Here it is May already and I'm finally getting around to writing the newsletter! Spring Turkey season is still open and if you didn't put in for your special hunt tags you are probably out of luck as of this writing since the deadline was May 15th. Spring Chinook fishing has been terrific and twelve of us had a great time "Sage Rat" hunting in the Eastern Oregon Fort Rock area. It's not too late to put your own "Sage Rat" hunt together. If you need information on where to find them, contact Tom Filaroski or me.

Our guest speaker in April was Jim Teeny, who gave a terrific presentation on fly fishing as well as tips on using his line of fishing tackle - including the famous Teeny Nymph (I think he prefers the Gold)! Anyway, thanks Jim! You are always welcome at the Lodge and we hope to see you again in the near future.

Our May Main Event speaker this month will be Loren Goddard of Dockside Charters out of Depot Bay. Loren is a lifelong fisherman, has chartered for Dockside Charters for ten years and is now part owner and operator of the Affair. Loren is experienced in all aspects of the local ocean fisheries including: rockfish, ling cod, salmon, halibut and tuna. He is especially passionate about tuna and has studied their habits and ways to care for them once they are aboard. We look forward to his presentation and I know we will learn a lot. The Main Event will be held on May 22 at 6 PM. As usual, it will be in the Lodge at Sandy River Airport, 42323 Oral Hull Road in Sandy. We will again provide a complementary meal and there is no cost or dues attached to being on our CrossTracker roster.

Our next Bible study will be held at the Lodge on Monday, May 21st, at 6:30 PM. We will be finishing our study of the movie Courageous. Our study is led by pastor and Hawaiian adventurer, Jason Roeder, who I'm sure will share some of his Kauai island adventures.

Here it is April already and time to be thinking about where you want to hunt and who you want to hunt with. The deadline for special hunt applications is May 15 so be sure to check the 2012 Big Game Regulations so that you don't miss out on your preferred hunting area. Spring turkey hunting season is from April 15 through May 31 and some folks are hunting 'sage rats' (ground squirrel) toward the end of April. Don't forget 'springers' are starting to come in and Bob Hewitt is coordinating a Spring Chinook fishing event on April 14th. If you are interested or want to volunteer your boat, contact Bob at (503) 663-3667.

Our April Main Event guest speaker is Jim Teeny. When the words "fly fishing innovator" come up in conversation, Jim Teeny is one of the first names that should come to mind. At age 16, Jim designed the Teeny Nymph and went on to start the Teeny Nymph Company, which later turned into Jim Teeny Inc., run by Jim and his wife Donna in Gresham, Oregon. In addition to being a fishing tackle innovator, Jim has made numerous TV appearances, authored books and found time to take the gold at the 2007 Pacific Rim Fly Fishing Tournament in B.C. Canada. Jim is an Oregon treasure and I know we will all learn from his presentation. As usual, the Main Event will be held in the Lodge at Sandy River Airport, 42323 Oral Hull Road in Sandy on Tuesday, April 24, at 6 PM. We will again provide a complementary meal and there is no cost attached to being on our CrossTrackers roster.

Our guest speaker in March was Darryl Burkhardt, who taught us about tournament bass fishing. Thanks, Darryl, you are welcome to hang out with us anytime! Our resident chef, Tom Filaroski, provided about seventy of us with a terrific Italian dinner. Thanks Tom, you did it again!

Our bottom fish trip to Depot Bay unfortunately had to be cancelled due to extremely high seas but we will try it again at a later date. Those of you prone to sea sickness just received a "Big Time" reprieve!

Don't forget our Bible study based on the Courageous Movie that is led by pastor and outdoorsman Jason Roeder. The Bible study is held at the Lodge every other Monday at 6:30 PM. The next meeting is on April 9th. Also, we will have the "Emporium" open for those who would like to purchase CrossTracker shirts and hats.