Loveland Fishing Club Blog

Well, if the ponds just won't freeze it's time to break out the belly boats. Photo on top: Bill Prater, left; 2026 Vice President Kurt Henkenius and last year's President and now Parliamentarian Darrell Knight get ready to launch at St. Vrain State Park on New Year's Eve morning. Bottom photo: Kurt displays one of the last catches of 2026. Nothing hauled to net was likely to challenge for big fish of 2025, but hey, they were fish. So who's getting their worms wet on this freakishly warm start to a new year? Send us proof of the First Fish of 2026! Especially interested and skeptical of anything caught through some ice. Photo by Wayne Baranczyk, first on the water 

  You voted them in; here they are: the Loveland Fishing Club's Board was elected at the December meeting for a year-long term are new President Dave Johnson; new Vice President Kurt Henkenius; Government Affairs liaison Jim Roode; Treasurer Ken Kesterke; new Secretary Wayne Baranczyk. Immediate Past President President Darrell Knight is now Parliamentarian.

I know, we've talked about this before, but we're a forgetful bunch. There's no agenda for the 2 p.m. meeting Tuesday at Chilson, beyond voting for next year's officers and diving in on Christmas cookies and such.  Below, wishing you a happy holiday, are, top left, outgoing President Darrell Knight; Secretary Kathleen Barker, Member at Large John Gwinnup; lower left Dave Johnson; Treasurer Ken Kesterke and Government Affairs Jim Roode. John has been nominated by the board to be the 2026 Vice President. If you want to participate in the gift exchange, wrap a new gift of around 10 bucks and don't sign your name. See you Tuesday. (Note on photo below: Darrell wanted to be sure he was holding the biggest fish)

  Over the course of 78 years I’ve learned an invaluable thing: you don’t really choose your best friends; you kind of choose one another. Tom Miller was best known to many as founding father and first President of the Loveland Fishing Club, and before that a senior manager in the California Park system. But to me, he was just a best buddy. In truth, though I’d never tell him that, he was the Dad I needed since my own died too early in life. Tom himself passed away Friday, Dec. 12, at age 90, at home with Sheila, his wife of 67 years. When I joined the club two decades ago, Tom told me: “the usual minimum requirement for membership is at least one cardiac bypass. But you’re such a fine fellow, we’ll make an exception in your case.” I’ve been trying to live up to that description ever since. LFC's first club outing, 2001 at Lon Hagler. That's Tom at far right, with the belly boat. Like many of you, I have a litany of favorite Tom Miller memories. One was the day, not long after ...

Tom Miller, 90, the club's first president and the fellow who conceived of the club in the first place back in 2001, died Friday, Dec. 12, after a fall in his home. He'd been in poor health for some time, though he remained active in the club til the very end. He was also the first member to serve a second term as club president, in 2023, when we needed him to outlast the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. Before relocating to Loveland from Southern California, he was a senior manager for the California Park System. He was a tremendous fisherman, and even better friend. This is hard to write; I love that old man.   He is survived by his wife Sheila, son Jon of Fort Collins and a daughter Kim living in California. Some of you know Tom made arrangements years ago with the Neptune Society, which is handling cremation services and related issues for the family. 

 As incoming President Dave Johnson always says, "Never sniff a gift fish," but you should give some thought to what you wrap up for the club's gift exchange. If you don't want to participate, you can still have coffee and cookies. But otherwise you'll want to thoughtfully decide on a gift of about 10 bucks. Wrap it up but don't put your name on it. The club will provide cookies, but if you want to add something else to the pile, I like most kinds of cookies and fudge. The club will also be voting on next year's board.