Tag Archives: Trout Unlimited

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.

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.

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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Appearances, articles, and other nifty stuff

April is shaping up to be a busy month at currentseams. Fishing-wise, winter looks like it’s finally decided to vamoose, the stripers are on the move, and before long, we’ll be hearing rumors of sightings of those big mayflies with the three tails.

I have three more appearances scheduled this month:

Wednesday, April 9th, I will be tying at the CFFA Tying Roundtable. 7pm, Veterans Memorial Clubhouse, 100 Sunset Ridge,  East Hartford, CT.

Tuesday, April 15th, I will be presenting “Wet Flies 101” to the Thames Valley Chapter of TU. You can get details at thamesvalleytu.org.

Thursday, April 24th, I will again be presenting “Wet Flies 101,” this time to the CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers. While the presentation is freshwater-centric, many of the rigging and presentations cross over nicely to striper fishing. connri-saltfly.com

Not yet. But soon.

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My Word-o-Matic article writing machine has been going full bore. Look for a piece on matching the hatch with wet flies in the next issue of American Angler, one on the Farmington River Survivor Strain in the spring issue of The Drake, and a small stream wet fly article in an upcoming Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.

Lastly, many thanks to those of you who have asked me to be your guide. With two jobs, two kids playing on a total of four travel sports teams, and a spouse who travels for business, my schedule is under constant attack by the time-space continuum. Thanks for your patience, and I’ll do what I can do to make things work.

Many thanks to the TU Naugatuck Pomperaug Chapter for hosting “Wet Flies 101”

I learned two things tonight. One, it’s hard to find pizza by the slice in Naugatuck. And two, the guys of TU Chapter 281 are perfectly willing to share a couple slices of their own.

A fed guest speaker is a happy guest speaker, and thus fortified I presented “Wet Flies 101.” Another receptive, friendly group, armed with lots of good questions. I am truly fortunate to be able to do what I do. Thanks again!

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In other news, I have some more videos in the works, and a currentseams exclusive interview with striper legend Ken Abrames. Stay tuned.

 

 

“Wet Flies 101” April 2, April 15, and HAN radio appearance

We’re really making the rounds here on currentseams. I have two more appearances scheduled for April; both of them are “Wet Flies 101.”

On Wednesday, April, 2, I will be at the Trout Unlimited Naugatuck Pomperaug Chapter meeting in Naugatuck, CT. The meeting starts at 7pm, and you can get directions at tunaugpomp.org.

On Tuesday, April 15, I will be at the Trout Unlimited Thames Valley Chapter meeting in Bozrah, CT. The meeting starts at 6:45pm, and you can get directions at thamesvalleytu.org.

I also did my first radio interview today for John Kovach’s Yankee Fisherman show on HAN radio. The subject was wet flies, and I’ll post a link to the show when they put it up.

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A most excellent evening with the Mianus Chapter of TU

Many thanks to the Mianus Chapter of TU for hosting me last night. “Wet Flies 101” was the topic, and we had a roomful of enthusiastic, welcoming anglers. I’ve never presented in a mansion before — that was rather posh. No matter what venue I’m in, it’s always gratifying to be able to spread the wet fly gospel. Thank you again.

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“Wet Flies 101” at the Mianus Chapter of TU March 11

We are busy, busy, busy here at currentseams. (Busy is good.) My next presentation is Tuesday, March 11, at the Mianus Chapter of TU, Waveny Mansion, in New Canaan, CT. Doors open 7pm. Hope to see you there.

North-country spiders, part of my “Wet Flies 101” presentation

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Thanks TU225 for hosting me

Many thanks to the Narragansett TU Chapter for being such gracious, welcoming hosts. I think that was my biggest crowd to date. It’s always gratifying to be able to talk and teach at the grassroots level. Thanks also to everyone for the follow-up emails.

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Here I am

I have not disappeared (like this brown is about to).

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I’ve been on a little vacation. Even starving writers occasionally get to go somewhere warm and breezy in the middle of winter. Yes, I managed a little fishing. Yes, there will be a story. But for now, these three items:

On Wednesday night, February 26, I will be presenting “Wet Flies 101” to the Narragansett Trout Unlimited chapter. You can get directions from their website (tu225.org).

Saturday, March 1, I will be at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT, from 10am-2pm to present a tying demo, “Flies for Small Streams.” I will be covering wets, nymphs, dries, and streamers, along with tactics and presentations. Directions at compleatangleronline.com.

Last but not least, I just finished an article for American Angler on matching the hatch with wet flies. It will be in the spring trout issue.

As always, thanks for reading.