News and Updates

May 2014 Meeting

May 21st at 6:00pm this meeting will again be held at the Elkhart Conservation Clubʼs small building. The entrance is off Britt Ave. in Elkhart (map).

The club will provide food and there will be a FREE raffle. Make sure to bring a rod with you (3 wt.) if you would like to do some fishing on site at Cobus Creek.

This month’s guest speaker is Victor Edwards, US Army retired with 20 years of active duty. Live in Grayling, MI. Retired guide, rod maker and former saltwater guide. Married with one grandchild.

The Bamboo Bend Project
“Handcrafted Healing”

The Bamboo Bend Project,  an annual eight day event, takes place on the banks of the East Branch of the Au Sable River.  Wounded and injured military members and veterans hand build a high quality bamboo fly rod assisted by master rod makers.  At the end of the program, each participant takes home the completed bamboo fly rod that they built.  They also receive a top end reel, premium fly line, and local flies. There are also numerous opportunities for our warriors to fly fish with professional guides from both drift boats and Au Sable river boats, along with wading local rivers and streams.

The Bamboo Bend Project provides our warriors with a place to recharge, heal, learn new skills and to build lifelong relationships with fellow warriors and the local community.  Past participants talk enthusiastically to this day about treasured memories and making new friends, remembered anew each time they use the rod they built themselves.

This event is offered at NO cost to the veteran.

5:30 – 6:00 registration
6-7 Speaker – Victor Edwards The Bamboo Bend Project “Handcrafted Healing”
7 – Dinner and raffle drawing.

Streamside at Elkhart Conservation Club
Streamside at Elkhart Conservation Club

Opening Day Outing

The Annual Opening Day Outing may not be the official start of Spring, but it sure feels like it. Nothing seems to let you know its time to start fishing like getting together with a bunch of guys and telling fishing stories. Many of the club members have been getting together on
opening day for decades. Many more have joined them over the years. And not a single person has ever been made to feel like they shouldn’t be there. If you’re not familiar with trout fishing, this is a great place to get started. Someone will take you down to the stream and try to help you find a fish or two. However, there are also several other possibilities within a few minutes drive of Bobbie’s farm. If you are not sure where to go, stop by Bobbie’s first and someone will available to help with any questions. Young or not so young, come out and spend a couple hours with your club members and have some lunch.

To get to the Labar farm from South Bend, take either M-60 or M-62 to Cassopolis, MI. Then take O’Keefe Rd north out of town to Engle St. (approx. 3.5 miles). Turn left on Engle St. Labar’s farm is about a 1/2 mile west of O’Keefe Rd. The address is 23683 Engle St. Cassopolis, MI. (map)

Don’t forget your ticket for the opening day raffle!

OPENING DAY RAFFLE

We are very lucky to be able to offer for this year’s Opening Day Rod Raffle a Winston rod. Sounds vague? It is, but in a very good way. We are lucky to be able to be able to offer for this year’s Opening Day Raffle a Winston rod of your choice. That’s not just a Winston Rod, but The Winston rod you have always wanted. Tommy Martin will be selling tickets at the upcoming meetings and on Opening Day. The drawing will be held at 1:00 pm at the Opening Day Outing, Saturday, April 26. If you’ve thought about a Winston fly rod this is your opportunity to get what you want.

Ticket Prices:
One for $5.00
Three for $10.00
Seven for $20.00

April Meeting/Auction

In case you haven’t heard, our Annual Fundraiser is on April 16th, Wednesday night. The
doors will open at 5:30 PM. The event will include multiple raffles, a silent auction and a
general auction run by professional auctioneer Dave Goodrich. Dinner will be served
at 6:30 PM.

Admission is $25 per person again this year and includes dinner and your own personal
bid card. The auction is always amazing. Some of the items donated include fishing tackle,
fly tying equipment and supplies, photographs, paintings, gear and hand crafted items, even a hand carved fish.

Rather than leave you wondering what this may include, I’ll give you a list of some of what we have lined up.

Playing Card Raffles
1) Ascend FS12T 12’ Kayak with paddle and car top carrier – $20.00 per card
2) 1st pick of live auction – $20.00 per card
3) Yeti Cooler – $10.00 per card

Sounds pretty good so far, no? Well, this is just the start. Below you will find a list of items for the Live Auction, Silent Auction and the Raffle Buckets.

Live Auction Items

The Live Auction is the always filled with a lot of exciting things created and provided by
members. The following is a sampling of what we have so far. Expect much more.

  • New Coleman two burner propane stove
  • New Coleman 50qt Extreme cooler
  • Wood Carving by Jim Lothary
  • 4) New Baston Rainshadow RX7 10ft 7wt 2pc Rod by Mike Beachy
  • Used Sage Graphite III 9ft 7wt 4pc Rod
  • ½ day guided fly fishing trip from The Northern Angler-Traverse City MI
  • TFO 8ft 2wt 3pc fly rod with Fin-Nor 1-3wt reel and line
  • Orvis Chest Pack
  • Orvis Sling Pack
  • Orvis Battenkill LA reel BLA VI
  • Orvis Shooting Star 13.5ft 8wt spey rod
  • Large professional grade rod Wrapper
  • Cabelas backpack
  • One day Mike Beachy guided walk/wade fly fishing trip on the Little Elkhart River
  • Orvis Safe Passage vented rolling duffle
  • Fly box with 30 carp flies tied by Lee Troyer
  • Tim Scott guided fly fishing trip
  • Fly Box with dry flies from Fishing The Cape

 

SJRVFF WELCOMES TOMMY LYNCH

The Fish Whisperer Guide Service, located in Baldwin Michigan and local to the
famous Pere Marquette River, is one of Michigan’s premier guide services. Tommy Lynch, owner, with over 20 years of guiding experience, and almost 30 years
of Fly Fishing under is belt, has stayed well ahead of the pack by becoming and innovator and not a follower all while being a great instructor.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhether you’re interested in Stripping or Swinging Streamers for Browns & Steelhead, tightening your Indicator/Nymphing Skills for Trout or Steelhead, or even pulling “Creature-like” patterns through and on the water for Larger Browns that go “Gulp” in the night… Tommy has taken it to the next level and can keep you in the fish while keeping you out of any traffic.

The Fish Whisperer Guide service prides itself on being an instructor first, and a guide second… Sometimes you don’t need a guide as much as you need a casting instructor, and the measure of a good fly fishing guide isn’t the one who puts you
on the most fish with the least technique, (THAT IS WAY TOO EASY AND LACKS SPORT); it’s the guide who gives you a ton of technique so you can catch that ONE fish that means so much more than the lot of them. It’s not always about the destination, the sport within this grand sport of fly fishing can be found in the journey not the end result… For Tommy that has always been clear!

Please contact Terry by Friday at terryflyfish@hotmail.com or at (269)424-5138 if you will be eating at the meeting. They need a head count for dinners.

SJRVFF WELCOMES KEVIN FEENSTRA

Since he was quite young, Kevin has fished West Michigan streams. In his early 20’s he began guiding as an alternative to graduate school. Now 17 years later, he has never looked back. Kevin’s passion is swinging flies for Midwestern steelhead, but he loves to fly fish for any predator that swims. He now resides in Newaygo, Michigan, guiding 180-200 days per year on the Muskegon River System (and fishing whenever he can). His flies have been published in books, magazines, and online and he has written articles for international, national, and regional fly fishing magazines. He is featured in a handful of DVDs and has authored current DVDs for steelhead and smallmouth bass.

Kevin Feenstra
Kevin Feenstra

In addition to fly fishing, Kevin has developed a real passion for outdoor photography. Through photography he hopes to capture the special character of Midwest fish, rivers, and wildlife.

Kevin has been with us before talking about fishing the Muskegon but this time he will share his passion for photography with us through a presentation titled “Fish, Wildlife, and Scenery of one of Michigan’s Great Rivers.” This will be a photo and video based program that focuses on the ecology of the river.