Tri-County
Fly Fishers
Home Page
January, 2012 Edition
 
Welcome to the Tri-County Fly Fishers Website.  This Club is made up of about eighty members from rank beginners to those with 50+ years of fly fishing and tying experience.  Fishing interests range from bluegills and bass to redfish and tarpon, with an occasional rainbow or brown trout from up north thrown in.  Membership is drawn from permanent and seasonal residents of those in and around the Florida counties of Lake, Marion and Sumter.
Recent Website Updates:
1/1
Monthly update to the Home Page.  Calendar Page updated. 13 photos added to the Photo Album.
11/4
Monthly update to the Home Page.  Calendar Page updated. 22 photos added to the Photo Album.
10/30
Monthly update to the Home Page.  Calendar Page updated. Eight photos added to the Photo Album. One link added to the Links and Library Page.
 
Election Results for 2012-2013
President -- (Open)
Vice President -- Tom Green
Treasurer -- Bob Strunc
Secretary -- Joe Manjoine

As there were no candidates for President, Tom Green has agreed to step into that position. The now-vacant Vice President position may be filled at a later date by the Board of Directors.
Renzetti Fly Fishing and Rod Building Fair
The nine TCFF Members who attended the Renzetti Fly Fishing and Rod Building Fair were treated to a wide variety of demonstrations in fly casting, fly tying and rod building along with numerous fly fishing oriented vendors.

The event was very casual where you could rub elbows with the likes of fly fishing greats like Bob Clouser and Bob Popovitch.
Jack's Notes
All flies can be refreshed by washing in Ivory soap, blotting, air dry, then steaming and air drying again.

To keep the fly hook rusting, make sure the fly is totally dry before storing.
For archived Jack's Notes, click here.
Fly Casting Competition
At the end of February, there will be a Fly Casting Competition for distance and accuracy held in Lakeland at the Polk Senior Games. Participants will be competing against others in their age group in ten year increments. For more information either contact George Hintz or visit www.polkseniorgames.org. (For those athletically inclined, there are all sorts of other events to compete.)
St. Johns River Specs
On Tuesday December 13, Joe Manjoine and I fished the St. Johns River. Temperature 65 degrees, wind out of the Northeast. Water level extremely high. Water temp 66 degrees. Full moon and the bite was on. Specs the size of dinner platters. That's right , we were catching probably the largest specs I've seen in a long time. We fished four weight flyrods with a weighted fly. A bright colored fly with lead eyes, green tail, gold body with yellow and red hair for a wing, tied in size 6 and 8. We fished from 7:30 to about 1:00 landing many specs like the photo above. We could have had a great fish fry if we kept them, but they were all released. To make the day even better we watched two eagles perched on a tree and flying around look for a meal. What a great day! Life is good.
-- Frank Matousek
Wednesday Evening Meeting
Bill Finley of the Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak Experts was the guest speaker. Along with bringing in six kayaks and accessories, he talked about different styles of kayaks and their pros and cons.
 
Lessons Learned by Ed Rapisardi
I sometimes think back to simpler times -- my youth, for example, and the conventional fishing I did with my Dad. Dad loved to fish and in the 30's economic times were tough but as a life insurance salesman with the largest book of customers in Prudential history, he made a decent living for the times. He would rent a rowboat out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn and we fished the bay which is the entrance to the NY Harbor .We caught fish and I do not remember ever going home with no fish. What I now find curious, my Dad was not a “scientific” angler. By that I mean our bait would be any one of three things, cut up squid, cut up clam strips from huge chowder clams or blood worms -- whichever was cheapest that day. We did not check tides or moon phases. When the mood to fish came up and I was not in school, mostly weekends, we would jump into his car and go out to fish the Bay. He taught me to row those heavy wood rowboats to any place on the bay where we were in no ship's way. We left in broad daylight at no specific time and always returned home before dinner hour. The time was not important. We used proper hooks however for special species, like flounder hooks for large “door mat” flounders on the bottom. Come to think of it, it was all bottom fishing with braided line and lead sinkers, casting only a short distance from the boat. We always caught something, sheepsheads, porgies, mackerel and our favorite blow fish (puffers). He taught me how to clean them....delicious. Sometimes we carried wire crab traps and caught large blue claw crabs which were plentiful.

The point of this story is while I have become a “scientific” fly fisher I have decided that I will be old fashioned and go fishing whenever the mood strikes me. To hell with the tides or moon and getting up at three AM to catch the tide right. Fishing is fun and not a job and so what if I go home skunked.

I think fly fishing taught me that one could have a fantastic day of trout fishing even if you caught no fish, for in fly fishing, a perfect day is a day in which you read the water correctly, your casts were accurate and consistent, and your presentation and drift free floats were perfect. What a great day! No hatch on, so what!!! Look around and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature, spook that duck as you round that turn in the river and look there's a nice buck drinking at the water's edge. That attitude has returned, possibly due to my age but more for the longing for simpler times.

Until next time, Tight Lines and keep your Fly dry. Ed , Soggybottom, Rapisardi
(All Lessons Learned archived here.)
 
The Club welcomes any questions, comments, complaints, ideas, whatever -- just contact us at contacttcff@aol.com
 
--------- Fishin' Buddy Program ---------
Based on a program set up by the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers to encourage its boat owners to go fly fishing with those who do not have access to boats, the TCFF is modifying its Fishin’ Buddy Program to be less restrictive as to when and where members fish.

The Boat Owners signing up will be acknowledged at the Breakfast and Evening meetings and on the TCFF Website. It will be up to the Club Member wanting to fish to contact the Boat Owner, compare fishing styles, etc., and, by mutual agreement, whether or not to fish.
(As always, it is appropriate to share expenses.)
Boat Owner Gary Christie
Days available for fishing: Monday and Friday
15' bass boat
Areas Fished:  Local Lakes
Boat Owner Bill Kirchner Days available for fishing: Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday
16.5 ft Fisher
Areas Fished:  Harris Chain of Lakes
Boat Owner Bob Strunc Days available for fishing: Tuesday and Friday
Grumman 17' bass boat w/50 HP
Areas Fished:  Lake Harris
For information or to sign-up as a Boat Owner wanting to participate
in this program, contact Frank Matousek.

 
--------- Fresh Water Fishing Trip ---------
St. Johns River at Astor
January 12

We will be fishing the St. Johns River for specs. Launching will be at Astor.

For Information or to sign up, contact Bob Strunc, rwstrunc6@cs.com. (352) 406 1731

 
--------- Saltwater Fishing Trip ---------
Picnic Island Park (Tampa Bay)
Week of January 23

Exact date depending on the weather and tides will be announced at the Wednesday Evening Meeting.

For information or to sign up, contact Tom Green.

 
Near Term Calendar (For long term calendar with full details, Click Here.)
(Special events are in Blue)
  • January 5th (Thursday) -- Adopt-A-Lake Cleanup. Lake Griffin.
  • January 12th (Thursday) -- Club Fresh Water Fishing Trip. Location to be determined. For Information, contact Bob Strunc.
  • January 14th (Saturday) -- Grand Oaks Orvis Shop Grand Opening. 3000 Marion County Road, Weirsdale. Canceled
  • January 18th (Wednesday) -- Wednesday Evening Meeting. Oxford Community Center. West Coast Guides, Captain Jody Hogan and Captain Rick Burns will speak about fly fishing for cobia and sheepshead.
  • January 21st (Saturday) -- Captain Rick Burns Fly Fishing Seminar. Homosassa Lions Club.
  • Week of January 23 -- Club Saltwater Fishing Trip. Location to be determined. For information, contact Tom Green.
  • February 1st (Wednesday) -- Monthly Breakfast Meeting. Taste Tempter Pancake Inn, Leesburg. 
  • February 9th (Thursday) -- Club Fresh Water Fishing Trip. Location to be determined.
  • February 15th (Wednesday) -- Wednesday Evening Meeting. Oxford Community Center. 7:00pm. Topic to be determined.
  • Week of February 20th -- Club Saltwater Fishing Trip. Location to be determined.
Florida Tides Info
Weather Info
Gulf Coast Weather
Hourly Weather
Club Photo Album
Topics For The Fly Tyer, Pattern Recipes, And Fly Tying Classes
Fly Fishing Trip Info And Trip Reports
Salt Water And Freshwater Fly Fishing Techniques And Hints
Links to Fly Fishing Information, Organizations, Magazines, Vendors, Etc. and Club Lending Library Inventory
Classified Ads -- Fishing And Boating Related Items, For Sale And Wanted

Comments or Questions about the Website or the TCFF, please email the Webmaster

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