Chapter "Meeting" May 22nd

 As we wrap up the monthly membership meetings and take a break for the summer, the Monocacy Chapter invites you to our last "meeting" as we fish the evening Sulpher Hatch.  The fishing can be quite good, and the story telling is even better.
If you are new to fly fishing, would like some tips on fishing this hatch, or fishing the Monocacy Creek in general, this is the perfect opportunity. 

 Chapter members are always willing to show you their favorite spots, techniques, and patterns for catching the Monocacy's wild brown trout.  Meeting time is 6pm in the mail parking lot of Illick's Mill.  Fishing usually gets better later in the evening, so even if you can't make it at 6, try and stop by!  Hope to see you there, and enjoy your Summer!

Food for thought...

From troutbitten.com:

The Aquaculture Culture (from Dirt Roads and Blue Lines) 

This is too good to let pass. My friend, Chase Howard, restarted and rejuvenated his blog, Dirt Roads and Blue Lines. And recently, he penned a short commentaryon the state of the stocked vs wild trout situation in Pennsylvania.

Chase calls the stocked trout syndrome “The Aquaculture Culture,” and his choice of words is appropriate. There truly is an ingrained culture. Many Pennsylvanians have grown to expect (and feel they deserve) stocked trout in their local creeks, not because the creek can’t support wild trout and not because there isn’t already a wild trout population that would thrive if given a chance. No, the Aquaculture Culture expects and downright demands stocked trout in the creek because that’s the way it’s always been (in their lifetime).

As I’ve argued countless times here on Troutbitten, stocked trout do have a place in Pennsylvania. Our state hatcheries could continue to raise trout and stock them in streams that cannot and do not already support wild trout. I’m thankful for stocked trout. I caught my limit of stocked fish today — I gutted them, filleted them, breaded and fried them. And my sons and I had fresh trout for supper. The fish came from a put-and-take, local stream that becomes far too warm in the summers for a wild trout population to thrive.

But in Chase’s region of Northern PA, where the water is cold and the woods are wild, there are too many creeks stocked with hatchery trout simply to follow a historic precedent — and because the culture expects it.

As Chase writes . . .

Can you imagine the fishery we would have in the state of Pennsylvania if instead of spending in excess of $12 million annually on raising hatchery fish (a small percentage of which survive their first summer) the bulk of spending budget went toward habitat improvement, fish migration studies, and otherwise protecting, conserving, and enhancing our aquatic resources? Imagine all of the funds from the last 50 years improving the health of our rivers instead of the short-sighted perpetuity of put-and-take fisheries. What would the state of our rivers be?

It’s something to think about.

Read The Aquaculture Culture over at Dirt Roads and Blue Lines

Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com

Monocacy Park Day Celebration May 5th.

Stream Clean Up!

April 21st @ Illick's Mill.  Annual Stream Clean Up

Where:  Illick's Mill Main Parking Lot
When:  April 21, 9am- 12pm
Details:  Every year the members of the Monocacy Chapter and citizens from across the community gather in April to participate in our annual stream clean up.  We will meet in the main parking lot of Illick's Mill Park for coffee and doughnuts, and then spread out from there.  Garbage bags and latex gloves will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.  Other recommended supplies:  Waders if you have them, work gloves, water.

As part of this clean- up we are looking for a few Chapter members to help direct volunteers.  Responsibilities may include driving a small group of helpers to different stream sections, leading groups to areas that need clean up, making sure trash is brought back to a collection area.  If you are interested in helping lead a clean up group, please contact Steve Vanya : van0087@ptd.net.

Politics and Fishing Collide in Harrisburg...

mcall.com

Pennsylvania fishermen get a side of politics served up with their trout this year

Mark Demko

7-9 minutes

---

With the region’s mentored youth trout fishing day now in the books and opening day coming up Saturday, the focus for most anglers right now is on the state’s trout season. Thanks to happenings in Harrisburg, however, some in the angling community are keeping a close eye on developments concerning the agency that stocks those millions of trout each spring, but for a very different reason.
Since he took over as Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission executive director in 2010, John Arway has led the agency though some major changes, all the while doing so on a flat or shrinking budget. Over the past eight years, the Fish & Boat Commission has introduced mentored youth days to encourage kids to pick up angling, added programs to recruit more women and focused on initiatives designed to attract new and diverse audiences to the sport.  (Click below for full Article)

No Meeting in March.

Just a reminder there is no membership meeting scheduled for March.  See you in April!

Tell DEP to stop letting Bushkill Creek run DRY!

Local mining company is allowed to let the Bushkill run DRY when pumps stop! Tell @PennsylvaniaDEP: Protect wild trout in Bushkill Creek! @ConservationPA @PennsylvaniaTU @PennFuture: https://t.co/7B05FNu3TY .

— Monocacy TU (@monocacy_tu) March 21, 2018

IMPORTANT FILM TOUR NEWS

FOR THE WEDNESDAY MARCH 21st SHOWING ONLY.

From ArtsQuest:

Dear Valued Customer,

Due to the inclement weather forecast for ...March 21, the Fly Fishing Film Tour event has been postponed until Wednesday, April 4^th.  We apologize for this inconvenience but your paid ticket will be honored at the newly scheduled event.  Please call the box office at 610-332-3378 if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Kate Gallagher Ott

Customer Experience Supervisor

610-332-1383

A special thanks to everyone who came out last night to enjoy the food, beverages, raffles, free LIVE music with Woodsmoke, and the always great FlyFishing Film Tour!

Spring Event TOMORROW!!!

Spring is here (almost), and so is the Annual Spring Event.  16 Years ago, the TU Chapters in the valley wanted to create an event to foster a greater sense of community, share fish stories, and hopefully spread the word about TU.  The "Spring Event" was born.  Clever name huh?  Even though some of the faces may have changed, the recipe has remained the same:

• 1 Part great program
• 1 Part awesome raffle prizes
• a dash of breakfast snacks
• lots of TU members with Cabin Fever. 
• Stir and repeat yearly.

16 years ago, we welcomed Dave Rothrock as the first presenter, and we have finally convinced him to come back.  If you like fly fishing, fly tying, catching fish or just want some doughnuts and coffee,  DON'T MISS THIS.

Details:

• Where: East Bath Rod and Gun Club, ​7905 Township Line Rd, Bath, PA
• When: March 10th, 2018 Doors open @ 9AM
• Why:  Dave Rothrock is presenting and that is worth the price of admission ( its free), plus there is a great raffle.

Hope to see you there.