Niagara River Anglers Association 
Youth Activities  

KIDS FISHING DERBY 2006
[2007 date to be announced] 
GO HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!
Niagara River Anglers Association is dedicated to today's 
Youth becoming tomorrow's responsible Fisherpeople

Several years ago, our membership realized that today's youth needed to experience the outdoors more, and we took it upon ourselves to create activities for these children, and involve parents too. We are proud to sponsor, participate in and support many activities for our area youth and for the children of members. Some of these programs are listed on this page.

CLICK THE PIC! Picture from our  Winter Outing  Picture by Joe Derda   For more pictures of our youth activities GO HERE

Once again this year, the Niagara River Anglers Association will be sponsoring children to attend the DEC Conservation Camp at Camp Rushford near Rushford Lake.  Every year we take names of 12 -14 year olds who would like to attend. Kids will be drawn at random by name, several kids are chosen to go and several are chosen as alternates in case a problem arises down the road and someone can't attend. 

If you have a son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, niece, nephew, or anyone that you feel might enjoy this opportunity, who will be 12 years old by June 29, 2006, and will not turn 15 before August 23, 2006, get their names to us in writing via e-mail, the Niagara River Anglers P.O. Box or in person prior to February.

This is a great opportunity for the children, just read  the  letters below from former attendees. NO CLUB MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED.

These are four of the youths we sponsored to conservation camp

Pictured from left to right are: Daniel Gillis, Patrick Minnick, Lindsay Spaulding, and Aric Spaulding.

THANK YOU LETTERS FROM ATTENDEES OF CAMP RUSHFORD

Dear Niagara River Anglers,

             My brother and I are a bit late in sending this Thank You for sending us to the DEC camp at Rushford. We had a busy summer and with school starting we had to rewrite this a bunch of times to get it just right.

            The camp is GREAT!!! The cabins are almost brand-new and very comfortable. The food is very good. Showering and toilet facilities are like a nice campground. Meals are prepared from fresh ingredients. They try to limit their use of plastic and they save cardboard and paper to recycle. Biodegradable foodstuff waste is used in their compost pile. It is part of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle program we learned about to make us more environmentally aware of our surroundings. The staff treats everyone like young adults and those that could not act accordingly were sent home. Everyone else had nothing but a good time.

            We don't think there was anyone who wouldn't want to come back again.

            We all spent one night in the woods for our hike/campout. We made tinfoil dinners and cooked over an open fire that night. We had to start our own fire and make our own tents out of tarps and rope. There were many group activities including swimming and canoeing on their pond. We didn't take the hunter safety course because we did that two years ago, so instead we spent that day at Stoneybrook State Park hiking the trails and walking through the waterfalls there and learning about trees. We both may become volunteers there. We thank -you very much for sending us. Sincerely Katrina L. Tom L. 3rd     [2005]

Dear Mr. Henderson,

          I would like to thank you for the opportunity to go to camp. I had a great time at camp in Rushford. I thank you once again. Adam T. [2005]

Dear Anglers,

        Thank you for sending me to camp, I had a great time and learned a lot about nature. We went swimming, canoeing and took the hunter safety course and also went on nature walks. Thanks again, Wayne H. [2005]

Dear N.R.A.A. Members,

        Thank you for sponsoring me to go to Rushford Lake Conservation Camp. I really enjoyed my stay there. We went canoeing, swimming, and on trips to a bog. I caught a yellow spotted salamander and learned that it is very rarely seen. Our hiking/discovery group found quite a few things out. We caught a water scorpion, which is also as hard to find as a yellow spotted salamander. The lake was full of bass, perch, and bluegill. There were trees of all sorts there such as Norway spruce, Willow, Hemlock, Beech, Fir, Cherry, and Muscle wood. The "gourmet cuisine" was decent and the counselors and volunteers were fun. All in all I believe that the week was great. Thank you.

                                                                                                         Sincerely, Aric S.  

Dear N.R.A.A.,

         Thank you for sending me to Camp Rushford. I had a blast. Within the week I swam in the pond, hiked about 2-4 miles and saw the Gorge at Letchworth State Park, slept outside in a lean-to, went clay finding, rode down rapids, went fly fishing, made new friends, played Zap, which was a lot of fun, learned new information, and had a blast!!!!! I hope that I can go back next year!! Thanks again for sending me!

                                                                                                       Sincerely, Lindsay S.

 Dear Niagara River Anglers Association,

          Thank you for sending me to Camp Rushford. I had a great time. I learned many things at camp. I learned how to survive in the woods. I also learned about the food chain, different communities, and many more things about nature. I made a lot of new friends. I took Hunter Safety training. I scored a 90 on the test. I learned how to fly fish. It was the best time I had all summer. Sincerely, Daniel G.

Dear Niagara River Anglers Association,

          I would like to thank you for sponsoring me for conservation camp at Camp Rushford. I had a lot of fun and learned something new every day I was there, it was a fun filled exciting educational experience that I will remember forever and would enjoy doing again. I had fun making new friends, swimming, fishing, and playing games. I took advantage of the hunter safety course; I enjoyed the class very much. The class was very informational on the subjects that I did not know about. I passed the hunter safety test with a 90. I also enjoyed the day trip that I took. I choose to hike three miles to the famous Rushford hanging bog. When we got to the banging bog we rode in canoes to the hanging bog where we got out of the canoes and got on the bog, which is like a mattress of weeds that sinks as you stand on it.

         We learned that there are two carnivorous plants on the Rushford bog they are sun dew and pitcher plants. The counselors that went to the bog demonstrated to us how methane was flammable by puncturing an area of dead weeds which release methane they then lit the methane with a lighter. That was cool.

         I also chose to learn how to tie a fly and how to fly fish properly. I learned a lot about nature. Overall, I made about 25 new friends and I have kept in touch with most of them. I enjoyed the experience, which couldn't have been possible without the support and sponsorship of the NIAGARA RIVER ANGLERS ASSOCIATION. Thank You, Patrick M. Age 13

BIG THANKS FROM OTHER KIDS!

Received  from email referring to the Wilderness Preserve:

On behalf of Barker Troop 26, I want to thank you all for providing a wonderful place to hold our Fishing Derby. Although the weekend started out wet and windy, things went along without a hitch. We had ten scouts and seven dads along to help. Five people actually caught fish the others had fun trying. You have a very nice place in the Town of Porter and should be proud of it. Your web site is also very neat. I hope to try to set something up in the spring to show the boys how you raise the Walleye. A BIG THANK YOU!! Tom Walker, Scoutmaster TROOP 26

Other Youth Activities:
4-H Pheasant Program
Hyde Park Lake Fishing Derby
YMCA Boat Fishing Excursions
Children's Fishing Derby at Wilderness Preserve. Largest FREE derby with prizes in WNY!
Host youth activities from other area youth groups
Note: We not only provide activities for members children but are quite involved in 
the entire community's children wherever we can be of assistance.

Click on the thumbnail to get a great picture of 7 year old David showing off his very first trout caught in our Mini Pond at the 2002 Niagara Falls Boat Show. David actually caught three trout on his debut. Fishing in our portable Mini Pond is just one of our activities that is geared mostly to youngsters. Our Mini Pond is a  portable pond that is set up at various activities throughout the Niagara County area. We'll name the NRAA volunteer with David in the picture is Paul Jackson. Many adults have caught their VERY FIRST fish in this pond too! How old were you when you caught your first trout?

Click here to go to our activities page for another picture of our Mini Pond.

  Click on thumbnail for larger view.
Picture showing a small section of Long Lake, the fishing lake at our Wilderness Preserve. Our Preserve is for Niagara Anglers members and families. Being family and outdoor oriented, it offers fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking trails and much more for our members. Kaitlyn and Anthony are the featured fishermen here. 

GO HERE FOR MORE PICTURES OF OUR YOUTH

                                                             
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