local folk musicians Joe and Howard to see if they'd like to join us.
   So, please come on out to a friendly little coffee shop and chat, learn about fly fishing and tying, and hopefully enjoy some great music!  

  Thanks! 

~Twitch

Annual Fly Casting Clinic in Bettendorf Hosted by K&K and St. Croix Rod Rep

  

   The annual K&K Fly Casting Clinic was held May 11, 2013, at Middle Park Lagoon, in Bettendorf, IA.  Dan Johnston, a St Croix Rod rep, Cedar Rapids, and Erik Mattley, a former K&K Hardware employee, were the fly casting instructors.  Approximately 20 people, either wishing to hone their casting skills or picking up a fly rod for the first time, attended the clinic.  Dan provided St. Croix rods and the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Club provided additional rods for those who didn't have their own with which to practice.  K&K Hardware provided lunch.

   Aside from Dan's classically excellent demonstrations of  fly casting techniques & one-on-one casting instruction, he also provided basic information on stringing up the fly rod, how to safely separate stubborn rod sections, and how fly line loads the rod & carries the fly to its intended (hopefully!) destination.

  

The casting clinic has been held yearly on the Saturday prior to Mother's Day.  Classically, another volunteer provides attendees with fresh breakfast made on the outdoor grill, then beginning fly casting instruction commences, followed with lunch, and then the instruction of the advancement of casting skills rounds out the day.

   To learn more about fly fishing including casting, tying flies, or where to fish, visit your local fly fishing club, fly fishing shop, or, perhaps, an outdoor store. In the Quad Cities region, please visit the link to the local branch of the HFFA's website for contact information and please note that all are welcome to attend meetings or club outings.  For more information, you may also send 'Twitch' an email at stripntwitch@yahoo.com .  Finally, K&K Hardware, Bettendorf, IA, offers fly tying supplies and fly fishing rods/tackle.

Links

HFFA: http://www.hawkeyeflyfishing.com/

Quad Cities HFFA  branch:  http://www.hawkeyeflyfishing.com/Information/LocalChapters/QuadCities/QCAA%20hffa%20web%20pageTest.pdf 

  

Regional Expo Updates and Blog Plans

   Last weekend’s Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association’s Annual Fly Fishing Meeting, i.e. an expo with a meeting, was a great success.  It was held in Iowa City, IA.  The speakers, including Brian O'Keefe, were well-received.  The guest fly tiers were impressive tiers and educators.  I spent time with Scott Nordby, http://www.flychucker.blogspot.com/, and Pike fly tier James Durbin, http://www.cowboyflyfishing.blogspot.com/, leaving with a foam beatle and a Pike fly.  Of course, I came away with more fly tying supplies and… 2 skunk tails!!! I now have 3 tails but my new ones don’t smell like the one which is still sitting in my garage.  I no longer have to debate if I should dare to take that scented tail into my home.

   On that note, expect to see blog entries in the near future for a couple fly tying recipes using skunk tail.  I spent at least 30 minutes sitting on the floor in the vendor’s room examining tail.  It can be soft, supple or coarse, it is frequently luminescent, the white can be white or ‘pee-colored’ and single strands are a solid color or alternate between white and black.  

   I’m gearing up for the annual Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo, which will be held in Blaine, MN, March 23-25th.  The main focus will be helping out at my friends’ booth, promoting fly fishing and Arrowhead Fly Angler guide service, http://www.arrowheadflyangler.com/, serving northern MN and WI).   Jackfish Kate will also attend and may help at the booth.  For more information about the show, visit this link and look for a discount coupon, too:  http://www.greatwatersflyfishingexpo.com/.

   The local chapter of HFFA is also in the planning stages of hosting next year’s  ‘Annual Meeting’- AKA expo-  in Bettendorf, IA.  Rumor has it that there will be additional speakers about warm water fishing and local fly fishing opportunities, but many still hope for a fair amount of discourse about Trout in the Driftless Areas of IA, MN, and WI, or in other areas of the country.  Attend meetings 1st/3rd Sundays of the month at Riverdale fire station and share your opinion on this club event. 
  

   I’ve added another non-profit organization to the ‘Casting It Forward’ page.  It’s called ‘Reel Recovery’ and members/volunteers conduct free fly fishing retreats for men recovering from cancer.  This year I plan to add more conservation-minded posts to this page on the blog.  I am looking forward to posting first-hand accounts of volunteer conservation & fly fishing efforts while promoting organizations & individuals who work anywhere for clean water, happy fish, and happy/healthy anglers.  Help me to fill this page! 

   In the near and distant future (this year), I hope to post informational articles about Smallie and Steelhead fishing after conducting interviews and doing my own research.  And, I just thought to myself:  why not a Carp story?  I’d love a reason to again contact Barry Reynolds; a gentleman very willing to share his time and knowledge of fly angling.  **The post to drive me crazy:  adhesives.  Everything from head cement to UV-cured adhesives will be covered (gulp!) with recommendations for their usage and the creation of a chart (double gulp!!) to provide a quick visual on properties (such as drying time) and their general uses.  **I am looking forward to speaking with reps from the IA DNR.  Expect a post about the Trout stocking program, including lesser-known information about stocked Trout and their wild counterparts, some added insight to the new trout map, and about the Driftess Area streams.  **I'm still searching for fishy recipes.  Send me an original!  Of course,  discourse on the magnificent Musky & additions to the WI-MN Diaries will continue.  My goal this year is to self-edit.  Entertainment stories must be under 800-1000 words.  

**I do plan on posting more fly tying recipes.  I'm currently working on the prototype of the ‘Double Buck’.  It is my spin-off of a fabulous large-profile articulated fly I saw last year when fishing with friends from Musky Country Outfitters, http://www.muskycountryoutfitters.com/.  And yes, I saw that fly meet with a Musky!  Sadly it wasn’t when I fished the fly.  I’ve added a collar on my fly to push water.  I also plan to make a couple more changes to truly call this challenging tie 'my own'.  I may post more info on the success or demise of the fly, but no recipe will be posted until (if) the fly is successfully fished.  **I will soon post the PeaBody Nymph.  And, can anyone say ‘Bass Flies’?  I’ve got a real itch to get into some Smallies this year and who doesn’t like a good Bass tie recipe?!

   So, as usual, I have grand plans for posts.  IF I win the ‘Mega Millions’ next week, I will post fairly frequently after my month-long fly fishing vacation.  If I am required to continue working full-time, I will travel and interview folks, and fish & tie flies when I can.  Articles will be posted over the course of the year.  Wish me luck!

IA DNR & AWARE Volunteers Clean Up Waterways (...Trash Talk continued)

*JULY 7-14 were the dates for the 2012 AWARE clean-up of the Iowa River. Please see the 2012 post for results:  http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2012/07/this-year-participants-in-iowa-dnrs_19.html *


    On July 9-16, 2011, the Iowa DNR again backed up its trash talk with action.  The DNR’s Project AWARE volunteer river clean-up of the Little Turkey, Turkey, and Volga Rivers netted 64,722lbs of garbage.  That is the equivalent of 32.36 tons, or nearly the weight of 18.5 new 4WD Honda CR-V LX SUV’s, being removed by volunteers and their canoes! 

   This year, 429 volunteers participated in the clean-up.  An average of 152 volunteers participated each day with 273 being new to AWARE this year and 61 having participated for 5 or more years.  Of the total amount of trash collected by these volunteers, 96% was recycled.  Scrap metal, then tires (611), composed the greatest weight of recyclables, and 335lbs of redeemable cans/bottles (cha-ching!) were found.   

   Participants ranged from aged 2 to 76.  An Indiana father/daughter team participated and a father from Cedar Rapids, IA., had sons from Illinois, Colorado, and Oregon join him on the hunt for garbage.
    When asked what the most unusual piece of trash removed from a river was, Brian Soenen, Project AWARE Coordinator replied, “While I don’t recall anything being incredibly unique, volunteers found quite a few wooden-spoked wagon wheels and an insane number of large implement tires.  The great news is that most of the trash was ‘old’ junk…been there a long time and has now been forever removed.”

Photo Caption Information:

   #1:  On day 1, Nick Gaeta, Cedar Rapids, IA, transports trash through Gouldsburg Park on the Little Turkey River, following a 'pre-cleanup' of nearby Crane Creek. Gaeta has participated in all but the 1^st year of the Project AWARE clean-ups.  #2:  While at least 5 paddlers had already spent a good portion of this day plucking trash on a 'pre-cleanup' of Crane Creek, most volunteers set up camp at Gouldsburg Park, Hawkeye, IA, & enjoy the day's outdoor festivities. The confluence of Crane Creek and the Little Turkey River is located at the park.  #3:  KJ Rebarcak, Long Grove, IA, left, and 'Dutch Oven' Dave Brown, Springfield, MO, transport trash through the Little Turkey River on the first day of this year’s Project AWARE river clean-up.  The trash was actually removed from nearby Crane Creek.   

 #4:  Members of the Dubuque Fly Fishers and the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association were asked to volunteer their time and present a hands-on fly casting clinic.  Approximately 8 fly anglers participated.  Project AWARE volunteer Rose Danaher, Homestead, IA, (pictured) receives a fly casting lesson from Kate Lodge, a member of both clubs, & a Geneseo, IL, resident. 

   For more information about Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), & methods of participating in the clean-up of Iowa waterways, please visit this link:   http://www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/ProjectAWARE.aspx .   And, please e-mail me your 'trash talk'!  If you pick up trash from waterways or want to share how you have changed your own habits of trash disposal while on waterways, if you want to comment about how waterways have improved over the years, or if you want to report about what you most commonly find in and along waterways, email me about it or send me a picture.  I'd like to increase the attention paid to the maintenance and appreciation of our waterways.  ~Twitch