Author: Wade Rivers
FTTU Summer Family Picnic
Reservations are now available for the 2025 FTTU Family Picnic for June 28th at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe.
(There are no printed tickets this year, just check in at the welcome table when you arrive. You need to register in advance)
The cost is $17.00 for adults and $6.00 for kids.
See the Picnic Page on this website for details.
FTTU Volunteers Clean Stream Banks to Celebrate Earth Day
TU member volunteers took to the stream banks along Loyalhanna Creek to celebrate Earth Day. But this time they weren’t fishing…they were picking up litter.
The first crew descended on the banks and roadway near the bridge over the creek on Mission Road in Latrobe. This area is plagued by motorists littering as they drive through. Volunteers removed nine bags of garbage from this area and prevented it from entering the Loyalhanna Creek.
A second crew of TU volunteers spread out along the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only (DHALO) section of Loyalhanna Creek in Ligonier. Several bags of litter were collected around the Two Mile Run bridge over the stream as well as at the confluence with Mill Creek. Other volunteers cleaned the banks from Mill Creek up to the Rt. 711 bridge.
The stream banks weren’t as littered as they were in some previous years. But it’s still frustrating that a few anglers and hikers just don’t get the message about protecting our precious natural resources. Fortunately, it’s a fraction of one percent of our residents who litter. Let’s hope our next generation is a little better educated and environmentally conscious.
Loyalhanna Creek is one of ten premier trout streams in the Laurel Highlands Trout Trail. Visit www.laurelhighlandstrouttrail.org to learn more about the Trout Trail program. Anglers can win fishing gear by participating in the “Poker Run” and fishing some, or all ten streams before July 31.
Trout Unlimited wants to remind our readers that if they see anyone dumping garbage along our streams or roadways, please take a photo of the vehicle if you can do so safely, and report it to Keep PA Beautiful at www.keeppabeautiful.org or (724) 836-4121 in Greensburg. This is your community’s environment…make sure its respected!
FTTU Youth Member Completes Eagle Scout Project
When fishing the Delayed Harvest/Keystone Select section of Loyalhanna Creek this spring, you will notice some improvements. They are the result of the Eagle Scout project of Boy Scout Troop 188 and FTTU member, Jack Knopsnider.
Did you know that monofilament fishing line takes up to 600 years to decompose? And along the way it can get entangled with wildlife, sometimes with fatal consequences? In addition fish hooks and lead weight can also be injurious to wildlife. As a part of Jack’s project, several fishing line receptacles were installed along Loyalhanna Creek making a convenient place to discard tangled line, strike indicators and hooks.
Also included in the project is a new sign/bulletin board, replacement of the rotted railroad ties that border the parking lot and relocation of two benches away from flood prone areas.
Jack coordinated the project, acquired materials and recruited help from friends, family and FTTU volunteers.
He will graduate from Mt. Pleasant Area High School this spring and plans to attend Penn State majoring in Electrical Engineering. Congratulations Jack and good luck with your future studies!
The 2025 Laurel Highlands Trout Trail Poker Run is Here!
Sign up for the Laurel Highlands Trout Trail Poker Run! The more streams you visit, the greater your chance to win. For all the details, list of streams, and location of all the LHTT signs, visit the LHTT website:
New Website Page - "About Trout"
Perhaps you’ve seen “About Trout” articles in your local newspaper. These articles are written by members of our Trout Unlimited chapter and have appeared in the Latrobe Bulletin and Ligonier Echo. In case you missed them, they will be reprinted here on our website. Each week, we will add another article to the “About Trout” page.
There is a new article about our own Rod Cross along with “A Brief History of Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited”. You can read them now by clicking on the “About Trout” page in the menu.
Rock Run Water Tests for March 2025
Air Temperature: 34° F
Water Temperature: 37.5° F
pH: 7.1
Alkalinity: 6
Linn Run Gauge: 2.11 ft
Linn Run Discharge: 25 ft³/sec
Trout Unlimited Hosts Climate Change Discussion
Presenters from Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) and Powdermill Nature Reserve (PNR) shared recently completed research findings and facilitated a discussion on how climate change is impacting our lives, and of particular importance to Trout Unlimited (TU), our coldwater fisheries. Our country has witnessed more frequent and severe weather events over recent years and the intensity is only increasing. We’re all part of the problem…but we can also all be part of the solution.
Laurie Giarratani, Director of Education for CMNH, and Alexis Thorbecke, Programs Manager at PNR were guest speakers March 6th at Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited monthly meeting. The event was held in Greensburg at the Westmoreland Conservation District’s office on Donohoe Road. The purpose was to help educate TU members and the local community on the science behind climate change, its potential adverse impacts on our planet, and how we can get involved to help remediate some of those problems. After explaining how and why we’re seeing radical changes in our climate, the group discussed means by which individuals can make lifestyle changes that will help minimize their carbon footprint on the earth.
For TU, the presentation came at a perfect time as they prepare to roll out a new initiative titled “Priority Waters”. This is a national TU program to be implemented at the state level. In Pennsylvania, TU has identified four conservation landscapes designated for special attention to protect coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. The Laurel Highlands is one of those. The landscape covers five TU chapters who met the week before to strategize how we can conserve, protect and restore the coldwater fisheries in this region. The group is in the process of developing a five-year strategic plan, a vision statement and mission statement. It will include specific actions that can be taken by TU and community partners to protect our most precious wild trout and their habitat.
Special guests at the event were Tom McCartney from TU’s Penn’s Woods West Chapter. Tom serves on TU’s National Leadership Council and is a volunteer member of their Climate Change Working Group. Also participating in the discussion was Dr. John Wenzel, Executive Director, Conemaugh Valley Conservancy. John has been involved in implementing TU’s recently completed Coldwater Conservation Plan (CCP) for Linn Run, located in the Laurel Highlands.
Just like with completing the Linn Run CCP, addressing climate changes impacts on our headwaters will take a community effort. If remediation efforts are to be undertaken to protect tree canopies that cool the streams, or habitat be developed to provide protective hideaways for trout during droughts, a collaborative effort will be needed with the Department of Natural Resources, the PA Fish & Boat Commission, Western PA Conservancy and many other resource conservation agencies and organizations. Our communities are learning that TU is not a fishing club. Our mission is to conserve, protect and restore our coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. We welcome a seat at the table to address the impacts of climate change on our trout streams.
FTTU Volunteers Conduct Fly Casting and Coldwater Conservation Instruction at Latrobe High School
Recently Capstone students welcomed members of the Forbes Trail chapter of Trout Unlimited to the Latrobe auditorium.
Students split the class period between learning how to fly cast in the auditorium and listening to a conservation lecture focused on the health of Pennsylvania’s streams. This was the first of two outings as the students will put their skills to use this spring fishing at Unity Township’s lake. A huge thanks to all of the TU volunteers for their time and expertise!
Rock Run Water Test Results for February
The citizen scientists were out on a cold Saturday morning collecting water samples at the mouth of Rock Run.
Air Temperature: 26° F
Water Temperature: 34° F
Linn Run Flow: N/A
Linn Run Discharge: 4.66 ft³/sec
pH: 6.7
Alkalinity: 4.8
Conditions: High and Clear
Melting snow and rain brought up the flow which usually brings the alkalinity down but it was only down slightly from January. Although 4.8 is still considered low alkalinity, we no longer are noticing downward spikes of 1.5 with high water.
Soon we will begin testing the headwaters of Linn Run before and after placement of limestone sand there.
