Fly fishing in Cook County, icebergs, city hawks: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors. FYI, yes sharp readers, “Fly Fishing in Cook County” is a take-off on Richard Brautigan’s classic novella, “Trout Fishing in America.”

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Eddie Pasiewicz goes back-to-back on WOTW with photographs of icebergs on Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park. WOTW, the celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, runs as warranted on Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email straycasts@sbcglobal.net.

DALE’S MAILBAG

“At 31st and LaSalle, I just saw a red-tailed hawk with his fresh prey in its talons . . . awesome sight on the fence right on the edge of the highway.” David Czuprynski

A: It is awesome how they adapted to highway vegetation holding prey.

BIG NUMBER

550: Participants last year in the LVVA Ice Fishing Derby, which began in 2009 with 38 anglers. It is scheduled for [POSTPONED] Saturday on Bangs Lake.

LAST WORD

“We have seen a great increase in fly fishing, some of it because of Tenkara. Fly fishing is catching on in Cook County. It’s nice to see. We have lots of open shoreline.”

Steve Silic, fisheries biologist for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, at the Mayor’s Fishing Advisory Committee meeting last month.

WILD TIMES

ICE FISHING

Saturday: Feb. 9: [Postponed, decision to be made Monday]LVVA Ice Fishing Derby,benefiting TLS Veterans Outdoors, Bangs Lake, Wauconda

Saturday, Feb. 9: Hard-Water Classic, Silver Lake, Warrenville

Saturday-next Sunday: Feb. 9-10: Chain O’Lakes Ice Fishing Derby and Winter Festival, headquartered at Turtle Beach on Channel, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday

FISH GATHERING

Monday: ISA president Bart Durham, Oswegoland Fishin’ Fools, Allied First Bank, Oswego, 7 p.m.

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

Feb. 5, 7, 12, 14: Downers Grove, (930) 963-1300

Feb. 23-24: Essex, (815) 458-3568

March 9-10: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818 . . . Dyer, Ind., (219) 515-2197

SHOWTIME

(Click here for the list of shows, classes and seminars)

Thursday-next Sunday: Feb. 7-10: Chicago RV & Camping Show, Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont

Friday-next Sunday: Feb. 8-10: Rockford Boat, Vacation & Fishing Show, Indoor Sports Center, Loves Park

Saturday-next Sunday: Feb. 9-10: Tinley Park Fishing and Outdoor Show, Tinley Park High School

Saturday: Feb. 9: DRiFT’s 26th annual Fly Fishing Auction, Villa Park VFW, preview 10 a..m., auction 11 a.m.

Next Sunday: Feb. 10: Henry Decoy Show, Henry-Senachwine High School

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)

Saturday, Feb. 9: Lake County banquet, Antioch, VFW. Contact Doug Magno, (847) 401-2678

DUCKS UNLIMITED

(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)

Thursday, Feb. 7: McHenry Fox Flyway dinner, D’Andrea Banquets, Crystal Lake. Contact Brian Diedrich, (815) 355-0803

ILLINOIS HUNTERS

Feb. 15: Final day Illinois hunters with Hunter Windshield Cars for DNR public hunting areaes must report their annual harvest online.

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

(Click here for full listings of classes in the area)