From the President's Desk
By Dave "Woody" Woodworth

    Tifft Nature Preserve Fishing Derby was a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed themselves and we gave out a bunch of prizes. The hot dogs and pop, juice and milk were a big hit, too. Thank you to everyone who volunteered for this great event and to the sponsors. The commitment of so many fantastic people makes the Derby a success each year.

    Don Einhouse from the Dunkirk office of the DEC was our speaker for the last meeting. He consistently supports the efforts of the club and the environmental community. As we have explained to him and others before and will continue to do so, the issue with the Emerald Shiners needs to be addressed. Mr. Einhouse patiently listens to our concerns each time we address it with him, which we appreciate. More needs to be done though. Common sense tells us that the current ruling against transporting this bait is fruitless. Other states and Canada allow the transportation of Emerald Shiners within the same body of water. The New York State DEC must repeal this ruling. We must continue to contact our legislators and demand that this ruling be overturned. There is no benefit to the ruling, but there certainly is a hardship to the fishermen and women of New York State.

    On August 23rd we are participating in an educational program with Ducks Unlimited to teach fishing fundamentals to children. If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me at the club.

    Again this year we will have a booth at the Erie County Fair in August. We have a few spots left to work at the booth in the Conservation Building. Please call the club to sign up for a shift.

    September 13th is the Presidents Picnic this year. Please remember that if you have worked for any event sponsored by the club, you are invited to the picnic. Post cards will go out to all volunteers, but in case you are missed, please know that you are invited if you helped. Watch next months Fishline for more details.

    We are planning on next year's Plymouth, Massachusetts fishing trip. Tentatively, we are going May 7-10. When the plans have been confirmed we will let everyone know and begin confirming reservations for spots on the trip. Please stay tuned for more information.

    As always, take a kid fishing . . . Woody