There is another participant who must not go unnoticed, someone who quietly helps out throughout the day and this year a little more than ever.  One of the Chairpersons had to leave early and this individual stepped up and saw to it that the course agenda was followed and completed on time.  This is not the first time nor most likely the last time we owe a “Big Thank You” to Katie Moser.  We had a great day and you helped make it that way. 

Four married guys go fishing.  After an hour, the following conversation took place: 

First Guy, “You have no idea what I had to do to be able to come out fishing this weekend.  I had to promise my wife that I will paint every room in the house next weekend.” 

Second Guy, “That is nothing, I had to promise my wife that I will build her a new deck for the pool.” 

Third Guy, “Man, you both have it easy!  I had to promise my wife that I will remodel the kitchen for her.” 

They continue to fish when they realized that the fourth guy has not said a word.  So they asked him, “You haven’t said anything about what you had to do to be able to come fishing this weekend.  What’s the deal?” 

Fourth Guy, “I just set my alarm for 5:30am and when it went off, I shut off my alarm, gave the wife a nudge and said, Fishing or …  

“Wear a sweater,” she said. 

Editor’s Comment – Thanks go out to Gil Padovani for submitting this fishing humor.  The author is unknown.

Shepherdstown, WV. - You are invited to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Council (MAC) of the Federation of Fly Fisher’s (FFF) Fly Fishing Festival and their 2002 Banquet and Auction on Saturday, September 14, 2002.  

The Festival’s activities include a “Learn to Fly Fish Class”, “Fly Casting Instructor Certification”, and “Fly Tying Classes”.  These Festival activities are limited in attendance and pre-registration is required.  For more information on the classes and the pre-registration form please go to http://www.macfff.org/festival02.html, the MAC-FFF Web site. 

The MACFFF may also need some additional help during the Festival.  Please contact Bob Molzahn at 610-948-8411 if you are willing to help out. 

 “MACFFF 2002 Banquet” 

Following the Festival’s daytime activities you can enjoy attending the MACFFF 2002 Banquet and Auction in the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  Once again, the Dame Juliana League will have a table reserved and you are invited to come join us.  Please call Bob Molzahn before August 15, 2002 to reserve your place(s) at the table.

The Shepherdstown area is an easy 3 hour drive and has a number of nearby historical attractions, quaint shops, unique restaurants, not to mention the outlet stores and biking, kayaking or fishing along and in the Potomac River.  At great place for a getaway weekend.  

The stream flows quietly, bending, drifting out of sight. 
Its water glistens silently under the oaks and sycamores.
Never ending, it’s there always.  Will it ever end? 

Streaming around my knees and thighs, I feel its cool. 
It’s nice and quiet, a de-compression zone.
Different they seem, every run, ripple and pool. 

Mysterious are its contents, what comes up with my fly?
Polarization brings the bottom up to me.  I see.
It’s a whole liquid world, brown, stained, tan. 

A stream becomes an island, taking away the busy world.
I hear little.
Only the dribbling water, the zipping wings of a passing duck.
The slap of a fish re-entering the water.  Perhaps a passing plane. 

It’s a world unto itself.  I escape through its open doors.
I leave behind ample things, if only for a little time.
Yes, I’m tired when my last foot pulls out. Yes too, I’m re-charged.
Regardless of a hook-set, the river, the stream provides therapy.
The rhythm of the cast, the sound of the water, no other sounds.
The soft earthy smell.  The faint flirt of a breeze.  Other wildlife. 

The view to the bank is the reverse.  Most never see it that way.
Surrounded by water, I’m truly in nature.  As it should be.
See the snake, see the chipmunk, I’m accepted I guess. 

A moment after the hatch, watch the bird eat, we have something in common.
The drift of the fly.  Tangled line.  A wind knot!
A promising rock, a seam.
I focus only on this.  Time goes and fatigue follows. 

It’s promising and fresh.  Am accomplishment yes.  Never enough.
To reflect is great; looking to the next pulls me through the day to day.
A clear mind at the end.  I know I have been some place.  It works.

As more and more of us discover the joy of visiting the few remaining wild areas open to the public, the need for courteous behavior becomes critical.  

I have been fly fishing most of my life and for the most part I tend to have the river to myself while fishing.  Recently I am running into kayakers and canoeists [Editor comment – this is referred to as the “Aluminum Hatch” on the majority of Eastern waters.] at an alarming rate.  I have nothing against paddlers; in fact I find them to be excellent stewards of our resources.  The problem for me is that many of them seem to be rude.  I’m sure that they are not really rude; I believe that they just don’t understand how their actions affect an angler. 

Here is what this fisherman would like paddlers to do: try and avoid the angler, give as wide a berth as possible, and don’t stop to talk with an angler if he or she is actively engaged in the sport.  When I paddle and encounter an angler, I portage if I must to avoid interfering with them.  In many cases the angler will respond to this courtesy with a smile and might even stop to talk awhile. 

Let me give you an example of how paddlers affect anglers.  On a recent trip to Kings River, beloved of paddlers and fly fishers alike, I ran into a couple of friendly paddlers.  [Editor comment – the Kings River is located 1.5 hours East of Fresno, CA.]  The fishing was slow, and I hadn’t seen a rise all day.  About 12:30 I saw a fish rising near a spot know as the “Widow Maker”.  I was casting just downstream of that large rock.  This is admittedly the deepest part of the river and the best part to use when paddling down, but there I was and here come the two kayaks.  They smiled as they cruised right down the feeding lane putting the fish down.  When they got close by they back paddled and asked me “how’s the fishing”, the standard question, to which I replied, “Not so good now that you put the fish down”.  I saw their innocent smiles disappear as they quickly moved on and I immediately felt sorry for snapping.  I know they were just being friendly and curious, but that fish didn’t rise again, and I had to move on. 

I drove a mile or two downstream to another spot and to my joy there were two or three fish rising.  I slowly waded to a point where I could cast to the edge of the faster moving run where the fish were holding and feeding at the scum line.  I drove a mile or two downstream to another spot and to my joy there were two or three fish rising.  I slowly waded to a point where I could cast to the edge of the faster moving run where the fish were holding and feeding at the scum line.  Before I could get off my first cast the same two kayakers appeared and paddled quickly right down the middle of the scum line.  None of us said a word this time but I’m quite sure they knew I was irritated by the look on my face.  Skunked and sullen, I gave up and went on to my campsite to eat lunch and await the evening rise. 

As I ate I wondered what I could have done to prevent this situation.  The only thing I could think of was to write this article to let paddlers know how I feel.  I reasoned that if they knew how they affect me they might just try harder to avoid such situations.  As I write this I can’t help but wonder what anglers do to irritate paddlers, I’d sure like to know.  Whatever it is, I hope I don’t do it. 

Editor Comments – Thanks go out to Mondy Lariz of the Flycasters of San Jose, CA. and to the June issue of the FFF ClubWire.  My experiences fishing the local rivers in Pennsylvania and Delaware have convinced me that it is best done during the week as the weekends are very much like what Mondy wrote about.  Locally we have another interesting weekend activity, which I refer to as the “Rubber Hatch”.  This consists of long lines of inner tubes transporting beverages and their consumers.  Unlike the kayaks and canoes which can virtually sneak up and surprise you, the “Rubber Hatch” will not do this as they are typically pretty boastful, warning you as they come near you from great distances upstream.

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