START NOW IN GETTING YOUR

GARAGE SALE ITEMS

TOGETHER !!!!!

Remember August 11^th & 12^th !

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

SCATTERSHOTS

From The Prez

The PWFF began the month of June with a very good outing. We had the annual Tag Team Tournament at Kurth Lake. There were eleven members showed up to fish and the teams along with the number of fish caught are:

Walter and Linda McLendon 16 fish

Jimmy Lee and Jay Renken 19 fish

Jared Satterwhite & Steve Watson

7 fish

Hugh Bell, Randy McBride & Bill

Heugel 15 fish

Ken Baker & Royce Feaster 37 fish

Royce & I were lucky enough to once again win the Paddle and small trophy.

We then met at the "Lost In The Fifties" Café for lunch. We had a good day and I hope next year more of you will be able to participate.

We had a good meeting with a very interesting and informative program presented by Walt Wilson. He presented procedures and methods to use when fishing. It was good to have Walt with us again and I know each member in attendance enjoyed it. We had 23 at the meeting.

I have received confirmation that the annual Garage Sale at the Expo Center will be August 11 & 12. We need to discuss this at the July meeting because I understand there will be a meeting for the Women Fly Fishers at Houston County Lake that same day.

As there was a good turnout at our recent fly tying school held on a Saturday in May and there was a lot of interest in having another class, we are thinking about having it at our club breakfast September 8^th . We are trying to secure the Staff House at Kurth Lake as the place to hold it. We could eat breakfast, tie flies, and then possible use the flies we tie that same day. Another item for discussion.

Jay Renken gave a fishing trip at the last meeting. It was won by Pat Dewane, but I haven't heard the outcome of it. I hope we get a report at the meeting. I gave away a trip also and Carrie Steinbach was the winner. I have been tied up and have not been able to honor the trip yet. But, I will carry it over to next month if necessary.

Much has been said about ways to encourage new members and take them fishing. I know sometimes it is hard to make connections with members who are working. I too hope something can be worked out to take these members fishing. Many of us who are retired fish during the week and do other things on the weekends. But I know we could make an exception if plans can be made to fish with a new member. Also, I have fished with members in the afternoons after they have gotten off work. Let's all try to work harder to fish with each other.

Randy McBride had hernia surgery June 19^th . Royce and I visited with him and his wife at the hospital before he went into surgery. I have not heard from him since, but I think he is doing O.K. He said he will be recuperating about six weeks.

I know the weather has not been the best for fishing, with all the rain and now the heat. I do hope it is going to be better for awhile. And I hope many of you have been able to fish because, "A Bad Day Fishing Is Better Than A Good Day Working"!

From the V-Prez

To report on the status of Randy McBride:

I talked to Randy Thursday the 21^st . He was at home and doing OK. He said that he was walking around the house like the Dr. told him to do. I told him to be sure and continue to follow Dr's orders. He said that he planned on doing just that because he had had enough of the hernia pain to last a lifetime. Hopefully someone will have a newer report at the meeting.

Your best source of fishing reports should be Jay. Pat & Jay were to go fishing on the trip Pat won. Jay also has been to Beaver's Bend this week. Get his report on that. Jay also was supposed to go to Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs and I haven't heard any report on that either. I am saying all this to get you to forget that I don't have any fishing report to make myself. Hopefully I can do better next month.

Women Fly Fishers

August 10,11,12

At The Crockett Family Center on Houston County Lake

Crockett, Texas

Crockett Family Center Web Site: http://crockettresort.com/index.html

Address: The Crockett Family Center Phone: (936) 544-8466

Rt 3 Box 460

1-(877) 544-8466

Crockett, Texas 75835 [email protected]

Classes:

Fly casting, Dutch oven cooking, kayaking, fly tying taught by some of the best instructors in the state

Guest Speaker:

Kathy Sparrow, fly fishing guide and owner of the Kingfisher Lodge will offer a presentation on Fly Fishing the Laguna Madre Area of Texas.

Guided Fly Fishing Trips on Houston County Lake

Courtesy of Brazos Valley Fly Fishers

Raffle & Silent Auction

Great prizes including a Thomas & Thomas fly rod!

For more information:

Call: 512 - 916 - 4393 or email: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected]

or check out the Texas Women Fly Fishers web site: HYPERLINK "http://www.twff.net" http://www.twff.net

Everyone is welcome!

Conservation Letter

from W. McLendon

Since I don't personally know this guide and have not asked him permission to send this out, I have deleted his name. It is an

interesting letter and I thought you would like to read it and compare opinions.

Walter

I think the habits of the "TROPHY" trout has changed due to the tremendous increase in pressure. I bought my lots here where I live from a partner in a bait stand on the Intra coastal who was the inventor of the first lead headed worms I ever saw in use here and were deadly for many years. He and another shrimper for whom I worked for a couple of years, quit the oil field and moved here and took up careers as shrimpers to feed their addiction to speckled trout fishing. They fed their families as much by the profits of rod and reel fishing as by shrimping. Both pounded into my head for years what they considered to be undisputable fact. To wit: Really big speckled trout feed once a day at the most and this was either at dawn or dusk. They took a smaller trout or a big mullet and had no interest in lesser prey. Both believed that this was the tactic by which the genuine trophies escaped sport fishermen. By the very short time span during which they fed and the selectiveness of their choice of prey they not only overcame the overwhelming odds but actually turned them steeply in their favor. Interesting isn't it.

Now I have a pet theory of mine I'll share with you. IF extremely large sow trout are no longer as active a breeders as younger fish and IF the secret to the success of croakers as bait is that they eat the trout's eggs and thusly are the female trout's mortal enemy would it be so outrageous to think that as a elderly trout's breeding dwindled so did her desire to kill a

croaker. To be honest with you, this is the only reasonable answer I can think of for there not being a state record trout caught on a croaker. That's O.K. That is the utility allowed us uneducated types that we can convince ourselves of what we want to believe. Ha.

I don't enjoy croaker fishing and have spoken out against it and guide limit's publicly on numerous occasions. I feel certain that's why I had 8 bay trips last month and only 2 "cast off" boat trips this month. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that it has kept me from ever really gaining any solid footing in the bay guide business. O.K. I never was crazy about working inside anyway, but what kills me is what I am seeing right now. I work with guides all the time and a few are friends. Now that the "croaker fever" has taken over everyone is killing every single large trout they catch regardless. Fellas' I get along with and who act as if they have a bit of sense the rest of the year are killing 28 to 29 � inch trout daily and sometimes limits of them and filleting them. When I ask them what the hell is up with that they simply reply,"well it is the customer's choice, it is the customer's decision." My ass it is. We are supposed to be professional fishing guides, aware and concerned with the future of the resource, stewards of the environment, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO EDUCATE THE CUSTOMER NOT TO KILL EVERY THING WE CATCH and we are tasked with leading through example. I can't even write this without my blood boiling and it's been boiling ever since the croaker soaking showed up on the scene. It isn't the simple act of catching fish using croaker for bait. I personally don't find it appealing but that is not what gets me. What gets me is this

"killing frenzy" mentality that accompanies it. No customer can legally catch enough fish to pay for a charter, this is SUPPOSED to be about overall enjoyment of a day in the grand outdoors not about taking hooks out of Terns

and Gulls bills all day long and bragging about the poundage of dead flesh taken needlessly from the ecosystem each day. Guides are just like the vast majority of American society; fueled by ego and monetary gain alone with no concept or consideration whatsoever for anything but personal fame and gain. And as long as absolutely anyone can become a fishing guide and get his hotshot boat and other toys off his income tax as a write off while holding down a well paying full time job elsewhere there is no possibility for it to ever change.

There. I feel better now. Ha. Regards, __

Ten Things I Needed To Know About Life I Learned From Fishing

from Coy Hood

1) WHEN IN DOUBT, EXAGGERATE.

2) EVERYONE HAS A STORY ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

3) GET REEL.

4) THE FISHING IS ALWAYS BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE.

5) SOMETIMES YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO SQUIRM TO GET OFF THE HOOK.

6) TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE FISHES.

7) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH EQUIPMENT.

8) EVEN THE BEST LINES GET WEAK AFTER THEY`VE BEEN USED A FEW TIMES

9) CAST EVERYTHING IN THE BEST LIGHT POSSIBLE.

10) GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WADE.

Water Safety Tips From The

Texas Parks & Wildlife

Learn to swim. Contact your local parks and recreation department or the American Red Cross to enroll yourself and your children four-years of age and older in swimming classes.

Wear a life jacket. Children and adults should wear properly fitting life jackets. Do not use air-filled swimming aids such as "water wings" in place of life jackets. Air-filled aids can give parents and children a false sense of security and increase the risk of drowning.

Watch over your family. Never swim alone or without adult supervision, and keep a constant eye on everyone in or near the water.

Alcohol and water activities don't mix. Never drink alcohol before or during swimming, boating or water skiing. If a person who has been drinking alcohol enters the water, disorientation may occur and cause the person to swim in the wrong direction, which can lead to drowning. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Watch children at all times. Make sure an adult constantly watches young children swimming, playing or bathing in water. Do not read, talk on the phone, go to the bathroom or do any other distracting activity while supervising children around water.

Be aware of your swimming limits, and stay within them. If you cannot swim, do not go in the water without a life jacket, and be aware of possible drop-offs.

Swimmers should swim parallel to the shore so that if they tire, they are close to the shore.

Before diving, check the depth. Check the water depth before entering. The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as the minimum depth for diving or jumping.

Drowning victims make little noise. Contrary to the stereotype, drowning victims rarely splash or make any noise. Know how to detect a drowning victim: head back, mouth open, no sound.

Reach, throw, row, then go for help. Remember the phrase "reach, throw, row, then go for help." If a swimmer is in danger, do not immediately dive in to assist. Even strong swimmers risk drowning when trying to save someone. Reach: Try to reach the swimmer with an object first, such as a pole, long stick,

or a rope. Throw: Throw the swimmer a buoyant object such as an inner tube, tire, piece of wood, or a plastic foam ice chest. Row: Put on your life jacket and paddle out to the swimmer with a boat or raft, and take a floatation device for the swimmer. Go for help: Find a lifeguard or call 911. If you must go in the water to assist the swimmer because there is no other option, be sure to let someone know, wear a life jacket, and take a floatation device for the swimmer.

Cypert's Mylar Minnow

Tie in the thread about 1/8 inch behind the hook eye and form a base for the bead chain eye. Tie in the bead chain eye using figure 8 wraps. Add a drop of Zap a Gap or glue to secure the bead chain eye.

Move the thread to the rear of the hook to just above the hook point. Tie in two pieces of chenille on each side of the hook on the bottom.

Bring the chenille to the front of the hook and over the bead chain and back to the rear of the hook. Tie the chenille in and trim it.

Cut a piece of pearlescent mylar tubing about 2.5 times the hook length. Tie one end of the tubing to the bottom of the hook. Bring the other end of the tubing to the front of the hook and pierce it with the hook eye. After piercing the tubing bring it to the rear of the hook and tie it off.

Clip the end of the mylar tubing and frizz it to make the tail. Do a whip finish and cut the thread.

Attach the thread to the front of the hook and make a head to hold the mylar tubing in place.

This fly can be tied in many colors and with many sizes of hook. Also the size of the bead chain can be changed or lead dumbbell eyes can be used.

The fly is very effective on bream and bass and according to Charlie Cypert it is also good on salt water fish. It can be tied in almost any size and any color body material. The components are a 2X hook, Mylar tubing for the shell back and ultra chenille for the body. Read thread adds to the flash. A 3/0 or 6/0 thread is fine.

####################################

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.

####################################

Calender

Outings and Events

*********

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

*********

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

*********

August 11-12th Expo Garage Sale

*********

September 4^th PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp

*********

September 8^th PWFF Zoo Breakfast This year the breakfast will be held at Kurth Lake.

*********

September 19^th - 23^rd Texas Forest Festival at the Expo Center

*********

October 2^nd PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room

in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp

*********

October 5-6 Southern Council Conclave in Mt. Home , Arkansas

*********

November 3^rd - 4^th Rendezvous... This year it is being held at Lake Bistineau State Park in La.

*********

November 6^th PWFF Meeting in the Lufkin Room in the Lufkin Mall. 7:00 PM sharp

*********

December 8^th ???? Christmas Meeting

Chamber of Commerce Building 6:00 PM.

*********

More Club Calendar to follow as dates confirmed

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

*************************

Outings: Jimmy Lee

Library: Jay Renken

Conservation: Gene Sullivan

Programs: Linda McLendon

Membership: Walter McLendon

Editor: Royce Feaster

************************

Art work used by permission of Dave and Emily Whitlock