Seneca Valley Trout Unlimited

Once again CHARLES AUGUST  has organized the SVTU FREE Fly Tying “classes”. There are four (4) sessions scheduled  - all in April. This year the classes are being held jointly with the  Isaac Walton League.

BRING YOUR OWN VICE AND MATERIALS.

DATES: TUESDAY     APRIL 7   /    APRIL 14   /  APRIL 21    / APRIL    28

TIME:        7:30 PM  to     9:00 PM

LOCATION:      ISAAC WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA (IWLA): ROCKVILLE CHAPTER  /  CLUBHOUSE    

 18301 WARING STATION ROAD; GERMANTOWN, MD. 20874   

301-972-1645          

DIRECTIONS:   USING CLOPPER ROAD AS A BENCHMARK / WARING STATION ROAD IS APPROXIMATELY MID-WAY BETWEEN ROUTE 118 (FROM THE WEST) AND QUINCE ORCHARD BOULEVARD (FROM THE EAST). THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION.

THE IWLA IS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ABOUT 0.2 OF A MILE AFTER YOU TURN ON TO WARING STATION ROAD FROM CLOPPER.

CONTACT CHARLES @ CSAUGUST@COMCAST.NET IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND AND DID NOT SIGN UP AT THE CHAPTER MEETING WEDNESDAY MARCH 25TH.

The Seneca Valley Chapter - TU (#369) held its yearly elections on January 28. 

Officers elected for 2009 are:

      President - Noel Gollehon 

      Vice President - David Cleaves  

      Treasurer - Nate Wallace  

      Secretary - Charles August

Board members (3-yr terms) include: 

      Garry Bush (thru 2009)

      Leslie Gollehon (thru 2009)

      Warren Junium (thru 2010)

      Al Smeltz (thru 2010)

      Jason Andrick (thru 2011; newly elected)

      Richard (Dick) Switalski (thru 2011); newly elected)

Congratulations to the newly elected Officers and Board members!

Effective with the election to be held at the Chapter Meeting in January 2009, I will be resigning the position of President of Seneca Valley Trout Unlimited (#369).  I am retiring and my wife and I will be spending much of our time in West Virginia.  During my two separate terms as President, I have enjoyed working with some very dedicated members, wonderful people who have largely been responsible for the running of the Chapter.  I will truly miss working, and fishing, with them.

As I leave this position, I want to make a plea to those of you who have not been active in the Chapter to come forward, get involved, and make a difference.  Any organization is always in need of people who can generate new ideas; ideas that will help keep the organization – in this case, the Chapter – viable and active.  In addition to attending Chapter meetings, there are many positions that you could fill, each a vital part of the Chapter’s activities – President; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; Chair of the Education, Conservation, or Program Committees; Member of the Board of Directors; Newsletter Editor; Delegate to the Mid-Atlantic Council.  I can assure you, from my almost 20 years of experience in filling most of the roles mentioned above, as well as some in the Mid-Atlantic Council of TU, that these are not difficult or time consuming tasks, and they don’t require any special training or knowledge.  You do not have to be a fisheries biologist, stream ecologist, expert in stream restoration, etc.  The important thing is that you have an interest in protecting and improving our coldwater fisheries.  A bonus is that you gain some fishing buddies and learn about new places to fish.

So, if a member of the Nomination Committee contacts you about taking a more active role in the Chapter, don’t immediately tell them no.  Talk with them about what is involved, ask questions, and then take some time to really consider the offer.  If fact, don’t even wait for someone to ask you, volunteer now.  If, for some reason, you can’t fill one of the above roles, come on out to one of our children’s clinics and help out.

If you have any questions about any of the positions, please send me an e-mail at stanoaks@gmail.com.  Thanks for your continued support of the Chapter and I hope to see you at the upcoming September 24 meeting, our first after the summer break.     

Stan Oaks, Jr.

President

See attached for info on Wednesday’s rod building program, including a list of what to bring! Hope to see you there. Stan

Rod Building 101, by J. Lachin

See attached file for a step-by-step handout on rod building, by Don Campbell. For use in conjunction with the Chapter’s program on rod building, Wednesday, May 28, presented by John Lachin. Rod Building Handout

Click on the link to view the flyer with all the details on the upcoming BBQ-Fundraiser.  Hope to see you there!  Stan Oaks  Flyer - BBQ and Fundraiser

Volunteers are needed to assist at the Children’s Fly Fishing and Conservation Clinic, Saturday, June 7, from 8:00 – 11:00 am.  The clinic is co-sponsored with Black Hill Regional Park and takes place at the Rockville Isaac Walton League pond.  The entrance to the pond is off Clopper Road, just south of the bridge over Great Seneca Creek.  Volunteers need to be at the pond by 7:00 am, to help with set up.  Hot dogs and drinks will be provided at 11:00.  This is a great opportunity to help pass on your passion for fly fishing and conservation of our fisheries to the next generation.  To volunteer, contact Andy Bidwell, Chair of the SVTU Education Committee and the Clinic’s coordinator, at: bidtheefarewell@yahoo.com.  Hope to see you there.

Spring is here and, for those of you who do not fish year-round, it’s time to get out your rod and reel, buy your fishing license/trout stamp, and hit your favorite body of water.  If you don’t have a rod or need another one, come here John Lachin, one of our Chapter members, talk about rod-building.  This is not a class where you actually build a rod.  John will tell you about rod building and, hopefully, get you interested enough to want to build your own – it’s apparently not that difficult and a lot less expensive than buying one.  At a later date, John plans to hold a rod-building class, where you would actually build your own rod over several sessions.

Details on the meeting:

Up-County Regional Service Center
First Floor – Room A

12900 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD 20874

240-777-8000 – Main desk

7:00-8:00 p.m. – Social Hour

8:00-9:15 p.m. – Program

John asks that you bring the following to the meeting, as it will help you to better understand what he is describing:

            A rod (any rod – fly or spin casting)

            Two small boxes, with notches cut into the ends, to support a rod section

            Some thread (the thicker the better) and a bobbin (the kind used for fly tying)

            A hardcover book

            Note paper and a pen/pencil – John will have a handout, with the basic steps for building a rod, but you may wish to take notes.

Hope to see you there!  Bring a friend.

Mark the date on your calendar! SVTU is holding a BBQ and fund-raising activity on Saturday, May 31, at the Lois Green-Sligo Isaac Walton League Pavilion on Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg.

Come and enjoy the camaraderie, good food, fun, and activities. Participate in the live auction, and bucket and silent raffles for quality fishing equipment, accessories, and household items for those who don’t fish.  The BBQ will be catered.

Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Chapter’s conservation and education programs, such as:

• Stream restoration / improvement projects dedicated to establishing improved trout habitat and wild trout populations, such as the Beaver Creek restoration project near Hagerstown, and the Brook Trout restoration efforts in central and western Maryland.
• Two annual children’s fishing clinics that SVTU co-hosts with Black Hill Regional Park.

Event details:

• Date:    Saturday, May 31, 2008          
• Time:    2:30-7:30 p.m.

o       2:30-5:00 - socializing and activities

o       5:00-5:45 - catered BBQ dinner

o       Live auction starts immediately after dinner

• Location:    Lois Green-Sligo Issac Walton League Pavilion (covered), 8000 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, MD (signs will be posted)                    

• Cost:    Advance purchase - $20/person; $35 for two adults; kids 12 and under $10 ea

                  At the door - $30/person; $50 for two adults;     kids 12 and under $15 ea

                  For advance reservations, contact:

                        Stan Oaks (301-916-8141; stanoaks@gmail.com)

                        Don Campbell (301-762-5965)                 

• Food    Catered BBQ

                  Desserts

                  Sodas/water provided; wine/beer available (cash bar)

• Activities:   

o       Casting competitions (fly and spin casting)

o       Dart toss

o       Fly tying demonstrations

o       Children’s fly tying class

o       Socializing

o       Bucket and silent raffles

o       Live auction (guided trips, overnight stay at a lodge on the Savage River, fishing art, etc.)

If you are unable to attend, you can still help support the Chapter by mailing a tax-deductible donation.  Contact Stan Oaks (301-916-8141; stanoaks@gmail.com) or Noel Gollehon (301-330-8253; ngollehon@comcast.net) for information.

Mark the date on your calendar! SVTU is holding a BBQ and fund-raising activity on Saturday, May 31, at the Lois Green-Sligo Isaac Walton League Pavilion on Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg.

This is your most important opportunity to support your Chapter’s conservation and education programs. Come and enjoy the camaraderie, good food, fun, activities. Participate in the live auction, and bucket and silent raffles of quality fishing equipment, accessories, and household items for those who don’t fish.

Funds from the banquet/auction will be used to support:

• Educational events – such as two annual children’s fishing clinics that SVTU co-hosts with Black Hill Regional Park.
• Stream restoration / improvement projects dedicated to establishing improved trout habitat and wild trout populations – such as the Beaver Creek restoration project near Hagerstown, and the Brook Trout restoration efforts in both Central and Western Maryland.

Watch this site for additional details. If you are unable to attend, you can still help support your Chapter by mailing a contribution check. Contact Stan Oaks (301-916-8141) for information.