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FISH TALES BLUEWATER ANGLERS NEWSLETTER
www.bluewateranglers.com
WINTER 2021
GOODBYE 2020 – HELLO 2021
This has been a challenging and mostly forgettable year. All
Bluewater Angler club and public activities, except one, were
cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 virus. The Ice Fishing
Derby had to be cancelled in February due to the lack of safe ice
on Sarnia Bay. A special thanks to the dedicated group of volunteer
hatchery operators. Thanks to their efforts we managed to keep our
hatchery operating safely and at full capacity during the year. We
raised and released approximately 91,000 Chinook salmon and 53,000
Rainbow Trout this year. We currently have about 40,000 Rainbow
Trout, 18,000 Brown Trout and 100,000 recently hatched Chinook
Salmon fry in the hatchery. These fish will be ready for release in
late April 2021.
We look forward to 2021 with the hope that it will be a better
year. Please stay safe and healthy.
Happy New Year!
2021 - 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors would like
to acknowledge and thank this year’s retiring directors for their
service and dedication during the past 3 years. This year we have 7
directors reaching the end of their 3-year term:
John Barneveld John Klazinga Lou Dallaire Gary Mitchell Ed
Holubowicz Tom Watson Robert Huggett
One third of the Bluewater Anglers’ Board of Directors is
elected to a 3-year term at the first General Membership Meeting of
each year. At least 5 new directors are needed for the 2021 - 2023
term. We encourage fisherwomen and fishermen who fish from boat or
shore to get involved with helping to run your club. New people
bring new ideas and new perspectives that help our club grow and
prosper. This is your chance to get involved and help run your
club. The Board of Directors meet the first Wednesday of each month
at 7:00 PM at the hatchery. Any current club member can become a
director. If you are interested, or know a club member who is
interested, please contact Ralph Eves ([email protected];
519-383-0873) BEFORE January 5th. Last minute nominations will be
accepted from the floor at the January 5th General Membership
Meeting if the meeting is not cancelled due to the Covid-19
virus.
http://www.bluewateranglers.com/mailto:[email protected]
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HATCHERY REPORT I trust that you are all coping with the daily
trials that we are exposed to this year. Your hatchery crew has
been working hard to keep the fish production going. To comply with
the restrictions imposed by the virus and the protection of our
volunteers, we decided not to stock any fish this fall, and they
will be kept until spring. We made our annual trip to Owen Sound
for the Chinook salmon egg collection this fall. It was a very good
year as we collected all our eggs in one day. The fish were big and
in good condition. It was a great work crew, working with masks and
social distancing as much as possible. At the time of writing, the
Chinook salmon eggs are all hatched, and they have been moved into
the three starter tanks. They are starting to eat starter food.
Looking forward we should be better off than last year, with 90,000
to 100,000 fingerlings ready for stocking in April. At present,
there are 2 schools that will be running the school hatchery
program. If some of the local restrictions are lifted, some other
schools may take a few fry and watch them grow. The new batch of
25,000 Brown trout eggs are expected in late December. Since we did
not stock this fall, we will have 2 batches of Brown trout to grow
for next year for both a spring and fall release. The 36,000
Rainbow trout are growing and feeding in tanks #7 & #8. With
the restrictions imposed by the virus there will be no fin clipping
for this year’s production. Stay safe, stay healthy and be ready to
fish in the spring.
- Jake
DONATION
A $1,000 donation to the Bluewater Anglers was received from
Arlanxeo.
CLUB ACTIVITY CALENDAR For January – June 2021
The planned events are subject to cancellation due Covid-
19 virus provincial guidelines or restrictions.
January 5 General Membership Meeting CANCELLED January 6 Board
of Directors Meeting February 3 Board of Directors Meeting February
13 Ice Fishing Derby March 3 Board of Directors Meeting March 20 -
21 Hatchery Open House April 7 Board of Directors Meeting April 13
General Membership Meeting April 24 Club Spring Derby Apr 30 - May
9 Bluewater Anglers 2021 Salmon Derby May 13 Board of Directors
Meeting May 19 Salmon Derby Awards Night May 29 Kids’ Training Day
June 2 Board of Directors Meeting June 8 General Membership Meeting
June 12 Shoreline Clean Up
Pick up a copy of the complete Listing of Events 2021 at the
next General Membership Meeting. Check the
Bluewater Anglers website for current information on upcoming
club events at www.bluewateranglers.com.
Increase the thicknesses for poorer quality ice.
http://www.bluewateranglers.com/http://www.canadianyachting.ca/products/2904-ice-safety-chart-is-a-helpful-guideline-as-we-move-in-canada-s-winter
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ICE FISHING DERBY Saturday, February 13th, 2021
The Ice Fishing Derby is the first club event of 2021 and will
run pending safe ice conditions and favourable public gathering
restrictions. We hope to have a record turnout like the last derby
(three years ago). The outing is held on the first license-free
weekend in Ontario, so no fishing license is needed! The Ice
Fishing Derby is open to both club members and the general public.
Bring the family and some friends and enjoy a morning fishing on
Sarnia Bay.
An entry fee of $5.00 per person must accompany the entry form.
Entry forms and complete Ice Fishing Derby information will become
available early in the new year. The Outdoorsman and Bucks Bait
will typically have application forms until 4:30 PM on Friday,
February 12th. Tickets will be available at the Sarnia Bay Marina
parking lot on Saturday morning February 13th between 7:30 AM -
9:00 AM. You must buy your Ice Fishing Derby ticket before you
start fishing.
The Ice Fishing Derby starts at 6:00 AM on Saturday, February
13th. Participants can bring their catch to the weigh-in station
located at the Sarnia Bay Marina boat ramp anytime during the
morning. All fish must be weighed in by 11:00 AM. Prizes will be
based on 90% of the ticket sales. 10% will go to the Bluewater
Anglers Hatchery. Cash prizes will be awarded based on weight in
each of the three fish categories ... Panfish (including perch,
crappie, sunfish, rock bass), Pike, and Trout (Rainbow and Brown
Trout). You may enter only one fish per category. If no fish are
entered in a category, the prizes in that fish category will be
added to the Panfish category. Prizes will be awarded immediately
after the weigh-in closes at 11:00 AM.
Draw prizes will be made from entrants 12 and under, and from
entrants 13 and over. Draw Prize winners must be present for the
draws made at the close of the weigh-in.
DONATION
A $300 donation to the Bluewater Anglers was received from Mike
Chmielewski.
DONATION
A $250 donation to the Bluewater Anglers was received from Ron
Feige Denture Clinic.
HELP WANTED - 2021 SALMON DERBY SARNIA WEIGH-IN STATION
We are looking for a person to work at the Sarnia weigh-in
station during the 2021 Salmon Derby. The Job: The person will
register derby participants and fish at the Sarnia weigh-in
station. The successful candidate: - must have basic or
intermediate computer
keyboarding (typing) skills to reliably enter derby participant
and fish information into the Salmon Derby database,
- must be available from Friday, April 30, 2021 to Sunday, May
9, 2021,
- preferably available from 12:00 PM (noon) to 8:00 PM each day;
but we may consider 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM or 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM each
day.
If you are interested in this position, please contact Paul
Heckley (519-869-2593; [email protected]).
mailto:[email protected]
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Bluewater Anglers Hatchery Manager named winner of the
Gord Blake Memorial Conservation Award The following article was
published on the OFAH website:
https://www.ofah.org/zonej/gord-blake-award/
PETERBOROUGH – For many years, the Ontario Federation of Anglers
and Hunters has recognized the dedication of conservationists
across the province through the Gord Blake Memorial Conservation
Award. The 2020 recipient is Jake van Rooyen, a past president and
current life member and Board of Director with the Bluewater
Anglers Hatchery in Point Edward, Ontario. He currently serves as
the hatchery manager and was nominated for this award by the OFAH
Zone J Executive. “We nominated Jake for the Gord Blake Award after
he received the 2019 OFAH Zone J Outstanding Achievement Award for
his outstanding efforts towards stewardship, conservation and the
promotion of angling and/or hunting in southwestern Ontario,” says
OFAH Zone J Chair Brian Moore. “His dedication to the hatchery and
conservation as a whole made him a natural fit for this award.” For
about 15 years van Rooyen’s efforts and commitment have helped pave
the way for hatchery success, and while some of his
responsibilities are just now being moved around to other members
of the hatchery, his meticulous nature and documentation of the
tasks necessary to run a successful hatchery have helped immensely
in the transition of some of the responsibilities that come with
trout and salmon. According to the hatchery website, they’ve raised
and released about 150,000 Chinook Salmon
each year for the last 35 years and another 50,000 Rainbow Trout
in each of the last five years. The hatchery also maintains a
public viewing area and feeding area where they bring about 3,000
people a year through to see first-hand the experience related to
how a hatchery operates. In a 2018 article in the Sarnia Observer
newspaper, van Rooyen noted that the success of the club’s
endeavors was connected to the support of those within the
community, in addition to the efforts of the hatchery members. Van
Rooyen, who spearheaded the establishment of a school hatchery
program in the Sarnia, has also been a past guest on OFAH’s Angler
and Hunter Radio. In that 2015 interview he spoke passionately
about his reasons for dedicating so much of his time over the years
to conservation and his ongoing appreciation for those who support
the hatchery and its efforts. “We have to step forward as
sportsmen. Hunters, anglers, the rest of us, we have to look after
our future,” he said. This isn’t the first time that van Rooyen has
been recognized for his efforts with the hatchery. In 2012 he was
inducted into the Sarnia Sports Hall of Fame and was presented with
a Builder Award, which recognizes significant contributions in the
establishment of a sport from its infancy to the mature state
within the community. OFAH representatives presented van Rooyen
with his award on September 29. With 100,000 members, subscribers
and supporters, and 725-member clubs, the Ontario Federation of
Anglers and Hunters is the leading non-profit fishing, hunting and
conservation-based organization in Ontario. For more information
visit us online at www.ofah.org, follow us on Twitter @ofah and
find us on Facebook or Instagram @theofah. For more information,
contact: Brian Moore, Chair of OFAH Zone J 519-919-1520 Shawn
Cayley, OFAH Manager of Communications 705-748-6324
https://www.ofah.org/zonej/gord-blake-award/http://www.ofah.org/
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HATCHERY OPEN HOUSE Saturday, March 20th & Sunday, March
21st
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Come and see how we raise fish during our
annual Hatchery Open House on Saturday, March 20th or Sunday, March
21st between 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM each day. We invite all club
members and the public to come and see the major improvements that
have been made to the hatchery. This is the future fish stock for
the local waters. Bring your family and friends. Come and visit
us.
LONDON BOAT, FISHING & OUTDOOR SHOW
February 19 - 21, 2021 Western Fair Agriplex, London
CANCELLED due to Covid-19 virus.
2020 - 2021 HATCHERY OPERATORS
The successful operation of our hatchery depends on the
dedication and expertise of our volunteer hatchery operators. We
are fortunate to have an excellent group of Bluewater Anglers
members, and non-members, who make up the daily hatchery operator
crews. Each crew comes in one morning a week for 1 - 2 hours to
clean the tanks, feed the fish, and do routine hatchery checks and
maintenance. We would like to recognize and thank the current
hatchery operators for their dedication.
A great job keeping the Hatchery operating under challenging
conditions! Thank you.
Sunday Crew
Rick John Bob Brock Breaton Klazinga Lee McNalley
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Monday Crew
John Ross Larry Gary Blake Barneveld Bishop Doan Willock
Durdle
Tuesday Crew
Standing: Tom Tom Jake Watson Brown Van Rooyen Seated: Ron
Allison Gerry Lanteigne
Wednesday Crew
Al Dave Pete Bob Fred Metcalfe Hicks Bothwell Thorpe Brown
Thursday Crew
Dennis Jeff Tom Bob Paul Mather Berry Nelligan Daly Heckley
Friday Crew
Lou Joe Maurice Alan Al Dallaire Aitken Cameron Boam Dezort
Saturday Crew
Ed Andre Henry Desantis DuBois Kock
Missing: Ron Muxlow
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The Salmon Derby will be back in 2021! Mark the dates on your
calendars … April 30th – May 9th. The 2021 Salmon Derby Committee
has been working since early October planning for the 2021 Salmon
Derby. Everything appears to be going very well so far.
The Salmon Derby total prize value will be $40,000+ with no
major changes to the derby format or the prize structure. The
initial responses from previous and potential new Salmon Derby
sponsors and tabloid advertisers have been positive through early
December. It appears that most of our previous derby sponsors and
advertisers will return for next spring’s Salmon Derby.
The Village of Point Edward and KOOLATRON Canada are returning
as Corporate Sponsors of the 2021 Salmon Derby. The Village of
Point Edward is donating the $5,000 prize to be awarded to the
lucky angler who catches the largest salmon during the derby.
KOOLATRON Canada has generously donated the 20 Daily Draw prizes
awarded during the derby. We welcome the Carpenters Local 1256
Sarnia as a new Salmon Derby Corporate sponsor. We are happy to
welcome the International Brotherhood of
BOILERMAKERS Local 128 as a new Salmon Derby Major sponsor. If
you know of any company that might be interested in becoming a
Salmon Derby sponsor, please contact Paul Heckley (519-869-2593 or
[email protected]). We will be happy to follow up on any
leads.
2021 SALMON DERBY CORPORATE SPONSORS
2021 SALMON DERBY MAJOR SPONSORS
WILLSCOT
mailto:[email protected]://www.villageofpointedward.com/http://koolatron.com/http://www.angleroutfitters.com/http://www.anglingsports.ca/http://www.huronweb.net/http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/http://theoutdoorsmansarnia.com/http://www.scotty.com/
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HUGE LAKE HURON KING The following story is by Matt Coqu, a
member of the 2021 Salmon Derby Committee. Good things happen to
those who just keep on trolling...
For years now, I've dreamt of hooking into my first 20lb+ Lake
Huron king. Every year, with every new piece of intel, it seemed as
though I was getting closer to understanding all the variables that
need to be addressed to accomplish this feat. I poured hours into
studying and researching factors, such as water clarity,
temperature, speed, flashers, presentation, colour patterns, but
still routinely felt the bitterness of coming up empty. Eventually,
you start to question whether or not any of it really matters or if
it's just a question of being in the right place at the right
time.
I had pretty high hopes for the spring of 2020 after a fairly
successful 2019 derby wherein I, along with some friends and
family, boated 6/7 nice size kings all over 10lbs. Equipped with an
upgraded fishing rig and a wide-open COVID-19 calendar, I spared no
expense or time combing the waters from Bright's Grove to Port
Franks in hopes of topping my personal best of 15.08 lbs. To my
surprise, despite all my new knowledge and confidence gained from
the 2019 derby, I was skunked on the king front. Fortunately, no
shortages of coho and lakers kept the smoker full and the lures
fresh, but for some reason I just couldn't find the chinook.
As spring faded away, it started to seem like a better use of a
day to load up on the frenzying 'eyes on Erie or gear up the boat
and take a trip down to Lake O' for almost guaranteed matures. But
as summer went on, I started to hear rumours circulating about
numerous big kings being caught weighing well into the twenties. So
with a renewed sense of motivation to drown some lures on Huron, my
Dad and I set out some eight miles the morning of July 17th to try
our luck.
Amazingly enough, before getting all four rods set up, the deep
rigger popped and the rod instantly bent straight back down. Once I
got pressure on the rod all I could do was hang on. The line
counter went from just shy of 80' to almost 400' before I had a
chance to reclaim some line. It didn't take me long to realize I
was hooked up with my long-awaited 20lb+ Lake Huron king. It's
necessary to give some credit to my dad who made quick work of
clearing rods and made no mistake of netting the fish.
Fortunately
for him as I would've never let him live down any errors during
this final part of the process! We were lucky enough to add another
small king, a couple of coho, a laker, and a pickerel to finish off
what was a great day on the water. Sure it doesn't happen often,
but when it does, it feels damn good. The unmatched feeling of
everything coming together to produce a cooler full and, most
importantly, unforgettable memories that'll just keep driving us
out there. While they still may not be plentiful, it sure is nice
to hear of more being caught and seeing the pictures to prove
it!
DONATION
A $1,900 donation to the Bluewater Anglers was received from
SUNCOR in support and recognition of retiree Al Dezort’s volunteer
efforts with the Bluewater
Anglers.
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BLUEWATER ANGLERS AND OFAH MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
The Bluewater Anglers are an affiliated club of the Ontario
Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH). Membership in the
Bluewater Anglers includes membership in Ontario Federation of
Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) since all members of an affiliated
club must also be members of OFAH (www.ofah.org). Members can
choose between an “affiliated” OFAH membership which includes the
personal insurance and OFAH benefits but not the Ontario OUT OF
DOORS (OOD) magazine or the “full” OFAH membership which includes
the personal insurance and OFAH benefits plus the Ontario OUT OF
DOORS (OOD) magazine. You can join the Ontario Federation of
Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) at a discount rate through the
Bluewater Anglers. If you have a current Ontario Federation of
Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) membership through another club or
organization, then you only need to pay for your regular Bluewater
Anglers membership.
Complete the form below to become a Bluewater Anglers member or
to renew your current membership. More information about membership
benefits can be found at www.bluewateranglers.com/membership.html
and www.ofah.org. Contact Ralph & Jo-Anne Eves (519-383-0873 or
[email protected]) for more information. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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BLUEWATER ANGLERS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION - 2021
Membership: New ____ Renewal ____
(A) With a current OFAH Membership through another club
Bluewater Anglers Membership ONLY
OFAH Membership # OFAH Expiry Date
Junior: $10.00 Single: $20.00 Family: $30.00
(B) Without a current OFAH Membership Combined Bluewater Anglers
AND OFAH Memberships
No Ontario Out of Doors
magazine
With Ontario Out of Doors
magazine
With digital Ontario Out of
Doors magazine
With digital Ontario Out of
Doors magazine + Fishing & Hunting
Annuals
Single Adult $37.50 $63.50 $45.00 $53.00
Family $58.00 $84.00 Not available Not available
Junior (under 25 yr. of age) $23.00 $49.00 Not available Not
available
BWA Life Member $17.50 $43.50 $25.00 $33.00
Name Telephone .
Address City .
Province/State Country Postal/Zip Code .
Email Address (*** Mandatory for digital OOD magazine)
Make cheque payable to BLUEWATER ANGLERS and send the completed
form to Bluewater Anglers, c/o Membership Chairman, P.O. Box 174,
Sarnia Ontario N7T 7H9.
http://www.ofah.org/http://www.bluewateranglers.com/membership.htmlhttp://www.ofah.org/mailto:[email protected]
