Steelhead Headlines

Vol 23, No 2 February 2008

2008 Ohio Fishing Licenses Will be Sold at the February

Membership Meeting

2007 Ohio Fishing licenses will expire on February 29, 2008. New 2008 licenses will go on sale on February 15, 2008.

As a service to our members, OCBS will be selling 2008 Ohio fishing and hunting licenses at the February membership meeting. If interested, please see Frank Simoncic.

The cost of an annual resident fishing license is $19. We will laminate your license in plastic for an additional $1.

March Board of Directors Election

We will hold our Board of Directors Elections at our March Meeting. Any club member in good standing can be a board member.

If you want to get involved in your club this year and help improve the Lake Erie steelhead fishery, consider serving on the board of directors. We would welcome your participation.

If you have any questions regarding becoming a board member, please call Frank Simoncic, our Election Committee Chairman, at your earliest opportunity.

Joe Moravec

Spring Members Only “On The River” Seminar

Sunday April 20, 2008

The club is holding a Members Only “On The River” seminar on Sunday, April 20 at Helen Hazen Wyman Metropark from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Members attending must be prepared to fish by bringing a rod, reel, fishing tackle and chest waders. All levels of experience are encouraged to attend.

You must pre-register for this event by calling Les Ober at 440-564-5457 or Joe Moravec at 216-475-6209. You can also sign up at the February or March membership meetings.

We are also looking for a few experienced OCBS members who would like to pass on some of their steelheading knowlege to our membership and help Les teach. We are expecting a larger than normal group of students this spring.

If you can help, please call Les or Joe.

71st Annual Cleveland Sport, Travel & Outdoors Show

Tickets for Sale by OCBS

This year’s Cleveland Sport, Travel & Outdoors Show will be held at the IX Center from March 12th to March 16th. OCBS will be selling discounted, advance tickets for $8.50 which is $2 off of the $10.50 admission at the door.

If you would like to purchase tickets for yourself or take a few booklets to sell to your friends and co-workers, please see Frank Simoncic at the February meeting.

OCBS Spey and Fly Casting Class

May 24, 2008

OCBS member Will Turek of Angling Consulting Services will be giving on-the-water fly casting demonstrations on Saturday May, 24 2008 at Rocky River South Reservation. 
 
Schedule
10:00 am to Noon: The morning session will cover basic fly casting demonstrations including both overhead and roll casting. Common steelheading techniques for Ohio tributaries will also be demonstrated.
 
Noon to 12:30 pm: Lunch Break
 
12:30 to 2:30 pm: The afternoon session will include a demonstration of the basics of spey casting using rod lengths and line types best suited for fishing around the Great Lakes region. Jeff Liskay will assist Will Turek with the spey casting demonstration. 
 
Spey rods and other equipment will be available throughout the day for anyone interested in trying their hand at casting. 
 
Will Turek and Jeff Liskay are excellent fly casters and teachers. You will not want to miss this opporuunity to learn how to improve your cssting teachiques from two of the best.
 
Cost is $20 per OCBS member. 
 
We will have a sign up sheet at our spring membership meetings or you may contact Joe Moravec to register by phone.

Grand River Tackle Steelhead Contest Standings

February 9, 2008

Place Name Weight Length Points

1 Bob Griffin 15# 33 ½” 776

2 John Wasko 13# 8 oz. 33” 744

3 Larry Rice 12# 11 oz. 31 1/8” 701

4 Pete Haluska 11# 13oz. 31 5/8” 695

5 Mike Quinn 12# 15 oz. 30 1/8" 689

6 Michael Brown 11# 11 oz. 31 3/8" 689

7 Clyde Niess 11# 7 oz. 30 3/4" 675

8 Keith Madison 11# 7oz. 30 ¾” 675

9 John Forro 11# 10 oz. 30 ¼” 670

10 Roger Aulicino 11# 5 oz. 30 ½” 669

11 Frank J. Braccic 11# 2 oz. 30 3/8” 664

12 Robert Mackey 10# 12 oz. 30 5/8" 662

13 Gene Rigsby 10# 6 oz. 31" 662

14 Ray Gazo 9# 11 oz. 31 ½” 659

15 Art Smith 11# 4 oz. 29 7/8” 658

16 Raleigh Guice 10# 7 oz. 30 ½” 655

17 Tony Suhaldolinik 10# 6 oz. 30 ½” 654

18 Jay Stencil 10# 6oz. 30 ½” 654

19 Dan Haude 10# 12 oz. 30 1/8” 654

20 Jeff Dunne 10# 1oz. 30 ½” 649

2008 Membership Dues

2008 membership dues are due to be paid by 1/1/08. A membership renewal notice was mailed to each member in December.

Please complete the membership form and return it along with your check to the OCBS PO Box in the pre-addressed envelope provided.

Not sure if you have paid your dues this year? Look at the address printed on the cover of your newsletter. If it lists a renewal date of EXPIRED, we have not yet received your 2008 dues. If is lists a renewal date of 1/1/09, you are paid up for 2008. Also, if it lists STS 08, you have also paid for an STS subscription for 2008.

Jim Palec

OCBS Steelhead Headlines Classified Ads

As a service to our membership, we will offer free classified ads in our newsletter for fishing equipment and boats.To place an ad in the newsletter, please send the information via email to the newsletter editor, Tom Blotzer, at steelie2000@oh.rr.com or call him at 440-327-7001. This is a good opportunity to get rid of some of that extra fishing equipment that you may have in storage and are not using anymore.

For Sale

10" Strikemaster 2hp. ice auger. New $380.00 asking $225.00 and a

Cannon portable downrigger $33.00

For more info call Larry Singleton 330-753-4453.

Scott SVS 9 foot, 3 piece, 8 weight Fly Rod. Brand new, never used. This rod retails at $312, I am asking $225. If interested, call John Rhoades at 440-759-3831.

Scott E2, 10’ 8 “ Two Handed Spey Rod with a 4 Tip Spey Line Package This was the grand prize from our OCBS Christmas party. The retail value is about $724.95. Will sell for $500. If interested, call Ron Camp at 440-282-6875.

Steelheader’s Ball

This year’s Steelheaders Ball will be on Friday April 11, 2008 at the Pine Lakes Country Club. Mark your calendars for this fun and popular fund raising event which benefits River Access Improvements on our Northeast Ohio steelhead streams.

Steve Madewell and his fellow Lake County Metroparks associates are busy planning this year’s Ball. We will provide the details in the March newletter.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

I would like to introduce and welcome the following new member to our club.

NICK BIGGINS OF CLEVELAND HTS, OH

JOHN J. BISHOP OF UNIONTOWN, OH

LYN EIHINGER OF NORTON, OH

HERB IMONDI OF MENTOR, OH

GARY KNUTSEN OF LAKEWOOD, OH

ALEX PERUSEK OF CLEVELAND, OH

STEVE SAMPSELL OF ELYRIA, OH

JOHN SCHENK OF ELYRIA, OH

STEVE TUCHOLSKY OF PARMA, OH

JOHN & MATT ZATKO OF ELMORE, OH

Current OCBS membership totals 321 steelheaders. Thanks to all of you for joining our club and supporting the Ohio steelhead fishery.

Jim Palec

Membership Chairman

Access Assured on Stretch of Elk Creek

By John Hayes
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Pennsylvania’s newest state park just got a little bigger, and steelhead anglers just got a promise of long-term stream access.

Girard Township, 12 miles west of Erie at the mouth of Elk Creek, has accepted a $400,000 offer from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase the 81-acre Elk Creek Access Area adjacent to Erie Bluffs State Park.

The parcel, which will be added to the park, includes frontage on Elk Creek and Lake Erie. The purchase insures that anglers will continue to have access to a popular stretch of the creek and lake

“We will make improvements to the access road, restroom, launch area and trails,” said DCNR spokeswoman Chris Novak. “Those improvements would not start for a year or so until we had time to line up the funds, design and bid them. This is a popular steelhead fishing destination. Once we’re done with the improvements, visitors should have a better experience.”

The purchase expands Erie Bluffs State Park to 621 acres. Opened in 2004, Erie Bluffs contains the largest undeveloped stretch of Lake Erie shoreline in Pennsylvania.

At present, the park has no developed facilities, but includes a mile of shoreline and 90-foot bluffs overlooking Lake Erie. It’s home to some world-class steelhead runs; old-growth forest; rare, endangered and threatened plants; a thriving wetlands and archaeological sites that DCNR describes as “significant.”

2008 Select Fishing and Hunting Show

The 2008 Select Fishing and Hunting Show will be held on February 22nd, 23rd and 24th in Parma, OH. Tickets cost $8.00 at the door.

Location: 5310 Hauserman Road Cleveland, OH 44130

Hours: Friday from Noon to 8 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Presidents Corner

OH Moves to Protect 214 Acres on Little Darby Creek

The Ohio DNR recently purchased 214 acres on Little Darby Creek in Madison County as an additional measure of protection for this state and national scenic river. The Madison County Commissioners will manage the acreage as parkland, under a lease agreement with ODNR.

The Robert T. Florence family formerly owned the property, which is located in Monroe Township. The Florence heirs had long expressed a desire to preserve their family farm and open it to public access. Funding for the $968,000 purchase was provided through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program. Members of the Florence family have also established a fund to facilitate improvements associated with opening the property to the public.

This equates to $4523.00 per acre. The amount of river frontage is not mentioned. Obviously the ODNR is only willing to purchase land in Southern Ohio. Possible land purchases in Northeast Ohio on steelhead streams are considered too expensive by the ODNR! Talk about overpaying for acreage!

Plans are being made for a 5 car gravel parking lot with some trails.

Joe Moravec

2008 OCBS Championship Series Spring Tournament

The final spring leg of the OCBS Championship series will be held on Sunday, March 16, 2008 from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Check in will be held between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM at Grand River Tackle on the east side or at Erie Outfitters on the west side.

Please contact our Tournament Director, Dave Craddock, if you have any questions.

Spring Fly Fishing Tournament & Picnic

Sunday March 30, 2008

The spring fly fishing tournament will be held on Sunday March 30, 2008 from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Check in will be at Chagrin River Park on the Chargrin River in Willoughby, OH and at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield, OH from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm. No fish will be accepted after 5 pm.

OCBS members will cook out hamburgers and hotdogs at Daniels Park at 5:00 pm. All OCBS members are invited to attend the picnic.

Craig Tletski Wins the 2008 OCBS Championship Series Winter Tournament with 2 Steehead at 58.00 Inches

Place Name Fish #1 Fish #2 Total

1 Tletski, Craig 29.500 28.500 58.000

2 Krause, Tom 29.000 28.000 57.000

3 Haude, Dan 27.500 26.500 54.000

3 Kammer, Dan 26.500 27.500 54.000

5 Harper, Kenny 27.750 25.500 53.250

6 Hillman, Adam 26.250 26.000 52.250

7 Marics, John 27.000 25.125 52.125

8 Smoggie, John Sr. 26.000 26.000 52.000

9 Miller, Mike 26.000 25.250 51.250

10 Blotzer, Tom 26.500 24.500 51.000

11 Craddock, Dave 24.500 26.250 50.750

12 Smoggie, John Jr. 25.000 25.500 50.500

13 Casey, Monte 24.000 26.000 50.000

14 Williams, Nate 29.500 00.000 29.500

15 Rubel, Joel 25.625 00.000 25.625

16 Grether, George 24.250 00.000 24.250

17 33 members tied at: 00.000 00.000 00.000

Dan Kammer Leads the 2008 OCBS Championship Series Overall Tournament with 4 Steehead at 111.00 Inches

Place Name Fall Winter Total

Fish #1 Fish #2 Fish #1 Fish #2

1 Kammer, Dan 28.000 29.000 26.500 27.500 111.000

2 Tletski, Craig 24.000 26.000 29.500 28.500 108.000

3 Casey, Monte 29.500 28.250 24.000 26.000 107.750

4 Hillman, Adam 28.250 27.000 26.250 26.000 107.500

5 Harper, Kenny 27.000 26.500 27.750 25.500 106.750

6 Haude, Dan 27.000 25.500 27.500 26.500 106.500

7 Krause, Tom 24.000 25.000 29.000 28.000 106.000

8 Blotzer, Tom 26.250 25.750 26.500 24.500 103.000

9 Smoggie, John Jr. 25.000 26.250 25.000 25.500 101.750

10 Marics, John 25.000 24.500 27.000 25.125 101.625

Note: This is only the top ten places in the overall series tournament. For the complete standings, please go to the OCBS web site.

The 2007 - 2008 OCBS Championship Tournament Series is being sponsored by Rodmakers Shop in Strongville, OH.

Fly Expert has Clinics, Mexico Bass Trip on Tap

By D’Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer
January 25, 2008

Fly fishing expert Jerry Darkes has a wide range of fly fishing fun on the horizon.

The Strongsville angler and Scott Fly Rod pro will kick off a series of fly tying seminars at The Backpacker’s Shop in Sheffield, starting with a Getting Started session on Feb. 4. Classes to follow include Basic Steelhead Flies (Feb. 11), Nymphs and West Flies (Feb. 18), Dry Flies (Feb. 25), Streamers (March 3) and Basic Patterns for Warm Water (March 10). All of the classes are from 6:30-9 p.m.

To sign up, call 440-835-0861. The fee is $25 per session, $95 for all five sessions.

Darkes and sidekick Will Turek will team up for the Warm Water Fly Fishing School on May 2-4 at well-stocked Lake Shawn in southeastern Ohio near St. Clairsville. The 30 acres of ponds feature largemouth, smallmouth and hybrid striped bass. The cost is $495, which includes on-site lodging, meals, boat and electric motor and, of course, lots of fly fishing tips and tricks.

For the ultimate in fly fishing trips, Darkes will lead an expedition to northern Mexico’s largemouth bass paradise, Lake Guerrero. The April 4-8 adventure is $1,150 for room, board, guides and transportation from Harlingen, Tex. For the Lake Shawn and Lake Guerrero outings, call Darkes (440)781-3906.

Would You like to Receive Your Newsletter By Email?

In order to save money and reduce paper waste, we are considering offering the monthly newsletter by email in PDF format. Money saved would be re-directed to club access and conservation projects.

If interested, send an email to steelie2000@oh.rr.com indicating you would be willing to change to an electronic newsletter. If enough club members sigh up for PDF newsletters, we will implement the change for our March or April issue only for members who requested it.

Thanks!

Tom Blotzer

Newsletter Editor

Spey Nation Fishing Event to Bring Out Quite a Cast

By Fred Lebrun

Times Union Newspaper

January 31, 2008

In the steelhead and western salmon fly-fishing world, two-handed rods of various kinds are all the rage.

Out west, where the rivers are big and the winds are perpetual, that’s been the case for a while. Spey rods and two-handed casting have taken over the western steelhead fishing culture.

Here in the East, we have been much slower to make the leap in that direction. On New York’s famed Salmon River in Pulaski, for example, while the occasional spey rod shows up, it’s rare. That’s about to change.

Mark June 21 on your fishing calendar. Not a particularly auspicious time to be plodding along the banks of the Salmon River, though there might be a few early summer steelhead coming in and a few more landlocked salmon. Down in the lower pools, certainly a ton of smallmouth and football-shaped brown trout will be there but not the great runs of Chinook and kings and steelhead. Those come later.

So this makes the date and the occasion full-focused on casting — and learning all about spey and two-handed rods — from some of the best instructors in America. It’s an amazing opportunity, and it is free.

Spey Nation’s “The Experience 2008,” as it is being billed, was concocted after a late-night Internet bulletin board chat between my colleague here at the newspaper, Geoff Schaake, who happens to be a former Alaskan fishing guide and very accomplished fisherman, and fellow enthusiast Zach Brooks, over their passion: spey and two-handed casting.

What they’ve come up with is nothing short of amazing. “The Experience 2008” will be held on a 75-acre field adjacent to the Salmon River on County Route 52 in Altmar, Oswego County, beginning at 8 a.m.

There’ll be a day-long barbecue, sponsored by the Oak Orchard Fly Shop, and a two-handed rod demonstration by several experts. All proceeds will be donated either as cash or equipment to the state’s Salmon River Hatchery nearby.

This opportunity is boundless for spey and two-handed rod enthusiasts — and those attracted to it but inexperienced. Manufacturers representatives from all the biggest names will be there, as well as local guides and some of the more prominent names in the two-handed fishing industry.

Including rod designer Bob Meiser, who has created benchmark rods for Beulah and Temple Forks Outfitters in addition to his own company, the Meiser Rod Co. A West Coast guy, this will be Meiser’s first trip to the Great Lakes steelhead fishery.

The range of demonstrators goes from Meiser, who will be showing off the newest technology, called switch rods, to representatives casting Beulah, CNA and Burkheimer. Guidelines, a Scandinavia-based company, will be on hand to show off its style of two-handed rods. This uses a compact, fast-action rod and a short, heavy shooting head to gain maximum distance with minimal back cast.

Great Lakes steelhead guide and author Rick Kustich will be among the celebrities tossing out those incredible figure-8 casts.

Other manufacturers scheduled to demonstrate their wares include Orvis, Echo, Winston, St. Croix, Sage, Scott, Cortland, Hardy, Diamondback, Rio, Thomas & Thomas and Airflo. Truly a who’s who.

Camping will be available nearby, and arrangements are being made with a number of motels for rooms. Organizers encourage attendees to bring a “swinging fly” designed for steelhead fishing for a swap with other anglers.

More about Spey Nation and this event, including various accommodations, can be gotten from http://www.speynation.com.

The day after, on Sunday, certified spey casting instructors will be on hand to give formal lessons for a fee. For more information about this, e-mail Schaake at info@theanglersnet.com.

Lawsuit Over Access to Fish Little Juniata River Resolved

By Deborah Weisberg

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Friday, February 08, 2008

Fishing preserve entrepreneur Donny Beaver has dropped his court case against state agencies, thus closing the book on a lengthy battle over the public’s right to fish the Little Juniata River, one of the state’s most coveted trout waters.

In a letter to Commonwealth Court dated Monday, Mr. Beaver’s attorneys indicated that he would drop his challenge to a ruling handed down a yea