Musconetcong River Restoration Work

Photo by Lou DiGena

Central Jersey Trout Unlimited, along with several other T.U. Chapters and partners, recently worked on a planting project on the Musconetcong River. The project location was on a state owned Wildlife Management Area  just upstream of the Asbury dam. This area is impaired by eroding banks, lack of riparian cover, storm water runoff issues, water quality pollution such as fecal chloroform from sources such as dairy cows in the river or its tributaries as well other problems.

Photo by Lou DiGena

About fifty volunteers from several organizations and schools, including some folks as far away as Colorado participated in this event.  In record time, holes were dug and 150 containerized plants and trees were planted.  After the planting all of the new backside residents were caged or covered with netting to ward off the hungry resident deer and beavers.  This work will go a long way to enhance the ripariarn cover on this section of river. 

Photo by Lou DiGena

It was also a great way to introduce some children, including my oldest, to some conservation work and some good old back breaking manual labor.  They took to it like a duck to water, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Photo by Lou DiGena

Many thanks to all the volunteers who gave up part of their weekend to give something back to the river!

Photo by Lou DiGena

He Could Have Been a Contender...

Actually, I'm just poking a little fun at my buddy Lou DiGena from the Fly and Fin blog who made a fine showing at the 2nd Annual New Jersey Fly Fisherman of the Year competition this past weekend.  I'm poking fun because I am actually a little bit jealous that he made a better showing then me during last year's competition.  Lou went into the finals in second place and missed taking all the glory by eight tenths of an inch!  Had he been allowed to retain his score from the morning session he would have taken first with a comfortable lead, but the rules called for all contestants to start with a clean slate for the final round of fishing.

This years event also coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the formation of New Jersey's State Council of Trout Unlimited.  The fly fishing event and the subsequent banquet was sponsored and hosted by The Raritan Inn and Shannon's Fly Shop.  They really put on a fine event and the fund raising banquet for the State Council was a blast.  My hat goes off to them for everything they did!

Although yours truly did not participate in this year's fishing competition, I did participate in the post event, fly casting competition.   Unbelievably, I took first place!  I say it was unbelievable because I competed against some world class casters, but the gods and the winds were on my side (sorry Darren!).

I would also like to congratulate this year's winner.   Angelo Conti from the Ernest Schwiebert Chapter of Trout Unlimited.  Angelo is only seventeen years old but he out fished them all.  Hats off to Angelo, New Jersey's Fly Fisherman of the Year!

CJTU's Fly of the Month - May 2010

As some of you already know, I am the president of a New Jersey Trout Unlimited chapter, Central Jersey Trout Unlimited.  One of the most popular features of our monthly newsletter is the Fly of the Month.  All of these patterns are tied and submitted by our members.  Many of the flies are only known locally and some of our tiers especially this month's tier, Ron Ruskai, love to bring back long forgotten patterns.  I though I would share these patterns here as well.  

The Vampire (tied by Ron Ruskai)

This pattern originated in Maine, and is proven effective on lakes here in New Jersey.

Recipe:

Hook - 6X Long 8-4

Thread - Black 6/0

Tag - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Black Floss

Rib - Flat silver tinsel

Throat - White Calftail and red hackle fibers

Wing - Red Krystal Flash and red & black hackles

If you are interested,  I have put together a website listing the last few years of patterns submitted, CJTU Fly of the Month.  You can also directly access the fly of the month patterns through CJTU's website.