The Hamilton Area Fly Fishers and Tyers

A worthy cause

It's a TIGHT RACE! 😍 Join the Mother's Day Giving Challenge and support Collegiate Fly Fishing Clubs as they support the women in our lives with breast cancer!   Collegiate Fly Fishing Clubs are reeling in support for Cas

A great presentation on a looming crisis

LIVING ON BORROWED CREDIT Living on the Credit Watershed in S.W. OntarioEndangered Species and Declining Brook Trout Population in the Credit River WatershedThe Credit River is a life...

LIVING ON BORROWED CREDIT Living on the Credit Watershed in S.W. OntarioEndangered Species and Declining Brook Trout Population in the Credit River WatershedThe Credit River is a life...

A great presentation of a looming crisis

LIVING ON BORROWED CREDIT Living on the Credit Watershed in S.W. OntarioEndangered Species and Declining Brook Trout Population in the Credit River WatershedThe Credit River is a life...

Brian Greens presentation on NZ the pictures are amazing but to get the inside scoop you had to be there

HAFFT T-Shirt Order - Autumn 2023
Instructions
Decide on your shirt or shirts
Send an E-Transfer of $25 (per shirt) to: [email protected] Include in the message box:
The selected shirt or shirts (eg. Bass, Speck, Musky, Just Fish, etc)
The size (eg. S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc)
Member’s name if different from payee
Deadline: Orders must be completed before the end of 31st October
(Note: there will be another order on the spring)
Pick up: Shirts will be available for pick up in approximately 2 weeks, at club functions, or from some club executives. Watch your HAFFT emails for details.

Did you get a coupon at the meeting last night from Mark Smithson? If so this is how to use it.

The Members of the Hamilton Area Fly Fishers & Tyers are
invited to take advantage of the great savings being offered at
the SAIL Friends and Family even Thursday October 26, 2023
10 am until 9 pm.

If you wish to attend and utilize coupons that have been
provided you will need to go to the SAIL website or scan the
QSR Code, and enroll in the Explore+ program.

Then bring the coupon with you to the store and present it at
the check out to reap the discounts on your eligible purchases.

Details of the discounts are listed on the coupons.

If you would prefer to shop at Sail location, other than the
Burlington store please contact the customer service desk at
the Burlington Store, speak to a manager. Arrangements can
be made for you to receive the discount at the store of your
choice.

IN MEMORY OF STANLEY SOPRANOVICH
Posted by IWFFC | Aug 12, 2023

It is with profound sadness that we report the passing, in his 92nd year, on Aug 5 of one of, if not the first, active fly fisher to join the Hamilton and Area Fly Fishers and Tyers, Stan Sopranovich. Stan was also a member of Izaak Walton for many years.

An avid pursuer of Atlantic salmon, Salmo Salar-the Leaper, you could spot Stan in his vintage Ford Country Squire station wagon sporting SALAR on his license plate. Stan had compiled a massive collection of classic Atlantic salmon flies, stored in a 3-ring binder, which exceeded 1,000 specimens in the last year of his life. It will be donated to one of several museums in Atlantic Canada as per Stan’s wishes.

Well before Tesla introduced self-driving vehicles, Stan’s station wagon could have self-navigated to his much-loved Matane river on the Gaspe peninsula in “Qweebeck” (as Stan pronounced it) from muscle memory alone, it had made that many trips. Those of us lucky enough to have spent time with Stan were regaled by his tale of landing a 31 lb Atlantic salmon from his favourite river. Mounted it had a place of honour in his house and went with him to his retirement in Macassa Lodge, Hamilton.

For many of you that attended meetings of HAFFT, Stan is most remembered for producing a stimulating brew that he called coffee. Contrary to rumour, NASA is not looking for the recipe to keep the flight crew for Mars expeditions awake the entire trip.

Stanley will be missed.

Congratulations to George Genyk who was awarded an Honorary Life Membership of HAFFT. George was one of the founding members and a past president and a regular at our meetings. He is the dry fly man

Congratulations to Brenda Clarke this years winner of the Bekker Knott Award

The annual award is presented to the individual who best dedicates their time to the successful operation of the Hamilton Area Fly Fishers and Fly Tiers.

Previous winners
1996 – 1997 John French
1997 - 1998 Bob Smith
1998 – 1999 George Genyk
1999 – 2000 Joe Szymanski
2000 – 2001 Henri Lemieux
2001 – 2002 Ed Stevens
2003 – 2004 Kevin Hudson
2004 – 2005 Ron Marini
2005 – 2006 Bruce Wainman
2006 – 2007 Rick Crawford
2008 – 2009 Stuart Dewolfe
2009 – 2010 Robin Bennett
2010 – 2011 Beth Stormont
2011 – 2012 Andy Ferron
2012 – 2013 Rick Crawford
2014 – 2015 Bill Judd
2015 – 2016 Joe Boirier
2016 – 2017 John French
2017 - 2018 Kevin Hudson
2018 – 2019 Jim Fisher
2018 – 2019 Richard Kowalchuk
2019 – 2020 Peter Bagley
2020 – 2021 Doug Whitford
2021 – 2022 Rick Crawford
2022 – 2023 Brenda Clarke

HAFFT T-Shirt Order - Spring 2023
Instructions
1. Decide on your shirt or shirts
2. Send an E-Transfer of $25 (per shirt) to: [email protected] per shirt.
Include in the message box:
The selected shirt or shirts (eg. Bass, Speck, Musky, Just Fish, etc)
The size (eg. S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc)
3. Deadline: Orders must be completed before the end of MAY 1
(Note: there will be another order on the fall)
4. Pick up: Shirts will be available for pick up in approximately after 2 weeks turnaround time,
at club functions, or from some club executives. Watch your HAFFT emails for details.
Note Colors shown are approximate

HAFFT T-Shirt Order - Spring 2023
Instructions
1. Decide on your shirt or shirts
2. Send an E-Transfer of $25 (per shirt) to: [email protected] per shirt.
Include in the message box:
The selected shirt or shirts (eg. Bass, Speck, Musky, Just Fish, etc)
The size (eg. S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc)
3. Deadline: Orders must be completed before the end of MAY 1
(Note: there will be another order on the fall)
4. Pick up: Shirts will be available for pick up in approximately after 2 weeks turnaround time, at club functions, or from some club executives. Watch your HAFFT emails for details.

Note Colors shown are approximate

Happy New Year HAFFT!!

Tight lines!!

I really enjoyed being part of the program

Soldiers come to Pelham for “fly-fishing therapy” Niagara Chapter of TUC's program resumes after two-year break The healing properties of fly fishing have been well documented. In the United States there

Our watersheds need your support

Ontario Must Withdraw Bill 23 and Shift to Sustainable Planning Un-able to deliver its promised instant homes with the magic wands of the original Housing Action Plan and Housing Action Plan 2.0, the Ford government is using Housing Action Plan 3.0 to re-make Ontario as an autocracy, pushing urban development while sacrificing the environment and democracy. Ther...

HAFFT T-Shirt 2022 Fundraiser
Your last chance to order a Downtown Brown classic T shirt by our very own Rick Kowalchuck
We will place the order for the T shirts first week of November. We will be bringing another new design early next year.
Payable by: E transfer $25 to [email protected]
(include size in the memo: “S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc”)

Don't Miss Ricks classic T shirts

HAFFT T-Shirt 2022 Fundraiser
Downtown Brown Trout $25
Payable by:
E transfer $25 to [email protected]
(include size memo: “S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL,etc”)
or
$25 Cash to Peter Bagley at meetings
(receipts will note size)

Great timing

Swinging Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead Bill Spicer joins John Valk from Grindstone Angling to swing flies for fresh steelhead in November! Lots of great information and techniques.Ram River Cutthr...

Ian presented to us in January 2019 on "Benthics and the flies that mimic them" a great presentation. He will be missed.

We have lost another valued member of our Fly Fishing Fraternity.

Ian passed away a few days ago.

He was a wonderful presenter and gave talks at our club and also at past Fly Fishing Forums.

His knowledge and stewardship of the Grand River were profound.

His sincerity, modest affability and willing availability will be his lasting legacy.

A Celebration of Ian’s Life will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 4th in the chapel at the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home in Fergus.

His full obituary can be seen here.

A great cast to have in your arsenal

Pro Tip: Getting the Most out of Roll Casts - Orvis News Roll casts are a very important tool to have in your casting arsenal. Aside from being one of my personal favorite casts, the roll cast is one of the most used casts and a great skill to practice at home. The three most common reasons. . .

Attention Brooke trout anglers

If you catch a Brook Trout without an adipose fin on the Credit River please release it unharmed. ⁠
⁠
In the main branch of the Credit around Charleston Sideroad and on the West Credit River around Winston Churchill Boulevard approximately 30 Brook Trout have been tagged to monitor their movements through the summer and fall. Tagged fish have their adipose fin removed as shown in this photo. Please release any Brook Trout on the Credit River with a missing adipose fin even if you are in an area that permits fish harvest. ⁠
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⁠ ⁠⁠

A great way to practice

Classic Pro Tips: How to Teach Yourself to Double Haul - Orvis News Turning the cast on its side allows you to watch every step of the process. Even if you understand the concept and the mechanics behind double-hauling, teaching yourself to do it can be difficult because it's difficult to watch yourself while you cast to see what you’re . . .