Loveland Fishing Club Blog

You still have a few weeks to practice:  the annual Club tournament will be held at Flatiron Reservoir on Thursday, Sept. 15, the day after the Senior Derby. For newbies and the forgetful who are not sure what's involved, this is a competition held since 2007, and the winner is whomever catches the biggest measured string of four trout in a four-hour period, 8 a.m. to noon. Money and reputations are on the line here, so competition will be ruthless. ( Please bring along a tape to measure and record each other's catch.)  Win or lose, lunch will be free to all, served up by the most recent tournament champion and runner-up, Bill Prater and Rick Golz. Admission is charged at Flatiron, so some of us will meet in the Jax parking lot on West Eisenhower to carpool, leaving no later than 7:30 a.m.  This will be the first competition since introduction of Covid-19 to the world - which takes a bit of the luster off the fact that your legendary editor  Bill Prater has retained ...

  A Loveland Fishing Club tradition since 2006, the club's Senior Fishing Derby will be held at Flatiron Reservoir on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Members of Loveland area assisted living centers are our special guests, and we expect to host around 50, along with support staff from the homes, according to Vickie Tesar, this year's derby chair. If you've not signed up to volunteer, we're in good shape for the event but can always use more help, Vickie says. This is one of the club's greatest traditions, and fun for all. So come on out. You can reach Vicki at VT0608@out.look.com   This year’s derby is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.   Wednesday, Sept. 14th th  at Flatiron Reservoir, a Larimer County Open Space property where there is normally an $8 daily entrance fee. The club also works with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to purchase a sort of in bulk fishing license for participants, and the Division also stocks the lake in advance with trout. The idea sprang to mind more than a deca...

 I think we'd all agree, last week's annual Loveland Fishing Club picnic was a howling success. And let's give a special thank you to John and Peggy Gwinnup, who for years have worked to make this a memorable get-together. I'm told the first club picnic involved about a dozen couples, the founding fathers and mothers of the club, and it wound up in Tom and Sheila Miller's garage because of an untimely rainstorm. The picnic has moved around over the years, and the menu has evolved as well, but it's arguably the best opportunity for a large-scale get-together.  This year, John took responsibility for the menu and planning the event, and he and Peggy called and called club members to make sure we enjoyed maximum turnout. Thanks again, you two. Here's a photo of John taken a few years ago, when the menu required John and other volunteer club members grilling the steak and chicken: 

  This wretchedly hot summer has put serious stress on fish and fisherpeople, and outright bans on fishing on some overheated waters like the Yampa River. Here's a link to an excellent piece on the subject by a Wyoming Game and Fish Fisheries Biologist Andrew Nikirk. The net:  particularly with trout, now's the time to be gentle and fish early.  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Sheridan-Region/Sheridan-Region-News/Take-precautions-when-warm-water-fishing

 Due to staffing issues, the annual Harvest Bazaar at Chilsen Senior Center will not be held next month. Members of the Loveland Fishing Club traditionally volunteer to help with the event, as part of our affiliation with the senior center.

ATTENTION BOATERS: The boat ramp is becoming very shallow. Large boats should use extreme caution if they try to launch. As water is quickly being let out of the lake for irrigation needs, we expect the water level to drop several inches in the next 24-48 hours. Boaters should to be aware that if they launch, getting their boat back onto the trailer later in the day may be difficult. Jackson Lake is apparently being drawn down quickly to meet irrigation needs, and the boat ramp closed for the 2022 season at 7p.m. Sunday, August 7th. All vessels must be off the water by 7pm, as the gates will be locked. Hand launched, non motorized, non-trailered vessels (canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, etc) are still permitted after closing.