December 2005

Announcements
 

Do you have an announcement? Please send it to the announcements editor, .

 
 Annual Holiday Dinner
what: It's that merry time of year again and, as always, the PFF will be celebrating another year with our annual holiday dinner at the Highland Club. Socialize with your friends, win prizes, bid on silent and live auction items. And incidentally, you'll be helping boost the club finances while having all that fun. The menu includes prime rib, salad, and baked potato, with cheesecake for dessert. Soft drinks will be provided. BYOB.

As usual, we can use volunteers to help set-up before the dinner, and help clean-up afterwards.
when: Thursday, December 15. Doors open for pre-dinner appetizers at 6:30 PM. Dinner will be served around 8 PM.
where Our clubhouse at the Highlands Community Club (address and map)
contact: Les "The Camp Cook" Junge at 650-593-4982 (h) or 650-533-4490 (cell).
 Donate Flies (and stuff) to the Winter Raffle
what: One of the highlights of the Annual Holiday Dinner is the silent auction for flies tied and donated by all of the talented tiers who belong to the club. The proceeds from this auction are an important source of funding for club events. Help out by tying one or more boxes of your favorite flies and donating them to the club. It's fun and it is often a real ego booster to see how much others are willing to pay for your flies.
not a tier?: Even if you're not a tier, you can still help the club by donating something nice for the auction. In the past, members have donated new clothing (fly fishing t-shirts), bottles of wine, and even a brand new door mat! We are looking for items that are in excellent condition that are somehow related to fly fishing – like a case of fine wine. ;-)
contact: Flies -
Other Donations -
 Check Your Rod Weight – Common Cents at January Workshop
what: Like apparel sizing, the "art" of determining a rod weight is highly subjective and varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. One popular objective way of establishing a rod weight (and matching it properly to the fly line) is the "Common Cents" System. Doug Weber will set up his Common Cents equipment at the next workshop and will be available to help PFFers test their rods and establish their true line rating.
bring: Any fly rod you wish to test. It only takes a few minutes and will enable you to definitively establish the proper line weight for your rod.
when: January 5, 2006 at the regular Workshop time and place.
reference: Here's a link [Common Cents System] to a description of the system.
contact:
 Upcoming 2006 Speakers (tentative)
what: We are still firming up our speaker list for next year, but for those of you who would like a preview, here's what is tentatively lined up right now.
speakers:
  • Jan 2006 – Dave Harrington ( Euchiniko Lakes Ranch, British Columbia) with assistance from Chris Rich and Jim Ducey.
  • Feb 2006 – Tim Frahm
  • Mar 2006 – Sam Mihara
  • Apr 2006 – Andy Burk
  • May 2006 – Ken Morrish
  • Jun 2006 – Hogan Brown
contact: , Speaker Chairman
 Lead a Fishout in 2006
what: While the shorter days and colder weather signal the end of the year, it is never too early to begin planning for 2006. All of our fishouts are member-organized and range from a simple day on a local river to a complex guided trip to Alaska or Mexico. However, whatever the destination, the basic goal is to have fun and chase some fish. Tentative trips include Lake Naciemento, Lake Almanor, Kaiser Pass, Alaska, Robinson Lake, Yosemite, and even the surf! Get involved. It's your club and it's only as good as you can make it! (Tip: Fishmaster tips are in your annual roster and on our website.)
contact: , Fishout Chairman
 Paper Roster Coming in December
what: The paper roster has been generated from the electronic on-line database and we will start distribution it at the December Holiday Dinner. Rosters that are not distributed directly in December will be mailed to members.
contact: , Webmaster
 San Mateo ISE Show Early This Year
what: To avoid the inevitably superbowl conflict, the organizers of the International Sportsman's Expo (ISE) have moved the San Mateo show to an earlier date this year. This is one of the country's best fishing shows and we are lucky that it occurs in our own back yard. An entire hall is dedicated solely to fly fishing and seminars by fly fishing personalities like Lefty Kreh, Valentine Atkinson, Dan Blanton, Ken Hanley, Jay Murakowshi, Steve Rajeff, Bob Clouser, Gary Borger, Al Beatty, Jack Dennis, Steve Abel, Denny Rickards and a host of other fly fishing celebrities. Also, if you are thinking of buying a new rod this year, this is your best opportunity to test cast the same class rod from many different manufacturers in a single afternoon. Just be sure to bring your own reel so that you are testing each rod with the same line. More details at the show's website.
when: January 12 – 15.
where San Mateo County Expo Center
 The Fly Fishing Show – San Rafael
what: Not to be confused with the ISE, the Fly Fishing Show is your second opportunity to overdose on fishing gear, casting demo's, and fishing seminars. For more details, see the show's website. The location can't be beat for testing out rods since there is a lake at the venue.
when: February 17 – 19.
where Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael
 Web Roster System Now On-Line
what: If you click over to the roster page, you will see that some changes have occurred. We have moved all the new membership roster data to an entirely new system which is more secure and more useful for both PFF members and volunteers.

You can check and edit your own entry in the system by logging in. If you can browse the web and type, you can edit your own entry. Your log-in name is your your first and last name (as you entered on your membership form) in all lowercase letters, contatenated together. So if your true name is John Trout, then your login name is johntrout. Your initial password is "pff" but the system will require you to change this when you first log in. Please don't use your favorite, secure password because the system is not totally fool-proof. Use a simple password that you can remember easily.
help: If you are having difficulty and need assistance with the roster, please contact the webmaster.
contact: , Webmaster
 Website Publishing Break In January
what: December's website constitutes the 21st consecutive monthly edition edited by yours truly – without a break. I will be taking the first month of 2006 off for a much needed reorganization of the editorial staffing of this publication. A number of your fellow PFFers have volunteered to help out and if you are interested in lending a hand, please contact the web master. Absolutely no knowledge of arcane mark-up languages or coding is required. The main skills we need are a keen curiosity and interest in fly fishing events, good organization skills, a bit of writing ability, and the desire and interest in learning new stuff. It is the internet after all.
contact: , Webmaster
  PFF Patches And Pins & Club Logo Clothing
what: Absolutely necessary sartorial enhancements! Embroidered, white-on-blue patches and enamelled, silver-on-blue pins are always available from J. C. Poulton. $3 for either; $5 for both. Clothing and other items from Cabella's can be ordered with an embroidered PFF patch. Rich Holubek can give you the details.
contact: for patches and pins
for help with Cabella's orders