Loveland Fishing Club Blog

The following update on Lonetree to LFC President Dave Johnson was received from Kristin Cannon of Colorado Parks and Wildlife:  On Monday, December 31, 2018, 7:26:14 AM MST, Cannon - DNR, Kristin < kristin.cannon@state.co.us > wrote: Hi Dave, I wanted to update you and the Fishing Club that Lonetree State Wildlife Area will be closing to public access at the beginning of January. We were unable to reach any kind of formal agreement with the metro district and the informal agreement we have been working with ends with 2018. We may still be able to work something out in the future but they need to get a few things done and come back to us. We will keep you posted on that and any other local fishing access issues. Please let me know if you have any questions.   http://cpw.state.co.us/ aboutus/Pages/News-Release- Details.aspx?NewsID=6793

Well, I guess we all pretty much thought this was going to happen, but it still hurts.  That huge residential development on the north end of Berthoud has now officially swallowed up public access to Lonetree Reservoir. Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to hold out hope for some kind of future agreement with the Berthoud Heritage Metropolitan District on access, but you'll find the the state's announcement about the Jan. 1 closure below.  The Metropolitan District is described in an earlier news release as a "special government entity authorized by state statute and managed by a board of directors." Not sure what that means, except the district is developing property around Lonetree including plans for a public golf course, and apparently planning to build a marina on the lake, which has been wakeless only. The state had leased the lake from Consolidated Home Supply District and Reservoir Company since the '70s. Dec. 28, 2018: Lonetree State Wildlife A...

The good news is they dumped a bunch of trout in Boyd in anticipation of an ice fishing tournament January 5. Other good news is, there’ll be a lot of trout still swimming around on January 6, as the tournament has been moved to a high country lake because of uncertain ice conditions. The marina inlet is solid enough to fish, but the main lake remains mostly open.

The club is tentatively planning an ice fishing trip to Boyd Lake next Thursday, Jan. 3, probably around 10 a.m. Details will be posted soon. The marina inlet is frozen enough for fishing and should stay that way - but it may not be ready for the Saturday, Jan. 5 Ice Addiction tournament. Previous tournaments have drawn some big crowds. Tightline Outdoors, sponsor of the event, just posted the following to their blog: We’ve been fielding a lot of calls on ice conditions. As of this moment we are sticking to the plan of Boyd Lake State Park on January 5th. The weather turns cold in 5 days. However, if we do not receive or anticipate the ice conditions we need for the Boyd event, the event then rolls to Wellington Lake. All tickets will roll with the change of it happens. We will be watching the conditions daily and will give an update in a few days once we see an extended forecast. We are also excited to announce our Title Partner of this event WilliamMRK Homes! We have work...

It looks like boat ramp restrictions will continue to increase across Colorado because of increasing pressure from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. This week Colorado Parks and Wildlife issued a press release announcing that "boat ramp gates will be locked and lake access restricted" whenever inspection stations for Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) are closed. A similar sounding "locked-gate policy" was implemented at Horsetooth and Carter reservoirs last summer. Previously you could have your boat inspected in advance (typically when you were leaving the lake) and launch after hours. And stay on the lakes after ANS inspection hours. You could enter if you provided proof of pre-inspection at drop-off stations. In the case of Pueblo, where there's obviously not much boat traffic right now, the new rules are accompanied by Parks and Wildlife's plans to increase ANS inspection hours, which will reduce the negative impact. The real gorilla in the room with all ...

Drove past Boyd Lake this morning and two anglers were sitting on the extreme west end of the Marina Inlet peering into a hole in the ice.  Looks like they were drilled rather than fallen into, so it may be time for the club to find out for ourselves. Meanwhile, Rick Palmieri checked out Douglas Reservoir north of Fort Collins, and also reports the ice looks thick enough to cut a hole through. Let's talk about it at breakfast Friday. Anyway been out? I know Norm and others were planning a Lake John outing before Christmas...

In the spirit of holiday giving, I have been sharing my thoughts on ethical fishing communications with a new generation of malleable young grand-nieces and nephews. Feel free to pass along to your own future generations... Little Sammy prefers to be known as Sam now, and he is just now launching a career in law out in Virginia. A few short years ago, his beloved uncle Bill took Sammy fishing for bluegills at a pond near his home. After returning to a kitchen full of aunties, one of them asked the boy: “So, what did you learn from your uncle today?” Without hesitation, the little future lawyer piped up: “He taught me how to lie about fishing.” I should have known even then the boy was destined to a life of splitting hairs about legal stuff. But truth to tell, there is a fine line between light-hearted banter and outright disregard for truth. So as my holiday gift to young anglers and voters everywhere, here is how to tell the difference: In Sam’s case, what he should ...

Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland is one of 15 parks going reservation-only for camping in 2019. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is expanding its reservation-only program after successful testing in 2018. Campers will need to reserve a spot online or by phone the day of arrival or up to six months in advance at the participating parks. CPW is also eliminating its $10 reservation-only camping fee starting Jan. 1. Campers will still need to pay admission and per-night camping fees. To make a reservation, visit  cpwshop.com  or call 800-244-5613. CPW recommends making reservations before you arrive at the park in case of unreliable cell phone service. Campers who use a reservation-only campsite without a reservation could be ticketed. The parks switching to reservation-only camping on Jan. 1 include: ·     Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area ·     Boyd Lake ·     Cherry Creek ·     Golden Gate Ca...

There'll be no formal agenda for the meeting, beyond discussion of candidates for officers for 2019.  If you want to participate in the gift exchange, get something (new - no White Elephants!) for about 10 bucks.  Wrap it up, but don't put your name on it.  We'll have a kind of raffle to decide who gets to choose their gift first. If you're interested in serving as club vice president for 2019 (and president in 2020), contact Club President  Dave Johnson  or 2019 President Jim Visger. 

It's time to pay our 2019 dues, so consider paying up at Tuesday's holiday meeting. Individual dues are $25 for the year. A couple's membership covering husband and wife is $30, which among other things covers the cost of the August picnic. Please remit to club treasurer Barb Ding.

Hey, if you're sitting around waiting for open water and blue skies, Friday may be your best bet until spring.   Like the days, options are getting short. There's at least skim ice on all smaller bodies of water around Loveland, none of it ready to walk on. But we can fish pretty effectively around the Boyd Lake boat ramp, or the Carter Lake shoreline, and I see on  http://fishexplorer.com  that people are still fishing the north shore of Lon Hagler. So bring your poles Friday and let's figure out best options. Trout are our best bet, though an occasional crappie is showing a willingness to bite...

Reminder, senior anglers will begin paying $8 for a license in 2019, as part of a general fee increase to fund Colorado Parks and Wildlife activities. A $25 stamp to pay for Acquatic Nuisance Species inspections also goes into effect for boats. Partial list of fee increases for residents. Fees 2018 2019 Annual Fishing License $25 $35 Senior Fishing (65+) $0 $8 Extra Rod Stamp $5 $9 Wildlife Education Fee, Applied on Every License (except as noted) ​ $0.75 $1.50 ANS Stamp for Motorboats and Sailboats $0 $25 Boat registration has no fee increase State Parks Pass Annual Affixed Multiple Vehicle Pass ​ $35 per vehicle ​ $40 per vehicle Aspen Leaf Annual Pass (ages 64+) ​ $60 ​ $70 State Parks Camping Permits Full Hookup Campgrounds $28-$30 per night ​ $32-$41 per night* Basic Campgrounds ​ $18-$20 per night ​​ $22-$28 per night*

Lake John's legendary wind was little more than a little bluster this past week, as some of Loveland Fishing Club's finest took advantage of good weather and better fishing. Alan Jones shows off his first-ever trout caught through the ice.  First time ice anglers Alan Jones, a native of Jacksonville, FL, (photo at left) and Rick Palmieri both landed their first trout through the ice. Both say they're ready to go back. Dave Boyle, left, and Pat Weller. Norm Engelbrecht and friend.

So we have a couple newbies heading onto the ice at Lake John this week, Rick and Alan, prompting me to put a few ideas together on how they might want to get started in this sport of ice fishing.  Now I would modestly say I am close to the best ice angler in the club -- but only in the sense that I try to stand close to Norm Engelbrecht when we fish together. Norm is pretty darned good at this, but I would add that Dave Harem was probably even better. (The rascal up and died on us). Norm and Dave shared one – no, two -- common traits that made them pretty good companions on the ice:   a willingness to get out there when it’s cold and windy without whining about it too much; and a willingness to try different things to see what works on that particular day on that particular body of water. When you’re just starting out, resist the temptation to visit Jax or Sportsman’s ice fishing shelves. You may find you're better off waiting until gentle, warm days and spring wild...

Dec. 18 is the club's annual holiday meeting; no formal agenda for the December.  We'll run over the possibilities for club officers, head for the cookies and coffee, and then have our annual gift exchange. If you want to participate in the gift exchange, get something (new) for about 10 bucks.  Wrap it up, but don't put your name on it.  We'll have a kind of raffle to decide who gets to choose their gift first. Contact  Dave Johnson  or Jim Visger if you're interested in being a candidate for club vice president, to serve in the 2019 calendar year.