Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Great sadness has again fell upon the Chapter. Longtime member Don Neyhart passed away on Wednesday September 17.  I was able to meet Don two years ago and spent several hours with him.  We talked about many things during the time I spent with him but the topic always came back to fishing.  He loved everything about fishing and all types of fishing.  Don realized at that time that he would not be able to continue fishing and donated his entire collection (several thousand dollars worth) to the Chapter.

Don donated over 30 fishing rods of every imaginable type, a large collection of fly tying materials and flies, lure making equipment, a very large assortment of hooks, lures, weights, tackle box’s, and assorted other accessories. His generosity was, and still is, greatly appreciated and has sparked others to donate to the Chapter although no collection as large as Don’s.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Don’s entire family and friends

Don’s obituary as it appears on the Sanders Mortuary website is given below (http://www.sandersmortuary.com/obits/obituary.php?id=497964)

Donald J. Neyhart, 88, of Williamsport, died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, at Valley View Nursing Center.      Born Dec. 17, 1925, in Lock Haven, he was a son of Albert and Elizabeth (Burkholder) Neyhart. Donald married his high school sweetheart on May 22, 1949, Marguerite E. (Fowler) Neyhart.      Don was a member of Lycoming Presbyterian Church. He was a 1944 graduate of Williamsport Area High School and attended Williamsport Technical Institute. Don graduated from Bliss Institute of Washington, D.C., majoring in electrician in 1946, American University Business Management in 1971, and Whirlpool Corporation Management and Service School.      He was an Army Veteran of World War II. Following his military service he was employed with Sylvania Electric and Westinghouse Electric for five years. He was the owner and operator of Don Neyhart’s TV and Appliance Center for 24 years and P.E.N. Video Rental for 5 years. He was a member of the Williamsport Consistory, Ivy Blue Lodge F & AM, Zafar Grotto and Travelers Protective Association.      He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening. His dream was always to retire and do more fishing.      Surviving in addition to his wife Peggy are his daughters, Rebecca D. (Jeffery) Huff, of Trout Run and Lucinda S. (Joseph) Andruscavage, of Red Lion; grandchildren, Joshua T. Huff, Samuel T. (Jennifer) Huff, Patrick Cooper and Ashley Cooper; great-grandchildren, Deegan, Darenger, Audria, Ryder, Piper, Max and Joseph; brothers, Albert E., Paul L. and Laurence J. Neyhart; and sister, Elizabeth A. Jackson.      In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a brother, Richard D. Neyhart, and sisters, Roberta Bennett and Eleanor Frank.      Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22 at Sanders Mortuary, 821 Diamond St., Williamsport, with the Rev. Dr. Larry A. LeFeber officiating. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow in Montoursville Cemetery.      Memorial contributions may be made in Donald’s name to the American Heart Association, 968 Postal Road, Suite 110, Allentown, PA 18109.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following is from an email sent out by the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited

Dear Pennsylvania TU Member,

House Bill 1565-a bill that would remove the currently required riparian buffer requirements for special protection waters-was voted out of the Environmental Resources & Energy committee  on Monday, September 15,  and is awaiting a vote on the House floor in the very near future.   

We need you take action TODAY to protect Pennsylvania’s trout streams.

Here is why HB1565 doesn’t make sense:

• Riparian buffer zones of native vegetation are the most effective tool-in terms of management and cost-to prevent accelerated erosion and sedimentation, protect water quality through filtering pollution, reduce the severity of flooding, and provide important habitat for wildlife.

• Weakening the existing regulatory requirements would have a negative impact on water quality, communities who rely on buffers to slow flood waters, and fish and wildlife habitat. 

• As amended, HB1565 would allow a project to destroy riparian buffers in one part of the watershed, and build new buffers elsewhere in the watershed.  Unfortunately, this amendment doesn’t factor into account the site-specific benefits that buffers provide-leaving the stream where the buffer was removed without the pollution filtering, shade and flood control capabilities.

• Sedimentation continues to be one of the greatest sources of pollution to Pennsylvania’s streams.  Riparian buffers are critical for intercepting precipitation, and slowing the flow of runoff into stream channels-ultimately reducing the erosive forces acting on the stream bed and banks.  And the root systems of native plants help to stabilize stream banks, thereby reducing bank erosion.  Less erosion also means less sediment deposited in the stream channel downstream, when the current slows.

Please contact your Representative today, and tell him or her that House Bill 1565 is bad for Pennsylvania’s sportsmen and women, bad for communities and property owners, and it will remove important protections for the commonwealth’s fish and wildlife.

Find your legislator

 To learn more about why House Bill 1565 is a bad idea for Pennsylvania, please check out the PATU website.

Thank you for all you do to protect wild and native trout,

Brian Wagner
President, Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited

Kay Dunlap
Eastern Water Project Director
Trout Unlimited

 

It is with great sadness that we have lost another family member, Domenico Aloisio.  Dom was a member of our Chapter and was a regular face at our Chapter meetings and events.  I got to know him well earlier this year when he took the Chapter’s fly tying class.  Although he was taking the class himself, he always took the time to help me or my kids with something that we did not understand or could not fully understand.  He gave us a great deal of tips and techniques that worked for him and talking to him was always fun and story filled.  Dom led a remarkable life with lots of experiences.  We always looked forward to going to class to talk to him and hear his stories.  Yes, many of his stories revolved around fishing but many were about his steam trains.  His enthusiasm for these things showed and made us excited about them too.

Dom will be missed by all and everyone at the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited expresses our deepest sympathy to Dom’s entire family and to all his friends. All of you are in our thoughts and prayers.          by  Bob Baker

His obituary is given below as was written on the Sanders Mortuary website:

“Domenico Aloisio, 70, of Williamsport, went to be with the Lord Monday, September 8, 2014 at the Williamsport Regional Medical Center.

Born September 9, 1943, in Williamsport, he was a son of Nicola and Altomira Spila Aloisio.

Domenico was a graduate of the Williamsport High School, Class of 1962 and an alumnus of Williamsport Technical Institute.  He also attended Penn College while working with Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local #810, now #520.  Domenico was a former business owner in Williamsport.  He was a board member of the Old Lycoming Township Planning Commission and Zoning Board, Building Options Committee and Feasibility Study with the Williamsport Area School Board. He was a member of  the Knights of Columbus, Moose Lodge #145, Republican Club, NRA, Sons of Italy Council #2786, many live steam train clubs, and Trout Unlimited.

He enjoyed live steam engines and arrowhead making (Knapping), traveling around the United States in his R.V., photography, and was an avid trout fisherman.

Surviving are his wife, Bonita (Beltz) Aloisio, with whom he would have celebrated 50 years of marriage on September 12th; three daughters, Lisa Van Houte (Jeff) of Muncy, Domenica Lupold, and Bonnie Ann Romano (Michael), both of Williamsport; a son, Chad Aloisio of Williamsport; eight grandchildren, Adam, Nicholas, Austyn, and Miranda Aloisio, Brandy Lechette, and Preston, Ashley, and Dylan Tower; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Horn of Williamsport; and a brother, Salvatore Aloisio (Lorraine) of Williamsport.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Nicola, Vincent, and Anthony; and two sisters, Helen Calta and Victoria Codisipoti.

A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Friday at Sanders Mortuary, 821 Diamond Street, Williamsport.  Burial will be held at Wildwood Cemetery.  A viewing will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Sanders.

Memorial contributions in Domenico’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, http://www.stjude.org.  ”  (http://www.sandersmortuary.com/obits/obituary.php?id=496257)

It has come to our attention that some of our members have not received the September issue of the Susquehanna Ripples.  We are sorry for this and do not know what happed.  241 copies of the newsletter were mailed on September 2, 2014 and we do not know why some did not receive them.  We have verified the correct mailing address on the labels for the individuals who did not receive them.  You can see this newsletter, and previous ones, by clicking on the Susquehanna Ripples tab of our webpage.

At the April 2014 Chapter meeting, we had a presentation by Chuck Cutshall of Project Healing Waters. At that meeting, there was overwhelming interest in having this program in this area and for our Chapter to be involved. After considerable work and discussions with everyone involved, the program has been set up through the local VA and the Combat Readjustment Center. They have also obtained permission to use the Lycoming College lawn across the street for outdoor activities, such as casting instruction.

Healing Waters would supply all materials for instruction – rods, reels, fly tying vises, etc with the understanding that the Chapter would return them if the program ceases.   

We are now at the point when we need to commit to this program.  We are in need of someone to be the coordinator for this program.  This person would be the Chapter contact with the VA and would be responsible for staffing the meetings with instructors from the Chapter. Please consider filling this role.  There are many individuals within the Chapter who have indicated they would be willing to teach and instruct the material, but we are in need of a coordinator.

Without someone to fill this position, we can not move forward with this very worthwhile and life changing program.  The person in this position will receive the help and support of the Chapter as well as Chuck Cutshall and the VA. 

Again, please consider filling this position and if you can’t do you know someone who may be willing to do it? Project Healing Waters and the VA Staff is very enthusiastic about this and ready to go but now it is up to us. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Dave Craig (Chapter President) at Email:  davsalc@comcast.net /  Home:  570-326-1002 /  Cell:  570-971-4744

This is not only a great opportunity for our Chapter to gain exposure and possibly an increase in membership, but more importantly, look what we will be doing for the men and women who served our Country and gave so much. 

Thank you for your help!!!

PA Fish and Boat Commission news release August 14, 2014

 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Aug. 14) – Families and kids can now add a Mentored Youth Fishing Day as their preferred way to close out the summer season on the traditional Labor Day holiday.

Building on the excitement of the year’s first mentored youth fishing day on May 10, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) last month announced that it would hold a second special fishing day on Labor Day, Sept. 1, on 17 Panfish Enhancement lakes.

“For many people, Labor Day offers the last long weekend to be on the water before getting back to the routine of school,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “After the first mentored youth day, anglers told us that they particularly liked the idea of having a dedicated day to fish with their families and friends. It made perfect sense to hold another special event on the extended Labor Day weekend.”

Arway added that the event is also an opportunity to remind anglers that fishing is a year-round sport and doesn’t end after trout or bass season or when kids return to the classroom.

“We have a rich history of trout and bass fishing in the Commonwealth and the opening days are truly traditional events enjoyed by families,” he said. “But we also have many other outstanding fishing opportunities, including panfish. Fishing doesn’t end when school starts. We want to show families where they can go and how easy it can be to fit fall fishing into their schedules.”

Panfish include bluegill, pumpkinseed, and redear sunfish, which are collectively called sunfish; black and white crappies; and yellow perch.

To encourage participation on this day, the PFBC also announced that it has reduced the price of a 1-day adult resident and 1-day adult non-resident license to just $1 on Labor Day. With issuing agent and transaction fees, the total price for the 1-day adult license is $2.70.

A normal 1-day adult resident license costs $11.70 and a 1-day adult tourist license is $26.70.

The panfish enhancement lakes were chosen for the second mentored youth fishing day because these waters are managed to increase the number and size of fish.

“Kids should catch a lot of sunfish, crappies and perch, which makes the day fun,” he said. “As an added incentive, we’re also removing the minimum size limits, which are either seven or nine inches, depending on the species, for kids and their mentors on this day.”

The reduced license should be attractive to anglers who don’t want to pay full price at this point in the fishing season, said Arway, who noted that anglers can purchase the discounted 1-day license and fish anywhere in the Commonwealth on Labor Day.

“Legislators have given us the ability to be creative with our pricing and marketing strategies, so we’re using the reduced cost license to attract people to this particular day and the mentored youth program,” he said. “These are both substantial discounts, so customers should like it.”

The 17 lakes will be open all day for mentored youth day participants and other anglers. The lakes included in the program are, by county:

• Berks – Blue Marsh Reservoir    
• Cambria – Beaverdam Run Reservoir, Hinkston Run Reservoir, Wilmore Dam       
• Centre – Foster Joseph Sayers Lake      
• Chester – Chambers Lake
• Montour – Lake Chillisquaque    
• Monroe – Bradys Lake, Gouldsboro Lake           
• Pike – Lower and Upper Promised Land Lakes   
• Somerset – High Point Lake, Quemahoning Reservoir     
• Washington – Cross Creek Lake
• Westmoreland – Lower Twin Lake, Northmoreland Lake, Upper Twin Lake

To participate in the mentored youth program, adult anglers (16 years or older) must have a valid fishing license and be accompanied by a youth. Youth anglers must obtain a free PFBC-issued permit or a voluntary youth fishing license. Both are available at www.GoneFishingPA.com or at any of the more than 900 licensing agents across the state.

So far, more than 2,400 kids have obtained a free permit and another 1,700 have purchased a voluntary youth fishing license.

The Labor Day 1-day adult licenses are available through the PFBC’s Outdoor Shop and licensing agents. Visit the PFBC website for a complete list of agents.

More information about this program, including a list of the panfish enhancement waters, is available at.

http://fishandboat.com/MentoredYouth.htm.

 “We’re excited to add this second day and are looking forward to hearing from anglers about their experiences,” said Arway. “For many long-time anglers, including me, the first fish was a panfish. This program provides an opportunity for young anglers to catch their first fish and continue a time-honored tradition.”

 

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Media Contact: Eric Levis, Press Secretary 717.705.7806 or elevis@pa.gov

PR063-081414

Matthew C McKinney, a PhD Candidate from Penn State University, is collecting data on angler perceptions of the recent Penns Creek Section 3 regulation change for his dissertation. Please find a link to his survey so that you can help him with his research.  (www.pennscreeksurvey.com)  He is also giving away 4 $50 Gift Certificates to a fly-shop of choice, in a raffle for taking the survey.

Thank you for helping him
Matthew C. McKinney

PhD Candidate – Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
PhD Candidate – Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment
The Pennsylvania State University
801 Ford Building
University Park, PA 16802
Ph: (814) 404-5992 Fax: (814) 867-1751
Website: http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/rptm/

Country Ski and Sports will be at the September 10, 2014 to discuss Kayaking and will have Kayaks available to try out.  They were present at our meeting in September in 2013 and did a great job.  Unfortunately it rained during most of the evening and when it did stop raining, darkness moved in very quickly but hopefully the weather will be more cooperative this year.  They were able to demonstrate the use of the kayak and gave many valuable tips on maneuvering it and paddling techniques.  The meeting will start at 6 pm and will be held at the boat launch in Montoursville.  Turn onto Mill Street at the old green bridge that crosses Loyalsock Creek in Montoursville.  Follow the road to the end and this will be the boat launch.

Kayaking has increased in popularity over the last few years and provides great exercise and you can get into areas that a boat can not.  There are a lot of opportunities for kayaking and when combined with fishing, the opportunities are endless.

We hope to see you on September 10. Any questions or if you need any type of assistance, please let us know.  

At the Fish and Boat Commission meeting held on July 14 – 15, 2014, the Commissioners approved extending the Delayed harvest section on Pine Creek.  The following was taken from their website.

“In Lycoming County, Commissioners approved a request to change the regulations on a section of Pine Creek that will extend the current 1.2 mile delayed harvest, artificial lures only (DHALO) section downstream of Slate Run an additional 1.6 miles to Bonnell Run. Commissioners also directed staff to explore other regulatory options on the stream section and to present a recommendation at the PFBC’s fall meeting on Sept. 29-30.

“We recognize that this is a complicated issue and believe that today’s decision is a necessary first step,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “The immediate result is that this water will remain a popular destination location for anglers, who contribute to the area’s local economy. At the next Commission meeting, the board will evaluate other options for the long-term management of this section of Pine Creek.”

Under DHALO regulations, fishing is permitted year-round, but no trout can be harvested prior to June 15 or after Labor Day. From June 15 to Labor Day, anglers can keep three trout per day and the fish must be at least nine inches. Tackle is limited to artificial lures and flies. The new regulation will take effect Jan. 1, 2015”

Tom Finkbiner of Slate Run has call the Chapter to request assistance for the family day he has scheduled for this Saturday, July 19 the Old Campgroud (Tombs Flats) one mile below Slate Run.  He has 32 people registered for fly-fishing lessons, and only 3 instructors as of today.

He could use some help starting between 8 and 9 A.M. to set up canopies, tables, etc.  Instruction will be from 11 A.M. and 5 P.M.  Lunch will be provided.  Obviously, 3 instructors for 32 students is not enough.

This is a great opportunity for the Chapter to again make ourselves known and to help teach others this great sport.    This is not only a fly fishing class but will cover spin fishing as well.  Please consider helping at this event and even if you can only give an hour or two, that will be a tremendous help.

If you can help, please call Tom Finkbiner at 570-753-8551 or our Chapter President Dave Craig at home 570-326-1002 or cell 570-971-4744 

If you are interested in taking this free class, you can do so by preregistering by clicking on this link:  Family Fishing Day Registration, click “next” until you get to July 19, then click on fly fishing or spin fishing listed on July 19th.

 (Sponsored by the Slate Run Tackle Shop along with the Pa Fish & Boat Commission and DCNR)