Author: Wade Rivers
FTTU Hosts Stream Girls Event
The Penn’s Woods West and Forbes Trail Chapters of Trout Unlimited were pleased to team-up and bring the STREAM Girls program back to western Pennsylvania after a several year hiatus due to the pandemic. STREAM Girls is an outdoor Watershed experience for middle school aged girls that employs STEM-based education (science, technology, engineering and math), recreation and arts to explore a local stream.
Participants explored Mill Creek at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association farm in Ligonier over a two day period making connections to their home waters as scientists, artists and anglers. Numerous volunteers shared their expertise in subjects including collecting flow data, sampling macroinvertebrates, fly tying and fly casting. Girls received certificates of completion and those that are Girls Scouts qualified for a conservation patch. The program wrapped up with all the participants successfully catching fish on fly rods at Donegal Lake! Every individual is a citizen of their watershed, and through this program we’re helping to build an appreciation for conservation and the environment in the next generation.
Electro-Fishing Survey in Linn Run Watershed
On Thursday, June 9, 2022 a team of Forbes Trail TU members and Josh Penatzer from the Loyalhanna Watershed Association completed a fish study on Linn Run. The sampling was part of the Coldwater Conservation Plan being developed by FTTU for Linn Run and its tributaries. The crew netted wild brook trout, stocked rainbows, sculpins, blacknose dace and an abundance of stone flies. Josh, who is licensed to use the equipment and conduct the survey, used battery operated probes to stun the fish enough that volunteers could capture them in nets. Once identified and measured, they we all released back into the stream unharmed. The crew sample four sites on Linn Run, including the headwaters, and one location on Rock Run, a major tributary. The detailed results will be made available in the final CCP report later this year.
Rock Run Water Tests August 2022
It’s the dog days and low flows of summer in the Laurel Highlands.
Here’s the results of our monthly water tests:
Air Temp – 69°F
Water Temp – 65.5°F
Linn Run Discharge – 1.90 ft³/sec
Linn Run Gauge – 1.42 ft
pH – 7.4
Alkalinity – 9.1
Lowest flow and highest water temperature of 2022 so far. Still hospitable to trout.
Flow goes down alkalinity goes up.
Donegal Lake Receives New Bait Fish Condos
Volunteers from Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited assisted the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) on Wednesday, July 27, installing new fish habitat structures in Donegal Lake near Stahlstown. The lake is a 90-acre impoundment owned by the Commonwealth and managed by the PFBC. Formally known as the Fourmile Run Dam, it is located in the headwaters of the stream and was originally constructed in 1967. For safety reasons, the breast of the dam had to be replaced requiring the lake to be drained in 2016. In 2019, the new $5.5 million dam was in place and the lake began to refill. It is now at its normal summer level. Restocking of the lake began in early 2020 with fingerling size warmwater gamefish, including largemouth bass. And this past spring it was stocked with trout.
Four PFBC staff from Bellefonte arrived at 10 AM with a trailered boat, fork lift and a pickup truck load of tools and equipment. Within three hours, twenty-five condos, technically referred to as short, vertical plank structures, had been installed throughout the lower half of the lake. PFBC took GPS readings of each location and will eventually post them on their web site to help fishers locate them.
Most of the structures were assembled by Latrobe Senior High School students as part of their wood shop course. Three were built on site with leftover materials. Nine concrete blocks totaling 270 pounds, were placed in each basket to serve as ballast to anchor them to the bottom of the lake. The baskets were carefully loaded with a forklift onto a specially equipped boat with a stainless steel platform in the bow. Once the location was selected, the baskets were pushed into the water to serve as habitat. Only two baskets could be transported at a time.
First, algae and other plant life begins to cover the structures which attract macroinvertebrates, which in turn attract small fish. The structures protect the bait fish from predators as they grow. But they frequently venture out, or game fish raid the structures knowing they are a major sanctuary for food. Anglers, knowing where the structures are located, focus their fishing around these food sources. It’s the beginning, and sometimes the end, of an entire food chain.
The project was funded by a Cooperative Habitat Improvement Project (CHIP) grant through the PFBC. Josh Penatzer, Project Manager for the Loyalhanna Watershed Association, coordinated the project and sent a request for volunteers to Forbes Trail several weeks in advance. FTTU members are always anxious to assist with boots-on-the-ground projects such as this. Seven volunteers showed up and worked closely with Josh and the PFBC staff to complete the project. This was obviously not the first rodeo for the PFBC crew or Josh. Within thirty minutes of arrival, they were handing out safety gear to the volunteers and loading the baskets onto the boat. It was one of the smoothest and most efficient operations we’ve ever assisted with. Forbes Trail appreciates the opportunity to be part of this project. As expressed in one of the photos, a project like this requires an inspector, supervisor and visionary!
FTTU Summer Picnic
The Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited held its summer picnic for members, family and friends on Saturday, July 16th at Kingston Veterans & Sportsmen Club, east of Latrobe. Because of the Covid pandemic and related restrictions, this was the first picnic of its kind since 2019. It was a treat to be outdoors to enjoy both the summer weather and the camaraderie of family and friends.
There were raffle prizes, including a Yeti cooler, adult size fly rods and several fishing rod/reel combinations for the kids. The event also included a “swap” where used and excess fishing and fly-tying gear was sold. Activities for kids included painting wood cutouts of trout and tying a “crazy fly” with paperclips, pipe cleaners and hackle.
Adults tested their fly-casting skills on a par-3 casting course. And bean bags were constantly flying through the air on the corn hole courses. A buffet lunch was catered by Forks Inn, Ligonier and a trout decorated cake was provided by the Laughlintown Pie Shoppe.
Attendees enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and opportunity to meet new friends and chat with some they had not seen for a couple of years. Some of the students from Ligonier Valley Middle School’s Outdoor Club, which the chapter interacts with, attended and were able to purchase used fly rod and reel combos at drastically reduced prices.
TU extends a special thank you to our partner Kingston Veterans & Sportsmen Club for hosting us.
Congratulations to the Raffle Winners
Rock Run Water Quality Tests for July
Here’s the results of the monthly water quality testing at the mouth of Rock Run for July 2022.
- Air Temperature: 68° F
- Water Temperature: 62.5° F
- pH: 7.4
- Alkalinity: 7.7
- Linn Run Gauge Height: 1.73 ft.
- Linn Run Discharge: 7.0 ft³/sec
For all the stats for 2022, see the Rock Run Page.
Rock Run Water Tests for June
Here’s the results of the monthly water tests for June
Air Temperature: 58° F
Water Temperature: 57° F
Linn Run Discharge: 12.3 ft³/sec
Linn Run Gauge: 1.86 ft.
Alkalinity: 5.5
pH: 7.6
Limestone Sand Delivered to Rock Run Headwaters
May 17, 2022, Denny Hess led chapter volunteers Joe Bilotta, Bob Shusko and Monty Murty in a successful project to replace limestone in the headwaters of Rock Run, the largest tributary of Linn Run. Without the large volume of Rock Run’s cold waters, Linn Run may not be a trout stream in warm weather. Unfortunately the headwater springs that form Rock Run emerge from the ground at pH 4.5 and sometimes lower, way too acid for trout.
With a Growing Greener grant in early 2000’s Forbes Trail Chapter did something about that. We built a hardstand dump station in the Rock Run headwaters, and with a site prepared to facilitate gradual leaching of fine glass-grade limestone sand into the stream we began delivering acid-reducing limestone into the stream. It was left to us to keep funding the limestone. These sites are extremely remote and difficult to reach hiking, much less driving to, especially with a semi-tractor/trailer hauling 25 tons of steaming hot limestone.
May 17th we received the semi-annual delivery, and the huge and full truck got stuck in the mud! One of the personally satisfying things about volunteering with FTTU is working with friends who know how to work. Once Denny made the call that the truck wasn’t going to self-extract, the team instantly dived into organized work. Key to extracting the truck was Joe Bilotta driving back down the mountain and returning with his big Ram dually. Salvaging a big hook and clevis pin from Denny’s Jeep, and with buckets and shovels we got the wheels to grip and with Joe pulling we got the monster out of the mud “Highway from Hell” style!
Result; a fresh batch of limestone is ready to be moved into the stream over the next two years when we’ll do it again.
After almost 20 years of chapter hard labor and funding, brook trout have been restored to Rock Run to the extent that this past February the PA Fish & Boat Commission reclassified Rock Run from dead to a Wild Reproducing Trout Stream, Brook Trout no less, our only native stream-dwelling trout.
Well done good and faithful servant Ralph Koscianski and the members you’ve trained to follow in your footsteps restoring native trout.
With sore hands and aching backs yesterday we just stood there and looked downstream dumbfounded and thinking “The things we do for trout”!
Larry Myers Honored with Don Robb Memorial Award.
FTTU President Larry Myers was presented with the Don Robb Memorial Award for long-term service to the chapter at our May meeting at the PA Fly Co fly shop in Acme, PA.
Larry has served the chapter as President for two terms. During his tenure he initiated Forbes Trail’s highly successful Disabled Veteran’s Fishing Day, and the Linn Run Watershed Conservation Plan. By securing grants and through several successful fundraising campaigns, he strengthened the chapter’s financial standing and with his public realtions skills he raised the profile of FTTU attracting volunteers and new members. Our membership roster increased by at least 100 during his time in office.
Larry has spent countless hours coordinating with partner organizations, volunteers and schools to make FTTU projects and events happen.
For all of his efforts, the membership presented Larry with the chapter’s highest honor, the Don Robb Memorial Award along with a beautiful wood carving – “Linn Run Brookie” hand crafted by Rod Cross. This work of art incorporates actual driftwood from the Linn Run stream.
The membership, officers and directors would like to thank Larry for all of his tireless efforts making FTTU what we feel is the premier TU chapter in Pennsylvania.
Youth Group Fishing Day on Loyalhanna Creek
Twelve students from Ligonier Valley Middle School’s Outdoor Club got to test their skills fly fishing on Thursday, May 12th, on Loyalhanna Creek. This was the culmination of their winter-long, fly-tying and coldwater conservation studies program. Mentors from Trout Unlimited’s (TU) local Forbes Trail Chapter worked with the students for several sessions during the winter teaching them to tie a variety of patterns of imitation flies…trout bugs. Thursday, they got to try out those patterns on the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section of the stream in Ligonier. This was a high school sanctioned field trip to give the students stream experience with a sport they have been studying as part of their Outdoor Club.
The weather cooperated much more so than the fish unfortunately. Though most students did experience “hits” from trout over the two-hour period. Dylan A, an eighth grader actually got to yell “fish-on” while classmates and mentors cheered him on. The fish, a nice size rainbow, put up a good fight, but managed to release himself before Dylan was able to get him into the landing net. It was a pretty cool experience just the same. While TU promotes “catch and release”, we prefer it be on the angler’s terms, not that of the fish! Many of the Club students were experienced fly fishers and demonstrated their skills to the mentors. Others, while they may have fished before, were using a fly rod for the first time and welcomed instructions.
TU has worked with the Outdoor Club for many years. Mentors were excited to be able to renew their program with the learners after a two-year, pandemic hiatus. The students want to learn to tie their own flies, and to use a fly rod proficiently. “We can teach them all that. But we’re most interested in teaching them about the need to protect our coldwater streams and fisheries”, said TU mentor Bill Somogyi. “At some point, they will need to become the advocates to protect our trout waters so they and their kids will have streams like the Loyalhanna to fish.”
TU welcomes the opportunity to work with local schools and youth groups to teach coldwater conservation and fly fishing. LVMS students are fortunate that they have a premier trout stream, essentially within walking
distance of their school. They are quickly learning to be the stream’s ambassadors.
