Author: Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited

The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited wishes you a very safe and joyous Thanksgiving.

We are grateful for the many members of our Chapter, our family and friends, partners, and others who work to protect, restore and sustain our great waterways and watersheds

We are grateful for the work being done to protect and preserve the trout and all aquatic life

We are grateful there are streams that still sustain wild trout.

We are grateful there remains many great places to fish while attempting to catch fish on lures or flies that we have made.

The November issue of the Susquehanna Ripples is out.  You can get your copy by clicking here  2016-11-susquehanna-ripples

The public is welcomed at the November 9th Annual Meeting of Susquehanna Trout Unlimited with Bill Kosmer, experienced fly fishing guide and photographer, presenting an exiting program on fishing for the world’s southern-most trout. Only accessible by helicopter, the relatively unexplored Navarino Island, located in southern Chile’s Cape Horn Region contains some of the world’s purest waters and exceptional large trout. Bill’s slideshow and video presentation of his latest adventure to this beautiful and magical place will include information on logistics and trip planning to this last fishing frontier. An Orvis Hydros SL II fly reel (wt. 3-5,$198) donated by Slate Run Tackle Shop will be given away as a door prize. Don’t miss this remarkable program to be held at The Fellowship Hall  at the rear of the First Presbyterian Church, 102 E. Third St. Williamsport at 7 pm.

As a result of the flooding that occurred last weekend, the Lycoming Creek Anglers Club Trout Hatchery has been destroyed and they have lost all the fish.  A picture is attached to this email show what the hatchery looks like now and it is completely devastating.  They will be having workdays this weekend, Saturday and Sunday starting

around 8:30 am.  They are asking for volunteers to help them get the hatchery back up and running.  They ask that you bring shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows.  The hatchery is located on Slacks Run Road and due to the damage from the flooding, you may have to access it from Rose Valley Road / Kellyburg Road.  It is unknown if the road between the hatchery and Route 14 will be repaired or passable.

If you have any questions, please call Sam Caldwell at 570-322-6098

Thank you for your time and your help

The October issue of the Susquehanna Ripples is out. Please click here to download it

2016-10-susquehanna-ripples

Officials with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced on September 30 that they have lifted the no-fishing

 Brook trout are swimming in trouble waters. Climate change and habitat loss are threatening the health of the east coast’s only native trout and a species responsible for billions of dollars in revenue. More troubling, resource managers have a hard time predicting the fate of brook trout and struggle to create conservation plans.  Shannon White, a Ph.D. student at Penn State University, will present a program on the current status of her Brook Trout research in the upper Loyalsock Creek watershed studying their populations, individual behavior and ecology, and how the findings may improve the outlook for Pennsylvania’s official state fish species. The public is welcomed to the meeting to be held on Wednesday, October 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The First Presbyterian Church at 102 E. Third St. in Williamsport. More information can be found at www.thetroutlook.com/.

The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited would like to congratulate Dr. Mel Zimmerman for being awarded Outstanding Coldwater Conservationist (Professional)  by the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited at their Annual Meeting on September 10, 2016.

Ed O’Gorman, of PATU on left, Dr. Mel Zimmeran, Dave Craig (Vice President of Susquehanna Chapter of TU), and Tali MacArther of PATU. (photo provided)

The following was written by President Walt Nicholson:

“Dr. Mel Zimmeran (or Zimm to his students and Colleagues) retired this year as Professor of Biology at Lycoming College. Dr. Zimmerman has demonstrated exceptional initiative and dedication to cold water fisheries conservation throughout his career of 37 years at Lycoming College where he created the Clean Water Institute. This has played an instrumental role in the monitoring of streams for the PFBC’s Unassessed Waters Program throughout northern Pennsylvania. He has had a profound positive influence on hundreds, if not thousands, of students who have gone on to careers in fisheries biology, including many scientists working for the PFBC. He has extraordinacy energy and interest in teaching and had taken lead roles in creating “college for kids” at Lycoming College. The Williamsport Municipal Water Authority’s Waterdale Environmental Education Center, and the Susquehanna Heartland Coalition. Zimm has partnered with TU on many projects and is active in the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association and other local conservation efforts to monitor and advocate for water quality protection and improvements in countless cold water streams in northern Pennsylvania.”

Congratulations Mel and thank you for everything that you have done for our fisheries and waterways!!!!

The September issue of the Susquehanna Ripples (the Official Newsletter of the Chapter) is out and you can get your copy here  2016-09-susquehanna-ripples

The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be hosting a special meeting and picnic on Wednesday, September 14th at 5:30 pm. Dr. Mel Zimmerman and biology students from Lycoming College will be performing a field demonstration of electroshocking and other methods of inventorying aquatic life and classifying the quality of flowing streams used in the PA Fish & Boat Commission Unassessed Waters Initiative. The initiative has been instrumental in designating over 12,000 miles in over 500 streams in the past five years as wild trout streams which creates additional regulatory protections for those exceptional value streams. The public is invited to see how the assessments are conducted and join in a picnic after the demonstration (hot dogs, chips and drinks will be supplied- please bring a covered dish or dessert). The meeting will be held at Waterdale Lodge in Mosquito Valley. Turn south on Valley Street at the Turkey Hill mini mart at Euclid Ave. in Duboistown and proceed 0.6 miles to Mosquito Valley Road. Turn left on Mosquito Valley Road, go 0.9 miles to Waterdale Road; bear right on Waterdale Road toward the Armstrong Township Building and go west 0.75 miles to the gate at Waterdale where there will be parking.

A map of how to get there can be found here  2016-08-29 Directions to Waterdale Lodge