Hammonasset Chapter of Trout Unlimited - #446 CT

Picnic Update

5/14/2019

Just a reminder to RSVP to fhuntley1452@comcast.net on or before May 18th if you plan to attend the picnic on May 30th. Here's a bit from their website about our guest Jerry Jahn with Spey Casting North East: Jerry has been fishing for Atlantic Salmon for over 30 years and 25 of them has been with the two handed spey rod. He began on the Penobscot River in Maine and the Miramichi River in New Brunswick. In that time we did not have books, DVD's or instruction on how to cast or set up lines. They used Double Taper lines imported from Europe and cut up lines for their needs. The rods were very long and slow action in comparison to today's equipment. Jerry is an excellent caster of single hand and two hand rods, his enthusiasm is infectious and very well received by all of our students. He is focused on getting the student to understand Spey casting and only pleased when they have success.

You certainly won't want to miss this! We hope that the venue (Chatfield Hollow in Killingworth) will draw some of our members from south central CT who may find it difficult to attend meetings in Meriden. Please join us any time Thursday afternoon starting around 2PM. Picnic fare will be available from 5 to 7 PM.

May 2019 Update

5/3/2019

Our Meeting this month has been moved to Thursday the 30th. This will be our annual picnic meeting. We have decided to try a new venue for this event, Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth. We will have Jerry Jahn from Spey Casting Northeast demonstrating starting at 4:00 pm. Come early and/or stay late to take advantage of the varied fishing opportunities at this Trout Park that include two ponds and a small stream.

Please RSVP by email to Rick Huntley if you plan to attend so we can plan for food quantities.

Please join us on May 30th at Chatfield Hollow State Park, 381 Route 80, Killingworth, CT 06419, See:
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325182&deepNav_GID=1650%20
for more information about the park. We plan to have the picnic at the pavilion. See the map at: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/18d24b8cc535ba0afcdde8795/files/9c515e02-4bb8-415c-adba-32f3d94024f7/chatfieldhollow.pdf.

April 2019 Update

4/8/2019

Our featured speaker at this month's meeting is FFI (Fly Fishers International) Certified Master Casting Instructor and author of two casting books John Field. John will be giving a talk based on his book titled Fly-Casting Finesse. As described on his website, fieldflyfishing.com, Fly-Casting Finesse reveals John ’s secrets of fly-casting based on modern observation, his experience as an angler and casting teacher, and his collaboration with international members of casting clubs and schools.

Whether the reader is a salt- or freshwater angler, Fly-Casting Finesse will help the caster increase accuracy and distance as well as hone presentation. It runs the gamut from one-hand spey techniques to dealing with wind on the flats.

John has spent extensive time exploring the waters of the Northwest Territories and the provinces while on the mast of Canadian Sportfishing Magazine. He also filmed in the Amazonas in Venezuela and elsewhere while shooting and co-producing Hunt for Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg. John has decades of experience flats fishing the Florida Keys and striped bass fishing in the Northeast. John also makes regular fishing trips to the Balkans of Europe and the Yellowstone region. He is past-president of the New York City Chapter of Trout Unlimited and past president of the ACA (American Casting Association). John is an FFI Master Casting Instructor and author of two books; Fly-Casting Finesse- A Complete Guide to Improving All Aspects of Your Casting, Skyhorse Publishing, 2015 and ACA’s Beginner’s Guide to Fly Casting- Featuring the Twelve Casts You Need to Know,Skyhorse Books 2018. He is currently working on another book titled, Trophy Striped Bass on the Fly, Stackpole Books. It should be available in 2019. John’s feature articles have been published in Fly Fisherman Magazine and many others and John has contributed to several books by other authors. Visit his website- fieldflyfishing.com.

Please join us on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden for a very informative presentation and some good fellowship! Food at 6:30, a short business meeting, program updates, and raffle precedes speaker.

March 2019 Update

3/8/2019

The featured speaker this month is Captain Mark Dysinger, well known operator of Flyosophy Charters Long Island Sound Flyfishing (https://www.flyosophycharters.com).

Mark has fished the New England salt most of his life. Although he is skilled in many angling methods, he is most accomplished with the fly rod. He specializes in the northeast slam of striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore. Although he guides in Long Island Sound and its surrounding waters, he is also passionate about freshwater fishing and is a recognized authority on flyfishing for northern pike.

The presentation this month is Pike on the Fly – a Worthwhile Pursuit

"Pike are often viewed as a nuisance species, one that is beneath the effort of many fly anglers. This presentation highlights life history, gear, flies, local and global fishing opportunities, and their enigmatic traits that often make them a perfect target for fly fishing. Connecticut waters offer excellent choices and chances to target northern pike, and many of my predator fly pattern designs start with these fish in mind." - Captain Mark Dysinger.

Please join us on March 14th at the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden for a very informative presentation and some good fellowship! Food at 6:30, a short business meeting, program updates, and raffle precedes speaker.

February 2019 Update

2/8/2019

Our guest speaker this month is Tim Wildman, Senior Fisheries Biologist with the CTDEEP. Tim will speak on the CTDEEP Sea-run Brown Trout program including recent attempts to increase numbers of fish available for anglers through importing a different strain of European fish than had been previously used. Please join us on Thursday, February 14th at the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden for a very informative presentation and some good fellowship! Food is available at 6:30 followed by a short business meeting, program updates, and raffle prior to the speaker. We hope to see you there.

January 2019 Update

1/3/2019

Our January speaker is Michael Brucato (pictured above.) Michael will speak on "Why Should You Use a Soft-Hackle Wet Fly?"

Topics covered during the presentation will include:

1.What do the champions (or experts in this style of trout fishing) have to say about this method of fishing?

2.What do soft-hackle wet flies suggest and why are trout so routinely fooled by them?

3.Learn more about the materials used to tie soft-hackle wet flies and just how easy they really are to create impressionistic and lifelike patterns that will catch trout during much of the fishing season.

4.How do you fish a soft-hackle wet fly? What are the various methods and or tactics employed by a soft-hackle addict?

5.What type of fly-fishing equipment and or tackle works best and in what types of fishing conditions?

6.Soft-hackle wet fly testimonials from your everyday fly-fishing peers from across the country.

7.Tenkara fly-fishing and the role of the soft-hackle wet fly.

You can see more about our presenter, Michael Brucato – Tier, Presenter & Soft-hackle Wet Fly Addict at: https://www.bearsden.com/page1105.html.

Please join us on Thursday, January 10th at the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden for a very informative presentation and some good fellowship! Food at 6:30, a short business meeting, program updates, and raffle precedes speaker.

November Speaker Announced!

11/7/2018

Our November speaker is Steve Babbitt. Steve is a guide out of JT's Flyshop and will be discussing Eastern CT Flyfishing and the Willimantic river TMA. Will cover spots to fish, Hatches, Tactics and Gear.

Please join us on November 8th for a very informative presentation and some good fellowship! Food at 6:30, a short business meeting, program updates, and raffle precedes speaker.

Protect Public Lands - Message from our Chapter President

10/26/2018

SAVE STATE FORESTS, STATE PARKS, AND STATE WILDLIFE REFUGES

ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 6
VOTE YES ON QUESTION 2

This Is a Constitutional Amendment to
PROTECT YOUR PUBLIC LANDS

The official title of Question 2 is Connecticut Legislative Requirement to Transfer State Property Amendment

This Amendment puts common-sense limits on the legislature’s annual gifts of public lands to towns, businesses, and individuals for uses such as parking lots, cemeteries, gravel-truck roads, boutique hotels, storage space, and more. These conveyances can be done without a public hearing, without public notice, and without fair compensation to taxpayers.

Each section of a law conveying away state land begins with the magic word “Notwithstanding“, as in text along the lines of: ...Notwithstanding any law, regulation, or policy of the state of Connecticut, we are hereby conveying this land, which belongs to the people of Connecticut, to someone else. We may or may not require the someone-else to pay for the property.

The limits established by this Amendment are modest and similar to laws in neighboring states. The provisions will require the legislature to: (1) hold a public hearing on each conveyance and (2) gain a 2/3rds majority vote. That's all.

YOUR YES VOTE will prevent valuable state-owned park, forest, wildlife management area, and farmland from being sold, swapped, or given away by the legislature without public notice or comment.

Thank You.

James Swiatek
President of the Hammonasset Trout Unlimited
jswiatek@comcast.net
860-839-7057

October Meeting Speaker Announced!

10/3/2018

Join us on Thursday October 11th for an informative presentation on Euro/Tactical Nymphing for Steelhead.
Joe Goodspeed from Thomas & Thomas fly rods will be discussing how we can use technical nymphing tactics to hook more great lakes Steelhead. This presentation will highlight the new 10’8” 6wt Contact nymph rod from Thomas & Thomas, and how to achieve a range of presentation styles with that type of equipment. Joe has more than two decades experience targeting fall run Great Lakes Steelhead, and his understanding of these fish and how to effectively target them will benefit Steelhead anglers of all skill levels.

September Meeting Speaker Announced! Paul Dinice on Flyfishing for Smallies on the Housatonic River.

9/10/2018

Our speaker this month will be Paul Dinice.

Paul has been gracious enough to provide this Bio and overview of his Presentation:

I’m 64 years old and have resided in Derby, CT all my life. I began spin fishing and fly fishing at a very early age, all thanks to an uncle who took all the family kids fishing on his one day off a week. In 1980 my fishing focus turned exclusively to fly fishing. In 1985 I made my first foray into salt water fly fishing. I live a stones throw from the Housatonic River and Naugatuck Rivers. I’m a member of virtually every fly fishing club and organization in CT. I’m also very much involved in numerous environmentally based organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Connecticut Audubon Society, and the Coastal Conservation Association. I’ve made numerous written contributions to newspapers, local club newsletters, and periodicals. My “home” club/organization is the Housatonic Fly Fisherman’s Association. For the past 35 years I’ve written “Fly of the Month” section of the HFFA news letter and website. I contributed to a book entitled “Over-Winter Striper Secrets” by Captain Al Anderson. The contributions included photographs and writings which were incorporated in the section on fishing the Housatonic. My ‘closer crab” pattern appeared in the 2012 Winter edition Fly Tyer Magazine. I’ve also organized numerous small fly fishing expo’s here in CT. I’m a member of the Derby Inland Wetlands Commission and have been employed by the Town of Orange as the Zoning Administrator for the past 38 years.

Fly Fishing for Small Mouth Bass on the Housatonic

This is an underappreciated fishery. Learn about the behavior of ‘smallies’ and how it can assist you in catching this great game fish. Many believe that pound for pound this is the strongest fresh water game fish available. I’ll cover fishing tactics and techniques, best times to fish for small mouth bass, and the flies to use. Fishing for this species is just a whole ‘lota’ fun and can assist you in improving your fly fishing skills and knowledge of the Housatonic River.

We hope that you will join us this month for this great presentation and fellowship with folks who have an interest in coldwater fisheries conservation. We will have pizza at 6:00, meeting will start at 7:00. BYOB or soft drink of your choice.