It's time again for the Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament, and as such my annual commercial for the event. If you're in the Norristown, Pennsylvania area (or have the time to make the trip over), fishing starts at 8AM on Saturday the 27th and 7AM on Sunday the 28th.
DISCLAIMER: This is my trout club's annual fundraiser - which pays a large portion of the annual operating costs to feed the fish we raise on behalf of the State for stocking of the creeks and streams in and around Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1997, the Stony Creek Anglers are Montgomery County's first co-operative trout nursery, and an IRS recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Holy smokes...it's Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament week! Yup, time for my annual commercial.
No, I don't fish in it...I work it as a member of the club, and boy should it be an interesting tournament this year. Why, you might ask? Because the old dam (and the super deep holes) that everyone used to congregate around were removed by the State since last year's tourney.
That means different fishing holes to find up and down the creek, and possibly trickier fish to catch. Either way, it's usually a great time for young and old, and I'm pumped that we finally got some rain this past weekend to make it a possibility. Fish can't swim without water if you know what I mean.
Kiddie Pond
Even if fishing for stockies in an environment like this isn't your thing (and honestly, it isn't mine), the tournament serves as themajor fundraiser for our club each year. As a cooperative trout nursery for the State of Pennsylvania, we have to foot the bill for pretty much everything but the fish...the biggest cost being food. And believe me, it costs a lot of money to keep fish healthy and fed each year. Club membership dues only go so far...
For details on the 2012 Stony Creek Anglers Trout Tournament, check out the SCA website HERE, or the tournament flier below.
Great Swamp Fish & Game 7th Annual Pre-Season Trout Derby
With Pennsylvania approved trout water closed for the month of March to allow for pre-season stockings, this is one of the few opportunties to get out this month and chase some fish. Plus, stockies are stupid and to be blunt, this is easy pickin's. I'm not one for derbies, but Great Swamp is a friend of my trout club, and they run a top notch event. Even if you're not fishing, it's a great excuse to get the kids outdoors!
Speaking of which...
My trout club, the Stony Creek Anglers will be hosting the 26th Annual Stony Creek Cleanup the same weekend...
Stony Creek Anglers 26th Annual Stony Creek Cleanup
Yeah, we pick up a ton of trash from Stony & Kepner Creeks, and to be honest, it's just a really fun time. It's amazing the stuff you can pull out of an urban watershed...one of the big ticket items from last year being a hot water heater... The 2011 event was covered locally by several news outlets and our club also does a pre-season stocking immediately following at noon for anyone that wants to swing by the nursery and help out.
So...Stony Creek Clean Up on Saturday, Great Swamp Pre-Season Derby on Sunday...sounds pretty trouty to me.
First the business part. The SCA Trout Tournament wrapped up late Sunday afternoon. In its wake were two days of dawn to dusk fishing. Unfortunately not really for me. As club Treasurer it meant two days of 4AM wakeup calls, hawking memberships, hats, & t-shirts, and reconciling cash boxes from the various stations of the event. Lots of big fish were caught, even more smiles on little kids faces, and from all early accounts, a success from a fundraising standpoint.
Lots of people = Not ideal fishing conditions, but lots of money
As for the fun part, Lilly showed up for a little bit on Sunday afternoon with K.C., and we met up with one of her friends from school and her father. As such, I took a little time out from my duties to go fishing with Lilly and try to catch her a fish. First stop was the kiddie "pond," but she wanted no part of it whatsoever. For real. Not sure if it was too crowded, or she just knows that isn't real fishing. So we just left the kiddie pond snagging fishing to the other little kids' dads.
Kiddie pond of death
Instead, we tried to find some room on a bank to do some fishing, but since it was shoulder-to-shoulder in all the promising spots it was more about uncrossing lines than it was about fishing. (Yeah, I'm sure the hardcore guys to our right were lovin' us!)
Lilly pretty much lost interest when she figured out she really couldn't do her long (but inaccurate) "grip it & rip it" casts like she does at the sunfish pond we frequent, so she just picked up rocks, played with her tackle box, and chased her friend around the surrounding trails a good portion of the time.
Crappy cell phone picture of the 10 or so minutes Lilly & her friend fished.
So no fish for Lilly today. At least she had fun with her friend and from what I can tell from the smiles, a good experience overall. Fortunately, I don't think the lack of action discouraged her from fishing again.
On the walk back to the car she looked up at me with bright eyes and a sneaky grin and we had the following exchange:
Lilly: "Daddy, can we go 'Family Fishing' at the pond tonight?"
Me: "Tonight? No, not tonight Lilly. Daddy won't be home until late."
Please excuse me as I use this this space to advertise my trout club's (the Stony Creek Anglers) annual signature event yet again. I know...it's a re-post, yuk...but it's only a few days away and it's now or never.
So...rather than posting here, today's hijinks will take place over on Facebook & Twitter. "Like" and/or "Follow" and you'll be in "the know."
14th Annual Stony Creek Trout Tournament
Saturday, April 30th- 8AM to 5PM (Gate Opens at 6AM)
Sunday, May 1st - 7AM to 4PM
Rain or Shine at Norristown Farm Park & Norristown State Hospital Grounds
Enter Gate 5 (Stanbridge St.)
**No Camping**
BROOKS - PALOMINOS – BROWNS – RAINBOWS
(Prizes Awarded for Tagged Fish)
Advanced Ticket Sales Available
Adults (Over 16) - - - - - Donation $20.00
Teens (Under 16) - - - - - Donation $10.00
Children (12 & Under) - Donation $5.00
Breakfast/Lunch & Drinks Available
Handicapped Section & Childrens' Section
(Special Pond for kids 6 & under)
Bait, Lures, Tackle Available - Fishing Rods for Kids
*Proceeds will be applied to the operation of Montgomery County's first co-op trout nursery & our childrens programs
1st, 2nd & 3rd place trophies for longest fish
Trophies awarded for Adults, Handicapped Adults, Children, Handicapped Children, and Kids 6 & under at the end of each day (30 trophies total)
Please excuse me as I use this forum as a commercial for my trout club's (the Stony Creek Anglers) annual signature event. It's our main fundraiser of the year and the source of the majority of our club's income. Without a successful tournament, we would not be able to raise the fish or operate our youth programs.
14th Annual Stony Creek Trout Tournament
Saturday, April 30th- 8AM to 5PM (Gate Opens at 6AM)
Sunday, May 1st - 7AM to 4PM
Rain or Shine at Norristown Farm Park & Norristown State Hospital Grounds
Enter Gate 5 (Stanbridge St.)
**No Camping**
BROOKS - PALOMINOS – BROWNS – RAINBOWS
(Prizes Awarded for Tagged Fish)
Advanced Ticket Sales Available
Adults (Over 16) - - - - - Donation $20.00
Teens (Under 16) - - - - - Donation $10.00
Children (12 & Under) - Donation $5.00
Breakfast/Lunch & Drinks Available
Handicapped Section & Childrens' Section
(Special Pond for kids 6 & under)
Bait, Lures, Tackle Available - Fishing Rods for Kids
*Proceeds will be applied to the operation of Montgomery County's first co-op trout nursery & our childrens programs
1st, 2nd & 3rd place trophies for longest fish
Trophies awarded for Adults, Handicapped Adults, Children, Handicapped Children, and Kids 6 & under at the end of each day (30 trophies total)
No, not this weekend, but next weekend there's a few trout derbies for those of you locals who need a pre-opening day fix.
The first one is the Great Swamp Fish & Game 6th Annual Pre-Season Trout Derby in Quakertown, PA. They are stocking some really big fish, and tagged fish win a $100 prize.
The derby is over two days, Saturday, March 26th & Sunday, March 27th, running from 8AM to 4PM on both. Additional information, including specific location & registration details can be found at www.greatswampfishandgame.com.
NO MINNOWS ALLOWED!
The next derby is the same weekend at Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA. Linvilla's "Expert Trout Derby" runs from 9AM to 2PM with fish up to 25" and four $25 prizes for tagged rainbows. The largest fish will net the winning angler a prize of $250 as well.
Looking for something fun to do this weekend with the kids? Check out the 2010 Philly Fun Fishing Fest on the Schuylkill Banks beneath the Walnut Street Bridge this Saturday, September 11 from 7 to 11AM.
It's free to the public, no fishing licenses are required, and prizes will be awarded. Pre-registration is required, (and the deadline to register is today, sorry for the late notice), so check out the Philadelphia Office of Watersheds website for full details and online registration info. http://tinyurl.com/phillyfishingfest
Looks like they're tossing more fish in the Linvilla Orchards farm pond this week. Got this email today - looks like a great opportunity to get kids hooked on fishing (if they can handle this HEAT).
Photo Credit: Linvilla Orchards
We are restocking Orchard Lake with Hybrid Striped Bass up to 2 1/2 lbs. on Wednesday, July 20, 2010. Also starting tomorrow, we will have a great new selection of bait everyday, including live flathead minnows!
Fishing is open EVERY DAY from 9-6! We hope to see you here!
The Indianhead Watershed Association is holding their 4th annual kids' fishing derby on Saturday, June 12th from 9AM to 1PM. It's limited to the first 75 registrants between the ages of 5 to 14, so if it's something your family may have interest in, you should act quickly. In light of some recent news regarding the Perkiomen, this is an event you definitely do not want to miss.
The Perkiomen holds many species of fish, including bass, carp, a some trout that make their way down from tributaries such as the Skippack Creek.
The registration form can be downloaded HERE, or visit the Indianhead Watershed Association's website for more information: http://indianheadwatershed.com/
Last weekend was the 13th annual trout tournament on the Stony Creek, hosted by the Stony Creek Anglers. As a member of the club, I didn't do any fishing, but instead helped with setup & stocking, as well as worked in the merchandise booth on both Saturday & Sunday.
A view from below the step dam
Saturday was an awesome day, the weather was beautiful & sunny, and the turnout was great. Sunday...well, not so much. It was rainy & chilly for most of the morning, and only the die-hard of anglers showed up. Those that did show up either day were treated to some well stocked water - as almost 2500 trout were stocked in total, several over 20" in length. The largest fish of the weekend was 26.5" and almost 9 pounds!
Several physically challenged groups from the area also participated in the fishing fun
Last but not least, here's a short video I took of some of Saturday's action.
Note: All of the photos & video above were taken with my new Kodak Playsport video camera. I'll probably do a full write up on the camera later, but for only $150, I think it's a pretty nice little HD camera...and yes, it's waterproof too!
Kind of surprised I didn't post anything about this yet considering it's less than a month away. However, here's all the info on the 13th Annual Trout Tournament on the Stony Creek. There's always a good turnout...now let's just cross our fingers for good weather.
There's a lot going on in the local fishing scene this weekend!
Much of it I've blogged about before, but here's a recap for anyone looking to make some weekend plans.
At some point in time I must have signed up for an e-newsletter from them, and I this week I received and email for their Trout Derby on March 27th. Thought I'd pass it along for anyone who might be itching to get in some stocked trout fishing prior to the April 3rd opening day. I won't be able to make it; I'll be here.
The folks at Great Swamp Fish & Game over in Quakertown, PA will be holding their 5th annual pre-season trout derby on Saturday March 27th & Sunday March 28th, 2010. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 16, with $100 tagged fish each day.
(Click to enlarge)
So if you've got an itch and don't want to wait until opening day, here's an opportunity to go after some stockies a few days earlier.
My trout club is selling raffle tickets as part of a fundraiser for our upcoming trout tournament, youth programs, & nursery upkeep.
Tickets are cheap, the payout is good, and since I'm the club treasurer you know I'll get you the dough when you win (which I'm sure you will). So are you feeling lucky?
Thought I'd post a collection of Stony Creek videos I've assembled (for the SCA website) from various online sources. Not all were shot by me, actually most were not, but regardless they all show the Stony & Kepner Creeks and some of the fishing that goes on there. I hope to add more videos to this over the next year or so, so if you like what you see, check back often.
This isn't a PA story, but I found it interesting nonetheless. Should I make it to 90 years of age and can't get out to my local streams or creeks, I hope somebody has the foresight to fill my swimming pool too.
Cato lures residents to fish for trout at pool Monday November 16, 2009
300 pounds of fish brought to city to give young and old alike a chance to cast their reels
by Elaine McMillon, Daily Mail staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va.--Before moving to Edgewood Summit 10 years ago, John Cavender used to fish on his farm in Cross Lanes.
This past weekend, the retired Air Force fighter pilot got the chance to test his fishing skills as a spry 88-year-old.
He proved that he still knows how to catch trout.
"You ought to just bring us a pocket full of bait," Cavender said to an Edgewood Summit employee, as his second fish flopped around on the concrete. "We're going catch all these fish."
On Friday, Cavender and nine other seniors from his complex were the first to fish at Cato Pool after it was filled with 300 pounds of trout.
The city pool was open for fishing from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The fish were transported in a water tank from Indian Lake Fishing in Elkview. To keep the trout biting, employees at Indian Lake stopped feeding the fish on the Monday prior to the event.
"They should be hungry," said Cheryl Gaynor, senior program coordinator for the Charleston Parks and Recreation Department. "We added some water because it was low from the dog swim."
Gaynor said trout fishing at the pool was started to offer people of all ages a chance to experience the sport. VIEW SLIDESHOW
As the guy that brought you Troutrageous, Pikeadelic, & Muskiemazing...noticed the headline below today. Solid "B" on the word "Troutacular." Not t-shirt worthy, but valiant effort.
Mountain Heritage Trout Cities to hold Troutacular Trout Fesitval From staff reports • June 4, 2009 12:15 AM
Two Mitchell County towns, Spruce Pine and Bakersville, will jointly host Troutacular!, a trout festival, simultaneously in both towns on Saturday .
Spruce Pine's fishing tournament, at Riverside Park, will focus on kids, to take advantage of opening day of delayed harvest trout waters June 6, when only kids can fish until noon. Kids can also paint (chalk) the Riverside Walking Path. There will be a free hotdog lunch and T-shirts, face painting and more.
Bakersville will begin its Troutacular festivities at 6 a.m. Saturday with the fishing tournament on Cane Creek, open to ages younger than 16 with prizes including a Lifetime Fishing License. Competitions include casting, orienteering and paint ball fishing in a barrel. There will be a free hamburger lunch for kids and the first 50 kids will receive a Troutacular hat.
For more information, call the Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce at 765-9033.
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