Perfect Gift for the Fun Loving Flyfisher

Every Season is the Perfect Season to Get Your Cast On!

Fly fishers are easy to shop for. Initially, there's no end to the gear and geegaws we need or want. Once equipped, we still add to our stockpile of rigs, or take up 2-handed casting, or outfit ourselves for a saltwater trip. Even the angler who has it all likely still needs 1 more thing - a cast! It's an essential, not an accessory... love fishing, love your cast.

The thrill is your skill!

Fishing is where you go, casting is what you do when you get there - that is, if you want to catch fish. Like the rest of your kit, you bring your cast with you. Whether you're headed to a mountain stream cloaked in romance, a big river choked with boulder beds & tricky currents, tight mangrove coves or breezy flats, you prep and pack your gear. Along with rods, reels, flies, get your cast ready to go. It's fun & it'll forever change your fishing - Phoenix Fly Casting.

© Marian Tallon, December, 2012

Rio Salado December 1 Club Cast

Get your cast on!

My Public & Private Self...

I'm reasonably private, but I've stepped up publicly: I've an online profile, a website, a blog - obviously. Still, I don't tweet, don't chat, I haven't a BuzzFeed, no RSS, though I'm not ungrateful, I delete LinkedIn invita-

tions. I'm not on Facebook - yet. I've not added anyone to Circles, no favorites on Google+, no one virtually "likes" me on FB. I'm no Luddite, but so far, my private self is content with people who actually know me, liking me in real life.

Need a secretary to sort my address book.

All this may change, but for now I get by with a telephone, cell phone sans snazzy apps, an old-fashioned television set - no cable, an AM/FM radio, desktop computer. I browse the web, email, text and receive mail delivered by a US Postal Service Carrier. I'm not as fastidiously organized as most techies, but I pretty much know where everything is.

I think social media is great and though I've been ploddingly reluctant to fully embrace it, kind people from around the country and around the world have added me to their Circles and invited me to share their pictures & posts on Facebook.... I have yet to reciprocate in kind because, while flattering, I think it's less about me and instead is completely about the camaraderie that is fishing. Put that way, when you think about it, social media and fishing have a lot in common. One can connect the 2 together with the click of a button.

Casablanca for example...

Compliments of social media, I've been introduced to Ahmed Mahi, who has in turn introduced me to the kind of fish swimming inland and off the coast of Morocco.

Small world

I have friends and clients who enjoy destination fishing around the globe, however my feet haven't yet taken me everywhere I'd like to go. My knowledge about Morocco is embarrassingly skimpy, and a note of caution - I am an old movie buff.... Otherwise, my experience of Morocco has been gleaned vicariously from a friend. I've an elusive memory and forget the circumstances, but my UK friend and her traveling companion friend somehow ended up penniless in Morocco. Greeted with customary hospitality, they never wanted for anything, and their gracious hosts never indicated whether they knew the traveling duo were penniless or not. Strangers in good company, huh?

Having been "virtually" introduced to Ahmed online, one thing leads to another...a simple search yields plenty info for an eager traveler/angler. Imagine visiting the kasbah, Marrakesh, F̀es, Casablanca, the Sahara. Ooh la la! Imagine fishing the Atlantic, Alboran/Mediterranean Seas. Trout, pike, sea bass, big game fish await the fly fisher and conventional tackle angler. Bon voyage!

...Oh! And  if you want to get ahold of me, both my public and private selves are reasonably accessible, usually somewhere in North America.

© Marian Tallon, November, 2012
References:

"Map of Morocco", lonely planet. Accessed 11/27/2012, available online at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/morocco/

"Demographics of Morocco", WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 11/27/2012, available online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Morocco

"Alboran Sea" WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 11/27/2012, available online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alboran_Sea

"The Blue Marble" photograph of Earth, taken from Apollo 17 WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 11/27/2012, available online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth

Tough Guy Revisited

This post began with the story of an intrepid angler, fly casting into the early howl of Hurricane Sandy.

Tough guy, yes, but if he can do it, given the circumstances, what of the angler enjoying a mild breeze comfortably slouched in a barcalounger? Inconceivable! Get up, go cast, no excuses.

Well, given the circumstances, while tracking the storm and keeping tabs on friends and family, a quickie post about casting in the wind may have seemed cavilier. It deserves explanation.

Based on my recollections growing up in New Orleans and experience living in Arizona, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, dust storms, deconstruct into times: before, during and after. There's decision time, a time when, fingers crossed, we think everything will be alright. Then, the time comes when everything is assuredly not alright!

Hurricane season officially ends November 30th, which makes Sandy all the dirtier of dirty tricks. After Katrina, I didn't know I could be twice fooled! Twice - by relatively weak hurricanes that historically would have likely fizzled after ricocheting around the Florida coast.

Before
Storms, storms of every kind require rushed prep time. Stockpile canned goods, dry goods, collect potable water, bottle water, ice. Top off the tank, stop at the pharmacy, round up the cats that don't come when you call them. Get batteries, charge the gadgets. Assemble emergency tools, flashlights, ice chests. Stow anything that can blow, shutter windows, move cars to high ground. Evacuate or ride it out.

Ready, now we wait...fidgety waiting to distract from the steady beat of worry. The wind's more insistent, the air tangibly different, a different color. Stark and unflatteringly bleak. Play some hoops in the driveway; play checkers; do the laundry while you still can; crack a beer; call your Mom. Take one last look around.

In before time, we tweet; a gentleman fly casts; kids thrill in the surf longer than they should. Cats, against our will, stay wherever they're at.

During
Except for those of us in imminent peril, we wait. We wait hunkered down. The power flickers, then goes out. The elderly are unnervingly calm and if we're lucky, the young are oblivious, intrigued, or youthfully insolent because there's so many grownups bossing them around. We, we are rattled, struggling for composure. We laugh, without humor, scant bravado. The roof overhead flies away.

After
Once, when a storm was over, for the majority of us, it was over. No more. We've seen "after", but we have no idea. Slideshow - really, we have no idea.

We wait for power, for the grocery to open, for debris removal, for 911, for the national guard, the Red Cross, FEMA, insurance, banks, hospitals, streets to open, sewage treatment plants, a breath of air - fresh or not, a moment of normalcy, birds, plain yard birds - nothing exotic, transportation back to jobs, crematoriums, migrant workers, tap water. We move, we stay, good or bad nothing's ever the same again. And that's normal. Now we cry.

So Now What?
Good question. Sandy took a hefty toll on lives, the environment, fisheries, infrastructure and property - $60,000,000,000 in New York & New Jersey alone. Things break into bits easier than they piece back together.

We all need to be tough guys now, because we're in an in-between time: during the aftermath of the last crisis and before the next crisis. What makes me so sure we need to brace for a next crisis? Insurance companies are taking notice of climate change - that's what.

An article caught my eye in the fall issue of Arizona Wildlife News, "Sportsmen: The Original Conservationists". The title is self-explanatory and with the exception of a few knuckleheads, it's a sentiment I hold - sportsmen and women are good environmental stewards.

The article reports on survey results to questions posed to hunters and anglers. The polling firm, Chesapeake Beach Consulting, is described as "a large Republican firm". Not as sweet a sound as "nonpartisan", but never-the-less, the survey addresses common concerns of outdoor enthusiasts.

Nature is a good teacher. Whether following a game trail or stalking a nice fish, my experience is one thing leads to another, all the parts make the whole. Common issues make for common tasks. I urge you to contact your legislators to address these issues pronto! Without your prodding, unfortunately some will idly play chicken with precious time.

© Marian Tallon, November, 2012


References:

Berman, Dennis, Video #Sandy, "A Brooklyn fisherman practices his casting near the flooding Gowanus canal." The Wall Street Journal Worldstream. Accessed 10/29/2012, available online at http://stream.wsj.com/story/world-stream/SS-2-44156/SS-2-84312/?mod=wsj_streaming_world-stream

Shelton, Taylor, "The Urban Geiographies of Hurricane Sany in New York City", floating·sheep, October 31, 2012. Accessed 11/26/2012, available online at http://www.floatingsheep.org/2012/10/the-urban-geographies-of-hurricane.html

Taylor, Alan, In Focus "Hurricane Sandy: Staten Island Survivors", the Atlantic. Accessed 11/23/2012, available online at http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/11/hurricane-sandy-staten-island-survivors/100410/

"Hurricane Sandy Slideshow", The Huffington Post. Accessed 11, available online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/23/chris-christie-hurricane-sandy-new-jersey_n_2179909.html#slide=1743695

Palmer, Roxanne, "Sandy Environmental Toll: Polluted Rivers, Lost Seabirds", INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES. November 2, 2012. Accessed 11/23/2012, available online at http://www.ibtimes.com/sandy-environmental-toll-polluted-rivers-lost-seabirds-858287

Conathan, Michel, Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress. "Fish on Fridays: Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change, and the Future of Fish", National Geographic Newswatch Ocean Views, November 2, 2012. Accessed 11/20/2012, available online at http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/02/fish-on-fridays-hurricane-sandy-climate-change-and-the-future-of-fish/

Salmon, Paul reports, "Climate Change Causes Insurers to Rethink Price of Risk After Hurricane Sandy", PBS NewsHour, November 21, 2012. Accessed 11/25/2012, available online at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec12/makingsense_11-21.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec12/makingsense_11-21.html

Keim, Brandon, "U.S. Drought and Climate Change: Science Points to Link", Wired Science, July 30, 2012. Accessed 11/24/2012, available online at http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/climate-change-drought/

Kroh, Kiley, "Why President Obama Is Wrong To Seperate The Economy And Climate", THINKPROGRESS Climate Progress, November 20, 2012. Accessed 11/25/2012, available online at http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/11/20/1222231/why-president-obama-is-wrong-to-separate-the-economy-and-climate/

Rosenberg, Alyssa, "A Conversation With Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan On 'The Dust Bowl,' Making Documentaries, And The Role of Gornernment", THINKPROGRESS November 16, 2012. Accessed 11/25/2012, available online at http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/11/16/1207341/ken-burns-dayton-duncan/

Grim, Ryan & Wilkie, Christina, "CEO Council Demands Cuts To The Poor, Elderly While Reaping Billions In Contracts, Tax Breaks", Huffington Post, November 25, 2012. Accessed 11/25/2012, available online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/25/deficit-reduction-council-fiscal-cliff_n_2185585.html

Gale, John NWF Regional Representative. "Sportsmen: The Original Conservationists". Arizona Wildlife News, Vol 54, Issue 4, Fall 2012 pg 6 - 7. Available online at http://www.azwildlife.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/130387 Accessed 11/25/2012.

On the Road Again

Northwestern ACA Casting Tournament

...be back October 18.

Rio Salado Casting Club

October RSCC Cast

Rio Salado Casting Club

September 29, 2012 RSCC Club Cast

When: 7:00 AM September 29 planned activities include:


                      Trout Fly
                      5wt Distance, Angler's Fly Demo

Where: Granada Park, 6505  N 20 St. Phoenix, AZ (map)

Usual accuracy skills apply, as well as roll cast accuracy & distance. Fun game! The 5wt Combination game specs & rules can be viewed here. Specs and rules for all ACA games can be reviewed in the ACA rulebook.

You’ll want a zippy roll cast for Trout Fly.

At 7:00 AM sharp Larry Allen & Randy Mandt will explain and demo 2 key skills: distance roll casts and line management - lengthening and shortening line while false casting.

Practice is from 7:30 - 8:00. From 8 AM on, weʼre invited to play Trout Fly.

Trout Fly consists of 3 rounds to 5 targets in 6 minutes. Target order is up the ladder from near to far.

• 1st round (Dry Fly round) - Start fly in hand, unlimited false casts to each target. Strip line from reel while false casting.
• 2nd round (Wet Fly round) - Strip line in and stack. Start fly in hand, unlimited false casts to first (red) target. 1 false cast, shoot line to successive targets.
• 3rd round (Roll Cast round) - roll cast to each target. Caster advances to each target by successfully hitting the previous target. Final target must be “hit” within 15 tries or 6 minutes, whichever applies first.

Following practice, members are eligible to cast for score. Playing actual games are a great way to become familiar with judging and scoring and the games give one insight to developing skills. Thereʼs a measurable transition from feeling a bit fumbly initially, to feeling increasingly accomplished. A good feeling!

Getting Ready:

A good practice exercise is to make 3 roll casts, then 3 pickup and lay downs. Repeat. Note your rod stop position on each. If you’re particularly satisfied with any one of your casts, try to stop your rod in the same position for both the roll cast and the regular forward cast. Repeat. [Practice tip courtesy of Chris Korich.]

What to Bring:

• Trout Fly: 8’6” - 9’ 5 or 6wt rod, 5 - 6 wt floating line, 7 1/2’ 0X leader, 3 or 4X tippet 20”.
• 5wt combo: maximum 9’ 1” 5wt rod, [weight forward] 5wt floating line, 7 - 9’ 0X leader, 4X tippet 18”.
• Bring a chair, water, snacks, sunblock, rain gear.

After a nearly 3 month summer hiatus it will be nice to see everyone and see everyone getting back in their casting groove. Cooler temps are the perfect time for RSCC members to bring their fly, casting/fishing games up a notch and have fun doing it.

The 2012 - 2013 season will be exciting. Ten RSCC members plan to travel to San Francisco in October for the GGACC Northwest Regional Casting Tournament. Intriguing things about tournaments to contemplate:

1. Participants bring back helpful casting tips learned while away.
2. RSCC looks forward to hosting a regional tournament of our own - wouldn’t that be fun!


*Accuracy plugs and flies are available for a $1.50 and $2.00 donation, respectively.
*Membership forms are available online here, click the RSCC Membership Form icon.