December 2024

It’s hard to believe that December is here already, and another year is coming to a close. This fall has been a tough one on the fishing front. Our record-breaking drought had our trout streams flowing at a trickle, and the low water delayed stocking on public and private water alike. Better late than never, the state stocking program finally occurred after a few weeks of delays. As a result, anglers have reported good catches of large broodstock fish.

I had an opportunity to fish with my son several times during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Recent rains had given the South Branch of the Raritan a good flush of water, and although the river was still a little low, there was plenty of water, and lots of fish were caught. My 16-year-old son has only been fly fishing for a year but is developing into quite an angler. He landed a beautiful large rainbow trout the day before Thanksgiving that would make any angler envious. The fact that he stalked the fish, selected his fly, hooked, and landed the fish all on his own made his father proud.

Many anglers hang up their fly rods when the leaves start to fall. Those who do are missing out on some of the best fishing of the year. In New Jersey, we can fish year-round. Fishing in the winter may be a little uncomfortable due to the cold, but if you can brave the elements, you can find some solitude on the water and plenty of fish to catch.

Speaking of the South Branch of the Raritan River, I received some alarming news this week. The DEP has advised the Raritan Headwaters Association that a new invasive species has been discovered in the Califon area. New Zealand Mud Snails have been found in the South Branch of the Raritan River. This invasive species can be very damaging to the overall health of our trout waters They are voracious grazers of the biofilm that covers stream rocks, out-competing resident macroinvertebrate grazers. Trout don’t appear to feed on them, and their presence in the river can adversely affect the macroinvertebrates that trout feed on.

The following precautions are recommended to limit the spread of this harmful snail:

1. Check your boots or waders thoroughly for this snail (and any other debris or organisms) before or after visiting any site. Especially check the treads of your boots.


2. Look for the snail on the South Branch and report to us if you see it.


3. Visit sites upstream to downstream to prevent moving anything upstream.

For those of you braving the weather and fishing in the winter, leaving your gear (most concerns focus on boots) outside at temperatures below zero for at least 6 hours will kill the snail.

The snail has been in the lower Musconetcong River for some time now. Anglers likely contributed to its spread. Boot cleaning to prevent snail spread should become a routine no matter where we fish.

I will be giving a presentation on Tight-Line (Euro) Nymphing at our December meeting. If you have yet to try this highly effective way of fishing, this presentation will give you all of the information you need to get started. It has been very well received everywhere I have given it.

We are still looking for volunteers to help out at the upcoming Fly Fishing Show in Edison, NJ, at the end of January. Reach out to us via volunteer@cjtuorg if you can volunteer for a few hours at our booth. We will have a limited number of free passes to the show for those of you who can volunteer four hours or more.

We will be ramping up our fly tying classes this winter. As always, we will offer both beginner and intermediate classes to anyone interested in learning more about fly tying. All materials and tools are supplied for beginner students, and a material list will be distributed to those interested in taking intermediate-level classes. Reach out to our fly tying team at cjtutying@cjtu.org for more information.

I hope to see you at Tuesday’s meeting, and I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

November 2024

Autumn has been with us for weeks now, but it still feels a bit like summer. Warm days and cool nights have created perfect conditions for trout fishing, the only thing we need now is water! New Jersey is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades resulting in extremely low water levels in most of our trout streams. The State of New Jersey delayed their fall stocking program a few weeks hoping for an improvement in water conditions, but that improvement never materialized. After a delay of several weeks the fall stocking recently took place despite the low water conditions. Our volunteers helped with the stocking of the Point Mountain tract. Because of the restoration work done at this location anglers are reporting a lot of success fishing at this location despite the low water.

The Annual Fly Fisher of the Year Competition takes place this weekend at the Raritan Inn on the waters of the South Branch of the Raritan River. On Sunday November 10th, anglers from TU and other NJ conservation organizations will compete for the title of Fly Fisher of the Year. The event takes place on the waters of the Raritan Inn (Shannon’s Private Waters) and supports the New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited. In this unique event the competitors must select only one fly to use for the duration of the event. Participants are allowed three flies of the same pattern to use during the competition. If they lose their three flies their fishing is finished for the day. This year Kenneth Snyder is representing CJTU. We wish him the best of luck! Guests are welcome and encouraged to to come out and support their teams.

For those of you that are fly tiers the 33rd Annual Fly Tying Symposium will take place at the Double Tree Hotel in Somerset, NJ on November 16th and 17th. While we are not taking part in this event as a chapter many of our members will be attending the show. This is THE event for fly tying enthusiasts. At the show there will be over a hundred fly tiers showing off their craft and there will be plenty of vendors at the show giving you the opportunity to stock up on materials for fly tying season.

CJTU will be attending the Fly-Fishing Show in January. The show takes place January 24-26 at the NJ Convention & Expo Center in Edison, NJ. We are looking for volunteers to help man our booth at the show. If you volunteer to staff the booth we will cover your entrance fee to the show. If you are interested in helping send an email to volunteer@cjtu.org and we will get you signed up.

We have a great speaker lined up for our November meeting. Rick Nyles will be giving a presentation on dry fly fishing. Rick, an experienced angler, and fly-fishing guide will share his knowledge on the topic of fishing the dry fly. As an avid dry fly angler myself, I am looking forward to this presentation. I hope to see you at next Tuesday’s meeting!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

September 2024

I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. I hope all of you could sneak in a bit of fishing. There are limited opportunities for trout fishing in New Jersey during the summer, so my trout fishing adventures took place in the mountain west. I had the privilege of taking my youngest son, Dan, who is 16 years old, out west for the first time to sample the fishing in places like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. The kid had a blast, and he put us old-timers to shame by catching one of the biggest fish of the trip, a fine 23” Madison River rainbow.

With cooler temperatures on the horizon, we should be able to start trout fishing again soon. I have been roaming our trout streams all summer in pursuit of smallmouth bass. While bass fishing, I have seen many feeding trout, so we should have a fine season this fall.

I am looking forward to getting back to our regular meeting schedule. We have some great programs lined up for the upcoming year, so be sure to attend our in-person meetings on the second Tuesday of each at 8:00 pm at the American Legion Hall in Dunellin, NJ. Sam Vigorita will present on Upper Delaware River Fly Fishing Tactics this month. This incredible fishery is a short drive away and is always worth the trip. If you fish the upper Delaware or plan to do so in the future, you will want to attend this presentation.

This November sees the return of the Fly Fisherman Of The Year One Fly Contest at Shannon’s Private Waters at the Raritan Inn. This event is in its 15th year and takes place on Sunday, November 10th. During this event, there will be a silent auction to benefit the New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited. There are always some great items up for auction, so come out and spend the day with us. Watch the competition, cheer on your favorite angler, and enjoy a great lunch. We encourage you to participate in the silent auction. Participating in this event is a great way to support TU and maybe win something nice for yourself. If you would like to stay for lunch, the cost is only $25.00.

While on the subject, CJTU seeks a volunteer to represent our chapter at this event. We will cover your $25.00 entrance/lunch fee. Perhaps you will be 2024’s Fly Fisher of the Year! Contact me at president@cjtu.org if you are interested in participating this year. I’ll happily answer any questions and share some tips for fishing this great stretch of private water.

For the fly tiers in the group, I am happy to announce the return of the Fly Tying Symposium. The 33rd International Fly Tying Symposium is returning to my favorite location at the Double Tree by Hilton, 200 Atrium Drive, Somerset, N. J. Mark your calendar for November 16-17, 2024, and come to the show. While the chapter no longer attends this event as a group, fellow CJTU member Lou Digena and I will be at the event, tying up some of our favorite flies. This show provides a great opportunity to rub elbows with some of the greatest fly tiers in the country and stock up on materials for the upcoming “fly tying season.”

We have to find a new location to store CJTU’s meager possessions, consisting of rods and reels, totes, tables, and chairs. We have stored our goods in a shed on CJTU member Larry Gove’s property for many years. Unfortunately the shed must come down so we are looking for a new place to store our supplies. If you have a corner of your garage or part of a shed that you can spare, you could save the chapter a lot of money. The alternative for us will be to rent a small space at a storage facility. If you can help us, email me at president@cjtu.org or grab me at one of our upcoming meetings.

In closing, I would like to recognize and thank Larry for allowing us to utilize his shed for all these years. Not only has Larry stored our goods, but he has also often helped us transport them around the state over the years. His contribution to the chapter over the years is greatly appreciated.

I hope to see everyone this Tuesday night!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

May 2024

Trout season has been in full swing for a month now. I hope many of you have been able to wet a line over the last few weeks. High water has been a problem on a few occasions over the previous month, but generally speaking, our rivers are in fine shape and full of trout. I started seeing a few sulphur mayflies on the South Branch of the Raritan this week. This mayfly brings some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. The sulphur hatch also spreads out over several weeks instead of several days, giving anglers more opportunities to find themselves amid a good emergence. The best activity occurs late in the day, often right at or after dark. It usually pays off to be on the water late, fishing right up to the point where you can't see what you're doing! Sulpher nymphs drift at the surface for considerable distances before transforming into winged adults. Floating nymphs and emerger patterns often fish better than dun imitations. Learning to distinguish the different rise forms a feeding trout makes can help you identify whether the fish are feeding on the surface or just under it.

April was a busy month, starting with the Musky Clean-up on Saturday, April 13, 2024. CJTU volunteers worked on cleaning up the Point Mountain Trout Conservation Area. The good news is that we collect less garbage each year, but we still managed to fill half a dozen bags and remove several larger items like tires and lumber.

Speaking of Point Mountain, CJTU volunteers assist the state in stocking this particular stretch of water. We assisted with stocking in March and April and have two more dates scheduled for May. If you want to help with the stocking, contact the program coordinator, Ed Kordyla, at edward.kordyla@aol.com.

On Saturday, April 20, we participated in Trout Fest in Califon. This event, hosted by South Branch Outfitters, featured live music, food and beer trucks, local craft vendors, fishing competitions, and a kid's fishing derby. This year's attendance dwarfed previous events and was the best attended to date.

On Saturday, April 27, we attended Rutgers Day. This event has always been a good one for us in terms of the number of people we get to share our message with. This year's event was the best yet. Our volunteers were busy from the event opening to closing.

I would like to take a moment to personally thank all of the volunteers for donating their time to help out at all of our events this year. It was great to see some new faces helping out. Plantings, clean-ups, restoration projects, and outreach events are at the core of what we do. Your help at these events is invaluable!

In last month's newsletter, I mentioned that I would be giving a presentation on fly fishing from a kayak. Unfortunately, that presentation must be postponed as I cannot attend this month's meeting. We have booked Don Baylor to give a presentation on fly fishing the Poconos. This presentation will inform you about the variety of fly fishing opportunities in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. An emphasis on public access, hatches for major streams, and some suggested fly patterns will be included. I am disappointed that I will miss this talk as I have always wanted to learn more about this fishery that is right on our doorstep.

Our June meeting is our annual BBQ. The event this year will feature classic BBQ fare such as briscuit and pulled pork with all the fixins. The cost is $20.00 per person, and we are requesting that everyone buy their ticket in advance. The May meeting will be your last opportunity to do so.

We are still seeking volunteers to serve on the current Board of Directors, the group responsible for running the organization's day-to-day operations. We have several vacant positions that need to be filled. I am happy to discuss what is involved and what is expected of someone who decides to help out. Don't hesitate to contact me at president@cjtu.org if you are interested.

I hope you will attend our next general meeting on Tuesday, May 14, at the American Legion Hall in Dunellin, NJ. Please join us for an evening of conservation, camaraderie, and fishing!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

April 2024

The opening day of trout season is right around the corner. For many anglers in New Jersey, opening day is the first time they will hit the water in pursuit of trout. The truth is you can fish for trout 365 days a year in New Jersey! While the general season closes sometime in mid-March, the year-round TCAs (Trout Conservation Areas) are open all year. For me, opening day is bittersweet. While it marks the official start of trout season, some folks (myself included) have been chasing trout since the fall, mainly having the rivers to themselves. Opening day marks the return of crowded trout waters, especially in the more popular locations. However, if you do your homework, you can find less pressured waters, even a little solitude.

There have already been a few pre-season hatches for those chasing the bugs. Of course, our little black stone flies have come and gone, but I still encounter a few adults while I am on the water. I saw some Hendrickson mayflies hatching last week. Hopefully, the cool, wet weather and high water will push the main hatch back until after opening day. The warmer days in March also saw some caddis activity, so things should be in full swing by the time opening day rolls around. This week's rainy weather pumped our streams full of water. This extra water will help move the fish around but can also make wading a little dicey. Be extra careful if you are out with the masses this weekend!

Due to inclement weather, our March meeting was our first for the year. Fritz Miller gave an excellent presentation on fly fishing for northern pike on the Passaic River. This is an incredible fishery that is underutilized by anglers. These toothy critters are great sport on a fly rod or any rod, for that matter.

Our April meeting will be a little different. Once a year, we hold a fly-tying-focused meeting. We usually have this meeting before we start our fly-tying classes. But because of all the meeting cancellations, it has been rescheduled for April. We will be featuring several of our chapter's excellent fly tiers. Each tier will demonstrate one of their favorite trout flies. The tying demonstration will be broadcast on the big screen so everyone can clearly see what's happening behind the vise. In addition to the tying demonstration, this is a great time to ask those fly-tying questions, as I doubt you can find a more qualified group of individuals to answer your questions.

I will be giving a presentation on fly fishing from kayaks, float tubes, and other watercraft next month. Weather permitting, I will bring a fully rigged kayak to display and discuss during the presentation. If you have ever fly-fished on still water, you know what a challenge it can be to fish from shore. Getting off the bank will take your fishing to the next level!

At our next few meetings, we will be conducting a fly sale. We still have a large number of flies that we used as a fundraising method several years ago. The flies are coming out of storage and will be available for purchase at our meetings. This sale will be a great way to fill those fly boxes before the season begins.

I mentioned in my last letter that we acquired a large quantity of furs for fly tying. We have decided to hold off on distributing the fur until the fall. Stay tuned for more details.

On Friday, March 22, Trout Unlimited volunteers ( a few from CJTU and a great turnout from Hacklebarney TU) completed some restoration work on the Lamington River near the dam removal site at Burnt Mills. Recent high-water events damaged some of the previous restoration efforts. The team of volunteers replanted trees, removed debris, and made repairs to previous work. This type of work is at the core of Trout Unlimited. This type of work is very rewarding and is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. Please consider volunteering for future events like this.

Our first stocking of Point Mountain took place on March 18. Over 900 fish were stocked in the Point Mountain TCA on the Musconetcong River. Ed Kordyla has a short article about the program in this month's newsletter, so be sure to check it out. Our volunteers stock the length of this special regulation water, ensuring that fish are evenly distributed throughout the tract instead of being dropped off at the bridges crossing the river. If you want to help us stock this stretch of stream, contact the program coordinator, Ed Kordyla, at edward.kordyla@aol.com.

On Saturday, April 13, 2024, we will participate in a river clean-up at Point Mountain on the Musconetcong River. We will meet on the river at 9:00 a.m. and work for a few hours cleaning up the area. The clean-up is a family-friendly event and an excellent opportunity to get outdoors and do something good for the environment! We are still looking for volunteers. Contact Masha Benovengo at casabeno@msn.com for more information or to sign up for the event.

On the last Saturday of April (04/27/24), we will attend Rutgers Day. This event is an opportunity to expose the public to our conservation work in this state. We will be set up at the event to educate folks about Trout Unlimited and give free casting lessons to anyone interested. We are seeking volunteer support for this event, so please lend a hand. You can email me at president@cjtu.org, and I will gladly give you more information about the event.

Our annual BBQ is scheduled for June 11, 2024. The event will be catered for this year, and Classic BBQ is on the menu. I got a sneak peek at the proposed menu, and you will not be disappointed! As part of the afternoon's festivities, I am working on having a few of the new Orvis Helios fly rods on hand for anyone who would like to cast one of these new state-of-the-art rods.

We are still seeking volunteers to serve on the current Board of Directors, the group responsible for running the organization's day-to-day operations. We have several vacant positions that need to be filled. I am happy to discuss what is involved and what is expected of someone who decides to help out. Don't hesitate to contact me at president@cjtu.org if you are interested.

I look forward to seeing you (in person) at our next general meeting on Tuesday, April 9, at the American Legion Hall in Dunellin, NJ. Please join us for an evening of conservation, camaraderie, and fishing!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

March 2024

When I arrived home from the Fly Fishing Show in Lancaster, PA, this Sunday, I heard Spring Peeper frogs singing in the wetlands around my home for the first time this year. The song of these amphibians is a sign that spring is near. It usually also means that warmer weather and better fishing are right around the corner. However, with our mild winter, the fishing has been great since the beginning of the year. I encountered good hatches of midges, little black stoneflies, and blue-wing olives in February, and that activity should continue through early March. The rivers are up due to recent rains, but that is the norm for this time of year.

If the warming trend continues, we may even see some larger mayflies and even some early caddis activity by the end of the month. If you live near a trout stream, keep an eye on those forsythias in the neighborhood. Those yellow flowers often indicate that conditions are ripe for a Hendrickson hatch when they bloom.

We had ten students in our fly tying class last month, four of whom took up fly-tying for the first time. Everyone enjoyed this year's course of instruction. Unfortunately, I could not participate as an instructor this year as I was conducting classes for Orvis in Princeton on the same weekends. There has been a renewed interest in fly tying in recent years, and our chapter offers some of the best instruction available. Our fly tiers are some of the best in the area.

Unfortunately, the only two significant weather events occurred on the days of our monthly meetings, which resulted in both the January and February meetings being canceled. If the stars realign, we will meet next Tuesday for the first time this year. Our March meeting will feature a good friend, Fritz Miller, who will give a presentation on Fly Fishing for Northern Pike in New Jersey. Fritz and I work together at Orvis and as guides for South Branch Outfitters. He is an experienced angler and talented fly tier who has unlocked some of the secrets of fishing for these toothy predators in New Jersey. If you have ever thought about fly fishing for pike, you will want to attend this presentation.

At our next few meetings, we will be conducting a fly sale. We still have a large number of flies that we used as a fundraising method several years ago. The flies are coming out of storage and will be available for purchase at our meetings. This sale will be a great way to fill those fly boxes before the season begins. Soon, we will also be offering fur selections for the fly tiers in the group. One of our members donated a large assortment of furs to the chapter. These furs have been sorted but still need to be cut up and packaged for sale. We will likely be doing this work before a general meeting. If you want to help out, drop me a line, and I will keep you informed when we will be working on this project.

Looking forward to April, our annual fly tying night, which was rescheduled from January, will take place. Several of our talented fly tiers will be on hand to demonstrate some of their favorite patterns. If you tie flies, you are welcome to bring your vise and tools along and join in. I'll share more information in next month's newsletter.

We have a few events on the calendar in the coming months. We will do some restoration work at the Burnt Mills tract on the Lamington River sometime in March. The trees we planted after the dam removal at that location need a little TLC. We will seek volunteers to help replant and restore some trees damaged during recent high-water events. A tentative date of Friday, March 22, is being considered. We will have a sign-up sheet for those interested in helping at the meeting. Check for an Action Alert email once the details are sorted out.

Our first stocking of Point Mountain is set to take place on March 18. Ed Kordyla has a short article about the program in this month's newsletter. Our volunteers stock the length of this particular regulation water, ensuring that fish are evenly distributed throughout the tract instead of being dropped off at the bridges crossing the river. If you want to help us stock this stretch of stream, contact the program coordinator, Ed Kordyla, at edward.kordyla@aol.com.

On the last Saturday of March, we will be attending Rutgers Day. This event is an opportunity to expose the public to our conservation work in this state. We will be set up at the event to educate folks about Trout Unlimited and give free casting lessons to anyone interested. We are seeking volunteer support for this event, so please lend a hand. You can email me at president@cjtu.org, and I will gladly give you more information about the event.

On Saturday, April 13, 2024, we will participate in a river clean-up at Point Mountain on the Musconetcong River. We will meet on the river at 9:00 a.m. and work for a few hours cleaning up the area. The clean-up is a family-friendly event and an excellent opportunity to get outdoors and do something good for the environment! Contact Masha Benovengo at casabeno@msn.com for more information or to sign up for the event.

Our annual BBQ is scheduled for June 11, 2024. We are still working out the details and the menu. The BBQ committee will have an update for us soon. As part of the afternoon's festivities, I am working on having a few of the new Orvis Helios fly rods on hand for anyone who would like to cast one of these new state-of-the-art rods. I will also bring up a kayak rigged for fly fishing, float tubes, and a pontoon boat to introduce folks to an exciting way to fly fish during the warmer months.

We are still seeking volunteers to serve on the current Board of Directors, which is the group of individuals responsible for running the organization's day-to-day operations. We have several vacant positions that need to be filled. I am happy to discuss what is involved and what is expected of someone who decides they would be interested in helping out. Don't hesitate to contact me at president@cjtu.org if you are interested.

I look forward to seeing you (in person) at our next general meeting on Tuesday, March 12, at the American Legion Hall in Dunellin, NJ. Please join us for an evening of conservation, camaraderie, and fishing!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

February 2024

I want to start by thanking everyone who volunteered their time to staff our booth at the Fly Fishing Show in Edison, NJ, at the end of last month. We had a great show and collected over $1800.00 in donations! Our booth was fully staffed for the whole event, and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves.

Our next event is Rutgers Day on Saturday, April 27. We are still looking for volunteers to help out with this event. We will spread the word about Trout Unlimited's work in New Jersey and participate in activities like teaching basic fly casting. If you're interested in helping out, send an email to volunteer@cjtu.org.

We are kicking off our fly tying classes this month. This year, we are offering two levels of classes, a beginners and an intermediate class. In the beginner's class, we will introduce you to the art of fly tying, and by the end of the class, you will have all the skills needed to tie your own flies. Everything is provided for the beginner's class, including all tools and materials. The other class is the Intermediate Fly Tying Class. This class is for the fly tier who has acquired the basic skills in handling tools and materials by taking a beginner's course and/or tying flies regularly for a year or two. The classes occur over two Saturdays, February 10 &17, 2023. The class hours are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the same American Legion Hall where we have our monthly meetings.

Our speaker at our February meeting is Rick Nyles. Rick has been fly fishing for over 45 years and started guiding in 1999. Rick is an accomplished fly tier known for his CDC patterns, straightforward approach to fly tying, and fishing techniques. His presentation, Tactical Dry Fly Fishing, is sure to help you solve some of the challenges you will encounter on the water in the upcoming season.

Next month, my good friend Fritz Miller will be giving a presentation on fly fishing for pike in the Garden State. The Passaic River has developed into a world-class pike fishery but is still relatively unknown. Fritz will introduce you to a fantastic fishery and help you catch your first New Jersey pike on the fly!

Some future events for March and April include the pre-season stocking of the Point Mountain tract and the annual river clean-up on the Musconetcong River. We are still awaiting updated information on the stocking program and will provide it when it becomes available. Our volunteers stock the length of this special regulation water, ensuring that fish are evenly distributed throughout the tract instead of being dropped off at the bridges crossing the river. If you want to help us stock this stretch of stream, contact the program coordinator, Ed Kordyla, at kordyla@aol.com.

Once again, the river clean-up will occur at Point Mountain on the Musky. The date for the clean-up is Saturday, April 13, 2024. We meet on the river at 9:00 am and work for a few hours cleaning up the area. This is a family-friendly event and an excellent opportunity to get outdoors and do something good for the environment! Contact Masha Benovengo at casabeno@msn.com for more information or to sign up for the event.

We are still seeking volunteers to serve on the current Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the group of individuals responsible for running the organization's day-to-day operations. We have several vacant positions that need to be filled. I am happy to discuss what is involved and what is expected of someone who decides they would be interested in helping out. Don't hesitate to contact me at president@cjtu.org if you are interested.

For the past five years Bill Ninke has been authoring the Fly of the Month feature in pretty much an open loop fashion. Starting this month and continuing into the future you can send comments, questions and suggestions to Bill via email at fotm@cjtu.org

I look forward to seeing you (in person) at our next general meeting on February 13 at the American Legion Hall in Dunellin, NJ. Please join us for an evening of conservation, camaraderie, and fishing!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at

January 2024

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, although I suspect that many of you may already know me. My name is Bart Lombardo, and I am the “new” president of Central Jersey Trout Unlimited. “New” is probably not the best way to describe my role as president as I have served in this capacity many times over many years!

I want to thank our outgoing president Masha Benovengo for the fine work she did running the chapter for the last few years. For those of you that may not be aware Marsha has been pulling double duty serving as our chapter president and the president of the New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited. Fortunately, Marsha is not leaving CJTU and is staying on as a board member where she will continue to support our chapter.

One of my goals as president is to try and breathe some life back into our chapter. We have been struggling since the outbreak of COVID 19. The shutdown hit us particularly hard, and we have some work to do to get us back to where we were pre-pandemic. We are looking for help on several fronts including bringing some new folks onto the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors are the individuals responsible for running day to day operations of the organization. Over the years we have lost a number of board members, and it is critical that we get a few folks to take a more active role in the organization. There are a number of open positions available, and I am happy to discuss what is involved and what is expected of someone who decides that they would be interested in helping out.

The board meets once a month (the first Tuesday) via a zoom call, so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to participate. Board meetings are open to all members, and I encourage you to attend one if you have any interest in helping out. Believe me when I say it is not a heavy lift. It is a role that anyone can fill if they have a desire to help Central Jersey Trout Unlimited succeed in the future.

The beginning of the year is always a busy time for us. We have several events and activities taking place over the next few months. Starting out in January is the Fly Fishing Show at the end of the month. The Fly Fishing Show takes place at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison NJ on January 26-28, 2024. CJTU will be manning a booth at this event to promote our conservation and fund raising efforts. We still have some spots available for volunteers at our table. No prior experience is required, we can bring you up to speed in a few minutes if you want to help us out at the show. Give us three or more hours at our table and we will cover the cost of your admission to the show ($20.00). If you’re interested in helping reach out to Marsha Benovengo at casabeno@msn.com .

In February we will be kicking off our fly tying school. This year we are offering two classes. The first class is our Beginners Fly Tying Class. In this class we will introduce you to the art of fly tying and by the end of the class you will have all the skills needed to tie your own flies. For the beginner’s class everything is provided including all tools and materials. The second class is the Intermediate Fly Tying Class. This class is for the fly tier who has acquired the basic skills in handling tools and materials either by previously taking a beginner’s course and/or tying flies regularly for a year or two. The cost for each class is $50.00. The classes will take place over two Saturdays, February 10 &17, 2023. The class hours are 10:00am to 3:00pm and take place at the same American Legion Hall where we have our monthly meetings. If you are interested in taking a class or would like more information, drop us a line at cjtutying@cjtu.org .

In March we kick off our Point Mountain stocking program. CJTU has adopted the Point Mountain Tract on the Musconetcong River as our “home waters”. Our chapter led the efforts on the restoration project completed there some years ago. We have also been assisting the state in stocking trout on this beautiful stretch of trout stream for many years. Our volunteers stock the length of this special regulation water ensuring that fish are evenly distributed throughout the tract opposed to being dropped off at the bridges that cross the river. If you would like to help us stock this stretch of stream reach out to the program coordinator Ed Kordyla at kordyla@aol.com .

In April is our Annual River Clean-Up. Once again this takes place at Point Mountain on the Musky. The date for the clean-up is Saturday, April 13, 2024. We meet on the river at 9:00am and work for a few hours cleaning up the area. This is a family friendly event and a great opportunity to get outdoors and do something good for the environment! Contact Masha Benovengo at casabeno@msn.com for more information or to sign up for the event.

Also, in April our chapter will be participating in Rutgers Day at Rutgers University. This one-day event is a big one for us and we are always looking for volunteers to assist us. You can contact me for additional information (my contact info is at the end of this letter). Rutgers Day is Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Our next general meeting is Tuesday January 9, 2024. We are doing something a little different for this meeting. Some of CJTU’s most talented fly tiers will be showing off some of their favorite fly patterns. They will tie the flies right there at the meeting and what’s going on behind the vise will be projected on the big screen for all to see. They will tie the flies right in front of you while discussing where, when, and how they fish them. This should be a great meeting so be sure to come out and join us. The meeting begins at 8:00pm, though folks show up earlier to set up and socialize. Meetings are held in the American Legion Hall, 137 New Market Road, Dunellen, NJ 08812.

I look forward to my “new” role for the next two years! I hope to see you at a meeting or event soon.

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

You can contact Bart at