February 2020 Newsletter
Central MA Chapter of Trout Unlimited - February Newsletter
The January Meeting was a huge success.
Fly Tying - The CMTU Presidents "Go To" nymph.
We now have a large population of CMTU members with the Green Caddis in their fly box and this spells trouble for Trout! This pattern uses a dubbing material called "Quick Decent". This is a very dub friendly material and our team quickly learned how to put together a very good looking pattern. In case you missed the meeting, the Pattern goes like this:
1. Hook - Curved Caddis, but Dave showed a Curved Nymph hook that looked really good on the finished product. This can be also tied with a jig hook and makes for a great anchor pattern.
2. Black Bead. Tungsten is preferred as you want this pattern right or very close to the bottom.
3. Peacock Herl.
4. Caddis Green Quick Decent Dubbing. I had this ordered at the Bear’s Den. You can also try "The Fly Shack" and "Caddis Fly Shop". Google if you are having issues.
The fly goes together very easily, especially with the easy to use dubbing. This stuff is shredded aluminum and also helps to get the fly down.
February Meeting
We are looking to keep loading up the fly box is preparation for another great year on the streams. This month we are going to tie one of the best overall dry flies every. This would be the Griffith’s Gnat. This pattern is used for "Rafting" midges, but is also a great on when you see the fish rising by cannot match what they are working. Great in sizes 12 down to 22, great for when you know the trout are after midges, but just cannot see what the actual fly is on the water.
In addition, we are about to place our order for flies from Big Y. Bring your requests and we will add to our list.
More Flies!!
Other events
The Council "Caddis Weekend" (The modern day Indian Hollow)
No change on Caddis Weekend from the Council. Should be the first weekend in June.
From the Council comes news of the "Caddis Weekend" for 2020 looks to be still undecided. The MA Fish and Game has yet to pick the weekend. This is the new version of what many remember as Indian Hollow. This event is up on the Deerfield and the timing is such to align with the free (no license) weekend in MA - so bring your out-of-state friends and the weekend that has the fisherman controlling the flow rates out of the dam. Last year, the report were teaming with great caddis hatches and good action with dry flies working well.
The event is in a campground - so bring your tents. We will have discussion on a possible AirBnB option if there is interest. I’ve used this resource to book some nice spots on the Farmington and also in Colorado. May be a good option to sleeping bags and tents.
CMTU’s Farmington Weekend
We can not wait for the announcement of the 2019 Caddis Weekend as the Cabins are filling up fast on the banks of the Farmington. But do not Fear, we have our spot. This year we are going with 2 cabins. The first is from Thursday with a depart on Monday. The other is a Friday and Saturday night. This will allow us to get there early and not worry about checking out on Sunday at 11. This is June 11 to 15 (Father’s Day is the following week). With any luck, we will be able to do both the Caddis Weekend and the Farmington.
2020 Banquet
Are you getting Hungry?
May 16th.
This is going to be another cannot miss event. Great food, Great Prizes and lots of fun. We are looking to follow a similar format to last year’s big success. We are starting to accumulate some very nice prizes. We expect to have tickets available for the March meeting.
2020 High School Championship
This will also be on May 16th. We are working with 3 local High Schools (Auburn, Lincoln-Sudbury and Bellingham) who have programs/already contacted our team. Very exciting and looking to combine this with some very interesting conservation opportunities on the Quinie.
Are you an "Instagramer"? One key area this year will be a focus on Instagram. We talked to several of the presenters at the Fly Fishing show and found this to be a common thread for success. You will be hearing more of our chapter’s efforts with this great communication tool.
See you February 3rd!
We look forward to seeing you and discussing FISH.
Tight Lines,
Peter Sterndale
President, Central MA Chapter of Trout Unlimited
© 2020 Trout Unlimited | CMTU #148 | http://centralmasstu.org
