Cape Fear Flyfishers Meeting Minutes—20 February 2019
The pre-meeting casting clinic resumed this month; the clinic will be held at 5:00 p.m. before each meeting until further notice.
President Ed Smith called the meeting to order and asked guests to introduce themselves. Guests were Cameron Smith (friend of Seth Vernon) and Scott Aldridge, a Cape Fear River Pilot.
Treasurer Scott Ewing announced that we have $5,723 in the treasury. Ed explained our balance is high because our Flyfishing International dues will be paid out of those funds in June.
And as a reminder, please get your dues paid if you haven’t done so already. A new, filled-in membership form is required from all members each year.
The fly drawing was won by Tom Sapp.
EVENTS CALENDAR & MEETING TOPICS
∞ On March 13, pond fishing will resume at the Woodlands Park pond in St. James and
will continue through May. Fishing will be held every Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. except the third Wednesday of each month when we have our meeting. This is a good opportunity to get help and practice your skills.
- 20 March — Patrick Brady from Hunter Banks Fly Shop in Asheville NC will discuss different techniques for trout fishing ***Post meeting note: due to a last minute scheduling conflict, this topic has been moved to August and the 20 March meeting has been changed to a fly tying demonstration***
- 17 April — Chris Tryon from Hook, Line, and Paddle in Wilmington will discuss flyfishing from kayaks. Member Steve Moore will be assisting Chris
- 15 May — Improve Your Casting. Hands-on casting practice with a competition. This meeting will be held at the new Woodlands Pavilion in St. James
- 19 June — Summer picnic at the Woodlands Pavilion in St. James
- 7 December — Holiday banquet at the Members Club in St. James
UPCOMING TRIPS
Bristol TN—April 29 – May 1. Eleven members are signed up for this trip. If you are still interested in going, you can get on the WAIT list.
Belhaven NC—Striper fishing. This trip will be somewhat spur of the moment during a stretch of good weather so we’re probably looking at mid-April or early May. Jerry Dilsaver said that this area can be fished from kayaks unless the wind is really blowing. More details to follow on this trip as it develops so make sure you sign up if you are interested in going along. The trip will most likely involve a one or two night stay in the surrounding area for those wanting to fish multiple days.
New River, Galax VA—Smallmouth bass fishing. There are two dates for this trip: August 5-7 and August 12-14. Each week, six anglers can be accommodated on three boats. There are still some openings on this trip. If you are interested, please contact Ed Smith.
Bahamas—Bonefishing. Big
Jim Larson is working on plans for this trip. Our guest speaker Seth Vernon
made several suggestions for bonefishing in a few other locations. Seth said
that in his opinion, the number one place for a spousal trip would be Belize.
He also said Turks and Caicos, Casa Blanca in Ascension Bay, and Eleuthera
would be terrific bonefishing destinations. Seth suggested traveling to any of
the above locations in March, April, May, and early June; forget the fall
because of hurricanes. We’ll be focusing on putting this together for 2020.
Asheville NC—This trip is the annual fall spousal trip. There are still no firm dates for this trip but it will probably be late October to early November. Jim Larson is coordinating this trip so contact him if you are interested.
Wrightsville Beach NC—False albacore fishing in October or November. More to come on this trip. Craig Thompson and Richie Winter are taking the lead to coordinate, with help from Bill Buchsbaum and Harry Oakley.
Louisiana—Fishing for reds in the LA flats. This trip is being investigated for 2020. Georgetown SC has been suggested as an alternative to LA. Speaker Seth Vernon commented that two local Wilmington guides, Judson Brock and Allen Cain guide in LA in the fall for trophy bull redfish. Seth suggested spending some time locally with Judson and/or Allen now and get on their calendars for the fall. Seth suggested planning to fish at least three to four days to allow for getting blown out a day or two. Richie Winter is coordinating this trip.
Asheville NC—Winter trout / Non-spousal trip. This trip will be somewhat spontaneous during a stretch of good weather during the winter.
Florida Fling—The FL trip seems to be heading towards a “fishing tour of FL”, most likely beginning near the Ft. Pierce/Stuart area of Biscayne Bay for tarpon and snook, then perhaps driving south to the Keys to again target tarpon and snook. From the Keys, one possibility is heading west on the Tamiami Trail which cuts through the Everglades from Miami to Naples. This roadside has fishable canals where a wide variety of fish are available by walking or kayaking. The trip would most likely wind up near Sanibel and Captiva where redfish and snook would be the target species. The flexibility of this trip would allow people to join in and fish the areas that appeal to them most. So far six to eight members have expressed an interest in a FL trip. The trip would happen in spring 2020. If you are interested in or have suggestions for this trip, please let coordinator Nancy Fuller know about your interests.
Rice’s Creek—Another somewhat spur of the moment local trip this spring during some good weather. It is anticipated that several boats and some kayaks would go on this outing.
OLD BUSINESS
Five
members went to Patagonia and reported that they had two days of howling winds
but overall were able to catch some decent fish during the trip. They said the
accommodations, meals, guides, scenery, etc. were all top notch. The fishing
days were long but very enjoyable.
NEW BUSINESS
Member Steve Moore just completed a new book called “Hacking Fly Fishing: Keep Your Sanity and Don’t Go Broke” which gives tips on how to economically get into fly fishing. The book is available on Amazon. Member Chuck Spencer won a copy of the book during a drawing.
PROGRAM
Our featured speaker was Seth Vernon of Double Haul Guide Service based in Wilmington.
Seth began by discussing the guide/angler relationship. He said that when you hire a guide, the guide plays the role of CEO of the company and you play the role of employee. Seth said that asking lots of questions and letting the guide know your desires ahead of the trip will go a long way in having a great trip; e.g. maybe you’d like to learn three new things during your trip so let your guide know about them. Seth said you and your guide need to work as a team so having lots of communication prior to the trip is important.
Seth suggested that when traveling to new areas, building a folder of information is important for getting the most out of your trip. He suggested getting the tides and tidal variations for the area, researching the guides and the fishing that is available, and purchasing an app showing the fishing area are a few ways to research your trip.
From the guide’s perspective, the client having realistic expectations is important. For example, be honest about your casting abilities. Seth feels that for casting in salt water, having the ability to cast accurately beyond 30′ from the rod tip is imperative. Seth strongly suggested that before your trip, mark your fly line 30′ back from your fly and then in 10′ increments such as 40′, 50′, etc. Once you mark your line, set up a few measured practice targets to cast to which will teach you your casting distances. Seth feels that saltwater fishing basically begins at 30′ which is why being able to cast beyond that distance makes a difference.
Seth mentioned that in the fall when fishing for speckled trout, he fishes an intermediate line with a 4′ straight fluorocarbon leader.
Seth said that if you have your own equipment, you should bring it because your guide will check your equipment and set it up properly for the type of fishing that you are going to do. Then if you want to fish again on your own, you will be prepared properly.
Seth said that during a double haul, always bring your hand back to the reel between hauls and always keep your hand on the line. Don’t just drop the line because this may cause you to overshoot the line. Seth suggested sliding the line through an “okay” made with your fingers to help with line control.
Seth said that during the winter, fish are more concentrated. He said 10% of the water will hold 90% of the fish during winter. Also, February and March can be the best months locally for redfish on flies by fishing the confluence areas, i.e. areas where a small tributary joins a larger tributary. Get into position on a falling tide and stay put during the falling tide. Seth believes barometric and wind changes can affect fishing more than temperature and that during the winter, afternoon fishing actually is best because it gives the sun time to warm things up. Warm days with falling tides that concentrate the fish and fishing from about 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. are ideal conditions for winter fishing. Seth helped to develop an app called, Rise – Tide & Solunar Prediction which predicts great fishing days and gives tidal information. Seth also recommended the apps called Fish Weather, Wind Alert, and Sailflow. You can also check online for weather at the offshore buoys.
Seth suggested hiring a guide when fishing for species that you haven’t fished for before. This will help you learn how to fish consistently for that species of fish. Also fish multiple times with a guide when learning about a new species.
Seth recommended Borski’s Bonefish Slider as his all around redfish fly. Seth also mentioned the Supreme Hair Shrimp fly for picky redfish.
In dirty water, Seth suggested using an all white or dark purple or black, very flashy fly. In clean water, get rid of the flash and tie on a more natural pattern, something that matches the bottom color like a light shade a brown, a sand color, or a light shade of green. Try fishing a gurgler if you see “happy and high or high and happy” fish, i.e. fish that are cruising with their backs out.
Seth has a video out called, Redfish Can’t Jump.
Seth has also been named as one of the top ten guides in the south. You can reach him at: SethVernon@hotmail.com phone: 910-233-4520 or at www.DoubleHaulGuideService.com
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Fuller
Secretary