Northern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days - 9/28-29

[CHolderness]

The Northern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days celebration will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, at Silver Springs State Park in Yorkville. The event hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The ISA will once again be sponsoring the casting area for kids of all ages on those days. Yes, you too can embarrass yourself trying to cast a bobber into the bucket.

 

Please consider volunteering a little of your time to help the youngsters enjoy a great outdoor experience. If you have never attended NIH&FD, it is a family-oriented event filled with activities that promote the outdoors. Bring the spouse and kids (dog-friendly too) and enjoy a day out while spending a little of that time helping the ISA promote the sport of fishing.

 

Let us know what day/time you would be available to help out by posting a response here.

 

THANK YOU!

[Mike Clifford]

Spoken by a true WARRIOR for the cause of getting youth involved in the outdoors.

A huge event for us every year that I'm extremely proud to see being handled by the best field general we've ever had.

[Ed Buric]

We have the Hunting and Fishing Days listed as one of our Chicago region events for the month of September so let's all step up and volunteer.This is both a very worthwhile and personally rewarding experience for everyone involved.

 

Let me be the first to volunteer.

[Guest rich mc]

hard to tell nowif I can be there both days but sunday for sure. richmc

[eugene f collins]

Sadly i wont be able to help out this year. Annual Carpenter tournament down in Shelbyville.

[john w.]

I can give you the first half of Saturday, and I can help you set up. What time do you want us in the morning?

[CHolderness]

John - Thanks! Look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning the 28th. Same spot as in prior years by the little fishing pond and tents in the lower area. We'll start setting things up about 8 a.m. The event begins at 9 a.m. There's a Boy Scout pancake breakfast available beginning at 7 a.m. if you're interested.

[Guest rich mc]

craig, more will be signing up as the date gets closer. I talked to a few at cast n compare and they are waiting to figure out their schedules . rich mc

[Guest rich mc]

holy cow! its next weekend. rich mc

[Ed Buric]

Coming up soon,be sure to volunteer some time to help out this weekend if you possibly can.As I have said before,it is a very satisfying and enjoyable experience.

[John Loebach]

I'll come Saturday am - do you need any gear or signs?

[Guest rich mc]

john , I think he will need handouts for the fly show rich

[Guest Edward L]

I can work sat til 1:00 or so. Sunday is out. Ed

[CHolderness]

Ed B., Rich M., John L., Ed L. - Thank you for volunteering! See you this weekend as your schedules permit.

 

John L. - I have all the gear, an ISA sign and the membership sign-up materials for the event. Bring the fly fishing show info if it's available.

 

Could use more help on Saturday afternoon and Sunday a.m./p.m.

 

Thanks!

Craig

[Guest Edward L]

Craig, my plans have been changed and i will not be able to help either sat or sun. i am sorry for the late notice. ed

[CHolderness]

Ed L.

 

Thanks for letting me know. See you at a future club meeting or one of the shows this winter.

 

Craig

[Ed Buric]

I should be able to be there the whole day Sunday

 

Ed

[CHolderness]

Ed B. - Thanks! See you on Sunday. - Craig

[Mike Clifford]

Anybody get some nice photos of this event for us yet?
If not, please start clicking and sharing!

[Ed Buric]

Because we were so short on help no one had time to take any pictures.In fact i wasn't able to even find time to grab something to eat all day.

[Mike Clifford]

I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks to Craig and all that helped us out at this event.
We don't always get the best we can hope for to make it go, but those that do show are always the best.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

[CHolderness]

The weather was great for the Northern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days event. Lots of sunshine and mild temperatures. Good traffic of attendees on both days even with the Bears game on Sunday. The ISA Kids Casting Area was busy throughout. It was good seeing the smiles and determination exhibited by the youngsters trying to cast the bobbers into the buckets. Hopefully, the ISA has helped plant a seed for a long interest in fishing and the great outdoors.

 

Many thanks to the ISA volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty to make this event a success:

 

Saturday

 

John L. – Thank you for helping the Boys Scouts get going on their duties managing the IDNR’s fishing pond. They did a great job the remainder of the day and all day Sunday.

 

John W. – Thank you for helping in the morning with set up, working the casting line, and then coming back in the p.m. to help finish the day and secure the ISA setup. The tarps worked great and the equipment was dry on Sunday morning after Saturday night’s brief rain.

 

Sunday

 

Rich M. and Ed B. – Thank you for putting in a full day on the casting line and helping pack up the ISA gear at closing. Action was pretty much non-stop all day long on the line and with the “felt fish”.

 

I’d like to close with a heartwarming example of what the ISA’s involvement in an event like this can mean to a youngster. I was on the casting line helping a small tyke (age 3) learn how to cast one of the little Princess fishing poles. It took a few minutes to get the casting sequence down of when to push and hold down the reel button, bring the rod up to casting position, and when to release the button. Not an easy thing to learn for one so small. I’d count 1-2-3 when everything was ready to go and she’d cast out the bobber and reel it up. It didn’t go very far at first but she had the mechanics down. We did this for several casts with my counting 1-2-3 each time before she’d make the cast. Things seemed to be going well so I looked over to where her older sister (age 6) was casting. I watched her make a couple of casts and she was doing pretty well on her own. I turned back to younger one and there she was with the rod in the proper casting position holding the reel button down with all her might looking up at me and waiting patiently until I counted 1-2-3 before she cast the bobber. We continued doing it that way for another 15 minutes. She never tired or lost focus on getting that bobber into the bucket. Her mother marveled at her daughter’s ability to pick up on the casting technique and how the activity held her attention for so long.

 

Maybe the ISA will have another member in the years ahead.

 

Craig

[Guest rich mc]

We did help the next generation of outdoor lovers. im sure Craig and Ed noticed Moms and Grandparents taking photos of their kids first cast. Same with the youngest kids catching felt fish as if it was the real thing.

Thank You Craig for putting the time in to attend several of the NHFD meetings and getting all the rods and reels in good shape. rich mc

[Jim J]

Thank you to ALL!

 

I really appreciate how much you guys do and how many hours you put in year after year. A great great job always.

 

Thanks again.

 

Jim