The AWSMP in coop­er­a­tion with the New York State Depart­ment of Envi­ron­men­tal Con­ser­va­tion is host­ing “Fam­ily Fun & Fish Day” at Ken­neth Wil­son State Park located at 859 Wit­ten­berg Road in Mount Trem­per, NY. The event will be Sun­day, July 27 from 11:00am to 1:30pm.

http://ashokanstreams.org/family-fun-fish-day/

It  is a great opportunity to volunteer on behalf of Catskill Mountains TU.

Ted Hoover

Future of the Wallkill River

For Details:

http://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/events/rvk-events/future-of-the-wallkill-river/

An opportunity to help one of our partners on the Black Creek project!

http://www.johnburroughsassociation.org/component/zoo/item/spring-trail-cleanup-april-25

Meeting- (Last day for Taxes) Wednesday night will be a brief business meeting beginning about 6:45 PM. Afterward we will have a b great presentation from another well-known fishery but one not many of us consider. Frank DeGrazio is a licensed New York State fishing guide and an avid fly angler. He hails from Carmel, New York, where he lives. For about last 20 years, he calls The Croton Watershed his home waters, especially the East and West Branches of the Croton River. He is a guide and fly tier for The Angler’s Den fly shop in Pawling, New York. He loves to fly fish for a huge variety of species and is often found chasing trout, salmon, steelhead, carp, stripers, and bass just to name a few. Frank enjoys traveling around New York and New England, fishing a great deal in fresh or saltwater from the shore or kayak. Frank is also known as Hendrickson Spinner, and is an active contributor to a variety of fly fishing social media outlets including his new venture on www.theflypatch.com. He has written fly fishing articles for Live The Wildlife TV Show’s online magazine. His website is www.hendricksonspinnerflyfishing.com. He is a high school special education teacher by trade, which provides him with lots of time to fish and pass on his knowledge to others.
Frank will be making a presentation on fly fishing The Croton Watershed, focusing on The East Branch of the Croton, and the West Branch below Croton Falls Reservoir. He will also touch upon a few of the other rivers that are all a short distance away. The abundance of various food sources, the wild and stocked brown and rainbow trout, and pressure, can at times can make these rivers technical for even for the experienced angler. His vast knowledge will shorten the learning curve for us newcomers, and sharpen the skills for the more experienced angler. He will be discussing, regulations, access points, safe wading, hatches, and equipment, including various rigging techniques that are successful on these little gems. Frank has developed and used many successful seasonal “go to flies” that he will share during the presentation. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to learn about one of Southeastern New York’s little unknown treasures.

Some fish are very adaptable and will live almost anywhere there is sufficient oxygen in the water and food to eat. Some, like the Death Valley pupfish, are extremely restricted, found only in small remnants, less than an acre in size, of their prehistoric domain. In our region, we enjoy plentiful habitat for selective fish species like trout who rely on cold, clean water to thrive.

FISH 2015, the fourth annual issue, focuses on fish, their environment and how we can work together to insure the exceptional water quality trout enjoy is also available for people to drink now and in the future.
Stef Kroll of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, in “If fish thrive in it, it’s good for you to drink,” introduces us to the science-based decision-making behind the Delaware River Watershed Initiative and how finding fish and other indicator species in our waters is a good thing!
In “The confluence of fishing, economy, and river protection,” Jeff Skelding discusses the role fish play in helping to organize people to protect their environment. Prized trout, though they’re unaware, attract people who care about the rivers. Peter Kolesar has persistently divined the numbers seeking common ground between the political, economic, and municipal interests of NYC water users and the multiple interests of river dwellers, animal, vegetable and human. “Of river flows, fish and interstate politics” dives into these waters explaining how decisions made in NYC and Trenton affect our river and our lives.
Getting back to fish as the object of our desire, Judd Weisberg in “Sharing my love of fly fishing” describes how he got hooked as a young boy and how he passes it along to new generations of fisherwomen and fishermen in his guiding and instruction. This year we on the entire Delaware River Main Stem and branches targeted by trout fisherman from the Cannonsville and Pepacton Dams down to Mill Rift. Useful information includes access points, parking areas and local merchants serving you as you enjoy the river. Get wet with FISH and see the world as fish do. From: The River Reporter

Meeting- This Wednesday our meeting will begin at 6:45 PM. We will begin with a brief meeting followed by our guest speaker David Rockwell. Dave Rockwell is a Lake Ontario & Salmon River guide. He is associated with the Tailwater Lodge, Altmar, NY and is an approved guide for the Douglaston Run section on the Salmon River. His Power Point presentation includes the following topics: Lake Ontario landlocked Salmon, flies for fishing Kings and Coho salmon, Steelhead vs Rainbows, drop-back summer steelheads (those fish returning to the lake) and steelhead catch and release. There will also be a question and answer period after his presentation. We can choose the presentation(s) we would like to see at the meeting. This should be an interesting and informative presentation and if you ever have fished the Salmon River or intend to in the future, this is an excellent opportunity for you to gather information about the area from a certified guide. We have had several informative presentations in the past and this is certainly one not to miss. If anyone wants to stay at Tailwaters Lodge, they have a reduced rate for active TU Members. $109 per night or $129 per night for two persons.

January 21st meeting at Marriott with guest speaker Ed Van Put discussing differences from hatchery trout vs natural wild trout at 6:30 PM. Public is always welcome. In case of bad weather call Marriott at: 338-2300 for cancellation of meeting.

November Meeting- I have confirmed with Marriott and Luis for the Monday evening the 17th. This is a one time shift in meeting date to accommodate this presenter. We will have a very brief business meeting before. Our November meeting will be at the Courtyard by Marriott on Monday the 17th of November at 6:30 PM. Our guest speaker Luis Mena Baeza is Spain and Europe’s most prominent authority on Coq de Leon feathers and the creative tying methods of them. He is author of “The Pardon de Meana” and will provide a power point presentation and fly tying demonstration of his series of dry flies developed by him using the feathers of Gallo de Leon. He will explain the unique species of poultry that created the premium feathers used. The Spanish Gallo de Leon is the only strain and original source of feathers used around the world. He will have several books for sale at an approximate US cost of $55 if interested in English print. If interested in a book let me know so we can make certain there are enough available from his US tour inventory. He will also have premium quality Coq de Leon feathers for sale from around $10 to $15. As last year, you asked for quality speakers for meetings. PLEASE, set this date aside and plan to attend and public is always welcome. I have a copy of the book and definitely will become part of my library. Excellently done. Attached is some information for you. Now, Please make this date one to show your support of a quality speaker/presenter for the Catskill Mts. Chapter.

Also, December 18th a Thursday evening, will be our annual date for the Christmas Party at the Fair Street Reformed Church in Kingston. We are always fortunate to have our dear friend and Grand Master Chef, Fritz Sonnenschmidt, presenting a splendid demonstration of culinary delites to enhance the holiday season.
He has informed me that he will be demonstrating something different this year. Ron hope all is well with you and the chapter friends. I will be there as a Happy Chef this year I will make a one pot cookery demo taking a Global Culinary Journey.
As always, if you have any items to donate for the bucket raffles, please bring them Monday or get them to Ron. Certainly we all have something lying around that could be someone’s desire. As it is a Pot Luck format, let me know your desires and donations to the food table.

Ron Urban, President
Catskill Mts Trout Unlimited

October Meeting will begin at 6:45 PM in the Lodge. Currently, I am still traveling for TU business but will be back in time for the meeting. The speaker from NYC DEP unfortunately has to decline presenting. They are scheduled to do electro shocking the Lower Esopus Creek in respect to requirements of the SEIS. We will have a business meeting. Updates on the potential sale of the Taghanic property in Columbia County.
I will present information on recent actions with regard to Microbeads in NY. This has become an issue in NY more specifically with the Great Lakes which NY has two, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie but also around the state in water and sewage plants. The NY AG has engaged an Environmental Bureau section to handle this future piece of legislation to be forthcoming in Albany. Microbeads have become a cause worth battling because of the detriment to the environment and water resources.
For years people have worried about the environmental impacts from plastics left behind in the oceans and Great Lakes. Recently, attention has turned to the Great Lakes and small plastic particles and microbeads that have been found there. Some plastic particles result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, but others are small plastic spheres known as microbeads. These minute plastic beads are typically used as scrubbing agents or exfoliants in personal care products. They are often brightly colored and can be seen suspended in the body washes, facial scrubs and toothpastes that contain them. As these products are used by consumers, microbeads are rinsed off and go directly down the drain with water that eventually makes its way to waste water treatment plants. Although some of the particles are captured through treatment, many are not and sewage treatment overflows can also dump these microbeads directly into the ecosystem. Although harmless in appearance, microbeads have the potential to cause environmental damage. Some of the microbeads are about the size of certain fish eggs, so these small plastic particles can be ingested by Great Lakes fish and other aquatic organisms.