June 2018

General Meeting

Tuesday, June 12

Annual Bar-B-Que & Picnic

Join us for CJTU's Annual Bar-B-Que and Picnic, Tuesday June 12th starting at 5 pm in the park right behind the American Legion Hall, 137 New Market Road in Dunellen, NJ 08812. Plenty of food and soft drinks (plus the inexpensive bar is open right inside the hall as always). Come relax, meet new and old friends, share some fish stories. The cost of the picnic is only $10.00. To purchase the right amount of food we need to know how many people are going to attend the picnic. To reserve your spot, make sure you write Sal Lauro at slauro10@gmail.com. When you arrive that evening, please give your $10.00 to Sal. We'll see you June 12 at the picnic!

American Legion Hall
137 New Market Road
Dunellen, NJ

Meeting starts at 7:30 PM - Non Members are always welcome!

President’s Letter

Two weeks ago I was invited up to my buddy Art Port's house in Carmel, New York for a few days of just a plain friendly visit and fishing on the East and West Branches of the Croton River. I managed to get in two evenings of fishing on the East Branch. We hit the usual spot that we fish for the late May evening hatchs.

In the Musky and South Branch I only nymph but now I would try to take them on the surface. I was really rusty fishing dries the first night and while Art had his normal success, I went home skunked.

Before the second night, I recalled how I fished dries years ago. I intended to use a 7 1/2' leader extended to 9' with a 36" 6X tippet. I also remembered my friend repeatedly having luck using a size #20 Griffith's Gnat at that stretch over the last couple of years. Well, the second night I went to work with my revised setup. After hooking and landing several browns in the first hour I stopped yelling "Art" each time I hooked up. He was getting frustrated by lack of hookups that second evening.

At about 8:15 he asked if he could see my fly. He saw that I had a thicker peacock herl body than his Griffith's Gnat. During the last twenty minutes that evening using one of my flies, he hooked two and landed one. He was pleased that he avoided getting skunked but that's how close friends help one another. Now while I sit here in the apartment above UpCountry Fly Shop on the third day of our trip. I wish I could have some fun like he's been having the last two nights on the Farmington River. Oh well, like I wrote once before, I'm an average fly fisherman at best!

Well, our last meeting for the Spring is the CJTU annual picnic in the grove behind the American Legion Hall, our normal meeting spot. There will be plenty of good food and camaraderie. Come and regale everyone with your personal Spring fishing adventures. I hope you can make it to the picnic next Tuesday. Just send an e-mail to Sal Lauro < slauro10@gmail.com > and let him know you're coming. You can give him the $10 cost of attending Tuesday evening. There is more about the picnic in this issue of Mainstream.

Until next month, "Tight lines!"
George

News & Events

State Lands Restoration Project Update

Work Commences the Morning of June 18th

Please feel free to come and observe the work in Progress (directions below) and if you can lend a hand we will need six or seven volunteers to kick off the project Monday morning by helping string the turbidity barrier to curtail the downstream flow of sediment and other materials from the work site. If you are able to lend a hand, we would ask that you be on site in your waders between 8:30-9:00. Most of the planting and pruning will be left until the fall to avoid the summer heat. We will need some additional volunteers on Thursday to clear three or four access points from the current path to appropriate areas on the newly restored runs.

If you can lend a hand on either Monday the 18th to string the barrier and kick off the project, or help out on Thursday the 21st please contact me by email at fcs514@gmail.com. Be sure and leave a phone # as well as e-mail address so I can keep you updated as to changes in the schedule. I do not anticipate either the stringing of the turbidity barrier or clearing the access paths will take more than a few hours if we have a reasonable amount of manpower. I am looking forward to hearing from you and getting this project completed. Many of you are aware of the incredible improvement to habitat that took place at the TCA area of Point Mountain 3 years ago. We expect this project will be every bit as successful as that one. Thank you for all that you have done and will do in the coming weeks.

Fred Simonson, Conservation Chair CJTU
E-mail fcs54@gmail.com
Cell phone 732-735-2699

Directions: coming from the south on Rt 31 turn left at the light at the intersection of Rt. 31 and county road 632 (just past the MacDonald’s), continue on this road until the “T” intersection where you make a left and a very quick right (stay on 632). Go approx. 2+ miles and at the top of a hill you will see a “Fishing Access Site” sign on your left, the dirt access road is just before the sign make the left and proceed approx. ½ mile to the parking lot. (There is a paved private driveway just before the dirt access road make sure you are on the dirt road. (the site is 5 miles from Rt.31) If you are coming down Rt 31 from the north, you will make a right hand turn off 31 at the light at the 31 /632 intersection. Any questions, e-mail or call me at the number above.

2018 Central Jersey Trout Unlimited Fall Banquet

Save The Date! Saturday, October 20, 2018

Central Jersey Trout Unlimited is excited to invite members and friends to attend our 2018 Fall Banquet! The 2018 CJTU Fall Banquet will be held on Saturday, October 20th at 6pm at the Grillestone Restaurant, 2377 U.S. Highway 22, Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The Grillestone Restaurant is a lovely venue with a wonderful menu.

The Banquet will include a delicious four-course meal. It will be an opportunity for members to get reacquainted, for family and friends to meet our members and for all to share an evening of fun, good food and raffle prizes. Among the raffle prizes will be fishing trips including one trip for two to the private waters of the Henryville Flyfishers, rod outfits such as a 9’ 9wt, a 7’6” 4wt and a Tenkara outfit. Also among the prizes are a spa basket, women’s jewelry, a women’s leather handbag and all sorts of other goodies.

You will be receiving your invitation by email shortly. In the meantime please mark your calendars and make plans to attend the 2018 CJTU Fall Banquet on Saturday, October 20th at the Grillestone Restaurant, 2377 U.S. Highway 22 in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Please respond as you receive your email invitation as space will be limited.

If you have any questions or would like to help in any way, please feel free to contact Marsha Benovengo, Banquet Committee Chairperson at casabeno@msn.com or at (732) 780-7185.

The Banquet Committee is looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 20th at the 2018 CJTU Fall Banquet!

Califon Trout Fest

On May 5th members of CJTU ran fly casting demos and lessons for the public at the 2nd Annual Califon Trout Fest, sponsored by Shannon's Fly & Tackle.

Fly of the Month

“Shop Vac”

Tied by Lou Digena

The Shop Vac fly developed by Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana has to be one of the most consistent trout catching patterns I use. It’s simple and fast to tie, and as its name implies, it hoovers up fish.

Like many of Matthews fly designs, it’s not a mayfly, caddis, or midge pupa, yet catches under many of these hatches. It’s excellent searching pattern any nymph or pupa stage.

Central Jersey Trout Unlimited’s Supporters