January 2019

General Meeting

January 8, 2019

Cole Baldino

Bigger Wild Fish and Healthier Watersheds:
Combining Science & Fishing

Cole will take you through the Home Rivers Initiative’s Upper Delaware River Program within NJ. This presentation will touch on threats to current native and wild trout in NJ, planned/future projects and how we do it, how to get involved and what you can do on the river to become a better conservationist and catch more fish.

Cole graduated from SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry in Syracuse with a major in watershed science and coldwater fisheries biology, with the hopes of working for TU. He is now the Upper Delaware River Manager for TU’s Home Rivers Initiative, where he implements watershed restoration for native and wild trout populations through NJ’s Upper Delaware River Basin. In his spare time, you can find him floating the Upper Delaware or rock climbing when he’s giving the trout a rest in the summer heat. He currently lives right over the border in PA’’s Delaware Water Gap.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Tim Flagler

Unforgettable Patagonia

A trip to Patagonia should be on every fly fishers bucket list. The fish, the food, the scenery and the warmth and humor of the people are like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Tim’s video based presentation, shot in stunning 4K resolution, will make you feel like you’re there! It includes footage of his experience during his first trip to the region and perhaps explain his zeal for returning annually. Big fish, big country, big meals that you have to see to believe. 

Tim Flagler, videographer and fly tier, is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although Tightline produces video programs over a wide range of topics, their specialty is fly fishing. Almost every week they produce a new fly tying or “how to” video which appears not only on their Vimeo and YouTube channels but on Midcurrent and the Orvis fly tying blog as well. These videos often get picked up by other sites too, including Frankenfly, Chiwulff, The Limp Cobra, Globalflyfisher, Gink and Gasoline and Wideopenspaces, just to name a few. Many of the tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents and how it can be fished.

Tuesday, March 12, 2018

Tim O’Neill

“Shad Fishing 101”

A look through the different Shad species we have available to us. Gear and techniques will be discussed as well as fly design.

Tim is the founder and owner of O'Neill's Fly Fishing, an online community dedicated to all aspects of fly fishing culture. www.oneillsflyfishing.com He began fly fishing at the age of 10. During the following 3+ decades, his passion for the sport carried him through many parts of the industry including: retail sales, commercial fly tying, lecturing, seminar teaching, and guiding. Currently he operates O’Neill’s Fly Fishing as well as being the owner of the Nor-vise fly tying system. www.nor-vise.com Tim’s fly fishing exploits have been written up in publications like “Out and About Delaware” and “Delaware Today” as well as being interviewed for NPR radio to discuss fly fishing. He considers himself an educator first and gets the most pleasure in helping others learn more about this great sport. When asked what his favorite fish to catch is, his response is always the same: “the one on the end of my tippet.” Please feel free to contact him to discuss all things fly fishing at tim@oneillsflyfishing.com

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Agust Gudmundsson - Fly Fishing Montana on the Cheap

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Andrew Moy - Swinging Flies from a Spey Rod for Salmon and Steelhead

American Legion Hall
137 New Market Road
Dunellen, NJ

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

President’s Letter

Let me start by wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year! I am writing this month's president’s letter from the banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River on January 3rd, 2019. I make it goal to catch a trout during every month of the year and things are looking good for today. After warming my bones by the fire and finishing this letter, I intend put my January fish in the books. We have had some rough conditions this fall/winter with all of the high water, but if you pick your days and can get out between the weather systems, when the rivers drop, you can find excellent fishing.

We have a call out for volunteer support for two upcoming events. The first event is the ’NJ Outdoor Show on January 10-13 in Edison NJ. The second event is the Fly Fishing Show January 25-27 also in Edison. We need help manning our booths at both events. If you can help us out please send an email to volunteer@cjtu.org. I can answer any questions you may have and explain roles in greater details. No previous experience working with chapter activities is required. This is a great opportunity to get more involved with your chapter. In addition, if you volunteer at the NJ Outdoor Show we will pay for your entry into show. If you can help out at the Fly Fishing Show we will enter your name in a drawing for one of four $25.00 gift certificates to a local fly shop for every 4 hours of donated time. How is that for an incentive to come out and lend a hand? Please consider helping your chapter out during these two important events.

In addition to our busy show season we will be kicking off our fly trying classes in February. Check out the article in this month’s newsletter for all the details. CJTU fly trying classes offer something for every level of fly tier from beginner to expert! You will not find a more efficient way to learn or perfect the art of fly trying and at $50.00 the courses are a bargain!

We are still moving forward on our conservation efforts on local watersheds but will not have anything to report on until the spring. As we get closer we will share more information about upcoming projects and put out a call for volunteers once we nail down specific dates.

I'll keep this one brief and wrap up here. Make sure to come out to our monthly meetings we have some great speakers coming up in the months to come. If you attending either of the local area shows stop by the booth and say hello! Please consider coming out to the shows. These shows need your support as much as we do. You can find all the details for the NJ Outdoor Show by visiting https://www.gsoss.com. For information about the Fly Fishing Show visit httpss://flyfishingshow.com/edison-nj/ For those that are curious I did in fact catch that January trout shortly after drafting this letter. Hopefully it is the first of many fish to come in 2019!

Tight Lines
Bart Lombardo

News & Events

httpss://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7355313

Use the link above to access amazon.com and help support CJTU

CJTU is now part of the Amazon Smile program. By clicking through to Amazon with the above link, CJTU will receive a small percentage based on your purchase.

Garden State Outdoor Sports Show

January 10 through 13

The Fly Fishing Show

January 25 through 27

CJTU 2019 Fly Tying School

Dates: February 13, 20 & 27 & March 6, 13 & 20, 2019

Time: 7:30 to 9:30 PM

Registration Fee

$50.00 for Beginners, Materials and Tools provided.
$50.00 for Intermediate Courses (Students must have there own vise and tools.)

Catching a fish on a fly you’ve tied yourself is a great thrill. And Fly Tying is a wonderful hobby in itself. It leads you to a better understanding of insects and other fish prey and thus become a better fly fisher. To get you started on tying or to help you grow your skills, we offer three six-session classes expressly tuned to the Internet Age.

Beginners Class: People have learned to tie flies from books for years. Books allow an ordered sequencing in the introduction of new techniques that build on previous ones. But books are static and subtle dynamics are hard to convey. Youtube videos convey dynamics, but the quality of the instruction is not uni- form. Some videos are good; some are bad and bad habits are hard to break. Proper introduction of techniques is commonly missing. Books and videos can’t correct you if you are doing something wrong. That is where our individual instruction excels.

Learn to do things “right from the start” from our excellent instructors who are some of the best in the East. Techniques are taught in a sequence that continually builds competence. Our instructors watch you and make sure you are doing things right. Further, we provide a quality vice, tools, hooks and all materials. The only upfront cost is our modest fee and your time. Finally, we provide a printed manual with summarized tying descriptions for each pattern plus a reference to a web video we believe is the best for that pattern. So sign up for and take our course and “be the best that you can be” in the shortest time possible.

Transitions Class: Did you take the Beginners Class last year or have you been tying a while on your own and feel you’re not quite up to our Intermediate Class. Then you’ll want to enroll in our Transitions Class. You’ll tune up your dubbing and hackling techniques and learn new families of techniques including working with deer hair, CDC, Snow Shoe rabbit and UV resins.

Intermediate Class: While our Beginners and Transitions Classes are the same from year to year, after all, basics are basics, our Intermediate Class is redesigned each year. New patterns and techniques introduced by tiers through-out the world during the previous year are monitored, and the best ones that mesh with the skill set of the Beginners and Transitions Classes are selected. Thus the class remains interesting to past attendees and also to those who have never taken it before. So sign up to continue your growth as a tier and enjoy the camaraderie of other like-purposed students.

Location, Registration and Payment: All Fly tying classes are held at the American Legion Hall, 137 New Market Road, Dunellen, NJ 08812. We ask you to register as soon as possible so that we may plan accordingly to make your class a success.

You can register at the Registration Table during the CJTU Chapter Meeting held in the American Legion Hall on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 or Tuesday, February 12; at the CJTU booth at the NJ Outdoors Show or Fly Fishing Show, or by email at cjtutying@cjtu.org.

Payment by of check or cash on or before the frst session is required. Please make your check payable to Central Jersey Trout Unlimited.

Fly of the Month

“Mayer’s Mini Leech”

Tied by Bill Ninke

You may not instantly recall his name but I’ll bet most of you, when seeing his photo, will say something like “I’ve seen this guy before. He always has a big smile on his face and is always holding an enormous trout.” The man I’m talking about is Landon Mayer and the photos you’ve seen come from his books and many magazine articles. In fact, he’s on the cover of the latest issue of Fly Fisherman. He’s a guide from Colorado and my kind of guy. He fishes a small set of patterns, many of which he’s designed himself, and concentrates on analyzing structure, seeing the target fish, and making a proper presentation with an appropriate fly. One of his favorite patterns is his Mini Leech. He uses it in both rivers and still waters. I’ve not fished this fly in a river but It was deadly for me this past season on bass and panfish in local farm ponds. While I still fish larger Wooly Buggers, I love this small morsel as do the fish.

It’s quick and easy to tie. From the materials list and the photo you should have no trouble. I’ve listed this pattern as slight variant since I’ve used starling at the head instead of black ostrich herl. I had no black ostrich when I first wanted to try this fly so substituted three wraps of starling instead. The fly worked so well for me that I’ve never gone back to try his original material. On ponds a slow twist retrieve is the ticket. After all how fast can a small leech swim? On rivers Mayer recommends a dead drift and even a swing. Small leeches must develop super natural swimming ability on a river. Hanging from a Hopper is also recommended.

Central Jersey Trout Unlimited’s Supporters