December 2019

It is hard to believe another year is winding down. As we find ourselves amid another holiday season, trout fishing is not on the minds of most anglers. For the few of us that fish all year long, December is a great time to be on the water if you like solitude and don’t mind the cold. It is pretty easy to be comfortable on the water at this time of year. The key is choosing the right type of clothes and layering them properly. By having roomy wading boots that will allow for a light liner sock and a heavier wool sock and wearing a pair of merino wool long johns under a good pair of fleece wading pants, I am quite comfortable in my breathable waders. Above the waders, the system is the same, dressing in layers of merino wool and lightweight, warm synthetic fleece, topped off with a windproof/waterproof shell. Be sure to avoid cotton clothing at all costs. If cotton gets wet or even damp, and it is sure to on a fishing trip, it will not only not keep you warm, but it will rob you of the precious body heat. One final word on dressing for winter fishing. Don’t forget a hat and gloves. While regular gloves are too clumsy to use on the water, a pair of fingerless wool or fleece gloves will do the trick. Cold hands are the only problem I experience during my winter fishing trips. Having fleece-lined handwarmer pockets on your waders is a blessing as you can take a break now and then to warm up those fingertips! Throw some hand warmers in those pockets and your golden! Give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and spend a few hours on your favorite trout stream!

I hope to see many of you at our December general meeting. Our December meeting is our annual fly tying meeting, but there will be plenty of things going on for the non-fly tiers as well, so please join us. Things will kick off around 7:30 with pizza and soft drinks. If you are a fly tier, please bring out your vice and join us. We will have plenty of extra vises, tools, and materials on hand if you don’t want to go the bother of lugging out your stuff! I have it on good authority that Santa made an early delivery to CJTU headquarters. There is a good chance if you come out to the meeting, you may be going home with something that you can use on your next fishing trip. We are going to have a few other surprises on hand as well!

Going forward into the new year, we are going to be working hard to get more people involved in Trout Unlimited. Why not bring a friend to the meeting with you. Starting with the December meeting, anyone who brings a guest will get a free ticket for our meeting bucket raffle! At the December meeting, the raffle will include a fly rod!

In addition to our fly tying activities, we will be hosting an estate sale of sorts for long-time member Harvey Roberson who past away recently. His family donated his fishing and fly tying equipment, allowing us to use it as a fundraiser for the chapter. Please consider coming out to the meeting and perhaps make a purchase. You will be paying tribute to a great friend of Trout Unlimited and helping out your chapter at the same time!

Our show season is right around the corner, and as usual, we will be looking for help at our tables. As always, we will find a way to reward you for your efforts. I will announce our incentive program at our next meeting as there are still a few details to be worked out. We will be collecting names at this meeting for the first of the two shows in January, the NJ Outdoor Sportsman Expo in Edison NJ. The show dates are January 9-12, 2020. Please consider giving us a few hours of your time to help spread the word about Trout Unlimited and the work we do to improve the habitat of our trout streams. If you decide to help out, even for a few hours, you will receive a free pass to the show!

In closing, I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

November 2019

This month's letter from the President comes to you from the banks of the North Branch of the South Fork of the Potomac River in West Virginia! It is the end of October, and a few friends and I are enjoying some excellent fishing on this West Virginia River. The mountains are in full color, but the colors seem a little flat compared to the colors I saw in Maine earlier in the month. Traveling to fish this time of year is always a little risky. Just like at home, stream flows can be off. Last year we fished this stream in record-high flows, this year, we are faced with the challenge of low water. The weather can often be an issue, as well. A check of the weather a few days before leaving had me packing clothes for a cold, wet fishing trip. What we found when we arrived was bluebird skies and temps nearing 80 degrees! Needless to say, I came home with a lot of clean long sleeve flannel shirts that never made it out of my bag!

The fishing conditions here at home can change just as suddenly during this time of year. I have had the opportunity to fish here in New Jersey a few times during October, and I have seen low water, high water, and everything in between! The fishing has been good at times, but fishing in the fall always has its challenges, but at least you don't have the crowds to deal with.

A Maine trout stream in full color

This month's speaker is my good friend, Wendell "Ozzie" Ozefovich. Ozzie grew up fishing the streams of Pennsylvania's coal-mining region. His passion for trout and their world began at age six when a brook trout fell prey to a garden worm. That passion continues unabated for the salmon and trout he now pursues with fly and rod. Ozzie combined his love of trout and his experience in lecturing with a lifelong interest in movie making. He has produced a series of underwater videos exploring how trout feed, spawn, and behave. He has chronicled wild and hatchery trout in their natural environs. His narrated video presentations have opened the eyes of thousands of anglers across the country. His presentation this month will take us out to the wilds of Montana. It is a program you do not want to miss! I mentioned that Ozzie produced a series of underwater videos. He will have all of his DVD's available for purchase at the meeting, and he is offering them to CJTU members at a fantastic discount. These DVD's will sell for only $10.00 each at this month's meeting.

A fine West Virginia rainbow!

I want to thank the CJTU volunteers who assisted with the Point Mountain Stocking Program and those who helped us in delivering the trout eggs to the schools participating in our Trout In The Classroom program. We could not get these programs off the ground without your help! Thank You! Along those lines, November is the time of year that we nominate members to the board of directors. We have lost several directors over the last few years, and our numbers have dwindled to near critical levels. If you would like to take a more active role in your chapter, please consider getting involved at the director level. The demands on your time are minimal, and it is gratifying work. If you want to learn more, you can drop me an email at info@cjtu.org or come talk to me at a meeting.

We are moving into a hectic time of year for most folks. If you can steal some time away from work, family and holiday preparations you should try and get out on the water. The fall season gives you your best shot at a trophy trout! If you are a fly tier, you do not want to miss the 29th Annual International Fly Tying Symposium being held at the Sheridan Hotel in Parsippany, NJ, on November 23rd & 24th. CJTU does not have a presence at this event, but I will be sharing a table with Lou Digena as featured fly tiers. Stop by and say hello if you are attending the show this year.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

October 2019

Autumn has finally arrived, my favorite time of year! The fall season is hands down my favorite time of year to be on the water. The crowds of spring have for the most part diminished unless you fish Ken Lockwood Gorge! Truth be told you can even find some solitude in the gorge if you are fortunate to be able to get out during the week.

Fishing in the fall is not without its challenges. Low, clear water means spooky fish. The main hatches of the year are behind us, and the ones in front of us are likely going to cause a little strain on the eyes as you struggle to tie on that size 20 BWO or size 24 midge! For now, there are a few caddises about along with the last of the Iso's, and there are always terrestrials to fish before the first killing frost. The next challenge begins once the leaves start to fall. A river full of leaves can be frustrating, to say the least. But the rewards are there if you put your time in. I have consistently caught my biggest fish off the year in the fall. For those of you that fish the trout stocked waters of the state get ready for a fresh influx of fish. The fall stocking begins in October, and as usual, the state is expected to put some large broodstock fish in our area rivers this fall.

If you want to help out with the stocking of our adopted water on the Musconetcong River, the Point Mountain Tract, consider joining the WCC. WCC/TU members stock the Point Mountain Tract several times a year and we can always use a few more folks to help us stock that stretch by hand. Walking the fish in along the river does a much better job distributing the fish than dumping them off a bridge. This stocking program is one of the reasons you enjoy such good fishing here!

The big news for this month is our annual fundraising banquet. Tickets are now on sale for the dinner. You can pick them up at our meeting or order them online. You will find a link to the ticket sales on our homepage at www.cjtu.org The dinner takes place on October 19th at 6:00 pm at the Grillestone Restaurant 2377 U.S. Highway 22 West, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076. The evening will include a delicious meal, raffle prizes and time spent with friends and supporters of Central Jersey Trout Unlimited. Please join us as we celebrate our continued efforts to conserve, protect, and restore the cold water fisheries of New Jersey.

Our 2019/20 Trout In The Classroom Program is underway. We have a date set for egg deliveries and can always use a little help. If you are available to help out on October 21st during the day, please get in touch with us. Send an email to president@cjtu.org, and I will put you in touch with the right people and fill you in on what takes place.

Next month is the tenth anniversary of the Fly Fisherman Of The Year Contest and the annual T.U. State Council Banquet. Both events take place on November 2, 2019. The goal, as always, is the promotion of New Jersey fly fishing. The One-Fly Contest will take place at Shannon's Private Waters at the Raritan Inn Bed & Breakfast, Califon, NJ. This event will showcase nearly a mile of private waters on the South Branch of the Raritan River as the site for this event. A fully restored 1850's barn will house the displays and presentations. The event is sponsored by The Raritan Inn and Shannon's Fly and Tackle.

Each NJ Trout Unlimited chapter is invited to select one (1) member each to participate in the event. The day will include informal presentations such as casting demonstrations, entomology presentation, reading the stream, stream enhancement- case studies and South Branch restoration plans, fly tying, bamboo rod construction, streamside techniques, and N.J. fish habitats. The day's events will be followed by a pre-registration only dinner at $65.00, silent auction, and an awards presentation immediately following the finals. A cash bar will be open from 4:00 pm, followed by dinner. Presentations and awards at 6:30 pm will finish out the fun-filled day.

Please join us for what is sure to be a day filled with fish and fish stories alike. Ed Kordyla will be representing CJTU this year, and I encourage everyone to come out and support him. There is no cost to come out and observe the competition and take place in the day's activities. I also strongly encourage folks to attend the State Council Banquet afterward. It is a great evening that supports an even greater cause.

Bill Ninke once again hosts this month's pre-meeting fly tying. This month he presents his version of Mercer's Missing Link Caddis. I had a sneak peek at this month's fly, and it looks great. I will be in the audience myself for this one!

We are looking to change the format of our fly tying classes for the upcoming year. We will still be offering both beginner and advanced courses, but we are restructuring the structure and fees (for the better!). Stay tuned for more info.

Speaking of fly tying, I'll wrap things up by mentioning our December fly tying meeting. Rumor has it that Santa may be making a surprise visit again this year so that is a meeting you will not want to miss. Bring your vise and join in on the fun. Even if you have no interest in tying flies, you will not want to miss this meeting. More to follow…

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

September 2019

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer; I know I did. This summer involved a lot of travel and a fair amount of fishing. I am looking forward to settling in back at home and the return of cooler weather so I can spend some time on some local waters. It seems like our rivers and streams came out of the summer in prime shape. Water levels were good all summer and reports from folks that have been on the water recently indicate that our trout held over well. That is excellent news for New Jersey trout! I'm looking forward to excellent autumn fishing.

The big news for the fall is the return of our annual banquet. This year the dinner is on October 19th. It will be held at the Grillestone Restaurant again this year. We opened up ticket sales this week. The cost of a banquet ticket is $55.00. Be sure to get yours early as there are a limited number of seats available and they go quickly! This is a great evening out. As always, there will be good food, socializing and plenty of raffle prizes! Buy your tickets and help support your chapter and be sure to bring your spouse or significant other along!

Our speaker for this month is Rob Shane, the Mid-Atlantic Organizer for Trout Unlimited, his presentation Protecting Wild Trout is one you will not want to miss. Trout Unlimited has been working to protect populations of wild trout in the Delaware River Basin since 2011. The approach has been threefold: 1) protect existing populations 2) discover new populations and 3) restore extirpated or threatened populations. Rob will give a rundown on how TU has been successfully achieving its goals, thanks in large part to volunteer efforts, and our plans to continue this process into the future.

Our show season is right around the corner, and as always we will be looking for volunteers to help us staff our booths. These shows are an excellent opportunity for us to spread the word about the superb work Trout Unlimited does here in New Jersey and nationwide. Please consider helping out when our call for volunteer support goes out.

We are in the planning stages of our 2020 fly tying classes. We are looking to change things up a bit this year. If there is something, you would like to see in regards to fly tying instruction drop us a line at info@cjtu.org.

That's it for now. I hope to see everyone at our meeting next Tuesday.

You can contact Bart at

June 2019

I hope everyone has been enjoying this fantastic spring weather. The rivers are in prime shape, there are loads of bugs and the best fishing of the year is now! I have had the pleasure of being on the water almost every day this week (I love retirement!). There has been good spinner falls every evening with a variety of mayflies, offering good dry fly fishing. Fellow chapter member Lou Digena reported good topwater action using a variety of patterns finally settling on a stimulator which did an excellent job imitating the numerous stoneflies that were on the water this week. I took a different approach to success by fishing soft hackles in a traditional down and across presentation during the day and fishing them directly upstream in the evening when the fish were rising. You have a lot of options when it comes to catching fish, now is the time to do it. Get out there before the water warms, and we need to turn our attention to other parts of the country or other species.

There is not much going on at the moment with CJTU as we have wrapped up most of the season’s activities. We recently gave two fly casting classes. One with LL Bean In Freehold and one at the Pequest Hatchery were participants were able to apply their newly learned fly fishing skills on the trout in the hatchery pond! Looking forward to the fall we may have more work lined up on Anderson Brook, as we move forward with that project designed to protect the wild fish living there.

All in all, it was an excellent first half to 2019, and we look forward to the second half. As you may already know, we do not hold regular monthly meetings during July and August. Our regular meeting schedule on the second Tuesday of the month will resume in September. Speaking of meetings our June meeting is our annual BBQ, and it will be held on the THIRD TUESDAY of June. This event is open to all members and their families. You can find more information on our Facebook page and in this newsletter.

I’m keeping things short and sweet this month. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer and I look forward to seeing some of you at the BBQ next week!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

May 2019

I hope each of you has had an opportunity to get out and wet a line since the season opener. The rivers are in prime shape and have plenty of water, maybe a little too much at times. Don't be dismayed if rain and high water postpone a fishing trip as all this water will be a blessing in a few months when our summer weather finally comes around. This spring has been a cool, wet one, which creates prime conditions for our cold water loving fish.

April was a busy month for us. We attended two events (in the same weekend!) and were involved in two stream cleanups. Our first event, Rutgers Day, is usually our most successful event of the year but attendance was a little off this year. Although we had dry, sunny weather, we were plagued with nearly gale force winds. I believe that kept some of the crowds at home. We were also at the Pequest Open House, and the volunteers that staffed that event reported good attendance despite the rainy weather. My thanks go out to all of the volunteers that made these two events happen.

Thanks also go out to everyone that helped out with our stream cleanups. We managed to clean up the Point Mountain tract of the Musconetcong River and Anderson Brook one of its tributaries in the same day!

On May 4th CJTU attended the Trout Fest in Califon NJ. This is a new event that has been steadily growing in popularity. Featured at the event this year was an overnight family campout, a fishing derby for the kids and a one fly fishing contest as well as a casting competition for the adults. Winners of the One fly and the casting competition each received a brand new fly rod! CJTU volunteers organized the casting competition, and everyone who put the course through its paces enjoyed it!

Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance at our next general meeting. A few CJTU members and friends will be heading up to Maine to enjoy some fishing for landlocked salmon and smallmouth bass! I will be happy to share our adventures with everyone at our annual BBQ next month. We ditch the format for our June meeting, fire up the grill and kick back and relax! Please consider coming out to join us. You can find all the details in this month's Mainstream. Please also check Mainstream for more information on our annual banquet this fall. Our banquet committee is hard at work planning this year's event. This is a night out you will not want to miss! That's all I have. I have to get my gear sorted, my bags packed and a few more flies tied for my Maine trip.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

April 2019

Spring has finally arrived! I am sitting in my garden in a T-shirt typing out these words on my tablet surrounded by a flock of chickens! If that is not a sign of spring, I don’t know what is! I spent the better part of the morning preparing my gear for opening day, and I just spent a few enjoyable hours this afternoon working in the garden. It is great to be outdoors in the warm sunshine for a change. Truth be told there was not a lot to do to get prepared for this weekends fishing as I have been fishing all winter. I am ready to go and looking forward to it.

The rivers are in fine shape for the season opener, and the weather is looking pretty good. So I am sure the crowds will be out in force! Despite that, I hope all of you plan to spend some time on the water this weekend. If rubbing elbows with the masses is not your thing, take heart, as the crowds usually thin out in a few weeks and it is once again possible to find solitude.

We have many things in the works this month, and as usual, we can use your help. On Saturday, April 13 we have three simultaneous events. I will be giving a fly tying demonstration at LL Bean in Freehold NJ. At the moment I am running solo so if anyone wants to join me reach out for me at president@cjtu.org. The reason I am running solo is that the bulk of our volunteers will be involved in two river cleanups! Our chapter members and other volunteers will be conducting a clean up on the Point Mountain tract of the Musconetcong River as well as Anderson Brook a tributary of the Musky. The clean up on Anderson Brook is the first of many projects on that watershed to improve the habitat for the wild trout that reside there. If you would like to join us, you can find all the details in an article in this month’s newsletter.

On Saturday, April 27 we will be at Rutgers Day on the Rutgers College Campus. We will be giving free fly casting lessons and spreading the word about all the excellent work Trout Unlimited is doing in New Jersey. On Sunday, April 28 we will be at the Pequest Open House event at the Pequest Trout Hatchery. If you can volunteer a few hours to help out at either event contact us at volunteer@cjtu.org.

Looking forward towards May we will be attending the Trout Fest in Califon New Jersey on Saturday, May 4th. Trout Fest is an outdoor community event that will feature a fishing derby for the kids and have plenty of activities for the adults. We will be on hand with our team of casting instructors giving some free lessons to anyone that wants them.

I am happy to announce that we are in the process of setting up a fly fishing class at the Pequest Hatchery in June. We will announce all the details at our upcoming meeting next week.

Speaking of next week’s meeting, it is one you will not want to miss. Agust Gudmundsson will be giving a presentation focused on fishing Montana on the cheap. August’s presentations always draw a crowd, and this one is going to be a good one, so come on out to the meeting Tuesday night and enjoy the show.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

March 2019

As usual, March has provided us with some interesting weather. There have been three snowstorms since the beginning of the month and it is only the third! I was planning to free up a day this week and hit the river, but by the looks of things that may not be happening. When all this snow melts it is going to bring the river levels up again, just when things were starting to look good. Even though this has been a mild winter I’m looking forward to Spring.

March is usually a quiet time for Central Jersey Trout Unlimited, and this year is no exception. The only event we have going on this month is the March Madness Fly Tying. Rahway River TU sponsors this annual event which is held to tie flies to support fishing events for Project Healing Waters, Wounded Warriors, and Casting for Recovery (a women's breast cancer recovery group). We will have a number of our members attending this event.

The event will be held at the Pequest Trout Hatchery on March 24th 2019 from 10am - 4pm. Each participant is encouraged to tie a dozen flies to donate to the cause. Lunch and gift bags are provided and there is usually a raffle to win prizes. It is a great opportunity to meet other local fly tiers and learn new things as well. Even if you cannot make it please consider donating a dozen flies to support this good cause. Email Jay Rathore at supradesi@gmail.com if you have questions about donating.

The lack of activity in March will give us a chance to catch our breath, for there is a lot going on in April. For starters trout season opens on Saturday, April 6th. I am sure everyone is looking forward to getting back on the water!

Our annual Musky Clean Up will take place on Saturday April 13th. CJTU will be working to clean up the Point Mountain tract of the Musconetcong River. We are looking for volunteer support for this clean up. You can read the article in this month’s Main Stream for additional information.

We have two shows that we are attending late in the month. On Saturday April 27 we will be at Rutgers Day at Rutgers University. We will be giving free fly casting lessons and spreading the word about all the good work Trout Unlimited is doing in New Jersey. On that same weekend we also hope to have a table at the Pequest Hatchery Open House. It will be tough to staff to events at the same time but we are going to work hard to make it happen. It you can volunteer your time at either event please reach out for me at president@cjtu.org. We have a program in place to reward members who volunteer for chapter activities. At our April meeting we will be giving away four $25.00 gift certificates to those folks who helped us at our January shows. We want to give back to those that give to us!

We have some great speakers lined up for you for the rest of the year. Attend our general meetings to check them out. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month. Meetings start at 7:30pm for a little socializing. Pizza, snacks and beverages are usually on hand. The business portion of our meeting begins at 8:00pm and our guest speaker goes on immediately after. I hope to see you there.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

February 2019

Well it’s February now, and we are one month closer to the warmer weather since the last time we spoke. I did get out a few times in January and I managed to get a few fish. The February fish is in the books as well, thanks to the spring like weather we had earlier this week. If you are fishing this time of year please be careful. Our rivers our full of water this year and wading can be dangerous at times. A dunking that would be a mild inconvenience in May could be lethal this time of year. Hyperthermia is no laughing matter, falling into a trout stream in the middle of winter is serious business so be careful out there!

Many thanks go out to all of the volunteers you helped us out at the two area shows last month! As a thank you, we will be rewarding those that helped us out with a random drawing at our next meeting. If you donated more than 4 hours of your time, your name will be entered into a drawing to win a gift certificate to one of our area fly shops. Remember, you have to attend the meeting to claim your prize if your name is drawn!

Fly tying season is upon us and we are preparing to kick of our 2019 fly tying classes. If you have not signed up for the beginners or intermediate classes there is still time. Classes begin on Wednesday, February 13 and we will take participants right up to the day of the class. The cost for either class is $50.00. For the beginners class we provide all the tools and materials you need to complete the class. If interested you can register at our meeting next week our send us an email at cjtutying@cjtu.org.

We have a great meeting in store for you this month. Tim Flagler will be giving a presentation on fishing Patagonia. This is one you will not want to miss! The meeting starts at 7:30pm for some socializing, the business portion of the meeting starts at 8:00pm and the presentation will begin following the business meeting. As always there will be pizza and soft drinks available before the meeting.

For those interested in fly tying we will be trying something new in the months to come. Before the meeting one of our experienced fly tiers will be on site to demonstrate the tying of special pattern. It could be a local favorite, a hot fly for the season, the showcasing of a new material or demonstrating of a new fly tying technique. We are working out the details and will begin the program in March and we will announce the tying sessions in advance so you know what is going on for each date. However, we will have a couple fly tiers on hand before the February meeting as well. If you want to tie along you are welcome to. You can bring out your vise and tools or use ours. We will have them on hand for anyone that wants to sit down and tie along. Our tiers will be setting up around 6:30pm if you are interested.

This month we can take a little breather from the hustle and bustle of show season. At the moment there is nothing on our calendar until we move into March and April. We are still planning on a clean up on Anderson Brook this Spring and our Annual Musky Clean up is scheduled for Saturday April 13. Looking forward we attending Rutgers day and possibly the Pequest Open House.

That’s it for now. I hope to see everyone at the meeting!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

January 2019

Let me start by wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year! I am writing this month's president’s letter from the banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River on January 3rd, 2019. I make it goal to catch a trout during every month of the year and things are looking good for today. After warming my bones by the fire and finishing this letter, I intend put my January fish in the books. We have had some rough conditions this fall/winter with all of the high water, but if you pick your days and can get out between the weather systems, when the rivers drop, you can find excellent fishing.

We have a call out for volunteer support for two upcoming events. The first event is the ’NJ Outdoor Show on January 10-13 in Edison NJ. The second event is the Fly Fishing Show January 25-27 also in Edison. We need help manning our booths at both events. If you can help us out please send an email to volunteer@cjtu.org. I can answer any questions you may have and explain roles in greater details. No previous experience working with chapter activities is required. This is a great opportunity to get more involved with your chapter. In addition, if you volunteer at the NJ Outdoor Show we will pay for your entry into show. If you can help out at the Fly Fishing Show we will enter your name in a drawing for one of four $25.00 gift certificates to a local fly shop for every 4 hours of donated time. How is that for an incentive to come out and lend a hand? Please consider helping your chapter out during these two important events.

In addition to our busy show season we will be kicking off our fly trying classes in February. Check out the article in this month’s newsletter for all the details. CJTU fly trying classes offer something for every level of fly tier from beginner to expert! You will not find a more efficient way to learn or perfect the art of fly trying and at $50.00 the courses are a bargain!

We are still moving forward on our conservation efforts on local watersheds but will not have anything to report on until the spring. As we get closer we will share more information about upcoming projects and put out a call for volunteers once we nail down specific dates.

I'll keep this one brief and wrap up here. Make sure to come out to our monthly meetings we have some great speakers coming up in the months to come. If you attending either of the local area shows stop by the booth and say hello! Please consider coming out to the shows. These shows need your support as much as we do. You can find all the details for the NJ Outdoor Show by visiting http://www.gsoss.com. For information about the Fly Fishing Show visit https://flyfishingshow.com/edison-nj/ For those that are curious I did in fact catch that January trout shortly after drafting this letter. Hopefully it is the first of many fish to come in 2019!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at