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News -
Trout Festival of Central Oregon
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Written by Gabe Parr
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Thursday, March 24 2011 18:44 |
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 The First Rule of Casting Club is:
YOU ALWAYS BRING A COLD BEVERAGE!
The Second Rule of Casting Club is:
YOU ALWAYS BRING A DESIRE TO HAVE FUN!
The Third Rule of Casting Club is:
YOU TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO CASTS A FLY ABOUT CASTING CLUB!
The Fourth Rule of Casting Club is:
YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR CASTING SO YOU CAN CATCH MORE FISH!
Ok, enough rules... There are so many in our daily lives that we totally disregard, that the Bend Casting Club is not the place to have many. If you want to disregard the rules and just come by to listen and have a good time, you are always welcome to. The Bend Casting Club was spawned from the minds of those who are closest to the Casting Games at the Orvis Casting Course located in the Old Mill District for the past two years, this die-hard crew of fly fisher men and women, tournament casters, fly fishing instructors, beer drinkers (not too shy about it either), are a fun bunch of people to learn from. In my capacity as the Communications Chair for the Deschutes Chapter of TU, I have had the pleasure and honor to work closely with the group at Orvis and these individuals to promote the sport and raise some money for our Chapter for the past two years.
Let's start from the beginning so we can give this group a bit of background and perspective. Here is a brief introduction into how this all got started:
Back in 2009 I got together with Chapter President Ted Brownrigg and we started discussing ways of promoting the Chapter outside the normal "Banquets" and such that so many of the clubs do. Almost immediately we both thought of the Orvis Casting Course at the Old Mill and setting up a tournament of some kind where we could promote the values of Trout Unlimited, engage the primary membership of fly fishermen, and offer them a fun activity where we could all get together and enjoy being outdoors. Why not? It's close to home, we can have some food and beverage, and still have a fly rod in our hands to do a little casting if we want! Well it just so happens that Hutch Hutchinson (designer of the course), Tory Myler (Marketing Manager for Orvis), and the staff at the Orvis Store in Bend were planning on something along the same lines. Some say simple minds think alike, but I have always preferred the concept of serendipity when people from far reaches are all on the same page.
 With that, the Orvis North American Casting Tournament was born, and the Deschutes Chapter became the primary non-profit organization who would benefit from the event. With the first year having the top names in tournament fly casting in attendance, along side local favorites, amateurs, guides and outfitters in attendance - we rocked the first year so hard that we decided this was a winning proposition for everyone. The local fly fishing clubs Central Oregon Flyfishers and the Sunriver Anglers showed up to support the program as volunteers and participants and in short order began taking the fear of casting a fly in front of a bunch of strangers out of the equation for this program.
 The 2010 version of the event brought as many people as the previous, another round of generous support from Orvis and the fly fishing clubs in the community, and we introduced the Central Oregon Trout Festival. This component turned on a light bulb for the future of the event in many ways. We opened up the grass areas for as many groups, agencies and government bodies to come and showcase what they are doing to make our basin a better place to live and fish. With that we also created a huge area for kids to come out and try to cast and learn more about the environment as well. With these two items put together in the same venue (casting and education) we found there was something we could all take from it in a variety of ways. Whether just meeting new people, learning something new about the basin, or picking up a new technique for casting - it was all there for the asking.
Shortly after the 2010 event, Matt Paluch, myself, Tye Krueger, and a host of others from the Central Oregon Flyfishers and TU started meeting up to figure out a way to promote this type of program all year long. Thusly was the Bend Casting Club born. Now, the "Braintrust" as I like to call it contains Matt Paluch, Tye Krueger, Damien Nurre, Kevney Dugan, and myself. There are others that are involved, and we make sure to involve the rest of the fly fishing clubs in our discussion for the direction of the group. Although still in its early development, we are constantly evolving and growing this group into something we can all be proud of. The veracity of the group, and its desire to promote fly casting and education is second to none in my opinion. The goal is simple for the Casting Club, teach casting technique and have fun. Whether you have never picked up a fly rod in your life, or you have been casting your whole life, all the people involved with this club want to help you with any problem you bring them.
 Last night we didn't get any casting in, but instead we decided to roam down to the river with a net and do a little investigation on the bugs that were in the water and learn more on why your casting technique will also depend on the hatch. If you decide to fish with a nymph instead of a dry fly, your cast is effected depending on how you rig up your pole and line. If you are trying to get to the bottom, or you are running something just subsurface, how you cast and mend comes into play immediately.
Tye and Matt talked about different flies and color variations and sizes, and Matt spoke about watching how these bugs react when they are disturbed in their environment. Did you know that a stone fly arches its back when it gets dislodged from a rock? Have you thought how that might look to a predator fish when its whisking its way down the current? That might change how you decide to tie your flies in the future. Does it matter to the fish? It might. Will it effect how you rig up and cast - definitely.
 So what's next for the Bend Casting Club? Find out more by going to their Facebook Page and "Like" it. That is where the "Braintrust" will be posting pictures, comments and generally making fun of me on a regular basis. We are holding meetings at the Orvis Casting Course on the 4th Wednesday of every month until next winter (is ours over yet?). You can find us inside the Orvis store prepping rods or just meeting up with folks interested in the club and talking to them a bit if you decide to show up early. Don't forget to bring a fly rod if you have one. If you don't, Tye at Orvis is prepared to let you use one of their rods for the evening. Trust me when I say it's better for you to bring your own rod - I got so spoiled casting their gear last year I HAD to have it. I hope to see more of you out there as the weather starts warming up and all of us start getting even more antsy for the season to come.
Tight Lines everyone!!!!
Gabe Parr
Communications Chair for Deschutes TU & Bend Casting Club resident clown...
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Last Updated on Monday, June 27 2011 17:51 |
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Trout Festival of Central Oregon 
