Time to Exercise Your Right to Vote for the FCO Board!
Elections for your Flyfishers’ Club of Oregon Board will be held at this month’s meeting on February 11th. In case you missed it last month, here is the proposed slate:
President – Jim Hillas
Vice President – Christian Werner
Secretary – Janet Arenz
Acting Treasurer – Jim Hillas
Past President – Teri Beatty
At Large Directors:
Lisa Hansen
Chris Pay
Steve Willhite
Harold Weight
Susan Glen
Mike Radakovich (new)
Thank you Ross for all the great programs!!
New Program Chair Sought
Our resourceful and enthusiastic Program Chair, Ross Beatty, is stepping down. But he has eased the transition to a new Program Chair by setting up our program schedule through the summer of this year. So if you enjoy maintaining and expanding your connections with our fly fishing community, this position is a great way to do it. Ross has a very clear Job Duty description and has agreed to help train the next Program Chair. He has an extensive network of contacts for programs that he is willing to share (as you know from all the great programs he has arranged for us). Please consider making a difference in your Club by volunteering to keep our meetings engaging, entertaining, and educational. Contact Jim Hillis or Ross Beatty to learn more.
Welcome New Member!
Charlie Gerhardt from Portland is our newest FCO member. He enjoys basic fly tying. Charlie, come check out our tyer’s table at the monthly meeting! Members, please welcome Charlie at future meetings!
Fishing Reports
Illinois River in winter
Patrick and I traveled to the SW coast for winter steelheading early this month. The first day we fished with Travis of Confluence Outfitters in his nice jet boat with a canopy to keep us warm when underway. Several of the rivers were not in shape due to the heavy rains earlier in the week. Travis said the Rogue had several pushes of steelhead running up from the mouth and the gear guys had been doing well. The huge gravel bars on the Rogue were easy to wade but the fish were not easy to find. Water was pretty colored up but not chocolate. Patrick had a few second connection with a half-pounder but that was it. The next day we had the pleasure of fishing with Mark Sherwood, the executive director of Native Fish Society. We put in at Agness and headed up the picturesque and much clearer Illinois River. The half-pounders were more interested in our flies up there and we hooked a few. I was lucky to hook a small ‘adult’ hen, but alas, no big winter fish on this trip. Our accommodation at the Cape House a few miles south of Gold Beach was great and we enjoyed fairly mild weather. The friendly hospitality of the south coast and the beautiful scenery will certainly bring us back again.
Lisa Hansen
Wild Winter Illinois Hen
