May 8 meeting recap and Where to go fishing - 2024

This evening President Dave called our last meeting of Spring 2024 to order at 7:15. We had 10 members and guest in attendance. 

Without a scheduled program for the evening this meeting was rather brief. 
Treasurer Doug is currently out of the country, so Dave informed us that our bank account has $1644 in it.

Dave brought a fly rod (9 ft / 4 piece / 5 weight) - with Orvis reel - and fly line that is currently being raffled by the veteran's group Project Healing Waters. Tickets were sold this evening and if you are interested in a chance to win this fly rod - please contact President Dave  <stemmerdr@hotmail.com>.

We had a round table discussion of the most current fishing experiences by those in attendance...
Tom had been on the Yakima River with the TroutWaters guide service -
Gayle and Diane had spent recent time in Montana on the Big Hole River - playing with Brown trout
Dave and Jerry have had very successful days on the Snake River piercing bass lips. 

Above is a map of the Walla Walla River Basin, which holds many trout fishing opportunities for a day full of ~ or an evening out catching fish.
NOTE: with spring runoff from the Blue Mountains, all these water are cold, and many are running fast until mid-June.
Until that time you might consider a visit to Bennington Lake, a few miles east of Walla Walla - which is reported now being filled and well stocked. 

sunset on Bennington Lake

an early spring creeling from Bennington Lake

There are also the high Blue Mountain lakes that are usually accessible mid-June when the snow-pack melts off the roadways.

Penland Lake near Ukiah, OR

Julibee Lake - Tollgate, Oregon

The road to Jubilee Lake is usually opened by the end of June,
and is rather poorly maintained thereafter.

an early July creeling from Jubliee Lake

Wallowa Lake - Joseph, OR

Deer - Deer - Deer are everywhere

Ron Campbell with his World Record Wallowa Lake Kokanee

A day of Kokanee fishing

https://www.wallowalake.net/

Bull Prairie Reservoir - Spray, Oregon

Harris Park - Milton-Freewater, OR

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/harris-park-trail

Walla² Fly Fishers

Rattlesnakes - this writer has encountered more Rattlesnakes on the So Fork of the Walla Walla than any other fishing area of NE Oregon - they will usually let you know that they are laying there. Listen for the tail BUZZZZZZZZZ

Anthony Lake - Elkhorn Mtns, OR 
At 7,100' it is Oregon's highest drive to lake

Gunsight Mountain

Anthony Lake triploid-Rainbows

A delicious stillwater catching fly

Elevation 7,100' ~ Oregon's highest drive to fishing lake
https://www.google.com/search?q=Oregon+Elkhorn+mountain+range&gs_ivs=1

McKay Reservoir - Pendleton
8 miles south of Pendleton, Oregon on U.S. 395 

Crappie, Bass and Trout habitat

8 miles south of Pendleton, Oregon on U.S. 395

Touchet River - Dayton, WA

This evening's raffled fly boxes were won by Duane and Noel.

Now, if you are one that does not wish to explore new Pacific Northwest fishing waters on your own - there are these "local" guide services. 

 ~ https://minamstore.com/

 ~ https://troutwaterflyshop.com/guide-service/

 ~ https://www.granderondeflyfishing.com/

 ~ http://www.josephflyshoppe.com/
 ~ https://www.windingwatersrafting.com/guided-fly-fishing
 ~ http://www.midcolumbiariverguideservice.com/

 ~ https://www.fishingwithladin.com/

With all said and done, this evening's meeting was adjourned at 7:40.

We are now on our Summer Fly Fishing break and will return for our next meeting in September...
watch you Emails for details.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary - Blog-master

https://www.facebook.com/lovePNWsteelheading

Tight lines and good fishing

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

 

Creating a Salmon Return through City-Center Walla Walla

 

This evening President Dave called our meeting to order at 7:07 PM. We had 14 members and guest in attendance.

The Order of Business was short, with Treasurer Doug reporting that we had a bank balance of $1688.45. President Dave, and Doug brought up that the Bank wants us to reestablish the club as a 501c, since we gave up the umbrella 501c by being a member club of the Federation of Fly Fishers, when we left that organization.

Secretary Dale gave a brief synopsis of March’s meeting with guest speaker Lonnie and Grant Richie, discussing with video presentation of their NE Oregon guide services.

This evening we had Andrew “Drew” Trogstad-Isaacson, Assist. Director of the Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College for our speaker. 
Please follow these links for more details.

https://watereducationcenter.org/

                        
https://www.facebook.com/wwccwec/

Drew talked about the functions of the Water & Environmental Center, and the co-ordination the Center has with local water authorities, the ConfederatedTribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and Tri-States Steelheaders. Most interesting is the program that Drew currently is working with to establish a salmon run on Mill Creek running through City Center – Walla Walla.
A large part of the salmon restoration of Mill Creek originates with the CTUIR salmon fish hatchery on the upper Walla Walla River. This CTUIR / BPA project, with the assistance of the Tri-State Steelheaders has brought recovery attempt to local – area school districts to create an educational and hands-on experience.

If you would like to take part in a walk-through of this project, to see what is happening - there will be a tour along Mill Creek on Saturday May 18 starting at 11 AM. 

Our meeting was adjourned at 8:02.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary 

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

An evening with Grant and Lottie Richie - fishing NE Oregon

 

This evening we had 24 members and guest in attendance.

President Dave called our meeting this evening to order at 7:15. He announced that he was making arrangement with his medical appointments to return the club to our regular monthly meeting days of the second Wednesday of the month.
Our next club meeting will be Wednesday April 10.

This March 12^th meeting Treasurer Doug reports that we have $1707 in our bank account.

Secretary Dale gave a brief February meet's minutes report, and asked everyone to reference this blog site to stay abreast of the club's most recent happenings and those of the past 14 years.

It was noted that that club dues for 2024 were now due and at last November’s 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.

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 2024. 

• a 2024 Fly Fishing Fair – Annette Craig will be working on this project soon Waterbrook Winery about sponsoring a Fly Fishing Fair on their fish ponds in early June. 

https://wallawallaflyfishers.blogspot.com/2009/08/augusts-meeting-at-waterbrook.html

• Club group fishing outings to high lakes and rivers – 

 • Fly Casting Clinics 

• 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.

and the sunsets 

NOTE: the club has a pontoon boat, two float tubes, and PFD / vests to share

• and a library of fly fishing books and magazines. 

 

This evening we again had the pleasure of our used-to-be-neighbors Grant and Lottie Richie to join us, coming across the Blues in snow and cold giving our evening’s program.

Lottie and Grant own and operate Minam Store / Fishing – Hunting Guide Service on Hwy 82 at the confluence of the Wallowa and Minam rivers and from there provide fishing guide services on these rivers and the Grande Ronde River.

From here this blog is going to take a different twist and offer YOU a YouTube video produced by Grant and Lottie of their services.
A video beautifully well done…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESYF5ewefPY

Grant and Lottie, we thank you so much for joining us this evening.

After their presentation we did conduct a drawing for the evening’s Door Prize flybox.

Thereafter our meeting was adjourned at 8:35.

Our next regularly scheduled meeting will be April 10, 2024 at Chiquillas Mexican House at 428 Ash St, Walla Walla, WA.
Dinner gathering at 5:45 with the club's business meeting to follow at 7:00.

Respectfully submitted,

Dale McKain
Club Secretary  

Tight lines and good fishing

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

 

An evening with Dr. Chris Peery - Army Corps of Engineers - Fisheries

 

This evening President Dave Stemmer called our meeting to order at 7:05, and welcomed everyone for their attendance.

We had 24 members and guest in attendance.

Secretary Dale McKain gave a brief recount of our January 17^th meeting, and mentioned that from the club’s formation most accounts of meetings and activities could be found at the club’s blog site - this site.
http://wallawallaflyfishers.blogspot.com/

This evening Treasurer Doug Coe was out of town this night, so Pres. Dave gave the treasury report that the club had $1629 in our bank account.

The March 23 Walla Walla 4-H Super Saturday activities were not discussed, but will be
addressed at our March 12^th meeting. Tom Craig is Chairman for this activity.

It was again mentioned that the club might need to look for a different meeting location, due to the room size and overhead heat vent/air conditioning noise and the coming and going restroom traffic noise of the current meeting room; this will be address at our next meeting. We may just ask to be moved to the smaller quieter meeting room here at Chiquillas Mexican House.

Dave then introduced our speaker for this evening’s program – Dr. Chris Peery with the Walla Walla Division of the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE). 

Dr. Peery’s gave a slide show presentation that was full of details, a lot of details… concerning our Columbia Basin Fisheries, and the overall water and fishery resources of the Columbia River and tributaries. He also pointed out that even though ACE worked to implement much of what is happening in our Columbia River Basin, happenings and the works thereof are very much implemented and impacted by Tribal Agreements, the US Congress, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. Walla Walla Division of ACE were the guys with their feet on the ground – and in the waterways.

As mentioned there was a lot of detailed information that Dr. Peery gave us, and much can be found at this NOAA website --

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/search?oq=Columbia+River+Basin

Dr. Peery also discussed how interwoven the 4 -Native American- Treaty Tribes (Warm Springs, Umatilla, Yakima, and Nez Perce tribes) were connected with the fishery works of the Columbia River Basin.

Most of his presentation was dealing with the 7 species of salmon runs of the Columbia River Basin and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, which states that federal agencies must consult with NOAA Fisheries when any action the agency carries out, funds, or authorizes may affect either a species listed as threatened or endangered under the Act, or any critical habitat designated for it.

Dr. Peery pointed out that even though the Walla Walla ACE implemented the functions of all the other agencies, it was the US Congress that had to give a head nod, for anything to actually happen in a timely manner.

After Dr. Peery’s presentation he had a Q & A session with the entire group, and held on after the meeting to discuss some individual’s questions. It was a very informative evening concerning our very local fisheries and habitats.
Thank you Dr. Peery.

After the program presentation we had the raffle drawings for the fly boxes - one is a ticket sale and the other is a door prize. Natalie won the ticket sale box and Mike won the door prize. 

Our meeting was adjourned at 8:30, with our next meeting to be held 7:00 pm March 12^th.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Secretary 

Tight lines and good fishing

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

Fly fishing with Daniel and Robin into the New Year

 

This evening President Dave called our meeting to order at 7:08p.

We had 23 club members and guests in attendance for this meeting to start our 2024 New Year.

Prior to the business meeting dinner was served and fish tells were passed around the tables.

Introduced this evening were the new club officers for 2024, duly elected at our November 8^th meeting. The new club officers are:

President - Dave Stemmer
Vice President - Tanner Druffel
Secretary - Dale McKain
Treasurer - Doug Coe

Dave            Doug            Dale          Tanner

This evening it was discussed making a change in our meetings location, maybe a location at not so large a room and with better acoustics. This topic will be continued to a later meeting after a survey of locations has been made. Do you have any suggestions?

Tom Craig is again chairing the leadership for the club participation at this year’s 
4-H Super Saturday – March 23^rd.  Tom said that he would take the lead role for fly casting instructions, and Diane said that she would take the lead role for demonstrating fly tying.  All of those interested in helping with this event please contact Tom. This event will again be taking place at the Blue Mountain Community Church 928 Sturm Ave, Walla Walla, WA.

Our fly fishing program presentation this evening was a real treat. It was comprised a video presentation of the fly fishing excursions of fellow club members Robin and Daniel Biggs. 

Daniel has recently become more and more involved with producing videos for TV presentations, documentaries and fly fishing excursions.

Tonight Robin and Daniel took us to 6 nearby Oregon – Washington fly fishing locations and shared with on screen photos and video presentations, with descriptions of what you can find there. Of these there was: Strawberry Lake (needing a backpack float tubes), John Day River (near Service Creek, Oregon), Willow Lake (off of I-84), and Dusty Lake (Quincy Wildlife Area), and a few more that Daniel would prefer to share only by “just word of mouth”.
Many of these locations are stocked annually or more often, for everyone’s fishing enjoyment. Follow the links below for maps to and description of the locations mentioned in this evening presentation.

  

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/dusty-lake

https://www.billmatthewsoutdoors.com/post/john-day-river-spray-to-service-creek

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/malheur/recarea/?recid=40166

http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/willow_creek.html

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=71994

It should be noted, that Daniel and Robin are not Pacific Northwest fishing guides, but if you would like to contact them, concerning their adventures of where they Go Fishing, you can reach them at their online business address; also if you might need to have some professional photography work done... 

https://www.nwimagepro.com/

 Tonight’s meeting was adjourned at 8:20.

Respectfully submitted,

Dale McKain

Club Secretary  

Tight lines and good fishing

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>

 

 

 

 

We are going fishing - Happy Holidays - see you next year

Currently on our Holiday Vacation we will be back
after the New Year

This evening we came together for our last meeting of the year - 2023. 
Again our meeting was dinner at Chiquillas Mexican House 428 Ash St. in Walla Walla. As usual we begin placing dinner order at 5:45 and thereafter share the latest news in the fishing world and our most current fishing trip.
We did not have a scheduled speaker - presentation for this evening.
We may be changing our meeting location after the beginning of the New Year.

Earlier this year our President Diane and Co-President Judy had resigned their positions after 4-years of service (and the COVID-19 interruption), and our Treasurer Harold recently became ill, was hospitalized, and has been unable to fill that position for the past couple of months. With Dale being the only current active club officer, he call our meeting to order at 7:00 pm. He and ex-President Dave thereafter conducted our order of business for this evening.

Tonight our group was small, but we did have a quorum of our paid ($15/ year) membership, to conduct an election for a new slate of Club Officers.

Without a Treasurer being present we did not have our usually transactions with fly donations - door prize, or fly box raffle. Current funds in our club treasury stands at $1506.97.

We had a brief discussion of the past year's business, and projection of future 2024 activities. 

Ex-President Dave had been in touch with those who had said they would be interested in being club officer, so the nomination of Club Officers was rather brief.

President - Dave Stemmer

Vice President - Tanner Druffel
Secretary - Dale McKain

Treasurer - Doug Coe

These nominees were present and presented to the members attending this evening's meeting. Motion was made, no further nominees were available, and the above individuals were elected our new Club Officer beginning January 1, 2024.

With All being said, All was done. The above mentioned individuals will be our new Club Officers, effective with our January 10, 2024 club meeting.

After the above club business be taken cared of - we adjourned at 7:40 pm.

Happy Holidays 

Respectfully submitted,

Dale McKain

Club Secretary  

Tight lines and good fishing

- Contact Us -

<wallawalla.flyfishing@gmail.com>