Wealthy McElligott confirmed a Ned fly at his desk at The Early Present in November. It’s an adaptation of the Ned rig, his home made fly-fishing model of one in every of hottest lures smallmouth bass.
It comes with a twist, he makes it with a roofing nail. Earlier than he ties the fly, he grinds one facet of the nail flat, then ties the hook on and finishes the fly.
The thought got here whereas doing a undertaking, as he put, “I’m from Berwyn.”
Sensible ingenuity is a praise to Berwynites.
McElligott got here from Berwyn, however he’s headed to the Illinois Out of doors Corridor of Fame within the spring as a part of its largest class.
Sensible ingenuity exhibits in his work with the Shabbona Lake Sportsman Membership, the place he has been president on and off (alternating with vice presidents) since 1995. SLSC, based in 1982, is among the oldest fishing golf equipment for Chicago-area anglers. The membership is famous for sensible initiatives — Rockfest, habitat work, fishing leagues, fish rescues — at Shabbona Lake, the 318-acre centerpiece of Shabbona Lake Recreation Space in DeKalb County.
“One third of the members are inside 20 minutes, one other third half hour away and a 3rd are an hour away,” mentioned McElligott Wednesday, simply again from making an attempt a brand new fly at a close-by pond stored open by geese. “The presidents come from inside 20 minutes. It’s simpler to work with the park when have you’ve any person native.”
That actually confirmed round 2000 when McElligott, who lives in close by Lee, thought to strive rock as cowl and construction, significantly for walleye.
“Why not strive it,” late fisheries biologist Al Pulley agreed.
“That first yr, it value about $200 for a load of shot rock,” McElligott mentioned. “We had 5 truckloads the primary yr [other clubs pitched in]. First yr it was about 5 levels outdoors and we had over 75 individuals.”
Shot rock is the tough stuff after quarry dynamite blows.
“We get the items,” McElligott mentioned. “We needed microwave measurement and greater. We had some three by three ft.
“Most years have been the shot rock. One yr they have been choosing aside a car parking zone, all concrete. [The construction boss] fished there. The biologist authorised it and we obtained about 300 tons.”
For the non-fishing crowd, rock makes cowl and ambush factors for fish.
Rockfest is a cool occasion, however McElligott mentioned getting children and adults concerned in fishing made him most proud.
“Once I was rising up, it was such as you needed to have the magic lure and you may catch fish anyplace on the lake,” he mentioned. “That’s not the best way it’s.”
McElligott grew up in Chicago at 63rd and Oak Park. His household moved to Berwyn when he was in seventh grade and he graduated Morton West in 1975. After marrying, he moved farther out, first Carol Stream then west.
In educating fishing, McElligott picked up a common reality. “Get the daddy out with son, you’re truly educating the dad,” McElligott mentioned. “In case you do a fishing clinic for teenagers, the youngsters will get dropped off.”
So he goals to incorporate mother and father. He had an instance from bowling together with his dad at Argo Bowl. They have been adequate to win a Chicago father-and-son bowling occasion.
“I used to be in a bowling league once I was youthful in Chicago and I mentioned I’m wondering if that might work for fishing,” McElligott mentioned.
The Superior Anglers took first in 2016 the fishing league at Shabbona Lake.
With fisheries biologist Karen Rivera, they began a fishing league in 1997.
“That’s in all probability the most effective issues I bear in mind,” McElligott mentioned.
Some league alumni went on to fish walleye tournaments and highschool bass fishing.
McElligott turned concerned in fly fishing and educating it to others. He has caught hybrid striped bass, walleye, perch, catfish, bluegill and crappie fly fishing at Shabbona.
He’s additionally been earlier president of the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance, however his mark is on SLSC.
“I take pleasure in all facets of [the outdoors], the intertwining of the vegetation and animals and the fish and the adjustments of the seasons, and the cycles that undergo,” McElligott mentioned. “I actually like that fishing just isn’t one tactic on a regular basis. It retains altering. I take pleasure in fly fishing, particularly for bluegills. I do a variety of jig fishing, that’s in all probability most of what I do. However I’ll go on the market and have a fly rod and a spinning rod.”
The ICF will formally induct the 2025 class on the ICF Gale within the spring. Different space individuals stepping into with McElligott space are Kankakee River trainer/advocate/information Matt Mullady, Kankakee, and Thomas Foss, Surprise Lake, for his a long time of preservation, conservation and environmental schooling.
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