Nutmeg Chapter Trout Unlimited

Written by NutmegTrout21702Dec, 2016

Calendar of Events for December 2016

The general meeting will be Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7 PM at Port 5 Naval Veterans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport, CT. Nutmeg TU will have our annual pot luck Dinner, Raffles, and Fly Tying Contest. Everyone is welcome and here is the scoop: last names beginning with A-F are asked to bring an Appetizer, G-I are asked to bring a Salad, M-R are asked to bring a Main dish, S-Z are asked to bring a dessert. Plan to bring enough to share. Please RSVP to https://www.nutmegtrout.org/event/december-potluck-dinner-raffles-contests/. Yes, there will be a cash bar for your beverages.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, December 27, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

A Fishing Meetup is planned for Friday, Jan 1, 2016. More details will follow.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, Jan 10, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email cmacmath59@yahoo.com with questions or additional information. All are welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

The general meeting will be Tuesday, January 17, 2017 7 PM at Port 5 Naval Veterans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport, CT. The Speaker will be announced later.

A Trip Meetup is planned to The Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ, for January 27.28, or 29, 2017. Ed Grzeda will organize a carpool for those members who would like to go. More details to follow.

Written by NutmegTrout21703Nov, 2016

Underwater Photography and FlyFishing Gear with Jerry Goldstein

If you ever wanted to peek below the surface of the water and get a photo or video of fish in their natural state this month’s Nutmeg Trout presentation is for you. Nutmeg Trout Co-President Jerry Goldstein, will be presenting his well-received Underwater Photography presentation at the November 15 Nutmeg Trout meeting. Using relatively inexpensive digital extreme underwater cameras that can be fully outfitted for about $150.00 you can take awesome underwater pictures and videos, bringing home your fishing experience.

While Goldstein has only been fishing a few years, he has taken to it avidly. Goldstein enjoys fly and spin fishing for bass, salt water fishing on the Long Island Sound, angler kayaking in many of Connecticut lakes and rivers, and travels all over the state fly fishing. When he is not fishing, or spending time with his family, Goldstein runs a successful law practice out of Shelton, CT. For over 28 years Goldstein has been protecting the rights of his clients in the Connecticut courts. In his spare time, he also enjoys computers, music, and, mostly, being with his wife and son.

Along with the Underwater Photography presentation Goldstein is also giving a short presentation on Outfitting Yourself to Fly Fish & Angler Kayak Inexpensively. Like any hobby fly fishing’s and kayaking’s costs can add up. You can go out and buy a $400 to $1,000 fishing rod but, if you are just taking on the hobby or wanting to introduce a friend or family member, that price may be way too steep. Goldstein will be teaching those attending how to find cost effective alternatives to the big price tagged fishing gear.

Kayaking adds an extra dimension to fishing that allows you to venture far beyond where waders let you venture. You can spend thousands outfitting yourself for kayak fishing or find out what inexpensive alternatives are out there by coming to this presentation on Tuesday November 15, 2017 at 7 pm at Port 5 Navel Veterans Hall, 69 Brewster Street, Bridgeport, CT. Pizza will be sold along with a cash bar. Bring a friend and share the fun.

Written by NutmegTrout21727Oct, 2016

Nutmeg TU Trout in the Classroom Program

Hello fellow trout enthusiasts, another fall is upon us and that means trout are spawning and eggs will be hatching. The Nutmeg Chapter’s TIC program is well under way with 16 schools participating this year. We have a wide diversity of grade levels and cities involved, from Kindergarten to 12^th graders with schools in Fairfield, Westport, Trumbull, Milford, Shelton, Stratford, Ansonia, and Monroe.

Last year well over 2000 fingerlings (Parr stage) brown trout were released into several of our local rivers. Even more important is the next generation of conservationists we are growing in our cities and suburbs.

If you know of any schools that would like to participate in this rich hands-on curriculum, please tell them about the TIC program and contact me, David Edgeworth at email Eggsofan@hotmail.com or cell 203 627-5817. Contributed by David Edgeworth on October 24^th 2016.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Oct, 2016

Calendar of Events for November 2016

Our Nutmeg Chapter outing for planting native shrubs on the Mill River is scheduled for Saturday, November 5, 2016. Meet us after 8:30 AM on Congress St in Easton/Fairfield just East of the Sport Hill Rd (CT Route 59) and the Merritt parkway interchange. Bring your shovel, work gloves, water, wear clothing appropriate for the weather and boots for the soft sand or mud areas. We are adding the rest of the plants in the area that we planted in the Spring. Contact Phil Jacques if you have questions at apjacques@optimum.net. Everyone is welcome and we need your energy!

Fishing outing is planned for Sunday, November 6^th, after a visit to Art of the Angler in Danbury, CT, area. Our trip leaders are David Ader at dader1776@gmail.com, Ed Grzeda at eegrzeda@hotmail.com, Rich Rosen at rhrosen@aol.com. Meet at the TU booth at Art of the Angler at noon or meet at Devil’s Glen Park, 150-164 Valley Forge Rd, Weston, about 12:30 to 12:45 pm.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, November 8, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

The General meeting will be Tuesday, November 15, 2016 7 PM at Port 5 Naval Veterans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport, CT. Jerry Goldstein is to be our speaker and he is going to share information on underwater photography as well as tips on how to outfit yourself for fishing without spending your whole paycheck. Yes, there will be pizza and a cash bar.

A Fishing outing is planned for Saturday, November 19^th with the Mianus Chapter on the Naugatuck River for Atlantic Salmon and a cookout near Campville, CT. Contact Jeff Yates of Mianus TU, jyates@mianustu.org., or 203-216-7078.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, November 22, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, December 13, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Oct, 2016

Pennfield Reef Fishing on Sunday, October 23rd

Fishing Meetup, Sunday, Oct 23, 2016, 9 AM to 1 PM. Ed Grzeda will lead an outing on the Long Island Sound at Pennfield Reef in Fairfield. Sign up at Nutmeg’s Meetup.com page here. Meet at the beach at the base of the reef off Fairfield Beach Road to fish the outgoing and low tides. A map of Long Island Sound fishing spots can be found here. Click on the map markers in Fairfield (or in the left navigation bar) to find Pennfield Reef. Lighthouse Point is a small road and public access point off Fairfield Beach Road between beach homes that will take you straight to the reef. Street parking available on Reef Rd and Fairfield Beach Rd (east of Reef Rd). Stripers will be making their Fall run and the reef is an excellent spot for both Fly and Spin anglers. Last year we had 30”+ Bluefish crashing the Peanut Bunker as well. Waders make things easier but casting from shore or the reef as it is exposed by the outgoing tide is also possible. Fly anglers should bring an 8-10 weight rod. Intermediate sinking lines are ideal or floating lines for poppers. Standard flies include Clousers, Deceivers and other Saltwater baitfish patterns. Email Ed at eegrzeda@gmail.com or contact at (224) 234-3381 with questions.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Oct, 2016

Paul Dinice will Speak at the October Meeting

Paul Dinice will share his expertise on Fly Fishing for Stripers on the Housatonic at the next meeting of Nutmeg Trout Unlimited Chapter 217 on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The meeting will be held at The Original Vazzy’s, 513 Broadbridge Road, Bridgeport, and is open to the public. Pizza and a cash bar are available.

Dinice, 62, is a lifelong Derby resident who began spin fishing and fly fishing at a very early age, thanks to an uncle who took all the family kids fishing on his one day off a week. In 1980 Dinice’s fishing focus turned exclusively to fly fishing. In 1985 he made his first foray into salt water fly fishing.

He is a member of virtually every fly fishing club and organization in Connecticut and involved in environmentally based organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Connecticut Audubon Society, and the Coastal Conservation Association. His home organization is the Housatonic Fly Fisherman’s Association, and for 35 years he has written the Fly of the Month for the HFFA newsletter and website. His closer crab” pattern appeared in the 2012 Winter edition Fly Tyer Magazine.

Dinice contributed photographs and writings about fishing the Housatonic to the book Over-Winter Striper Secrets by Capt. Al Anderson. He has also organized numerous small fly fishing expos in Connecticut. Dinice is a member of the Derby Inland Wetlands Commission and has been employed by the Town of Orange as the Zoning Administrator for the past 36 years.

The Oct. 18 presentation to Nutmeg TU will focus on the Housatonic River. Learn how an angler can catch trophy trout at the foot of the Berkshires, then travel an hour south to the river mouth between Stratford and Milford and catch striped bass the same day. The slide show covers fishing locations on the “lower” Housy from the Ousatonic Dam in Derby to the Long Island Sound. Dinice will cover river access points, fishing gear, flies/baitfish imitations, fishing techniques, and an array of photos of successful fishermen. He will have a limited number of A Guide to Stripers n the Housatonic.

Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited 217 encompasses Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Easton, Redding, Trumbull, Monroe, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford and Shelton. Its mission is to conserve, protect and restore coldwater fisheries and their watersheds, particularly in local rivers such as the Saugatuck, Mill, Aspetuck, Pequonnock and Farmill. More information can be found at nutmegtrout.org.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Sep, 2016

European Nymphing simplified, Membership meeting September 20, 2016.

European Nymphing has become very popular as of late. With all the different styles out there it can be confusing on what you need and how to get started. Shawn Kelly from Orvis Darien will be discussing the best tactics to use to get out on the water and be effective immediately. After a two-year journey of just “Euro Nymphing” he has learned what the essentials are for this style of fly fishing.

Shawn began fly fishing at a young age, chasing trout on the waters of Connecticut and New York. With the help of a local pro shop, Shawn ventured into saltwater fly fishing, and his passion for both sports hasn’t stopped growing. Shawn enjoys fishing the waters of Long Island, Westchester, lower Fairfield County, and upstate New York. Shawn comes to Orvis Darien from Orvis Yonkers, where he holds the position of Fishing Manager.

Join us at 7 P.M. in Vazzy’s Restaurant at 513 Broadbridge Rd, Bridgeport, CT, for pizza and our September speaker.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Sep, 2016

Calendar of Events for September and October 2016

Fishing outing for Saturday, September 24, 2016, upstate on the Housatonic River is postponed. At a later date, our trip leader will be Chuck Petruccelli at chuckp@optonline.net .

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, September 27, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, October 11, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

The general meeting will be Tuesday, October 18, 2016, 7 PM at Vazzy’s Restaurant on 513 Broadbridge Ave, in Bridgeport, CT. Our speaker is scheduled to be Paul Dinice.

Fishing outing for Saturday, October 22, 2016 on the Pennfield Reef. Trip leader will be Ed Grzeda, eegrzeda@gmail.com. More information will be available next month.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, October 25, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Written by NutmegTrout21712Aug, 2016

Summer fishing adventures 2016

Michigan has several decent size rivers and many fish to target. The first Saturday of August I joined the Fly Girls of MI for an outing on the Manistee River below the Tippy Dam, near Wellston, MI. We met our guide by 7 AM and were in the boats as soon as they were launched, 2 women anglers plus a guide per boat for a group of 3 boats. The Manistee is wide with healthy flows in this section of the river below the Tippy Dam, the last dam before Lake Michigan. Any fish coming into the Manistee in the Fall for spawning are held in this section as the dam prevents further travel up river. Sightings of eagles were frequent as the day went on, as well, as otters, and fawn early in the day. We were targeting small mouth bass primarily, although there are several species of fish in the Manistee over the course of the year. Like many places, MI has had a very warm summer with several weeks of 85 to 90 plus days. None of us were too sure what type of fishing activity we would see. Our boat had one long distance release off the bank at an eddy pool and that was basically it for the day. We could see the fish following our bait fish replica repeatedly and yet, they simply would not bite. And if you teased them into following long enough, you could see the fish put the brakes on as soon as they reached a sunny spot and quickly return to their cover in the shade. The water was clear enough that sight fishing was almost better than fly fishing! The other 2 boats reported better fishing activity and yet, I did not see any pictures of their catches or hear what they caught. By about 11 AM flotillas of canoes, kayaks, and tubes began overtaking us as many folks were out enjoying the day on the water. The weather was perfect with an occasional breeze in an almost cloudless sky and the day warmed up to 85 or so. So the fishing was great and lots of fun, even though the catching will be better next time!

If you have a fishing adventure to share, let me know and send me a write-up. Pictures are welcomed also!

See you in September!

Cheryl Groesbeck, email to cherylgroesbeck@gmail.com .

Written by NutmegTrout21711Aug, 2016

Calendar of Events for August and September 2016

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, August 23rd, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm.

Fishing on Saturday August 13^th is free if you obtain your one-day license from DEEP. Yes, the one-day license is Free. Obtain a license here: https://www.ct.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales

Fishing outing is planned for Saturday, August 20, 2016, on the upper Housatonic River. You can join in the bass fishing fun as suggested by Jerry Goldstein by registering at the Minus River Chapter site: Mianus Trip http://www.mianustu.org/upcomingevents/chaptercalendar.html

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, September 13, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

The general meeting will be Tuesday, September 20, 2016 7 PM at Vazzy’s Restaurant at 513 Broadbridge Rd, Bridgeport, CT 06610.

Fishing outing is planned for Saturday, September 24, 2016, upstate on the Housatonic River. Our trip leaders will be Chuck Petruccelli at chuckp@optonline.net or Dave Ader at dader1776@gmail.com or Dave Edgeworth at eggsofan@hotmail.com.