Seneca Valley Trout Unlimited

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.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

BUGS AND INVASIVES

a presentation by Susan Rivers

Biologist, Maryland Inland Fisheries

First, there are the “bugs”

As we anglers know, bugs and the time when they hatch, are of great significance to anglers But, bugs also play another important function as they are accurate indicators of the quality of the water and its surrounding habitat. When a pollution event occurs on one of Maryland’s waters, base line data relating to conditions before the pollution event occurred is essential. Essential not only for providing evidence to establish responsibility for the pollution, but also for evaluating and determining the damage in both biological and economic terms to the stream/lake and its surrounding habitat. On this bug issue, Susan will be revealing to us the correct procedures for sampling - how she goes about collecting the bugs and then appropriately cataloging and organizing the collected data so that it will stand up in a court of law.

Then, there are the “Invasives

As many of you already know, all over the Country our fishing waters are being invaded by a wide variety of exotic species. Maryland has not been spared from this invasion and the negative impact these invasives inflict upon our fishing waters. For example, consider these specific events:

- An infection of the Whirling disease parasite at the Mettiki Rearing Station and Jennings Randolph Net Pens in 1996 and again at these facilities and the Bear Creek Trout Rearing Station in 2007.

- Snakeheads invading the Potomac Watershed and other Maryland waters.

In addition to the above cited invasives which have been found in Maryland, in nearby States, e.g., (West Virginia) and further north, e.g., (Vermont) there have been outbreaks of the invasive algae didymosphenia germinate called didymo or “rock snot”.

Susan will cover and expand upon the impact these invasives have on our fisheries, and will provide us with information on what practical measures we anglers can take to halt the spread and detrimental impact of these exotics

Place

Up-County Regional Service Center
First Floor – Room A

12900 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD 20874

240-777-8000

7:00-8:00 p.m. — Social Hour

8:00-9:15 p.m. — Program

The forum is back up and running. We had a little outage when we moved to a new hosting plan. Please visit and join the discussion.

Whirling disease has been found in western Maryland streams. Here is some information about whirling disease and what you can do to help control the spread of this disease. For more information you should contact the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Contact: customerservice@dnr.state.md.us Web Page: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/#3 Or the Whirling Disease Initiative http://whirlingdisease.montana.edu/ What is Whirling Disease?

Myxobolus cerebralis (Mc) is a parasite that infiltrates the head and spinal cartilage of fingerling trout where it multiplies rapidly, putting pressure on the organ of equilibrium. This causes the fish to swim erratically (whirl), and have difficulty feeding and avoiding predators, in severe cases, die. In severe infections, the disease can cause high rates of mortality in young-of-the-year fish. When an infected fish dies, millions of tiny indestructible Mc spores (each about the size of a red blood cell) are released to the water where they can survive in this “dormant” form for up to 30 years.

Therein lies the gravity of the whirling disease problem. M. cerebralis is virtually indestructible — the spore can withstand freezing and desiccation, and can survive in a stream for 20 to 30 years. Whirling disease is most infective to rainbow and cutthroat trout, but can infect all salmonid species, including brook trout.

Is there anything anglers and boaters can do to help prevent further spread?

Anglers, boaters, and others can make a difference in reducing the chances of spreading whirling disease. Distribution of the parasite is expanding rapidly in some areas, so you should assume its presence if you don’t know otherwise. Recommended precautions that will help prevent not only the spread of whirling disease, but also other disease-causing organisms and aquatic pests include:

• Never transport live fish from one water body to another. (This is illegal in many states.)
• Dispose of fish entrails and skeletal parts properly. Never discard fish parts in or near streams or rivers. Do not discard fish parts in a kitchen disposal. Whirling disease myxospores can survive most wastewater treatment systems. Instead, discard in dry waste that would go to a landfill.
• Contact the Department of Natural Resources at 800-688-3467 if you observe signs of whirling disease in fish or observe illegal stocking.
• Obtain certified disease free fish for any private stock projects.
• Rinse all mud and debris from equipment and wading gear, and drain water from boats before leaving an infected drainage. This is good practice for preventing transfer of other aquatic hitchhikers as well.
• Although the above precautions will remove most spores from your gear, you may want to consider the following if fishing in heavily infected waters: Rinse, then thoroughly dry your boots, waders and other fishing equipment. This is generally sufficient to kill the TAM stage of the parasite. For disinfection options if your equipment does not have time to dry thoroughly.

Reprinted with Permission of the Whirling Disease Initiative Whirling Disease Initiative