Loveland Fishing Club Blog

By Bill Prater In the spirit of the holidays, humor me as I reminisce about taking my nephew fishing at a pond near his home. We talked about many manly subjects. Like, “the plural of fish is fish. So if you caught just one, and someone asks how you did, you say, “Wow, did we catch fish!” When we got back home, an auntie asked Sam what his uncle had taught him. The lad – now an attorney , I should add – answered, “He told me how to lie about fishing.”   Truth is, I am the envy of wives and fishing friends for my truthfulness about the size and quantity of fish caught. They do point out that they can’t disprove anything, because I release everything I catch. But I am also known to tolerate  Loveland Fishing Club  buddies who cheerfully lie about any damned thing, every Friday morning breakfast. So, am I culpable here? Does tolerance for the truthiness of others mean anything anyway, in an era when lighthearted lying has been transformed into professional career...

 

   The temperature was right at freezing Monday morning when Darrell Knight hit the Recycle Pond with his Fat Cat float tube. Half an hour later Bill arrived to find the Florida transplant had bounced and kicked his way about halfway from shore to open water. Ten minutes later, Bill launched to find the fishing about as cold as the water. The pair and late-arriving Wayne caught a few trout and one sheepish little catfish before calling it a day . Ice fishing is surely not too far in the future.

 That's one big bluegill on the end of little Vicki's pole, a fish she recalls yanking from a lake in Minnesota, where the darned things grow bigger for some reason. That's it! All the photos members have shared this holiday season. If you have another you'd like to see here on the blog, send it to billjohnp@gmail.com . Happy holidays everyone. See you 2 p.m. Tuesday.

All right club members, not a one of you could figure out that the handsome young lad below was our own Dan Chouser, taken around 1943 when he was about 4 years old and fishing Lake Winona, IN. Meanwhile, I think I wrote that Dan's was our last entry for the year, but I forgot I hadn't posted the entry below. Let me know who you think this cutie is, and I'll do the reveal in a reminder that the Annual Holiday Party is this Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. Don't forget, there's an optional gift exchange. If you want to take part, pick out something thoughtful and fishy for around 9 or 10 bucks, wrap it up but don't put your name on. And don't eat too much before the meeting; we'll be having cookies and stuff. 

 Alert reader and angler Bob Dierkes successfully identified this club member as our own Current President (And our First, back in 2003) Tom Miller. Knowing that, you can also guess this young fisherman ate every darned fish on this World War II era string.  Meanwhile, below is Thursday's submission, the last unless someone else digs through their old albums. We'll give you a hint:  the now middle-aged youngster reports this was taken when they were about 4 years old and fishing at Lake Winona, Indiana. 

 Darned if I can figure out how, but at least two grizzled club members (Jim Roode and Bob Dierkes) dentified the young angler on the right as legendary Oklahoma noodler Dennis Kelsey! I don't think I've ever seen a member of the Loveland Fishing Club quite so skinny, or carry so many big fish. Meanwhile, a confession: recall that posting of Wisconsin transplant Rick Golz, who looked like a youthful twin of himself? Well, turns out that was Rick himself on the left, with his eldest son Jeff on the right. The real kid does look related... And finally, below is Tuesday's posting in the LFC Holiday Photo contest. I'll give you a hint:  this was taken in the very early days of photography. 

  Okay, so a couple club members guessed yesterday's post had to be Barb Ding, and another chimed in with Vicki Tesar. Wrong. And wrong.  That was the youthful, obviously successful angler Kathleen Barker, fishing in her younger days with a man who didn't go by the name " Danny ."  Meanwhile, if you can figure out the identity of today's Mystery Angler, you must be going more on fishing reputation than youthful looks. Our hero notes the " picture is from 1948. In those days, the best way of catching fish was hand fishing, or "noodling" as we called it; or with a trotline. Fishing gear was primitive - but we caught fish! " Hard to argue with these... 

   Okay, anyone who didn't guess that was Rick Golz and his Daddy in our most recent LFC Holiday Photo is probably very new to the club ... and ought to get a new eyeglass prescription. That young fisherman looks suspiciously like he was cloned. But  sharp-eyed and prompt Bob Dierkes was the first to point out the lad was Wisconsin native Rick. We do wonder why he was wearing a Twins cap. Meanwhile,  below is our latest entry. You'll also have to guess which of the two anglers in this photo is the club member, and who's just the fishing buddy helping to hold up that nice mixed bag of fish.  If you've not submitted an entry, send to  billjohnp@gmail.com . You may also be immortalized in our slide show at the Tuesday, Dec. 19th Holiday Party. 

 All right, anglers, so far you've done kind of lousy job identifying younger versions of Loveland Fishing Club members. Thursday's entry (shown at right) was ... 6-year-old Bob Dierkes, hoisting an impressive string of suckers with the help of 5-year-old brother Jerry. And if you can't figure out today's entry, you might want to take up a sport that requires better eyesight and judgment. Shown below with his father and an impressive string of trout is Friday's Poster Child, shown in the days before strict daily limits.  We've got a few more tucked away or promised, but if you haven't submitted an entry yet, send to me at billjohnp@gmail.com . Or bring to the Chilson Center Open House between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, or the Club Holiday Party Tuesday, Dec. 19. (And don't forget to bring a Secret Santa present for the gift exchange on the 19th. Should be around 9 or 10 bucks, new, and wrapped) (but don't put your name on it. Otherwise it's not mu...

 Okay, we've had several guesses about the identity of Wednesday's Holiday Angler. Someone came up with Mark Orswell , another swore this had to be baby-faced Bob Dierkes. Nope. And Nope. It was none other than past President Fred Riehm. He says it was taken about 1970, fishing Clear Creek in the mountains of Verde Valley, Arizona.  Meanwhile, we're still awaiting photos of other members demonstrating their angling skills at a young age. I naively asked for " pre-puberty " photos. Clever correspondent Leland Carpenter pointed out what should have been obvious to this 75-year-old fisherman:  most of our Moms and Dads didn't have a camera three-quarters of a century ago. So, just dig through your dustiest albums, and send us what you've got.  Meanwhile, below is Thursday's entry in our Loveland Fishing Club Holiday Photo Contest. I'll generously give you a hint:  that's our club member on the left, age 6; and brother age 5. Nice fishes. So who...

 Okay, it's a bit blurry, but blame Mom or Dad, not the unnamed as yet Loveland Fishing Club member below. Those do look like fish in his hand. 

We'll let you guess awhile. Here's the latest donation of an old-time fishing photo from a Loveland Fishing Club stalwart. Taken, I'd guess, around 1970? I didn't know they made largemouth that big back then.  Now, let's see yours.  

 Time to go through your scrapbooks and come up fishing photos, the older the better! Here's a clean-shaven Darrell Knight, at right, shown with his uncle Wayne and a big old Southern catfish Darrell recalls weighting about 27 pounds. (Hey, who's going to question the size after about 30 years?) 

Your fishing club editor came across this rare photograph of a very young Bill Prater showing off a few of many fine fish he caught at Horseshoe Lake, IL, back in the day. It was taken around 1960 while staying with Grandma and Grandpa in their little cabin, back before I drove, worked for a living or started chasing lovely Linda Lee. So! I just showed you mine; show me yours! If you have a pre-puberty photo of yourself fishing, share with the rest of us by sending a copy to:   billjohnp@gmail.com  If you don't have a way to make a digital copy, bring what you have to the Tuesday, Dec. 19 holiday party. 

  If you have a friend who should be part of the club, encourage them to check out the Loveland Fishing Club table at the Senior Center Open House, between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9.  The club will have handouts and members on hand to talk to visitors. You can also help by joining us; put on your LFC hat and mingle. It's a good chance to boost our numbers, down somewhat in this post-Covid time.  Here's the Chilson handout about the Open House:  Date: 12/09/2023 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.   Location: Chilson Recreation/Senior Center 700 E Fourth Street Loveland ,  Colorado  80537 Introduction: We have Something for Everyone! Come find out why the community LOVES the Chilson Recreation & Senior Center. Add to my Calendar Something for Everyone! Come find out why the community LOVES the Chilson Recreation & Senior Center. Membership discounts – save 15% on a 6 Month membership (available during the open house only). Take a tour, get information...

Now's the time to wear something festive, be nice to one another, and don't forget the (optional) Christmas Party gift exchange. There's no planned agenda, beyond a festive recollection of fish caught so far in 2023. 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.) 

  Long-time Loveland Fishing Club member Jim Roode is also an avid hunter who volunteers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to take youngsters goose hunting from Eastern Colorado pits. The game warden who books these hunts has over-committed this fall and on Saturday, Dec. 9th has only three hunters lined up for what is usually a four youth hunt. It creates a unique opportunity. Jim says if any club member has a child or grandchild under age 18 who would like to hunt geese, to contact him as soon as possible. He can be reached at jimroode@yahoo.com or with a call to  970-667-4666. Parks and Wildlife can lend a shotgun if needed, but the youngster must have a CPW Hunter Education card.  The child's relative or mentor must accompany the child but won't be hunting.

Nov. 10, 2023: LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – The Douglas Reservoir State Wildlife Area will be closed  temporarily until a new lease is signed between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the property owners. Negotiations have been ongoing for months, but the renewed lease was not finalized before the previous agreement expired on October 31. Due to safety and liability concerns, CPW properties require active leases for recreation operations to resume. The SWA will reopen when the new lease is complete. (Editor's note: it's not at all clear that this means an agreement has been reached in some fashion. This is how we lost Lone Tree Reservoir a few years ago)  

By Bill Prater (A bit more on ultralight fishing)   One quirk of living to an overly ripe old age is, I can probably afford  the 20 bucks needed to buy today’s big old, post-Covid bass plug. But I'll be damned if I’ll do it. And thanks to revolutionary new downsized techniques and a positive attitude toward multi-species fishing, I don’t need to.     Here’s one fishing cliché that does not apply to Northern Colorado: “You need a big bait to catch a big fish.” (You may think of others, like: “ Hey , isn’t it time to put away that warm water stuff and hope for a good hard freeze? ”) But for now, let’ s just talk about fishing with gear that may be smaller and lighter than what you may be comfortable with.    Yes, we’re talking seriously ultralight. Or as enlightened folks now call it, “micro finesse.” Really, the new part is not  really about using ultralight gear. It’s just using ultralight for more than catching pa...

It's a bit out of focus, but Club Vice President Dan Barker clearly hit the jackpot earlier this month with a 21-inch largemouth bass hauled out of Boyd Lake. Dan reports catching the beast off the grass line on the lake's southwest side, sing a white/chartreuse spinner bait with a white trailer. He weighed the old girl at 6 pounds, 1 oz. before releasing her for the rest of us to try to catch next spring. A Colorado Master Angler award for largemouth requires a fish at least 18 inches long.    

  Memorial service for James "Jimmy Giles," the Loveland Fishing Club's 2008 president, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 at First United Presbyterian Church, 400 E. 4th St. in Loveland. He passed away on Oct. 11.   He was loved and cherished by many people including: his parents, Ila Giles (Lawson) and Homer Giles; his wife Charlotte; his sons, Timothy and Terry (Gretta); his grandchildren, Sierra, Marcus and Sean; and his sisters, Sharon and Evelyn (Don).   Bohlender Funeral Chapel in Fort Collins is handling arrangements.  

  Memorial service for James "Jimmy" Giles will be held Saturday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. at First United Presbyterian Church, 400 E. 4th St. in Loveland. Jimmy taking a little girl fishing during an outing at North Lake Duck Park in 2008.That's John Grady in the background. 

  When the mud had settled Tuesday, Bob McHale wound up the club's 2023 Derby Champion at Flatiron Reservoir, with a string of four trout measuring 49 inches. Wayne Baranczyk was second, just behind with 46 3/4".  Bob's name will be forever enshrined on the derby trophy, and he'll earn $50 to buy more bait. Wayne takes home a $25 prize. The fishing got better Tuesday as the day wore on, as water slowly refilled the reservoir. It was a great day on the water, organized by Vicki Tesar, followed by a  banquet of leftover but still nutritious and tasty hotdogs from the Senior Derby. To view a few more photos of the event, go to the club blog, http://lovelandfishingclub.blogspot.com. To see more photos of the derby, that you can also print and download, click the following link to the Google Photo Album:   https://photos.app.goo.gl/2Fv2N72dwKGmNA418 Bob McHale, left, with Wayne Baranczyk Dennis Kelsey, with one of the prettiest views in northern Colorado

Flatiron Reservoir is the new home to more than 3,300 freshly stocked rainbow trout, promising strong competition at this year's annual contest to determine who's our finest angler. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the reservoir, site of the club's Senior Derby last week, followed by a celebratory picnic. Okay, fishing kinda sucked at the club's Senior Derby. But Derby Chair Vicki Tesar says the lake never received its promised fall stocking until this week. Fishing next week should be spectacular, or at least darned good.. The contest has been a club tradition since 2007, and last year's winner was Ken Kesterke, who earned his name on the club's traveling trophy plus $50. Second place went to Dennis Kelsey, who took home $25 along with bragging rights. There is no entry fee, but we'll be expected to measure and witness each other's catches. If possible, bring a tape measure, a notecard or two, and a pencil. There is an admission fee to the Lari...