[Tom]

Hey, when is the next hilaker meeting? Looking forward to the Curtis Family picture show. BTW Brain, if you are coming, can you bring along one of your famed rafts? Curious to compare it to the trail boat.

[Brian Curtis]

The meeting is on Feb 20. I'll be there, and I'll bring a boat.

[#19]

Ok, so what is the difference between Hi-Lakers and Trailblazers. It seems like quite a few of you are both? And the TBers (no offense) fancy themselves as more hardcore?

[Brian Curtis]

That pretty well sums up the difference Hi-Lakers is more of a social club. The only requirement for membership is the payment of $10 per year dues. Most meetings feature a guest speaker of some sort. At times they might be well known like past speakers Fred Beckey, Ira Spring, Phil Woodhouse, or Jeff Renner, or it might be a slide show from a member like the one I will be showing at the next meeting. The club also collects angling surveys from high lakes that are forwarded to the biologists responsible for managing the high lakes. Trail Blazers is focused on packing fish fry into lakes as a volunteer organization for the WDFW. Members are expected to regularly attend meetings and stock at least one lake a year. Typically, meetings won't have a guest and the atmosphere is much different then at a HL meeting. The TBs were formed in 1933, the HLs were formed in 1963. There is a fair amount of overlap of members between the clubs, but no where near 100%.

[MtnGoat]

catch surveys? Is this worthwhile for me to do if I'm out and about? What do I do?

[Brian Curtis]

Catch surveys are extremely valuable. I'll send you a copy of the survey form off the board.

[#19]

Thanks Brian. Kind of what I thought, but wasn't sure about the HILakers.