Barbaryk and friend on the ice

 

With last week's Loveland Fishing Club's St.Vrain State Park outing fresh in his mind, Jim Barbaryk took a young neighbor and his Dad to the park this week. Jim and the kid did great. 

Largemouth and Bluegills and 5 inches of Front Range Ice. Oh My.

Three of the Loveland Fishing Club's finest took to the ice on a pond near Loveland Tuesday. It was a beautiful, balmy day though fishing was lousy for small stuff. But some very nice largemouth and bluegill just couldn't resist our deadly ... waxworms. 

Bill Prater got the day going with a pot-bellied 21-inch largemouth, and Wayne Baranczyk followed up with some nice fish of his own. New Club President Darrell Knight? Well, someone had to take pictures.

The largemouth easily earns Colorado Master Angler status, at 117 percent of qualifying standard, and at least one bluegill measured close to a Master Angler qualifying 10 inches. But neither is eligible for the Club's Big Fish Contest for 2025, since they came from private waters not open to all club members. So start tallying up some fish of your own.

 

 

A dozen of the Loveland Fishing Club's most stalwart anglers took to the ice at St. Vrain State Park Thursday, girding their loins for a rugged display of fishing toughness. That proved to be the only aspect of the outing that was a disappointment for the masochists among us, on a flawless winter day.

"It was really a great day on the ice," says the club's newly crowned President, Darrell Knight, who set up a warming room with coffee and muffins in the park's main building a few yards from Mallard Lake. 

He also provided a nice Berkley ice fishing rod and reel for the angler with the biggest fish of the day. Um, but most of us didn't bring a ruler, so Wayne Baranczyk won the price for the most fish pulled out of a hole, nine including the prize catch at left, below.

Photos by Darrell Knight

The ice fishing trip is a new wintry version of the club's monthly Boat Day held throughout warmer weather, a way to get club members together for friendship and hopefully finding new fishing buddies.

For more photos of the event, here's a link to the Google photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RjXqBwLQAEkj4HXY8

Newbies and Old Timers! Time for a club ice fishing outing!

 Yeah, it's a bit chilly this weekend. But that'll make things seem downright balmy by next Thursday, Jan. 23rd, at 9 a.m. down at St. Vrain State Park east of Longmont. Whether you're a grizzled ice fishing veteran with more gear than common sense, or never set foot on frozen water, this is a day for you.

Our newly inaugurated President, Darrell Knight, is encouraging as many club members as possible to show up for the club's first ice fishing social event of 2025. Highlights include:

• Cold-blooded? For those lacking ice water in their veins (not mentioning any names here, except maybe outgoing President, Danny Barker) Darrell has even reserved the conference room at the state park for the club's use. So if you just want to sit and b.s. in the warm, you won't find a better time to do it.
• Hungry? Thirsty for something besides sushi? The club will have coffee and donuts in the conference room for as long as they last.
• Don't have ice fishing gear? Well, that's not really a problem in this club; a fair number of us have more spares than our spouses even know about. So bring what you have and, if need be, someone will drill you a hole in the ice and hand you a freshly baited rod and reel. 
• Think seriously about joining us, especially if you're new to the club. It'll be a great way to socialize and maybe line up a few fishing buddies.
• And think about carpooling; we can talk about it at Tuesday's general meeting, 2 p.m. at Chilson Center.
• St. Vrain is located just west and north of the highway 119 exit off I-25. The conference room is in the park's main building with windows facing Mallard Pond, which is stocked with trout.

Sportsmen's Expo is Jan. 9-12

 (From Colorado Parks and Wildlife) DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is sponsoring and hosting educational booths at this year’s annual International Sportsmen’s Exposition at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver on Jan. 9-12, 2025. A digital coupon for a $3 discount off one adult ticket is available on the CPW website. 

The International Sportsmen’s Expo is an event where more than 200 companies pack two giant halls with outdoor camping, off-roading, fishing, and hunting gear and expert presentations are offered to attendees each day. 

This premier expo allows hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts to preview new outdoor products, learn new techniques at the seminars, see what premier lodges offer, test shooting skills, look at live raptors up close, explore the latest RV, camping and off- road vehicles, and find new places to go off the beaten path.

Event ticket and parking information is available at www.sportsexpos.com/attend. Youth 15 and under and active military with ID can enter for free. 

Some of CPW's featured exhibits will include:

• Stocked Fishing Tank – Kids can experience the thrill of catching and releasing a fish. Equipment, bait and helpers are provided. 
• Boating Safety Booth - Learn about the importance of always wearing a life jacket, the classes offered, and testing your boating skills in the new boating simulator. 
• Invasive Species Displays - Check out the Invasive Species section's new boat cleaner and learn how to prevent the spread of invasive species in Colorado.
• Fish Hatchery Trailer – Learn how our hatchery technicians produce over 90 million fish annually and stock them into Colorado waters. See if you can identify the aquariums' cold-water and warm-water fish species.
• CPW Info Booth – Got a question? We’ll have officers and staff who can answer the question(s). Pick up a brochure or passport to plan a state park visit, and learn about new hunting changes in Colorado.
• Colorado Clays Shooting Park – Did you know a premier shooting range located 30 miles from Denver is open to the public six days a week? Visit with the staff at this booth and learn more about the trap, skeet, sporting clays, and shooting opportunities available.

This event aligns with CPW’s mission to educate outdoor enthusiasts on how to balance outdoor recreation with mindful conservation, and how to keep our outdoor spaces thriving and available to anyone who wants to experience them. 

For more information about the expo and a complete list of exhibits, visit CPW's website or the International Sportsmen's Exposition website.