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!
October Meeting Dino Torino regailed us with photos and tales of fish far South of here. His guiding prowess and light-hearted style made for a very informative session on rigging, fly selection, materials for tying and techniques to get those grab-n-grin photos. The numerous photos of "half-fish" make me give second thought to swimming in those waters. Lively discussion about the new Marine Recreational License ensued and some interesting information about CT & RI reciprocity can be viewed in the member's forum.
At the November Meeting – John Thompson of Atlantic Outfitters will provide instruction on rigging a kayak for fly fishing in saltwater. John's business is located in Port Washington, NY where you can rent some models of kayak to try them out before buying. The shop is fully stocked with fly fishing gear and tying materials. Our club depends on active members to keep things operating and to add the value for which we are charted to the remainder of the membership.
Holiday Party December 7th!!! – Join us for food, raffle prizes, fellowship and Holiday cheer. Bring a small food contribution and BYOB. We will have coffee,tea, soda and other non-alcoholic beverages on hand. The raffle prizes this year are TOP SHELF!!! Don't miss out. Save the date. Come early and stay late! Get to know the Salty Flyrodders without sand under their shoes.
Tight Lines,
Jose M. Colon
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