December 2014

News & Events

General Meeting - Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 2014

“State of TU, National & NJ State Council”

Presented by Richard Thomas

Prior to taking on the State Council Chairman role, Rich was the NJ National Leadership Council (NLC) representative from 2007 to 2012. As NLC Rep., Rich worked closely with his fellow NLC Reps. from around the country to map TU’s mission in each member state. Also in this role, Rich chaired the Delaware Watershed Conservation Workshop which focused on improving the trout habitat within the watershed by insuring equitable flows from all reservoirs. This group worked closely with other workshops which focus on understanding and limiting the impacts of gas development within the Marcellus Shale region. Rich has past experience as Central chapter Vice President and President, Central Region V.P. and also with thermal studies, river clean-ups (Musconetcong River), introducing the Central NJ Boy Scout Council to fly fishing and river stocking.

2014 Custom Rod Raffle

At our general meeting Tuesday December 9, 2014 we will be raffling off one of Art Port’s custom fly rods. The rod is 4-piece graphite travel rod, 9 foot, 5 weigh, which is a good around rod for waters in our area.

We will be asking for a donation of $1.00 for each chance of winning this hand crafted fly rod.

American Legion Hall
137 New Market Road
Dunellen, NJ

Meeting starts at 8 PM - Non Members are always welcome!

2014 International Fly Tying Symposium Wrap-Up

As many of you know Central Jersey Trout Unlimited participated in the 2014 International Fly Tying Symposium this past November. The show was a lot of fun though the attendance looked low compared to previous years.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who worked the booth and who helped in set-up and take down.

Like most show it’s becomes a big social catching up with old friends and making new ones. There were some deals to be had and plenty of information on new tying methods and materials.

Again, a big Thank you to all who helped out.

Point Mountain Stream Improvement Project Update

We received some good news this week regarding the Pt. Mountain permitting process. DEP has now positively completed the internal administrative review of our permit application. The application now moves onto the technical side (Division Input On Fisheries), where they will evaluate/review historical ramifications, and review any potential issues with threatened and/or endangered species. Hopefully we will have smooth sailing from here out and the actual work will begin in the first half of 2015.

President’s Letter

December 2014

It is hard to believe another year is just about past us by. As I write this a warm fire is crackling next to me and a cold rain is falling outside. It has been a a wet few days and this rain will definitely help our streams and rivers in the state. If you had a chance to wet a line this fall you encountered skinny water for sure. So far this fall has produced some fairly mild weather. There have been a few cold snaps but there were plenty of fishing opportunities to be had. I hope all of you had a chance to get outdoors.

Here are some quick updates on chapter activities. In the month of November we were involved in several activities. First up were the "One Fly" competition and annual TU Banquet at the Raritan Inn. Both events were well attended. I was especially proud that one of our members, Dick Turse, was honored at the the banquet when he received NJTU's Lifetime Achievement Award. Our success as a chapter over the years has certainally been influenced by Dick's hard work. Towards the end of the month we were at the Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset NJ. It was a good show though attendance seem to be down a bit, but its hard to say because the show is in a larger venue now. As always, it is a great opportunity to get your hands on whatever fly tying materials you may need. For those that purchased a raffle ticket for our fly rod giveaway we will be drawing the winner at this week's general meeting. Thank you and good luck to all that participated!

Our next event will be the NJ Outdoor Show in the early part of January. The dates are January 8-11, 2015 at the NJ Convention and Expo Center in Edison, NJ. For additional info click the banner in this month's Mainstream. At the end of January we will also be at the Fly Fishing Show on January 23-24 back in Somerset, NJ.

We had a little bit of encouraging news on the Point Mountain Restoration Project. We recieved confirmation that we are moving through the approval process. Our fingers are crossed that we will be announcing the start of this project soon.

This will be my last President's Letter as I am stepping down at the end of the month. It has been an honor serving as the chapter's president for such a long time. I plan on being as active as ever and I am looking forward to taking on some different roles in the future. I wish the best to Richard Dooley who was agreed to step up to the plate and take over the helm. I know he will do a great job!

This month's meeting will feature my good friend Rich Thomas, our State Council Chairman, who will give a presentation on "The State of TU". Also we will be drawing our rod raffle winner and handing out our 3rd Fly Swap of the year. Show up a little early for the meeting as we are experimenting with a new format starting at 7:30pm and we will be serving some refreshments.

Next month's meeting is our annual fly tying meeting so dust off those vices! Also our fly tying classes kick off next month. There is still time to reserve your spot, look for additional information in this month's MainStream

I'll wrap up by wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

Fly of the Month

“Modified Patriot Dry Fly”
by Elias Todd