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2007 FFF Southern Council NominationClub of the YearCapital City Fly FishersI would like to nominate the Capital City Fly Fishers for the Southern Council's Club of the Year in 2007. Our mission is to educate people about the philosophies, ethics and history of flyfishing, and to conserve and protect the fisheries of our state. It is our collective goal to enhance, instill and educate the many persons we come into contact with about the life sport of fly fishing, casting and tying. It is not our objective to get them to join our club but rather to educate them in some facet that will improve their skill level. If they find the opportunity and information valuable then they will join on their own as a result of our efforts. We have several young people who have joined and attend the events regularly often bringing one or both parents making it a family affair. Our club is growing - not just numerically but in the sharing spirit too. I am most proud that our club is sharing its skills, knowledge and love for the sport of fly fishing, casting and tying. As an incentive to our continuing membership's participation in our club activities, we build and give one fly rod through an annual drawing to one of our club members who have attended any one of our events during the year. Each meeting attendance qualifies a club member for one entry but attendance at external events qualifies them for two entries. This has helped us provide some motivation for better participation in club functions. Following up on national FFF opportunities, we will be holding our first rod building class. We have secured rods offered by the FFF to use in the instruction phase of our classes. Members made selection choices and collected the other necessary materials used in rod building. Some of our members are building wrapping stations to be used in the classes and subsequently in the years following. Already we have set aside three evenings and plan to teach the craft of rod building to our members. Our club officers have determined that fees charged to the members for reimbursement will include an annual FFF membership drive. This effort coincides with the national effort to increase members at reduced rates from July through December of 2007. Monthly, we hold meetings designed to uplift, educate, and inspire our member fly fishers. We often bring in experts from around the Southern Council to talk about some aspect of flyfishing. Often at our meetings, our own members will make presentations regarding areas of their interest - rod building, fishing trips and special casting, fishing or tying techniques. For the months during the summer, in lieu of our indoor meeting we go to Jaycee Cole County Park Lake and enjoy pizza, fellowship and bluegill fishing; Lakewood subdivision lake and enjoy barbeque, bluegill and bass fishing; Little Dixie Community Lake in Millersburg (near Columbia) and enjoy a picnic dinner and hold a one-fly fishing friendly competition; and last but not least, visit Mark Van Patten's homestead and lake for pond fishing and grilled burgers/hot dogs. While we eat we discuss upcoming events and news. Then each member will pair up with another and enjoy the remainder of the evening wetting their lines and conversing with fellow club members. Some of our better casting members will work with others in honing their skills at fly casting, often teaching them better or even new techniques. Also our new Wayne E and Catherine Moore Youth students and their families can attend these events and receive individual instruction. Quarterly, we plan and participate in an outing on the regional trout fishing waters or warm-water lakes in pursuit of bluegill, bass and crappie. The members will pick a destination and book rooms at local motels, plan meals and then enjoy the camaraderie found no place else. Throughout the year, many members will work up long-range flyfishing trips or expeditions to the vast flyfishing areas in our nation. After doing, so they often become the guest speaker at one of our meetings to present their trip highlights, photographs and results to our club members. Throughout the year, our club holds fly casting, fishing and tying classes/demonstrations locally and often throughout the state. We work with multiple youth organizations such as:
We actively demonstrate fly tying and casting at other's club meetings, such as:
We are an active part of the Missouri Stream Team program, team number 760. Quarterly, we monitor the Big Saline Creek within the Saline Valley Wildlife Area and a site on the Maries River. Several of our members have attended and become certified in water quality monitoring at the various levels. Our members help other civic organization events when there is a common thread like fishing. Each year we cook and serve hot dogs at the local bass or crappie clubs community events for children. The event date coincides with National Hunting and Fishing Day. This year our club members and several park's interns provided the manpower to serve hot dogs and soda to the children and their parents, grand parents and other relatives. Food and drink were donated by local merchants for the event. The money collected from the sale of 25 cent hot dogs and soda is donated to the Jefferson City Park and Recreation Department's Winter Trout Program. And since 2004, we provide assistance with the Winter Trout Program in Jefferson City. Rainbow trout are stocked in McKay Park Lake during the winter and Mid-Missouri's regional citizens are able to trout fish for the past three years. Our members spend several hours talking with fisherman and promoting this fishing opportunity. Among some of the items that they planned and carried out involved a winter trout fishing survey to monitor the success of the program and have installed two fishing line recycle stations for collecting old fishing line. Several hundred individuals - families, young, middle and senior ages - take part in the winter trout. Many citizens have found it to be a rewarding effort. We believe it was a great success! Our club and its members actively support the Baghdad School of Fly Fishing in Iraq. We collect funds and solicit goods from vendors which are shipped to military personnel involved in this program. The materials aid in teaching soldiers the sport of fly fishing. Their trips take place at some of the more secure areas in waters outside some of the nearby palaces. One of their minor problems was determining the type of fly line that would be best used in the harsh environment ranging upward of 120 degrees F. One of our members with special connections found sound advice from a manufacturer and several fly lines were shipped overseas. The fish caught can be considered exotic by our standards. All of this offers some soldiers the opportunity to enjoy fishing just for the sake of fly fishing – a simple luxury we take for granted. Several of our members are canoe and kayak enthusiasts – often fly fishing from their favorite watercraft. So our club is planning to host Checkpoint 6 for the upcoming Missouri River 340 to be held July 24-28. Competitors will race canoes and kayaks down the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles in a five-day Class I river race. This 100-hour river race is drawing national attention and several individuals have signed up from Texas, Colorado, Iowa, and Alabama. Along the river at set intervals, they must stop and be verified as trekking the river by canoe or kayak. During the expected 5-day race through Jefferson City, our club has volunteered to coordinate the checkpoint at the Carl R Noren Access, upriver and across from the Missouri State Capitol. Our club has picked up the leadership role and is in the process of soliciting local merchants' and other clubs' help. We are obtaining the necessary city and state licenses to serve donated food and drink to weary participants. We plan to utilize a mobile camping trailer to house the checkpoint officials – our members along with others – during the heat of the day and the long hours of the night at the open river bottom river access area during this July 2007 race. Also we plan to offer a portable water station where racers can wash off the river to refresh their bodies. The peak service time is expected to occur during the cooler period of the evening since many will be using those hours to avoid the sun's blazing heat. Spectators will be present and this will be another opportunity to evangelize our message of fly fishing from a canoe or kayak as a wonderful life sport even. During the winter months we offer opportunities weekly to do some fly tying. We plan sessions that teach new or improved techniques to both inexperienced as well as experienced fly tyers. We have begun to invite nationally known master fly tiers to demonstrate their skills. We encourage all ages to join these learning sessions. Many of our young people find this an exceptional way of learning the art of fly tying. It gives our older or more experienced members the opportunity to mentor the younger or inexperienced participants in this fine craft. I am proud to add that our club is affiliated with the following organizations:
And our club members have begun to reach out to the other Southern Council clubs by participating in their planned activities and events. Our members regularly attend the Smallmouth Rendezvous, Bolivar Conclave, and special events at other FFF clubs. It is our hope to build a stronger relationship with fellow Southern Council clubs and their members to add yet another benefit for belonging to this national organization. Respectfully Submitted Larry Murphy |
