It has been a long and wet Winter and the Spring thaw has brought some nice early season Striper action at many of the usual shallow mud bottom estuaries and river mouths. There has also been a seemingly increased DEC enforcement officer presence at these locations which is a GOOD thing for the future of our fishery. If you run into an officer, be sure to get his/her card with their cell phone number to report activity requiring their attention. And don’t forget to carry your saltwater fishing license with you! As the water begins to warm and the number of 70+ degree days increase, make sure your gear is in top shape and all those flies you tied over the Winter are ready for action. There are still a number of good shows and flea markets happening to expand your collection of gear and some intrepid souls have even begun launching their kayaks in the brine searching for fins and scales. If you count yourself among them, don’t forget ANY of your safety gear! Hopefully we’ll see you at the Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament of which our club is a sponsor. The proceeds from this event directly benefit Casting For Recovery which recently won the 2010 Heritage award from the American Museum of Fly Fishing. Though we have been fortunate to have some good legislation upheld in defense of our fishery, do not relent in staying informed on proposed changes and forthcoming votes. A recent article by John McMurray in Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine will help you understand why.
The “Salty” Flyrodders of New York will focus our meeting presentations on conservation and angling techniques that will help you get started with this great sport or improve your experience on the water by refining your skill. We have a great line up of club trips this year and some of them will involve last minute alerts for Spring trips where local scouts can improve your chances of getting your line tight quickly in locations where fish come and go quickly. We also have a commitment to do more weekday trips for those who have the flexibility to take advantage of that time to avoid weekend crowds. There will continue to be folks tying flies at our meetings along with casting instruction before the meeting presentations. We are concluding our Winter fly swap and many of us are planning to meet at gatherings like the Fly Fishing Film Tour in NY and CT. We also encourage attendance at events like the Fisherman's Conservation Association Banquet in Staten Island to raise awareness of local conservation issues and funding for local initiatives. Watch for a larger update of content on our website this season and the inclusion of some video footage of trips and events.
2010 43rd Annual Conclave Event
The Salty's have launched a new format for our annual Conclave. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience a full day of guided shoreline fishing with four top rated guides. The value of fishing with any ONE of these guides for a half-day exceeds the cost of an entire weekend Conclave enrollment. Can’t make the whole weekend? Come out an join us for the Saturday program! We also have great raffle prizes including a Scott fly rod, a Hatch reel and half-day trips donated by excellent local guides (including some from our Saturday program). Though we would rather you attend, you can also win these raffle prizes even if you are not there! There will be opportunity to learn how to fly fish from a kayak and instruction on fly casting (including two-handed rod techniques that are growing more popular in saltwater applications). Register NOW to reserve your place at this great event!
ACCESSING FISHABLE WATERS March 2 Stan Knipe, our Trip Chairman, and a New York State Guide, will talk to us about day trips, accessing fishable waters, and parking. Stan has created contact info for obtaining parking and access permits. This has been posted in the Members section of the Salty web site.
Our annual Holiday Party at the Botanical Gardens was a great success. Those of you who were unable to attend missed a good time, year-end camaraderie, talk of 2009, and MOST IMPORTANTLY the opportunity to show your appreciation for the hard work of Bill Stio, Joel Filner, Jose Colon, Patrick Long, Dee Kelly, Peter Kane, the Board of Directors, and the many Committee Chairs and members who made the last two years among the best.
Members came bearing gifts of delicious home made food, including stew and pasta dishes, salads, and egg rolls, all made with tantalizing ingredients – and then there were the desserts – and, of course beverages. Holiday raffle prizes included, an Abel Reel, Albright rod, a hand crafted marble-Hughes vice-stand, and numerous other items.
With the holidays over and a couple of months left before any real shots at Spring run fish can be had, it is time to turn our attention to our gear and flies. Those of us fortunate enough to depart to warmer locals may play with Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon to name a few. For the rest, it is time to hit the fly tying bench, tie up some leaders for Spring sight fishing adventures or just gather to discuss seasons past and hope for a new one. We should not forget that there is also an opportunity to become more active in conservation efforts and start writing some letters to our elected officials calling for greater enforcement of laws we already have on the books!
The Fly Fishing Show in Somerset
The Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ was a blast. Thanks to all the members who volunteered their time at the show and congratulations to the Board of the club for major improvements in the quality of our booth over last year. Special thanks to MIKE WOLYNIEC for constructing a custom TV stand to display our new club video!!! We had great fun meeting new folks at the show who may become new members! Flies were tied, leaders were fixed and a new club video was unveiled! New products were tested and it seems that two-handed rod use for saltwater surf fly fishing has come of age. At least this year, we didn't have sheets of ice to skate over to get to the convention center door from the parking lot!
2010 43rd Annual Conclave Event
The Salty's have launched a new format for our annual Conclave. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience a full day of guided shoreline fishing with four top rated guides. The value of fishing with any ONE of these individuals exceeds the cost of an entire weekend Conclave enrollment. More details on this event will be posted to the website before February 1st. Stay tuned in the "News"! section for more details.
Club Fly Tying Groups
We have also resurrected the fly tying group within the club and have secured a venue in Massapequa for the convenience of Long Island members. We will also soon announce a Manhattan venue for the convenience of New York City members. If you don't know how to tie and wish to learn, you can come early to one of our monthly meetings for individualized instruction. Meanwhile, stay warm and dream of screaming reels.......
Summer is officially over and Fall has brought the traditional NorthEast winds of change. False Albacore and Bonito seem like a distant memory with only a smattering of Striper boils to replace them. As we make our way into this phase of the seasons, let's take a moment to reflect on why we might not be seeing the numbers of fish that we did in years past. Marine Recreational Licenses have gone into affect in New York and some neighboring states in response to a Federal mandate. One would hope that this would help enforce some of the sensible legislation already intended to protect overharvesting and abuse of precious marine resources. Each individual has the moral responsibility to educate themselves and take action so their voices can be heard. This is the foundation upon this great nation was built. Don't let ANY governing body collect your money without a few choice words about what could be done better. Our club and affiliated organizations focused on conservation can help inform you and guide you to take the action you choose. Meanwhile, you can continue to slowly pick away at the bass on the move in the Western Long Island Sound and South Shore of Long Island beaches. If you do get into 'em, send 'em back to spawn in the Spring. There are already plenty of Stripes on ice at the store. Look for notice of last minute trips in the Forum section of this site (members only). We will have all the latest information about where the fishing is HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Read on for the latest club news……
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