Michael Dell

We are coming up to the AGM next month and we still need volunteers to serve on the Executive.

My apologies to everyone who received our December newsletter. There were some mistakes and incorrect formatting on it. The ZOOM link should not have been repeated so many times after the first one. Similarly the Donate link should not have been repeated. The session by Barry White is on January 8, and not on January 15 which is a Talk and Tie session featuring two Alberta patterns, Norm's All Purpose Nymph and Mike's Beetle. Also next time we will try to get the banner off the trout's face. Or if someone wants to take over the Communication position on the Exec feel free to put your name forward at the AGM Michael

We are having our annual Pizza night at Queen Mary Park. Come at 7:00 for some socializing and talk about fishing and tying. Pizza is due to arrive at 7:30. Unfortunately we can deliver pizza through ZOOM so we won't be streaming that night. Bring a dozen flies for a fly swap. The flies can be all the same or all different.

We will hold our AGM in person at 7:30 pm at Queen Mary Park Community Hall. The meeting will consist of reports from the 2024 executive, election of new board, and new business. We will be needing some new volunteers to step forward and take on a position on the board, For an overview of the positions please see the attached .pdf. PROXY VOTE AGM 2024 (2).pdf

David Trew will speak about "The unique small lakes of the Carvel Pitted Delta, located near Stony Plain Alberta". In person at Queen Mary Peak Community hall (10844 117 St NW, Edmonton) at 7:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Come early to talk with others about fishing. Coffee will be on at 7:00. Official meeting starts at 7:30. David Trew is a retired water scientist who has worked on a variety of lake and river management issues in Alberta over the past five decades. He was employed as a biologist by the Government of Alberta from 1974-2006, and subsequently served as the Executive Director of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance from 2007-2018. He currently volunteers with environmental NGOs.

Live at Queen Mary Park Community Hall at 7:30 pm we will be joined by Mike Dolinski, retired Provincial Entomologist, who will talk to us about the aquatic insects that trout eat. Also on ZOOM. Instructions for joining our ZOOM are at http://www.nlft.org/Zoom Everyone is welcome to attend.

7:30 pm at Queen Mary Park Community Hall and also on ZOOM. An Intro to Nature Conservancy Canada and Our Amazing Fly Fishing Properties Tom Lynch-Staunton, Alberta Regional Vice President, and Franc Grove, Development Officer, Nature Conservancy of Canada will talk about the NCC. “The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) [link to https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/ ] is the country’s unifying force for nature, working to deliver large-scale, permanent land conservation. With nature we are building a thriving world.” Tom Lynch-Staunton Tom Lynch-Staunton joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in September 2020 as its regional vice-president in Alberta. Tom has held senior roles with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, and most recently, with Alberta Beef Producers as head of government relations and policy. He has been a mentor in the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program and has sat on various councils and advisory boards, including the Edmonton Food Council and the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. There, he chaired the National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Science Advisory Committees. “As someone who has both worked in and enjoy the outdoors, I have a strong passion for conservation and stewardship of our natural areas,” said Tom. “As a former rancher, I have a lot of pride in seeing a healthy and functioning ecosystem with abundant biodiversity as a result of the care of the land we provided.” Beyond collaborating with Alberta’s ranching community and levels of government, Tom has a passion for the outdoors. He shares NCC’s concern about the loss of native grasslands, which are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. He relates to it on a personal level having co-managed a fourth-generation cattle operation in Alberta’s foothills Franc Grove Franc Grove has been a development officer – major gifts for NCC in Alberta since October 2023. Based in Edmonton, Franc provides stewardship and high-quality investment experiences to NCC’s amazing supporters. He encourages, services, and supports new and renewed gifts valued at $5,000 or more. Franc joined NCC in October 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience as the former executive director of the Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future (TF). During his tenure at TF, he successfully oversaw Destination Conservation—a curriculum-based program promoting energy, water, and waste conservation through schools nationwide, the Environmental Resource Centre and EnerGuide for Houses. Franc is a trained public relations professional and alumni of MacEwan University where he served as president of the Students’ Association and Alumni Association. He has worked primarily in fund development in the notfor-profit sector for more than 30 years in areas such as environment, health/mental health, human services, as well as arts and restorative justice.