Arrowhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited

06/15/2026

Hello all you Arrowheaders in T U land…We hope your trout season is going well…

Our last meeting of the spring will be something special.

The meeting will be held on June 18th at the property of one of our good friends Terry Smith.

Terry is graciously allowing to use his pavilion for not only our meeting ; but also for a picnic and an opportunity to fish the section of Patterson creek that runs through his property. This section of stream is ultra kid friendly, so if you have any kids bring them along.
Terry's address is 544 Larids Crossing Worthington Pa.

Some of the items to be discussed at the meeting will be…

Nursery clean up…which should be happening the week of 6/22

Also to be address is the next phase of the fly tying material sale.

So come on out and bring a youngster or two…or three for a fun evening.

06/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HqXSsCBSz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Save the date, Saturday June 13 Lower Burrell Parks Commission, American Legion Auxiliary 868 and TCTC will host the Burrell Lake Park Kids' Fishing Derby! All are welcome! We need TCTC volunteers to help, so please let us know if you can make it. No pre-registration for kids - parents or guardians sign them up on the morning of the derby! See you there!

05/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D5pwmtS53/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Loyalhanna Roots: The Story of the Green We**ie
By Rick Yaksic/ Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited
Along the shaded streams of western Pennsylvania, where hemlocks lean over cold, clear water and the air carries the soft hush of moving current, a simple idea took root—one that would grow into a lasting piece of fly-fishing tradition.
It was the 1950s in the rugged beauty of the Laurel Highlands. The streams here weren’t wide or famous, but they were alive threading through forests, slipping under old bridges, and carving their way through the hills. Among the anglers who walked these waters were Ken Igo and Russ Mowry, two fishermen more interested in what worked than what impressed. They were observers. Students of the stream. The kind of anglers who would sit quietly on a bank longer than most, watching the water instead of casting into it.
One spring afternoon along Loyalhanna Creek, something small—but important—caught their attention. From the branches overhead, tiny green inchworms were lowering themselves on silk threads or simply dropping into the current. Each one that hit the water created the faintest ripple. But what followed was anything but subtle, trout rose not cautiously, not with inspection—but decisively. The inchworms were easy meals, helpless in the drift, and the fish knew it. Ken and Russ exchanged the kind of look anglers understand without words. This wasn’t coincidence. This was opportunity.
That evening, back at a modest tying bench—perhaps lit by a single bulb and scattered with whatever materials were on hand—they set out to recreate what they had seen. Not with elaborate feathers or painstaking detail, but with something honest and direct. They reached for bright green chenille, a hook, and thread. Nothing more than what was needed. There was no intention to create a famous pattern. No thought of legacy. Just a desire to match what the trout were eating. And so, the Green We**ie was born. At first glance, it didn’t look like much. In fact, it barely looked like a fly at all. There were no wings to speak of no hackle to give it movement, no flash to catch the light. Just a short length of vivid green chenille wrapped around a hook, with a small tag extending beyond the bend. It was simple—almost suspiciously so. But the next time it touched the water, drifting naturally beneath those same overhanging branches, it came alive in the only way that mattered.
A trout struck, then another and another.
Word didn’t spread quickly, at least not at first. Patterns like this rarely do. Instead, the Green We**ie moved the old-fashioned way—passed from one angler to another along the banks, shared in quiet conversations, mentioned with a nod rather than a boast. It found its way into fly boxes across the region, carried into small shops, and discussed among conservation-minded anglers in groups like Trout Unlimited.
Some would later credit others, such as Sam Daniels, with helping bring the pattern into wider use. But those who knew the waters of western Pennsylvania understood where it began—with two anglers paying attention to the details others overlooked. Part of the Green We**ie’s enduring appeal is that it never tried to be more than it is. It doesn’t imitate a dozen insects. It doesn’t rely on perfect presentation or delicate construction. It simply does one thing well: it looks like an easy meal. And trying it is just as straightforward as its origin.
To create a Green We**ie, you don’t need a drawer full of materials or years of experience, just a few essentials and a bit of patience. You start with a hook, typically a size 10 to 14 nymph or wet fly hook, something sturdy enough to hold a good fish but small enough to match the size of the natural prey. A spool of thread—black or chartreuse—anchors everything in place. Then comes the heart of the fly: bright green chenille. Begin by securing the thread just behind the hook eye and wrapping it smoothly back toward the bend. There’s a rhythm to it, a steady motion that feels almost meditative. Once at the bend, you tie in a short length of chenille, allowing a small portion—about a quarter to half an inch—to extend beyond the hook. That little extension becomes the tail, the defining feature that gives the fly its shape and suggestion of life.
From there, the chenille is wrapped forward in even turns, building a soft, slightly plump body. No need for perfection, just consistency. When you reach the front, tie it off neatly behind the eye, trim the excess, and finish with a whip knot. In just a few minutes, the fly is complete. No frills. No complications. Just a simple creation that carries decades of history in its design.”
Today, the Green We**ie remains a trusted companion on streams like Linn Run and countless others throughout the region. It’s often one of the first flies new anglers learn to tie and one of the last patterns seasoned fishermen ever abandon. There’s a quiet honesty to it. A reminder that fly fishing, at its core, isn’t about complexity, it’s about connection. About paying attention. About understanding that sometimes the smallest details—a drifting inchworm, a subtle rise—can lead to something lasting. And if you find yourself standing along a shaded Pennsylvania stream, with the water moving gently past your boots and the trees whispering overhead, you might feel that same sense of curiosity Ken Igo and Russ Mowry once did.
Tie on a bit of green chenille. Let it drift beneath the branches. And watch closely. Because somewhere below the surface, a trout may still be waiting—just as it was all those years ago.

05/17/2026

We will be having our May meeting on the 21st at the Buffalo Creek Audubon Nature Center on Monroe Road in Sarver Pa. The start time is 7:00.

After the meeting President Chad Hough will be doing a presentation on Spinner fishing for wild brown trout.

If you are a member...we hope to see ya there...if you are not a member...we hope to see you there too (there's no charge to attend )

So come on out and pick Chad's brain as to how to increase catch rate for trout on spinners

Hope to see ya there....

04/29/2026

Meet the Brook Trout, one of the most beautiful and telling fish in North America.

Often mistaken for a trout, this native char thrives only where water is cold, clean, and untouched. When you find brookies, you’re looking at a living indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

🔥 What makes them special:
• Iconic red spots with blue halos
• Worm-like “vermiculations” across their back
• Crisp white edges on their fins
• Vibrant colors that rival any freshwater fish

🌊 Where they live:
Shaded headwater streams, small lakes, and spring-fed creeks. Places with cold, oxygen-rich water and structure like rocks, wood, and undercut banks.

🪶 What they eat:
Mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges… plus terrestrials, crustaceans, and even small fish as they grow.

⏱️ When to fish:
They’re most active at dawn and dusk, especially in low light when they feel safe enough to feed.

💡 Why it matters:
Brook trout are sensitive to warming water and habitat damage. Protecting them means protecting entire watersheds.

If you’ve ever caught one, you know it’s more than just a fish. It’s a sign you’re somewhere wild, clean, and worth preserving.

Respect the water. Honor the habitat. Protect wild places.

04/28/2026

https://triblive.com/sports/laurel-highlands-stream-remains-impaired-with-elevated-lead-levels/?fbclid=IwZnRzaARdryFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEelCbCjHXJAtHi4jEpSPKVGIqafbJrvsOlryV6VMeudnJi8za0qRLCwcF49-M_aem_w_RRkAN8GiBN3-ut14CrFg

Months after a shooting range was deemed the culprit of lead contamination in a popular Laurel Ridge stream, high levels of the heavy metal still flow through the water despite ongoing remediation. Testing performed this month by the Mountain Watershed Association showed there were 336 micrograms of...

04/27/2026

Hi Arrowhead T.U. ...Hope all is going well for you this trout season..

The Pres. asked me to pass this along to the members... sounds like a great and fun program that FFI is doing up by Franklin Pa.

04/27/2026

The Arrowhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be assisting at the Trout in the Classroom program of Lenape Tech school on Thursday April 30th. The time of the release is from 8:33am to 1:30 pm.

We are in need of additional volunteers to help with the release. This is a very special educational event for kids in the program.

If you would like to lend a hand please contact Don Carney at 724-244-1513 for additional details.

04/26/2026

MANAGING OUR FORESTS INTO EXTINCTION? The Trump administration is moving to dismantle protections that have kept some of the East’s last untouched forests whole...places that, once broken apart, cannot be put back together.

For years, the fight over the “roadless rule” has been framed as a Western issue, tied to the vast wildlands of Alaska or the Rockies. But scattered across the eastern United States are millions of acres of national forest that are just as vital, and far more fragile. These pockets of unroaded land, tucked into a heavily developed landscape, have remained largely intact for decades under a simple idea: don’t cut roads through them, and don’t log them.

That idea may not survive much longer.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, adopted in 2001, emerged from a practical and troubling realization inside the U.S. Forest Service: it had built more roads than it could maintain. Many were eroding into streams, slicing up wildlife habitat, and polluting drinking water. The fix was straightforward...stop expanding the damage. The rule ultimately protected nearly 60 million acres of national forest from road-building and logging, including rare, quiet stretches of forest in the East that offer something increasingly scarce: uninterrupted nature.

Now, the administration is working to repeal it.

Officials at the Department of Agriculture argue the rule ties the agency’s hands, limiting its ability to manage wildfires, improve forest health, and support rural economies. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has called the policy “overly restrictive,” saying its removal would give the Forest Service more flexibility.

But conservationists, and even some former Forest Service leaders, say the cost of that flexibility would be permanent.

Roadless areas, they argue, are not just undeveloped land. They are some of the last functioning ecosystems in regions where development has carved up nearly everything else. They shelter wildlife, filter drinking water for millions, store carbon, and sustain outdoor economies built on recreation and tourism. Once roads go in, these systems begin to unravel, habitats fragment, invasive species spread, and the sense of wildness disappears.

“Roadless areas are a finite resource,” said Garrett Rose of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “They are our last best stretches of national forest land.”

Even within the Forest Service, concern runs deep. Four former chiefs—representing roughly 150 years of combined experience—have urged the administration to keep the rule in place. Vicki Christiansen, who led the agency until 2021, warned that removing these protections “would be an irreparable tragedy.”

The stakes are especially high in the East. While most protected roadless acreage lies in large Western states, eastern forests are smaller and more isolated. In places like Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, only a few thousand acres remain road-free. Across the Southeast, the total is just over 400,000 acres, a patchwork of refuges surrounded by highways, towns, and industry.

The administration began its repeal effort with a sharply shortened public comment period, just 21 days instead of the typical 60 to 90. Even so, more than 220,000 responses poured in, the overwhelming majority opposing the change, citing risks to wildlife, water quality, and local economies.

Still, the effort is moving forward.

The rollback is part of a broader shift in federal land policy, including plans to expand logging, close dozens of Forest Service research stations, and restructure the agency itself. Since returning to office, President Trump has pushed for increased timber production, encouraging agencies to remove barriers to cutting trees, including long-standing environmental safeguards.

If the roadless rule falls, the debate will no longer be abstract or distant. It will move from policy papers to specific places, into forests that, until now, have remained whole. And for many of those landscapes, once roads cut through them, what is lost won’t grow back in any meaningful human timeframe.

Once you fragment a forest, you fragment everything that depends on it.

Nature needs your voice! Find your representatives: https://www.270towin.com/elected-officials/

🌲 Source: https://missoulacurrent.com/trump-forest-protections/