Hey Mister! Lemme fish.

Photo by George Kral

Dave Harem and other club volunteers demonstrated casting techniques Wednesday, April 25, at the Lagoon near Chilson Center.  Honest, Dave reportedly did give the kid his pole back...

Reporter-Herald describes club role in new Flatiron access

FLATIRON RESERVOIR -- Loveland Fishing Club member Bob Scott gestured toward five brand new sets of stairs from the day use area to the shores of Flatiron Reservoir.

"People don't have to slide down the dirt anymore," said Scott, whose club worked for three years to secure a grant to improve access to the fishing spot west of Loveland. "You'd be surprised, this summer, how many people are going to get down there."

During the past week, the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources and the Loveland Fishing Club, with the help of people sentenced to community service, installed the stairs and a new compacted trail in the day use area of the reservoir.  For the complete article and video, click here.

Warm water fly fishing seminar at the Ranch May 2

WARM WATER FLY FISHING NEAR FT. COLLINS MAY 2

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is hosting a seminar on warm water fly fishing opportunities near Ft. Collins.

WHO: Everyone

WHEN: Wednesday May 2, 2012 from 6:00-7:00 PM

WHERE: Larimer county Events Complex-The Ranch. 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, CO 80536, Thomas M McKee 4-H, youth & Community Building Meeting Room.

DIRECTIONS: The Ranch is located directly adjacent to I-25, just north of Highway 34, in Loveland, Colorado. To reach The Ranch, exit I-25 at Crossroads Blvd., exit 259. Travel east 1 mile to Fairgrounds Avenue (County Road 5) and go north to the entrance.

COST: No cost

SIGN UP: To register for the event, please e-mail wildlife.neoutreach@state.co.uswildlife.neoutreach@state.co.us or call (303) 291-7804 and leave a message with names, address and phone number. Space is limited to 30 people.

Open house planned for HP/Agilent Open Space April 26

The public is invited to an open house for the design of HP/Agilent Open Space. The April 26 open house will offer an overview and details of the Preferred Master Plan for HP/Agilent Open Space.

The open house is informal and citizens can drop in any time 4- 6p.m. at the Maple/Spruce Multi-purpose Room of the Chilson Recreation/Senior Center, 700 E. 4^th Street.

Citizens can view the Preferred Master Plan prepared by AECOM consulting firm, ask questions, and speak one-on-one with staff from the City and AECOM. The meeting is informal with no presentation or group discussions. Citizens will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed plan and possible recreational uses for the site. Suggestions for a new name for the open space will also be solicited at the open house. 

For additional information regarding the project progress, schedule and updates, please visit www.CityofLoveland.org/Agilentwww.CityofLoveland.org/Agilent

First steps laid in Flatiron access project

Work began Wednesday, April 11, on the first of five sets of sandstone steps that will provide easier access to Flatiron Reservoir, aided by 18 members of the Loveland Fishing Club.

Tom Miller, who helped Larimer County Parks and Open Space obtain a federal Fishing is Fun grant for the project, says five to eight club members will be needed for future work days, which will begin at 10 a.m. and end about 2 p.m.  See Tom to sign up.  Available dates (until completion) are:
Thursday, April 12, Sunday, April 15, Monday, April 16, Tuesday, April 17, Thursday April 19, Tuesday, April 24, Wednesday, May 2 and Sunday, May 6.  

Club members after the first day of work at Flatiron.

In addition to stone steps down the step banks of the reservoir, the grant will provide for a short paved trail and railings for the steps.  To see more photos of the work in progress, click here.

Volunteers needed for Flatiron handicap project

Work begins Wednesday at Flatiron Reservoir on improved handicapped access to Flatiron Reservoir, home of the club's annual derby.

The work is financed through a $20,250 federal Fishing Is Fun grant to Larimer County Parks and Open Space, secured with the help of a $2,000 matching grant from the Loveland Fishing Club.

Tom Miller, organizer of the club's role in the project, is lining up volunteers to help with some of the initial groundwork.

Grab your shovel and gloves and meet at the lake at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1l. 

Bait shop opens in north Loveland

Doc's Bait & Patio furniture, selling minnows and other live bait, has opened at 3507 North Garfield (highway 287), in the rear of the building.

The shop also offers Iuminet fishing nets and TrolControl tiller extensions for electric and gas motors built in Loveland by club member Jerry Paller, who'll also be using the shop for rod repair and sale of custom-made rods.

Doc's phone number is 970-619-8750; e-mail docsbaitandpatio@gmail.com.  More information on Jerry's tiller extensions and nets can by found at http://rpmoutdoorsports.com

New LFC website coming! Learn to use the Internet

 The Loveland Public Library is offering free computer classes in its new iLearn Technology lab, including ones that can help you get the most from the club's coming new web site, e-mail and other online tools.

I recommend two of the libary's new classes in particular:  EMail101 (with Gmail) and Internet101, a two-hour class where you will learn about web browsers, search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), the components of a typical webpage, and how to use common websites such as Craigslist, Amazon, and Wikipedia.

To learn more, here's a link to the library's computer class registration.


We'll be rolling out our new website soon, replacing the existing club website and blog and offering a new private forum for swapping fishing information.  Be ready! 

Don't miss this one! Swift Ponds Friday, March 29

Colorado Youth Outdoors (CYO), our long-time friends and allies on projects like the Loveland Kids Fishing Derby and Girl Scouts fishing, has invited club members to a day of fishing on CYO's 12 ponds northeast of Loveland.

Club members' spouses and immediate family members are welcome from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 29, according to Loveland Fishing Club President Dave Boyle. All ponds on the 240-acre site will be open to us, but remember:  no live bait, everything catch and release.  This should be special:  fishing at Swift Ponds is usually restricted to youth-oriented nonprofit organizations.

Bring lunch, drinks and a chair.  For more information on CYO, visit their website.
Also, club members for several years now have volunteered to help CYO with its annual skeet sheet fundraiser at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch.  This year we'll be helping run the event on Friday, May 4.
If you'd like to help, see Dave or George Kral at Friday's breakfast. 

Northern pike in northern Nebraska

The big ones were biting at the club's outing to a private lake in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, as shown by Charlie Higgs, left, and Art Johnson. (Click on photos to view full size)  The club has a return trip planned after ice out in May. 

 Photos by Leland Carpenter.