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Dr. Albert S. Hazzard, Assistant Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, retired April 1, 1963. Since December 1, 1955, Dr. Hazzard has directed the Commission’s land and water management activities including the biological services, fish rearing, distribution, engineering construction and maintenance. He led the improvement work in Pennsylvania.
In the Commission he helped organize and develop the regional fish management program: represented the commission in developing plans with the U. S. Soil Conservation Service for multi-purpose lakes under Public Law 566. Dr. Hazzard served on the advisory committee of the International Great Lakes Fishery Commission and acted as advisor on fisheries from Pennsylvania for the Great Lakes Commission. He served on a staff headed by Dr. Maurice Goddard, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters during the development of the Delaware River Basin Comprehensive Survey. He also represented the Fish Commission on various conservation committees with the state and nationally. Before going to Pennsylvania and while there, Dr. Hazzard was active in promoting public trout fishing for sport often referred to through out the world as the “Fish –for-Fun” project. He believed that reducing the kill through higher size limits and restrictions to artificial lures was the most effective way to better trout fishing. He was a strong advocate of stream improvement and was convinced that warm-water fishermen could best be served via the control of pollution, soil conservation, securing public access to fishing waters and building fishing lakes rather than by any state-wide program of fish stocking.
Dr. Hazzard was born in Buchanan, NY, on July 30, 1901, and graduated from high school in Hancock, NY. He took an A.B. degree with honors at Cornell University in 1924, and obtained his Ph.D. degree at Cornell in 1931. He was an instructor in zoology at Cornell from 1924 until 1931. He was a member and leader of the Streams unit of the biological survey of the New York Conservation Department, 1926-1930. He was employed as an associate aquatic biologist by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in charge of fisheries investigations in the western inter-mountain region, 1931-1935. In addition to directing the Institute for Fisheries Research, he served as a research associate in zoology in the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, and as a private consultant in sport fishery matters. In the later capacity he served the Izaak Walton League of America in a study in the Adirondacks, and as a special consultant to the Wildlife Resources Board of the State of California.
Dr. Hazzard authored over 70 technical and popular articles relating to fresh-water sports fisheries, and was a member of the American Fisheries Society, one of the oldest scientific organizations in the country, served its president in 1950-1951. While in Michigan he was active in the Science Research Club of the University of Michigan and the president of the club in 1955. He was also a member of the International Association of Fish, Game and conservation Commission. He was a member of Sigma Xi and Gamma Alpha honorary scientific fraternities.
Dr. Hazzard was married to Florence Woolsey of Hancock, NY, and they had five children. They retired on a farm near Hancock, NY. Dr. Hazzard was a fine scholar, gentleman and above all a fisherman.
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Here are the guest speakers slated for our General Meetings in the coming months. Our General Meetings are held at the Vestal Public Library's Main Meeting Room, 7-9pm.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010: Mike Bachkosky Mike Bachkosky is a full-time professional flytyer who resides along the banks of the Delaware River in Callicoon, NY. Mike has been fishing the Delaware since 1961 and tying flies since 1974. He became a professional tyer in 1974 and operates Rainbows End Flies. While his flies get fished in a wide variety of waters, residing along the Main Stem of the Delaware has allowed him to closely observe the hatches there and develop patterns that best represent them. Several of his patterns have been featured in the Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide. He also provides patterns for destinations across North and South America, the Caribbean, New Zealand and Russia. His website (www.rainbowsendflies.com) offers a daily stream update during the season. The update provides daily flow, water temperature readings and hatch activity on the Delaware and its watershed. Mike's flies can be purchased via the website or by dialing (845) 887-5719.
Mike also owns and operates Delaware River Labradors, providing upland bird hunts near Long Eddy, NY, as well as breeding quality pointing Labrador retrievers.
At the Al Hazzard Chapter we are always glad to see new faces. We are open to the public but we still need new members as workloads increase. The more active members we have the more we can accomplish. If you are concerned about the future of our fishing resources or just want to help improve them, we need you and your voice. Join on line and be sure to fill in the chapter code box with the #031. This will put you into the Al Hazzard Chapter and we hope to see you soon. Or, Contact Milt Sabol for applications and information. Thank You for your support.