Category: News

The Town of Fairfield would eliminate the position of conservation administrator if the proposed 2021-22 budget passes in its current iteration.

The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 on Monday, March 8, to submit a budget without the conservation administrator funding to the Board of Finance, according to the Fairfield Citizen.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said “conservation staffing levels are similar to other towns and she said the selection of a new director along with making the wetlands compliance officer a full-time position make it tenable.”

More than 700 people — toward a goal of 1,000 set by organizers — have signed an online petition seeking restoration of a full-time conservation administrator. The change.org petition reads: “We, the residents of the Town of Fairfield, request that the Town of Fairfield commits to protecting the environmental quality of our community by restoring the position of Conservation & Wetlands Administrator to the Conservation Department, and filling the position with a qualified full-time employee. We need to ensure our wetlands, marshlands, open spaces, rivers and other resources are protected and sustainable for future generations.”

The Board of Finance will hear public comment on the proposed budget Thursday at 7 p.m. Those who wish to comment during the meeting should email Jennifer Carpenter at jcarpenter@fairfieldct.org by noon on Thursday, March 11, for instructions on how to comment during the meeting.

Comments may also be submitted before or after the meeting by sending an email to bof@fairfieldct.org. Include name and home address with the comment. All comments received and  verified will be included in the minutes with a name and home address, but the email address will be excluded.

Gov. Ned Lamont Thursday declared that the 2021 trout season is immediately open.

Learn a new fly and enjoy an adult beverage from the safety of home Tuesday nights at 8 during Tie One On, organized by Mianus TU and Candlewood Valley TU.

Nutmeg TU members may join these Zoom presentations instead of our usual meetings on the third Tuesday of each month.

There is no charge, but those who wish to attend are asked to register for each night for Zoom login:

• March 9 – Gustavo Castano – Holly Pond Saltwater Shrimp paired with Maker’s Mark
•  March 16 – John Hildenbrand – Half-and-Half Clouser paired with New Belgium Brewing IPA
• March 23 – Gerald Berrafati  – Striper-Sized Tarpon Bunny paired with Lawson’s Sip O Sunshine
• March 30 – Roundtable Tying & Lying Wrap up paired with your beverage of choice

So tune in, even if you don’t tie flies, for some laughs, some wisdom and some socializing before the fishing season starts.

As COVID-19 is keeping us from gathering in person, events such as cleanups have been on hold. Unfortunately, littering has not slowed.

In order to keep up with our conservation efforts, Nutmeg TU is offering families who are comfortable taking on a cleanup together to do so, and take some photos to share via our website.

Some suggested cleanup areas are:

Our chapter has started a new fundraising initiative via selling items we otherwise would offer in our raffles and banquets at auctions on eBay.  The impetus for this is, of course, the restrictions imposed by Covid and our inability to have in-person events.

Still, the chapter needs to build funds for the many projects on the agenda and eBay auctions represent a socially-distanced alternative to the norm. We’ve had quick success with the first auction, raising nearly $150, and have another underway. See the link below.

If you have items you would like to donate, remember that the donation is tax deductible as well as a chance to clean up the inevitable accumulation of stuff you might not need any longer. A member of the board will take care of putting it up on eBay, shipping, and getting you the receipt for tax purposes. Just contact us to tell us what you have and arrange a pickup.

eBay link to rod auction: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cabelas-Fly-Rod-MTX-906-4-9-6-wt-4-piece-with-case/143937491408

link to Cabela’s offering: https://www.gearbuyer.com/products/cabelas-mtx_fly_rods.html

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has released its 2021-25 Salmonid Action Plan, which outlines the direction it will take managing trout and salmon.

The purpose of the plan is to provide a suite of actions that will maintain and improve recreational salmonid fishing and to conserve wild populations in Connecticut. Looking ahead, the Fisheries Division will be more adaptive and responsive with salmonid production, distribution, and conservation in order to meet the changing desires and preferences of Connecticut’s residents. The plan focuses on four themes:

DEEP said the document is an Action Plan, which is a compilation of tangible items to consider and implement. These actions are presented by theme, goal, and objective.

This plan differs from traditional Fisheries Management Plans, which describe how fish populations are manipulated through a variety of techniques including regulations (seasons, gear, size limits) and stocking.

Click here to read the plan.

Greetings,

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a year since the world ground to a virtual halt. Everyone has suffered, but hopefully the virus will soon be tamed.

Fortunately, fishing can be a socially distant sport, allowing us to get some exercise and fresh air.

Although we did manage to get in a few Nutmeg fishing trips, our conservation efforts have gone by the wayside until we can safely gather.

Thanks to Mike Piquette and Gian Morresi, we were able to monitor water temperatures in the Mill and Pequonnock Rivers, providing useful data which may help with future projects. We also won an Embrace a Stream grant from Trout Unlimited and Orvis, which will provide us with a Habitat Improvement Plan for the Mill River section along Congress Street in Fairfield.

On hold have been our revetment project, tree plantings, invasive species removal, macro invertebrate studies and river cleanups. Some of the rivers are getting trashy. While we cannot do a TU sponsored cleanup yet, if family members want to get out and pick up trash, just let us know where and when and send us a few pictures. The Mill along Congress and Park avenue can use some TLC.

Some of our Zoom meetings have been great, but of course they are a poor substitute for the real thing. We will resume our Port 5 meetings as soon as we can. If you have taken an interesting fishing trip and want to share you with the chapter, we’d love to have you speak to the group.

Since we can no longer raise funds at our meetings, we have started to sell our donated inventory on eBay. David Ader has taken up the challenge and sold our first rod in one day. If anyone has used gear they would like to donate to the chapter as part of our fund-raising efforts, please let us know. We will do all the work and give you a receipt for the IRS. Also, be on the lookout for a sweepstakes for a Winston 5 wt. rod.

Let us know if you want to get involved. We have spots on the Board or you can do a one-off project. Phil Jacques has retired from the board after more than a decade of service. We appreciate all he has done and continues to do for TU. Ed Grzeda has agreed to take over the Treasurer’s position, following Phil and then Jerry Goldstein.

In 2021 we plan to expand our reach to youth, veterans, and inner city. Please join us to help grow our membership and reach all members of our community. All volunteers are welcome.

I feel like spring is around the corner (even though it is in the low 30s as I write this) and can’t wait to get vaccinated and be able to join you all on the rivers, work together to improve the habitat of local rivers and have some fun along the way.

I want to also thank all of our board members for their support, ideas, enthusiasm and volunteer hours. Jerry Goldstein – Vice President; Jack Kovach – Communications, Meetings and Chair of the CT Council; Ed Grzeda – Treasurer and Membership; Gian Morresi – Conservation; David Ader – Assistant Treasurer; Alex Ziemkiewicz – Raffles;  and non-Board member Joe Lanese – TIC Coordinator. Please contact me or any of the other board members with your thoughts.

Wishing you all a great 2021, complete with health and perhaps a few fish in the net.

Rich Rosen

Nutmeg President

The start of the new year means it’s time to get a new fishing license in Connecticut.

Licenses run Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, regardless of when they are purchased. An inland license with a trout and salmon stamp is required to fish special waters such as trout management areas, and a marine license is required to fish salt water (south of the first bridge upstream from the Long Island Sound. A combination license is available, and also requires a trout stamp.

Anglers 65 and older can get a license free of charge, but must renew it every year.

Any active, full-time member of the armed forces may be issued a fishing and/or small game firearms license for the resident fee. Credentials indicating active full-time membership or separation subsequent to the issuance of the license and prior to its expiration date must be carried while fishing or hunting.

Issuance of a free license to the blind or intellectually disabled requires proof of disability in the form of a certificate provided by any person licensed to practice medicine in this state.

Any resident with the loss of a limb or the loss of the use of a limb and a doctor’s certificate may be issued a free license. Qualified nonresidents who are residents of states which allow CT residents the same privileges are also eligible.

Click here to visit the state Department of Environmental Protection site and purchase a licenses if you have not done so.

All of the money from sales of fishing licenses and trout stamps supports the DEEP and conservation.