Black Hills Flyfishers
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Home > Newsletters > January 2007 > Under the Noses of the Presidents
| Under the Noses of the Presidents |
My computer email is so full, it’s beginning to take awhile before I can log in. This condition has led me
to vow to file and delete more regularly in the future. As for the present, it is allowing me to go back
and remember all that the Club worked on and accomplished as I clean my files for 2006.
Without stopping to appreciate the accomplishments of our BHFF Club during the year of 2006, we
might bluster into the New Year without the benefit of a pause to reflect. To that end, my
housecleaning detail has allowed me to bring back into perspective a few of highlights of a very busy
year. For the sake of readership, I will confine my comments to what I feel were the 10 most significant
BHFF events of 2006.
10. Four new Board members were selected. They agreed to fill positions made possible by the
retirement of Board members Paul Stabile, Dennis Rabe, David Hannah, and an emeritus status
honored to Mike DeMersseman. The new board members selected are Dan Landguth, Chuck
Baldwin, Joel Wilson, and Scott Landguth. In the spirit of new concepts and fresh ideas, we welcome
the vast new talent into the BHFF Directorship positions.
9. The BHFF Website has been undergoing the long sought vitalization through the leadership of Joel
Wilson. We are now poised to place in service a website that will enhance communication with the
membership. The new BHFF website will carry many new features that will help the membership stay
current with newsletters, programs, links to current newspaper events, and links to Federation of
FlyFishers current events. Joel Wilson, with assistance from Hans Stephenson, have activated the
new tool which we will see at www.blackhillsflyfishers.org.
8. Several of the BHFF Membership Programs have been smashing successes this past year,
complete with a half hour social before each program. The best of them was brought to town by Hans
Stephenson in the form of “Trout Bums.” More than 200 people joined us in The Journey Museum
theater for that program. They are booked in February of this year with a new program.
7. Saying goodbye to Dr Jack Erickson was momentous considering the tremendous amount of
cooperation and assistance we received while Jack worked in Rapid City. The transition to the new
Cold Water Biologist for the Black Hills Jeff Schearer has been fine, and we have come to have great
confidence in his ability and his fine work on several timely issues in the Hills. The transition has been
a complete success..
6. Attitude says a lot about a club. The attitude at BHFF has been greatly improved this past year in
our outreach to GF&P and other state agencies. In return for this respect, we are seeing a
tremendous increase in trust and cooperation from the highest to the lowest levels of both
organizations for members and workers. Great cooperation continues with ongoing joint issues such
as the Rapid Creek water flow, Didymo, Canyon Lake 2012 project, Sheridan Lake valve, Pactola
Basin, and Spearfish Creek projects.
5. The Best BHFF Auction ever is how some described the new Auction format and the new location at
The Journey. The hors d’ oeuvres were delicious, and the evening was a gala event. The BHFF
Auction was the fruit of all the teams that worked in Auction Publicity, Financial Sponsors, Auction
Setup, Registration, Auctioneer and Team, Auction Program, Clerk Bidders, Raffle Sellers, Cleanup
Crew and Floor Managers. The net result was a nice $25,000 contribution to the coffers at BHFF in
support of the fish and flyfishing.
4. We were happy to be contacted by Ron Koth, Senior Cold Water Biologist, who asked for our
support of the new construction on Spearfish Creek to update the Homestake Mine hydro dam. The
Club responded immediately and presented a $10,000 check during a GF&P Commission Meeting.
3. After eight years of red tape, giant steps were taken this past year concerning opening the
replaced valve on Sheridan Lake to open another 3½ miles of stream fishing on Spring Creek. The
communication by Mike Lees, BHFF VP, with Ron Koth, GF&P, Bob Thompson, USFS, Tim Goodwin,
and the Sheridan Lake Marina owner was instrumental. The meetings led to GF&P opening ideas for
public comment. More than 15 BHFF members, along with 75 other interested parties, attended a
public meeting to discuss the project. The meeting was positive. The next step, if a consensus exists,
will be a drafting of a plan where all parties will win.
2. The South Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society presented their award for youth to
Black Hills FlyFishers member Jim Phoenix for his leadership and dedication. Jim, with his staff of 3-5
BHFF assistants and in cooperation with the YMCA Science Center, teach 14 youngsters every Friday
afternoon from fall to spring. Four of them are on BHFF scholarship. This is a growing area for BHFF.
We joined the American Fisheries Society on May 13 to recognize Jim for the impact these programs
are having in the education of new and future conservation minded anglers.
1. The Black Hills FlyFishers led what many believe to be a turning point in terms of getting serious
efforts toward determining the role, impact, and expansion of Didymo in North American streams. By
calling attention to the problem in Rapid Creek, we motivated US EPA and FFF to call for the 1st
International Didymosphenia Geminata Symposium. We contributed heavily with generous support for
travel for Dr. Max Bothwell and Martyn Kelly and other world experts to attend the session. The invited
speakers in the program, such as Dr. Barry Biggs of New Zealand and Jeff Schearer of Rapid City, led
to a white paper that will be published in 2007 through the primary efforts of Sarah Spaulding, US
EPA, and Leah Elwell, Conservation coordinator for FFF. The South Dakota Didymo team, working to
coordinate with BHFF members Ev Hoyt, Mark Vickers, and Jim Hawke, are Jeff Schearer, GF&P,
Aaron Larson, DENR, and Dr. Scott Kenner, SDSM&T.
So there you have the Top 10 BHFF activities for 2006 but by no means the total list. My files are
cleaned up and ready for 2007. Speaking for the directors and leadership of BHFF, we are cleaned
up and ready for challenges and opportunities of the next top ten in the New Year.
From UNDER THE NOSES OF THE PRESIDENTS, Happy New Year.
Jim Hawke
to vow to file and delete more regularly in the future. As for the present, it is allowing me to go back
and remember all that the Club worked on and accomplished as I clean my files for 2006.
Without stopping to appreciate the accomplishments of our BHFF Club during the year of 2006, we
might bluster into the New Year without the benefit of a pause to reflect. To that end, my
housecleaning detail has allowed me to bring back into perspective a few of highlights of a very busy
year. For the sake of readership, I will confine my comments to what I feel were the 10 most significant
BHFF events of 2006.
10. Four new Board members were selected. They agreed to fill positions made possible by the
retirement of Board members Paul Stabile, Dennis Rabe, David Hannah, and an emeritus status
honored to Mike DeMersseman. The new board members selected are Dan Landguth, Chuck
Baldwin, Joel Wilson, and Scott Landguth. In the spirit of new concepts and fresh ideas, we welcome
the vast new talent into the BHFF Directorship positions.
9. The BHFF Website has been undergoing the long sought vitalization through the leadership of Joel
Wilson. We are now poised to place in service a website that will enhance communication with the
membership. The new BHFF website will carry many new features that will help the membership stay
current with newsletters, programs, links to current newspaper events, and links to Federation of
FlyFishers current events. Joel Wilson, with assistance from Hans Stephenson, have activated the
new tool which we will see at www.blackhillsflyfishers.org.
8. Several of the BHFF Membership Programs have been smashing successes this past year,
complete with a half hour social before each program. The best of them was brought to town by Hans
Stephenson in the form of “Trout Bums.” More than 200 people joined us in The Journey Museum
theater for that program. They are booked in February of this year with a new program.
7. Saying goodbye to Dr Jack Erickson was momentous considering the tremendous amount of
cooperation and assistance we received while Jack worked in Rapid City. The transition to the new
Cold Water Biologist for the Black Hills Jeff Schearer has been fine, and we have come to have great
confidence in his ability and his fine work on several timely issues in the Hills. The transition has been
a complete success..
6. Attitude says a lot about a club. The attitude at BHFF has been greatly improved this past year in
our outreach to GF&P and other state agencies. In return for this respect, we are seeing a
tremendous increase in trust and cooperation from the highest to the lowest levels of both
organizations for members and workers. Great cooperation continues with ongoing joint issues such
as the Rapid Creek water flow, Didymo, Canyon Lake 2012 project, Sheridan Lake valve, Pactola
Basin, and Spearfish Creek projects.
5. The Best BHFF Auction ever is how some described the new Auction format and the new location at
The Journey. The hors d’ oeuvres were delicious, and the evening was a gala event. The BHFF
Auction was the fruit of all the teams that worked in Auction Publicity, Financial Sponsors, Auction
Setup, Registration, Auctioneer and Team, Auction Program, Clerk Bidders, Raffle Sellers, Cleanup
Crew and Floor Managers. The net result was a nice $25,000 contribution to the coffers at BHFF in
support of the fish and flyfishing.
4. We were happy to be contacted by Ron Koth, Senior Cold Water Biologist, who asked for our
support of the new construction on Spearfish Creek to update the Homestake Mine hydro dam. The
Club responded immediately and presented a $10,000 check during a GF&P Commission Meeting.
3. After eight years of red tape, giant steps were taken this past year concerning opening the
replaced valve on Sheridan Lake to open another 3½ miles of stream fishing on Spring Creek. The
communication by Mike Lees, BHFF VP, with Ron Koth, GF&P, Bob Thompson, USFS, Tim Goodwin,
and the Sheridan Lake Marina owner was instrumental. The meetings led to GF&P opening ideas for
public comment. More than 15 BHFF members, along with 75 other interested parties, attended a
public meeting to discuss the project. The meeting was positive. The next step, if a consensus exists,
will be a drafting of a plan where all parties will win.
2. The South Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society presented their award for youth to
Black Hills FlyFishers member Jim Phoenix for his leadership and dedication. Jim, with his staff of 3-5
BHFF assistants and in cooperation with the YMCA Science Center, teach 14 youngsters every Friday
afternoon from fall to spring. Four of them are on BHFF scholarship. This is a growing area for BHFF.
We joined the American Fisheries Society on May 13 to recognize Jim for the impact these programs
are having in the education of new and future conservation minded anglers.
1. The Black Hills FlyFishers led what many believe to be a turning point in terms of getting serious
efforts toward determining the role, impact, and expansion of Didymo in North American streams. By
calling attention to the problem in Rapid Creek, we motivated US EPA and FFF to call for the 1st
International Didymosphenia Geminata Symposium. We contributed heavily with generous support for
travel for Dr. Max Bothwell and Martyn Kelly and other world experts to attend the session. The invited
speakers in the program, such as Dr. Barry Biggs of New Zealand and Jeff Schearer of Rapid City, led
to a white paper that will be published in 2007 through the primary efforts of Sarah Spaulding, US
EPA, and Leah Elwell, Conservation coordinator for FFF. The South Dakota Didymo team, working to
coordinate with BHFF members Ev Hoyt, Mark Vickers, and Jim Hawke, are Jeff Schearer, GF&P,
Aaron Larson, DENR, and Dr. Scott Kenner, SDSM&T.
So there you have the Top 10 BHFF activities for 2006 but by no means the total list. My files are
cleaned up and ready for 2007. Speaking for the directors and leadership of BHFF, we are cleaned
up and ready for challenges and opportunities of the next top ten in the New Year.
From UNDER THE NOSES OF THE PRESIDENTS, Happy New Year.
Jim Hawke