Topic: The Gulf Streamer - Our newsletter - Where do we go from here?
In order to have a strong council, membership must always be a major priority for this Board. The GCC newsletter, The Gulf Streamer, is the vehicle by which many GCC Federators, and potential Federators, will judge this Council and their membership in the Federation. As such, The Gulf Streamer needs to convey the value of GCC-FFF membership to those individuals.
Too often much of the information sent out by the FFF National Office to the FFF clubs dealing with Federation issues goes to club officers and does not get passed on to the Federators. No Federator in any GCC club should have to depend upon a club president/officer (who may or may not be in the Federation) to “pass along” information on the FFF/GCC, whether it is on how to vote for the GCC Board, what are the current FFF membership programs, what FFF National Office to club gift programs are in place, or etc.
A number of FFF Councils publish excellent larger newsletters which include pictures and large quantities of information. Such newsletters cost no more to email than a small newsletter.
Chad Abel, our newsletter editor, will setup and maintain at least 12 issues of The Gulf Streamer at a time, i.e. the next three years, and as he receives non-time sensitive articles, he can pre-load these articles into those 12 issues. By doing this, Chad will not be overwhelmed as the publication date of each issue approaches. Our Council Executive Vice-President, Bob Boese, and our VP-Communications, Robert Peet, will work together to assist Chad in managing The Gulf Streamer.
However, for this Council to produce such a newsletter, it will take the cooperation and efforts of us all. It will NOT just be Chad’s job! It will be the responsibility of us all.
If there is an additional section or column that you’d like to join in on, please feel free to contact the Chad, Bob, Robert or me and offer your assistance. The Board will be pleased with the additional help.
Tight Lines,
Kyle Moppert
President - Gulf Coast Council
2170 Terrace Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Bowfin47@gmail.com
Columns and Article Ideas for The Gulf Streamer:
1. Mission Statement: Who we are and why we band together. This should be the first item in our newsletter. Currently there is a statement at the end of The Gulf Streamer, but I’d still like it reviewed.
2. Membership Page: There should be a membership article in every issue of The Gulf Streamer, especially articles by the GCC Membership Chair, Mike Racca. Additional National FFF membership articles /promotions are available from the National Office.
3. GCC Officers’ Column – Not just the GCC President’s page, but an article by current GCC Officers/Directors on accomplishments/happenings.
4. The Next Generation: Fly fishing related pictures of GCC Federators children/grandchildren, along with the photos of children from the various club functions should be in every issue of The Gulf Streamer. Such pictures tie the club members to the newsletter, as people love to see kids in the newsletter, especially their kids and kids of their friends.
5. Merit Badge Page: A column focusing on Boy Scouts of America (BSA) receiving BSA Fly fishing Merit Badges, BSA Fly Fishing merit badge programs located within the area of the GCC, & BSA troops fly fishing. Of the Merit Badges offered by the BSA, the Fly Fishing Merit Badge is the hardest for a boy scout to obtain and very few scouts even try for this merit badge. While a few clubs are doing an excellent job of working with their local BSA Councils, overall this is an area most GCC clubs need to improve upon. To this end, the GCC needs to promote and assist those Federators assisting with this program, especially in assisting with tying and casting instruction, and thus increase the number of boy scouts receiving Fly Fishing Merit Badge instruction. In addition, the GCC could: A. Offer free admission to GCC Conclaves to each scout in uniform; B. Encourage the GCC clubs to follow suite and offer free admission to club conclaves/events to scouts in uniform; C. Give a small box of flies to each scout who earns a Fly Fishing Merit Badge; D. Give a one-year subscription to The Gulf Streamer to each scout who earns a Fly Fishing Merit Badge; and E. Enter every scout who earns the Fly Fishing Merit Badge into a GCC sponsored contest where they could win rods, reels, or flies.
This needs a coordinator, or better yet, a committee… Does anyone know of any other active BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge Instructor(s) who would love to be a part of this?
6. GCC Fly Box: A Photo Page, similar to that in the FlyFisher, promoting the patterns/work of GCC Conclave tyers.
7. Warm Water and Salt Water Pattern Pages: Warm and Salt water (and some trout) patterns with an emphasis on utilizing the patterns/work of GCC tyers. This could be tied to the “GCC Fly Box”. Tom Trippi is submitting 25 fly tying articles; Walt Holman will review and update what he has; and several other tyers also have offered to submit. I have several to supply.
8. Warm and Salt Water Pages: Fly fishing articles on Warm and Salt water fishing throughout the GCC: Each page would contain articles on patterns, locations, and how to. The clubs have a wealth of these articles, as do many other sources, and I know the Bob has a bunch. However, it would be great to have assistance gathering these articles from local sources.
9. Cold Water Page: Just because there is relatively little cold water in the GCC, it would not be wise to ignore this aspect of our sport. I’d like for this to be headed up by a Guadeloupe River trout fisherman, i.e. from Austin or San Antonio, who also fishes other cold water. Any Ideas?
10. Realistic Flies - Fred Hannie will be sending articles to cover this.
11. Salmon Flies – Maybe a semi-annual article?
12. Rough Fish FF Articles: Carp, gar, catfish, bowfin, buffalo, shad and etc. Bill Heugel’s article on pickerel fishing in the Spring 2009 issue of The Gulf Streamer is a excellent example of the type of article that we need. Several years ago, Terry and Roxanne Wilson had a nice fly fishing for gar article in the Fly Fisher that we might be able to utilize, and a year or so ago bowfin, were all the rage on the LAFLYFISH.com web site. Personally, I’ve love to see the GCC run photo contests of the Biggest & Prettiest bowfin and gar caught by GCC Federators with a fly. We could vote for the winners at the next GCC Conclave.
Heck, to keep things fun, I’d even love to see an article on fly fishing for bullfrogs!
Anyone have any Ideas for a “Trash Fly Fisher” from your area willing to head this column?
13. Casting Page: Casting how to articles. I’ve spoken with Al Crise about heading up/coordinating this page. He is sending in a cd of articles to Chad.
14. Certified Casting Instructor Column: How to teach casting, preparing for the CCI, and when CCI tests will be held in the GCC. Once each year this column could list all GCC- CCI’s and their contact info. The person who heads this up can either write artlces or work with the Loop staff and article.
15. Two Handed (Spey Rod) Casting Page: Maybe a semi-annual article? I couldn’t find any Two Handed Certified Instructors (THCI) in the GCC. Perhaps one of the GCC’s Master Casting Instructors (MCI’s): Bill Gammel, Al Crise, Kenneth Callaway, Tom Jindra, Tom Trippi, or Jay Clarke would assist with this page?
16. Small Waters Column – Ponds, tanks, creeks, small lake fishing. This could include destinations articles to smaller waters and parks across the GCC.
17. Low Budget Travel Column – Articles on “self guided” travels on a “shoestring” to fly fishing destinations, both inside and outside the GCC. I would be great to have a couple of “Gonzo Trout Bum” style articles by “20 to early 30 something’s” that are living the life of “trout bums” in the GCC. This needs a coordinator.
18. Guide’s Page – An article each month by a different FFF guide – warm water, saltwater, or cold water articles, including bio. Perhaps, each FFF guide (or CCI/MCI) that writes an article could receive ads in several issues (See more below on ads). We should start with guides that regularly attend and support the GCC Conclave. These articles could easily substitute for any warm or salt water columns. The coordinator of this page does not necessarily need to be an FFF guide.
19. Paddle Craft Column – These articles could be written by GCC kayakers, canoeists, and/or by conclave commercial exhibitors.
20. Best of the GCC Club Newsletter Articles – Highlighting club newsletters by using articles obtained from the GCC newsletters submitted to Editor of The Gulf Streamer.
21. Recipe Page – The New Orleans Fly Fishers (and other clubs) have been doing this for many years and have great backlog of great recipes.
22. Legends of the GCC: Renowned tyers, elder statesmen, club founders and heroes, both living and deceased from the GCC region, i.e. Michael Verduin, Tom Nixon, Bill Lambing, Mark Delany, Jim Freres, Vance Cook, Dick Steinhorst, and etc. Does anyone know of the right person for this?
23. Conservation Page: Highlighting club conservation efforts, including FFF’s Bass Catch; Native Fish Refuge Programs and Policies, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4407 ; FFF Conservation Updates, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4410 ; FFF Fishable Waters Policy, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4407 ; The Osprey Newsletter, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4392 ; and etc.
The GCC Conservation VP working with the FFF National Conservation Coordinator, Leah Elwell should be able to supply articles for us.
In addition, articles explaining the GCC’s support of the Guadeloupe Bass Restocking Program, plus any other proposed grant request(s) for GCC funding need to be included in this column.
24. Education/Outreach Column – Including activities by FFF program partners including: Discover Fly Fishing, http://www.discoverflyfishing.com/, and Future Fisherman Program, http://www.futurefisherman.org/, the Mustad Hook Program, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4434.
Articles are available from Matt Wilhlem, FFF Education Specialist, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4449 for the GCC’s VP’s of Education and Outreach.
25. Kid’s Page - The Fly Fisher has been doing this for more than 10 years. Matt Wilhelm or the Fly Fisher editor at Keokke Publishing should have 12(+) years of these pages available.
26. FFF National Happening’s Page – Matt Wilhelm has articles on the FFF, such as the Albertson’s Community Action Card promotion, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Portals/0/ … Relink.pdf .
27. FFF Discover Center Column – The Fly Fishing Discovery Center (FFDC) is the museum and education center owned by the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF). The Center has an Equipment Loan Program, Water Quality Trunk II program, Anglers Against Weeds Program, and specialized School Programs run by full time FFF Discovery Center Staffer, Specialist Kiza Gates, iffc@wtp.net.
28. Casting for Recovery: http://www.castingforrecovery.org/
29. Project Healing Waters: http://projecthealingwaters.org/
30. Reel Recovery: http://www.reelrecovery.org/
31. Speakers Page - GCC needs to establish a Speakers Bureau – It actually could be done through the National Office’s Speakers Bureau. The GCC Speakers Bureau Coordinator would find speakers from as many clubs as possible. The prospective speakers would fill out a form that in addition to the details of their programs, would give details such as: technical requirements; compensation (if any), i.e. gas money or traveling reimbursement requirements; distance willing to travel; lodging needs, .i.e. do they require a hotel or will they stay in the home of a host club member; do they wish to be taken fishing; or etc. The GCC Coordinator would then maintain a data base of these speakers which would then be available to the clubs. Then each issue of The Gulf Streamer could highlight a speaker or two, along with a short explanation of the GCC Speaker’s Bureau.
32. Successful Club Strategies or How to Manage and Grow an FFF Club – I’d like this column to tell clubs what has worked and was has not worked over time for successful clubs. We all know how our own clubs have successes (or not) and what has worked best for our club. Sharing this type of information can be invaluable to other clubs… for instance what is the best meeting program that you have each year; what meeting sites have worked and not worked; what types of programs are best; how does your club handle events; and etc.
33. GCC Teaching Rod Loaner Program - Who, what, when, where for GCC loaner rods. Frances Hamm and the Texas Women Fly Fishers have taken on this program and are housing the GCC’s five rods, reels and lines. The TWFF will utilize the rods in their club workshops and will ship them to any GCC club making a request. The TWFF will pay the shipping to the club, with the requesting club paying the return shipping. Upon request, the Council will semi-annually or annually reimburse the TWFFs for the shipping cost.
34. GCC Teaching Tying Kit Loaner Program – Currently, we don’t have any loaner tying kits. Do we want to establish such a program? If so, then we can purchase six of the Griffin tying kits ($33 x 6 = $198) currently being offered thru the National office and establish a loaner program similar to the Rod Loaner Program. However, it will require an arrangement similar to that listed above for our Teaching Rob Loaner Program. This would also require materials.
35. Equipment Evaluation and Reviews
36. Rigging Up – Everything from basic beginner articles to rigging for cold to blue water, including leader building, IGFA leaders, furled leaders, Huffnagles, Biminis, and etc. It needs an author to handle… I’d prefer an inshore/offshore fly fisher.
37. GCC Conclave Page: Articles from the Conclave Committee Chairs promoting the GCC Conclave and including items such as: awards, hotel info, pleas for help and donations, and etc.
38. Club Calendar – Listing upcoming events for all GCC Clubs.
39. Events Column – Photos and articles on upcoming or just completed club events, including Rendezvous, club conclaves, and major gatherings, such as the Texas fly Fair or the Red Stick Grand Isle trip. This should include at least one article each year on Rendezvous. This needs a coordinator.
40. Clubs and Club Contact Column: Club listings, including web addresses placed in the newsletter on an annual basis.
41. GCC Officer Contact Column: A listing of the officers and board along with their contact information needs be placed The Gulf Streamer.
Should the GCC Officer Contact Column be placed, semi-annually or annually? Personally, I think once a year is enough.
42. Merchandise - A page devoted selling our GCC hats and pins and stuff. In addition, with the Board’s permission, I’d like to invite the individual GCC clubs to place ads for their club merchandise on this page, at no charge to those individual clubs. Barry and Cindy Dauphin have taken possession of our hats and pins and have agreed to handle and ship the GCC merchandise. The GCC clubs would handle and ship their own.
43. Advertising – Many clubs and councils sell advertising in their newsletter. If we did so, they will allow us to raise a little capital and act as incentives & to promote the Conclave vendors by giving them ads for participating in Conclave.
44. Suggestions, Ideas and Article Request Column – A small paragraph will be placed in each issue requesting submissions by the GCC members.
Note: As everyone obtains the various articles, please be sure to obtain written permission to publish each of those articles in The Gulf Streamer.