FFI (Fly Fishers International) Casting Fair Aug 13 at Lake Ballinger

Brian Miller

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Cutthwoat Twout
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The Washington Council of FFI is re-starting in-person events with a first of its kind Casting Fair. The event at Lake Ballinger Park will be a day-long program of casting skills, challenges and fly tying. Bring your rod and get expert help tuning up your cast. Bring your friends and get a re-introduction to everything FFI has to offer. More events are in the works, including a new Expo in coming months. Join us Aug. 13 at Lake Ballinger.
 

Brian Miller

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Cutthwoat Twout
Forum Supporter
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Brian Miller

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Cutthwoat Twout
Forum Supporter
Mrs Brian & I volunteered at the Ellensburg fairs for several years. We're going to go to say Hi to some friends late morning to mid-afternoon. Then we're going to visit with some dear friends in Martha Lake that we haven't seen since Covid hit.

I might bring a cpl of T-rods and would like to say Hi to any PNWFFrs. I'll likely have on green cargo pants, a light green shirt, and a white ball cap with an embroidered "Alpine Fly Fishers" club logo.
 
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Porter2

Life of the Party
Decent turnout. Ryan sure helped some beginnner types. After a couple hours of instruction from him and his partner many were throwing some nice tight loops.

Weather kinda funky sunny/warm, then cool and cloudy, windy off and on, some good swirls of wind came through.

Learned a couple things (tweaks) to improve my distance casting. Really need to work on my 35-45 foot accuracy especially in the wind.

Tried the new Orvis Helios 6 and 7 weight. Nice sticks. Someone had the instructor sexy loop torpedo rod in 9’ 6 weight version and I wanted to try it, but lost track of it, or maybe person left. Lots of Echo rods. Tried one don’t know which model but a black painted 5 weight. Rod was solid. Have no problem spending a day with that rod.

Did the bronze course which was easy until the wind picked up. The 45 foot target became a tad difficult, overshoot it the first two times by a foot or so, reeled in some line then bingo. Had to cast low and fast to hit it target with the wind tho.


Ballistic HV fly lines seem to be the choice of instructors. And I liked the line a lot too… long head.

All in all a fun little Saturday am.
 
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Brian Miller

Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting Cutthwoat Twout
Forum Supporter
We spent most of our time talking with friends we haven't been able to see for much too long.

I did spend some time watching some of the fly tiers. I talked a bit with Greg from Olympic Fly Fishers club in Edmonds who was tying a very good looking parachute floating damsel emerger with a proportionally correct, pheasant rump forked tail he's named "The Thing".
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Tied on a Klinkhammer hook, it extends vertically below the surface and normal wave motion and retrieval causes a very life-like looking tail movement. Seeing it floating in a bowl of water brought to mind an earlier post regarding a shape that was long and narrow (and which moved in the same direction as the long axis of that shape) would trigger the toads (and fish with a similar physical eye structure) to track and then attack it.
He said it has worked great at Chopaka.
All in all a very fun day for Mrs Brian & I.
 
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