Coming soon a complete history of 3CU

When most people think of Erie fishing, they think of Lake Erie perch... But if you were to ask any licensed fisherman where the good fishing is, he'll probably tell you to follow him down for a morning of Lake Run Rainbow Trout fishing in the tributaries of the great lake. And the fishing is going to be good.

Trout fishing in Erie isn't good totally by accident. You might even say it's been getting a great deal of help, especially since 1966. That's the year local conservation officer Norman Ely got some friends together and formed what is now the largest of 155 cooperative nurseries for fish in Pennsylvania .

3 C.U., the name derived from club names of original financiers, stocked over 4, 50,000 of the 1,000,000 fish put into the lake's many tributaries in 1993 alone. The club's inventory for the start of the '99, season was well over 400,000 fish. Finding a good hole, or that secret spot, is a lot easier thanks to groups like 3 C.U.

The club's charter members, Wolfe Strohmeyer (deceased), Norman Ely (deceased), Bob Hetz, Jimmy Dallas, Gordon Bannister, Jerry Honard, John Snyder, and Marty Sinare have been serving the community on a volunteer basis for over 35 years, through the gracious financing of organizations like Gem City Outdoorsmen, Erie County Sportsmen, Wesleyville Conservation and Trout Unlimited. The Erie Downriggers and S.O.N.S of Lake Erie have since added their support. Cooperation like this has added up to over a quarter of a century of community service and good fishing.

Starting with just 800 fish taken from Thomas Run in 1966, 3 C.U. has been able to average 45,000 fish a year through 1988.

This average has drastically increased in the past decade and totals almost 2,000,000 fish overall. With numbers like that, 3 C.U. has not only been able to stock fish in the lake's tributaries, but supply fish for many local charitable organizations.

The J.C.'s Crippled Children's Fishing Derby, as well as Children's derbies in Edinboro and Girard, the Boy Scouts, Veteran's Hospital, Soldiers and Sailors Home, Harborcreek Youth Services, Lawrence Park and Cambridge Springs have all benefited from the supply of 3 C.U.'s stock. Many children, veterans, and sportsmen have since experienced the thrill of landing a rainbow trout through the cooperative efforts of these organizations and 3 C.U.

To provide services such as these, the volunteer organization of 3 C.U. operates and maintains its own hatchery and eight nursery sites throughout Erie County .

These sites are made up of about 2,200 feet of raceway 2 feet deep and 4 feet wide. The maintenance and operation of all the raceway is $7,500 annually. The most recent addition to the series of raceways run by 3 C.U. is the Norm Ely addition, which cost $8,600 to build.

The healthy breeding stock of Erie County not only provides good, safe fishing for Erie 's sportsmen and organizations, but also is an active environmental and conservational tool for keeping Erie 's fish healthy and plentiful. 3 C.U. will continue, as it has for the past 38 years, to be a leader in Erie County fish production through the community's donations and assistance.

To get involved by donating or volunteering, contact charter members Bob Hetz (814-474-5635), Jimmy Dallas (814-836-9174), or our new President, Ron Dombrowiak

3 C.U. is strictly a volunteer organization not a club, and all labor and maintenance are provided by its members.

So, the next time somebody asks you if the fishing is any good, tell him, "Yes – thanks to 3 C.U."