August 2007

Missouri Chapter - American Fisheries Society    Est. 1965                    Page 7

MO AFS News  

Hooked on Fly Fishing

MO AFS President, Brian Canaday, and Mark Van Patten presented a $500.00 check from the Mo Chapter of the AFS to the South Callaway Hooked on Fly Fishing program in March, 2007.  News article about the program

Missouri Natural Resources Steering Committee - MOAFS 2010

MOAFS membership help is needed. 

If you are interested in broadening your horizons, working with great people, and would like to serve the Missouri Chapter through this unique opportunity, then please volunteer to be part of the Missouri Natural Resources Conference (MNRC) steering committee for 2010.  This committee is made up of the following positions or sub-committees: treasurer, program, exhibits and posters, registration, arrangements, social, visual aids and equipment, workshop, publicity, web liaison, student job fair,  and 5k run. 

The four sponsoring societies of the MNRC each take a turn on at the helm on a rotating basis to put together this high quality annual meeting.  During the off-years, we are asked to support the other societies by serving on their various sub-committees, as members. 

The MNRC is a well established meeting.  There is plenty of support for those who would like to be involved, but are hesitant because of those uncertainties of doing something new and different.  There is a handbook for organizing the meeting which outlines each position's responsibilities and also includes a calendar.  In addition, by starting now, you have the opportunity to shadow those responsible for putting the next two meetings together.

If interested, contact: Mike Smith 573-522-4115 extension 3152 or mike.smith@mdc.mo.gov.

A Day at the Ol Fishing Hole

Cooler temperatures and an overcast sky couldn’t keep people away from the Third Annual “A day at the Ol Fishing Hole.”  The event was held at the Rolla Lions Club Park.  This is an ideal place because there is a pavilion and rest rooms close to the lake.  It was a day of smiles and excitement for everyone.  This very popular event was sponsored by Choices for People, Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (MoAFS), Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), and Wild Turkey Federation’s Wheelin Sportsman.   Twenty one volunteers assisted the approximate 120 participants with their fishing.  Groups that came to fish included the Missouri Veterans Home, Phelps County Recreation for the handicapped, community living – People for Choices and several of Kadi Haslag Special Education students from Rolla High School. 

A lot of planning was involved in setting up the clinic.  MDC provided the fishing equipment and Fisheries and Protection employees from the Ozark region came to assist those with special needs fish.  MDC also gave each participant a bag of goodies at the conclusion of the event.  Since harvest is a big part of the clinic MoAFS stocked the lake prior to the clinic to ensure everyone would catch a fish.  Most everyone did catch a fish and the harvest totaled 84 sunfish, 2 largemouth bass and 43 channel catfish.  Those who practiced catch and release at the clinic caught 23 channel catfish, 10 sunfish and eight largemouth bass.  One of the group homes took enough fish back to their residence to have a fish fry the following day.  What would a fishing event be without the “behind the scene people, that is where the Wild Turkey Federation’s Wheelin Sportsman came in.  They assisted with some of the preliminary planning of the event.  Things may have seemed like a blur, but not for this group.  Choices for People really know how to put on a spread, they not only provided the lunch they cooked it too!  They also provided pop, water, chips and snack cakes.  There was plenty of food for the hungry crowd and they were sure hungry after spending the morning catching all those fish.

There are always some good tales to share about fishing events and this day was no exception.  Soon after the poles were distributed, across the lake there was a big commotion.  One of the Vets from the Veterans Home had a big fish, no, a huge fish on his line.  He played the fish for a good ten minutes.  When he finally landed it, it was a grass carp.  He was so excited and all pumped up; the rest of the day as were the folks fishing around him.

Several first timers were present at the event, including 3½ year old Gabrielle Kingsley was there with her grandmother.  Gabrielle landed her first fish ever and she is now hooked!  Seth Sands, a student from Kadi Haslags special education class never fished before and caught his first fish.  After he had been fishing for about an hour, he caught a channel catfish and he was hooked.  He caught several more fish throughout the day and when the event was over, he wanted to continue fishing.  Mary Scott (MDC) let him keep the fishing pole along with 3 dozen worms.  She heard he fished until right before dark and probably would have stayed longer but he rode his bike to the event.  His friends helped him fillet and cook the fish. 

This annual event is a good example of how multiple organizations can partner together to provide an opportunity to those who are less fortunate.  Sometimes the simplest things in life can be the best.

Getting It Straight

At our recent MO/AFS meeting the question came up about which meeting it was – was it the 44^th, 43^rd, 42^nd or what.  I couldn’t wait to get back to the archives to set the record straight.  Here is what I found out and it was more involved than I thought!

The first organized meeting of Missouri fishery workers was billed as the Missouri Fisheries Conference and was held at the Student Union on the University of Missouri – Columbia campus on February 21, 1963.  Invitations were sent to state, federal, academic and private fishery workers.  The original list of attendees is not available, but there was somewhere between 90 and 100 participants.  There were 37 members of AFS in Missouri at that time (a list of their names is in the archives).

The second meeting was also billed as the Missouri Fisheries Conference and was held in the same place on February 28, 1964.  One hundred and nine fishery workers attended the one day meeting.  Forty-six participants (40 of them AFS members) stayed on for a business meeting following the formal program. The principal proposal before them was to form a Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.  The number of AFS members in Missouri had grown from 37 to 53 (15 in colleges, 13 in commercial hatcheries, Conservation Commission 22, and not categorized 3).  Paul Osborn moved that we form a Missouri Chapter.  His motion was seconded by Dr. Richard Anderson and it passed by a unanimous vote.  Bylaws were to be drafted by Otto Fajen, Richard O. Anderson, Stan Hudson, and Ralph Steppe.  Meanwhile, we received our official charter from the AFS to become a Chapter of AFS on March 10, 1964 (a scant 10 days after the close of our 2^nd meeting).  So, by our 3^rd meeting I 1965, we were “officially” the Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

The third meeting, February 19, 1965, has been billed as the first official meeting of the Missouri Chapter even though the meeting announcement was still entitled Missouri Fisheries Conference.  One hundred and six attended.    Of course our bylaws had not yet been approved, but that is the way they did it back then.  I contacted the parent office about our incorporation papers, but they had no records and neither do we.  In 1965, we met jointly for the first time with the Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society and had a rib-eye steak dinner for $2.75!

In summary, I tend to think that our very first meeting was on February 21, 1963.  Even though we were not officially an AFS Chapter, our intentions were to be one.  So, how do you want to count it?  From the very first meeting ever, our recent meeting would have been number 44.  If you want to be technical, and count it from our 3^rd meeting, it would have been meeting number 42.

What’s your opinion?

Useful job links:

https://mdc5.mdc.mo.gov/recruitment/Recruitment.aspx?strRoute=x

http://www.iowadnr.com/employment/index.html

http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/kdwp_info/jobs/current_kdwp_employment_opportunities

http://www.agfc.com/employment/

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/