* Check out the photo gallery link in the left column for some nice member fish pics!

Our TightLines newsletters are now sent out in digital form with an email blast. You may print all or part of any newsletter if you prefer to read a hard copy. All recent TightLines are available to read in digital format in the Members Only Content area of the web site. Some examples of our newsletter are listed below. Click on the link of the TightLines newsletter issue below to read the digital version:

November 2017 TightLines Newsletter Publication.pdf

January 2018 TightLines Newsletter Publication.pdf

February 2018 TightLines Newsletter Publication.pdf

October 2019 TightLines Newsletter Publication .pdf

The newest TightLines Digital newsletter, the April 2020 issue is now available in the Member-Only Content area along with 58 other older newsletters! Sign in with your email address and Password to access them.

Meetings are typically held at 7:00 pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, August through April @ American Legion Post #773,  4109 West 12th Street, Erie, PA.

There are no meetings scheduled in May, June, or July. The April 8th membership meeting has been postponed due to health concerns of large meeting groups and the coronavirus. The next scheduled meeting is August 12th!

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Our March 11th PSA meeting presenters were Andy Reed and Mike Rinkevitch.  They discussed Ticks in Erie county.

Andy Reed has a background in Wildlife Biology and works as an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Erie County Department of Health and is a member of the Northwest Pennsylvania Tick Task Force. 

Mike Rinkevitch is a lifelong outdoorsman.  He is an Environmental Protection Specialist and has worked for the Erie County Department of Health for over thirty years

They provided a brief overview of the ticks found in Northwestern PA, prevention of tick bites and tick-borne disease, and the symptoms and signs of Lyme Disease. A summary of the discussion will be in the April TightLines newsletter.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission fisheries

biologist Chuck Murray was our speaker for February

Chuck’s presentation addressed “The State of Lake Erie Fisheries”

 Chuck discussed the populations of the game fish in Lake Erie including walleye, bass, perch lake trout and of course steelhead and brown trout. He discussed limits and catch rates.

There was a discussion of the assessment of the forage fish abundance and how it can affect all of the various game fishes.

The fish commission under Chuck’s supervision has been monitoring the migration tendencies of our walleye population by tracking im-pulses from transmitters implanted on numbers of walleye. 

January 8th Presenter                                  

PA Steelhead Association officer Ryan Novatnack presented on the PSA involvement with the Women’s Intro to Steelhead Program.

On November 2nd and 3rd the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at entrance to Presque Isle Bay held host to PFBC’s 2^nd annual “Women’s Intro to Steelhead” Program.  The PA Steelhead Association, along with Pennswood’s West Trout Unlimited and the Fly Fishers International (FFI), helped to make this event another great success.  The program saw 31 participants from across the state gather in Erie, PA over the weekend. 

Ryan did his presentation on the basics of introductory Steelhead fishing.

Past Programs:

The December 11 speaker was Sara Stahlman

Sara Stahlman, Extension Leader, joined Pennsylvania Sea Grant in 2006 and became extension leader in July, 2017. Sara is responsible for providing statewide leadership and management for the Pennsylvania Sea Grant extension program in several key areas including water quality, climate change, fisheries, invasive species, waterway and land-use planning. Throughout her career Sara has engaged with local, national, and international audiences by providing presentations and organizing stakeholder workshops, and through the development of successful products and programs. Sara developed two aquatic invasive species field guides which have been distributed to field biologists and agencies in more than 25 states and two Canadian provinces. She earned her bachelor’s in biology with a minor in psychology from Penn State Behrend, and her master’s degree in biology from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. 

   

      

Sara’s topics were 1.) how climate change could affect the Great Lakes, the fish and fishing.

2.) How the Asian Carp would affect the Great Lakes if they get in our waters.

 

November 13th speaker was PFBC Biologist Tim Wilson!

Tim is stationed in Linesville and our Lake Erie Tribs fall under his watch.

He laid out the plans to rectify the challenges they have with the 4 Mile project.

Very importantly, he presented the priority list of what creeks they will work on. He believes that new fixes will be learned as they go from creek to creek.  A lot of discussion was held on the priority of the Walnut Creek Project...The waterfall.  It is the last to be done. Why?? They hope to learn from the other projects and incorporate any new ideas that come up. As he said.. It is the biggest project and it will be expensive so we want to get it right to the best of our ability and experience, even though it will be a few years off. He makes a lot of sense and I support him on the plan.”

Report by Frank Scicchitano

 

Oct 9, 2019 speaker was MIKE BLEECH

Mike is the Outdoor columnist for the Erie Times News. Mike discussed the need for outdoor groups and organizations to get young people involved in outdoor activities.

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September 11th Meeting speaker

Zack Klan, Kayak specialist at Fish USA. He was our presenter at the September 11 meeting. 

Kayak Fishing Presentation 

  

Zack brought a Bonafide SS127 Sit-On-Top fishing kayak rigged to fish with him for demonstation purposes. It was 12' 7" long, 34" wide and weighs 95 lbs with its raised seat. 

During the Kayak Fishing presentation, he touched on how he got started with kayaking, his set-up, kayak safety, fishing from a kayak, the benefits that a kayak can provide, along with answering any and all questions. There are many fishing techniques that can be utilized on a kayak such as using conventional gear, fly fishing gear, and even trolling gear. As long as there is just a few inches of water to float on, you can go kayaking and catch a fish for yourself!

Zack talked about apps that can help like Angler bullseye, and also how to transport your kayak. He discussed how to add equipment, anchors and a bar to help you stand while fishing. It was a very informative discussion.

August 14^th Meeting Presenter: Bobby Fragale owner of BF Fly Fishing.

Bobby Fragale was our program presenter to kick off the fall Steelhead season. B F Fly Fishing is owned and operated by Bobby.  He was born and raised on Steelhead Alley, just a few minutes from Elk Creek.  He has been guiding for many years and has spent the last 20 years dialing in the water he guides on today. 

At B F Fly Fishing, they try to do more than just put you on fish; they pride themselves on teaching and having you become a better and more confident angler.  Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned angler, there is always something new to learn or improve on.  B F Fly Fishing has expanded its guide service to include our warm water fishery.  Some of the best Smallmouth, Pike, Musky and Trout waters are right in Erie County’s back yard. 

In Bobby’s down time, he travels to different fisheries and he’s been lucky enough to grow relationships all over the world. Within his travels, he has had the opportunity to explore many destinations with pristine fisheries, such as Belize, British Columbia and the Olympic Peninsula. 

Bobby discussed all the fishing opportunities available to us in our area! He held discussions on where and how to fish and answered questions as well.

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April 10th Presenter:

Senator Dan Laughlin -

Senate Game & Fisheries committee chair. 

Senator Dan Laughlin was our guest speaker at the April monthly membership meeting. The Senator is Chair of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee. He discussed the legislative process, the roles of committees and led a discussion of bills before the House Game & Fisheries Committee. He concluded by graciously answering members questions on some of the bills and issues facing outdoorsman.

First off Senator Laughlin revealed he is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He explained how he gave up opportunities to be on more powerful committees because he is committed to outdoor recreation and activities. There are a number of bills in committee concerning fishing and hunting. The Senator explained how it takes a long time to get bills passed and that there is a lot of back and forth in the process.

Some of the bills he discussed were:

House Bill 584 which includes a waiver on fishing licenses for therapeutic activities.

House Bill 617 which would discount licenses for those that teach hunter safety courses.

House Bill 752 that would remove the current $400.00 cap per acre for buying land that restricts the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

House Bill 514 that would merge the Fish and Boat Commission with the Hunting Commission

House Bill 929 that would increase resident fishing licenses incrementally over 3 years from $21 to $30, as well as raising the Trout & Salmon permits and non-resident licenses.

Senate Bill 315 which would honor veterans and active military with discounted licenses.

Senate Bill 377 which would increase Penalty for Killing Bald or Golden Eagles.

Senate Bill 147 which would make Sunday hunting legal.

Senate Bill 485 authorizing the Sale of Anterless Deer Licenses through the Pennsylvania Automated Licensing System. 

Senator Laughlin gave his views on many of these bills and asked the membership for input on some of those that would impact fishermen. He also discussed the concerns the legislature has about the number of licenses sold dropping and how a price increase could further impact the totals.

The PSA Board of Directors thanks Senator Laughlin for taking the time to attend our meeting and inform us of ongoing issues and how they are being addressed.

March 13th Program Presenter

Craig Lucas - Tionesta/Fairview State Fish Hatchery Manager for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission gave a presentation of how our Steelhead are raised!

The following is from the May/June 2015 Pennsyvania Angler and Boater Magazine:

“Annually, Tionesta the Tionesta State Fish Hatchery (SFH raises approximately 75 percent of the 1.1 million steelhead yearlings stocked into the tributaries of Lake Erie every spring. Once released they migrate into the main body of the lake and return at 3-years-old ready to spawn. Unfortunately, they are not successful spawning in the shale bottomed Erie tributaries and need the hatcheries to keep this program going. Starting in November, staff from five regional hatcheries, Including Tionesta SFH, converges to Trout Run in Erie to collect
adults for spawning. These adult; steelhead are transported to the Fairview SFH where the eggs are stripped and fertilized. Once spawned, the eggs are transported to Tionesta SFH to be hatched and raised to yearlings for the following season. The PFBC Lake Erie Steelhead Program is a success story, attracting anglers from all over Pennsylvania and generating more than 10 million dollars annually for the Erie area economy.”

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At our January 9th meeting Aaron Benjamin from FishUSA was our speaker and gave a presentation on ice fishing.

Aaron is a customer service rep and Product Specialist for FishUSA. Aaron did a nice presentation on tools, techniques, and new gear for 2019 with a special concentration on targeting the fish of Lake Erie including steelhead. 

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At our December 2018 membership meeting, Eric Peterson showed us how to spin, stack & pack deer hair for bass poppers! It was an entertaining and informative presentation! Thanks to Eric for a lesson on how to tie like a pro.

     

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The PA Steelhead Association holds meetings each month except May, June, and July usually at 7:30 pm on the second Wednesday of the month .  Meetings are held  at the American Legion Post 773.  The Legion is located at 4109 West 12th Street (State Route 5), just east of the Erie Airport. 

We meet in the banquet room to the left when you walk in.

Next membership meeting was scheduled for April 8th, but all monthly meetings have been postponed due to public health concerns. We do not schedule meetings in May, June or July. The next possible meeting is October 14th! The PSA is looking into virtual or on-line meeting presentations.

PA Steelhead Associaton Facebook page link below:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pa-Steelhead-Association/136804763021961