Please note that unless otherwise indicated, all monthly chapter meetings are held in Rm 111 in the Fisher Auditorium on the OARDC/Ohio State University campus, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster OH. Chapter meetings are held the second Monday of the month from September through May, starting at 7:15 PM.

Event: February 2018 Chapter meeting

Date: 2/12/18 Time: 7:15-9:00 PM.

Details: Featured speaker will be Aaron Brown, Wayne County Wildlife Officer. His presentation is “Behind the Badge: Ohio’s Wildlife Officers.” Aaron will add focus to Ohio’s enforcement of fisheries regulations and laws. He is familiar with our chapters programs and has served as a guide for our fly fishing clinics.

Aaron is originally from Lorain County, Ohio, but mostly grew up in western PA. As a boy he enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping. He started fly fishing at his grandfathers farm pond in Ashland Co., where he would visit for a few weeks every summer. His father was also an Ohio Wildlife Officer and Aaron decided to follow him in that career path. He graduated from Slippery Rock University and Hocking Hills College with degrees in Wildlife management. Following several earlier assignments, he has been a wildlife officer for the past 6 years.

The chapter will have a variety of fly fishing and fly tying items available at the monthly raffle. Proceeds from the raffle support our programs including the stocking of Apple Creek with trout.

Event: March 2018 Chapter meeting

Date: Saturday, March 17, noon until 3 PM.

Details: The March meeting will be held at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park, 5710 12th St NW, in Canton, OH. The meeting will be held in conjunction with one of John Rochus’ Fly-tying Get-togethers.

The noontime speakers are guides for Mad River Outfitters (Columbus), Patrick Kelly and Josh McQueen. Their topic will be fly-fishing in Ohio for steelhead, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskies. Both speakers are from Ohio and began fly-fishing at an early age. By their mid-twenties they began their guiding careers.

Both men guide walk-in and drift boat trips as well as jet boat trips. Pat’s specialty and “claim to fame” is his Musky trips to southern Ohio. Josh’s claim is that he is the first “Pike on a Fly” guide in Ohio.

Following these presentations, door prizes will be passed out and the raffle winner for a new fly rod and reel will be chosen. The raffle will feature a Temple Fork Outfitters, Axiom 2, 6-wt, 9-ft, fly rod and matching, large arbor, BVK reel. The outfit will handle steelhead, big trout and bass. The retail value of the rod & reel is $589.

For the last portion of the Get-Together, expert fly tiers will demonstrate how to tie their favorite flies. Bring along your tying vices and tying tools. Materials for tying flies can be purchased for $1.00.

Plenty of snack foods and drinks will be available for everyone.

Event: April 2018 Chapter meeting

Date: 4/9/18 Time: 7:15-9:00 PM

Details: Kevin Kayle, Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries Biologist will discuss “Current status of the Ohio Steelhead Fishery.”

Event: May 2018 Chapter meeting

Date: 5/14/18 Time: 7:15-9:00 PM

Details: Dr. Stu Ludsin, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Ohio State University Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Columbus, will talk about “The threat that human driven changes to Lake Erie poses to its fisheries.”

The CFRTU Chapter is always looking for speakers for our monthly meetings. Please contact Randy Rowe (rowe926@gmail.com) for suggestions for speakers on fly fishing, conservation of aquatic resources and related topics.