The C.A.T. ‘Collective Artist Thread’

“The recognition of abundance fills us with hope that our brightest ideas still await us and our greatest work is yet to come.” Rick Ruben, The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Welcome to the C.A.T. (Collective Artists’ Thread), a new creative column hosted and curated by C5 Studios Community Arts Center. The C.A.T. will appear in your Saturday edition of The Inyo Register twice a month; a stimulating, entertaining, inspiring companion to your morning coffee.

The Collective Artists’ Thread is exactly what the name suggests.

It is not a column that is revisited each time by just one or two writers, but rather a thread of thoughts, ideas and musings from a growing collective of individuals connected by our hunger for inspiring, engaging, thought-provoking conversation. Just as our feline friends are known for their independence, mischief, curiosity, intuition, beauty, mystery, protection and love; we encourage you to engage these qualities and trust your instincts to share your unique contributions with us.

Community members of all ages, experiences and languages are encouraged to submit articles, short stories, poems, critiques and commentaries on the arts, personal creative endeavors, community, honorary mentions and the human experience, including our relationship with the natural world. Anyone may submit work and authors who wish to remain anonymous on publication are also welcome.

We are excited to dedicate this space to creative conversations for everyone!

“One of the functions of art is to give people the words to know their own experience. There are always areas of vast silence in any culture, and part of an artist’s job is to go into those areas and come back from the silence with something to say. It’s one reason why we read poetry, because poets can give us the words we need. When we read good poetry, we often say, ‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s how I feel.” ~Ursula Le Guin

The written word serves humans to leave behind our version of today. Words are not trivial. Indeed, narrating our experience is significant. Language is the substance between humans, words can be the replenishing, powerful source of keeping community together. Words engage us in dialogue.

Language threads meaning and understanding into our lives and provides connections with others. Our stories guide our culture.

“Culture does not make people. People make culture.” ~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

At C5 Studios Community Arts Center we believe in the power of the arts to connect people to one another and to themselves. Our connections with one another and community needs regular tending, and it is essential that we have consistent places to check in and connect. C5

Studios has made it our mission to respond to this need through our 5 C’s; Create, Connect,

Converse, Construct, and Contribute.

The arts center is a physical hub for connection and creativity for folks of all ages.

Extending our offerings beyond the physical space of the arts center to a shared space such as this column increases access to these connections, and inviting those who can use writing to contribute expands our community. The C.A.T. fulfills a need for connection, conversation, and contributes to a growing body of local work from diverse perspectives with public access for all to enjoy.

We invite you to submit your ideas, comments and musings to the C.A.T! Submissions to the C.A.T must be oriented towards any of the following: the arts, design, culture and nature.

C.A.T submissions will be reviewed and may be edited by the C5 Studios directors before publishing. You will be notified by email when your submission is received and reviewed. Submissions are rolling and will be archived for publishing, please submit at any time. Stay tuned for the next installment of The C.A.T. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Erin and Naomi C5 Studios Community Arts Center directors

Please send submissions to Erin Dews at erinc5studios@gmail. com (Sierra Bright Dot fly fishing report for March 1.)

The Eastern Sierra is expecting a major winter storm this weekend. Speculation is of high winds and lots of snow. For a few days it will be time to hunker down and stay indoors. Perfect time to tie flies, clean fly lines or organize fly fishing tackle. Once the storm blows through we should be back to clear skies and good fly fishing. Increased insect activity is increasing trout activity. Mid-day is prime time to be on the water as this is the peak of the insect activity provided by mayflies, midges and caddis. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing.

Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section Warm days, hatching insects and feeding trout is why the lower Owens River was the spot to fish before the storm. I expect the fishing to pick right back up after the storm. The biggest problem of this storm is going to be the wind.

Wading the river in spots where both banks are inundated with willows and tulles is a way to get out of the wind. Midges, mayflies and caddis are hatching and the trout are feeding on them.

For dry flies fish with blue wing olive parachutes, Adams parachutes and olive sparkle duns. For nymphs use bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and olive quilldigons.

Hot Creek: Interpretive Site

This will be a spot that needs to be checked on to determine if you can access with vehicle or by foot after the storm. Wild brown trout and rainbow trout are feeding on caddis and mayflies. Nymphing is the most productive method as the hatches are not consistent enough to bring the trout to the surface consistently. Trout are taking olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears and Frenchie’s. If you find consistent rising trout use Adams parachutes, blue wing olive parachutes and Griffiths gnats.

Hot Creek Canyon Section

If we get the snow the weatherman are calling for fly fishers will be walking into the canyon section instead of driving in like they have been all winter. Skiers are heading over to Hot Creek to try the fly fishing or check out the hot springs in the afternoons. Mornings are quiet as few fly fishers are on the water.

Dry and a dropper is a great way to fish the canyon section of Hot Creek. Use a size 16 elk hair caddis or an Adams parachute for the dry fly. For the nymph use olive burlap caddis, olive quilldigons, Frenchie’s, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears nymphs and cream caddis.

Upper Owens River Above Benton Crossing Bridge

This could be the end of vehicle access to the upper Owens River.

It might be time to dust of the snowshoes, cross country skis or the snowmobile to access the river after this storm. The winter migration run of trophy rainbow trout is coming to an end.

Fly fishers are working hard to get one or two trophy trout.

Thoroughly covering the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks with stoner nymphs, green/ gold Prince nymphs and Richard’s gold ribbed hare’s ear variation is producing one to three trophy trout per session. Quite often fly fishers use what we call junk flies on the upper Owens River. These would be egg patterns, San Juan worms and squirmy worms.

Bishop Creek Canal: Behind the old Ford

Dealer

This might be the only water that could benefit from the storm short term. The water flows in the canal need to increase to allow fly fishers to fish the canal without spooking the trout. Fly fishing here continues to be tough as the water is clear and very low.

(Fred Rowe owns Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Specialty. He teaches fly fishing and fly tying, is one of the original fly fishing guides in the Eastern Sierra. When he’s not out fishing the waters of the Eastern Sierra from

Bishop to Bridgeport, he is an avid hunter who loves to hunt birds, especially waterfowl. Fred can be reached at (760) 920-8325 or at roweboat5@verizon. net. His webpage is at sierrabrightdot.com)