The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is making another attempt to institute a junior fishing license, despite past difficulties in selling the concept.
  The commission received approval to begin developing a youth license for 12 to 15 year olds at its January board meeting. Commission staff will come back with a plan later this year, although a new license of any kind also would require legislative approval. The last time the commission tried to pass a $2 kids’ license was two years ago, when it included one in the new fishing fee structure, but lawmakers deleted it from the final package, out of concerns it would be unpopular.

  The commission is eager to create a youth license for a few reasons, including economics.

  “We get $3.50 in federal funds for every license we sell, kids or otherwise,” said agency spokesman Dan Tredinnick. “We think there are about 100,000 young anglers out there in the 12 to 15 year old age group. That would generate more than $550,000,” of combined federal money ($350,000) and state money ($200,000).

  It also would provide the commission with a new marketing base, especially once it gets its electronic license sale system up and running, since it will be able to track data about who is buying licenses. Tredinnick said a dozen other states charge junior anglers to fish, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission has long sold junior hunting licenses without controversy.

  “It’s been a tough sell for us in the past because of a Huck Finn-ian image of kids in straw hats with cane poles,” he said. “That isn’t today’s reality.”
  As tough as it might be for the commission to gain support for kids licenses, it may have an even harder time attracting young anglers who have never fished, given competition from high school sports and computer games. One of its latest plans is to fund schools and other organizations that offer fishing education as part of their curriculum, with grants of $5,000 or more. The board approved the grant program in January. According to Tredinnick, the idea is to actually teach kids, not just provide them with one-shot recreational opportunities.

  “The threshold experience isn’t enough,” he said. “Kids need structured, on-going exposure in order to learn.”

  The commission is now trying to put together a statewide directory of clubs and other organizations that offer youth fishing, so that folks in search of resources can locate help.
  Also last month, the board voted to seek public comment on changes in muskie management that would remove seasons, to allow for year-round harvesting while tightening creel limits and sizes. It will seek comment on removing season restrictions on pike and pickerel, too. The board voted to provide for additional comment on a host of changes to reptile hunting and handling in Pennsylvania. For more, visit. www.fish.state.pa.us.

 

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Fly of the Month - Provided by Family Tyes

                                    

 

Marabou Spey by:                                

Josh Reffner

17

Bethel Park Senior High School

 

The fly pattern that I have chosen to present is the marabou spey.  This streamer pattern is great for swinging flies and is an awesome fly for finding those aggressive fish, whether they are trout or steelhead.  This fly is guaranteed to catch fish!  The spey pattern, I was taught in the Family Tyes’ Steelhead Class, is rather simple compared to traditional spey flies.  The fly is intended to imitate a small minnow or bait fish and the marabou used to tie it gives the fly great movement in the water.   Here is how I tie this fly:

 

Materials:

 

Hook: 5263, sizes 2-10.

Thread: 6/0 thread to match Marabou

Collar: Marabou (Color of your choice, I like to use white, black, green, purple, and grey marabou), Flashabou

 

Recipe:

 

1. Start the thread at the eye and wrap 1/3 of the hook shank towards the bend.
2. At this position tie in the butt section of two marabou plumes. 
3. Return the thread back up to the eye of the hook.
4. Begin to palmer the marabou in a clockwise motion up the hook shank towards the eye.  Wet your fingers and pull the marabou fibers backwards after each wrap (Do not catch tips in the wrap).  If your marabou wraps do not reach just behind the eye, tie down another marabou plume (Refer to Step four for tying down the Marabou) and continue to palmer up the hook shank.
5. Tie off the marabou behind the eye. 
6. To add some flash to the fly tie in 3-4 pieces of flashabou on top of your marabou and making several wraps securing it to the hook.
7. Wrap your thread to build a tapered head towards the eye of the hook.  This makes this delicate fly sturdier.
8. Whip finish and add a drop of head cement.

 

Fishing Technique:

On the stream, I position myself upstream from the fish and make a 45-degree upstream cast, mending upstream immediately to get the fly to sink.  The current pulls the fly down stream and since the fly does not have enough line to go further than the expected target, it swings right toward the fish or where I expect a fish to lie.  Most of my strikes occur when the spey fly is beginning to settle directly below me.  I like to strip the fly back a couple times just in case a fish is still following.  BE READY (especially when fishing for steelhead)!  A fish can strike at any time.  Some of the hardest strikes I have ever felt were when swinging flies.  This is a very exciting way to fish and I highly recommend you try it at some point.

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Fly Fisherman of the Year: TU member Nick Kratofil

 

  The Pittsburgh Fly Fishers Club has honored long time PWWTU member Nick Kratofil with its prestigious Fly Fisherman of the Year. The award is given each year to a club member who has made a significant contribution to the sport of fly fishing.

  To memorialize Bob Runk, who founded the Fly Fishers Club with Chauncy Lively and George Aiken, and who also were charter members of PWWTU, Nick devoted his considerable talent and energy to creating a commemorative bronze plaque to remember Runk.

Next spring, the plaque will be suitably mounted at a site on Kettle Creek where the fly fishing project begins. Kettle Creek was Bob’s favorite stream and during trout season, he practically lived on it. On the plaque under a relief taken from a long ago photo of Bob fishing the creek are the words “He loved this place.” Bob is gone now, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and in the fond memories of those who shared so many joyful times on the water with him.

  Tom Prusak originated the idea of creating a unique testimonial to Bob. Nick enthusiastically agreed and set to work on what he does so well. With his love of fly fishing combined with his immense artistic talent, no one was better suited to craft a tribute to his old friend. He applied his skill as an artist and sculptor to design the plaque, crafted the plaster mold for it and oversaw its casting in Ohio. Last fall, a large stone was moved to the site for mounting the plaque. Based on his sculpting experience, Nick rejected it as being of inferior quality and searched the area until he found one that met his exacting standards. Anything less would not do for Bob’s memorial.

  You should know a little about Nick’s artistic background. After graduating from high school in 1955 and while working in a steel mill, he attended classes at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1958, he was the personal assistant to Boris Blai, Master Rodinian sculptor and founder of the Tyler School of Fine Art in Philadelphia, which at the time was ranked one of the leading fine arts school in the country. During the early 1960s, Nick headed the Medical Illustration Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Over the ensuing years, he taught painting and sculpture at various area colleges and also worked for the Urban Redevelopment Authority coordinating proposed design and renovation of commercial structures.

  In spite of his busy schedule, for 10 years Nick always found time to teach PWWTU fly tying courses. He recently restored a fire station built in1874 and opened the Nicholas K. Art Gallery on the site at 9^th and Bingham streets in Pittsburgh’s South Side. There you’ll find originals and prints of his beautifully rendered trout fishing scenics in a variety of mediums and landscapes and sculpted pieces that reflect his enormous talent.

  PWWTU congratulates Nick for his well deserved award.

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  As part of your fishing plans for the upcoming year, plan to attend the PWWTU annual bus trip to Fisherman's Paradise.

  "The Paradise," as it is known to the veterans of past trips, is a special regulations area located on the limestone waters of Center County's Spring Creek. Spring Creek is noted for not only its large wild trout, but for the robust sulfur hatches of late May and early June.

    Chapter members and non- members will depart via motor coach from two Pittsburgh locations. Cost for the trip is a  non-refundable fee of $40, or $35 if paid prior to May 1.   

    For details, call Bob Bukk at 412-521-0714, or via email at bobbybuk52@hotmail.com.

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The annual Spring clean up of Pine Creek is scheduled for April 8.  

The volunteers will meet at 8:30 AM on the lot across from ST. Ursula 

Church on Duncan Ave.  Duncan Ave. is off of Route 8 in Allison Park.  

Lunch will be provided to the volunteers.

 The clean up is sponsored by the Allison Park Sportsmen's Club.

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FLY SALE SOLD OUT

The January Great Fly Sale opened with an inventory of 200 half-dozen fly patterns. At the end of the evening, 

the fly cupboard was bare. For the first time in the sale’s history, every fly was sold.  Two things contributed to the 

fly sale’s success.   Post-Gazette fishing writer Deborah Weisberg publicized it in her Sunday column so non-TU members were 

made aware of it. They showed up in droves, money in hand and eager to spend it freely on quality flies at unbeatable bargain prices. 

Thank you, Deborah. And of course, PWWTU tiers again generously contributed hundreds of flies to the sale to make this important 

fund raiser possible. The chapter greatly appreciates the fly donations from Greg Kassimer, Dr. George Gray, Chuck Meyer, Tom Scheib, 

Ron Milavec, Nick Kratofil, Mac Seaholm and John Steinhart. Thanks guys. We couldn’t have done it without you.  One tier deserves 

special recognition. He is Dr. George Gray. When the fly sale was inaugurated five years ago, Dr. Gray’s response to the request for fly 

donations was overwhelming. In fact, in the early days, he was our fly sale and his generosity has continued year after year. 

For our 2006 sale, he contributed 90 half-dozens of dry, emerger, terrestrial and nymph flies plus 24 half-dozens of midges. 

That’s an incredible 684 flies! And what beautiful flies they are. Exquisite in every respect, they are perfectly proportioned, 

not a single thread wrap out of place, faultless material handling and tied with a delicate skill that is rarely seen today. Some would say, 

and rightly so, that rather than fish Dr. Gray’s flies, it might be better to frame and display them as examples of the ultimate in the art of fly tying. 

That’s exactly what they are.

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