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www.cjtu.org |
June 2020 |
General MeetingVirtual Meeting
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President’s Letter
Unfortunately, we are entering that time of year that we need to give trout a break. I did happen to spend today on a trout stream, and by midday, the water temperatures had crept up to 70 degrees. If water gets much warmer than that, it is dangerous for the trout that is hooked and fights on the end of a line. In warmer water trout have difficulty recovering from the fight, and the results are often fatal. During this is the time of year we need to consider giving our finned friends a break. Make sure you take a thermometer with you on the water and check the temperature frequently, and if you are practicing catch and release, stop fishing if it exceeds 70 degrees. You may find fish schooled up during the warmer months, seeking the thermal refuge of a spring or colder tributary. It is wise to give these fish a break as they are under a lot of stress trying to cope with the warm water. Does this mean we need to stop fishing? No, it does not. When it comes to trout fishing, you can still enjoy quality fishing by starting and ending early in the day before things heat up. But please check those water temperatures. As reveal restrictions begin to lift a few hours drive to the west or north can put you on some streams that are running a little cooler. Or you can do as I do and change venues switching over to warm and saltwater fishing. The National Trout Unlimited organization has lifted the restrictions on meetings. Unfortunately, we are entering our summer break period, so we will not be meeting in person until September (if all goes well). We are planning a virtual meeting for Tuesday, June 23rd. We will be using the platform ZOOM to conduct this meeting. First of all, I want to bring everyone up to speed on the chapter and our activities, and yours truly will be giving a presentation on warm water fly patterns. You don’t have to put that fly rod away just because it is too warm to fish for trout! The big news is we will be drawing the winner of our rod raffle! Look for an action alert in your inbox with instructions on how to log into the meeting. Just as a reminder. Trout Unlimited has extended a free one-year membership to the Military, First Responders, and all essential workers. You can find information about the program here: https://www.tu.org/blog/tus-chris-wood-to-essential-workers-free-tu-memberships-to-all/ The Trout Unlimited Chapters of New Jersey successfully raised the money needed to begin the process of removing the Weiss Mill Dam on the South Branch of the Raritan River in Califon. There is a lot involved with this endeavor, and I am sure there will be unexpected bumps in the road, but we are anxious to begin moving this project forward. I hope to see some of your faces at our virtual meeting on June 23rd. Until then, get out on the water and enjoy the cooler temperatures coming our way. With nighttime temperatures in the fifties, it should cool our streams off a bit, but don’t forget that thermometer!
Stay Safe, |
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News & EventsHelp CJTU when you shop at Amazon!
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7355313 Use the link above to access amazon.com and help support CJTUCJTU is now part of the Amazon Smile program. By clicking through to Amazon with the above link, CJTU will receive a small percentage based on your purchase. Fly of the MonthSpezio’s FroggieTied by Bill Ninke
The water temperature of our local streams is rising and soon will be at the level where fishing for trout should cease. What to do, what to do? I suggest visiting a local lake or pond and giving bass and panfish a go. If in the near future you do visit your local stillwater, look closely at the shallow areas near the shore. You will most likely see tadpoles swimming about. Soon those tadpoles will turn into little frogs. And bass and panfish love to eat little frogs. This month’s fly, the Froggie, imitates a little frog and is a pattern you should certainly tie and try. I first learned of this pattern when attending the International Fly Tying Symposium sometime in the late 90s. Its originator, Tony Spezio, was a demonstration tier there. After I attentively watched him tie the Froggie, he was kind enough to give me the one he tied. Upon returning home from the Symposium, I tie up a half dozen so I wouldn’t forget the tying steps, and stowed them along with Spezio’s original in a warmwater box. My intention was to trial the pattern the following Summer on a local pond. But pursuit of large trout in Montana and bonefish and tarpon in Belize took over and my warmwater fly box languished in a drawer until two years ago. At that time my wife developed health problems which prevent me from taking any overnight trips away from home. So I’ve been doing 3 to 5 hour day trips to local waters for trout but mostly to local ponds for bass and panfish. For my local pond trips I retrieved the Froggies I stowed away years ago and gave them a try, first using a conventional fly rod, but lately with a Tenkara rod.. Spezio’s suggested the fishing technique for the Froggie is to cast it out and then vibrate it mostly in place or quiver it. The combination of a Tenkara rod and the easy quivering it allowed proved almost magical. And it’s how I fish the Froggie now. The pattern is very simple, just a hook, thread, a slice of white Evasote foam,.and two pins with round plastic heads. The hook on my original sample is a #10 4XL streamer. You can use that hook but I’ve moved to a #6 barbless wet fly hook which has the same shank length. The wet fly hook gives a larger hook gap. Otherwise, the pictured flies match Spezio’s original. I use white foam, as did Spezio, and color it with marker pens. You can fish the fly alone or with a trailer on 18 inches of tippet attached to the hook bend. Double hookups are not unusual. Click here for the recipe! |
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Central Jersey Trout Unlimited’s Supporters
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I am sure most of you would agree this has been a strange year indeed! With COVID-19 changing how we live and work, it has been a struggle adapting to this “new normal.” One thing that has changed for me has been my fishing. It is not that I have not spent time on the water; it has just been different water! Since I thought it wise to limit my travel, I have been fishing close to home. For me, that means warm water fishing. Those that know me know this is a passion of mine, so this has been no great sacrifice, but I long to spend time on a trout stream!
