Category Archives: 2026 Schedule and Events

Presenting “The Little Things” at the FRAA Meeting, Wednesday, November 19

IF YOU WANT TO CATCH MORE FISH, PAY ATTENTION TO the little things. That’s the title of my newest presentation, and I’ll be delivering it this upcoming Wednesday, November 19 at the FRAA monthly meeting.

They say that 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish. If that’s true, it’s not because those 10% are supernaturally gifted angling demigods. It’s not because they are lucky. It’s because they do a lot of little things that other anglers don’t. As a guide, I have the opportunity to observe how people fish. I see their mistakes as well as their triumphs. When I’m fishing, I am constantly making adjustments and trying new approaches. That’s what The Little Things is all about – seemingly minor factors that can make a big difference in your fishing.

Little Things

The meeting starts at 7pm, and it’s held at the Farmington Senior Center, 321 New Britain Avenue, Unionville, CT. For more information, visit fraa.org. Hope to see you there.

Thanks TU Naugatuck/Pomperaug

Last night I presented “The Eastern Brook Trout — Connecticut’s Wild Native” to the TU Naugatuck/Pomperaug Chapter. It was my second time speaking before the group, and a splendid time was had (I think) by all. Great to re-meet and re-greet, many thanks for the all the questions and, of course, the pizza.

Wishing I was chasing him instead of being chained to my laptop.

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Thanks to TU Croton Watershed for hosting me last night

All I can say is that the bar has been raised. It wasn’t just the great turnout — the room was packed with attentive members who came armed with dozens of good questions. It wasn’t just the welcoming, friendly spirit of the group. No, it was both of those things and the cheeseburger and beer they took me out for before the presentation. A well-fed presenter is a happy presenter.

Last night’s talk was Wet Flies 101. I brought along a selection of a dozen wet flies for their raffle, and left with a Croton Trout Unlimited hat in the bargain. Thanks so much, everyone, for your kindness and hospitality.

Black Caddis Spider

Next up: Eastern Brook Trout at the TU Naugatuck/Pomperaug Chapter on Wednesday, October 1. See you there.

Many thanks to the Hammonasset Chapter of TU

Last night I presented The Eastern Brook Trout: New England’s Wild Native to the Hammonasset Chapter of TU. The group really came though in the clutch, locating an extension cord and power strip (must get those for future gigs) for me, and then — this is where it gets good — serving up some delicious pulled pork sandwiches. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and talking fishing and fly tying.

That reminds me: Time for a wild brook trout outing.

UDS Brookie2

Kicking off the 2014-15 season with three appearances

Yup, it’s that time of year again. Three speaking engagements over the next thirty days, one of them hopefully near you. I really love presenting. It’s a great way to connect with other anglers at a grass-roots level. Hope to see you at one of them. And here we go.

Thursday, September 11, 7pm, I’ll be speaking at the Hammonasset Chapter TU meeting. The subject will be The Eastern Brook Trout: New England’s Wild Native. Location is the QRWA headquarters, located at 540 Oregon Road, Meriden, CT.

UDS Brookie1

Thursday, September 18, 7:30pm, I’ll be presenting Wet Flies 101 at the TU Croton Watershed meeting in Pleasantville, NY. You can get directions from their website, cwctu.org.

Soft-hackles

Wednesday, October 1, 7pm, TU Naugatuck Pomperaug Chapter meeting in Naugatuck, CT. An encore performance of The Eastern Brook Trout. You can directions at tunaugpomp.org.

You don’t need to be a TU member to attend any of these meetings. Please be sure to say hi to me if you decide to come. I have more appearances scheduled, and I’ll post them as the dates get closer. I’m also working on a new presentation that should be ready soon. 

Thanks to all of you who subscribe to and read currentseams. I truly appreciate it.

What’s going on around here?

Much. Here are some details.

Radio/Podcast: I just recorded a segment on fall/summer fishing the Farmington with John Kovach’s Yankee Fisherman show on HAN radio. I’ll post the link when I get it.

Magazine articles: Look for upcoming articles in the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide (Salmon Fishing for Stripers); The Drake (W/S Caddis); Fly Fish Journal (The Streak, a 12-month striper odyssey); and American Angler (tbd…this will motivate me to get those story ideas to the editor).

Web articles: Last night I started my 2014 Block Island Diary. I promise it won’t suck. I have a few interviews with Ken Abrames to sort through — currentseams.com exclusives. And of course regular fishing reports and tying articles/videos.

Appearances: Yup, it’s that time of year. I’ll be presenting Wet Flies 101 at the TU Croton Watershed meeting on Thursday, September 18th. You can find directions at cwctu.org. I’ll be presenting Eastern Brook Trout at the TU Naugatuck Pomperaug meeting on Wednesday, October 1. You can find directions at tunaugpomp.org.

I also see currentseams is approaching 200 members. I think we’ll have to do another fly drawing to celebrate.

We’re not quite yet to this point. But make no mistake — fall is here.

Leaf 10:13

Tying flies in the noon day sun

So I pulled up to the pavilion at Mathies Grove around 9am and no one’s there. Except the lone sentinel in her sand chair who informed me that she was saving it for the softball players. Say what? I looked northward, and there was the Spey Clave in the field. I hadn’t planned on tying in the sun — I was wearing a long sleeve rugby shirt — but as the father of a Marine, I know that you adapt, overcome, and improvise. A few volunteers later, we were lugging a picnic table 150 yards across a field, and there I was, all set up and ready to tie.

Several thank yous are in order. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat, watch, and ask questions. The old faces were comforting, and the new ones a pleasure to meet. Thanks to Ben Bilello for tying such beautiful salmon flies. Thanks to Mother Nature for making the sun warm and the air cool. Thanks to Scott from the Compleat Angler for grilling up a storm (that burger hit the spot). And thanks to Fred and Jerry from Spey Casting North East for hosting me. (I’ll give them a from-the-heart — and head — plug: if you are interested in two-handed casting, you will not meet a nicer, welcoming, experienced team of instructors. Brilliant, both of them.)

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Tying at NE Spey Clave III, Saturday May 17

I will be doing a tying demo, Wet Flies for the Farmington, at this year’s NE Spey Clave III. If you plan on going, swing by my little picnic table and say hello. By popular demand, I will have a small selection of wets for sale. If you’ve never been, here are some details from Spey Casting NE:

New England Spey Clave III – May 17, 2014

Mathies Grove on the Farmington River

Sponsored by FRAA

Many manuf. Reps will have rods and lines to test cast

Demonstrations on the Farmington River

Andrew Moy – Topher Brown – Rich Murphy – Mark Sedotti – Fred Wilson

Free lunch by: The Complete Angler, Darien, CT

Raffle for Spey Rods and Lines – Proceeds for FRAA

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Thank you, CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers

Last night I concluded a busy winter and spring presentation schedule with “Wet Flies 101” at the CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers. Nice people and — bonus! — pizza are the friends of any speaker. Thanks for helping me set up, thanks for the spirited Q&A, and thanks to the gentleman (a thousands apologies, I forgot your name) who gave me the articulated streamer. Hope to see you again soon.

 A RI coastal scene from a couple summers back, taken a few hours before fly fishing commenced.

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A good night to give a wet fly presentation

Had enough rain yet? I can only imagine what your favorite trout stream looks like. One of those neither man nor beast nights, so I was astonished to see such an impressive turnout at the Thames Valley Chapter of TU meeting. “Wet Flies 101” was the topic. I can’t say enough good things about this group: we had projector difficulties, hardware interface problems — just about anything that could go wrong, did. That is, until several chapter members pitched in and pulled it all together for me. My hat is off to you. Thank you for having me, thank you for helping me, and thank you for being such an attentive and curious audience.

It was also nice to see so many familiar faces. You know who you are.

We could use a little sunshine breaking through the mists.

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