Mel Huettemann BFA Past President & Youth Fishing Proponent
6/22/2012 2:30:00 PM
Fishing news, bad and good, pops up in Illinois Valley
Craig
Sterrett
Editor
Better
Fishing Association members from the days when the organization was lobbying
for the state to take over and restore the
A
former BFA of Northern Illinois president, Mel Huettemann of
He was a 54-year BFA member.
BFA past president and chairman of the executive board Tom Wall said
Huettemann worked alongside BFA members as they agitated to save the
Hennepin Canal, meeting anywhere from the Knotty Pine tavern in La Salle on
the east to various American Legion halls in villages along the canal as far
west as Atkinson and Annawan. Although he had not been extremely active in
the group in recent years, Huettemann was one of the top proponents,
volunteers and supporters of the BFA youth fishing exposition at Lock 14 on
the
In addition, he helped recruit a lot of members while promoting the BFA and
fishing in general at outdoor shows in the old Westclox building, Wall
recalled.
“He was one of the outstanding members in the early years,” Wall said. “Mel
was a super asset to the organization.”
One of Huettemann’s best friends, Don Spayer recalled how avid of a
fisherman Huettemann was and how much they wanted to share what they
knew with children.
“He was a bluegill fisherman; loved them,” Spayer said, noting Huettemann
liked fishing the Hennepin Canal near Tiskilwa and at the Isaac Walton
League, Geneseo chapter.
The two were among the organizers who set up the Lock 14 fishing tournament,
Spayer said.
“He volunteered for a lot of things and together we created canal cleanups
and went down and volunteered and cleaned up several sections of the
(Hennepin) canal,” Spayer said.
The two worked together at Caterpillar after working at Westclox.
“When Mel was at Westclox he was in charge of designing the tooling for all
the screw machines and that amounted to about 175 machines, different
kinds,” Spayer said, adding that Huettemann and he organized all-day
picnics for the management club and fish fries for Westclox workers.