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June 11, 2008

Commentary
Dry flies float better today, but is
something missing from fly-fishing?


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service


Dry flies have improved dramatically. Even the same classic patterns are better today because the materials used to tie them are so much better.
When I first started fly-fishing as a kid in the 1960s almost everyone tied their own flies. It was all part of the mystique. When I started attending fly-fishing club meetings and going to fly-tying classes, I was attracted to the characters. The old-timers mostly grumbled about hackles and would show you their precious collection of feathers and chicken necks. One of the members of that club attended local cockfights to get to know chicken breeders and take home losing birds that expired. Bob said the birds were tough to eat, but the feathers were good. He even bought a couple of well-feathered chickens and trimmed the feathers off their necks and saddles each year so he could get more than a one-time dividend of hackles.
That was about the time, a couple of chicken breeders started doing selective breeding for genetic traits and the feather quality skyrocketed. The great mail order provider of fur and feathers from around the world, Herter’s, went out of business, and the world was changing. Fly-fishing was becoming trendy, and creative tyers also started using synthetic yarns, plastic webbing, faux-fur, nylon thread, rubber, mylar, foam, and just about anything else you can imagine. They spent more time in craft stores than around chicken coops.
This is the renaissance era for fly-tying. Patterns are diverse, imitative or not, stylized, serious, and fun. But what I notice most is that good dry flies actually can float for more than two drifts through a riffle today. That wasn’t always the case.
“Hand-tied flies” is redundant because flies are not made any other way. They are one of the last functional art forms that are still all made one at a time by someone sitting at a desk or bench with a fly-tying vice to hold hooks, a bobbin to hold thread, and fur, feathers, and – now – synthetic materials that are wrapped onto those hooks to look like something the fish want to eat. This hand-made moniker once applied to just about everything from duck decoys to bowls, knives, bricks, and shingles. Now, most things made in volume are made in molds, on CNC machines, and humans only do final assembly on production lines.
Not so with flies. Every fly you see is made by hand. Most of the flies in stores are tied in far-away places with strange sounding names by people who don’t speak English. They are paid piecework and work 12-hour days. Or they are tied by American fly-fishing guides who work for about the same wages (except that brief period each summer when they are busy running drift boats, pointing out places to cast, and tying on flies for high-paying clients – then they get a little more).
Looking at the thousands of flies in fly shops and how uniform they all appear, you’d think they were tied by machine, and some tyers think it’s sacrilege if you vary from the fly-tying menu and that your fly looks different than how it’s supposed to appear. Tyers can be a pretty regimented bunch.
I suspect there are two main camps of fly-tyers today. There are artisans like Orange County’s Bill Blackstone who creates exacting imitations of insects you’d swear on first glance that they were alive, and then there’s the camp that tries to follow pattern recipes exactly so their flies look just like everyone else’s who ties that pattern.
A third camp would be the functional fly-tyer. Guys like me who use fly patterns recipes like we use cooking recipes – only as a guideline to get to a finished product we like. All our flies take on a style that makes them recognizable. If you were to dump all of my dry flies and all of R.G.’s (my brother-in-law) flies in a pile and mix them up, he could sort them back into “his” and “mine” in a few seconds. No errors. R.G. ties neat and to the letter of the recipe. My flies are stylized. Most dry flies are proportioned so the hackles’ fibers are about 1 1/2 times as long as the hook gap, the distance between the shank of the hook and the point. The tail fibers are made as long as the hook shank. Well, I’ve found that as soon as the bend of the hook pokes into the surface film, it’s not long before the fly sinks. So I make my hackles bigger and my tails longer. I use the lightest wire hooks I can buy. The long tail and long hackles stick in the surface film, and my flies perch high on the surface, floating better and longer than any standard pattern tied in the standard way. They are identifiable. R.G. says they are “over-hackled and sloppy,” I prefer to say they are “high floating and buggy.”
A lot of modern tyers don’t care about light wire hooks or long hackles because all the rest of the materials they use to make the fly float like a cork. Way behind the curve, I’ve recently fallen in love with foam for fly bodies, especially for bass and panfish flies, but also for trout patterns. Tie a nymph with foam wing cases, and the fly won’t sink. It will park right in the surface film and be a perfect emerger pattern that looks like a mayfly or midge about to go from nymph to adult. In a lot of dry fly fishing situations for trout that’s the better fly to use anyway because the darn insects fly off as soon as the wings fully pop out of the wing case. The trout are eating the nymphs swimming up to the surface or sitting in the surface film.
But I still like hacked flies that sit on the water’s surface, not in it. Almost no one ties or fishes “spider” patterns anymore. They really didn’t imitate spiders, they were just tied with really long hackles on short-shanked hooks, and usually they were bigger (and thus easier to see). They look as much like cottonwood seeds as insects, and a breeze can blow them across the surface of the water. If you twitch them across a pool, they don’t leave a little wake like a standard fly, they tip-toe over the surface, dancing seductively. Trout slash at them, producing spectacular strikes. And dry fly fishing is all about the strike. I have a few in my dry fly box.
Hackles are still the all important factor in high-riding dry flies, but tyers don’t have to prowl cockfighting rinks and chicken coops to get good feathers any more. There also aren’t as many characters in the sport and I miss them.
Fly-fishing was always like peeling an onion to find a ripe apple for a lot of us, and we miss those layers that gave the sport mystery, difficulty, and challenge before the sweet rewards.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

JUNE 12-15 MARINA DEL REY BOAT SHOW: The 33rd Annual Marina del Rey Boat Show will be held June 12-15 at Burton Chace Park, Marina del Rey. Approximately 200 vessels will be displayed in the water on 2,000 feet of floating dock. Show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, children 12 and under free. For show information call 949-757-5959 or visit the show web site at www.marinadelreyboatshow.com.
JUNE 14 HOG HUNTING SEMINAR: There will be a two-hour wild hog hunting primer at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga beginning 10 a.m., Saturday, June 14. The free seminar will be conducted by Jim Matthews, editor of California Hog Hunter, a newsletter on hunting wild hogs, and Durwood Hollis, hunting book author and public land hog hunting expert. Information and reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
JUNE 20-22 BLYTHE CATMASTERS FISHING TOURNAMENT: The West Coast Catmasters will have its second annual Blythe Flatmasters Gathering and Tournament June 20-22 at Mayflower Park, Blythe. Entry fee is $25 per angler with $20 going to the big stringer pot and $5 to the big fish pot. More information at www.westcoastcatmasters.com.
JUNE 21 LAKEVIEW HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A free one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Lakeview (near Moreno Valley). Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. This annual class features a mid-day barbecue for the students and parents. Wildlife area tours are run after the barbecue for those not attending the class. Students should call in advance to register and to get a copy of the hunter’s education manual. For information or to register, call the wildlife area at 951-928-0580 or e-mail Scott Sewell at ssewell@dfg.ca.gov.
JUNE 21 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are July 12, Aug. 2, 16, 23, 24, 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
JUNE 21-22 VICTORVILLE GUN SHOW: The Victorville Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 21, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at the San Bernardino County Fair Grounds, Victorville. Admission is $9. The next Victorville gun show will be Sept. 27-28. Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.victorvillegunshow.com.
JUNE 21-22 HESPERIA SNAKE AVOIDANCE CLINIC FOR DOGS: The High Desert Chapter of Quail Unlimited will be hosting two days of snake avoidance training for dogs at the Kingston Elementary School, 7473 Kingston Ave., Hesperia. The classes are run by Bob Kettle, an expert in this kind of training, and cost is $55 per dog. Appointments are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18. Space is limited so early registration is recommended. All proceeds are used to improve wildlife habitat in the West Mojave. This class was rescheduled May 17-18. Contact John Shaver at 760-956-8160 to sign up or for more information.
JUNE 21-22 BAKERSFIELD GUN SHOW: The Central Coast Gun Shows Bakersfield event will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield. The next Bakersfield gun shows will be August 30-31 and Nov. 22-23. Information at www.centralcoastgunshows.com.
JUNE 21-22 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are July 12-13, Aug. 2-3, Sept. 6-7, Oct. 4-5, Nov. 1-2, and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
JULY 5 RANCHO CUCAMONGA HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. These free classes are held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Bass Pro and limited to 40 people. Reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
JULY 12 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 2, 16, 23, 24, 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
JULY 12-13 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are Aug. 2-3, Sept. 6-7, Oct. 4-5, Nov. 1-2, and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
AUGUST 2-3 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are July 12-13, Aug. 2-3, Sept. 6-7, Oct. 4-5, Nov. 1-2, and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
AUGUST 9-10 GLENDALE GUN SHOW: The Glendale Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, Glendale. Admission is $9. The next Glendale gun show will be Nov. 15-16. Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.glendalegunshow.com.
AUGUST 2 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 16, 23, 24, 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
AUGUST 2 RANCHO CUCAMONGA HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. These free classes are held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Bass Pro and limited to 40 people. Reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
AUGUST 16 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 23, 24, 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
AUGUST 23 HOG HUNTING A TO Z SEMINAR: There will be a six-hour compendium wild hog hunting class at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga, beginning 10 a.m., Saturday, August 23. The $100 seminar will be conducted by Jim Matthews, editor of California Hog Hunter, a newsletter on hunting wild hogs, and Durwood Hollis, hunting book author and public land hog hunting expert. Guest presenters include Tejon Ranch hog hunting guide Ron Gayer and GPS expert Dennis Phillips. Information and reservations by calling 909-887-3444 or www.outdoornewsservice.com/hogs/seminars.html.
AUGUST 23 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 24, Aug. 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
AUGUST 24 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
AUGUST 30 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Aug. 24, Aug. 30, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
AUGUST 30-31 BAKERSFIELD GUN SHOW: The Central Coast Gun Shows Bakersfield event will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield. The next Bakersfield gun show will be Nov. 22-23. Information at www.centralcoastgunshows.com.
SEPTEMBER 6 RANCHO CUCAMONGA HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. These free classes are held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Bass Pro and limited to 40 people. Reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
SEPTEMBER 6-7 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are Oct. 4-5, Nov. 1-2, and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.

CALENDAR RESOURCES


For a complete list of HUNTER SAFETY CLASSES held throughout the state, including times, dates, and locations, go to the Department of Fish and Game’s web site at this address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/classes.aspx.
For the rules and regulations on GRUNION RUNS, along with a complete schedule and the expected times of the runs, go to this web site address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/gruschd.asp


CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS


The following is a list of hunting, shooting, and fishing clubs and organizations in Southern California with contact information and regular meeting dates:
976-TUNA ROD AND REEL CLUB: The 976-Tuna Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Bass Pro Shops, Rancho Cucamonga. At the December meeting a free trip to Palmas de Cortez in Baja will be given away. Contact Phil Friedman at 310-328-8426.
CALIFORNIA STATE VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The California State Varmint Callers Association meets 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Denny's just north of the 210 freeway at Irwindale Ave., Irwindale. Contact Steven Childs at 626-407-8826 or steve@sdchilds.com. Web site: www.csvca.com.
CANYON OAKS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB: The Canyon Oaks Sportsman’s Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at it’s clubhouse in Lakeview Terrace-Sylmar. The club has regular trap, skeet, smallbore, big bore, handgun, and Cowboy Action shooting events. Contact Gary White at 818-998-7240, Mike Totta at 818-362-2181 or Mike Nickoloff via e-mail at idpamike@yahoo.com.
CERRITOS ROD & GUN CLUB: The Cerritos Rod & Gun Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at Heritage Park in Cerritos. Contact Charles Sharp at 714-317-8290 or fish_90605@yahoo.com.
CLUB FISH: Club Fish, a 20-year-old fishing club, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse, Santa Ana. The clubhouse is located at the entrance to Riverview Gold Course. Contact Mike Cross at 949-854-5258 or m_r_cross@yahoo.com.
    DEEP CREEK FLY-FISHERS: Deep Creek Fly-Fishers meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League clubhouse in Fairmont Park, in Riverside. Go to www.deepcreekflyfishers.org to download a map to the club house. Contact Brett Browning at 909-793-8912.
HIGH DESERT FLY-FISHERS: The High Desert Fly-Fishers holds its monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month at The Apple Valley Fire Conference Center, 19235 Yucca Loma, Apple Valley. Contact John Rose at 760-247-5966.
HIGHLAND PARK SPORTSMEN'S CLUB: The Highland Park Sportsmen's Club meets at 8 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2035 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles. Contact Mauro Garcia at 323-254-0763 or incareal@juno.com.
NATIONAL VARMINT HUNTERS: The National Varmint Hunters meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Veterans of Foreign Wars club located on Grand Avenue, just west of 17th Street, Santa Ana. Contact Mark Harris at 714-655-6954 or mhitis1@yahoo.com or Terry Mathers at 714-299-9938 or coyote@jps.net.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club, 16699 Stoddard Wells Rd., Victorville. Contact Dave Recce at 760-956-7092 or Dave Halbrook at 760-553-2794.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at The Firing Line, 17921 Jamestown Lane, Huntington Beach. Contact Pat Ryan at 714-373-3688 or Casey Rasmussen at 714-377-5859.
ORANCO BOWMEN: The ORANCO Bowmen meet the second Tuesday of each month at the club range, 17504 Pomona Rincon Rd., Chino (Euclid Avenue one block north of the 71 freeway). The range is open to the public on Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 909-597-7582. Web site: www.oranco.org.
ORANGE COUNTY BASS CLUB: The Orange County Bass Club meets 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the Garden Grove Elk's Lodge. Contact Steve Pendergast at 949-651-8172 or prendergasts@netzero.com.
PLUNGE CREEK COWBOYS: The Plunge Creek Cowboys, a new Cowboy Action Shooting club in the Inland Empire, has shoots the third Saturday of each month at the Inland Fish and Game range on Orange Street in East Highlands. Authentic or replica firearms and garb required. Information: www.plungecreekcowboys.com.
PREDATOR CALLERS OF ORANGE COUNTY: The Predator Callers of Orange County meet 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Denny's restaurant, 7490 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. Contact Rickey Macy via e-mail at rickmacey@juno.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club. Contact Cruz Garcia at 760-949-6334 or fathercruz@verizon.net.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse (located at the entrance to Riverview Golf Course) in Santa Ana. Contact Craig Riedel at 714-282-1194 or criedel@mflex.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (RIVERSIDE CHAPTER): The Riverside Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Prado Olympic Shooting Park, 17501 Pomona Rincon Road, Chino (one block west of Euclid, just off the 71 freeway). Contact Ron Gibbons at 909-902-9814 or gibbent@gte.net. Web site: www.quriverside.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN DIEGO CHAPTER): The San Diego Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at DFG Headquarters at 4949 Viewridge Rd., San Diego. Contact David Preddy at davidpreddy@cox.net or visit www.sdqu.org.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CHAPTER): The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Triple B Clays in El Monte. Contact Tim Bovard at 866-206-9070, ext. 6715 or sgvqu@onebox.com.
REDONDO ROD & GUN CLUB: The Redondo Rod & Gun Club meets 8 p.m. every Thursday of every month at its own clubhouse. The club has promoted hunting, fishing, sport shooting and the outdoors since 1948. The clubhouse is located at 2023 Vanderbilt Lane, Redondo Beach. Contact 310-379-7772.
RIVERSIDE VARMINT CALLERS: The Riverside Varmint Callers meet 7 p.m. the last Saturday of each month at Flo's Country Kitchen, Riverside. Contact Lance Cochrane at 909-919-4309 or Ray Gauthier at 951-785-4986. Web site:www.californiavarmintcallers.com/chapters.html/.
SAN DIEGO SPORTING DOG CLUB: The San Diego Sporting Dog Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Animal Medical Center, 600 Broadway, El Cajon. Contact Steve Sarmiento at 619-659-9393 or sssarmi@sbcglobal.net.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The Southern California Varmint Callers Association meets 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Denny's Restaurant at Pioneer Blvd and Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Contact Granville Crow at 310-548-6221 or crowshot1@cox.net or Skip Gildner at 562-900-9020 or mtnhigh5@excite.com.
TEMPLE CITY SPORTSMEN: The Temple City Sportsmen meet the first Thursday of each month at the Temple City Civic Center in Temple City. Contact Jim White at 626-201-7782 or TCSPresident2006@yahoo.com.
TURNER'S OUTDOORSMAN ROD AND REEL CLUB: The Turner's Outdoorsman Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Marie Calendar’s Restaurant, 2300 Foothill, Pasadena. Contact Richard Crowe at 626-960-9610.

[Want your event or club listed here? Send the information to Jim Matthews, Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007 or e-mail it to odwriter@charter.net. Following the style used above for events and clubs makes our life easier and increases the likelihood of it being included here.]

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