SOUTH EAST IDAHO FLY FISHERS

North/Middle Room of the Pond Student Union Building
"Steelhead Fishing on the Clearwater"

Our January club meeting will feature Ryan Pitcher as our featured guest speaker.

Ryan has extensive background of fishing in Alaska, Oregon and Idaho as well as a full-time outfitter and running a guide business.

Ryan grew up in Southeast Idaho fishing primarily the Snake as well as just about every other body of water that he could drive or hiked into. Each year Ryan and his father would venture up to the Salmon or the Clearwater to pursue Steelhead. Ryan started fly fishing at the age of 8 and caught his first steelhead when he was 9 on a polar shrimp fly that I tied.

Ryan went to ISU and graduated in 2000 then moved to Northwest Oregon. His work schedule allowed him to be a part-time guide on Oregon's coastal waters. In 2006 he went north to Alaska. There he guided and in 2007 he partnered with a couple of investors and purchased a remote fishing lodge located 75 miles Northwest of Anchorage.

After 20 plus years of fishing the Clearwater with his father there was an opportunity to purchase Clearwater River Company. They closed the deal in the spring of 2008 and hit the ground running. Ryan and his father had exceptional guides working for them this past fall and are really excited about the upcoming 2009 season.

Trout In The Classroom - January 30 and 31
by Jennifer Jackson

Something fishy is definitely going on in southeast Idaho this month. Once again, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be offering WILD About Trout in the Classroom for teachers interested in rearing trout with their students in a classroom aquarium. WILD About Trout in the Classroom will be held at Snake River Junior High on Highway 39 near Blackfoot. The workshop will run from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Friday, January 30th, and will continue from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm on Saturday, January 31st. Trout in the Classroom is for those educators who are interested in providing a nose-to nose experience with trout for their students, and is ideal for classrooms 4th grade and up. The workshop will detail tank set-up and operation, fish biology and ecology, wildlife conservation concepts, and will include a tour of American Falls Hatchery.

Plus, workshop participants will receive a full curriculum guide packed with various innovative activities tied to aquatic education. These activities have applications in science, math, art, language, and reading.

WILD About Trout in the Classroom is designed for teachers who are currently participating in the TIC program and those who plan to participate in the near future. Approval from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is required prior to participation in TIC.

�Kids are simply not as connected with the outdoors and with wildlife as much today as they once were,� says Jennifer Jackson, regional conservation educator for Fish and Game�s southeast region. �Programs like Trout in the Classroom give kids exposure to wildlife in a personal way, and helps them understand what healthy fish habitat is and why it is important.�

The registration fee for this workshop is $20. As an option, participants can attend the workshop for college credit at an additional cost. An outside assignment will be required for those who are taking the workshop for credit. SEIFFClub members can attend this workshop free by contacting Jennifer Jackson of Fish & Game at 232-4703 or by email at jjackson@idfg.idaho.gov. Registering with Jennifer will ensure there is sufficient material for everyone attending.

Check out last year's event photos Open PDF file

Sportsmen Against Hunger - (Date to be Announced)

I have been contacted by the organizing chairperson that we will be having the second annual �Sportsman Against Hunger� in either late January or early February. Local clubs will be helping to organize the day long event to raise funds with the proceeds going to Pocatello�s local Idaho Food Bank. Funds are raised through the format of a poker run. Last year you would buy a poker card for $10.00 and visit 5 different booths then turn the completed card in for a 5 card poker hand. If you purchased two poker cards for a total of $20.00 and attended 10 different booths you were eligible to draw a third poker hand. Last year prizes for the winning poker hands were donated by the participating clubs. Our club will be offering a chance to win tied flies donated by those who demonstrate fly tying during the event. Money raised for the Idaho Food Bank allows the Bank to purchase food. Dollars donated allows the Idaho Food bank to purchase food which goes much further than food donated. By the January club meeting I should have more information on the exact date, times and particulars of the poker run. Of course drop-ins the day of the event at Sportsman�s Warehouse to answer questions about the club or help tie flies are always welcome. Like last year, our booth will located near the fishing department and include fly tying demonstrations and information about our club. This will be a really fun day and it�s for a very worthy cause. See you there!

SEIFF wishes to thank the following business for making this web site possible:

January 2009