CATSKILL MOUNTAINS TROUT UNLIMITED

Our speaker this month will be Jeff Yates, national Director of Volunteer Operations for Trout Unlimited, on the Future of TU: Building Community Around Conservation & Fishing
TU has always been strong as an organization thanks to its collection of more than 400 local chapters and state councils working to improve local streams, educate local youth and engage local communities in our conservation mission.
Now more than ever, that model of thinking globally and acting locally is not only appealing to volunteers, but vital to the survival of wild and native trout in watersheds across the country.
Jeff, who lives across the Hudson River in Connecticut and has been a TU member since he was 11 years old, will discuss examples of how TU chapters like the Catskill Mountain Chapter are growing their impact and expanding their reach with a focus on building a community to protect local rivers.

Here is a link to this months newsletter. 2018.01 January Newsletter Final

The evening will have a pot luck buffet. We would encourage you to let Ron Urban know items you are bringing or plan to bring so we have a variety of delectable foods and desserts. The chapter will have breads, coffee and condiments. Contact Ron Urban by phone: 845-339-5938 or email at: Ronsgonefishing@aol.com.
As always, we are fortunate to have our guest Grand Master Chef, Fritz Sonnenschmidt, from the CIA presenting a culinary demonstration of his liking.

Keegan Ales in Kingston NY will be hosting Catskill Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s “Trout T’Ales” event on Thursday November 30 from 6:30 – 8:30pm.

November 30th is the last day of the season on Esopus Creek, so come out and join us at Keegans to have a beer, brag about the fish you caught, meet other anglers, and learn about our conservation efforts in Ulster County.

For more information, email CMTU at catskillmountaintu@gmail.com. We hope to see you there—whether you’re a member or not!

All,

This month’s speakers will be Leslie Zucker from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, and Adam Doan, of Ulster County Soil and Water, both representing the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program.

Leslie and Adam will be speaking on projects that the AWSMP is pursuing in the Ashokan Watershed and on current conditions in the Esopus Creek in general.  Leslie and Adam both have a great deal of knowledge and expertise on the watershed, so please come out to hear the latest on Esopus Creek and to ask those questions.

Please make some time to come out.

Please note: Due to a scheduling conflict at the Marriott the October chapter meeting will be on Thursday October 19th, not on our usual Wednesday night.

We have a very busy agenda this month. In addition to our annual elections (see newsletter article on our elections) and a brief business meeting, we have a very interesting agenda this month.

Our speakers will be Jordan P Ross, Founder and John Montefusco the CEO of Trout Power.

Trout Power is a new grass roots trout advocacy organization that is based in central New York. Founded and lead by Jordan P Ross, owner of Ross Rods and Reels, Trout Powers’ stated mission is “to change the world by honoring clean water not by its clarity, but by the wild trout that live in it.” For the last two years Trout Power has been working to document a unique heritage strain of brook trout that are native to the Adirondack region since the last ice age. Working with DEC Region 6 fishery biologists, Trout Power volunteers have been collecting fin clip samples for DNA analysis throughout the watershed, documenting the presence of a unique strain of wild native brook trout. (https://troutpower.blogspot.com/)

Please check out  this months newsletter: CMTU Newsletter October 2017

Please make some time to come out. I hope to see you there.

This month, CMTU’s conservation committee chairman and chapter Vice President, Ted Hoover, will give an update on ongoing conservation projects within the Chapter.  It is a good opportunity to see what the chapter has been doing in 2017 and provide input on 2018 priorities.

Please check out  this months newsletter: CMTU Newsletter Sept 2017 final

There is information on upcoming volunteer opportunities, NYS DEC Trout management meetings, and our 2017 Conservation Banquet.

Due to the strong interest in our night on the stream in June, many have asked that we do it again this fall.

We are organizing another night out on Friday September 8th, at 6PM for all that are interested.

Please join us. Open to members and non-members of all skill levels. It is a great chance to meet other members and most importantly fish. If you are interested, we will be meeting at the Phoenicia Diner on Route 28 at 6:00 PM on Friday September 8th.

This month’s speaker:

This month’s speaker will be chapter member Mike Flaherty, Fisheries Manager – Region 3, NYS DEC – Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Fisheries will be speaking to the chapter on the state of the Esopus Creek and other regional initiatives.

Please make every effort to attend. It is a great opportunity to hear about the work DEC is doing, ask questions and share your experience on fishing in our home watershed.

Plus a link to this months newsletter: CMTU Newsletter May 2017 v2

This month’s speaker:

Dave “Rocky” Rockwell will be speaking on salmon and steelhead fishing in Lake Ontario and the Salmon River. The salmon and steelhead fisheries associated with Lake Ontario are one of the angling treasures of New York State, and Rockwell, who guides for the Douglaston Salmon Run and Zero Limit Adventures, is one of New York’s most experiences steelhead guides. If you have any plans to head up to the Salmon River area to fish, don’t miss his talk. And if you’re strictly a local angler, this is still a chance to learn about a fascinating fishery in New York. Lastly, Rocky generously donated a guided trip to our chapter for our Conservation Banquet, so please help us show our appreciation by coming out to hear his presentation.

Reminder: Volunteers needed for CMTU Tree planting. Saturday April 22nd. Please sign up.

A reminder to sign up for our tree planting event. We are still looking for more volunteers to help with the Tree planting on the Stony Clove this month. Now less than two weeks away.

This will be our largest volunteer event of the year for our chapter.

When: Saturday April 22nd

Time: 10AM – 2PM

Where: Streamside on the Stony Clove Creek (near Wright Road, upstream from Phoenicia NY)

Jobs include: coordinating volunteers, planting trees, watering, registration table. Please consider taking one day out of the year to help fulfill the mission of Trout Unlimited.

Please join us and bring a friend.

Register to volunteer at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/catskill-mountains-trout-unlimited-tree-planting-on-stony-clove-creek-tickets-32553683945

More details can be found at our web site at:

Catskill Mountains Trout Unlimited : Tree Planting on Stony Clove Creek

Save the Date! Annual Conservation Banquet: November 4th

Our annual Conservation Banquet is scheduled for November 4th. Now’s the time to start thinking of donations. If you’ve got items to donate, contact Andrew Higgins (AndrewHiggins@protonmail.com) or Ron Urban (ronsgonefishing@aol.com). We’re interested in fishing gear—new, slightly used, or vintage—works of art (fishing related or not), or pretty much anything else. If you have a craft you do, please consider donating an item. If you’re a fly tier, please tie up a dozen flies for us. We can supply fly boxes. If you’ve got a business or skill, please consider donating a gift certificate for that. Also, if you know the owner of a local business, please ask them to consider donating.

We also need volunteers to plan the banquet. This is our major fundraiser for the year, and it takes a lot of work. But if more people are involved, it’s a lot more fun. If you’d like to help out, please contact Andrew Higgins (AndrewHiggins@protonmail.com).

Volunteer Opportunities:

Family Fun & Fish Day, Saturday, May 20th, from 11:00-1:30 at Kenneth Wilson State Campground, Mount Tremper, NY. Come help kids learn how to fish. We need volunteers to bait hooks, give pointers, take hooks out (bring your hemostats!), and flip burgers. If you’re able to come, email Andrew Higgins or Ted Hoover at catskillmountaintu@gmail.com.

DEC Seeks WAVE Volunteers:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is recruiting volunteers for the 2017summer sampling season to conduct water quality assessments in nearby streams and rivers as [art of Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators, or WAVE, project. Volunteers visit stream sites once per year between July and September and collect insects and other small organisms from rocks and rubble on the stream bottom. Volunteers can participate by serving as local coordinators who coach and coordinate their own team of WAVE participants, sampling independently, or joining local coordinator teams. Coordinators and independent testers must attend a full-day training session. For more information or to register, email WAVE Coordinator Alene Onion wave@dec.ny.gov.

Kendo’s fishing supplies are in!

Kenco Outfitters on Route 28, who always donates generously to our Conservation Banquet, has their fly fishing gear in. Stop in and talk to guide Randy German, who runs the fishing department, and check out his selection of flies and gear, including the new Orvis Tacky fly boxes. Show your TU membership card and get a 10% discount.

In collaboration with the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) the Catskill Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited is organizing a tree planting project along Stony Clove Creek near Wright Road on Earth Day in April.

AWSMP has been conducting a multiyear project to halt bank erosion on the Stony Clove Creek

http://ashokanstreams.org/awsmp-repairs-damage-on-stony-clove-creek/

When: Saturday April 22nd

Time: 10AM – 2PM

Where: Streamside on the Stony Clove Creek (near Wright Road, upstream from Phoenicia NY)

CMTU and volunteers will be planting native trees and shrubs along Stony Clove Creek as part of as part of our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation (https://www.arborday.org/). The goal of this project is to plant along critical coldwater streams in the Catskill Mountain Region. The planting will help shore up the hillside along the section of the creek that has been repaired to shore up the bank and prevent future erosion.

This will be our largest volunteer event of the year for our chapter.

We are looking for at least a dozen volunteers to help. You are not required to be a member.

Jobs include: coordinating volunteers, planting trees, watering, registration table. Please consider taking one day out of the year to help fulfill the mission of Trout Unlimited.

Please join us and bring a friend.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/catskill-mountains-trout-unlimited-tree-planting-on-stony-clove-creek-tickets-32553683945

*****VOLUNTEER info UPDATE 4/17/17   ******

Thank you for volunteering at the planting.

Here are some last minute details:

• CMTU will be providing stacks and lunch for all volunteers.
• There is limited parking at the planting location.  We will be meeting at AWSMP offices at 9:30AM to carpool to the location.    It is located at 3130 NY-28, Shokan, NY 12481.  Here is a map and contact information for AWSMP office.
  

• If you will be arriving later or plan to meet us at the site.   Here is a map of the location  and directions from AWSMP office.
• 
• Tools:   Please bring hand shovels, gloves, and pry bars if you have them.
• Here is a list of plants. The plants are bareroot stock. I attached a schematic for your info. Plus a Bare-Root-Planting-Guide
  

  Species	Seedling #
  speckled alder	100
  silky dogwood	50
  red-osier dogwood	100
  northern bayberry	200
  sand cherry	0
  swamp rose	50
  pussy willow	100
  silver maple	0
  American sycamore	0
  highbush cranberry	50
  butternut	25
  Total	675

   

For more information  contact: catskillmountaintu@gmail.com