Terry Dodge Posted July 20, 2014 Report Posted July 20, 2014 A River Within! River Study (and horse drawn wagon ride!) Saturday, July 26th 10:00 - 12:00 Deer Run Forest Preserve 5691 River Road, Cherry Valley, IL 61016 Strap on your river shoes and be prepared to get your feet wet as you participate in some hands-on river seining with members of the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance (ISA). Your adventure will begin with a horse drawn wagon ride along the equestrian trails of the beautiful Deer Run Forest Preserve to a remote area along the Kishwaukee River where you will then depart, step foot in water, and learn what lives within a river and what kind of things the fishies like to snack on. Limit 30. Registration is required. 815-877-6100. Please let me know if you can help out with this event. I suppose the plan will be to put kayaks in at Deer Run F.P., float and fish to the spot of the event, do our seining thing and then float and fish to where we decide we would like to take out. We can use all the help we can get. The event is full. Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Posted July 20, 2014 Change of plans: 7/20/14 (DEK12 - 3.30) (PRY12 - 6.48) I went out today and scouted the area and the area I had picked out is no longer going to work. A river changes every year and this year all the sand and gravel in the area has been washed-out. I scouted another area that could work but decided against it after returning to the canoe launch at Deer Run F.P. Just upstream (50yd wade) of the canoe launch is a shallow area with ankle high water surrounding it. I think this area will be best. The wagon chief says his wagon can only carry 15 at a time , so 15 go for a ride while the other 15 seine, and visa versa. It should workout fine. Then we can "all" go on a wade outing......or float. Which ever. Any of you "all" like to help out? Quote
jude Posted July 21, 2014 Report Posted July 21, 2014 I should be able to help out. Sounds like fun. Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Posted July 21, 2014 Thanks Jude! Can you bring your seine net? If not I think we'll still be okay. Quote
Pat M Posted July 22, 2014 Report Posted July 22, 2014 I will be able to help out. Where do we meet and what time? Quote
Guest Josh Glovinsky Posted July 23, 2014 Report Posted July 23, 2014 I should be able to help out too. I will confirm with my better half tonight. Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Posted July 23, 2014 Pat - Thanks! Josh - Thanks! Jim - Thanks! We'll meet at Cherry Valley Cafe for some morning choke, we will leave from there to be at Deer Run F.P. about 9:30am. I'm thinking meet at the cafe at 7:30am. After the event (10am to 12pm) we can break into groups (if needed) and do a bit of wade fishing. Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Posted July 23, 2014 Also.... Bring cameras, take pictures when you can. Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Posted July 25, 2014 (3.04 - DEK12) (6.12 - PRY12) Things to bring: Terry - Canopy, signage, table, stamp, camera Paul - seine net, posters, tank, literature (?), camera Tim - seine net, camera Jude - seine net (?), camera Pat - self, camera (?) Jim - Brandy, camera Josh - self, camera (?) Quote
tgoodmanii Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Who's Brandy? Don't forget your fishing gear! Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Posted July 25, 2014 I would like to think that everyone's fishing gear is already in their cars. Quote
Paul Trybul Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 I'll be there. I was going to bring a waterproof camera, posters, seine net, minnow bucket and a small 10 gallon fish tank. Fishing gear is always in the trunk of my car from March through November. I'll also meet in Cherry Valley to enjoy the B&G and cheerful service. Brandy would make a good wife but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea or a river filled with smallmouth. Quote
jude Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I will not be able to meet for breakfast. See you at the park. Quote
Guest Josh Glovinsky Posted July 26, 2014 Report Posted July 26, 2014 I will be at the park for sure. I will bring my GoPro. I will see if I can make breakfast. Trying to keep up with the insanity I call life. Quote
tgoodmanii Posted July 26, 2014 Report Posted July 26, 2014 Sorry Terry. I guess you're the only one who can remind people to bring stuff. I haven't had my fishing gear in my car much this spring/summer for several reasons. I do however keep my camera in my car year round. Quote
Pat M Posted July 27, 2014 Report Posted July 27, 2014 Thanks Terry for organizing this. It turned out great. It was rewarding watching the young kids get so excited about seeing the creatures seined from the river. Quote
Pat M Posted July 27, 2014 Report Posted July 27, 2014 More pictures from today's "A River Within" Quote
Terry Dodge Posted July 27, 2014 Author Report Posted July 27, 2014 A BIG THANKS to Pat, Jude, Jim, Josh, Tim and Paul for making this happen. July 26, 2014; A River Within "Get Outside!" is a Summer program thru Winnebago County Forest Preserve District (WCFPD) whereas participants participate in many programs throughout the Summer and receive a stamp with the completion of each program to earn points towards winning prizes. I was contacted a few months ago (sometime before Summer of course) about the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance (ISA) hosting one of the programs. I talked with other ISA members about putting together some type of unique program. We decided that sticking along the lines of education had more to offer people than just having them toss a worm & bobber in some water and hope a fish comes by and eats it. We decided to have participants get their feet wet and do some hands on river seining so that they can learn of what types of creatures live within a river that fish like to feed on. After completion of the seining, I thought it would be cool if the participants could go on a horse drawn wagon ride along the trails of Deer Run F.P., Jamie at WCFPD also liked the idea and set this up. The day started off with ISA members meeting at the Cherry Valley Cafe in Cherry Valley, Illinois, at 7:30am for some good chow and of course talk on how what a terrible year this has been from the high waters keeping us out of our rivers. After breakfast it was off to Deer Run Forest Preserve to set up base camp and do some pre-seining so that we could display some creatures in a tank for people to view while waiting for the program to begin. A few minnows, a couple clames and a couple big tadpoles filled the tank. Bottom L-R: Terry, Jude, Josh. Top L-R: Pat, Paul, Tim, Jim. The program was limited to 30 people, and was full, but only 17 of the 30 showed. Everybody seemed to enjoy the program and had a good time running the seine nets up and down the river to see what they might pull up. There's not much more to report other than I think a few of the kids will remember this day for quite sometime. I leave you with pictures of the day...... A short wade to the seine area. Let the seine begin Insanity seine Minnow in a bottleHoney Comb & Honey DoWagon Chief GaryWagon Driver Dakota Quote
jude Posted July 27, 2014 Report Posted July 27, 2014 Cool video, Josh! Yes, it was a lot of fun. Made me miss the days when I'd take my daughters seining. Good job putting this together, gentlemen. Quote
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