Gloria Mack won this year’s competition for the largest trout caught.
George Abernathy
The Sun Lakes Fly Fishing Club (SLFFC) held their annual dinner and fundraiser for the disabled veterans with Arizona Veterans Fly Fishing (AZVFF) on Oct. 22 at Stone & Barrel restaurant with great success. Thanks to all who attended the event. The feedback from those who attended was that it was an enjoyable evening with great food and service from the staff at Stone & Barrel, and the donations on display were impressive. We raised approximately $5,000 with the sale of the gift baskets, certificates, cash donations, and fishing gear, and selling the remaining fly fishing equipment should easily yield an additional $2,000 for the vets. The event would not have been possible without the wonderful donations from outside companies, our generous club members, and all three HOAs. I would also like to take the time to express additional gratitude to the IronOaks management team for allowing us to host the event at Stone & Barrel.
The SLFFC maintains just two goals: Keep our lines wet and support the disabled veterans. We are always looking for donated fly fishing equipment and donations from Sun Lakes residents that can help us raise monies for AZVFF.
And speaking of “wetting our lines,” 2024 has been a great year for fly fishing for our members, not only in Arizona but across the USA. In October nine club members fished the San Juan River in New Mexico for four days, where Gloria Mack won this year’s competition for the largest trout caught, which was her second year doing so! Five of us converged at Flaming Gorge in Utah and fished the Green River and experienced some of the best brown trout fishing ever. Several members also fished different states throughout the summer and fall for trout and bass with a flyrod. On Aug. 22 I departed for a 21-day driving/fly fishing trip throughout seven states. Putting 4,700 miles on my truck was worth the experience of fishing so many famous fisheries, especially in Wyoming and Montana.
I know most people think that Arizona is covered with thousands of acres of succulents and golf courses; however, if you enjoy fly fishing, you might consider coming to one of our meetings. You will be surprised to learn about the diverse fisheries in Arizona, a state where you can fish all year for a variety of fish.
For information on meeting dates, recent trips, and forthcoming trips, go to our website at sunlakesflyfishing.com or contact me at [email protected] or 480-521-1060 or Randy Smith at [email protected] or 480-371-8406.
“Half the charm of fishing is that it generally takes one into beautiful scenery. Catching fish is not all of fishing.” —J. Arthur Hutton