News (Member Blog)

Clark-Skamania Flyfishers (CSF) is more than just a club; we are a dedicated community of anglers, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts with a shared passion to enhance fish populations, restore ecosystems, and ensure the art of fly-fishing is passed on to future generations through education, participation, and outreach.

Now, we need your help to continue this vital work.

Join Us for the Biggest Event of the Year!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 22, at 4:00 PM and be part of our Annual Fundraising Banquet and Auction at the Black Pearl on the Columbia in Washougal, WA. This is more than just a dinner—it’s a chance to give back to the rivers, fish, and community we all love. Our goal? To raise $40,000 for conservation, education, and outreach efforts. 

Your support—whether through a ticket purchase, an auction bid, or a donation—will directly impact local conservation projects, habitat restoration, and fly-fishing education programs. Every dollar raised fuels our mission.

A Night of Giving, Camaraderie, and Excitement

This unforgettable evening kicks off at 4:00 PM with silent auctions and cup raffles featuring an incredible selection of items: Top-tier fly-fishing gear, custom-tied flies, boat equipment, tools, handmade quilts, apparel, electronics, and much more.

At 6:00 PM, our dinner program and live auction will take center stage, featuring high-stakes bidding on premium items and experiences, including guided fishing trips, Airbnb getaways and fishing rods. Special speaker, Steve Jones, President of Fly Fishers International (FFI), will share his insights, and we will also honor outstanding members of our community with distinguished awards, which will be followed later by a special presentation titled "Casting to the Future."

The event will be enriched with ambiance by live acoustic guitar music from our own member, professional musician, Steve Allen.

Whether you're new to fly-fishing or a seasoned angler, this is your opportunity to walk away with incredible gear, connect with like-minded individuals, and, most importantly, make a profound impact on the future of our fisheries.

Be a Giver, Be a Receiver

This is more than just a fundraiser—it’s an act of giving where everyone wins. You give, and in return, you receive: new friendships, new knowledge, new gear, and the immense satisfaction of knowing that your contribution helps enhance fish populations for generations to come. When we come together in support of conservation, we all walk away richer—not just in possessions, but in purpose.

Get Your Tickets or Donate Today!

Tickets are selling fast, so don’t wait! Visitwww.CSFly.net/banquet to secure your spot or to make a direct donation (if you cannot attend). Every contribution, big or small, moves us closer to our goal and strengthens our community’s ability to preserve what we cherish most—the health of our rivers and fish.

Join us for an evening of generosity, celebration, and passion for conservation. Let’s make a difference together!

We’ll see you there!

Ben Nolte

President, Clark-Skamania Flyfishers

“Wooohooo! I got one!” Kelsey exclaimed! 

Just as I was about to sit in my kayak and push off the shore, I turned around to see my wife Kelsey hollering with her first fish on the line. She was sitting in her float tube; her rod was bent; and she was grinning from cheek to cheek. She hadn’t even fished one minute before she had a nice 14 inch rainbow tugging on her wooly bugger.  Oh, and 30 seconds later, she landed it too.

This was a big deal. Why?

Well, we were at Crane Prairie Reservoir, a lake she came to every year as a child with her family; it was a lake her late father, Calvin Schimpf (who passed away 12 months ago), took her and her siblings fishing at as kids. It was a lake where she could reminisce the memories she cherished; it was a lake where she could heal and recover after her own post-op surgery pains and fight with a tumor just six weeks earlier; it was a lake of new beginnings; it was a lake of second chances.

And, it was the first time she solo hooked and landed a fish on a fly rod all by herself. Woot! I am so happy for her! 

And, after she released that one, she cast out, hooked and caught another one just five minutes later. So fun!

Oh, and did I mention she was fishing with her dad’s ol’ 5wt fly rod, float tube and fins?

Yes! It was a perfect day! We were soaking in every moment.

I wish I could say my luck was as good as hers (I only caught a 3” trout), but my luck that day was measured in other ways. First of all, witnessing her excitement catching two fish back-to-back, was absolutely thrilling. Secondly, when the fishing was done, I pulled out my ukulele and whistled Bob Marley’s song, “Three Little Birds” to her. The lyrics go like this: “Rise up this morning, smile with the rising sun, three little birds, at my doorstep, singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true, saying, this is my message to you-ou-ou. Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, cuz every little thing’s gonna be alright.” 

That spot; those fishing moments; and that vibe - they each contributed to creating a perfect day.  Yes, “every little thing” was “gonna be alright.” And interestingly, we captured that song on video (with the lake in the background), and I entered it into the 2024 Global Whistling Championship, which I eventually found out landed me in the final round and top 25. Woot!

Surprised? 

Yes, me too. I guess good things happen when you start your day out fishing, and do it with those you love.

So, why do I share this story?  Fishing trips create memories that span through time. Some of my favorite memories in life have been on days I go fishing. If you haven’t been to your favorite childhood fishing hole in a while, I invite you to go back and bring someone you love. Reminisce the memories of the past and create new ones at the same time. It’s therapy, and it works!

So, that’s my story, but we also want to hear from you. Tell us your favorite stories.

At CFS we want to learn more about you and each of our members. Each of you has a favorite fishing spot. Each of you has a favorite fish.  Each of you has a favorite memory. We would love to learn more about you and your likes and interests. At your discretion, please share a little about yourself, your background, career, hobbies, projects, passions and skills. Click here to fill out a form for us to learn a little bit more about you.

Cheers,

Ben Nolte, CSF President

Dear anglers, conservationists, and friends,

I wrote a little jingle about fishing. The song goes like this:

“I'm fishin’, fishin', fishin', fishin', fishin' for you.

I'm realin’, realin’, realin’, realin’, realin’ for you.

I'm casting… to create memories with you.

I'm casting… to feel something new.

I'm casting… because I love you.

I'm going fishing with you.

Let's save a river or two.

I'm gonna outfish you…”

To me, this little jingle embraces everything I like about fishing: 

1. Spending time and creating memories with those we care about.

2. Trying, learning and feeling something new.

3. Conserving and preserving a future for all of us.

…and having fun.

I believe these ideals are reflective of you and each one of us at CSF. We are caring individuals, anglers and conservationists doing what we love to do and conserving the world we fish in at the same time.

The last line of the song, in jest, says “I'm gonna outfish you…” For those who have fished with me know I say this jokingly because I often get caught up in a windknot or spell of bad luck. But, I have fun doing it and I invite y'all to come and try to outfish me and have fun doing it.

Let's all have a wonderful new year doing what we love to do with those whom we love to do it with. 

I challenge you to invite your family and friends to come to the meetings, classes, projects, banquets and outings. We're going to have a jolly time.

Happy New Year!

Ben Nolte