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December 2011 |
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News & EventsGeneral Meeting - Tuesday, December 13, 2011Bill Kibler
On October 1, 2011, the South Branch Watershed Association (SBWA) and the Upper Raritan Watershed Association (URWA) joined forces to become the Raritan Headwaters Association and create the largest watershed association in New Jersey. Come learn what this restructuring means for water quality and the cold water fisheries of the headwaters of the Raritan River, including the South Branch, the Lamington, the North Branch, Rockaway Creek and others. Bill Kibler, the Director of Policy and Science for the Raritan Headwaters Association, will discuss the mission, goals, and programs of the new organization. He’ll also be available to answer questions about the premier fishing locations in the watershed. American Legion Hall
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On November 21st members of CJTU held a fly tying demo at the Dunellen Public Library. More photos can be seen Here.
At our November meeting we did something a little different for the nights program. The presentation on Chi Walking was well received and we have some photos from that night. |
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Fly Fisherman of the Yearby Bart LombardoLou Digena represented Central Jersey Trout Unlimited at this year's 2nd Annual New Jersey Fly Fisherman of the Year competition this past weekend. Lou went into the finals in second place and missed taking all the glory by eight tenths of an inch! Had he been allowed to retain his score from the morning session he would have taken first with a comfortable lead, but the rules called for all contestants to start with a clean slate for the final round of fishing. Non the less he represented us well! The event was won by Angelo Conti from the Ernest Schwiebert Chapter. What makes this win so special is that Angelo is only seventeen years old! 
This years event also coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the formation of New Jersey's State Council of Trout Unlimited. The fly fishing event and the subsequent banquet was sponsored and hosted by The Raritan Inn and Shannon's Fly Shop. They really put on a fine event and the fund raising banquet for the State Council was a blast. My hat goes off to them for everything they did! Although yours truly did not participate in this year's fishing competition, I did participate in the post event, fly casting competition. Unbelievably, I took first place! I say it was unbelievable because I competed against some world class casters, but the gods and the winds were on my side. Watch a video on the NJ Fly Fisherman of the Year competition from Tightlines Productions. More photos from this event can be seen here! |
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President’s LetterDecember 2011I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather that followed the holiday. Myself, I was laid up sick as a dog, with no other option but look out the window and dream of being waist deep in my favorite trout stream. November has come and gone but there are still plenty of angling opportunities left for those willing to get out and brave the elements. The rivers are in prime condition and there are plenty of fish to be had, especially in our trout conservation areas. Early last month, Lou DiGena represented Central Jersey Trout Unlimited in the 2nd Annual N.J. Fly Fisherman of the Year One Fly Tournament (that's a mouthful, we are going to have to work on that name!). The event was hosted by the Raritan Inn and Shannon's Fly Shop. In conjunction with the fishing event there was a banquet held that evening to honor the New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited's 40th anniversary. Lou represented the chapter well, placing second, losing by only eight tenths of an inch! The banquet was a good time as well, with C.J.T.U. being well represented. I am looking forward to next year when maybe one of you will be the one to represent the chapter and bring back top honors. You can see a great video that summarizes the event by checking out our website. If cold water fishing is not your cup of tea, fly tying is a great way to extend your fishing season and restock your fly boxes at the same time. We are just a month away from the start of our fly tying classes. If you interested, you can sign up at either the December or January meeting. You can get all the details by visiting our web page. Our instructors will get you up to speed and tying your own flies in no time at all. Our classes are not just for beginners, we offer intermediate classes and a workshop for more experienced tiers. Our intermediate class is designed for those of you that have completed our beginners course. This class will teach new techniques that will build on what you have already learned. The workshop features a different instructor each week and is the type of class you can come back for year after year, as it always brings fresh ideas to the fly tying vice. This year we are do something different. For the first time we are offering a fly tying material collection for the beginners class. This assortment of first rate materials include everything you need to tie dozens of the fly patterns learned in the class. One of the biggest challenges for a new tier is wading through all of the fly tying materials that are available and making the correct choices. We have taken all the work out of the process. Our own Leon Cheeka has graciously offered to assemble four complete material kits that will supply everything you need for the course. The cost is $100.00 and he has agreed to donate $25.00 back to the chapter for every kit sold. Leon has decades of experience under his belt, you can be assured that the materials will be the highest quality available. The kits will be sold on a first come first serve basis, so don't wait. Before I move on I wanted to mention that if you asked Leon to build a fly box for you, they are ready. You can pick them up at the general meeting. If the boxes are not claimed by the January meeting they will be up for grabs for whoever wants one. This month's general meeting will feature speaker Bill Kibler, the Director of Policy and Science for the Raritan Headwaters Association, who will discuss the mission, goals, and programs of the new organization. Come out and learn what the Raritan Headwaters Association has planned for improving the water quality and the cold water fisheries of the headwaters of the Raritan River, including the South Branch, the Lamington, the North Branch, Rockaway Creek and others. Our second annual CJTU Fly tying night will take place during our January general meeting. Come on out and see what is coming off the vices of the chapter's best fly tiers. We encourage everyone to participate regardless of their skill level. This a great opportunity to bring out your own equipment and tie flies with an experienced tier. We will be there to demonstrate techniques, provide instruction and answer questions. There will be a very short business meeting at 8:00pm followed by an evening of fly tying. Feel free to come out early, as most tiers will be setting up around 7:00pm. The Saturday before our general meeting, on January 7th, CJTU will be conducting a fly tying demonstration at Efingers Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Efingers usually runs a great sale on fly tying materials during this event so its a great time to stock up on materials and learn a few things in the process. To wrap up I just wanted to mention that our Facebook page is the place where you can find all the latest information about our chapter. This becomes especially important as the winter season approaches. Any cancellations due to weather will be posted there as well as our website. You can visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Jersey-Trout-Unlimited/338645994649.
Tight Lines, |
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Fly of the Month“Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear”
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Click here for the recipe ! |