Outdoor notes
The Stanley Cooper Sr. Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its last monthly meeting of the year on Tuesday, May 12 at the VFW Anthracite Post in Kingston at 7:30 p.m. The featured speaker will Charlie Charlesworth from the Lackawanna Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited. He’s the host of “Fly Fishing the Northeast” and has been featured on many television fly fishing programs. He will have information on the National Meeting of Trout Unlimited being held in Scranton in September 2015 and have a short video presentation of a recent fly fishing trip to Arkansas with Joe Humphreys.
The Stanley Cooper Sr. Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold two camps this summer for youth and adults.
The 15th annual Fly Fishing Youth Camp will be held on May 30 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. All necessary equipment will be provided. Boys and girls must be a minimum of 10 years of age and they must be accompanied throughout the day. Lunch will be served to all. Contact Joe Ackourey at 570-574-5956 or email Joeack [email protected] for further information or to make a reservation.
The Adult Fly Fishing Camp, for ages 18 and up, will be held on Sunday, June 7 at the American Legion in Mountain Top. The program includes entomology, fly tying, casting, knot tying and an opportunity to fish. All equipment will be furnished and lunch will be provided. The cost is $25 which includes a one-year membership to Stan Cooper TU. The event is free to current members of Stan Cooper TU. Contact Jay Downs at 570-814-6338 to register or for further details.
The Eastern PA Deaf Bass Anglers will hold a Pickerel Tournament on May 24 at Harveys Lake. Registration opens at 5 a.m. at the PA Fish and Boat Commission launch. Entry fee is $50 per boat with a $10 lunker option. The tournament will run from safe light with weigh-in at 2 p.m. There is an eight fish limit, minimum size of 18 inches and live bait is permitted. For more information, call Vincent Sabatini at 570-309-0243 or email [email protected] .
Western Pocono Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center on Mauch Chunk Lake near Jim Thorpe. Featured speaker will be expert fly fisherman, Dr. Frank “Doc” Plucinsky. Plucinsky is regarded as the Dean of Fly Fishermen on his home waters of Tulpehocken Creek near Reading. He’s fished and traveled extensively in Pennsylvania and the American West. He has developed a special nymph fly fishing technique that he learned fishing western waters and has developed it for eastern streams. Plucinsky will be showing a slide program regarding this special technique and discussing other subjects pertinent to his fly fishing adventures. Plucinsky is also an avid photographer and amateur botanist. The program is free and the public is invited. Call 570-454-4862 for more info.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will hold a Basic Boating Course on June 8 and 10 at Beltzville State Park. The course will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. each night. There’s no charge for the course. All participants must pre-register and must attend both sessions. Call Beltzville State Park at 610-377-0045 to register. The Basic Boating Course is designed to supply boaters with practical information so they can make better informed decisions on the water. Instructors will provide students with information via a classroom setting to help them reduce the risk of injury and conflict on the water. Students who successfully complete the course may apply for a Boating Safety Education Certificate for a $10 fee. The certificate is required of all operators of personal watercraft (PWCs) or anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 who operate a motorboat of more than 25 horsepower. More information about this course or boating safety can be found by visiting the Commission’s website at fishandboat.com.
The Nanticoke Conservation Club will hold a children’s trout derby on Harveys Creek on May 16. Meeting place will be approximately 1.5 miles up Route 29 from West Nanticoke on the right hand side. The event, which is free, starts at 8 a.m. and is for children ages 4-15. Bait will be provided at no charge and food will be available. Children ages 4-7 will begin fishing at 8 a.m., followed by ages 8-11 at 8:30 a.m. and 12-15 at 9 a.m. The club will section off part of the stream and stock trout for the derby. Children will be allowed three trout each. The trout were purchased through a donation from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins GOALS Foundation.
The derby is limited to 100 children and pre-registration is required. To register, email the child’s name, age and adult’s name and phone number to [email protected] . For more information visit www.nanticokeconservationclub.com.
The Red Rock Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual JAKES Day on Sunday, May 31. The event is being held at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas. The event is held to teach kids what the outdoors has to offer. Some of the classes offered are: fishing skills, outdoor cooking, tree stand safety, Endless Mountain Coon Hunters, shot guns (12 and older) 22 shooting (under 12) and Turkey Calling just to name a few. Classes may vary. If you have a child who likes the outdoors, this is a day made just for them. Cost is $15 a child and includes all classes and supplies, lunch, a goody bag and a chance to win a door prize. For more information or to register your child contact Chastity King at 570-472-1190 or Chris Lamoreaux at 570-696-2406 after 4 p.m. or 570-704-9930.
