The Walla² Fly Fishers came together for the first of our indoor seasons' meeting tonight. About a dozen of us showed up for a Dutch treat dinner at 6:00 p.m. We stood around chatting for awhile, before we grabbed our plates. Thereafter we filled our plates with some good eats as we passed around and around the buffet bars and then were seated for our feast. During dinner fish tales were told and pictures of fish tails (for bragging rights) were passed around the table. Some nice fish showed up in those pictures.
We had an enjoyable time of getting to know new faces, breaking breaded... shrimp together, and sharing our fly fishing experiences with each other. Interesting conversations around this table.
As the 7 o’clock hour approached we had more and more folks join our dining group prior to beginning our club’s business meeting. Scott asked Co-President Skip before the meeting to introduce/pass around the Orvis tackle that Skip had brought to this meeting for club fundraisers. Skip passed around a nice Wheatley Fly Box (foam fly hanger on the lid side/ windowed compartments on other side). This fly box was raffled off right after the business meeting of this evening. Skip also brought an Orvis Combo – Clearwater 4 piece 5-weight fly rod with a Battenkill reel (filled with backing, line, leader), a nice setup for fishing trout and steelhead in our local rivers and streams. This combo will be offered as the raffle item of our Oct-Nov meetings. It was discussed that this Clearwater rod/reel combo, will be raffled off by 100 tickets at $5 apiece. Hope you don't miss your chance to go home with this Walla² Fly Fishers' prize. Watch this blog site for more details on owning this rod and reel outfit... only 100 tickets available.
Thank you Skip for making such nice Orvis items available to our club.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m. President Scott Peters called the meeting to order with 24 fly fishers attending.
The business at hand (actually in Scott’s hand) was looking at the club's organization and programs:
1) During the summer months Scott and Dale McKain – Club Secretary had completed the paperwork to formally tie our club to the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) as a Charter Club
2) Scott suggested; a motion was made and approved that we would have annual club membership dues of $15 for individuals and $20 family. This will be in addition to the FFF membership dues to Livingston, MT headquarters. It was pointed out the perks/publications that came with the dues paid to FFF - National.
3) Future meeting topics – rod building, fly tying, Columbia & Snake River dam education, etc.
4) We will try to have a month meeting raffle of a fly box with assorted flies for fund raiser (all club members will be ask to donate two flies per meeting to create the box of flies)
5) With Skip's donation of the fly box and the fly rod combo at this meeting to create some club funding, the motion was made and approved by the membership that we would wait for the goal of 18 NEW FFF members to accumulate before asking for the high end rod that the FFF offers for making their NEW membership goal/reward.
Scott once again discussed the purpose and goal of our Walla² Fly Fishers’ club as being:
1) To promote the causes of the Federation of Fly Fishers in helping all interested parties in learning the art and science of fly fish, learning careful fish handling (C&R), etc.
2) To be a family friendly group of fly fishers, welcoming all to our table to participate in our knowledge of fly fishing
3) To help those who have physical, emotional, any handicap needs; where learning to fly fish will aid in their therapy and well being.
4) To bring together our local fly fishing community and enjoy the camaraderie of each others' fly fishing experiences on and off the water
5) Find a stretch of a local/nearby river or stream, maybe two; to adopt, fish and be caretakers of that environment in conjunction with WDFW/ODFW/CTUIR
Also this evening it was discussed without detail the desire of having another fly casting clinic, a fly tying clinic, and as funds are available, having a banquet with a notable fly fisher-speaker to make a presentation.
After the business at hand was discussed, the raffle was held for the Orvis fly box. This was won by Steve Pfeiffer. This raffle raised over $75 for our club funding. Thank you, one and all.
Again, Thank you Skip.
Note: It was found that the funds that was thought to be in a Walla Walla bank from a previous fly fishing club (that we might benefit from) had been donated to the Tri-State Steelheaders a number of years ago.
Meeting was adjourned shortly after 8:15, with a few topics and fish tales being discussed thereafter.
Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Tight lines and good fishing.
Walla² Fly Fishers
Scott Peters - President
Skip Pritchard - Co-President
Dale McKain - Secretary /Blog Master
