hatches & risespwwtu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/novdec_online-2016...hatches & rises...

Hatches amp Rises Volume V Number V NovemberDecember 2016

Inside This Issue

Upcoming Speakers 34

Presidentrsquos Beat 5

Womenrsquos Outing 6

General Notice 7

Tony Marasco 89

Team USA + 1011

Pho-

Casting For Recovery 1213

Joe Kline

Great Fly Sale 14

Trout in the

Classroom 1516

Pine Creek 17

Trout Beard 1819

Chapter News 20

Meet the Board 21

Fall Womenrsquos Outing

Pine Creek Project

Page 2 Hatches amp Rises NovDec 2016

Hatches and Rises

Pennrsquos Woods West

Trout Unlimited

PO Box 90137

Pittsburgh PA 15224

Officers amp Board of Directors

President

Dale Fogg

(724) 759-1002

Vice President

Open

Treasurer

Walter Reinemann

(412) 963-2824

Secretary

Ian Brown

ianmbrown79gmailcom

Hatches amp Rises Editor

Ken Crawford

kwc1537aolcom

Program Director

Christian Shane

christianshane72hotmailcom

Conservation Coordinator

Tom Walsh

(412) 486-5356

Womenrsquos Outreach

Leah Eggers

flygirl_fishyahoocom

Web Site Editor

Joe Birch

(724) 816-1201

Membership

Chuck Buffington

buffingtoncwgmailcom

(412) 388-1666

Additional Board Members

Chuck Meyers

Rich Yurko

Bridget Shields

Rob Reeder

Honorary Directors

Mac Seaholm

Rich Bujak

Whatrsquos Emerging

Upcoming Events

November 14 2016mdashMembership Meeting

Ron Weiss Hook and Hackle

November 28 2016mdashBarflies

December 12 2016mdashMembership Meeting

John Stanton Steelhead Basics

January 9 2017mdashMembership Meeting

February 19 2017mdashCabin Fever

Hatches amp Rises Online is published online 5 times yearly JanFeb MarApr MayJune SepOct amp NovDec

by Pennrsquos Woods West Trout Unlimited to enhance communication among members amp share information with

the public HampR is supported by tax deductible underwriting and the grouprsquos general fund Views opinions

and advice contained herein do not necessarily reflect the position of PWWTU or its Board of Directors

NovDec 2016 Hatches amp Rises Page 3

November 14th 2016 ndash Membership Meeting 7 PM Grazie

Ron Weiss Hook amp Hackle By Christian Shane

Ron Weiss has been fly fishing for over 40 years and has owned Hook amp Hackle for

nearly 11 years now His website wwwhookhackcom has information about fly

fishing rod building and tying and his store wwwstorehookhackcom offers a lot of

fly fishing merchandise

He and the company are also supporters of Project Healing Waters which he will be

sharing about at our November meeting

Please join Ron and PWWTU for a great evening of hooks amp hackles

As seen on the Hook and Hackle website

Were dedicated to fly fishing education

ldquoWelcome to our website dedicated to the teaching of fly fishing basics swapping

stories tying your own flies leader making and of course fly rod building for which

were known worldwide

We have become an international leader in helping folks to do what we call fly craft

which is make their own flies and make their own rods with our help As you know

we have a web store which has become one of the most popular destination for folks

fishing on the web to purchase the highest quality products available often at a

more reasonable price than our competitionrdquo Pennrsquos Woods West Trout Unlimited meets on the second Monday of every month from September

through May at Grazie Restaurant in Wexford Grazie is located off Rte 19 North in the Oxford Athletic

Club 100 Village Club Drive Meetings begin at 7 pm Admission is free All are welcome to attend

Ron working hard while on his Tarpon fishing trip ndash

Come to the meeting to hear about this one


December 12th 2016mdashMembership Meeting 7 PM Grazie

John StantonmdashThe Steelhead BasicsmdashWhere When and How

By Christian Shane

A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh John Stanton has been fly fishing and tying

flies for about 35 years Hersquos a PA Registered Guide and has taught and guided

anglers for over 10 years offering tripsinstruction for trout steelhead and bass

Not only is John a member of PWWTU but he also belongs to IFFF and AFFTA

On the evening of December 12th John speak on ldquoThe Steelhead Basics Where

When and Howrdquo Hell cover steelhead behavior timing the runrdquo monitoring

weather and water levels

locating fish various

presentations tackle and

flies and fighting and

landing fish A short

QampA session will follow

the presentation

Come join John to brush

up on your Steelhead

basics and learn a few

steelhead tips

Upcoming Events

January 9 2017mdash7 PMmdashThe Great Joe Kline Fly SalemdashPurchase flies tied by PWWTUrsquos

own membersmdashA half dozen flies for 5 bucks

February 19 2017mdash 9 AM to 4 PMmdashCabin Fever 2017mdashSW PArsquos largest fly fishing only

expo Held at the Cranberry Marriott


Presidentrsquos Beat By Dale Fogg

Purpose Larger Than Ourselves

Presidents Beat

Fall has arrived and the mind is wandering to upcoming hunting and fishing opportunities The season brings many opportunities before the winter arrives Of course steelhead are a pleasant arrival However with the extremely dry summer and fall we have experienced the runs have been later than usual This has allowed me to tie a bunch of flies and re-stock my boxes Which leads me to one of our events Bar Flies This is a great casual event where people tie flies and share favorite patterns with one another in a great setting If you have not yet attended a Bar Flies gathering you really should stop by it is a lot of fun

Our meetings have been very well attended and we have a great schedule ahead as well Donrsquot forget about the January Great Fly Sale If you are able to tie up a couple of dozen extra please consider donating to the chapter We have many talented fly tyers and always have some terrific flies for sale at the January meeting

We still have a couple of leadership positions available Please consider joining us and help form the direction of the chapter Let me know if you have any questions On that note if you have ideas or concerns about the Chapter please bring them to my attention we value your input

Have a fun and safe fall

Sincerely

Dale

Piscator And now I have a bite at another Oh me He has broke all therersquos

half a line and a good hook lost

Venator Ay and a good Trout too

Piscator Nay the Trout is not lost for pray take notice no man can lose what he never had

From the Compleat Angler

Isaak Walton


PWWTU Fall Ladies Outing By Leah Eggers

Fall Fishing with Fun Females is Fabulous

PWWTU Womens Initiative had our annual autumn outing on Saturday

October 15th at our home waters in Pine Creek The day started out a bit

chilly but warmed quickly as the sun rose (and the coffee was sipped)

Mother Nature must certainly like lady anglers on her waterways as she

created us a gloriously beautiful photo perfect autumn day

Since we now have a sizable group of ladies everyone had the chance to meet

someone new and to get reacquainted with someone from the past as we

headed out on the stream Prior reconnaissance from members of the

Allegheny Sportsmans group helped

immensely with initial fly selection so many

of us got into good sized feisty rainbows

before spreading out and trying some

different patterns Very few of the group

had been to the section of Pine Creek that

we fished - and all left delighted with it

Rumor has it that at least one of our ladies

has already made a second trip back and

met with success again

Thank you all for another great outing in

the books Looking forward to our spring

outing (stay tuned for details)and

connecting between now and then either at

meetings Barflies or on the stream

Tight lines ladies


General Notice

With the passage of Pennsylvania Act 153 there are some things that all vol-

unteers working with youth (under the age of 18) need to be aware of All

members who will be working with youth need to have both a current Child

Abuse Clearance and PA State Police Clearance This includes events like fly

tying classes as well as youth field days

There are additional restrictions on people who have moved into PA within

the last 10 years Our recently adopted PATU Youth Interaction Policy which

can be found in the Documents section under Policies on the PATU website

httpwwwpatroutorgdocuments

The important item now is for any members that help with youth in any ca-

pacity apply and receive their clearances Here are the links to receive your

clearances both of which are at no cost but please be sure to register as a vol-

unteer

Child Abuse Clearance httpswwwcompassstatepauscwispublichome

PA State Police Clearance httpsstatepausepatch

The Board of Directors voted at the last Board meeting in September that ALL

PWWTU Officers and Board members MUST get clearances They are free

and are easy to do There will be no exceptions to this If you are volunteering

for PWWTU you must have the clearances If you have clearances for any oth-

er organization (Boy Scouts School Church etc) they are good for PWWTU

as long as they are current The clearances should be done for the November

meeting If you have any questions please reach out to an officer to discuss


Thank You Uncle Tony By Bob Bukk ldquoHe taught me fly tying and fishing thirty some years ago and as I dust off my materials and tools for the annual January ritual to start tying for another season I have been thinking about what a gift he gave me We all owe a tremendous debt to our mentors ldquo Internet Post from January 2013 by Scott regarding Tony Marasco

It was one of those evenings when Mother Nature couldnrsquot make up her mind whether it was late fall or early

winter A sleety mixture of snow and rain was falling making the roads more suitable for ice skating than driving

After calling around town I finally spoke with someone who had a fly fishing vest big enough to fit my 6rsquo4rdquo 300 lb

brother ndash another Christmas present off the shopping list

I left my office on the North Side (it wasnrsquot the North Shore back then) and made the drive out the parkway

followed Greentree Road to Bower Hill turned right onto Swallow Hill Road and pulled into the little parking lot

of a most unique fly shop You could get your TV fixed there I smirked because it dawned on me who I was about

to meet

The bubbly proprietor welcomed me and sold me the vest As I was leaving his puzzled look was followed by the

question ldquoDonrsquot I know you from somewhererdquo ldquoYes was my reply Irsquom your niece Janeyrsquos husbandrdquo

ldquowhwhhhellipget back here I want to give you a discount Good night and Merry Christmasrdquo I sang while closing

the door From this first encounter and forever after Tony Marasco baptized me ldquoNephewrdquo

Itrsquos pretty fair to say that anyone in this area who ever clamped a hook in a vice took a class from Uncle Tony He

was an exceptional tier whose Rabbit Haired Muddler pattern is displayed in the PA Fly Fishing Museum I went

from student to instructor and loved the times when he would work the Sportsmanrsquos Show at the old Expo Mart

On these Sundays we would spend the time between the two sessions in his residence above the shop Tony would

always leave us something homemade to eat ndash he was a great cook ndash which we would finish along with a lot of his

beer That always made for some interesting evening sessions

Uncle Tony would also offer bus trips that gave many of us an opportunity to fish places like Oil Creek or The

Little J in the spring and to his beloved Yellow Breeches in Boiling Springs in fall

On one of the trips to Oil Creek it was belting down rain as we boarded the bus in his shoprsquos parking lot Uncle

Tony assured us that the water was ldquocoffee coloredrdquo but fishable As we passed through Oil City the water was so

high that there were cars floating down the Allegheny River When the bus arrived at Petroleum Center it was

driven across the metal floored bridge (exceeding the weight limit of course) we used the restroom and then made

the return trip home

After the next yearrsquos Oil Creek trip Uncle decided to change the fishing venue to the Little J I always wondered

whether the change was warranted to provide better fishing or the fact the he received a phone call the Monday

after the trip from a furious park ranger that was none too happy that the trash cans in his State Park were full of

beer cans

The September trip was my favorite There was nothing like being on the storied Yellow Breeches on a beautiful

autumn day casting to some of the toughest trout anywhere We would receive the troutrsquos menu for the day on the

bus and it always included the infamous ldquoHoney Bugrdquo

Uncle Tony must have had the global distribution rights for Honey Bug material It came in a myriad of pastel col-

ors but on one trip it was white The man who invented the bug was on the bus and we were regaled with stories


of his prolific catches using this funky looking chenille lashed to a hook It was years later that I realized that the

white honey bug was used in Boiling Springs right near a bridge where the locals came down to feed bread to the

fish

One year a couple of guys from Maryland stopped us streamside and gave us hell ldquoAre you guys with that bus

trip from Pittsburgh they asked You were supposed to be here next weekrdquo Puzzled by this encounter we later

found out that local fly shops (that didnrsquot mind our business) would post warnings for the date we were coming

Uncle Tonyrsquos commitment to fly fishing spilled over to PWWTU

He once told me that in the early days he brought Lefty Kreh to Pittsburgh as the keynote speaker for the annual

PWWTU banquet Kreh stayed at his home and amazed his host by throwing a fly line across the backyard

WITHOUT A ROD I approached Lefty at a fly fishing symposium at Seven Springs one year and asked him if he

knew Tony Marasco Laughing he replied ldquoThat crazy son-of-a-bitchhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliprdquo

He also brought famed fly tier and artist Dave Whitlock to Pittsburgh Pictures of fly fishing gods Vince Marinaro

and Charlie Fox hung on the walls in his shop He met them on the water

He was a fixture at Cabin Fever since its founding by Larry Harris when the show and a subsequent banquet were

held afterword at the Greentree Holiday Inn to its present location at the Doubletree

Not everyone agreed with Tonyrsquos style one internet poster opined ldquoWe all have quirks and if you look past them

you can mine some serious nuggets from the old timersrdquo This was certainly true in Tonyrsquos case even when he

was a young timer

I will always remember my Uncle Tony for all of the fun we had on

and off the field On the field when we went on the bus trips sharing

laughs and patterns that we were successful with Or listening to him

screw up the punch line of a great joke Maybe a casting brush up in

the yard or a new fly pattern or tip he wanted to share You never left

his shop without him showing you a new fly pattern Off the field at

his family reunions where there were just as many members of the

Marasco clan as friends from the fly fishing community The food and

the camaraderie were plentiful

Tony Marasco indeed left us a great gift There are tremendous fly tiers

in our area the known and the unknown - mothers and fathers sons

and daughters Many of them will tell you that they got their start by

clamping a vice to a folding table sitting on a metal chair in a fly shop

that will fix your television and being taught a skill by a giant that they

will pass on to future generations What greater gift is there than to

leave us a legacy like that

Tony Marasco 1931-2016

ldquoAlways the salesman [Mr Marasco] sold me my second fly rod and reel and held his annual going-out-of-business sales at Cabin Fever each springrdquo he said ldquoI can imagine that as he approached St Peter at the Pearly Gates he asked where he could set up his table for the final going-out-of business sale He will be missed and I have lost a friend mentor and teacherrdquo - Ron Milavic

0 Hatches amp Rises NovDec 2016

Competition Angling by Ken Crawford

If you are like me you know two of our active members Joe Clark and Josh Miller are competition anglers But just what is competition angling I spent a few minutes with Josh recently and had him explain the details around the sport using his most recent competition as an example

On the weekend of October 14 and 15 Josh and Joe were in the Syracuse NY area at the Team USA Central New York Regional Competion on West Canada and 9 Mile Creeks There were 24 anglers at this particular competition Each creek was divided up into six beats and the anglers were divided up into two groups of 12 For a given ldquosessionrdquo one angler would fish an individual beat and a second angler would serve as a judge The angler is given 15 to 3 hours to fish depending on the type of competition and then the angler and judge switch places Judging consists of making sure the rules are being followed and counting and measuring fish

Each angler is awarded ldquoplacing pointsrdquo If you catch the most fish on the creek for that session you get a ldquo1rdquo If you catch the second most fish on the creek you get a ldquo2rdquo and so on If you get blanked you would get a ldquo6rdquo in the example case At the end of the total competition the person with the least amount of ldquoplacing pointsrdquo wins the competition This scoring method ensures fair scoring across all conditions If strictly fish count were used to win competitions then environmental things like sudden hatches that turn the fish on to eating would dictate who won and not the anglerrsquos skill As I stated each fish is measured If there is a tie based on placing points then the total fish length is the tiebreaker

It is important to note that the in competition angling only barbless hooks are used The fish are landed in a measuring tube the hook taken out and the fish slipped back in the water in a matter of seconds

In the Central New York Regional competition Joe Clark came in first place Josh Miller came in second and Cody Burgdorff came in third 209 total fish were caught the biggest of which was 245rdquo If you would like to learn more check out these websites

wwwflyfishingteamusacom

wwwflycompscom

Cody Joe and Josh on the Medal Stand


Become a Contributor to Hatches and Rises

If you would like to write an article on fishing fly tying trout or share a picture fishing

tip or write a short story we welcome your contribution Contact Ken Crawford to

discuss at kwc1537aolcom

Robert Humston fishing 9 Mile Creek

Chris Smith fishing on West

Canada Creek

Robert Humston and judge with a fish


Casting for Recovery By Briget Shields

The last weekend in August 23-25 was the 8th annual Western PA Casting for Recovery Retreat at Home Waters in Spruce Creek PA A heartfelt THANKS to Penn Woods West TU and other the generous organizations and individuals that were able to provide a fly fishing weekend for 14 breast cancer patients This yearrsquos ladies were introduced to the sport of fly fishing and were real troopers in keeping up with all the activities in spite of the 90 heat

Western PA CFR accepts applications for an all-expense paid weekend in Spruce Creek from women who have had breast cancer The applications are sent to the national office in Vermont and participants are picked through a lottery system This year we had over 50 applications for the 14 spots Each year our all-volunteer staff raises money to provide this exceptional weekend for breast cancer patients It is open to breast cancer patients at any age at any stage Its a weekend of learning the art of fly fishing and a lot of support with women who have a lot in common pertaining to cancer

We had a new volunteer fly fishing instructor this year Penn Woods TU member Tammie Ferraro who led the class on knot tying and talked about fly tying She was a participant in 2014 and loved the sport so much she has continued it by joining TU and participating in Penn Woods Womens Outings and Bar Flies meetings Tammie was a terrific asset to our retreat and joined another TU member Peter Ten Yek as a river helper Peter has generously been a volunteer river helper with Western PA CFR since we began Josh Miller TU member and newly appointed team member of the US Fly Fishing Team was also there to help

I have been the lead fly fishing instructor and founding member of the Western PA Chapter of CFR for eight years now I cant tell you in words the gratitude I and the entire staff of Western PA CFR has for the help and support from TU its members and everyone else who gives so generously to make this event possible Cabin Fever is a big part of us getting the word out and 2 participants said that was where they heard about us We could not do it without you


Peter Explains the nuances of ldquoWet Wadingrdquo

Tammie Ties a Perfection Loop

Josh and Carla Wrassled a

Rainbow to the Net

Scenes from Casting for Recovery Retreat

Found Fish inside Waders


or

The Joe Kline Great Fly Sale By Christian Shane

Are you a fly tyer We need your skills time and donations for one of our big-gest fund raising events of the year - The Joe Kline Great Fly Sale at our January 9th 2017 Membership Meeting Just tie up any fly patternswe accept dries wets streamers and flies of all hooks and sizes Bring your flies to any regular membership meeting in November December or January to turn them in for the upcoming sale Contact Christian Shane (412) 916-2979 for shipping instructions if you cannot attend the meetings

Are you ready to stock up your fly box Support your chapter by purchasing flies from the Great Fly Sale in January 2017 For only $500 you can choose any half dozen flies from the sale Thatrsquos less than a dollar per fly At the January 9th 2017 meeting flies will be available from 700 pm to 830 pm The nifty plastic containers are even free So stop by and check out the fly selection in January and support your chapter

PWWTU NEEDS YOU

THIS ELECTION YOU CAN

CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy


From Classroom to Cold Water Stream By Christian Shane

Making Connections When we first begin our Trout in the Classroom project one of our first questions we pose to our students is ldquoWhat do trout require to surviverdquo Their answers to this question range from the simple responses (like water shelter food) to more complex (trees rocks gravel) to silly (friends a restroom a place to hang out)

Later on in the project our students realize that trout require many habitat needs which include clean and cold water oxygen

structure and food Our main aquarium components each with its own personality and talent add their share to the aquarium to meet these trout needs Not only do we physically connect this equipment to our aquarium but we also connect the components philosophically to real world applications and purposes

The Trout Tank amp the Natural Stream

Our fifty-five gallon aquarium perhaps is the most important aspect of our Trout in the Classroom project The trout tank represents a natural stream as a miniature coldwater ecosystem which includes a healthy pH ammonia nitritesnitrates and even bacteria

Using the currents within the tank we create riffles tail-outs deep pools and runs ndash just as trout experience The tank is a closed water system which requires water changes to rid the system of toxins and waste and to provide a cleaner setting for the growing trout We even allow our water to ldquoagerdquo twenty-four hours before adding it to the tank in order to allow the chlorines to evaporate

The Chiller amp the Shade

In a realistic setting trout benefit from the protection of an undercut bank a large boulder or an overhanging tree They swim into action after the spring snowmelt run-off and flock to underground springs during the summers These delicate creatures thrive in 45 to 65 degree water temperatures with an optimal temperature in the middle therefore our classroom aquarium requires a component to provide this cooling system

The chiller acts as our stream refrigerator to keep the water temperature cold It keeps a consistent temperature hovering between 48 and 52 degrees an ideal temperature for any Pennsylvanian trout The higher the temperature the quicker the troutrsquos metabolism speeds up the lower the temperature in the tank the slower the troutrsquos development

Another way to keep our tanks cool is with insulation such as styrofoam around the aquarium This allows the chiller to take breaks from running constantly and provides a darker environment for the trout eggs to mature and hatch


The Air Pump amp the Oxygen

This is always an interesting concept for our students (and even adults) to grasp Trout really breathe As gravity pulls the water down stream it encounters rocks debris boulders waterfalls and even added rainfall to keep oxygen circulating throughout the water system The trout use this cold water oxygen for energy and survival therefore our tank requires a source for this important component

An air pump air stone andor bubble wand provides this Dissolved Oxygen (DO) for trout to breath Wersquove found that the cold water holds more oxygen which in turn allows our trout to benefit

The Filter amp the Habitat

Proper filtration is sometimes forgotten as a major component in trout survival As in all healthy streams plants absorb chemicals bacteria eat decaying matter and the water system washes all sedimentation downstream If it werenrsquot for moving water trout would be in trouble

Our filter system allows the beneficial bacteria to grow and the water to circulate throughout the tank The filters include biomax carbons and sponge foam for bacterial growth The unseen Nitrogen cycle another aspect of healthy streams converts ammonias found in the water (uneaten decaying food and waste) into harmless nitrogen compounds This balance of nitrogen exchanges and ammonias is crucial in maintaining a healthy tank If we provide frequent water changes water quality testing and tank monitoring the filter system provides our trout with filtered and healthy water

The Food

The studentsrsquo favorite aspect of the TIC project by far is in feeding the fish When the alevins or ldquosac-fryrdquo begin to shed their bellies and ldquobutton-uprdquo they begin to search for food When our fry are under an inch in size we feed them a beginning diet of pepper flakes given to us from the PA Fish amp Boat Commission

As the trout fry turn mature inch long fingerlings we switch from a size ldquo0rdquo food to a size ldquo1rdquo Finally when they reach two inches and above our students will feed them the ldquo2rdquo sized food pellets about the size of a sugar crystal

The trout set up in different parts of the tank some aggressive eaters will feed at the surface while others tend to remain low at the bottom for the leftovers It is truly enjoyable to watch our trout feed daily

Sometimes just as in the real stream setting we choose not to feed our fish to keep them lean healthy and ready to feed We are careful not to over feed the fish as all uneaten food will increase ammonia levels

The Structure

Some teachers choose to add rocks fauna and gravel to their tanks to make it cozier for their trout Since our aquariums are very sterile environments providing extra structures in the tank can allow the teacher and class to be creative with their particular ecosystem and personalize it As trout congregate to any structure for predator ease or for cover as prey they appreciate this lux-ury within the tank

So there you have ithellipall of our TIC tank components which simulate a natural stream

The next time you wade out into the water enjoy the wonderful aspects of the troutrsquos environment and the simple pleasures which make trout such complex creatures


Pine Creek Workday Update by Tom Walsh

On Saturday August 27 the annual PWWTU Pine Creek workday was held in North Park off of Wildwood Road

The weather and the volunteer turn out were both great Three mudsills were installed in the creek just downstream of the bridge across from Best Feeds

The work was planned and supervised by the Pa Fish and Boat Commission The project was funded and assisted by North Park

Additional help was provide by the

Allegheny County Conservation District

the Western Pa Conservancy and the Allison Park Sportsmens Club

PWWTU provided coffee and donuts and a nice lunch for all

A beautiful custom fly rod crafted by Greg Caldwell was

raffled off among the workers The lucky winner was Ron Cecil

Trout Beard by Charles Cantella

ldquoYou got some schmutz on your facerdquo That was Paprsquos greeting to me on that cold winter morning ldquoNo Pap Irsquom growing out my beard like yourdquo He chortled smiled leaned back in the kitchen chair and began to stroke his magnificent chin mane ldquoDo you know why I grow my beard out other than to irritate your grandmotherrdquo ldquoNo I pretty much thought that was itrdquo ldquoNah thatrsquos just a side benefit I think yoursquore old enough now for me to tell you about the trout beard and the secret organization behind it Stand up Irsquom going to teach you the secret handshakerdquo We stood up and faced each other A serious look covered Paprsquos face ldquoJust do what I do And try and keep uprdquo Then with speed and agility not common for a man his age he whipped his hands up down he high fived me we spun in a circle faced each other again did a double high five and a bunch of other maneuvers that left my head spinning before he finally stopped ldquoThatrsquos the secret handshake Now itrsquos your turn Just do what I didrdquo I was floored Do what he just did Um I think I remember a high five and a spin move but thatrsquos about it I lowered my eyes to the floor and shook my head dejectedly unable to replicate the secret handshake It was obviously something that meant so much to Pap and here I was dropping the proverbial ball ldquoCanrsquot remember it Good Then the secretrsquos saferdquo he laughed ldquoTruth is we make up a new handshake every time we meet Wersquore getting too old to remember all that razz-a-ma-tazzrdquo ldquoThen how will you know who the members arerdquo I asked puzzled yet pleasantly surprised by Paprsquos sunny mood ldquoTherersquos only eight of us that I know of Seven actually MacPherson died two years ago Maybe six Wilson was in the hospital not long agordquo He called upstairs to grandma ldquoHey Ma Did Wilson get out of the hospitalrdquo Grandmarsquos voice boomed out belying her diminutive size and 82 years ldquoDid you shave that thing off your face yetrdquo ldquoNordquo ldquoThen Irsquom still not talking to yourdquo He looked at me and shrugged ldquoWell itrsquos either six or seven depending on how things work out for Wilson At any rate I need to pass along the legend of the trout beard to someone before itrsquos too late Your dad wasnrsquot very ldquooutdoorsyrdquo and never understood the appeal of things like crickets pocketknives or just spending time outdoors so I didnrsquot even bother trying to explain the whole beard thing to himrdquo We sat back down at the kitchen table refilled out coffee mugs and Pap proceeded to tell me the legend of the trout beard ldquoBack in the days of my youth when creel limits were much more liberal and the country was much more conservative most of my friends and I spent our free time hunting and fishing And boys being boys we turned everything into a competition The problem with being a competitive hunter was that after you an-swered a few basic questions Did you get a buck How many points was it How much did it weigh The competition was pretty much over You only got one buck a year ldquoBut fishingrdquo he smiled ldquofishing was much more conducive to competition You could brag on number of fish length weight species and the best part is that every day during the season you could start all over again The first fish of the new season was always magical and as such deserved a special ritual Since trout were one of the first fish to bite in the spring they became our fish of choice Oh sure wersquod fish for bass and catfish and whatever else came in to season later on But the spring belonged to the troutrdquo ldquoCharles Charlesrdquo barked Grandma breaking the magic of the story ldquoYou need to split some more wood for the fireplace I donrsquot know where the axe is Ask your grandfatherrdquo

ldquoOk Grannyrdquo



ldquoAnd donrsquot call me Granny You make me sound like an old womanrdquo and she slammed the door to confirm that she did not consider herself an old woman

ldquoAnyway so enamored with trout were we that we even created our own special clubhellip the Secret Salmo-noid Angling Brotherhoodhellipor SSAB which coincidentally is bass spelled backwards Now Irsquom not saying that this is where Ray Scott got his idea for the whole BASS Bass Anglers Sportsman Society but you have to wonderhelliprdquo and his voice trailed off as if he were really considering that he and his goofball friends had somehow inspired the multimillion dollar BASS behemoth

ldquoPaphellipPaprdquo I nudged him back to reality ldquothe trout beardrdquo

ldquoOh righthellip anyway we needed some sort of signal to alert to each other that we had gotten our first trout of the season So we decided that starting at the end of trout season in October wersquod grow out our facial hair and we couldnrsquot shave until we got our first trout of the new season Thus was born the Trout Beard With one simple glance we could tell who had caught their trout and who had notrdquo He sat back with the smile and ease of one who had just unburdened himself of the answers to all of lifersquos mysteries A quiet calm overtook the kitchen as I processed this new found knowledge until a thought hit me

ldquoBut did you guys even have facial hair in high schoolrdquo

ldquoThat was the tricky part and it led to a lot of awkward up close examinations of chins and cheeks to see if shaving had taken place or the lack of hair was merely the result of an individualrsquos inability to grow any facial hair You see fishermen are notorious liars You did know that didnrsquot yourdquo

ldquoHeck yeahrdquo And with that we both laughed Paprsquos thundering laugh filling the kitchen ldquoAre you two laughing at me Charles tell your grandfather that I donrsquot appreciate being laughed at And you get busy on that firewoodrdquo Again Grandma slammed the door for emphasis

ldquoPap do you think any of your friendrsquos kids or grandkids grow trout beardsrdquo

He sighed ldquoThings change The off season isnrsquot months long anymore Itrsquos maybe a month at the most So people can pretty much fish year round And therersquos a lot of people whose jobs wonrsquot let them grow a beard Irsquom afraid itrsquos pretty much a fading fadrdquo a bit of melancholy tinged his voice

ldquoWhat about my beard Pap Is it coming in okrdquo I asked saddened that I might not get to be part of the trout beard tradition ldquoIt sure is tigerrdquo And he gave me a big hug his flannel shirt scented with sawdust and pipe smoke filling my nostrils We were having a genuine Hallmark moment

ldquoCharles Are you still in the house What is wrong with you That wood ainrsquot gonna split itself Get out thererdquo This time when she slammed the door the pictures on the wall shook

I stroked my chin pleased at my fledgling follicles gently massaging my peach fuzz trying to encourage any emerging facial hair to grow ldquoSo Paprdquo I smiled with a sly look crossing my face ldquoyou say that Grandma doesnrsquot like beardshelliprdquo

Chapter News


Womenrsquos Facebook Group by Leah Eggers

The Womenrsquos Initiative has gained traction over the past

two years and we are now at a point where the women

are wanting to reach to each other more easily I have

considered multiple options - and wanted to advise that I

will be creating a private Face Book page and inviting the

current group of ladies to join I will keep the settings

secret so outsiders cannot see who is in the group nor

join without permission The ladies can opt in or leave at

any time They can post directly if they are seeking

someone to fish with and reply to each other via FB

messenger This will also give a forum for open

discussion and posting directly with each other without

my having to read redirect or touch each correspon-

dance I will only need to administer the group

Fly Tying Class at Orvis Pittsburgh by Bill Nagle

Pittsburgh Orvis - Steelhead Streamers with Bill Nagle

Thursday November 17th 6pm - 8pm

Please join us for Fly Tying 201 as we go over how to tie

some of our favorite steelhead streamer patterns The

class is free and all materials and equipment is provid-

ed You must have some tying experience to attend

Reservations are required Log in to wwworvis

pittsburgh and select the Join Us tab to reserve a spot at

the table

Deer Removal Service

The Allison Park Sportsmanrsquos Club did their annual fall

stocking on Pine Creek October 5th Lead by Rich Simmen

and Tom Walsh the stocking team found a treefall at one

point on the stream that was impeding their stocking route

The only solution was to cut it out Unfortunately for the

team a rather stinky dead deer was wedged in part of the

tree After a few hours the tree was gone and the deer al-

lowed to wash downstream

Ian BrownmdashIncoming Secretary

How long have you been fishing Who was the most influential per-son in your fishing career and why Irsquove been fishing for about 45 years and fly fishing for 37 In terms of influence there have been two ndash my father who got me started and my best friend Garth with whom I spent many many hours learning the waters in southern Alberta

How long have you been involved in TU I first joined TU in 1985 when a number of anglers in the Calgary area formed the Bow River Chapter in response to the Alberta govern-mentrsquos decision to build the Three Rivers Dam on the Oldman River and very real fears that plans to dam the Bow River near Dalemead (in the heart to the blue-ribbon water) were being dusted off as part of an inter-basin water transfer project I still possess my copy of Volume 1 Issue 1 of the Bow River chapterrsquos newsletter My TU membership lapsed in the early 90s when I moved to London to finish college but I rejoined once Irsquod settled in the Pittsburgh area in the mid-90s

Pennrsquos Woods West has over 1000 members on the roster What would you say to an ldquoinactiverdquo member to encourage them to come to the membership meetings

Our meetings are a great opportunity to meet up with folks who share an interest in sport fisheries While we are focused on trout (it is after all part of the name) our members are a diverse group and many of us chase warm-water species pretty fanatically

Fishing and funny stories go hand in hand tell us one of the funniest things that happened to you on a stream In the late 80s I spent three summers guiding on the Bow River In the autumn of one of those years Garth and Jeff (both also guides) and I took a ldquobusmanrsquos holidayrdquo and spend a day bombing the banks with streamers Near the bottom of what was then called the ldquocaddis bankrdquo a very large brown (better than 25rdquo) started following Jeffrsquos streamer and followed and followed and followed Jeff tried everything he could to trigger a strike and both Garth and I simply watched in fascination as the fish just trailed the streamer (Garth even stopped casting) Eventually Jeff had to resort to teasing the fish along as his leader was al-ready in the rod tip and of course he ultimately teased just a bit too far and started to fall out of the Clacka ndash he managed to avoid going for a swim only because the second foot going over the side caught under the casting brace He saved his rod (it was in a death-grip) and while Irsquod love to say he hooked the fish it was long gone by the time we got him safely back aboard No harm no foul but Garth and I had fun with the near-dunking for years

Tell us a little about yourself outside of Trout Fishing My degrees are in History and Irsquove published a number of pieces on the First World War which remains high on my list of interests I work in IT (business intelligence) for a large health insurer and have done so for many years I grew up fishing for trout in southern Alberta and I love trout-hunting but it spoiled me Growing up I could (and most evenings did) walk to a stretch of the Bow river in northwest Calgary that while not the blue-ribbon stretch nonetheless contained a very healthy population of trout and hatches Once I could drive the lower Bow was within easy distance (30 minutes or so) and I learned what heavy hatches meant as a result I am used to lsquohatchesrsquo lasting weeks on end and favor close-to-home fishing In north Pittsburgh this means I tend to focus on smallmouth bass in the summer theyrsquove become my game fish of choice



Member Photos

Fogg Monster Fly by Dale Fogg Incoming Secretary Ian Brown

Westmoreland County Brook Trout by Bill Nagle

Like Fatherhellip hellipLike Son

lsquoTil Next Timehellip

hellipTight Lines

Hatches amp Rises NovDec 2016

Hatches and Rises

Pennrsquos Woods West

Trout Unlimited

PO Box 90137

Pittsburgh PA 15224

Officers amp Board of Directors

President

Dale Fogg

(724) 759-1002

Vice President

Open

Treasurer

Walter Reinemann

(412) 963-2824

Secretary

Ian Brown

ianmbrown79gmailcom

Hatches amp Rises Editor

Ken Crawford

kwc1537aolcom

Program Director

Christian Shane

christianshane72hotmailcom

Conservation Coordinator

Tom Walsh

(412) 486-5356

Womenrsquos Outreach

Leah Eggers

flygirl_fishyahoocom

Web Site Editor

Joe Birch

(724) 816-1201

Membership

Chuck Buffington

buffingtoncwgmailcom

(412) 388-1666

Additional Board Members

Chuck Meyers

Rich Yurko

Bridget Shields

Rob Reeder

Honorary Directors

Mac Seaholm

Rich Bujak

Whatrsquos Emerging

Upcoming Events

November 14 2016mdashMembership Meeting

Ron Weiss Hook and Hackle

November 28 2016mdashBarflies

December 12 2016mdashMembership Meeting

John Stanton Steelhead Basics

January 9 2017mdashMembership Meeting

February 19 2017mdashCabin Fever

Hatches amp Rises Online is published online 5 times yearly JanFeb MarApr MayJune SepOct amp NovDec

by Pennrsquos Woods West Trout Unlimited to enhance communication among members amp share information with

the public HampR is supported by tax deductible underwriting and the grouprsquos general fund Views opinions

and advice contained herein do not necessarily reflect the position of PWWTU or its Board of Directors




























By Christian Shane













the presentation




steelhead tips

Upcoming Events








Presidents Beat





Sincerely

Dale






Isaak Walton



























Tight lines ladies


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines

NovDec 2016 Hatches amp Rises



























By Christian Shane













the presentation




steelhead tips

Upcoming Events








Presidents Beat





Sincerely

Dale






Isaak Walton



























Tight lines ladies


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines




By Christian Shane













the presentation




steelhead tips

Upcoming Events








Presidents Beat





Sincerely

Dale






Isaak Walton



























Tight lines ladies


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines




Presidents Beat





Sincerely

Dale






Isaak Walton



























Tight lines ladies


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines



























Tight lines ladies


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines


General Notice













unteer



















to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines










to meet





















beer cans









fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines




fish















was a young timer



























wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines









wwwflycompscom









Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines








Canada Creek












Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines











Rainbow to the Net




or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines


or




PWWTU NEEDS YOU


CHOOSE TO DO BOTH

Tie

Buy




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines




















The Food





The Structure

















ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines














ldquoOk Grannyrdquo















Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines














Chapter News


























the table



















Member Photos





hellipTight Lines










Member Photos





hellipTight Lines