Allegheny Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Happy New Year!

Hard to believe we have come to the end of another year. As we celebrate the New Year, tradition is to reflect on the past year and make some resolutions for the new.

Education remains a priority for our chapter. We started off last year with Rich Ferra stepping up and teaching our fly tying class. Fourteen students attended, with an evening on the stream at the end. Nine of our members along with some members of other area chapters took the time to become certified fishing skills instructors. We now have a good number of people who can host fishing programs to the public and get fishing license waivers to help bring more anglers into our sport. Due to the great participation, the Clearfield County Conservation District will now be a rod loaner site, thanks to Kelly Williams. Several of these new instructors traveled to Bellefonte to become fly fishing instructors as well.

In April, we held our 51st annual fundraiser and it was a huge success both in participation and in funds raised to continue our mission. We also had several very interesting programs to both entertain and educate our membership. Shannon White presented her program on Brook Trout movement to a standing room only crowd. Gray Kell (Keystone Fly Fishing) was on hand to hold hands on casting and nymphing demo on the DHALO on the Sandy Lick. May was one of the busiest months for projects. We had four youth fishing events in one week including the Girl Scout family fishing event to cap the week off. We once again fielded the DuBois Area 8th Grade Environmental Day at Camp Mountain Run. Thanks to the many members and volunteers we have been able to continue this great day of learning and fun for over 300 students. June brought both the Clearfield and Jefferson County Youth Field Days. Again having our core volunteers we were able to do both. We also hosted a Family Fishing Event and a Veterans Fishing Event. The chapter also co partnered with TU  National staff to help with a issue a land owner had on a stream that National had done some habitat work on, while not related to the work done it did provide some goodwill with the local community.

In May we once again held our joint picnic with Iron Furnace at Walter Dick Park in Brookville. We had a great turn out and we had the chance to meet two of the four student form our area to be selected to the Rivers Conservation and Youth Fly Fishing Camp. We were honored with the students coming back to our October meeting to get us an overview and a great video of their week at the camp. September we held our fall picnic at the Tannery Dam with lots of fun, food, fishing and fellowship. We just co hosted the Sportsman’s Wild Trout Forum which was very well attended. 

We received a Coldwater Heritage Partnership Grant for planting trees on the Montgomery Run watershed. Our public meeting was held in September due to all parties needing to find time to get together. Please look for the date of the planting elsewhere in the newsletter.

While it may appear that all work and no fun that is not the case! We had many times we were able to combine some of the above work days with some fishing.

Looking forward to the New Year here are some items to add to your resolution list:

•    Come out to one or better yet all of the chapter meetings. We work very hard to provide all our members with interesting, informative, and entertaining programs. It is discouraging to have only 7-9 people come the program. If you have ideas that would bring more people out please give your ideas to one of the Board members listed on the back cover or come to a board meeting. Remember each member has a voice.

•    Bring a friend along to any chapter function. Our chapter has been growing steadily and it is due to members bringing someone along to help or participate in one of our programs. 

•    Get your youth Clearances there FREE!! We have more requests for fishing programs than people to help with. Pennsylvania law requires all adults working with children to have their clearances. We really need more adults to be able to help with in school programs as well as the many fishing programs like the Youth Field Days.

•    Help plan a chapter outing. We all have great ideas, but we sometime feel we should not butt in on what the “powers that be” are doing. We really need fresh ideas or ideas to make something better. 

•    Help solicit prizes for our fundraisers. If even half of our membership helped with gathering some prizes we would have one of our greatest fundraisers yet. Keep in mind that the item need not be an item from a store. We have had several items that were made by students or members and donated to the program and generate a lot of funds.   

•    Become a spokesperson for trout. We receive many action alerts with pending legislation that may have a major impact on our resources. Letter writing or emailing to speak for our coldwater resources is maybe the most important thing you as a member can do. We seem to be having more assaults on our environment that could impact not only us, but future generations.  

Read over the goals for 2018 and commit to help in some way with one or more of our goals. In closing I would like to say Thank You for just being a member. 

George Kutskel,
AMCTU President

 
Officers and Directors Report

The officers and directors met on January 2, 2018 and took the following actions:
•    Approved donations to the following organizations: $500 donation to PA Council of TU, $500 donation to the Western PA Conservancy, $100 donation to the Headwaters RC&D Council, $100 donation to the Toby Creek Watershed Association, $100 donation to the Bennett Branch Watershed Association, $100 donation to the Kettle Creek Watershed Association, and $100 donation to Brockway FFA.
•    Established a picnic planning committee. If you would like to join this committee, feel free to reach out to any officer or director about your interest.
•    Rick Ferra is planning to teach another fly-tying class. We will have more details at the January 16 membership program.

Next AMCTU board meeting is 7 pm on March 27, 2018 at the DuBois Nursing Home. We will be finalizing plans for the banquet. All membership is welcomed to attend board meetings.

Upcoming Programs and Events

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming programs and events. All membership programs will be held at the Penn State DuBois Campus in the Mary Smeal Building starting at 7 pm.
•    January 16, 2018 –Membership program: Fly-tying Round Table
•    February 10, 2018 – Regional PATU meeting, Clarion Hotel, DuBois
•    February 20, 2018–Membership program: Bill Anderson from the Little Juniata River Association.
•    February 23-24, 2018 – Keystone Coldwater Conference , State College
•    March 20, 2018–Membership program: Luke Bobnar from the Western PA Conservancy
•    March 27, 2018 –Board meeting, DuBois Nursing Home
•    April 7, 2018 – 52nd Annual AMCTU Banquet, Falls Creek Eagles
•    April 17, 2018 –Membership program: Shannon White, PhD candidate at PSU studying individual behavior of brook trout
•    April 22, 2018 – Montgomery Run Tree Planting Workday
•    May 1, 2018 –Board meeting, DuBois Nursing Home
•    May 16, 2018 – Chapter Picnic, Walter Dick Park, Brookville

Check the website amctu.org for latest details on programs and events.