February 8th Meeting -and- we are in Search of Club Officers

Coming from Walla Walla - and all point south to Chiquillas 

This evening our regularly scheduled meetings was held at our new meeting location - Chiquillas Mexican House at 428 Ash St, Walla Walla, WA. Last month Dave and Dale contacted Chiquillas and established that we would like to have their meeting room / facilities the second Wednesday of each month September through May. We have no holiday indoor meetings from Thanksgiving thru New Year, nor in June, July, or August, as we usually making plans to go fishing; one and all. 

Again this month we conducted our meeting without any club officers leading the evening, but ex-President Dave Stemmer did step-up as Master of Ceremony to conduct the “management” of the meeting and introduced our guest speaker Chris Peery.

Our members and guest begin filtering into the Chiquillas banquet room around 5:45, as complimentary chips and salsa was being served. It was 7:05 before the first meals began to come to the tables. We have since spoken to Chiquillas that we would like to have the dinners coming to the table much sooner, so that we can conduct our business meeting without a dinner presentation taking place at the same time. They agreed. As always, the Chiquillas’ meals were delicious.  http://www.chiquillasmexicanhouse.com/menu

This evening we had 21 members and guest in attendance. 

We did pass out Door Prize Raffle tickets for a fly box, but due to the very late start with dinner service and the following program for the evening we did not get around to selling any Raffle Tickets for the other fly box. So these well stocked fly boxes will be an added feature to our March 8th meeting. We are going to have some lucky ~ happy fishers to start their 2023 fishing season with a nice assortment of these flies. Again we ask that you consider bringing TWO (2) flies
to the meeting to donate to the fly boxes – club business funds.  

 As mentioned… the Walla² Fly Fishers are currently conducting business without a full staff of club officers. Will YOU consider stepping forward and accepting a position of club leadership?
If so, please reply to our Email address...

        Walla² Fly Fishers <wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

to place your name in nomination. Thank you. 

Historically club officers have given two (2) years of their service to this organization. We are currently without a club President, Co-President / Vice President. Hanging on to their positions for the time being are the club’s Secretary - Dale, and club’s Treasurer - Harold with his pending resignation for the Treasurer. Our most current past officers have filled their office positions for 4-years primarily due to the pandemic gap in the club’s year and a half of non-activity. NOW is the time for some good club members (you need not be a Pro-flyfisher person) to come forward to the aid of our club... to be an officer. These are not demanding positions - showing up to moderate club meetings EIGHT (8) times in a year, and joining the group on fishing outings as one and all may wish.

Treasurer Harold did report that the club currently has $1,195.79 in our checking account, with no $$$ activity taking place at this meeting.

Tom announced that there was again going to be a 4-H Super Saturday on March 18th and asked if anyone would wish to join him is conducting demonstrations for fly casting and fly tying. We did have several people showing interest in helping with this youth event.

If you would like to join us in the activity, please see Tom Craig at our
March 8th meeting.

 

After dinner this month we welcomed Chris Peery – Senior Fisheries Biologist with the Army Corp of Engineers – Walla Walla, to give us a presentation of the History and current wellbeing on the Pacific Northwest steelhead and salmon populations. 

Chris mentioned that prior to the first salmon cannery going into operation on the Columbia River in 1866 there may have been salmon runs that one could have crossed the river on their backs. He mentioned that in 1938 the Bonneville Dam was constructed and that created an impediment to the salmon runs, and in 1962 the Ice Harbor dam was constructed on the Snake River, which also caused a loss of cold water habitat affecting the fish runs. Chris reported that of the most current years, it appears that global warming of the Pacific Ocean waters is having the greatest impact on the salmon and steelhead populations and their inland runs to ancient spawning waters. Chris also explained that these anadromous fish runs are cyclical, with good years and poor years of species return runs. Sad to say, Chris told us that in the past couple of years that the Alaska and British Columbia salmon runs (where dams do not impact) were very poor, and it is thought that this is due to warming ocean water conditions impacting the fish populations. It may be that due to constantly changing water environmental conditions, we may have seen the best of the good ole days of salmon and steelhead fishing in our local waters. Current projected returns for salmon this year is 8-16 million running the Columbia River tributaries, with 1-2 million continuing upriver to the headwaters of the Snake River.

Thank you Chris for your report, presentation to the club this evening. 

After Chris’ presentation this evening the meeting began to breakup without any further announcements or a fly box raffle or door prize giveaway taking place. These boxes will be a real prize at our March meeting, and someones fly collection for the 2023 fishing season. Tickets for the raffle box is $1 per ticket -or- $5 for six tickets. 

Right now each of these boxes are worth about $50, box and flies.

It was announced that at our next meeting on March 8^th we will have Grant and Lottie Richie giving us an updated presentation of their operations of fishing guide services they conduct on the Grande Ronde, Minam, and Wallowa rivers. 

Some of Grant's hired fish for your catching 

Meeting was adjourned at 8:39 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Dale McKain

Club Secretary  

Tight lines and good fishing

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January 11 Meeting - Searching for a New Slate of Club Officers for 2023-24

This evening we had 26 members and guest present, at Sheri's Restaurant in Walla Walla. 

After dinner was served, Co-President Judy called the meeting to order at 7:15 pm. 

It had previously been announced that she and Co-President Diane would be stepping down from their Co-President chairs effective with this meeting. Club Treasurer Harold had said that he would like to step away from his post also. 

Please note that with the COVID-19 shutdown, all three of these club officers had given their services for the past 4-years. Thank you one and all for the job well done. You are appreciated. 

Dale being a club founder noted that if someone wanted to fill the shoes of club Secretary that he would be happy to step aside and let another individual with a fresh spirit take the position he has occupied for thirteen years. 

So it was at this meeting, we had all club Officers positions open and/ or available for a NEW SLATE of individuals saying “I want to – I am willing to be the NEW 2023-2024…” club officers. 

The usual term for Club Officers is TWO (2) Years. 

At this point in the meeting Secretary Dale took the non-existent gavel and called the discussion to order as by default he was to be this evening’s MC. 

Treasurer Harold reported that we currently had One Thousand-Fifty Two dollars and Seventy nine cents ($1052.79) in the club’s checking account. This evening we did have a raffle for boxes of flies and club logo hats, with those funds to be added to these current club funds. A club logo cap was given away as the evening's Door Prize. It is customary that we have a Free Door Prize at each meeting and a raffle of fly boxes or other items donated to the club. We ask all that are able to donate TWO (2) flies to each of our club's meeting raffles. 

It was noted that that club dues for 2023 were now due and at the November meeting it was agreed that the dues would now be Fifteen dollars ($15) for an individual’s membership and Twenty-Five dollars ($25) for a full family membership. Some members paid their 2023 club dues this evening – adding to the club treasury. 

With the subject of club dues in mind, we made a historical reflection of things the club had been involve with (group activities and events) over the past 14 years. We also discussed a few plans to try to be involved with in 2023. 

• 2023 Fly Fishing Fair – Dave and Dale will be working on this 

• The 4-H Weekend Workshop for youth activities – Tom will be working on this 

• Club group fishing outings to high lakes and rivers – a group effort based on fishing reports – different strokes for different folks… trout, steelhead, and salmon fishing trips 

• Fly Casting Clinic
• Round Table Fly tying get togethers 

• Midweek After Work - cookouts and flotation fishing at Bennington Lake with all things being connected to our love and enthusiasm for sharing fly fishing and camaraderie - there can be some good catching evening at Bennington Lake.
NOTE: the club has a pontoon boat and two float tubes to share

It had been previously discussed – moving our meetings to a different location. This evening our number of members and guest -26- had filled the “meeting room” at Sheri’s. We need more room. Dave and Dale will be working on this project, for a new location we hope effective with our February 8th meeting – please watch your email for a change of club meetings location update. 

Dale then gave a brief history of the early creation of the Walla² Fly Fishers club as noted by / with the club’s blog reports at- http://wallawallaflyfishers.blogspot.com/  -which dates back to March 5, 2009. 

Dale then asked Judy and Diane and Harold to give a brief job description for all to hear; of the club offices they had held for the past 4-years; Dale then gave his job description of his job as Secretary and Club Blogmaster. Thereafter Dale asked if anyone would wish to step forward and nominate themselves or a person that they know to fill the positions of club President – Vice President – Secretary – Treasurer. There was some discussion around the room, but no one came forward with a nomination for new club officers. It was noted that the regular club meeting would only consume an officers time during the months of January-May and September-November.
The club takes a fishing vacation June-August and a holidays break from Thanksgiving through New Year’s week. Judy had at a previous meeting asked Harold and Dale to formulate and give a short detail of their job description; she and Diane has done likewise. 

 PRESIDENT / CO-PRESIDENT / Vice PRESIDENT: with the meeting location established… 5:45-6:00p setup evening’s business table for meeting --- Have name tags and felt pens available near meeting entrance table Greet attendees prior to dinner – pass out one FREE door prize ticket to everyone following 6:00 dinner around --- 7:00p call meeting to order Introduce yourself, ask for visitors to introduce themselves and what brought them to WWFF Proceed with the Order of Business – Reports from Secretary – Treasurer – Miscellaneous – recent fishing trips (suggested that you have an agenda for reference) ** AS Needed (maybe once or twice a year) call for a board meeting to discuss matters as needed. Announce the meeting’s program / presenter 8:00-8:30p finalize discussions, announce next meeting date, and adjourn meeting. 

Club Secretary Report: Minutes of last month’s meeting activities and guest presentations, and/ or club board meetings since the last membership meeting 

Treasurer's Report: Report of funds currently in bank account, noting new activities of deposits and expenses.

 
With this evening’s discussion coming to a close, Dale ask if there were any interested parties, nominations, well-wishers that would like to come forward and put their name up for an election of Club Officers at our next meeting - February 8th. Discussion continued, but no one came forward to say “I Will Serve." 

Meeting was adjourned at 8:09 pm. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Dale McKain 

Club Secretary 

PS. Our new meeting location effective for February 8, 2023 will be at: 

Chiquillas Mexican House 

428 Ash St, Walla Walla, WA 99362 
(509) 525-2598

- next door to Walker’s Furniture Store

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November - Looking at 2023

 

A club's outing on the Deschutes

This evening we had 17 members and guest present.

After dinner was served, President Judy called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.

To begin the meeting we had a “Round Table” meet and greet introduction of all present.

Treasurer Harold gave his report of monies in our checking account. It was again brought up this month the suggested price of Club Membership Dues. A membership vote was conducted and agreed that effective January 1, 2023 our club dues would be $15 for individual membership and $25 for family membership.

Harold mentioned that he wanted to SALE his 2-man pontoon boat, and maybe would sale his 1-person pontoon boat. Contact Harold Saxby for details.

Secretary Dale gave a brief report of our October 12^th meeting.

President Judy, brought to the group’s attention that in January 2023 it has been requested by the current officer that we hold an election for a NEW slate of club officers. Judy asked the officers present to write up a brief “job description” of their office.

It was discussed the possibilities of moving our meeting to another location – Dave our Program Director will be looking into this.
Look for a meeting location change – possibility – with the January 2023 meeting announcement.

We discussed some club activities for 2023 that we should discuss further in the New Year.

·      -- Having another Fly Fishing Fair

·       -- 4-H Workshop

·       -- Club Fishing Outings

·       -- Fly Casting Clinics
 

    Tom is going to try to have Grant Richie come to make a presentation for our January 2023 meeting.

Our meeting was adjourned at 8:05.   

O  Our next meeting will be Wednesday January 11, 2023.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain 
Club Secretary / Blog master

Tight lines and good fishing.

Walla² Fly Fishers

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Talking about Fly Fishing this evening

 

We are talking about Fly Fishing this evening – club activities.

President Judy called our meeting to order at 7:10 pm. A lot of fishing tales and some club business was discussed with everyone sitting around eating dinner, before the call to order.

With October meeting notices sent out, Dale received a number of emails saying can’t make it RSVPs for this evening’s meeting. It was discussed that as a group we might need to discuss what is the BEST day of the month and week for us to be meeting. Tonight we had six members and one guest present.

Treasurer Harold reported that we currently had $1022 in our checking account and a small amount of make change cash on hand.

Secretary Dale made a brief synopsis-report of our September meeting and ask everyone to check out the club blog for details. https://wallawallaflyfishers.blogspot.com/

We did not have fly box door prize or raffle drawings this evening, but plan to again incorporate these into our future meetings. 

This evening Jerry Finnie did bring a box of flies that he had tied some very nice flies, but we voted to hold these flies for our November 9^th meeting, since our numbers were small this evening.

It was again discussed that there would be NO club membership dues collected before our January 2023 meeting and that the dues would then be Fifteen dollars ($15) per year for individuals and Twenty-five ($25) for family memberships.

We also discussed having club activities – other than monthly meetings – to bring the club together for one and all and the community to be more involved with fly fishing.

Activities discussed were:
1) again have a Fly Fishing Fair at Waterbrook Winery – if they will work with us again on this 

2) Check on again having a Fly Fishing presentation at the 4-H Weekend Activities

3) plan on some club fishing outings on some rivers and lakes 

It was mentioned that the club does have an 8’ pontoon boat and two float tubes for members use. 

As we were looking at the size of Sheri’s meeting room, it was discussed that we might need to look for a larger accommodation after the New Year. 

With our November 9^th club meeting we hope to have a round of new club officers nominations.
Will you think about giving out club 8-months of your time to develop fly fishing in the Walla Walla Valley?
Including the COVID-19 shutdown, the current club officers have giving almost 4-years of service to our cause. Thank you.

Again we will ask for your RSVP to our club’s Email address if you plan to have dinner seating / service for our November 9^th pre-meeting dinner, (this is so we may notify the Sheri’s meal service staffing what to expect on our behalf).
Thank you.

 Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary 

Diane Briggs –  Co-President

Judy McDole – Co-President

Harold Saxby – Treasurer

Dale McKain – Secretary - Blogmaster

We are back together again.

Last evening The Walla² Fly Fishers came together for our first "regular" season meeting. This was a Meet and Greet gathering being our last "regular" meeting was over two years ago (the last being FEBRUARY 19, 2020), with a couple of impromptu gathering this spring at the Fort Walla Walla Museum Park. Last evening was a good evening to break bread together, exchanging fishing stories among ole members and new guest. 

The meeting last evening was held in the meeting hall at Shari's Restaurant in downtown Walla Walla on Hwy 125. Dinner gathering was at 6:00 with the business meeting beginning around 7:00. There were 18 club members and guest in attendance.

Shortly after 7:00 President Judy McDole called the meeting to order. She gave a brief recap of our most recent gathering this spring.

She asked Treasurer Harold Saxby for his report. Harold gave an accounting for the expenses we had at our two spring gatherings, of which the club served dinner to one and all in attendance at the club's expense. There was a Thank you for those club's dinner offerings, and the chance for all of us to get together again. Harold announced that the club now has One Thousand-Two dollars and Seventy Nine cents ($1002.79) in our bank account.

It was discussed the timing for the next collecting of MEMBERSHIP DUES. That discussion lead to the agreement of all that since some had paid dues on FEBRUARY 19, 2020 before the COVID-19 shutdown, and there was not much time (only 2 meetings left in 2022) that MEMBERSHIP DUES would NOT be due and collectable again before our January 2023 meeting.

Also discussed was the timing of our Club meetings. The past few years we have been holding our meeting on the third Wednesday of the month. This past month we had several members / guests notices that the third Wednesday was not good for their schedule, so it was discussed and by current attendees it was voted that for the time being we would move our meeting times to be the SECOND WEDNESDAY of the month. Our next meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday, October 12 to be held again at Sheri's in Walla Walla --- dinner gathering at 6:00pm with business meeting to begin at 7:00.

Being we just have two more regularly scheduled meetings in 2022  -October and November-  it was discussed the advent of an ELECTION of club officers to begin 2023. President Judy, Secretary Dale and Treasurer Harold said that they would remain in their currently club offices through 2022. It was discussed that by November's meeting we need a new roster of club officers to open our New Year of 2023. Please THINK about it - you and who could be of service to our club.

The balance of the evening, with President Judy starting the discussion we went around the room and everyone gave a brief HISTORY (past and current) of their fly fishing experiences.
Secretary Dale, and club co-founder briefly told of his past 50-years of fly fishing experience, in NC, SC, NY, FL, the area-states around Y-N-Park, and OR/WA/HI. He said that it took him six (6) fly fishing weekend trips into the western NC mountains before he caught his first rainbow trout with a fly rod and fly. He said with that hookup, he has been hooked for life, on fly fishing.

Always know the fishing regulations

This sport is about patience, perseverance, practice, practice, practice to develop your fly presentation, camaraderie and the pleasure of having fun with flies and fish.    

After this discussion, we briefly talked about our October 12 meeting and possible meeting program, thereby Dave (our programs coordinator) and Tom Craig said that they would begin a search of the next month and near future program presentations.

 Our meeting adjourned shortly after 8:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain 
Club Secretary / Blog master

Tight lines and good fishing.

Walla² Fly Fishers

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A nice afternoon for bass fishing, until...

Last evening The Walla² Fly Fishers came together for our second Meet and Greet gathering in the past two years (the last being April 27th) to break bread, exchange fishing stories among ole members and new guest. 

With the COVID-19 virus still circulating in our area, again the club rented the outdoor picnic pavilion at the Fort Walla Walla Museum Park, and set the tables for everyone to partake in another club’s treat dinner of sandwiches and soft drink beverages. The weather this evening for dinner was most pleasant, sunny and mild temperatures.

Attendance at this evening meeting was 20 fly fishers - club members and guests that have interest in reviving our club’s activities, following so many of our area’s pandemic shutdowns.

After dinner was served, and all were fed Co-President Judy made an evening greeting and called our meeting to order. It was during this time, that an evening breeze began to blow. Shortly thereafter the clouds on the western horizon began to thunder and lightning.

Treasurer Harold then gave his report, reporting that prior to this evening’s meal cost ($140) the club’s checking account had a balance of $1139. He said the current bank account report – should now show that we currently have close to One Thousand ($1000) on account with some club dues (cash) payments in hand. Harold pointed out that $1000 sound like a nice sum to have on hand, but once the club begins to have regular monthly meeting we can go through these fund rather fast with the expense of bringing in guest speakers and having club functions. During Harold’s report the wind began to blow a bit harder.

After Harold’s report, President Judy asked Dale to give a Secretary’s Report. Dale made a brief recap of our last month’s meeting which was more of a Meet and Greet gathering than business, and he addressed the club’s assets (floatation craft – pontoon boat and float tubes) that were being kept at his house. He announced that these items were readily available to any and all paying club members and to notify him via email if you wished to check them out for use.

Dale also mentioned that the club had a fly fishing library (books and videos) available to all club members. By this time the wind was beginning to blow a bit harder and the thunder and lightning was getting closer to the park. Dale was asked to speak a bit louder, and so closed his report.

In the past at each meeting we have held meeting raffles and door prizes, usually these have been fly boxes (with flies), and other items of interest. This evening we had no raffle but gave door prizes of a fly box and two club logo caps.

With the presence of the outdoor elements bearing down on us, President Judy asked if there was anyone that would like to take charge of trying to secure a regular indoor meeting location for our next planned meeting to take place in September. Judy made the point that traditionally our club meetings have always been held from September through May, with a summer break for “not-so-organized” club fishing parties being planned and taking place June – August. There was a short discussion concerning this matter of a future meeting location and our Ex-President Dave stood up to the occasion 

and said that he would work on securing an indoor / restaurant location for our September meeting needs. In the past we have held regular meeting at the China Buffet on Plaza Way, at Smith’s Family Restaurant off of Hwy 12, and at El Sombrero on Second Avenue. Towards the end of this discussion, Dave was also asked to speak a bit louder and the storm was drawing near.

If you have a suggestion for a public meeting location please contact President Judy, or Dave, or Dale with your ideas. Please offer any ideas and suggestions to - 
  WallaWalla.Flyfishing@gmail.com   
Thank you.

Before we could proceed any further with our meeting, it began to rain, the wind blowing harder was beginning to blow rain into the shelter area, so EVERYONE gather up our meeting and meal layouts and ran for their vehicles.

Meeting adjourned.



Please stay tuned to Walla² Fly Fishers follow up emails of / for further summer group activities and announcement of our next meeting which should be around the third week of September.



Tight lines and good summer fishing.



Respectfully submitted,

Dale McKain

Club Secretary 

Diane Briggs –  Co-President

Judy McDole – Co-President

Harold Saxby – Treasurer

Dale McKain – Secretary - Blogmaster

We have returned.

The Walla² Fly Fishers came together for our first Meet and Greet gathering in over two years (the last being February 19, 2020) to break bread, exchange fishing stories among ole members and new guest. Present this evening were 6 club members and 7 guests that have interest in reviving our club.

For the past several months the club officers have been in touch via Email communications, and one small group meeting to discuss the parameters to reactivate the Walla² Fly Fishers as we have watched the decline in numbers of public illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With hopes that spring weather would cooperate with us, we chose this Wednesday evening, to make a reservation with Walla Walla Parks and Recreation to have our meeting at the Fort Walla Walla Park.

After the usual morning rains, we had a most pleasant afternoon sun break with mild temperature for our 5:30 gathering. Club Secretary Dale made arrangements to provide from Safeway a delicious croissant sandwich tray complimented with bowls of melons, strawberries and soft drinks with funds of the club’s treasury. Co-President Judy brought plates, napkins and tableware. Putting all of this together, we had a most pleasant outdoor “picnic” meeting – under shelter covered with sunshine.

After everyone had more than enough to eat - sandwiches and fruit, Co-President Diane called the meeting to order. This was a most informal meeting whereby everyone introduced themselves and gave a brief synopsis of themselves and their past two years of fishing experiences.

Treasurer Harold, reported that prior to this evening’s meal cost ($80) the club’s checking account had a balance of $1239.
Also this evening a number of ole and new members paid their annual dues of $15 per individual and/or $20 per family.
Harold did point out that even though $1200 looked like a health checkbook balance, in 2019 before the pandemic the club had paid out $1000 for the cost of having guest speakers to address our group.

As the meeting closed, Co-President Diane brought out a large bag of fly boxes that Grant Richie of the Minam Store Raft Rentals and Guide Service had given our club and gave a fly box to everyone present. Thank you Grant.

It is with regret, that after 4-years of their service to the club; Secretary Dale makes this announcement to all... that effective after our May 2022 meeting, Co-Presidents Diane and Judy, VP Tyson, Treasurer Harold will be resigning from their elected club offices. Secretary Dale will remain in his position.

In closing this meeting, it was discussed that we will attempt to have another meeting in May – the date and place to be announced, most likely we will attempt to setup the May meeting like this one and maybe at this same location - Fort Walla Walla Park. Please watch your Emails for further development and announcements. Your RSVP will also be requested at that time for attendance. Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary

Tight lines and good fishing

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Diane Briggs –  Co-President
Judy McDole – Co-President
Tyson Kopfer – Vice President
Harold Saxby – Treasurer
Dale McKain – Secretary - Blogmaster