---

Literary accounts of fishouts in the recent past,
to make you sorry you didn't go.

A Great Success - Quail Hollow Public Education Day
By Joe Bigas

Sunday, April 17th: By the time I arrived at the beautiful old Lane family home nestled in Quail Hollow, the coffee was already brewing as John Cook set up the food and Elaine Cook and Kathy Powers were setting up the fly tying table. Soon Walt Robinson and Tom Hogye arrived. Walt set up the fly casting and Tom prepared for his Fly fishing 101 lecture. Several dozen people "interested in learning more about fly fishing" drifted in and out during the day. Tom's lecture was captured on film by a Santa Cruz Sentinel photographer and appeared on page 2 the next day along with a picture of the casting class. Marla Lytle and Perry Ralston also were on board to help. As they say, a great time was had by all.

...and an addition from Tom Hogye:
Please let someone know about the many many people I heard talking about the recent weekend fly fishing thing at Quail Hollow. Several were sad because they had to be away that weekend but hope to have another chance soon at learning about fly fishing.

...and another thing:
This year's Quail Hollow event got a very nice page 2 write-up in the Monday (April 18th) Santa Cruz Sentinel. Tom Hogye's Fly Fishing 101 presentation was specifically mentioned.

The year of the butterfly," an eastern culture might proclaim. We were never without these beauties, whose inner parts were obviously yellow as demonstrated by the plethora of large splats on the fronts of our cars.

But the fish paid no attention. Our salmonid friends in the Lower Owens were tough to catch as L.A. Water and Power cranked up the water flow in anticipation of a huge spring runoff.
Our friends' cousins in the Gorge, however, allowed us to have fun with our dry flies and trailing nymphs. And one big surprise: a size 8 Mr. Bill was the cuisine most desired (ask John Cook for details). Both browns and rainbows gobbled selectively on flies at the correct depth in the Pleasant Valley Reservoir section. Tim Loomis was the sleuth who discovered that a fast sinking line and a midnight cowboy [a special ice chenille-bodied bugger used at Pyramid] turned them on.
And then the real surprise, Mr. Bass himself was found: Ray Dow and Elaine Cook were turned on to an obscure bass pond out in the middle of nowhere, and Ray introduced himself to his first bass which took his appropriately presented popper. Many of the handsome bass were dining on dragonflies, taken in mid-air. Only a handful of bass were hooked but a return trip when the water will be warmer is a future must.
Our group, Tim and Sheryl Loomis, Ray Dow, Kathy Powers, Doug Severin and John and Elaine Cook enjoyed one another's company, cooperative fish and the exquisite scenery of the mighty Sierra covered in snow, while putting up with the 500 cfs flow in the Lower Owens and butterfly jerky-covered windshields.

Back to Table of Contents