Allegheny Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Happy New Year

I know it’s been some time since we last sent a newsletter out, but it’s hard to find someone with the time to do this every quarter. At least you have seen what’s going on through the State Council newsletter. Bill Mendat is no longer going to be doing the newsletter and Matt Marusiak will be taking over along with his duties with the website.

I just want to bring everyone up to date with what the chapter is doing and going to do. Several chapter members attended the Men’s Health Expo in Clearfield this summer to help Joe Humphreys with his youth flyfishing class. Our Big Brothers Big Sisters event was a big success; once again, all the kids caught fish. Next year we will start earlier as it just gets too hot after lunch. We had a station at the Jefferson County Youth Field Days teaching fly tying and casting. We also did the same program at Curwensville Dam in late summer. The signs along the Delayed Harvest area were replace where needed by chapter members before the fall stocking. As an aside if you haven’t tried fishing here you should. The largest trout I’ve seen caught measured 26" and was caught on a spoon. I myself caught one over 22" this fall. Once the mine drainage and some habitat work get done this is going to be a great place when you just need to get out fishing.

This summer I went up to help National TU and the Kettle Creek Watershed Complete some habitat improvements on both Kettle and Cross Fork. Amy Wolfe asked if she could come and speak to our chapter on partnering with National TU on cleaning up the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Amy came to our August meeting and asked for our help in the Cooks Run Watershed. We have agreed to do this and Matt Marusiak will be our Contact person.

After the success of last years Trout in the Class Room, we had another school ask if we would partner with them. We now have Jeff Tec in the program. We will be accepting applications for other schools in January. To learn more about this program, go to TU website and click on Trout in the Class Room.

The October meeting was held at Big Run and elections were held all candidates were re elected. Our speaker for the evening had a medical emergency so we were going to look at a DVD on the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture that was put out by the Tennessee Council of TU. This is an educational piece to be used in schools so there was a quiz for the students that I though would be fun to take. Of the 14 members present, NO ONE got a 100%. Guess we are never too old to learn something. Also in October, training was held at Bald Eagle State Park for all the teachers in the Trout in the Class Room program that we are supporting in the DuBois, Brockway, and Jeff Tec Schools. This was part of the requirement for the schools to receive eggs to raise in the classroom. I attended this training and I was impressed with what is happening in schools around the state not just in our local area. PA Council received 29 applications from around the state for 10 grants. We are very lucky to have the recourses to fund our 3 schools our self. Anyone who would like to find out or see how trout are raised in the classroom please call me to arraign a tour.

At the reorganizational meeting held at Hoss’s, Kim Lanich was elected to the board to replace Dr Elias. Kim immediately volunteered to help Orwin with the banquet. THANKS Kim!

Speaking of the Banquet it is on April 5th at the Clarion Hotel mark your calendar now! Anyone that can help solicit prizes or can donate a prize PLEASE call me. I spoke with a member of another chapter near ours and she already has over 100 prizes for their banquet. It’s not hard but it does take time.

Novembers meeting was held at the DuBois YMCA (this is where all future DuBois meetings will be held). We had Dr Bob Hedin, Neil and Amy Wolfe, and Becky Dunlap give a program on the Cooks Run Watershed and how our chapter will be working with National TU in completing the cleanup of the rest of the watershed. Also in November, I along with Jason Detar from the PA Fish and Boat Commission gave a program to the members of the DuBois City Council on stream habitat improvements along the walkway in the DHALO section. The City approved and we have applied for an Embrace a Stream Grant through National TU. If anyone knows where we can get some hemlock lumber and logs they will be needed in this project let the chapter know. Work should begin this summer members will be needed to help with the work so keep your ears open as to when. Also, Dr Blakeslee and Sandy Twp are putting the finishing touches on the Growing Greener Grant to remove the iron discharge at the DuBois Mall. We are hoping to break ground on this in the spring, but we still have some hurdles to jump through. I hope to announce a meeting for all interested parties to go over the projects in either late January or mid February. I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Jason Detar for all his help in putting something together for the grant, as well as his presentation to the City. These two projects should make the creek a much better environment for fish and fishermen real soon.

Becky Dunlap in the project coordinator for the West Branch and is going to be doing some very interesting work on the Cooks Run Watershed. She hopes to start a bug inventory on Camp Run, which is the one our chapter is cleaning up (hope to see it finished this year!) She wants to see how the insects repopulate a stream naturally after it is cleaned up. She is also looking at doing a genetic study on brook trout. Sound real interesting and she will be back to keep us informed. One nice payoff with working with Amy and Becky is that National TU is learning just how much we have already done in cleaning up AMD in the West Branch.

Trout Run

The chapter, thanks to Ken Undercoffer, Orwin Srock, and Bud Thomas, finished the assessment on Trout Run funded by the Growing Greener grant. We now have flow data as well as the pH’s for the past 12 months. Once all this is complied, we will start work on a plan to improve the water quality in the watershed.

Cooks Run

We have been waiting to see when ground is to be broken on the final phase of the Camp Run clean up. I’ve been told that we should hear if the project gets funded this January. we have been keeping the pressure on the Bureau of Abandoned Mines to keep this at the top of the pile. Stay tuned!

Upcoming Events and Meetings

January 2 – Board meeting at Big Run

January 9 – Membership meeting at Big Run. Program: Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Ken Undercoffer and Jack Williams speakers

January 23 – Fly Tying Classes start at the DuBois YMCA

Feb 5 – Board meeting at DuBois Nursing Home

Feb 13 – Membership meeting at DuBois YMCA. Program: Fly tying roundtable

Feb TBA – Posting signs along the DHALO in DuBois

March 4 – Board meeting at Big Run

March 12 – Membership meeting at Big Run. Program: Nathan Welker with the Allegheny National Forest WINNS program (tentative)

March TBA – Fly tying at Jim’s Sport Center in Clearfield to be three days this year!

April 1 – Board meeting at DuBois Nursing Home

April 5 – 42nd Annual Banquet at DuBois Clarion Hotel

May 6 – Board meeting at Big Run

May 14 – Membership meeting at Big Run. Program: TBA

May TBA – Bug program at the DuBois Middle School

June 7 – Jefferson County Youth Field Days (tentative)

June 21 – Big Brothers Big Sisters Fishing Day at Tannery Dam

Fly Tying Classes

Classes will start on January 23 at the DuBois YMCA. The cost is $20 for both Y members and chapter members. Non-members will be charged $40. All material will be provided, but you will need your own tools. We have a limited number of loaner tools for those who would like to try tying. Loaner tools are on a first come first serve basis only. The class will meet on Wednesday nights for six weeks, and is a beginner’s course.

Help Wanted

Fly tier – some experience needed. Don’t worry of you’re not a pro; none of us are. This position is for 2-5 hours only when need at mall shows or youth field days. Great opportunity to ill your fly box and share fish stores. Contact any director for more information.

Mentor – No experience needed. Duties include making a child smile catching a fish. Requires giving up 4 hours on a Saturday (when there are no hatches anyway). Pay is knowing that you gave something back to a hobby that has been good to you. Bonus: you also brighten up a child’s day!

All kidding aside, we need your help. Your chapter has had more projects than people to handle them. It’s been the same people at every event and now we are looking to do a stream improvement project. Please find some time to come and help your chapter function. Don’t keep thinking someone else is going to do it because someday they might not. I hope to see everyone at something other than the banquet.