THE TROUT LINE
Tualatin Valley Chapter News
January/February 2005
NEW Chapter Meetings are held at
the LUCKY LABRADOR on the second
Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm with a
social get-together and the formal meeting at 7:30 unless
otherwise noted in the newsletter or website. Lucky
Labrador, Multnomah Village, 7675 SW Capitol Hwy.
Portland, (503) 244-2537
Board of Directors Meetings held just prior to our
monthly Chapter meeting at 5:30pm at the Lucky Lab.
Wednesday, January 12
Fly Fishing for Sea-Run Brown Trout in
South America with Jim Teeny. Famous fly-
fishing author, lecturer, photographer, tackle innovator
and the originator of the Teeny Nymph, Jim Teeny has
traveled the globe to share his knowledge and test his
techniques against the world’s great sport fish. In this
program, Jim will show us some of the biggest trout in the
world, as he takes us on a slide show fly fishing tour of
Chile and Argentina to chase sea-run brown trout on the
famous Rio Grande River, as well as other trophy rainbow
and brown trout fishing in Chile. If you’ve ever dreamed
about the spectacular fishing and scenery of Patagonia,
this is a must see. Jim is currently working on a new book
titled “Fly Fishing Great Waters” which will come out in
2005.
…..
Wednesday February 9 Bill Bakke
Outlines the Continuing Battle for Native Fish.
Perhaps no one in the Northwest is more identified as the
spokesman for native fish. Bill Bakke describes himself
as a conservation biologist with experience in developing
management programs, policy, and public organizations
for conservation of native fish species. As founder of the
Native Fish Society, Bill is on the front lines in the
ongoing battle to protect imperiled native stocks of
salmon and steelhead. His resume is a historic outline of
most of the efforts made over the past 25 years to
develop organizations and enact sound science-based
conservation policy to protect our native fish. Bill has
also written over 300 articles for news magazines,
professional journals, and trade magazines.. Bill will talk
to us about his work with the Native Fish Society, and
discuss how we as a group and as individuals can be more
effective advocates for native fish policies.
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
Editor: David Illig
President’s Column: 2005 Banquet
Coming in March Kevin Connolly
Looking back at 2004 it has been a busy year for the
Chapter, I’d like to highlight a few of the key
accomplishments. First of all, these projects were
completed by volunteers who gave their time to improve
our conservation, education and fishing endeavors. Thank
you.
The meeting location was moved to the Lucky Labrador in
Multnomah Village. The previous location (church) served
us well, but the Lucky Lab seems to be a better venue due
to availability of good salads, good pizza and beer.
The Chapter web site is now operational
(www.tvtroutunlimited.com). I encourage everyone to
check it out, log in and post a fishing report or use one of
the may useful links we have provided. Any suggestions
to add to or improve upon are welcome.
The newsletter continues to provide a line of
communication regarding chapter activities. There are
also articles contributed by our members ranging from
unique fishing adventures to fly of the month.
Conservation efforts for 2004 were focused on the
Clackamas River and the Metolious River. Our chapter
planted trees along the Clackamas River to improve the
riparian zone that will benefit fish habitat. On the
Metolious, we participated in the state project to clean up
and improve water flow from one of its tributaries.
We had a wide variety of interesting speakers at our
meetings. Guides, Factory Representatives, Entrepreneurs,
Authors/Photographers, members at large and
adventurers shared their experiences to broaden our
knowledge of the world and fishing.
Our Chapter fishing events took us to some prime
locations in the state: Deschutes River, South Twin Lake,
Gold Lake, East Lake, Crooked River and the Metolious
River. If you have not attended one of these events, I
encourage you to do so. It’s a great way to meet other
chapter members and learn about the water we are
targeting – it’s allot of fun too.
Banquet: In 2005 we are planning an auction/fund-
raising banquet event to be held on March 12. This is
the primary way to generate funds to sustain our
conservation and education efforts. There are 90 seats
available and in 2003 we sold out, so if you are interested
in attending, purchase your tickets now. This will be a
very nice catered event with a silent and live auction. Beer

and wine were $1. Participants in 2003 all reported a very
enjoyable experience and a source of some great bargains
and a good cause. It’s a great opportunity to share the
spouse or boy/girlfriend. We know they’re out there.
There was a wide array of auction items including guided
trips, all the way to Montana, beach get-aways, hotel
rooms, fishing equipment, art, wine and other objects of
interest. . We hope to outdo ourselves in 2005 after our
previous success. We would like more
volunteers to help with the banquet and
think that you would find the effort
enjoyable and the team inspiring. Volunteer
activities range from helping with ticket sales to obtaining
products and services for auction. Are there any
professional musicians who would like to volunteer for
entertainment? Keep your calendar open for this date and
get your friends and family on board also. I hope to see
you there.
Keep you eye on the newsletter and visit our web page for
the latest info on the Chapter. Thank you for supporting
Trout Unlimited and have a wonderful holiday season.
Kevin
Fly of the Month Steelhead Bunny
By Hank Hosfield
Almost anyone who dares to brave Oregon's harsh cold
and wet to chase winter steelhead with a fly will sing the
praises of purple and/or black bunny leeches. They just
seem to work. Their large profile and seductive motion
combine with colors that cast the perfect silhouette
against off-color coastal streams. Even better, they're
easy to fish and easy to tie. The latter makes them easier
to part with when you park them on the bottom or in a
tree limb. Best of all, big sea-run fish seem to love them.
I've caught every kind of Oregon salmon and steelhead
with them. The purple bunny leech was my best fly for
chum the past two years.
Big whoop, you say. Isn't this just a glorified wooly
bugger? Well, yes, actually, but the differences are
important. For starters, the Steelhead Bunny is bigger.
The pattern shown here is 3 1/4 inches long and over an
inch in diameter at its widest. It's also heavily weighted
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
2
to get it down in heavy current. But the most important
difference is that it is articulated with a stinger hook
hanging off the end to stick all of those uncommitted
biters that often nip just at the tail of your fly. The
articulated design also gives it more motion, and the
short-shank stinger hook is harder for steelhead to throw
than typical long-shank patterns that give steelhead extra
leverage to dislodge. Derek Fergus has designed an extra-
long version of his MOAL (Mother Of All Leeches) that is
almost twice as long and tied almost entirely on string
with a stinger hook at the end. He reports that this
configuration has landed an almost ridiculous 94 out of
97 steelhead hooked over the past two years. Considering
that it seems like most of us land about one out of every
three or four steelhead we hook, you should be impressed
by this. Or maybe call the Guinness Book folks.
I looked closely at the MOAL while designing the
Steelhead Bunny. I believe it offers comparable
performance, only requiring less skill and effort to tie.
How easy, you ask? The hardest part is building the
articulated hook, and I can talk you through this in three
minutes.
Materials:
Hook: Any cheap, strong #6 4X long streamer hook. I
use some old Mustad #6 33960s.
Bead: Black tungsten conehead, size large.
Thread: Black Kevlar
String: 50# Spectra
Trailing stinger hook: Gamakatsu 02609 octopus-style,
size 2. This is an offset bait hook renowned for its
stickiness. There are other short shank tube fly hooks
that also work well, like Daiichi X-Point (X510) size 6.
Tail: Black or purple rabbit strip
Body: Black or purple crosscut rabbit
Accent: Mirror Flash, 2 strands.
1. Break the hook off the streamer hook near the start of
the bend. I use the cutting edge of some small Craftsman
needle nose pliers to do this job. I simply place the hook
in the cutting jaws, squeeze and push the hook shank
sideways until it breaks.
2. Slide conehead on, and secure the nubby remaining
bend of the hook in your vise.
3. Wrap a thread base to the butt of the shank.
4. Thread stinger hook on string. This is the hardest
step. I've made it simple. I use a short length of small
copper wire to thread backwards through the eye of the
hook. I thread the Spectra line through this copper loop
and pull a loop of Spectra back through the eye. Remove
copper wire. Pull Spectra loop over hook and tighten so
that the loop snugs against the underside of the hook
shank next to the eye, leaving you with a hook attached to
a loop. Use about 6-7 inches of string that when doubled
into this loop gives you enough string to hang your
trailing hook about an inch from the butt end of the
shank.
5. Tie in string at the butt and wrap thread forward to the
cone. Be careful to align Spectra strands parallel to each
other on each side of the hook shank. This makes the
trailing hook hang straight. I use a few basting wraps to

position Spectra, then completely wrap it tightly to secure
it the length of the hook shank, then double the remaining
Spectra backward and cover it the length of the shank.
Between the 50# Spectra and Kevlar thread, you have
a cerise is an excellent combination. I usually put the
very strong articulated hook that is as close to
indestructible as anything you'll ever hope to tie.
6. Place rabbit strip tail on shank so that tips of fur
extend past the bend of the stinger hook by about half an
inch. Tie in rabbit strip with secure wraps about 3/4 of an
inch forward and back to butt.
7. Position crosscut rabbit away from you so that fur
points backward towards the tail. Tie in crosscut rabbit at
the butt with 5-6 secure wraps and advance thread
forward.
8. Palmer the crosscut rabbit tightly forward to build full
body. Two turns short of the cone, tie in two 3-inch
strands of Mirror Flash along the lateral line. Then palmer
two more wraps of crosscut rabbit to the cone and secure
with several thread wraps.
9. Trim excess rabbit, whip finish and cement wraps.
10. Take the fly out of the vise and pierce the rabbit strip
tail with a bodkin and use it to stretch a hole positioned
about 1/8 inch forward of the eye of the stinger hook.
11. Use a bobbin threader to pull a small copper wire loop
through the tail. You'll have to pull one end of the copper
wire all of the way through, remove the threader, and then
push the end back through the tail hole.
12. Position the copper wire loop over Spectra and draw it
back through the hole so the Spectra is secured to the
rabbit strip tail. Take one end of copper wire and wrap it
around tail and twist both copper wire ends together with
pliers. When secure with 3-4 twists snug against tail, trim
wire ends close to rabbit strip so that it does not show.
13. Smash the barb down on those octopus hooks.
They're sticky enough, and you don't want to have to pull
one out of yourself. Casting these big, wet heavy things in
winter conditions makes hitting yourself occasionally
likely.
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
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Voila!
I tie most patterns in all purple, all black, or purple and
black. Contrasting colors are very good. Purple and
darker color at the front, but black and purple seem to be
interchangeable. I've also begun using bright orange or
red colored stinger hooks--especially on the all-purple or
all-black patterns.
Behold the virtues of the Steelhead Bunny:
1. Large profile.
2. Seductive movement--the unsurpassed lifelike
movement of rabbit is further enhanced by the articulated
design. It just moves all over the place in the water.
3. Two-tone contrasting purple/black color scheme has
proven to trigger strikes.
4. Trailing stinger hooks more and loses fewer fish.
5. Sinks and fishes well in heavy winter current.
6. Just a little flash grabs more attention.
7. Extreme durability.
Use the Steelhead Bunny with a #7-8 rod, fast sink tip line
with a 5-6 foot leader. Cast a little up and across and let
it sink and swing downstream. Keep slack to minimum so
you can feel it swim. My experience is that most strikes
are on the run, as opposed to mere stops. This is my
go-to fly. I don't know if it's better than a glowbug, but
I'd rather fish it. Hank
Fly Tyer’s Corner Dick Rohrbaugh
Over the years tyers have accumulated a lot of creative
ideas. In tying, like everything else, experience is always
the best teacher. Here are a new set of tips to try the next
time you tie.
Materials
If you tie dry flies with hackle fiber tails it is important to
get the right kind of fibers that are stiff enough to
support the rear of the hook on the surface. Along the
outer edges at each side of a hackle cape are feathers that
are not much good for hackling a typical dry fly. They are
usually somewhat rounded in shape and have very long
barbs given the overall size of the feathers. These are
called “spade” hackles and the barbs on them are long,
stiff and straight. They provide the perfect fibers for dry
fly tails.
Techniques
Do you tie flies with dubbed bodies? Here are a couple of
tips that may help you improve the quality and durability
of your dubbed flies. First, on large flies with built-up
bodies you are much better off using a dubbing loop than
trying to put too much fur on a single waxed thread. If
you want a really tight, durable, but hefty body on a larger
fly, combine both techniques. Spin some fur onto a single
thread and then make it into a dubbing loop and twist it
well before wrapping it onto the hook. Note that it is also
much better to build such a body in layers rather than
trying to do too much in a single pass. Trying to put too
much dubbing on at one time is a classic beginner mistake
in fly tying.

On smaller flies dubbing on a single thread works just
fine. As you spin the fur, be sure to twist it in only ONE
direction. Twisting back and forth will only make a mess
of it. The smaller the fly the more important it is to use
soft, fine materials. Springy materials are very difficult to
twist into a thin chenille.
Many tyers use dubbing wax, though with fine materials it
is rarely necessary. If you have trouble getting the
dubbing to cling to the thread, by all means wax it. You
will also discover that dubbing is easier if your fingers are
just a little tacky. You can rub a dab of dubbing wax on
your fingers to accomplish this, but if you do so, do it
lightly. If you get too much wax on your fingers you can
easily discolor materials you are putting on the hook.
Tools and Equipment
Do you make a mess when you are tying? Most tyers
know about the waste troll that fits over the stem of your
vise that keeps all the stuff you cut off from ending up on
the floor. While the waste troll works very well, here is a
very simple idea that is just as good. If you tie at a desk
that has a center drawer, position your vise so that it sits
just above the drawer center. Then just open the drawer
six inches or so when you tie and sweep the waste right
in. At the end of your tying session it is a simple matter
to remove the drawer and empty it. If you can find a
small tray just the right size, or perhaps make one out of
cardboard so that it fits into the drawer right below the
vise, emptying the waste is even easier.
TU Fishing Outings
Check with Andy for possible outings in January or
February.
Remember to Sign up New Members to
Trout Unlimited. It’s a great bargain for what they
get. Especially at the half-off introductory membership at
$17.50 Lots of people aren’t members who would enjoy it.
We still get something for new member signups. New
members can sign up at www.tu.org/intro and entering
code 633 for Tualatin Valley chapter. If they prefer a
paper membership application, contact Erle to send it to
them.
UPCOMING Newsletter Material
We need your input, please. Articles, pictures,
announcements. Dillig1@aol.com 296 9050. Thanks to
all of you who wrote for the newsletter in 2004. Please
keep writing. You others can start sending things in. Its
fun. Ed went to Africa to write his article.
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
4
Fly-Fishing in Africa
Edward Tylicki
When I started on a three week road trip across Botswana,
South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique fly fishing was
probably the last thing I thought I would be doing. After
all, the rivers have names like “Crocodile River.” You can
probably see where this is going. Setting out in my little
Toyota Tazz (which looks like a bigger version of a
Gremlin) with the steering wheel on the right, I made my
first attempt in life at driving on the left side of the road.
Several blaring horns and one broken rearview mirror later
I was off to explore Africa and unbeknownst to me at the
time - FISH.
There is an area
in South Africa
called the “trout
triangle.” It is a
few hours east
of Johannesburg
in an area called
the Highlands
Meander in the
province of
Mpumalanga.
This is South
Africa’s fly-
fishing mecca.
Subtle clues told
me that this was
fly-fishing
country. The
road had
international
signs for fly-
fishing popping up every few miles. To this point in life, I
never knew that there was a standardized international
road sign for fly fishing. For the record, it is a pictograph
of a person fishing with a large fish at the end of his line.
In the late 19th century the European settlers, in an effort
as most colonisers do to reshape the land in their own
image, introduced exotic salmonids to Africa. Brown
trout were brought from Scotland and rainbow trout from
North America. Trout are not complete strangers to
Africa as those of you who have fished in the Atlas
mountains of Morocco know. However, they were new to
the southern hemisphere of Africa. From the day they got
off the train and were dumped into the local streams, they
were successful in their new home wherever they found
cool and clear waters. Trout have successfully colonized
considerable bodies of water. It is also home to wild
black leopards who haunt the mountain streams typical of
the area. Yet, another reason I never thought I would be
fishing in Africa.
I had chosen this area not for the fishing but because it
was half-way between where I was, Johannesburg (or
Jo’burg as the locals call it), and where I was heading, Sabi
Sands Game Preserve. When I turned off the highway to
find my lodge I thought I took a wrong turn. The area
looked more like Scotland then how I thought Africa

would look. Driving through the town of Belfast I
encountered a giant trout. It was a misty evening and I
thought my eyes were deceiving me. However, there it
was a large trout beckoning. Upon closer inspection I
found that I had stumbled on the home of the Belfast
Flyfishing Association. This is your one-stop clearing
house for any information you need on the local rivers. It
was also where you can get better directions to the
various fishing lodges and bed and breakfasts in the area.
You will want good local directions as you will be
traveling on some poorly marked dirt roads. (This was
learned from hard experience having lost my way a few
days later).
I would recommend Kloppenheim Country Estate if you
want a fishing lodge with all the creature comforts. There
was even a roaring fire when I arrived at my room. Late
August is the end of winter in South Africa. It gets a little
chilly at night but is generally pleasant during the day.
This is one of the better times of year for trout fishing in
the area.
There are lots of mountain streams as well as a good deal
of stillwater fishing (the man-made weirs are very
disconcerting from my environmental leanings but that’s
another debate).
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
5
The next morning, at 5 am there was a knock on my
door. I opened it to find a plate of hot scones, strawberry
jam, clotted cream, and a thermos of coffee. Gifts from
the gods, whoever they may be, I thought. Soon after my
guide arrived and we drove off into the morning mist. A
few hours later I caught a “respectable” brown trout. You
will take notice that a picture is not included with this
article. This should give you some indication as to the
size of my catch.
So if you find yourself heading on safari in Africa and
want to get some fly fishing in, head to the Highlands of
South Africa. My next stop was several hours east and in
the bush of Sabi Sands. Having little experience in life
with being in the bush, it was a pretty intimidating place.
The rifles carried by the guides are only a small comfort.
However, if you travel here, a safari and some bush
walking is a must.
I did not try to fish for the indigenous yellowfish at Sabi
Sands as there were Nile crocodiles wandering out of the
water. Outside my bungalow the next morning there was
a leopard. He eyed me a little too eagerly I thought
through the glass. However, he was the only thing
between me and a hot cup of coffee at the lodge. It made
me miss my skinny traveling companion from last
summer. I figured he would have been easier prey, I mean
a good distraction to allow me to proceed without incident
to my morning cup of coffee. To my amazement I later
learned that leopards fish. When no other food is
available, they have been known to catch fish in small
streams. My fellow fisherman moved on as I should at
this point. Nick
(For anyone interested in a scholarly social/cultural
history of trout in South Africa and whether the culture of
trout there is assisting a bioinvasion or fundamental to
the genesis of environmental policy, I would recommend
the article “Going Native? Trout and Settling Identity in a
‘Rainbow’ Nation” by Malcolm Draper at the University of
Natal Pietermaritzburg found on the web.

Must… Can’t… Stop… Fishing
Rod Lundberg
Striding briskly down the river trail, threading my 7-weight
through the bare branches of fall, I spotted my brother
through the brush, sitting on the bank. It was late
October, the oak, aspen, and maple leaves had long ago
lost their grasp, and they now lay in a wet brown mat on
the forest floor. I pushed through a branch that was
suspended above the path and had to grit my teeth at the
sting as a twig whipped back, raking across my cheek.
“That’s going to leave a mark.”
The rising smoke indicated that my brother had lit up
another Marlboro. He was intently focused on something
in his lap. My pace quickened, and as I approached I saw
that he was tying a knot in his leader.
Earlier, after some historical reconstruction, we decided
that we had not fished together in more than three years.
“What’s the word, Bart?”
I had a pretty good idea as to what the response would be.
The bemused expression on his face as he cocked his
head and slowly turned it side to side confirmed my
suspicion. He had just broken off another fish, his third
out of four hook-ups over three days.
When a steelhead wants to go, you have to let it go, but I
thought it best to not share such sage advice. “What
pound test are you using?”
“Nine. It’s the spool you gave me the first day.”
I left Bart to enjoy his smoke because the fish might be
turning on now that the water temperature might be
creeping up a degree or two. Moving quickly down river, I
wondered whether that spool was three years old, or just
two. “He’s just playing them wrong.”
An hour later, I set the hook for what could quite possibly
have been the millionth time and felt the solid, but live,
resistance of a fish. The dark steelhead cleared the water
and I was startled by a voice just upstream.
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
6
“Alright, Rodney!”
I had been so focused on the water, my strike indicator,
and the brush that I was drifting perilously near that I
hadn’t noticed Bart slip in to the head of the run only 20
yards above me.
“Finally!” After an initial flurry of three hook-ups the first
evening, I had been fishless for almost two days. (One of
those fish included my first lake-run brown, a hefty hog.)
Another angler passing by on the trail stopped to watch
the battle with my brother. After a discussion about fly
patterns, number of hook-ups, and sections of river
fished, I landed the fish and the other fisherman offered
his congratulations and continued his journey down the
trail. Bart wandered back up to the head of the run.
Casting again, I noticed that my forearm was becoming
unusually fatigued. “I should probably take a break.” I
shrugged it off and flicked the rod tip to make another
mend. (The strike indicator looked like it might start to
drag.) After all, the fish might be really turning on now
that the water was starting to warm up a bit more.
Lunch was about a two-hour ordeal because I take a bite
of my sandwich, then cast. The side pocket of my rain
jacket stays open so a given morsel can be thrust to
safety, rather than flung to the bank, if a fish happened to
join me for a meal, though none did.
Three fishless hours and two river miles later, I watched a
steelhead cartwheel out of the placid, brush-lined run as
my father let out a whoop. Joy was only slightly tinged
with jealousy. It was a nice fish, but it shook the fly and
disappeared back into the depths. There was only room
for two in this run, and my brother was already working
the lower half as it widened into a tailout under a huge
oak that leaned over the water. “I’ll bet you could spot fish
from that tree…” With the falling light, the fish might be
turning on. So I headed up river instead of up the tree,
flexing my right hand to gauge the condition of my arm.
This time, though, the fish really were turning on. I had
four hook-ups in the last two hours of daylight, landing
three. They were not particularly noteworthy fish. In fact,
one was a rare hatchery job that mainly just swam around,
probably utterly confused that the ‘pellet’ it ate was
pulling it toward the bank. But they were ample reward for
 7
the day’s effort, and another variation on a successful fly I’m thrilled to report that Chris Brodin graciously sent
pattern had been tested and proven. me a new tender, free of charge. Below is his response.

But that was it. Forty-eight hours and a few hundred casts
later I could hardly form a fist, and the steelhead
remained elusive. But I couldn’t help but continue to
think, “They might turn on any second now…”
Because you never know.
And so I just… can’t… stop myself from making one more
cast… Rod
Dear Hank,
We do sell lanyards to be used with our net releases. They
are the plastic phone cord types and work well with our
releases. They are cheap insurance.
Our magnets have 9 pounds of pull--which makes them
some of the strongest on the market, but obviously the pull
of water is greater than that. We can send you a new
release. I guess we had better throw in a lanyard too.

Best, Chris Brodin

A Net Loss Is More Than Regained
By Hank Hosfield
A few years ago the Tualatin Valley Chapter presented me
with a very fine Brodin “Cutthroat” model landing net. It
was a very generous and unexpected gift in recognition of
my efforts with the chapter. And it was an excellent net,
beautifully crafted and finished. Its long-handle design
made it ideal for the float-tube fishing I find myself doing
most often, and its soft mesh bag was easier on the fish I
almost always release, and deep enough for the big fish I
hoped to catch. It felt good in my hand and often times I
caught myself simply admiring its beauty. I got a lot of
good use out of it, and because it was a gift from my TU
cohorts, it meant even more to me, and I was especially
disappointed to lose it this summer while fishing on the
Deschutes.
I have replaced my lost net. The new net is as lovely as the
one I gave up to the river. I got it at River City Fly Shop
with the $100 gift certificate the chapter recently gave me
in recognition for my three years as chapter president. So
my new net also has sentimental value. And it will be
better protected from loss by the new magnet tether and
lanyard from Brodin. Plus, whatever lingering faint sense
of loss that remained, that void is mostly filled by the
reaffirming good will of Chris Brodin.
By the way, I’m a big fan of Brodin nets. I’ve found
they’re as wonderful as the folks who stand behind them.
Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find one on your next trip
to the Deschutes. But I’m betting that one’s already been
snatched up by another very happy angler.

It floated away in heavy water. It was pulled off its

magnet tender by strong current. I felt it go but there was
nothing I could do to stop it. I couldn’t even see it once it
pulled away. I walked downstream as far as I could go
looking for it, but the part of the canyon we were fishing
was soon impassable.

Below is my pathetic account that I sent to Brodin, in

hopes of getting my magnetic net tender replaced.

Dear makers of fine nets:

By now, some lucky angler on the Deschutes has probably

become the proud new owner of my Brodin Cutthroat net
and one part of the Brodin magnet net tender that was
attached to it. Alas, my Brodin magnet did not have a
tether. I guess that is an improved version. My net was
pulled off my vest by the strength of the current I was
wading. I was thinking about sending Brodin my
remaining magnet and asking for a better working full set
of magnets. In fact, that was my intention when I went to (above picture of large trout Hank wrote about in our last
your Web site to get your contact info and saw your e-mail issue but due to editor’s error was not included.)
contact. I have already replaced the net. I would consider
it a noble favor if your replaced my lone remaining failing
magnet with better magnets. I would be happy to return
the all that remains. It is presently solidly affixed to the
pedestal base of my Renzetti vise.

Thank you in advance for your kind attention. Hank

Hosfield

“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”

Trout Unlimited Insect Restoration?
Is this the Future?
Brett Prettyman of the Salt Lake Tribune reported in
an article this week on a TU project of restoring insects to
the Logan River. This is believed to be the first intentional
insect transplant. It’s set for December 18 when a group
of anglers will collect salmonfly nymphs from the
Blacksmith Fork River and move them to the Logan River.
Mark Vinson, an entomologist at the Utah State University
and Bureau of Land Management BugLab and avid angler,
presented his idea to bring the salmonfly back to the
Logan at a meeting of Cache Anglers this summer.
Vinson realized about 10 years ago that the big bugs that
trout gorge on were missing from the river, but only
recently discovered that Pteronarcys californica and
Pteronarcella badia were native to the Logan. Vinson
studied possible reasons for the disappearance of the
salmonfly and developed some theories, none conclusive.
The last reference he found to the species on the Logan
was a 1966 thesis; this after noted entomologist J.G.
Needham reported an abundance of the insects in the mid-
1920s. "It is just bizarre that they are not there anymore,"
Vinson said. "It is like having grizzlies or bald eagles
disappear and not knowing why they did." Vinson is
mystified that the insects have not been able to re-
establish on the Logan, especially considering they are
alive and well on the Blacksmith Fork, which flows into
the bigger river south of Logan. Professionally, Vinson
wants to see an important native species restored to the
ecosystem. Personally, he wants the opportunity to find
himself knee-deep in the river when a salmonfly hatch has
fish in the Logan looking up for an easy, high-calorie
meal. "They are so charismatic. To have a river like the
Logan, which is so beautiful, to be missing this one piece
is like the 'Mona Lisa' missing her nose," he said.
Volunteers will collect 1,000 or so nymphs and then move
to Logan Canyon for the release. Cache Anglers, the
Logan chapter of Trout Unlimited, has committed to
a four-year effort on the salmonfly project. Two
relocations are scheduled each year.
Endangered Species Attack
Maureen Kirk
Last week, big developers, the timber lobby, and others
teamed up with the White House to orchestrate a new
lobbying and media campaign. It's aim? Eliminating
endangered species protections. The goal of this polluter
lobbying campaign is simple - to push legislation in
Congress that would let the oil, gas, timber, mining, and
development industries destroy tens of millions of acres
of land and thousands of miles of rivers currently
protected because they are critical to the survival of
endangered species like the sage grouse, salmon, and
grizzlies.
First, they unveiled a recommendation to allow developers
and oil operations to continue to pave over dwindling
habitat for the endangered sage grouse. Then, a handful
of state governors delivered speeches urging the
elimination of endangered species protections. Next, the
Bush administration issued a policy gutting protections
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
8
for up to 80 percent of habitat critical to the survival of
Pacific salmon, opening these areas to logging and
development.
Fortunately, we can stop this well-financed campaign in
its tracks by building enough support in Congress for
continued protection of species like the grey wolf, the
Florida panther, and even smaller natural wonders like the
Karner blue butterfly. If enough members of Congress see
that Americans won't take this assault on our natural
heritage lying down, Congress will back off. Few members
of Congress want to be remembered as the person who
voted to condemn the bald eagle, or any other species, to
extinction.
Urge your member of Congress to fight attempts to let
polluters weaken protections for America's endangered
species. Then, forward this on to your friends and urge
them to take action to preserve America's natural heritage.
To take action, click the link below or paste it in your web
browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=876&id4=ES
Maureen Kirk, OSPIRG Executive Director
MaureenK@ospirg.org http://www.OSPIRG.org
Election Recovery: Trout and Salmon
From the Editor
The temptation after the last election might be to give up
for the next four years--To just say nothing can be done
until there is an administration change. That would be a
serious mistake for the environment and our futures.
Although protecting the environment seemed like a non
issue for most Republican politicians in the last election,
and consequently seeming to be a non issue for those who
voted for them, polls actually show that many of those
who voted Republican conservative actually do care about
the protection of the environment, if it’s not packaged
with “liberal” markings. (I don’t see why giving out
condoms should change a person’s view of whether
salmon should be saved but it seems to be related. Do
salmon actually wear those things anyway?).
Since conservative pundits say it was and is about the
“values,” rather than give up we should gently but firmly
call Republicans on the very issue of “values” about
protecting the environment. No, we can’t begin by saying
that the gay steelhead have the right to marry. We can say
that the moral and ethical thing to do is to protect the
environment for future generations. Armageddon may not
come for a thousand years. God is more unpredictable
than most religious leaders like to imagine. And what will
they say to God if we’ve raped and pillaged the land for
the next 1000 years and then she (oops….HE) shows up
and says; “What gives? You were supposed to take care of
this. Who made this mess? Where are the salmon and
steelhead I put here for you to take care of?”
There is absolutely no sense for Republican leaders to act
as if Republican voters don’t care about protecting the
environment. The data says they do care about the
environment if the caretaking is reasonable and wise.
There are non partisan solutions and plans. Maybe part of
the teaching lesson of this last election is that we cannot

use divisive models of discourse and governing that
leaves half of the population feeling disenfranchised and
abandoned. Maybe we must learn to create plans and
programs that allow for all to feel included and valued. 51
% of the people cannot crush the spirit of the other 49%.
The environment cannot be saved if it’s at the cost of
most people’s jobs. There have to be plans that allow for
important values of all sides to be mostly met. Less
either/ors and more win/ wins. It is possible but it isn’t
easy and it will take clear motivation to satisfy more
diverse peoples than simply trying to be the winner who
creates losers.
A clean, healthy, environment doesn’t have to be a
partisan issue and shouldn’t be. In fact it can’t be if we’re
going to succeed. In many ways Republican voters have to
step forward and let their leaders know that the
Republican platform must include protecting the
environment as well as supporting business and
particularly big business. And how can Democrats HELP
the Republicans to do this? We don’t seem to succeed at
attacking people into doing things, do we?
I hope you all have a very good year in 2005 that includes
health and enjoyment of much fishing and enjoyment of
our environment and its waters. I hope you will commit to
working to protect our environment and its fish and the
homes they live in. Communicate to our leaders about
how much you care and what you want them to do. Ask
them to lead where our futures need to go. Ask them to
show courage to do the right things concerning the
environment rather than simply following the money. Ask
the same of major and minor corporations who need your
business and money but can still meet their obligations to
take care of the environment. Especially if you remind
them they must do both.
TU Portland will have a number of projects to become
involved with as will Oregon Trout and other
organizations. Get involved. Communicate to politicians
and leaders. Make some powerful resolutions for 2005
that you keep. Be grateful for our streams and fishing.
Thank you for being part of Trout Unlimited. The Editor.
A fly fisher's connection to salmon
and a man who chased them.
By Hank Hosfield
The warm glow of Indian summer is gone. The sun is but
a faint yellow circle upon a slate gray horizon that hangs a
low, heavy ceiling over the fading hillside colors of
northwestern Oregon. Fall salmon are surging up the
coastal rivers in their indefatigable quest to spread their
epic life force across their natal waters for generations to
come.
Chasing them with a fly rod is an annual ritual for me.
The fortuitous conflux of perfectly drifted fly pattern and
aggressive salmon explode into chaotic battles that test
every fiber of tackle and resolve. Pulling with all my
might on a stout nine-weight rod against these silver
torpedoes gives me a bedrock appreciation of what it truly
means to never give up. Hip-deep in chilly current,
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
9
wading-shoe cleats bracing for purchase against the
shifting and slippery river rock, fighting for every reel-
turn of fly line, I feel connected to something ancient and
authentic. At the same time it rejuvenates me, it breaks
me down into my base elements to reveal fundamental
truths about myself, my mortality, and my natural place in
the universe. Life, death, struggle, the beginning and the
end; it’s all here. And it’s beautiful.
I’d like to be fishing today. But the rain that has pushed
the rivers out of shape has made the day better fit for
tying flies than fishing them. Since I passed my fortieth
winter I have grown to enjoy my hours at the tying bench
as much as time on the water. It offers a different sort of
contemplation. Putting hook in vise and dressing it with
colored thread, fur and feathers, whether to approximate
one of the time-tested patterns of the masters, or to break
away from tradition to create something of totally original
symmetry, I find it hard not to think about the fish it will
catch in the new seasons to come on my favorite waters.
My lifetime collection of tying materials fills a rainbow
stack of clear boxes. Much of the best quality stuff came
from my father, who first taught me to tie flies. But the
stuff I’m using to tie my salmon patterns today came
from my father’s late best friend, George. Like my father,
George grew up in Akron, graduated from an Ivy league
college, then migrated to the Pacific Northwest, where he
enjoyed fly fishing on many of the region’s most famous
salmon and steelhead rivers.
As I admire the fine French tinsel, flawless English hooks,
and premium hackles that I cherry picked from the
remnants my father collected from George’s estate, it is
obvious that George had a passion for the sport and a
keen appreciation for beauty and quality. I can’t imagine
that these things wouldn’t have given him great
satisfaction. Which stands in direct contradiction to the
sobering truth that George secretly drank himself to death
and was fairly miserable.
I don’t know why. It’s been several years since George's
ashes were spread over his favorite Washington stream.
Yet still I look at his old stuff and wonder how something
that gave him so much pleasure could not redeem him? It
is a mystery because fly-fishing is intrinsically optimistic.
It is hopeful and life affirming.
I miss George, his crooked smile and sardonic wit. I think
of him often as I tie salmon patterns with his old
materials, and retrace his steps along streams like the
Kalama. Where I also marvel at the life force of salmon.
And continue to wonder and fail to reconcile how it
couldn’t sustain him. Hank
Happy New Year
Fish, Catch, Protect and Preserve

Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited
Officers
President: Kevin Connolly
Kevinconnolly1@aol.com
Treasurer: Rod Lundberg
291-5308 rplundberg@hotmail.com
Board of Directors:
Hank Hosfield
228-6553 hankh@imagina.com
Eric Thompson 297-0718
anglingeric@msn.com
Dick Rohrbaugh
rbaugh@lclark.edu 636-3877
10
January/February 2005
860 6355
Alex Barkume - 642-7024
alexbarkume@comcast.net
Andy Andrews
Raddicio@aol.com 646-237
Erle Norman 293-6006
caddis2000@hotmail.com
Membership Chair
Jerry Heppell
jheppell@teleport. 639-9408
Seth Isenberg 293-3290
sbisenberg@comcast.net