Busy week for LFC

 

A lot's going on next week, and a good bit of it culminates at the general meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16. Here are highlights:

  - Our guest speakers are Kyle Battige, Colorado Parks and Wildlife senior aquatic biologist for northern Colorado; and Ben Swigle, our long-time aquatic biologist for the Loveland/Longmont area. They'll be updating us on the fisheries in this part of the state.

 - Chance to win a unique fly rod. All members attending Tuesday's meeting will be given a free raffle ticket for the chance to win a Kast King fly rod donated by Al Noraker, retired president of Kast King, last month's club speaker and one of our newest members. It's a high tech, quality descendant of the old collapsible rods you may have owned as a kid. This one comes complete with an 8-weight graphic rod, reel and line, that all break down into a tiny packable case.​

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 - Pat Mikulak will be taking names for folks who want to look the part of a legendary member of the Loveland Fishing Club: He's arranged with a local embroidery shop to make us classy sweatshirts and T-shirts emblazoned with the club's logo. Ranging in price from 

$16-20 for a colored short-sleeve T-shirt 

$20-24 for a long-sleeve T-shirt

$28 to 32 for a hooded pullover

$35 to 39 for a Zippered hoodie 

Sign up at the meeting and reimburse the club when the shirts are ready. You can also arrange to afterwards have your name put on the shirt for $5. 

Here's Pat modeling the zippered hoodie (your editor's personal favorite)

And on Thursday 8 a.m. to noon is the September Boat Day at Boyd Lake. Vacancies may still exist but you need to get with Danny Barker as soon as possible.970-302-8965, or e-mail him at DanBarker2337@gmail.com. Anglers meet at the boat ramp at 7:30 a.m., fish until about noon and then join the potluck picnic. Water and meat will be provided; the rest depends on what participants bring to the party.

A little help needed Friday after breakfast

 Pat Mikulak will be getting the club's fishing gear ready for the Senior Fishing Day, and needs help stringing up poles.

If you can help, just meet after breakfast Friday at the club's storage shed at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife facility east of Lon Hagler Reservoir. Pat can be reached by text or calling 303-775-1927. He'll also be looking for volunteers at Tuesday's club meeting at 2 p.m. next Tuesday at the Chilson Center.

Senior Fishing Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 24 at River's Edge Natural Area.

Merle Gordon has passed away

A Celebration of Life for Merle will be held Sunday, Sept. 28th at 2 p.m. at Merle's home, 2311 N. Garfield, Loveland.  

Merle, who was our club's president in 2016, passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 16th.  

Born in Sterling, Nebraska on July 10th, 1940, he was the son of Trientje "Tena" (Kelle) and Walter Boden. He grew up on the farm just outside of Sterling, with his six brothers and sisters, and graduated from Sterling High School in 1958. Merle attended classes for a time at Peru State College then went on to complete a program at a specialty electronics school in Omaha. He worked for AT&T for over 25 years, retiring as a supervisor. 

Merle met Janice Lee (Van Omen) Cale and fell in love. They were married on June 7, 1998 and settled in Loveland in 2001. Together they enjoyed life's simple pleasures, each other's company, and doting on their many grandchildren and great grandchildren. They were truly a pair. They had celebrated more than 26 wonderful years together at the time of Jan's passing in 2024. 

Merle was blessed with two sons, Dave and Tom. He was a great father, both loving and kind. He supported his boys in all that they did and found so much joy in being present in their lives. He taught them the value of working with their hands and taking pride in their work, sharing with them the many skills he had acquired throughout his life. He loved watching them grow to be men, then husbands, and then fathers with families of their own. Merle was so very proud of his boys and the men they became. 

He is also survived by two sisters, Ardis (Boden) Wentz and husband Ken of Sterling, NE, and Mary (Boden) Waddington of Phoenix, AZ; sister-in-law Jackie Boden of Sterling, NE; brother-in-law Ben Schole of Hooper, NE; and by his first wife and mother of his boys, Kaye R. (Jacobson) Boden of Loveland, CO; as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended family. 

Resthaven Memory Gardens Funeral & Cremation in Fort Collins handled services. You can read Merle's full obituary here. 

Mark your calendar: Senior Fishing Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 24th at River's Edge

 

It's official. This year's amended day of fishing for seniors will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon at River's Edge Natural Area, 960 W. 1st Street. 

It looked as though we wouldn’t be able to hold the senior derby this year; an annual event for northern Colorado’s senior community since 2011. The reason was complicated, but basically the derby was just getting too much for us. Club President Darrell Knight says that, rather than trying to manage the event on our own, the Loveland Fishing Club would team this year with a great coalition that includes the Chilson Senior Center, Loveland Parks and Recreation, and the City of Loveland’s Open Lands and Trails. Colorado Parks and Wildlife will also be involved, using the event to help publicize the quality of fishing available in River’s Edge ponds.  

We won’t be focusing as much on Loveland’s assisted living centers as in years past, Darrell says. They’ll still be welcome, but need to provide their own license and like other attendees, register in advance.  

Below is information from the flyer created by Chilson Senior Center to promote attendance. The club is teaming with the Senior Center, Loveland Parks and Recreation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. If you'd like to volunteer, you need to register with the city as a volunteer and then sign up for the event itself. Follow this link:  http://offero.CityofLoveland.org  

 The club will be providing snacks, drinks and loaner poles. Volunteers will be needed to help with the event, but members are also free to fish. 

A current fishing license is required, and both volunteers and anglers are required to register in advance. If you've not registered with the city for an activity you'll need to fill out an online form, again, http://offero@CityofLoveland.org 

Here's the language being used to promote the event.  

Wednesday, 24 September 2025 @ 08:30 AM to 12:00 PM 

Outdoor Skills  -  Seniors 

Join us for a fun day of fishing for anglers 55+, with loaner equipment and assistance provided by Loveland Fishing Club members. This is a free event open to the Loveland community, to enjoy the great outdoors with fellow seniors, learn to fish, and get to know River's Edge Natural Area. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE OR PURCHASE A VALID 2025 COLORADO FISHING LICENSE PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE EVENT. Fishing license may be purchased online at: https://cpw.state.co.us/fishing/licenses-and-dates. Some local sporting goods stores also sell fishing licenses; call before visiting to confirm. PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED IN ADVANCE, so we're sure to have enough equipment and snacks for all. Registration deadline is September 23. Trails are wheelchair friendly and several accessible fishing docks are available. Meet at the picnic shelters just east of the main River's Edge parking lot to sign in, pick up gear, and meet Fishing Club volunteers. Sturdy shoes and sun protection are recommended. LFC volunteers, please use the Volunteer sign-up link. 

Questions? Call or text Darrell Knight, 679-232-2040; comnetga@bellsouth.net

It's too danged hot! Boat Day postponed a week

 With a forecast high near the century mark, Boat Day Captain Danny Barker has postponed the monthly Loveland Fishing Club Boat Day from Thursday, Aug. 21 until Aug. 28.

Basic plans are unchanged: 8 a.m. to noon at Boyd Lake boat ramp. To sign up, call Danny Barker as soon as possible at 930-302-8965, or e-mail him at DanBarker2337@gmail.com. Anglers meet at the boat ramp at 7:30 a.m., fish until about noon and then join the potluck picnic. Water and meat will be provided; the rest depends on what participants bring to the party.

 

Our guest speaker for Tuesday's general meeting will be Al Noraker, president of KastKing fishing, which offers a full line of fishing tackle, clothing and related products. Al will speak on still water fly fishing. Kastking's website is http://kastking.com. 

The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. at Chilson Center; (Don't forget the club's annual picnic has been moved to October.)

Also on the agenda will be discussion of plans for this year's modified Senior Fishing Derby, to be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Sept. 24 at Rivers Edge Natural Area.

The August Boat Day will be this Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon at Boyd Lake. To sign up, call Danny Barker as soon as possible at 930-302-8965, or e-mail him at DanBarker2337@gmail.com. Anglers meet at the boat ramp at 7:30 a.m., fish until about noon and then join the potluck picnic. Water and meat will be provided; the rest depends on what participants bring to the party.

And Doug swears these weren't even as big as the one he almost caught...

 Don't let this get around, but Doug Money hauled in a couple "sizable" rainbow trout and a decent walleye on recent outings at Horsetooth Reservoir with fellow club member/guide Bill Rottman.

Doug didn't get a measurement on the trout, but I'd say they would have put him in the running for Angler of the Year. But, as Doug says, "hey, the 'one that got away' story is even better."

Finally, some catfish!

 It is safe to say that the Loveland Fishing Club's catfish outings in 2025 have been enthusiastic but a bit nonproductive. Until Tuesday that is, when Bob Dierkes and Wayne Baranczky's twin giant channel cats shattered everyone else's modest expectations.

All the lads would say is that both were fishing in the same style, from their float tubes, using similar baits on the same St. Vrain State Park pond. "Same bait, same lake," Wayne says. 

Wayne, whom Bob insists "tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," estimates his admittedly impressive catch at 27 inches. You be the judge. whose is bigger.

Bob's channel cat. Photo by Wayne Baranczyk

Below: Wayne (honest, that's him behind the Invisible Man getup) 

and his cat. Photo by Bob Dierkes​

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Published on

7/22/25 7:23 PM

George Wist tries his luck in a belly boat

 So some of the club's Float Fishing Group talked George Wist into investing in a belly boat, and on Friday took him for a maiden voyage on a pond near Fort Collins. To show his gratitude, George promptly outfished the entire crew, landing not one but two Colorado Master Angler largemouth. 

He didn't get an exact measure, but estimates one of prize catches at 18 inches, the other about 21.​ George didn't say what he used for bait, but that sure looks like a big old plastic worm in one of the fishes' mouth.

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LFC July meeting is Tuesday, July 15; Boat Day is the 17th

 

Danny Barker reminds us that the Loveland Fishing Club's July Boat Day on Boyd Lake is coming up fast, and he's looking for more boat captains and potential riders. "Let's make a strong showing," he says.

To sign up, call Danny as soon as possible at 930-302-8965, or e-mail him at DanBarker2337@gmail.com. Anglers meet at the boat ramp at 7:30 a.m., fish until about noon and then join the potluck picnic. Water and meat will be provided; the rest depends on what participants bring to the party.

You can get tuned up for the day's fishing by listening to our guest speaker, walleye pro Steve Shelton, at Tuesday's 2 p.m. meeting at the Chilson Center.