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October 2012 |
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News & EventsGeneral Meeting - Tuesday, October 9, 2012Tom GilmoreBig Apple Sampler
A trout stream tour of the tri-states top trout streams from Tom’s recent book “Flyfishers Guide to the Big Apple.” We will take an in-depth look at, New Jersey’s Flatbrook, Pequest, Musconetcong, Pequannock, and South Branch of the Raritan River. Then tour the Catskill’s “Charmed Circle” which includes the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Neversink., Esopus and the Schoharie as well as the lesser know wild trout gems, the Roundout, Rochester, Callicoon and Katterskill. Next we will move west to the “world class” Upper Delaware River System, the West Branch, East Branch and Mainstem of the Delaware. Then we are off to Pennsylvania’s Pocono and “Endless” Mountains, to fish the Brodhead, Big Bushkill, Pocono, McMichaels, and Bowman’s Creek. After almost 29 years of service, Tom Gilmore recently retired as president of the New Jersey Audubon Society, the oldest and largest conservation organization in the state of New Jersey. During that time, he led the conservation community through numerous extraordinary environmental achievements including the Highlands Water Protection And Planning Act (2004), preserving some 800,000 acres in northern New Jersey and protecting the drinking water for half the state’s population, the Garden State Preservation Trust Act (1999), which provided for a stable source of funding to preserve one-million acres in ten years, and the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (1987), safeguarding wetlands throughout the state. These are three of the most significant conservation measures in New Jersey state history. Tom has received numerous awards and honors, including the Conservation Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and an Environmental Achievement Award from the Annual Environmental Congress for his work on the Freshwater Wetlands Campaign and New Jersey Environmental Lobby’s first Environmental Legacy Award for his work on the Highlands legislation. In 2005, Tom was recognized by The Star Ledger as Winner of the Year for saving the New Jersey Highlands, which was deemed “…the most significant political achievement of the year.” New Jersey Monthly magazine recognized Tom as one the “101 Most Influential People in New Jersey” in 2009. In March of 2012 Earth Share New Jersey presented Tom with their Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifetime of commitment to preserving New Jersey’s Environment. In addition to being an accomplished environmentalist, Tom is an avid fly fisherman. His first book, False Albacore, was published in 2002, his second book entitled, Tuna On The Fly, which was published in the Fall of 2006. Tom’s third book a Flyfisher’s Guide to the Big Apple was published in 2011. He is currently working on an Eastern Tailwaters Guide. American Legion Hall
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| Central Elementary School | East Brunswick |
| Middlesex County Vo-Tech | East Brunswick |
| Warnsdorfer School | East Brunswick |
| Dunellen High School | Dunellen |
| Colonia Middle School | Colonia |
| Bridgewater High School | Bridgewater |
| Bright Beginnings Learning Center | Piscataway |
| Samuel E. Shull School | Perth Amboy |
| Edmund Hmieleski ECC | Perth Amboy |
| North Plainfield High School | North Plainfield |
| Robert Morris School | South Bound Brook |
| Voorhees Elementary School | Old Bridge |
| Angelo L. Tomaso Elementary School | Warren |
| Wachung Hills Regional High School | Warren |
I would like to start off by apologizing for the absence of a President's Letter in last month’s edition of MainStream. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes and early last month was one of those times. Having not written to you since June means I have plenty to talk about so lets dive right in!
The fall is looking to be a pretty busy time for us. For starters we have our first work day coming up next week. This planting project on the Musconetcong River came up just a few days ago and we are scrambling to get volunteers. The project will be in Asbury, NJ on Musconetcong Wildlife Management Area lands just upstream from MWA’s River Resource Center (2 Maple Ave. Asbury (Franklin Township)), NJ 08802 on Sunday, October 14th at 9:00 AM. The State Council will be providing lunch for all that attend. Please consider coming out and lending a hand. Well be talking about the project at our meeting Tuesday night, but feel free to contact me if you need additional information, directions, etc.
Our partners at the Musconetcong Watershed Association will be hosting their 10th Annual Wine Tasting Event at the Warren County Rod and Gun Club 279 Asbury/BloomsburyRoad, Asbury, New Jersey on Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 2:00 – 5:00pm. Your invited to join them for a relaxing fall afternoon at the Pavilion at Warren County Rod and Gun Club in Asbury, New Jersey. Sample a variety of imported and domestic wines with an array of delicious finger foods and for the first time, beer, near the banks of the Wild and Scenic Musconetcong.
As we move into the fall we begin to gear up for show season. As always we will have a presence at several area shows. As we get closer, I will fill you in on all the important dates and times. We are also beginning to ramp up our fly tying classes. We are doing a few things different this year and I am looking forward to some of the exciting changes. The classes will begin in January. We will be releasing more information on the new program in the weeks to come. Stay tuned…
On November 10th the New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited will be holding the 3rd Annual Fly Fisherman of the Year Competition and their annual fund raising banquet. Both events will be held at the lovely Raritan Inn. The Raritan Inn is located on County Road 513, Califon, NJ. This will be an all day and evening full of activities. The Fly Fisherman of the Year contest starts at 8:30. There will be fly fishing vendors present throughout the day showing off their wares. A cook out lunch will be available and after the contest is decided there will be a Trout Olympics featuring fly tying, fly casting and more. At 4:00 pm the cocktail hour for the banquet begins and the banquet kicks off at 5:30. This has been a great event and one I encourage everyone to attend. This year Central Jersey Trout Unlimited will be represented by our own John Westor. I know he will represent the chapter well. Wish him luck!
CJTU maintains a shed on one of our member's property. The shed is used for storing all of our supplies. Years of weather are beginning to take its toll. Earlier this year a number of volunteers went to work on it repairing the roof , clearing encroaching vegetation and other tasks. The work is not completed and we still need to schedule one additional date to finish the work. We will be looking for volunteers to help out. If your interested keep an eye on your inbox and respond to the Action Alert when it is sent out.
Coming up in November we will be adding a new feature to our monthly meetings. We will be putting on mini classroom sessions during our breaks. These lessons will concentrate on various aspects of fly fishing and fly tying. Bill Ninke will be conducting the first three classes which will cover some very interesting knots for the fly fisherman.
We will be also looking to bring back our trip program this year. We will probably host a few trips in 2013 to nearby fisheries. If anyone is interested in helping out or has a suggestion for a destination grab myself or one of the directors at a meeting or feel free to drop me a line.
It would not be a president's letter without some mention of the fishing! It's time to start chasing trout again folks. The cooler temps now make it safe to fish for trout and many rivers and streams still have good populations of fish. Not to mention the State is beginning its fall stocking program next week. Fall is my favorite time of year to fish. The streams are not crowded, but the fishing can be a challenge at times. Skinny, clear water makes for nervous fish and falling leaves can present a challenge, but none the less it is a great time to be on the water. Get out there!
I hope to see you at the general meeting on Tuesday as we have a great speaker lined up. Tom Gilmore will be giving a presentation entitled The Big Apple Sampler. This talk will take an in-depth look at, New Jersey’s Flatbrook, Pequest, Musconetcong, Pequannock, and South Branch of the Raritan River. Then tour the Catskill’s “Charmed Circle” which includes the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Neversink., Esopus and the Schoharie as well as the lesser know wild trout gems, the Roundout, Rochester, Callicoon and Katterskill. Next you will move west to the “world class” Upper Delaware River System, the West Branch, East Branch and Main Stem of the Delaware. Then we are off to Pennsylvania’s Pocono and “Endless” Mountains, to fish the Brodhead, Big Bushkill, Pocono, McMichaels, and Bowman’s Creek. It will be a great introduction to some of the areas best trout streams! Come out and join us.
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This month's Fly is an October Caddis Pupae. The pattern is not an original one, but one that I love to use to imitate these big bugs. Predominately an evening or early morning hatch this insect is a good meal for trout looking to bulk up for the winter. The hatch is at best sporadic and I have never seen more than one or two adults on the water. That being said I have had good success with this subsurface pattern this time of year.
