John Loebach

It is possible or even likely that we have more than one expert in the club. I say settle it with a friendly day of fishing.

Sorry to hear this. Curmudgeon yes, but also stalwart participant at ISA activities, fishing or conservation. Best caster I've seen he could effortlessly toss the whole line on most rods. He will be missed.

details under events.

Lower Wisconsin river - little traffic noise , few bridges next to no power boats. Wide braided sand bar section of river, camp on island/ sand bar. good bass fishing when you find wood & deep water. You will see a lot of other paddlers but the river is as wide as the Missisippi which is the west end of the stretch. Easily 2 day float or longer if you fish a lot.

Austin Adduci will be presenting this coming Saturday, starting at 9:30 at Corens rod and reel. He will be demo tying a few of his patterns that are in production with Catch Flyfishing and are available at our local shops. Austin will also be speaking about the local fishing opportunities for smallmouth and pike along with his most recent addition to his resume the Naknek River in Alaska. Start time 9:30am - Austin has a Kankakee trip donated to the Blowout come plan your early spring outings.

2X that. Scott does more for the ISA than most members know. And he gets a little fishing time in between the work - here's to another great Blowout.

fishing is cancelled but they will still build cribs tomorrow morning.

I'll be there.

Sounds like fun, I'd be willing. Eugene likes ice fishing too. Throw together details & see what you get in response. Lack of good ice might be a problem if it stays warm.

Agreed. Thanks Eric.

PIZZA, PIZZA! I'll be there.

Wish I could Eugene but I gotta work. its going to be warm & windy. Happy Thanksgiving all!

Thanks Ed. I hope to see a good attendance tomorrow. Who cares about the bears & packers? Stop by if you can!

By my count 18 days from Thursday - I won't step in on Ed's countdown.

Thanks, Rich.

I went - it was interesting to hear the ideas of many who have some contact with this issue in their jobs. I sent a short recap for the current bulletin which should show up soon. Some of our rivers limited recovery is attributable to the decrease of industrial uses of river water. Less jobs but less pollution. Ultimately the river will suffer under new development, paving ect. but we should see better treatment of sewage with time. Another trend that adds tremendous non point source pollution is all the fertilizer & pesticides put on lawns. No means of controlling these sources unless we reach enough public understanding that minimal use of these products produce effects - excess use just pollutes.

About Super Fly My name is Pat Cohen. I live in upstate New York where there is an abundance of warm water streams, lakes, and farm ponds to fish; although most anything with gills is fair game. I was always a terrible fisherman with spin and casting gear, but I began fly fishing in 2008 and since then I have caught more fish than I can count. I have been tying flies since January of 2009. Fly fishing and tying have become an essential part of my life. I specialize in deer hair bass bugs, but I tie everything from streamers to nymphs. The artistic freedom that fly tying offers is what drew me to it. All of my flies are meant to be fished with the exception of the display offerings. Every piece of each bug - be it the hair, feathers, or weed guards - has a purpose. The final product is a fish catching fly and a miniature sculpture all in one. To my way of thinking, there is nothing like watching a five pound bucketmouth or an 18 inch smallie erupting from the water to crush one of my bugs as it's drawn across the surface. I have a deeply ingrained passion for chasing golden bones; carp on the fly is a challenge that more and more fly anglers are only beginning to appreciate. Carp are by far one of the most difficult fresh water species to hook with a fly, and I've created a wide variety of nymph patterns to target these misunderstood and often maligned game fish. My Travels have also taken me into the world of salt water fly fishing. Most of my patterns are tied on reliable Mustad salt-water hooks for extra durability, and are suitable for stripers, blues, and any other salty game that might chase a baitfish. My winters are spent chasing Great Lakes steelhead, salmon and browns. I will soon be offering a selection of the flies that I use to chase these magnificent sport fish as well. Expect a selection of both streamers and nymphs. There will be continuous updates to this site as new offerings are added. If there is a fly that is missing that you would like to see, if you have any questions or are need of a specialty color or pattern, then please feel free to email me and I will do my best to accommodate your request. I tie all of my flies per order, so there are times when it will take me 2-3 weeks to put a large order in the mail. I take no short cuts and make each and every fly as durable and of as high a quality as I can. As a working artist, I try to add an artistic flair to all of my fly creations. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them. I am a member of the pro team for 3-Tand Reels, Epic Fly Rods, Peak Vises, Loon Outdoors, EP Flies, Dr. Slick, Jackson Kayak, Werner Paddles, Carp Pro Magazine and Partridge of Redditch Hooks. I regularly demonstrate fly tying at various events and fly shops on the east coast. Thanks, Rich. More at rusuperfly.com

The Early Show – Sunday 11/12/17 10am – 5pm Presented by the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance & Dupage Rivers Fly Tyers Come to the 7th Early Show, Chicago’s only all fly fishing & tying show! Sit with the area’s best fly tyers as they demonstrate their talents on a wide variety of fly patterns. Kids will enjoy the free fly tying & entomology programs. Show Features: 25+ Regional fly tyers – sit and watch them create a fly for the waters they fish. Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors provide free casting lessons. Spey casting demonstrations & help matching the line to rod. Regional fishing guides on hand to share tips & book trips. Guest speaker presentations all day long. Vendors include area shops, reps, pro tyers & guides all with great deals. Six club booths ready to answer questions about their activities. Dupage Forest Preserve District booth to promote outdoor & youth programs. Raffle of donated flies & gear drawn at end of the show. Free Youth Fly Tying with all the materials and tools provided. At the Dupage F.P. Mayslake Peabody Estate, it was constructed by Francis Stuyvesant Peabody during the American Gilded Age. Experience the splendor of its grounds and learn about fly fishing & tying inside the mansion at The Early Show. Mark Your Calendar Now For The First Fly Show Of The Fall Season! Mayslake Peabody Estate 1717 West 31st Street Oakbrook, IL. 60523 Sunday 11/12/17 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Admission is $10.00 for adults - kids 12 and under are FREE.

Faster is better in wind & for distance. Fight is fun on full flexing rods graphite or glass. You adjust your cast to the rod but the big difference is glass works better when you slow down & let the rod do the work. There is a place & use for both. I don't think your Epic or Fenwick come close to the Sage one but they both perform well for close in fishing.

I agree about the dams, Eric but I think the plantings deserve credit for doing something that has a small but positive effect. Bob Rung told me years ago that the Fox rivershed was imperiled by development in the long run, perhaps small habitat improvements can help the resource while we fight to save it.

Ron, I feel the same way about my early 90's Sage 7wt RPL & 6wt RPL+. Some newer rods are responsive, fast effective casting tools but I still prefer to fish with something a little slower. A sign of age & resistance to change? Maybe, just don't get me started on the glass rods from the 60's, slow full flexing & fun.

I plan to go & talk about our ongoing water willow planting. John