Loveland Fishing Club Blog

  Norm Engelbrecht was always meticulous about his yard, and the leaves had been piling up since his passing, with Gail still a bit too frail to get out there with a rake. So John Gwinnup put out a call for volunteers to help with a yard cleanup last Friday. About a dozen and a half friends turned out to make short work out of a pretty big task. Result: a spotless yard, ready for winter. "A big thank you to all who did leaf cleanup," says Gail. "Blessings to everyone. It was wonderful.

 Be on time, wear something festive, and don't forget the gift exchange. Also, it'd be a great time to bring your dues to Treasurer Barb Ding - $25 for an individual, $30 for a couple. There's no planned agenda, beyond a short video Tom Miller's lined up on ice fishing. If you want to participate in the gift exchange, wrap up something new, for around 10 bucks, and don't put your name on it.  We'll have coffee and cookies, and anything else you might want to share with the rest of the club. (I for one will never turn down a chocolate chip cookie. Or fudge.)  

  Here is the semi-official motto of the Loveland Fishing Club, as posted on the LFC blog masthead: “We fish by boat, by float tube, from the bank and in the stream waving a fly rod. Some of us give our catch a little hello and goodbye kiss and set them free. Others can show you how to fry, bake, pickle, smoke or make sushi out of just about everything that swims.” For years, that motto was even simpler: “If it swims, someone in the Loveland Fishing Club will be trying to catch it.” That goal is also at the heart of a brand-new competition – the “LFC Most Species of Fish Contest.” Details will come. We’re still arguing over a few things, like, should we lump some species together, for club members who can’t tell the difference between a bluegill and a green sunfish? I’ll bet even legendary club founder Tom Miller, who majored in some kind of fishy degree way back before the mass migration of Californians to Colorado, probably can’t tell the difference between a “Rio Gra...

 Handouts of the following form will be available at the December general meeting . “Most Species of Fish Contest” Rules and Entry Form 1)       The member who catches the most species of fish between monthly meetings is “Angler of the Month” and earns free tickets for that month’s raffle. One ticket per species, 6 for 5 or more species. 2)       The contest is for most different species caught, not size. 3)       Qualifying species are the 46 listed in the Colorado Master Angler Program 4)       You must fill out an Entry Form to qualify. Contest relies on the Honor System. Photos welcomed. 5)       The Entry Form must be turned in to the Raffle Master before the start of each meeting , so they may announce that month’s official “Angler of the Month” prior to the raffle. Use the form below: Member’s Name ______________________ Month___ ______...

I'm seeing reports on http://fishexplorer.com  of a 4-inch ice cap on the Delaneys, Lake John and Cowdrey. Intriguing, yet, but I'd prefer one of you tell me venture out and tell the rest of us whether the ice is thick enough to fish yet. I'm thinking, no way. Also, I see Antero has about a 2-inch cap, so I know it's cold, but wait awhile.  I'll send an e-mail to club members in a few days and maybe put a list together of folks wanting to get out on the ice this winter. If you're a novice, I'd recommend just talking to some of the rest of us before spending your retirement money on equipment. We should have enough spare gear for you to borrow and see if you like the sport before investing. And you won't need an auger and such if you go with a group. 

  We'll have no planned agenda for the last general meeting of the year, Tuesday, December 20. In its place will be the annual holiday party! And gift exchange. President Karol Stroschein will ensure we have coffee and cookies, but as we discussed on Tuesday, feel free to bring something to share with the rest of the club. Someone's already talking about their homemade fudge, for example, and you can never go wrong with chips and dip, or of course, chocolate chip cookies. No problem if you forget or choose not to participate in the gift exchange; just don't pick up a gift., so we don't run low on presents.  Remember, if you want to participate, get something (new) for about 10 bucks. Wrap it up but don't put your name on it.   We have a kind of raffle to decide who gets to pick first.

Scheels of Johnston is going to donate a total of $100K to nonprofit organizations in northern Colorado. They will pick 20 and gift in $5K increments, based on the number of votes or Facebook Likes" each individual organization gets. Please go to their website, https://www.scheels.com/stores/colorado/johnstown/event/jo-giving-day.html?fbclid=IwAR1POcMAUs-Y3evWsHu0QnB5DwdjbB0y-w1opuNi4wMPYcZI8caBRK2Z_hk and nominate Patriot Anglers. Dave Boyle and several other members of the Loveland Fishing Club have been active with the organization, and have acquired a pontoon boat used for the first time this summer to take veterans fishing on Boyd Lake. The money can be used for upcoming fishing trips and boating activities in northern Colorado for veterans. And please ask your friends to help us.

 Ok, it’s not a new fishing hole. It’s the Boyd lake inlet. But it has some new trout.  Tom Miller and I watched Tuesday as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife hatchery truck dropped a load of stocker trout at the boat ramp. We left without attacking them with a fresh Gulp minnow, but suggest you might want to give them a try.

 By any measure, though, this is one husky trout, which Darrell Knight wrestled from the gin-clear water of South Delaney Lake Tuesday. One of a stalwart group of clubbers taking to the water, Darrell caught the 21-inch plus fish from his newly acquired float tube, endured a smack in the face, and released it to swim another day. There was a pretty good ice skim along the shoreline Tuesday, a pretty good indication that the fall season in North Park is winding down.

 Okay, several club members have been clamoring for Sherry Cadle's delicious Cheesy Sweet Corn Spoonbread recipe, and she's just passed it along for the rest of us.  You start with Krusteaz Honey Cornbreak and Muffin Mix, one 14 3/4-oz can of cream-style corn, 1/2 cup of melted butter, a cup of sour cream and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. It makes enough 12 servings. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and in a large bowl stir together all ingredients until well blended. Pour into lightly greased 9x9-inch baking pan and bake for 38-52 minutes. Top with additional cheddar cheese, if desired. Let sit for about five minutes before serving. That's it! 

  By Bill Prater    Following is pretty much all I can think to tell you about how to become a thriving member of the Loveland Fishing Club. It also describes some specific fishing preferences of a few long-time (and reasonably successful) members that you should get to know.    I’m often asked, in front of witnesses, about specifically where to go fishing around northern Colorado, and how to catch fish when you get there. I hesitate to respond with the absolute truth. That truth is, our public waters tend to run on the small side, while our population gets steadily bigger. So I'm reluctant to share too many specifics about too many specific spots with too many people. Some annoying social media - places like FishBrain and YouTube - have also cropped up in recent years. They allow – even encourage – overly intimate information about favorite fishing holes. Trouble is, you’re not just sharing what you know with a quiet and loveably discreet guy like me. If you’r...