Leadership Elections Held During the October Membership Meeting 

by Alfredo Suescum

    NCC-TU's October Membership meeting is traditionally when we elect our leadership for the coming program year.  On October 11, before hearing from our guest speaker, Theaux LeGardeur, from Backwater Angler, on the Gunpowder River, the Board of Directors recommended the following slate names to the Membership for election:

Officers

President
Alfredo Suescum

Vice-President
Vacant

Co-Secretaries:
Robert McConnaughey 
French McConnaughey 

Treasurer
George Gaines

Board of Directors

Eleanor Adkins 
Steve Bell 
Mark Binsted 
Brian Durkin
R. Scott Faley
Eduardo Feller 
Doug Gaines 
Andrew Janssen 
Tom Mann
Irene Petrlik 
Mark Schifrin 
Lynn Scholz 
Frank Smith 
Andrew Spence 
David Thompson

     There were no nominations proposed from the floor.  The slate was approved without dissent, and the Officers and Board elected by acclamation, also without dissent.  Congratulations to the Officers and Board Members.  

     For next October, we will be searching for new Officers, in particular, a dedicated member to take over the President's position, which can not be held for more than two years running.  We also need a Vicepresident ASAP.  If you think you have what it takes, or have questions about volunteering for a leadership position, please let us know at contact@ncc-tu.org.

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NCC-TU needs you!  Open Board, Officer, and Volunteer Positions

    Have you been wondering how you might become more involved in Chapter activities?  NCC-TU is always in need of volunteers for various ongoing functions.  Here are a few specific suggestions:  

          1.  Become an Officer or Board Member.  Help guide NCC-TU's programs.  We are always looking for new leaders.  Currently, the Vicepresident's position is open, and we will need a new President next October.  If you would like to be considered, or suggest a name, please write us at contact@ncc-tu.org.

          2.  We need a new Webmaster.  Keep up our presence in cyberspace.  Gene Gaines, our champion cyber-meister, has moved on.  We rolled out a new look for our website this past summer, and need a volunteer to maintain our site and e-mailings.  We will train! 

          3.  Work with our kids as the Stream Team Coordinator.  We regularly receive inquiries from school interested in starting a Trout in the Classroom project, and other educational activities.  This is a great opportunity to become involved with our local schools, and grooming our next generation of cold-water conservationists.  

          4.  Lead an outing or teach a clinic.  We have several outings planned for this year, but we need new blood!  How about organizing an Election-day or Thanksgiving Holiday outing?  Or a casting clinic?  Or a fly-tying clinic?  No experience is necessary, and we can help you with set up, gear, and materials.  Trust me, you can’t go wrong.  People are always happy when they learn that little something extra, even if you only learned it five minutes before they did.  

    Not exactly what you had in mind?  Tell us your interests, and we'll find a way for you to make your mark.  We are always in need of volunteers to help with conservation projects, casting instruction, fly-tying clinics, outings, and everything else that has kept you coming back.   We are investigating several new possibilities for a new project along Little Bennett Creek, for which we need the advice and experience of Members on topics such as erosion, streamside plants, stream-bed improvements, environmental law, easements, etc.  No one will be refused.   

    To sign up, learn more, or to be added to our electronic mailing list, please write us at contact@ncc-tu.org.  You are also encouraged to attend our regular Chapter meetings every second Wednesday of the following months: October, November, January, February, April, and May.  

 

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Bigger and Better! The 32nd National Capital Angling Show. 

    In 2007, NCC-TU will hold it's 32nd Annual National Capital Angling Show, proudly sponsored by the Bank of Georgetown - Washington's Finest Community Bank.  The Washington Metro area's original and longest running angling show will be back with an earlier date and new, larger, location, on  February 24, 2007, at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, on East-West Highway, in Bethesda.  

    Our Featured Speaker this year will be Lefty Kreh, the world-renowned fishing expert, author, and instructor.  Lefty will lead an outstanding team of speakers and instructors who to present the latest information about regional, national, and international fishing destinations, as well as effective fishing tips, techniques, and tactics.  As usual, we will have fly casting and fly tying clinics for all experience levels, from the beginner to the seasoned veteran.

    We need volunteers to step up now to ensure the success of this bigger, improved, National Capital Angling Show.  Help us make the next show even better!  Write us at contact@ncc-tu.org, and check our web site for updates.

 

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Lefty Kreh: A Legend in His Own Time

by Tom Mann

    I remember that it was sometime in the mid-1980s when I first saw Lefty Kreh at the NCC-TU Angling Show. It was held that year at the old Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.  My daughter Alexa, then under 10 years old and just beginning to fly-fish, came with me. I knew only that Lefty was an outdoor writer from Baltimore, but I had never before experienced his mesmerizing personality.  Spellbound, we watched Lefty casting in front of the school, 100 feet of fly line held in the air with just the top half of the rod, all the time accompanied by a constant stream of chatter, jokes, wisecracks, and fishing anecdotes.  It made a lasting impression.

    The next time I saw Lefty at the Show, it was a decade later, at the old Silver Spring Armory.  Lefty gave a round-the-world fly fishing travelogue that ranged from virgin venues in the Pacific, including New Guinea and Australia, to South America, Europe, and back to our home continent.  By this time, Lefty was world-famous, a legendary master angler and prolific author of books on fly-fishing and photography, who hobnobbed with kings and the near-great, but he still had the same entertaining patter that he used on everyone alike, whether they were royalty or just plain folks.

    The Show on February 24, 2007 will be NCC-TU’s 32nd angling extravaganza.  I am told that Lefty was the speaker at our very first show, but I missed it for some reason I cannot recall, even though I was a member of NCC-TU.  Like Haley’s comet, Lefty is the star speaker who returns every so often to brighten our NCC-TU angling show’s firmament.  I missed seeing Lefty when he last graced our show, because I was “trapped” in the fly tying room all day, churning out Woolly Buggers with the kids and beginners.  Since his last appearance, Lefty has published even more books and videos, and his renown has grown greater.

    In a 2003 article by Peter Budryk for Fly Fisherman magazine, Lefty described a number of qualities that made him famous:


    Seeing is believing, and you don’t want to miss Lefty at the 32nd NCC-TU Angling Show.

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Project Healing Waters on the Rose River

By Alfredo Suescum

    Ed Nicholson, NCC-TU project coordinator for Healing Waters, recently took a group of wounded men and women on an outing at the Rose River Farm, in Madison County, VA.  

    The event got a lot of local attentions.  You can see a video clip produced by the Charlottesville CBS news channel.  An article and multimedia presentation from the Daily Progress, a Charlottesville newspaper.  

    Project Healing Waters was organized as a joint effort by NCC-TU and the FFF-Mid Adlantic Council to serve wounded military personnel, and aid in their physical and emotional recovery by introducing or rebuilding the skills of fly fishing and fly tying.  The Project has received outstanding support from such fine sponsors as the Rise River Farm.  For more information about Project Healing Waters, visit their website:  www.projecthealingwaters.org.

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Peacock Bass Fishing in Brazil: The King of the Lake

By Brian Durkin   

The author with the King of the Lake

Last August my girlfriend Vera and I had the pleasure of pursuing one of the great freshwater species of the world, the tucunare (chichla ocellaris) a.k.a the Peacock Bass. This pursuit brought us to Brazil, specifically Lago Serra da Mesa Lago in the state of Goias.      We found ourselves on shores of this gigantic reservoir with the help our guide (and Vera’s cousin) Marlucio Ferreira.  We met Marlucio, his brother Francilei, and son Adreanio in the city of Goiania, a large city of two million about a three-hour drive west of the capital city of Brasilia, close to the geographic center of the country.  We drove about four hours north of Goiania, through sugar cane fields, small towns, cattle pastures, and an occasional wild grass fire (it was the dry season) to a small nickel mining outpost called Niquelandia.  From there we were able to find our way to the pousada.      The pousada is a small resort on the lake front for pescadores (fisherman). It’s a collection of small two room buildings and a large open dining area with a kitchen. The rooms are very simple, consisting of beds, bathrooms, and showers. We did have the luxury of a window unit A/C that kept the room comfortably cool at night and into the morning. The dining room served breakfast and dinner. The staff was hardworking, friendly, and they knew fishing.

     After eating a hardy breakfast consisting of various meats, pastries, and tropical fruits the kitchen staff gave us each a box lunch and an ample supply of drinking water and beer. We then set out for our first day of fishing. The pousada rented us two sixteen-foot johnboats with a forty-horsepower outboard motor and a bow mounted 12-volt trolling motor.  The boats had swiveling seats that comfortably accommodated three anglers. We found our boats to be clean, safe, and mechanically sound. 

    The pousada had also provided us with a local guide name Airton. Despite his young age, he had ten years experience on these waters and his detailed knowledge of the lake proved invaluable. After a twenty minute ride in the boat we found a large protected cove with a forest of submerged trees in 15-20 feet of gin clear water. Securing the outboard, we lowered the electric motor and began moving through the trees. Only a few of the tallest trees broke through the surface; most treetops were 5-10 feet below our feet. 

Finally, it was time to fish. We began throwing 6-inch surface lures using bait casting equipment on medium action 5.5 to 6 foot rods. Most of Marlucio’s reels were equipped with 30 pound test braided line. I was using 14 pound monofilament.    The technique Marlucio used to retrieve the surface lure was a quick left-right-left motion, sometimes referred to as “walking the dog” although the retrieve was more aggressive than I usually use when fishing for largemouth bass back here on the Potomac. We fished this method for 30 minutes or so while occasionally mixing in a shallow diving 5-inch slash bait. My heightened state of anticipation was beginning to be replaced with a feeling of tedium when the first fish of the day struck Marlucio’s lure.

Aiton, Francilei and Adreanio in the boat

    There was nothing subtle about the strike. Everyone in the boat heard what sounded like a high-pressure toilet flush and the sound of reel drag. The fish had taken the lure and dove fast and deep looking for the safety of an old tree. The rod was doubling over under the pressure and no one knew for sure what was on the other end of the line. After a minute there was another violent splash. “Tucunare!” Marlucio yelled as we saw a beautiful yellow and black striped fish in the air violently shaking his head for a brief second. He went back down again although this time with a little less energy.

Marlucio Ferreira with a Yellow Peacock Bass. Note the distinct spot near the tail fin.

We were told that there are several varieties of tucunare and this was the yellow. I estimated the size to be 26 inches and about eight pounds. After admiring the fish and taking few photos he released a tired but otherwise healthy fish back to his home to nurse a sore mouth. After fishing the cove a while longer with no further action we decided to move to greener pastures. Our local guide, Airton, suggested another area and our two-boat armada was on its way again.      In another minute or so, our guide had persuaded the peacock bass to come up next to our boat and allow a boca-grip into his mouth. He pulled the fish into the boat where we could all marvel at the beauty of this fish. It had alternating yellow and black stripes from top to bottom and its fins were a bright yellow.

    This time we were looking at much shallower water, with lots of thick cover. We started throwing the surface lures again, but the action was still slow. I then changed to one of my “go-to” baits when the action gets slow, a rattle trap. This proved to be a good move as I got my first strike. I reeled in a 12-inch brown fish with two menacing lower canines. Marlucio identified the fish as a traira (hoplias lacerdae, check the article in Practical Fishkeeping.  Ed.).

    I don’t know for sure, but I think this is the southern cousin of our familiar walleye. I’m told this fish gets considerably larger and its meat is delicious, but this one went back to fight another day. It was not a great fish, but it was okay for a starter. The morning soon turned to afternoon as the temperature reached 95 degrees F under the cloudless bluebird sky and we all agreed to break for lunch. We pulled the boats onto a gentle slope and took shelter under some trees in a small clearing. After our lunch Marlucio and Airton planned our strategies for the rest of the day.

    We set out across the reservoir to another submerged forest and started throwing our surface lures again. Soon I had my first good strike of the day. After a scrappy fight, I managed to boat my first peacock bass. He measured about 12 inches and probably weighted about 1.5 pounds. The fish was quickly sent back home with a request to send us his big brother, and we resumed our search. 

Leaning on a Peacock Bass

After a few more casts over the thick cover of submerged wood I finally found that for which I had traveled so far. The fish announced his presence with a powerful WHOOSH, and the fight was on. A peacock bass’s first instinct when it finds itself in trouble is to head for cover, and that is what this fish did. Fortunately, this one could not quite reach the tree that he had set up his ambush from. As the fish drew closer to the boat a bluish glow began to emerge from the water. This was a blue peacock bass. After a few more minutes of fighting the fish tired as it was pulled into our boat. An exchange of high-fives with Marlucio and kisses with Vera followed the landing, for I had a beautiful 6-pound 24-inch “King of the Lake”. The blue peacock bass had the same black and yellow stripes going around its body but the fins were baby-blue. He also had a large hump on his forehead, which peacock bass get during their spawn.

    The pace of the hookups began to pick up as the afternoon wore on and so did the viciousness of the strikes. We were now fishing between a small group of rocky outcroppings. The peacock bass were taking top-water and subsurface lures. Underwater trees were tightly packed and loaded with fish. We were now having problems getting our fish out of the cover. Given the chance, a hooked tucunare will wrap its line around tree branches. Our lines were abrading and breaking as the fish moved back and forth trying to escape. I was running into another problem of bending hooks. Before we began fishing that day, Francilei had warned me that the hooks on my bass lures were too weak. I had thought that to be an exaggeration, and it was not worth the effort to change them, but I was now paying for that miscalculation. I was bringing in lures with mangled hooks and getting a “we told you so” grin from Marlucio, but if you’re going to lose fish, that’s the way to do it.

    We all caught our share of more great fish that day, and a few found their way into our cooler and onto our dinner table that evening. Some of the fish were prepared as “sushi meat”. They were filleted, and then diced into bite size cubes. They were then sautéed in a mixture of soy sauce and lemon juice for 30 minutes and served cold. The result was a delicious appetizer for our entire crew and some new friends. The cooks then baked two of our other fish. Served with rice, bean, and tomatoes, it all made for a great meal after a grand day of fishing. After dinner we enjoyed a few more cervejas (beers), and we bragged and lied about the fish we had caught that day. Before retiring, I had Marlucio point out the Southern Cross in a spectacularly clear and dark night sky. After gazing skyward everyone speculated on the size of the universe and distance to our closest celestial neighbors, and then we said good night.

    The next day I decide to give the fly rod a try. Early in the morning we found ourselves in a well protected cove with steep banks along the shore. I decided to throw a red and white Lefty’s 2/0 deceiver. It was not long before a small peacock bass took the offering and headed for cover. The water in this cove was particularly clear, and I could see the bass wrapping its line around a tree and then just waiting. Keeping steady pressure on the line the fish eventually began swimming in the opposite direction and freed himself from the tree. After that, I was able to boat the fish. This was generally how the fly fishing went. Our experience was that the bigger fish were caught on the bait casting equipment.

    Fishing in Brazil was a memorable experience. Brazilians are very proud of their country’s abundant natural resources, and they gladly share them. The peacock bass proved to be an exciting and powerful quarry. They will test your skills and exploit any weakness in your equipment. Traveling to Brazil offers some challenges but is well worth the effort. We were there in August, which is their equivalent of our February since they are in the southern hemisphere. Despite being there in the “dead of winter” it was very hot. The average temperature was around 92 degrees F (33 C) so good sun protective clothing is a must. It was very dry that time of year, so mosquitoes were not a problem. Anyone fishing for tucunare should use heavier magnum or saltwater type lures or change their hooks to something more robust. Owner American makes some hooks suitable for this type of fishing. Anyone using a fly rod should bring some big streamer flies.

     In closing I’d like to thanks Marlucio and Francilei for sharing their expertise and their waters. They are true sportsmen and Pescadores Grande. I’d also like to thank Adriano for help in bridging our English to Portuguese language divide.  Most of all, I want to thank Vera for her patience and understanding. Fishing is not her favorite activity but she was with me the entire fishing trip. For that I owe her many shopping trips to Columbia Mall com amor e beijos. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you on the water.  If you have any questions or comments please write me at bdurkin2441@hotmail.com .

Marlucio, Francilei, Brian, Vera and Adreanio at the Pousada Serra da Mesa

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Fly of the Month:  
    Rust Colored Wire Pheasant Tail Nymph

 By Tom Mann

    This pattern is yet another variant of a generic nymph that imitates many mayflies that live in area streams, including the blue wing olive or baetis, and the sulphur dun.  I learned it from Cumberland Valley guide Tom Baltz, a nationally-known fly tier who usually has a table at the NCC-TU Angling Show.  Tom believes this is the original Pheasant Tail nymph tied by English river keeper Frank Sawyer, who spent his life keeping a six-mile stretch of the Avon River, nurturing its trout fishery, and wrote the classic, Keeper of the Stream. Instead of using natural copper wire to rib the fly, this version is tied with rust colored small Ultra Wire.  The Ultra Wire is twisted together gently with the pheasant tail feathers to create a thin rope of material that is used to create the body and thorax of the fly.  It could also be tied with a bead head, or with flash material over the back and/or thorax.  The bead can be any color, any material, and the flash can be a single strand of a material like Flashabou, or several strands of a material like Krystal Flash. 

Photo and fly, Alfredo Suescum.

Hook:       Light to heavy wire, regular to 2X long nymph, size 12-22 Tail:         3 natural bronze pheasant tail fibers, 1.5 times the length of the hook gap Body and Thorax:       Several (3 to 5) bronze pheasant tail fibers (use the longest fibers you have), twisted gently with the wire to form a thin rope of material used to form the body.  Attach a new braid of wire and pheasant tail fibre, to build a thorax that is thicker than the body.

Tied on smaller hooks with a slim profile to match immature nymphs, this is a good fly for cold weather trout fishing.  This fly sinks well.  Try it in Morgan Run, Big Hunting Creek, the Yellow Breeches and other Cumberland Valley streams.