Private Pond Outing

One of our last meetings of the season took place at the private pond of Dr. Bob and Nancy Saks.  Roughly a dozen Monocacy TU members joined to try their luck on the beautifully manicured and maintained property.   It didn't take long for everyone to appreciate what a special place this is, and what great hosts we had.  All of those that attended caught fish, and some even got their first fish on a fly rod.  It was a great day of fishing, food and camaraderie, and even the sudden afternoon downpour couldn't ruin the day.

Here Fishy Fishy

The "average" fish

The hungry fishermen

Another one for the net

I know you' re out there fish

splish splash

Dam removal project on Little Lehigh, Jordan seen as benefit

Wildlands Conservancy to remove nine dams from Little Lehigh and Jordan creeks.

 LINK TO FULL STORY FROM THE MORNING CALL:

LINK 

May 11th Fishing outing

Basic (Fly) Fishing Outing: (Fly) Fishing on a Private Pond

Hosted by Monocacy Board of Directors and property owner, Dr. Robert Saks at his private pond in Coopersburg, PA. Please RSVP for fly/spin catch & release trout fishing with barbless hooks in a beautiful setting in the Lehigh Valley. Morning & afternoon sessions are scheduled with a fixed number of people to ensure ample space and opportunity to catch large rainbow trout. Fly Fishing hints/tips will be available to help you with equipment setup, casting and fly fishing techniques to help optimize your success. A light lunch will be served in between a.m. and p.m. sessions. Outing is free to all members.

-Morning session: Fishing from 9am – noon, then lunch

-Afternoon session: Noon lunch, then fishing from 1pm – 4pm

April Meeting reminder

The April monthly chapter meeting will be this Tuesday April 23rd.  The meeting for this month will be very informal and feature:

1.   A brief discussion by Jim Wilson of he Northampton County Conservation District regarding the renovation of Illick's Mill Park.  Jim will give an overview of the planned changes and discuss some educational outreach opportunities.

2.  A very informal fly tying "round table" - bring your vise and share that secret killer pattern with the group!

Programming Reminder

Just a few reminders/ updates about up coming programs and events:

Wednesday 4/17  6:30pm Chapter Member Bob Signorello will be at the Hokendaqua Chapter Meeting giving his Great Lakes Fishery Presentation.
INFO:

Great Lakes Fishery Presentation by Bob Signorello, Monocacy TU Chapter

Bob's program consists of 3 distinct parts. He will first give an overview of the Fisheries of the 5 Great Lakes.

Then, his presentation will zero-in on the rivers & fisheries along the United States side of Lake Ontario.

Bob will discuss in detail his view of, what he calls, "the 7 seasons of the Salmon RIver" in Pulaski, NY.

Lastly, Bob will also review the many fishing opportunities on the major natural and tailwater streams

along the Lake Ontario coast from Watertown to Buffalo, NY. Bob's experiences come from having lived

in Upstate NY for over 20 years. He has fished the Lake Ontario tributaries since the mid-1970s.

Hokey meeting at Catasaqua HS....2500 W.Bullshead Rd, 2nd floor, West Wing, last room on left (C219).

Saturday 4/20 

Annual Earth Day Event: Monocacy Creek Stream Clean Up for Earth Day

Meet at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and donuts at the main parking lot of Monocacy Park, Illicks Mill Road, Bethlehem. Cleanup starts at 9:00 a.m. after cleanup teams are formed and assigned stream sections. Please bring gloves and hip boots or waders.

Saturday 4/20 and Sunday 4/21
Earth Day on the Green Way: 

Don’t miss this family friendly festival taking place Saturday April 20th and Sunday April 21st on Bethlehem’s Southside Greenway between 3rd and 4th Streets.  This free event is open to the public and will be from 11am to 5pm on Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday.  The goal of the event is to educate and inspire people to join together in taking positive, hands-on actions to address the challenges of climate change and to celebrate the many earth-friendly initiatives and organizations within our community.

Check out www.earthdaysonthegreenway.blogspot.com/ for more information. 

Pa. Fish and Boat Commission mulls charging industry for water‏

April 13, 2013

By John Hayes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

To some 850,000 trout anglers expected to hit Pennsylvania's

lakes and streams for today's statewide opening of trout season, that's like asking the value of a day out fishing with your dad.

But for industries that extract Pennsylvania's most abundant natural resource from 83,000 miles of streams and rivers, nearly 4,000 lakes and an estimated 80 trillion gallons hidden underground, water is free. Billions of gallons per day are taken at no cost, much of it never to be returned to the citizens who own it.

With a $9 million budget shortfall threatening to hit the state Fish and Boat Commission in 2017, executive director John Arway said he's "searching high and low" for alternative funding to hold afloat an agency financed mostly by anglers and boaters. One idea with possible legal precedent and tentative=0 bipartisan support in Harrisburg is imposing a new fee for the "consumptive use" of water, with revenues going to Fish and Boat and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

March 26th Chapter Meeting; Fishing Labrador in Northern Canada

A presentation about two trips made to the Labrador area of northern Canada for giant brook trout, with northern pike, lake trout and arctic char as a side bonus. Topics to be covered include logistics to get there, costs, fly fishing techniques, what to expect, and questions to ask before you go. Both trips were to remote lakes and streams, but with very different terrain.

Presented by Tony Ballato, Candlewood Lake, CT TU chapter.

Lehigh Valley Trout Unlimited Annual Spring Event March 16th

Hosted & sponsored jointly by the Lehigh Valley Chapters of Trout Unlimited with refreshments, presentations, raffles, fly tying demonstrations, etc.. Held at the Stockertown Rod and Gun Club…doors open at 9a.m, continental breakfast….program begins at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free and is open to the public.

The key note speaker will be Jack Fekula with his presentation “Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Volunteer Fly Fishing Program”.

Here is a link to the official flier :Spring Event Flier

Stockertown Rod and Gun Club
205 Le Fevre Rd, Stockertown, PA

(610) 759-9255 ‎ · stockertownrgc.com

 

 

 

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Illick's Mill Trout/ Shad Disaply

"Wild about Trout and Mad for Shad- Brooks, Rainbows, Browns, Herrings and Bugs:  The connection between clean water, the art of fishing, healthy fish, and the food they love.”

On Display Thursday, March 7^th – August 25^th at the Gertrude B. Fox Environmental Center at Illick's Mill, 100 Illick's Mill Road, Bethlehem, PA 18017

The Fox Center is Open Thursday – Sunday Noon-Five p.m.

Special  Fly-Tying Demonstrations:

Roger Ratushny, Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association, 3-5 PM 3/7 & 3/14- Shad Darts and Shad Flies //

Tom Gyory, DRSFA and Lehigh River Stocking Association, 3-5 PM 3/8  & 3/15- Monocacy Hatches- Flies to Match//

Sam Vigorita, Main Line Flytyers, 1-3 PM 3/9, 3/10, 3/16, 3/17- Monocacy Hatches- Flies to Match

SKIPPY the SHAD and THOMAS the TROUT  (both mounted trophy catches) will also attend; educational displays and short films will be shown. Special angling books and gifts will be available for sale.

2/26 Meeting: Advanced subsurface tactics

Bob Signorello: Advanced subsurface tactics

Last nights meeting was a fantastic look at some styles of fly fishing that most of us may consider to be something to do to pass the time between hatches.  Although streamer and nymph fishing is experiencing a Renaissance of sorts, it is still an afterthought for most fisherman.  Last night we learned that very often, this is the way to catch more and BIGGER fish. (more after the break)