Shale Gas Monitoring Workshop--Macroinvertebrate Sampling Training

CALL TO ACTION!

The PAFBC will be discussing at their quarterly meeting next week the following:

1)  Pushing back the date from June 15th to Memorial Day weekend Saturday the beginning of delayed harvest AND allowing bait in Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area from that date until the end of Labor Day

2)  Allow youth anglers under the age of 16 to use bait year round in Delayed Harvest artificial lures only areas.

As of right now, state council has not made a statement on this proposal, we are just getting this information out to you as an individual member to take action IF YOU SEE FIT.

All you need to to is click on this link to the PFBC and voice your opinion.  In the subject box type in: DHALO proposed changes and then add your comments.  Takes 2 minutes tops.

Fly Fishing Film Tour coming to Erie Saturday March 21st 2015

Well it's official!

The Northwest PA Chapter of Trout Unlimited in conjunction with FishUSA.com is sponsoring the f3t Fly Fishing Film Tour on Saturday March 21st 7:30 pm (doors opening at 6:30 with raffles) at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Preque Isle located at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park in Erie.  We're super-pumped to be offering this to the Erie area as a cure for the wintertime "shack nasties" aka cabin fever we all endure here in northwest Pennsylvania!

Ticket sales will be limited to 165, so what you want to do is go online and purchase them in advance as soon as possible by clicking this link.  Cost will be $15 for the 2 hour 15 minute movie which includes being entered into door prize giveaways that night.  There will also be other prize raffles for additional cost that night.  Limited tickets will also be available for sale at Cronk Insurance, Lake Erie Ultimate Angler, and FishUSA.com so your best bet will be to buy them online before we are sold out!

It's been some time since your chapter has had a fundraising event, and we desperately need to raise funds to continue our conservation efforts, to continue our local Trout in the Classroom Projects, and to continue to send locals students to the Pa Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp. But we need your help..........

How can you help?  Easy:

1.  Buy Tickets and attend!  But do it fast as a limited amount are available!
2.  Share this through Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest by clicking on the icon at the bottom of this page
3.  Email this webpage to your fly fishing friends by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the page with the "M" on it.  How simple is that?
4.  Spread the news by word of mouth!

The f3t Fly Fishing Film Tour is a huge success wherever it is offered.  This is a great opportunity for YOUR chapter to bring it to this area so we need your help to make this a success and to ensure we can continue to offer great programs like this to our members and anglers in the Erie area.


Tight Lines!

Erik Cronk
President, NWPATU

Important! Your Action needed to protect Class A Wild Trout Streams in Pennsylvania!

State Council recently sent out an action alert asking members to comment on the Class A policy change for statement of policy 57.8a. This policy allows the PFBC Board of Commissioners and Executive Director to approve Class A trout waters for stocking.

We ask that you as an individual chapter member please comment on this policy change and let PFBC know they should look at this policy again and include the criteria that was originally proposed.  The chapter will send out their own letter as a group but your individual voice needs to be heard!

For more information on the original criteria and PATU's position, A copy of the letter that the PA Council will be sending out to the PFBC  has been pasted below.

The public comment period is open until December 15^th. We ask that you provide comments, if you cannot get chapter approval by this date, we encourage you to still submit a letter to PA Fish and Boat Commission and/or talk to your PFBC Commissioner. 

As a chapter member and member of Trout unlimited, we must stand united and let the commission know that this is detrimental to our Class A trout populations and we need to oppose this policy as written.

To provide input to statement of policy 57.8a, please submit comments in writing to Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 57000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, by December 15th. Comments may also be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.fishandboat.com/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt. Electronic comments submitted in any other manner will not be accepted. 

Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited

PO Box 5148

Bellefonte, PA 16823

December 9, 2014

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Attn: John Arway

1601 Elmerton Ave.

PO Box 67000

Harrisburg, PA 17106

Dear Mr. Arway,

The Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited (PATU) is writing to oppose the amended statement of policy for section 57.8a. Under this revised policy, the Executive Director will obtain the approval of the Commission without taking into account any factors of the coldwater resource.

After discussing this policy with PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) staff, we understand that the intention is not to allow stocking in all Class A streams, however, the current language leaves it open to any Class A streams. PATU would like to advocate that the PFBC reexamine this policy and restore the criteria that were originally proposed to PATU and the Commission that allowed the stocking of Class A streams if:

- Angler use meets or exceeds the 75th percentile (number of anglers/ mile on Opening Day)

- The water had been stocked the year preceding the Class A designation

- The stream does not contain a wild brook trout population or the trout species to be stocked are not the same species as the primary component of the wild trout population.

- The stream was not identified as Class A prior to 2013.

- After review of the above data, stocking could be approved by the Board of Commissioners and the Executive Director.

Although we are not in support of stocking over wild trout, the above conditions will provide guidance and a uniformed structure for the protection of our Class A wild trout streams into the future. We hope the Commission will reconsider this policy to include the criteria listed above.

Sincerely,

Richard Soderberg Ken Undercoffer

Brian Wagner Richard Soderberg, Ken Undercoffer

President Co-chair Co-chair

Pennsylvania Council Trout Management Committee Trout Management Committee

Of Trout Unlimited

Cc: PA Fish and Boat Commission Board of Commissioners

Leroy Young, Director of Fisheries

November 2014 Northwest PA Chapter Trout Unlimited Meeting

The Chapter will meet this Tuesday, November 18th at the Erie Elks Lodge at 7pm.  We will go over some legislative issues, hold a brief business meeting and then there will be a slide presentation on fishing Montana by chapter members Don Buzzard, Rich Ozimek and Erik Cronk.

Bill Glecos would like to inform members of an upcoming Macro-invertebrate training session that is coming up this Spring.  March 28th, site to be determined from 10 am to 3 pm with lunch provided.  It will cover aquatic macro-invertibrate ID and sampling protocol.  This will be posted on the chapter calendar.

Check out what's happening in the North East School District with their Trout in the Classroom Program. 

Don't let this early winter weather get you down, come on out Tuesday night and talk some trout!

Meeting Reminder: Next Tuesday November 18th

more to follow later in the week but mark down next Tuesday on your calendar.  We'll have a short business meeting followed by a slide presention of fishing Montana by chapter members Erik Cronk, Don Buzzard and Rich Ozimek.

Meeting this Tuesday September 16th

Big Hole River, Montana

The chapter will hold our first meeting of the 2014-2015 season this coming Thursday, September 16th at 7 pm at the Erie Elks Lodge.  For directions to the Elks lodge please click on the link provided in the right toolbar under meeting dates.

A short business meeting will be held followed by a slide show of fishing the Big Hole River in Montana by chapter member Bill Glecos.

Also, please note there will be a macroinvertibrate training session on Saturday morning Marsh 28th 2015.  Please mark this date on your calendar if you are interested in attending the second phase of stream monitoring for TU.  More information to follow.

Montana has been a busy place lately for many members.  For more photos of a recent trip Don Buzzard, Rich Ozimek and Erik Cronk have taken you can look here.

See you all next week!