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'Fish guys' mark 25th
The Central Oregon Flyfishers celebrate a quarter century of kids, casts, secret spots and conservation
By Mark Morical
Published: March 24. 2005 6:00AM PST
Bob Mullong did not recognize the twentysomething stranger, but the man certainly knew Bob.
"He came up to me and said, 'Hey, I know you, you're Bob the fish guy,' " Mullong recalls. "Then he started talking about eight years ago."
Mullong, who sports a long, gray beard and is also known in fly-fishing circles as "Captain Caddis," had obviously left an impression on the young man. And there are probably thousands of other kids out there that have been similarly affected by the Central Oregon Flyfishers' Kokanee Karnival, in which the club teaches youngsters fly-fishing at Shevlin Pond.
The club celebrated its 25th anniversary last month. Those 25 years have been marked not only by memorable group outings on Central Oregon streams, but also by a heavy emphasis on conservation and youth education.
Speak with any longtime member of the Flyfishers, and their eyes will sparkle when they talk about the kids.
"I don't think you can do this sport without trying to put something back in it," says Mullong, 58, who lives in Tumalo. "The kids really light up and enjoy everything. Our involvement with kids' education is what's been best for us."
The Central Oregon Flyfishers was founded in 1979 by 13 local fishermen, who basically just wanted some fishing buddies, according to Mullong. When Mullong joined the group in 1984, he says there were just 25 members. Now there are more than 200, most of whom volunteer in some form, either by teaching kids or volunteering to conserve fish habitats in the region's waterways.
"Back then, it (fly-fishing) wasn't so popular," Mullong says. "You joined because you wanted to learn how to fly fish."
The late Clyde Keller Jr., to whom a bench is dedicated at Shevlin Pond, played an integral part in the early years of the Central Oregon Flyfishers. Eight longtime members gathered this week at the pond to discuss the history of the Flyfishers, and remember Keller.
Gordon Chandler, 52, who joined the club 20 years ago, took fly-fishing classes from Keller in those early years.
"He had a ton of stories," Chandler remembers of "Clyde the Guide." "He would bend your ear for hours. He had a great generosity to share information and help other people along."
Chandler now teaches beginning fly-casting classes himself, through the continuing education program at Central Oregon Community College.
"The classes I attended, I now teach," Chandler says, as if to reveal how much he's learned through the club.
But the Central Oregon Flyfishers are not just about fly-fishing. In fact, some of the members who join don't even fish. They are more interested in conservation activities, such as adding logs and rocks to streams to improve fish habitats or planting trees along rivers and lakes. The Flyfishers also take part in several outings with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Forest Service to count spawning beds for bull trout on the Metolius River.
But the heart and soul of the Central Oregon Flyfishers lies in the fly-fishing itself. Members often take each other fishing and share their secret spots. Though they might not stay secret for long.
"I took Gordon to this spot on the Crooked River one time," says Mullong, "and I made him swear to secrecy. We go back to his house and he's on the phone!"
But the Flyfishers often have group outings to not-so-secret locations. On New Year's Day each year, 15 or 20 members will meet to fish the Metolius. Last summer, several members traveled to Kamloops, British Columbia, for a weeklong fly-fishing excursion.
"I enjoy going on a trip with a lot of friends and just sharing good times," Chandler says.
Most longtime members admit that they'll never learn all there is to know about the sport.
"I've been fly-fishing since 1953," says Bob Griffin, "and I'm taking courses offered from this club to learn more about it."
Rex Harrison, a member of Central Oregon Flyfishers since 1989, says the club volunteers an average of 4,000 hours per year. Kokanee Karnival is the club's biggest event, and it will take place April 26-29 at Aspen Hall near Shevlin Park. Fourth- and fifth-graders from Central Oregon will learn about water safety, fly-casting and fish biology, before getting a chance to catch some fish in Shevlin Pond.
For more information on the Kokanee Karnival and other Central Oregon Flyfisher events, call president Dave Dunahay at 317-5843.
Mark Morical can be reached at 541-383-0318 or at mmorical@bendbulletin.com.
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