North Coast Jr. Fly Casters

The North Coast Jr. Fly Casters (NCJrFC) started in July 1999.  My son and I were both members of the Rainland Fly Casters (RFC), but I wanted to get my son involved in something that was geared more for youth.  I knew the 4-H was very active here in our area, so I inquired to see what was available, if anything, in regards to fly fishing.  I found that there was nothing that involved fly fishing by itself.  So, with the help of the 4-H, I decided to start a youjth fly club.  The 4-H leaders were also excited because they didn't have anything like this in their current curriculum or organization.  My son had several friends that were also interested in fly fishing, so I had a core group to start with.

Our core group started out with about 5-6 junior fly casters and it has slowly worked it's way up to a core group of about 11-12.  Don Abing, who is a close friend of mine and who I worked with at the Clatsop County Sheriff's Dept., helped me a lot of the time (he is retired now).   He is a member of the RFC and was also the Ghillie for the Rainland Fly Casters.

In 2004 I purchased fly tying vices and fly tying tools, enough for 10 kids to tie flies. This was made possible with the generosity and help of Don Nelson, owner of the River City Fly Shop in Beaverton, OR and Pat Dunlap of Cascade Crest Tools in Central Point, OR.  Don was my main contact person and  was really the one who made it all happen. 

There was a small group of us from the Rainland Fly Casters that worked with the Boy Scouts in our area.  We would help them earn their Fly Fishing Badge. One requirement for earning their badge is tying the flies they use.  This again was made possible because of  Don Nelson and Pat Dunlap

I had been working for the longest time on a Fly Pattern Book which I completed and gave to each of the NCJrFC.  It has the fly patterns, along with a hatch chart, for the lakes here in our area.  This way they will each know when the different hatches are taking place, which flies to use, and how to tie them.  I figured it would be something that they would be able to keep and use for a long time.

The Astoria Middle School had a fishing club that met after school that was hosted by one of the teachers.  He invited a few of the members of the Rainland Fly Casters to demonstrate a few things on fly fishing during their club meetings.  This also gave me the perfect opportunity to talk to the kids about the Jr. fly club.  On one afternoon, I brought a variety of flies giving them a quick run down on what flies to use, when and where.   A few weeks later Ron Reinebach and I put on a fly tying demonstration for the kids in the fishing club. On another afternoon, the teacher reserved the gym after school, so that Don and I could show the kids how to fly cast.  The Club has about 10 rods and reels with line, that we were able to use.  Don,  being a certified fly casting instructor with the FFF, was thrilled to show the kids different casting styles and techniques.  Don also demonstrated several differnt casting techniques, and gave a few casting lessons during the summer months for the Jr. fly club.

At one of our NCJrFC meetings, with the help of RFC memberJoe Miltenberger, we tied the Squamish Poacher. The kids had a great time.  It was a fly that one of our RFC members, Walter Quint, put in the Rainland Fly Casters 20th Anniversary book.  It is a great Steelhead fly and if you would like to read about the fly and the man who created it just click on the Squamish Poacher. The pattern for tying the fly is at the end of the story. I had tied several of them and thought it would be a great fly for the kids to learn how to tie.  Each of the kids got to tie two flies to take home with them.  One of the kids who attended the meeting, it was his first time to tie a fly.  Joe worked with him, because he was left handed and it just so happened that Joe to is left handed.  It really worked out very well and I think everyone had a great time learning how to tie a new fly.  It was even a new fly for Joe to tie! 

Just before one Christmas, Richard Mast  came and showed us how to place a big fly into a glass ornament. The kids could then take them home and hang them on their Christmas tree. So we all tied up a fly and placed them in ornaments.  It was a lor of fun and very interesting. Richard and I had a great time working with the kids.

As time went on everyone grew up and went away to college or started working full time at a job, but as I look back those were some very special times working with the NCJrFC club. I like to think that a seed was planted and what they learned they might share with their own kids someday.

Jeff Mac Lean

Materials from this site may be used, in furthence of the FFF principles,

if appropriate credit is given.