A note for Newbies (and forgetful veterans): how to get involved with other anglers

By Bill Prater

The Loveland Fishing Club has suffered alongside everyone else during the pandemic, and neglected some things members routinely did together. With Spring at our doorstep, it is now time to refocus on what retired, like-minded anglers do best: help one another fish.

Below you’ll find a link to a history of the club I put together back in April 2021. You'll see that some of us have been amicably fishing together since 2003, (and when we argue, it’s usually over something like, where to have breakfast) With the social distance brought on by pandemic, though, some newer members are having difficulty finding their place in the club. Let’s talk about that. 

We'd sure like to hear from you - and don't wait for the next monthly meeting. We are cautious about sharing members’ phone numbers and e-mails. If you’d like help locating kindred spirits, or want to voice an opinion, drop a note to fishingclubloveland@gmail.com 

It is probably a fair criticism of the club to say we’re “cliquish” - we do tend to hang together with buddies at club breakfasts, Chilson meetings and the like. Hey, we all joined looking for companions, and we'd all benefit from more members getting actively involved in the club.

If you really want to get acquainted, consider volunteering. These days most of us have been reluctant to be involved in much of anything - but this club could sure use a new secretary and a new vice president. And while Barb Ding’s been a dynamite treasurer, she would welcome a successor. And if you’re tired of hearing about Bill’s incredible skill as an angler, it may just be because he's been your editor and webmaster since 2004. 

• The important thing is, don't wait for someone else to start a get-acquainted conversation. Others in the club can be astonishingly candid - some would say outright naive - in sharing their fishing knowledge (Norm Englebrecht springs to mind.) But with few exceptions, most of us are unlikely to offer advice unless asked. No one likes to be known as the know-it-all.
• Are you really good at fly fishing, or trolling for walleye, or chasing bass, and just want to compare the size of your fish? This club has more than one of you.
• Did you fish hard as a kid - but hardly fished at all for the past half century? Want advice on how to get back in the sport? Plenty in the club feel the same way. 
• Are you not as enthused about fishing per se as your spouse - but want to work with kids or senior citizens? Two of our biggest volunteer projects each year don’t even require you to bait a hook: 
• The Loveland Kids Fishing Derby, which the club rescued from near-extinction more than a decade ago 
• The club’s Senior Derby - which we’re pretty sure is the only event anywhere focused on providing a day of fishing and the outdoors for an entire community’s assisted living center residents.

Here’s that promised history of the club: https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6742163305098207298/2706552742336496638

Folks, it is time we band together more often, and create new memories. Again, send a note of any length to fishingclubloveland@gmail.com on any topic remotely related to the club (But remember, the only naked pictures we welcome involve fish)