SCATTERSHOTS

From The Prez

Our combination Houston County Lake Outing and monthly meeting on July 8^th turned out real good. We had fun fishing that morning, and after lunch together, we had a good meeting. We had visitors from the Brazos Fly Fishers with us. Along with Pete Logan, who is a PWFF club member, we had Jack Jackmon and Charles & Lisa Miller.

We didn't catch as many fish as we usually do. It must have been the heat. However, Royce Feaster caught a "very big" bluegill, 9 & � " long.

The heat is affecting a lot of the fishing. Several have told me that they were coming in before lunch due to the heat. Also, the moss is getting thick on most of the lakes.

We have noticed it at Kurth Lake, Lake Nacogdoches and Houston County Lake.

Royce Feaster, Jay Renken and I just got back from 5 days in Beavers Bend State Park at Broken Bow, Oklahoma. We caught some fish, but nothing like we usually catch. The water was 70 to 72 degrees. We waded in shorts and the water was not cold at all. Jay and I float tubed one day, and even with leaking waders, we got hot. We had a good trip.

I know Walter will comment on the Garage Sale, but I want to remind you that we will have the sale August 12 & 13 at the Expo Center. We have plenty of space with the 2 spaces this year. So get your stuff together and price it. If you can't bring it, call Walter or Royce or me and we will try to get it. More discussion at the August l meeting.

Remember, we nominate new officers at the August meeting. Any contested office will be voted on at the September meeting.

Also, remember the Texas Forest Festival this year. Read Walter's article in this newsletter.

One note to the Tag Team winners:

Randy McBride now has possession of the paddle for the first 6 months. Mark Picou gets to keep it for the second 6 months, If he can get it away from Randy. Good Luck to both of you.

I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, August 1^st and as always... even with the heat.... "A Bad Day Fishing Is Better Than A Good Day Working"!

FLY LINES

From The V-Prez

The Texas heat is slowing down a lot of fisher people. About the only type of fishing I am thinking about now is night fishing, and I don't know how that would work with a fly rod. When you do go out, remember to take your sunglasses, large brim hat, sun screen, long sleeve shirt, long pants, and plenty of water. I have heard several of the club members say that there is no need to stay out past noon. I would agree. If you do go out, please let the editor know with an article, short or long. We all like to know how a trip turns out, good or bad.

The Texas Forest Festival

by W. McLendon

The Texas Forest Festival will be Wed-Sun, September 20-24 this year. We have already agreed to take part again. They have promised that the loud band will be far away from us this year and they are not planning a special Spanish day this year. We always set up several tables for our members to demonstrate tying flies and an area to teach casting. We will be relocated to be adjacent to the forest display booths.

For the past several years, we have been asked to concentrate our theme on education, so I think we should try to come up with some new ideas for the children's enjoyment. How about knot tying? Please give some thought to what we can introduce to children and their parents, as well as enjoy doing ourselves. We can set up our new display board of our favorite lakes with pictures along with the displays of flies and insects that we normally do.

Any ideas will be welcome!

Once, Carol Riggs (TFS coordinator) has attended all the planning meetings, we will be asked to setup and man our booth during specific hours on specific days. Last year, we were asked to be there for only two days and the hours were 10 AM-6 PM Sat and noon-5 PM Sun. In the past, we have been issued passes or arm bands for entry. I will receive more detailed instructions later. In the meantime, please consider volunteering to man our booth in some capacity.

We get exposure to several thousand people during this event and it gives us the opportunity to introduce fly fishing to kids of all ages. It would be nice to improve our booth so it is more interesting. Please email me with questions and your ideas.

Thanks!

Report on Lake Livingston

by Alan Allen

July 10, 2000, TPWD report:

TERMINATOR CLEANS UP LIVINGSTON, MOVES ON TO MOW DOWN RAVEN

A mechanical harvester referred to as "The Terminator" has mowed down 50 acres of water hyacinth in the upper reaches of Lake Livingston and is now being used to help with a hydrilla infestation problem on Lake Raven.

Inland fisheries reports the Trinity River Authority is following up with chemical treatment on Livingston to help keep the water hyacinth knocked down.

Annual Garage Sale

by W. McLendon

We have our Garage Sale scheduled for August 12 & 13 in the Angelina County Exposition Center beside Ellen Trout Zoo on the loop. The official name is KYKS/Expo East Texas Flea Market. This is our annual fund-raising event. We use the money to maintain our cash flow for monthly expenses that our club dues do not cover.

We ask all members to dig out their old unnecessary stuff around the house and donate it for the sale, things like you would normally give to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Ronny and Ken have planned and looked forward to having a special fishing table loaded with old fishing rods, reels and anything associated - even camping equipment. Clothing, household wares, yard tools, books, magazines to name some items. We have had color TV's, lawnmowers, float tube, children's car seats and just about anything you can imagine. We currently have a nice float tube donated by past members Chris & Valerie Barclay. If you are interested in purchasing it prior to the sale, call Jimmy Lee at 936-569-9855 in Nacogdoches. This is a solid fiberglass coated Styrofoam rectangular kick boat style float tube. It has special trays and slots on the top surface for cups and fishing articles. It is very light weight and excellent for fishing lakes like Ratcliff. You can top load it or carry it in your trunk.

We also ask you to volunteer to help man our booths. We will have numbers P75 & P76, two areas side-by-side, about 15 x 20 feet each in the Main Outside Arena or covered pavilion. They are the first two booths on your left as you walk up the concrete ramp into the building. Hours will be 8 AM to 6 PM on Saturday and 9 AM to 5 PM Sunday. Someone must be present at the booth during these hours. Our booth must be setup by 7:30 AM on Saturday and all cars removed from the area. Security will be provided between 9 AM Friday until 10 PM Sunday and it is suggested that tables be covered and small items stored when not open to the public. We can begin unloading at 9 AM Friday and set up our booth. One electrical outlet will be provided per booth. We will need to bring our own extension cords if needed.

Please bring your lawn chair, lunch, snacks and drinks. There will be concession stands available for the well-to-do! I have two large 8 foot tables belonging to Hugh Bell and one 5 foot table of mine. I have about 3 interior doors that I set on large cardboard boxes for tables. We could use more tables. I will have to rent a clothes rack unless one of you have one.

Please be prepared to give a few hours of your time to man the booths and collect all your donations. Please price and tag the items so we do not have to do that during the sale. You can call me at 875-3726 or Ken Baker at 632-1022 if you need help getting items delivered. If you are going to be out of town please call us to come by and pick up your items. I have to be in Bryan on Thursday night so I will not be available on Friday morning. I will return as soon as I can.

We always have a good time trying to sell stuff to the thousands of people who walk through. The lazier help enjoy sitting and telling stories while the dedicated and ambitious sell their hearts out!

At the end of the day Sunday, we clean up and either load up the remains for a trip to Goodwill or we leave items for a charitable organization to pickup there.

Please come help and contribute items for the club! We always have the same old members doing all the work and contributing. This is your club too, you know!

Bass Angler Assistance Needed in

Largemouth Bass Virus Study

AUSTIN, Texas -- State fisheries biologists are hoping to determine this summer the extent to which Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV) occurs in Texas reservoirs -- and bass anglers can help.

The virus was responsible for kills on two popular trophy bass fisheries in Texas last year and was confirmed in three other Texas reservoirs. Similar die-offs in four other southern states also are being attributed to the virus.

TPWD is seeking help from local anglers including organized angler groups in the next three months to help collect bass specimens on 49 lakes covering 13 major river drainages. Biologists need 60 bass from each study reservoir. "Previous LMBV studies on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs have shown that largemouth bass infected with the virus can be collected by angling," said TPWD Regional Fisheries Director Dave Terre. "Bass anglers, especially bass clubs, have always asked us how they can help TPWD. Helping us collect these bass would be a great way. We prefer that all bass samples be gathered over a short period of time such as one weekend and that the bass represent the various sizes of keeper bass that anglers usually catch. We want to emphasize that it is not necessary to sacrifice large, trophy-size bass for this study."

All bass collected will be individually examined, measured, weighed, labeled, bagged and frozen whole as soon as possible. Researchers will also collect additional information during the sampling, such as water quality, weather conditions, vegetative cover, and any known contaminants present. The samples will be tested for LMBV at the A.E.

Wood State Fish Hatchery in San Marcos. A similar study covering 11 popular bass fisheries in Mississippi found significant levels of LMBV in only two reservoirs, less than 10 percent occurrence in two others, and no incidents of the virus in the remaining lakes or among other popular game fish.

"We're launching this study to see if this virus is present anywhere else in Texas," said Phil Durocher, TPWD director of inland fisheries. "If an angler or club is asked for assistance by one of our local district fisheries staff, I'd urge them to seriously consider helping. Your assistance is vital to successful completion of this study that we hope will solve some of the mysteries of LMBV."

Biologists are uncertain about how long the virus has been present in Texas waters, but the pattern of occurrence suggests that unusually hot summer temperatures were a catalyst in the die-offs. According to lab analysis conducted this past summer, bass samples from Lakes Conroe and Toledo Bend tested positive for the LMBV in addition to those from Lake Fork and Sam Rayburn. The virus was first isolated in 1995 from Santee-Cooper Reservoir, a popular bass fishery in South Carolina, and has since been confirmed in 14 states.

For more information on the study or to offer assistance, contact your area TPWD fisheries office or call (800) 792-1112 and follow the automated menu to reach inland fisheries information.

Another Fly Fishing Shop?

By W. McLendon

Fly fishers always seem to want or need to find a fly fishing shop to visit on his or her trips out of town. Well here is one you will want to find! Jimmy Lee and I can vouch for the shop owner of Sullivan Outfitters, 3602 Old College Road, Bryan, Texas 77801, 1-800-2HuntEm.

Visit a very unique website www.underthemoose.com for actual interior pictures of the store, Eddie and other varmints!

Eddie Sullivan, [email protected] is a true fly fisher, for he catches fish on his outings! He is a member of the Brazos Valley Fly Fishers and as I mentioned previously, he rides his mountain bike at Matagorda Island to reach his favorite fishing spots. It is funny to see him riding up with big red fish and specs hanging from his bike.

Eddie must collect John Wayne paraphernalia like Ken Baker, for you will see his collection of photos on his shop walls, as well as, antique rifles, mounted fish, water buffalo, turkey, elk, moose, ducks, geese, wild cat and the other varmints! I assume Eddie shot them all but the day I was there, Eddie was out fishing! The store features hunting clothing, knives, guns, ammo, a complete fly tying supply, fly rods and accessories.

There is a tying table where visitors can tie a fly or two. The website has a special request form for information on all items and inventory. Pretty neat shop and pretty neat friend, that Eddie Sullivan!

For Your Information

from Alan Allen

STANDARDS PROPOSED FOR NEW COOLING WATER INTAKE STRUCTURES TO PREVENT LARGE FISH KILLS

To help prevent large numbers of fish and other aquatic organisms from being killed or injured by industrial cooling water intake structures, EPA on July 20 proposed standards to reduce environmental impacts from the structures at new industrial facilities. It will establish new requirements to protect the most biologically sensitive areas, including tidal rivers and estuaries. Issued under a court order, the proposal would apply to new facilities that draw in large amounts of cooling water from waterways, primarily facilities in the following industries: steam electric power generation, pulp and paper making, chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, and primary metals manufacturing (including iron and steel making and aluminum manufacturing). Based on information from the early l980s, power plants and industrial facilities in the U.S. withdraw about 76 trillion gallons of water from surface waters annually. As a result, large numbers (often in the millions) of fish and other aquatic organisms are often killed or harmed. It is expected that the rule would affect no more than 98 facilities over the next twenty years.

EPA estimates a total annual compliance cost of $12 million. The agency is proposing these rules under the terms of a l995 settlement between EPA, industry and environmental groups. Final rules were first published in l976 and challenged in court by the industry. The l995 agreement requires EPA to propose new rules for new facilities by

July 20, and to propose new rules for existing facilities by July 20, 2001. Today's proposal would set national minimum requirements for

the location, design, construction and capacity of cooling water intake structure at new facilities. Facilities withdrawing more than two million gallons of water daily from water of the U.S. would be regulated if they use more than twenty five percent of the water for

cooling. A fact sheet and additional information are available at:

http://www.epa.gov/ost/316b/

Fly Fish 2001

by W. McLendon

We have just finished our first planning meeting in Athens for Fly Fish 2001. The show will be on Saturday, March 3^rd at the Texas Fresh Water Fisheries Center in Athens, right next to beautiful Lake Athens. We should have a bigger and better show than even last year! Already we are in need of volunteers to teach fly casting, kid's fly tying and for general use jobs. For you that went last year and experienced the terrific rain storm, we are nearly guaranteed fair weather this year!

We started out planning the same theme as last year for everything worked out so well. We had 869 visitors who paid plus some who wondered in through the rear gate and across from the parking lot, so we probably had from 900 to 1000. We featured Dave and Emily Whitlock and we hope to get someone as well known this year. We will be moving the fishing out into the hatchery ponds to segregate wild casters from the crowds. There will be casting lessons at some of the other hatchery ponds, as well as, in the best open areas of the fields nearby. We plan to have a large tent outside for vendor booths to reduce the congestion inside the main Center. Kayak demonstrations will be conducted on the fishing pond near the facility.

We will hold several planning meetings to develop better communications than last year. We are already emailing on a daily basis. If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact me. We need more vendors this year and new speakers to give programs. We will be concentrating on better directions for visitors during the day and a special kid's punch card to allow them to trail through a number of specified stations to keep them busy and learning all day.

It should be a lot of fun for you all that did not get to go last year. Where else could you meet Dave Whitlock face to face and tell him how you tied your special fly that he liked? As a volunteer, your entrance is free and hopefully lunch again, depending on how many donations we get this year. We ran a tight budget last year spending $100 less than we grossed. If the weather is clear and good, I suggest planning to spend the night and fish Lake Athens with us on Sunday. There is an RV park on the lake shoreline immediately beside the Center. They allow tent camping. Several nice motels are just a few miles toward town.

Visit the following websites for more information on Athens and the Center:

http://www.athenstx.org http://www.athenstx.org/tffc http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/hatchery/tffc/tffcmap.htm

We had 14 members volunteer last year and 9 who made it to the show. Ask around to find out what you missed and volunteer to help at this show! You really can't afford not to go!

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Remember!

Mark your calender for our club meetings, Every First Tuesday of each Month,

7:00 P M in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall.

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Calender

Outings and Events

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August 1^st. PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin

Room in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp.

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August 12^th & 13^th Garage Sale in the Expo Center

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September 5^th PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp.

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September 16^th Zoo Breakfast 8:00 AM till ????

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September 20^th thru 24^th Texas Forest Festival

Expo Center

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September 30 & October 1^st. Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo

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October 3^rd PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall 7:00 PM sharp

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October 5^th thru 7^th Fly Fishing Conclave,

Mt. Home, Ark.

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November 3^th thru 5^th North Toledo Bend Rendevous, North Toledo Bend State Park

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November 7^th PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp

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December 2^nd Christmas Meeting

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More Club Calendar to follow as dates confirmed

(Check your calender, There have been several dates that have been changed)

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Outings: Jimmy Lee

Library: Jay Renken

Conservation: Gene Sullivan

Programs: Linda McLendon

Editor: Royce Feaster

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Art work used by permission of Dave and Emily Whitlock

WET A LINE.... SOON!