Slate Run Sportsmen held its last general membership meeting of the year a couple of days ago on September 10, 2022. Sixteen SRS members in good standing and six guests were present. We ‘got right into it’ with our guest speakers Eric Hussar, Slate Run Sportsmen member, & District 5 Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), representing Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties, and PFBC Fisheries Biologist Coja Yamashita. They shared with us proposed rule-making changes that the PFBC is implementing over the next two years to gather information dealing with private stocking of the Commonwealth’s waters.

This discussion was very engaging and many more points were shared with us than I can summarize and do justice here. Allow me to say that there was good exchange between the audience and our presenters. I learned a great deal as I never knew that there was little to NO regulations allowing people to currently put whatever they want into PA’s waters! I think the only red tape currently deals with gill lice and this has been addressed over the past many years if I understood what I heard Saturday.

Walt Nicholson, SRS and Susquehanna TU Chapter member, mentioned that another opportunity for audiences to hear what the PFBC is proposing (and to engage with them on this matter) is planned for October 12 at Lycoming College at 7pm. The Susquehanna TU Chapter is involved (I think) with this presentation and if you’d like to attend please contact them by clicking on this link – https://susquehannatu.com/contact/ for more information.

After the presentation we got lunch! As we finished up eating we held our business meeting and got reports from the Treasurer, Membership, the Seven Mile Parking project and the Dutch Fetter Journals projects.

Well a day or two before the meeting I had a meeting with Old Baldy!

I was across the creek from the eagle… must have been for 20 minutes or so. It preened itself and ruffled up its feathers a bit. Didn’t dive down until I came walking to the bank-side.

It was great to observe this eagle for so long. Kinda makes me desire better photographic equipment.

One of the past few days I got some work done on some benches I made a year or so ago. They’re just an old pine log that I tried to rip into halves, then attached a couple of ‘posts’ on then to sit on the ground. I’ve taken to coat the tops of them with an epoxy system used on boats (thus its marine epoxy). What I didn’t expect was the color of the logs to ‘pop’ so much!

Pictures are deceiving folks. It’s not nearly as smooth as it appears. It was ripped in half with a chain-saw and then only mildly planed down… that might give you a better idea of the actual surface condition. Still, when I put that first coat of epoxy on it a year ago, I was surprised with the color. This second coat produced similar results. It’ll do.

Lastly, but not least(ly), I did manage to go out and fish a little before I re-injured the left knee (only a small crunch this time).

I managed to catch a small brown on ‘my’ Slate Drake/Iso tie that I’ve been tying for years now. When that didn’t work anymore and I decided to work my way back down, I tied on the deadly green ‘inch-worm’ (also known in some circles as, do not read any further Mr. Hoover, the GREEN WEENIE!).

It did get results almost immediately.

Definitely using ‘net distortion’ as my excuse here as the fish was heavy and pulled itself down pretty well while in the net. It was heavy and I know of its size and girth, that’s all that matters to me at least. I was satisfied with the fish but did not get very good pictures of it.

I’M LEAVING!!!!!!

Not Slate Run Sportsmen… just where I was fishing. Don’t get the panties in a bunch folks – it’s just my sick sense of humour! All that’s left is walking out.

The old railroad bed is still visible after a hundred years (more or less) – amazing (not more or less… MORE amazingly). That direction traveled drops off a nearly cliff-like sort of area. Luckily, for me, I’m heading in the opposite direction.

I’m getting used to when I catch one decent fish and calling it a successful outing. I may have been in this sort of mode for a few more years than I care to admit.

Until we see each other again, I’m UB… an ‘Unintentional Blogger’.