CIA Holiday Party / White Elephant Gift Exchange

One great benefit of membership in Central Iowa Anglers fishing club is the comraderie.  Folks that you can talk fishing with incessantly, and NOBODY EVER gets tired of hearing more!

The December White Elephant party is ALWAYS a great time, and this year certainly followed that tradition.  It was held at the Okoboji Bar & Grill restaurant in Johnston, Iowa.  We had a good turn out, something like 30 or more members were able to attend.

Lots of laughter, good stories, swapping of fishing experiences, tips, and reports.  The White Elephant Gift Exchange is really fun, but it is also just a small part of what really makes the gathering AWESOME.  In short, its the PEOPLE that make it so great!

The following are pictures taken by CIA Member Ivan Brehmer.  I'm using them here without his permission, but I don't think he'll mind.  :)  Since this is MY blog, I'm only including pictures that I was actually in.  I'm the jolly dude in the sort of plaid shirt with glasses and seasonally fashionable start on my winter goatee.  The fellow in the mustard-yellow sweatshirt sitting next to me is my buddy Jay.

I have no idea what we were looking at, but since I'm not the only one looking, let's pretend there really WAS SOMETHING THERE!

One waitress took care of all of us!  She did good.

Dan Y. considering which gift to steal (no worries, its all part of the game!).

Jay wonders where people find some of this junk!

Nice guy that I am, I was trying to get our youngest member, Will, to get interested in the gift I had already gotten.  It included a Scheel's (sporting goods store) gift card!  I think he was more dazzled by boxes of LURES!  I'm certain I would have been at his age too!

Matt G, unpacking the box of goodies he selected.

I lost track of how many times Nate tried to steal the gifts Jay had!  They were good gifts, naturally!

It was funny, because last year I took a REALLY nice gift to the exchange...a Sage fly rod!   And folks fought over it, even though a few of them didn't flyfish.  That gift was brought back again this year by the person that won it last year, guess that decided they couldn't use it after all!  It was one of the most popular gifts to "steal" once again this year!  And the gift I brought this year, a Black Betty ice-fishing reel that I tried last season but didn't like, was also one of the most "stolen" gifts this year!  Maybe it was because I put it in a Victoria's Secret gift bag?  Heck, its no secret (pun intended) that some of the BEST gifts we get are the ones our wives bring home in those little VS bags!  :)

Fish Habitat Improvement Projects, 2012

***DISCLAIMER - I DID NOT TAKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PICTURES.  OTHER MEMBERS OF CENTRAL IOWA ANGLERS TOOK THESE PICTURES.  ***

Central Iowa Anglers (CIA) has worked with various public angencies over the years to improve fish habitat in central Iowa lakes.  CIA provides most of the (non-cedar tree) materials and labor.  Other participating groups provide the trees and the boats used for delivering the trees to the drop-off locations on the lake.

In May 2012, we (CIA) worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)'s blessing and with the assistance and approval of the City of West Des Moines Parks & Recreation to follow up a project started in 2011.  In 2011, cedar trees, wood pallet "teepees" and catfish tubes were placed at pre-designated areas in Blue Heron Lake.   Blue Heron Lake is an old quarry pit that often floods from the adjacent Raccoon River during wet years.

Here are a couple pictures from the 2011 project:

We've gotten pretty good at building the catfish tubes and pallet teepees.  These are built on-location and weighted with plenty of concrete cinderblocks.  The cedar trees are also weighted with cinderblocks to sink them.  We've learned to use plenty of cinderblocks!

Anyway, the 2011 project at this lake was a huge success, and the City of West Des Moines received a lot of positive feedback from anglers fishing the lake, from both open-water anglers and ice-fishing anglers.  So, when we approached the City about continuing to add more habitat to the lake this year (2012), they were excited about it and willing to provide any assistance they could.

We had a great turnout of CIA Members wanting to help out with the project.  Earlier in the week, the City had cut invasive cedar trees from around the lake, and placed them along a parking lot near the boat ramp.  We wired cinder blocks to these trees, and built wood pallet teepees out of discarded/donated pallets we had collected.  We affixed some cedar tree branches to the pallet teepees to increase their fish-holding attractiveness.  The City purchased the cinder blocks and provided one boat, and the Des Moines Izaak Walton League provided a second boat.

Following are some pictures from this project...of course I tried to pick mostly ones that I am in!  I'm the "fashion plate" in the orange shirt and yellow cap:

First we started preparing the cedar trees.

Pallet of cinderblocks?  CHECK!  I think we actually used two pallets of cinderblocks on this day.

Gotta love the CIA logo-wear!

Cedar tree(s) heading for their drop location.

Next, we started building the pallet teepees.

We ended up with an odd number of pallets, so we built this one.  It is NOT our typical design, but should hold fish, especially with a few cedar branches attached.

George Clooney?  Close...is el Dorko....I mean, FishnDave!

Attaching some cedar branches to the pallet teepees.

Full load.

The delivery.

You just KNOW the fish had to be even more excited than we were!

We completed the project before noon, and celebrated with a cookout!  Great day!

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This past weekend we assisted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in preparing and placing fish habitat in Saylorville Lake, a federal impoundment on the Des Moines River north of Des Moines, Iowa.  This is also an on-going project between USACE and CIA.  Over the years we've added a variety of habitat structures, and we monitor them for their fish-attracting and fish-holding abilities.  Cedar trees seem to be as or more effective than anything else we've tried, so it is a popular item for these projects.  Plus, the USACE appreciates a reason to cut and use some of these invasive plants from their lands surrounding the lake.

This project was much easier than most.  The USACE provided an end-loader and a large boat, while the Izaak Walton League provided a second boat.  USACE had the trees cut and ready in the parking lots near two different boat ramps, for use on this project.  They also purchased the cinderblocks.  CIA wired the cinderblocks to the trees, helped chain the trees to the loader for transport to the boats, and manned the boats for delivery to the predesignated drop-locations.  5 of the 6 chosen drop-locations were in areas that were intended to be accessible to shore anglers.  Accessibility of course is entirely dependent on the casting ability of the angler, and the water level in the lake.  The selected spots were in water deep enough to not hinder boating traffic during normal pool.  Here's some pictures from this event:

That's me with the outstretched arms.

I'm sitting on the ground, wiring some cinderblocks to the tree trunk.

"El Back-Saver"!!  Really made our work easier!

Excellent tree structure here!

Another great project completed for the year!  We don't know if these trees will hold fish this winter, or if it might take another year or two to attract fish.  It'll be fun checking this during ice-fishing season, which is just a few months away!

***EDIT:  Added the following pictures from this latest habitat project at Saylorville.  These pictures were taken from a CIA Member who had his boat on the water during the project.

The loader picking up a tree from the parking lot.

The Izaak Walton League's boat.

The USACE's boat.  BEAST!

Look at the size of this tree, compared to the boat!!!

The USACE boat handled the biggest trees with NO PROBLEMS!   WOW!

Fly-Tying Presentation, 10-4-2012

Ron White, Vice President of Central Iowa Anglers (http://centraliowaanglers.com/index.php), invited me to give a fly-tying presentation at the club's October 4th meeting.

There were approximately 15 CIA Members in attendance.  I had prepared an outline of things I wanted to discuss about how I go about selecting flies to tie in order to target each of the various fish species I pursue, choosing the right sizes, colors and styles of flies.  And then I would show the various materials most commonly used in tying flies.  And I would finish by tying patterns requested by the audience.

I even practiced the presentation once!  In the end, though, I didn't follow that plan.  I decided I would tie a variety of patterns that have been most successful for me in chasing warmwater fish locally.  I frequently paused to answer questions and tell a few (true) stories.  I explained why certain patterns seemed to work so well for certain species, and how some of the patterns originated.

The patterns I chose were as follows:
Boa Yarn Leech (Yellow) - This is a pattern designed by Rick Zieger (from Iowa).  Its super-quick to tie, and I've caught so many fish on this pattern!  Bass, Catfish, Crappies, Bluegills, Grass Carp, Hybrid Sunfish...even Rainbow Trout!

Springbrook Wunder (Microjig) - This pattern is tied on a 1/80th oz or 1/100th oz microjighead, and was reintroduced several years back by Keith Wunder (from Iowa).  This is a great Crappie and Bluegill pattern, and my favorite fly to use under a strike indicator when the water is cool both early and late in the year.

Clouser Deep Minnow (Gray-over-White) - Designed by Bob Clouser, a well known fly angler/tyer/guide from Pennsylvania.  This pattern will work in any water, and is particularly effective in rivers.  Change size and color of the fly to match the preferences of the fish.  I've caught walleyes on this in a lake in Canada and also in the Des Moines River.

Woolly Bugger - This pattern is attributed to Russell Blessing (from Pennsylvania).  Color variations are infinite.  This looks a little like anything and everything, and looks a lot like nothing at all.  Works great!  One of the most effective patterns for many species of fish, from bluegills to trout.

Nymph - I don't know what the nymph pattern I tied was called, or if it even has a name.  A member of the audience requested I tie a pattern using the non-lead wire I had sitting on the table near me.  I used turkey for the tail; dubbed abdomen with turkey carapace ribbed with gold wire; dubbed thorax over the non-lead wire weight, used a soft-hackle feather tied flat for legs, covered over the top with the turkey.  Great little general nymph pattern.
It was very similar to this Skip Morris "Anatomical Nymph" I tied, but with a different tail:

(Weedless) Black Ops - This is a really great pattern I've use a bit of this summer, and more and more lately.  It was designed by Chris (I don't know his last name yet) of Missouriflies.com. So far, I've caught Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Crappies, Bluegills, and Freshwater Drum on it.
What I tied looked similar to this version, but with larger dubbed body and no softhackle:

Foam Bluegill Topwater - I wanted to demonstrate how to tie a floating fly using foam.  The pattern I tied used a combination of techniques from several foam surface patterns.  I used rubber legs on it as well.  For simplicity, I'd recommend interested folks do a search for a Gurgler, Gurgle-Pop or Gartside Gurgler pattern for a similar style and tying instructions.

I was also going to tie a Blue Thunder streamer, designed by Ian Colin James, but figured I'd kept these folks long enough.  Instead, I just showed a finished one that I had tied and brought along with me.

The presentation went well, everyone seemed quite interested!  Hopefully this might encourage a few more anglers to try fly fishing and / or fly tying.  Some were even interested in tying / using flies for ice-fishing.

Trout Stocking Day at Banner Pits and Lake Petocka, 10-14-2011

Because of the wind forecast (20-30mph gusts) and the lack of any sort of wind break around Lake Petocka, I decided to fish the trout stocking at Banner Pits, which is further away.  It was windy, but not too bad there since it is surrounded by trees.

I arrived at Banner Pits a couple hours early to get a "good spot" to fish from.  I knew I wanted the wind at my back if possible, and as much open casting room in front and behind me as possible since it can get crowded and I didn't want to accidentally hook someone that was walking behind me.  So, I chose to fish from the end of a short dock next to the boat ramp where the DNR would be dumping the trout into the lake.  I saw a handful of fellow Central Iowa Anglers (CIA) members, and we all had plenty of time to chat for a bit.  I helped one of our Members launch his pontoon boat, and learned (from his depthfinder) that the surface water temperature in the lake was 63 degrees F.  A bit warm for trout coming from the 50-degree hatchery water.  That plus the bright sunlight...the stocked trout wouldn't be hanging out in the shallows by the boat ramp very long!

Then the DNR Fisheries Biologist for our area, Ben Dodd, arrived to help with the stocking (although the stocking truck which came separately was 1/2 hour late).  We had a great talk about local fisheries.  I always seem to learn a LOT in a very short time when talking with Ben.  I think I know the fisheries pretty good from the sheer amount of fishing I do...but Ben always has the absolute most current information from ongoing studies, stockings, sampling results, current and up-coming projects, etc.  He also expressed his gratitude towards Central Iowa Anglers for the fish-habitat placement projects we had done this year at Lake Ahquabi, Blue Heron Lake, and Saylorville Lake.

As the stocking truck started dumping trout into the lake, I caught my first fish of the day!  Except it was a small Green Sunfish, which I turned and handed to a small boy that was standing behind me on the dock.  He thought that was pretty cool!  I was hoping to catch the first TROUT of the day, but that honor when to the older gentleman standing next to me.  He wanted his limit of 5, so he could take them home to his trout-loving wife to cook up for supper.  Fishing was pretty slow, however.  He caught 2, and I added two to his bucket.  He left with those 4.  I eventually caught another off the dock, all on fly gear with a microjig under an indicator.  When the fishing slowed, I tried other fly patterns, some spinning gear with lures, and even PowerBait Honey Worms.  The PowerBait didn't get ANY strikes at all.  I moved off the dock to a different section of shoreline, where some of my CIA buddies were still catching a few fish.  They left with their limits, and I caught 2 more on flies and one on a Mepps spinner.

I ended up catching 6 Rainbows by the time I left Banner at 3pm. Yeah, it was SLOW!  It was about what I expected for this early in the Fall season.

Then I headed to Lake Petocka, which wasn't far out of my way on my return trip home.  I was surprised to discover just ONE angler there fishing.  Turns out he got there about 20 minutes before I did.  It was FREAKING WINDY and COLD!!!!  Way different than Banner!  I've heard it said there is a beautiful woman behind every tree at Lake Petocka.  Maybe they should plant some trees there!  Because of the howling wind coming from the WNW, I didn't try the fly rod, I just used a plain silver #1 Mepps on spinning gear.  I saw trout scattered along the shorelines.  Some were really dark.  Turns out those were Brook Trout.  The first fish I caught was a bass.  Then I caught a really NICE Rainbow...probably 15" and VERY fat.  I was getting my camera out to take a picture of it when the other angler walked over.  He was a friendly younger guy who had recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard.  We talked for awhile, and instead of getting a picture, I just gave him the trout.  He said he had caught a nice Brookie.  I went back to fishing my way along the north shoreline of the lake.  I ended up catching a total of 6 Rainbows at Petocka (plus the bass), and also foul-hooked a Brook Trout in the chin.  I took a few pics of that one because it was so pretty, then released it.  I had a handful of other trout on that didn't stay hooked.  It was rather slow too, but despite the wind and cold, I enjoyed it more than the fishing at Banner for some reason.  I left Petocka at 6pm.

Brook Trout at Lake Petocka, Bondurant, Iowa

Total for the day: 12 Rainbow Trout, 1 Largemouth Bass, 1 Green Sunfish...and the one foul-hooked Brook Trout.

Ben said the trout that went to Banner and the trout that went to Petocka were from different hatcheries.  I thought it was AWESOME they brought some brookies to Petocka!  From what I saw, the Rainbow trout at Petocka averaged slightly bigger, while the trout at Banner had better colors.

Central Iowa Anglers - Magazine article

The following short article and picture about our fishing club, Central Iowa Anglers, appears in the latest issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources periodical.  You'll have to click on the picture to get a larger version that is readable.

Yes...that's me!

March 27 & 28, 2010 - Fly-Fishing central Iowa

Public Pond in Ankeny
Saturday 3-27-10
10:45am-1:30pm
Fish sought: Crappies
Fish caught: 28 Crappies (pretty much all 10" or less), 1 LMB (17.5")

Used: fly rod, "crappie candy" fly

Caught 1 or 2 crappie fairly quickly, but then walked around much of the pond looking for more active fish. FINALLY found some, and it was a lot of fun after that. Eventually they quit hitting...or I'd caught most of the fish. :laughing7:

The bass hit near the end, and it was an excellent battle. Very healthy-looking fish!

I "broke in" the custom fly rod I'd bought over the winter, and it really worked great. Steve from Midwest Custom Rods really made a winner with this one. Thanks Steve!

The fish were a bit deeper, and I was using a WFF line...so what worked well was to cast out to the deeper water, let the fly drop for at least 10 seconds, then make a series of short strips, then let the fly settle again. Most of the hits came when the fly was practically just sitting there, or sinking slowly. I really had to watch my line to detect the strikes...when the wind riffled the surface, it was really tough to see what was going on.

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Public Pond in Urbandale

Sunday 3-28-10

1:50pm - 3:00pm

Fish sought: bluegills

Fish caught: 4 Crappies (pretty much all 9" or less), 5 bluegills (7.5" or less), 2 LMB (12" or less), 1 hybrid sunfish (6")

Used: fly rod, "crappie candy" fly

Didn't take any pictures. Fished several areas, only really found fish in a couple small pockets just off the first drop-off.

It was windy, but still a nice sunny day to be out!

The crappie candy's worked so well, I had to tie up a few more:

I Finally WON!!!

I finally won the Central Iowa Anglers "Traveling Trophy", by winning our fishing "outing/tournament" on Saylorville Lake on Saturday.

A cold front had put the damper on fishing, and most boats/anglers had difficulty finding active fish. We found some, finally.
The scoring for our tournaments is a sophisticated "Points System". Fish of various species have to meet certain size criteria to be eligible for points, and species determines how many points/fish, and there is a maximum number of points per species possible. I blew away the competition.
The attached pictures show me with the biggest fish I caught...a nice largemouth bass. Also lost another nice bass next to the boat, caught some really nice 14" white bass (plus a few smaller ones), and also a small crappie and smallmouth bass. Beautiful day to be on the water!

The other pictures are of the patch I earned, and the Traveling Trophy that my name will be engraved on (in the picture with me with is Ron White, whose boat I fished from, and who worked hard to find us some active fish!).
I've come in 2nd place several times for our tournaments, its nice to finally WIN one!!